Estefan couldn't believe what he was seeing, it was his Godfather. The man who worked under his Grandfather, the previous Duke. A man who was considered to be the most loyal soldier, a loyal knight who became the Grandmaster of the Angeras Knights.
Ulf, the old man became Estefan's Godfather after being put as their guard in the outer palace after Duke Gerin replaced Ulf with his apprentice Mason. But after a year later Duke Gerin made Ulf relocate and forcefully retire to a secluded villa on the Eastern side of the Kingdom or that was the information told to everyone.
Since Ulf was here, Estefan understood that his father did something to the old man and threw him in this dungeon.
Ulf barely able to remain alive, looked like a true corpse. His skin released a powerful rotten stench, his eyes sunken, there was no hair on his head while both of his ears seemed to be cut off, his ribs visible and his abdomen sunken deep as if he hadn't given any food for years.
But the old man somehow said "Who is it?" It was more murmuring at best due to the lack of energy to speak much.
Estefan did not want to reveal his identity, he thought it would break the old man since Ulf was his Godfather but he did respond "I am - I am... Estefan - Estefan Angeras." He would stammer because he did not know what to say but hearing that name bad the old man moved.
There were cuffs with runes on Ulf's arms, legs and even waist which were connected to the wall through chains. This greatly removed the movement of the old man but the old man leaned forward to get a clear view of this boy who introduced himself as his young master.
"Is it really you? Young Master Estefan?" He whispered while his eyes squinted to get a clear view.
But Ulf realised that the person in front of him was nothing but a child at the age of ten and he asked "Has it really been ten years, I have been forced to rot here for that much." There was a hint of sorrow in those words.
Once a proud warrior, now a man sentenced to rot in a prison by his own master who he protected with his very life.
Estefan looked down "It is indeed me, Godfather. I have been condemned here." His sobbed, while he couldn't even face the old man.
But Ulf was confused "Who would dare to condemn the heir to Angeras Family?" But Estefan's answer would have shocked Ulf. "Who else but my father, he sentenced me here to reclaim Rammstein all by myself in under ten years after revoking my hair status." Hearing that made the old man angry because he punched the wall with his weak arm.
There was no blood, just bloodless wounds on the old man's fist "First he betrays his father, then his soldiers and now his own son... Gerin has truly fallen." Estefan got surprised hearing those words and asked "Betrayed grandfather?" He asked a question to Ulf.
At first Ulf took a moment of silence, it was clear he did not want to reveal the truth but Ulf did so anyway "He poisoned your Grandfather the same he poisoned me, why did he do it? I have no idea but he did so anyway to his father who loved him so much that Lord Simon did not even remarry after losing his wife or have more heir considering he only had one son." Those words made him utterly speechless, he did not have any words to say because what he heard was too much for him to handle.
His father betrayed everyone but why? That kept on ringing on his mind that he held his head in disbelief. Now it was clear, there was no way he could escape this place.
But Ulf he did not want to see the young boy hopeless, "I thought I would die slowly, since I am using my own soul essence to keep myself alive without food and delay the poison. But since you are here young master, I will give you my strength for your revenge." Estefan looked at the old man, he couldn't believe it. The old man at the verge of dying was willing to help him. He finally found someone who wouldn't betray him now and had to see them give up their life to strengthen him.
Estefan bent down one of his knees along with leaning his head "I will accept it, I will also accept your revenge into mine and make sure I accomplish it." But Ulf added "Not just that, you must reclaim your house. It is your birthright and you just fix it, you must get it better, make it a powerhouse which it truly was like under your grandfather." For which Estefan nodded.
Ulf raised his hand and showed it to Estefan indicating that he must grab and hold it, which Estefan did and then the eyes of Ulf began to shine brightly. The pure energy of the former strongest Angeras Aura Swordsman began to appear but it was not the entirety of his energy since he had to burn a lot to slow down the poison and prolong his life since he wasn't given any food or water.
Ulf began to explain what was soul essence and the systems behind it.
Soul Essence was the energy residing in oneself, the energy of the soul which was finite and unlike Mana which existed everywhere and was unlimited.
This energy once accessed can be used to create a powerful aura that can extend throughout a warrior's body forming a powerful barrier or form on weapons to increase its sharpness which can cut through anything including others' souls. Once fully manifested and mastered, a soul essence user could even create their own world in a limited distance to create powerful attacks which were called Dominion.
The Soul Essence using warriors were divided into classes from one to ten,
Class one, they were the basic users who started to use their souls essence and could create Aura.
Class two, they were the ones who have learnt how to bring out Aura more properly and could manifest it around their body correctly.
Class three, they were the ones who have learnt to manifest Aura on objects like weapons and shields but not yet proficient.
Class Four, they were the ones who have learnt to manifest Aura properly on objects but objects they were holding.
Class Five, they were the ones who have reached the point where they can put their Aura on objects to do telekinesis but instead of moving things with mind they simply put their Aura on things they wanted to move with a limited distance.
Class Six, they were the proficient users of telekinesis style of Aura using, they can move objects or even persons through Aura, they also have stronger Aura implemented throughout their body or sharper Aura. But from Class Six onwards a Soul Essence User are immune or partially resistant towards poison, curse, charm etc
Class Seven, they were similar to Class Seven except their Aura were more powerful, the distance for implementing Aura on other objects or things would increase as well as how many they can easily hold or lift as well.
Class Eight, the highest at time with only a limited number of people to achieve this. This gives the wielder a bit more longevity in life, they can extend their life using their energy to a century or more.
Class nine and above have yet to be achieved but it is widely believed that a person would become godlike, such as creating an actual world in a dimension for them to stay, causing destruction across continents or being completely immune to mana.
Ulf was a Class Six warrior, his Essence would push Estefan's to a similar level but Estefan must train his body to unleash the full extent of Class Six's power.
He felt something wrong, when he injected his energy into the young boy for the sake of their revenge. But when he did, he felt like if there was no space for the energy he was giving Estefan, it was like if there was something else, something far more powerful.
Ulf's mind with the last drop of energy entered the inner sanctum of Estefan's soul, everyone has their inside world's while those who can use Soul Essence can bring that world into a reality. Those worlds represent what the person's soul is, Ulf when he entered Estefan's inner sanctum all he felt was an endless void.
He couldn't move anywhere, it was so vast and empty but he felt it. The heat "How is this possible." He was shocked, seeing what resided in the void and it was something way beyond his capabilities.
But Ulf understood the simple fact that Estefan's mother was after all a mage. Maybe that is why something like this was inside Estefan.
It was in no way dangerous to the boy, so Ulf decided to let it be to ensure that such a thing would be useful for Estefan later on.
He made a tiny bit of space for his energy, which began to form in the shape of an orb. Ulf's eyes began to shine brightly while energy began to course through his body like veins and entered Estefan. It all flowed into Estefan, reaching the very center and formed a tiny blue orb of pure energy waiting to be accessed.
To access it, Estefan must train or else his body will not handle the strain of such power since it was Class Six energy while the boy never have experienced such things or have trained.
Ulf in his final words told Estefan the things he must practice alongside with the fighting arts he must learn as well.
"You must surpass me, with this you'll have an edge and be able to enter Class Seven at a younger age. You must not stop there, go beyond to ensure that you will survive. Do not give up for I shall always be there for you even after death." Those were the last words of Ulf before his body collapsed due to lack of Energy.
Estefan did not feel much change in his body, for such an energy can only be felt if he prepared his body enough, he looked at the corpse but he did not shed a year for that would be a travesty. Instead he bowed to a great warrior and accepted Ulf's revenge thus making it his own.
Estefan now had an opportunity, since he would be thrown into the grey zone which was large enough for him to train on and he also has a decade worth of time to prepare.
Estafan stood up and walked towards the iron bars, he grabbed it and leaned his head on it "I will have my revenge." He growled for the sake of his loved ones, he was the only who could.
Then be walked over towards the wall and began to punch it, each time his fist came into contact with the wall. It gave the boy immense amount of pain because of how weak and frail he was but he didn't stop, his pain would stop if he can access his energy but he hasn't yet reached the point where he can easily do it.
He must cultivate it to ensure smooth flow or else it will never be enough for a revenge, it was time to prepare for a revenge which must be done for the sake of himself and many who have suffered like him.
Estefan looked at his fist, they were bruised but the pain was nothing compared to what they have done to him. He began to punch the wall more, to increase the level of pain he have felt.