Setting Off

Voidborn’s eyes opened.

He stared up at the ceiling, body positioned straight like a plank, lying rigidly flat. He wore the guest-provided floral beige pajamas, legs extended, arms resting straight by his sides, just like how a soldier would sleep. Sunlight struck his eyes, making him squint a little as the last traces of sleep faded.

He sat up and glanced at the plush mattress beneath him. It had given him a good night's sleep, something that he had not experienced in a long time.

Everything felt foreign.

He was always up and about, sleeping wherever he found space — benches in parks, scrap cardboards by the roadside, one inch thick hard beds advertised as soft in fake three-star motels, or nylon bivvies camouflaged beneath dead leaves and decomposing branches.

It was never about comfort. As long as he had a place to rest before his next task, anything was sufficient.

He stood and turned around, taking in the sight of the room again, committing it to his memory.

Perhaps it would be something to work towards.

He walked to the conveniently attached washroom to wash up. Right in the middle of brushing his teeth, a knock sounded on the room’s door.

“Apologies for the disturbance, Mr Voidborn. May I come in with your breakfast?

“Yes,” Voidborn replied.

The door opened and a cart was pushed in by a maid. The butler from the night before followed behind and bowed politely as the maid continued with her job, setting several silver plates on the table, each covered by bell-shaped cloches.

“Ah, my deepest apologies. I did not know you were washing up,” the butler said with another bow.

“It's alright.”

“Would you like coffee or tea?”

“Water. Warm water.”

“Yes, Mr Voidborn,” the butler said, turning to the maid. “Please pour our guest a glass of warm water.”

The maid nodded and grabbed a transparent crystal cup off the cart, before pouring a stream of lukewarm water from a metal flask into it.

“I hope you had a good night's sleep, Mr Voidborn,” the butler smiled. Reaching into his breast pocket, he fished out a piece of folded note, opening it. “Mr Derrick has relayed the following message: We will depart for Kandar after lunch. The family head will call for you at around eleven before lunch. Until then, you are free to rest within the estate.”

Voidborn rinsed his mouth and spat out the toothpaste-water mixture while listening to the message.

“Noted.”

“Then I shall take my leave. Please enjoy your breakfast, Mr Voidborn. You can leave the empty plates on the table. Once you are done, we will take care of them.” The maid pushed the cart out, the butler closing the door behind as they left.

The room was silent once again.

Voidborn stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked unpresentable — scruffy, weathered, and rugged. Nothing about him seemed handsome, which made Rei’s comment from the night before perplexing.

He began to clean himself up.

He shaved with the guest kit provided, trimming the stubble formed from his last month long orc bounty. He then took off his pajamas and showered, scrubbing away dirt and grime, washing off the smell of fatigue.

Once done, he changed backed into his freshly laundered matte-black tactical gear, which had been kindly cleaned by the Yoo family. Face cleanly shaven, body scrubbed clean, the musky smell of grind plaguing him was replaced with a refreshing earthy, citrusy fragrance.

Voidborn exited the shower and sat down at the table, lifting the cloches. Medium-rare grilled T-bone steak, roasted herb potatoes, garden salad with toasted chickpeas for crunch, and a fruit platter. An indulgent meal too costly and excessive for a breakfast, but a welcomed one.

Voidborn picked up the glass of warm water first, taking a drink when—

“Voidborn!”

The door to the guest room burst open. His hand shot for the sword resting against the table leg, blade already half-drawn before he registered who it was.

Rei.

She hopped forward, planting her face close to his once again, bombarding him with endless words.

“You're awake! Good, good, good. Let's go, we still have time. I need to study you! I wanna run some tests—woaaaahhhh…”

She went silent mid-sentence, visibly shocked, before composing herself.

“You’re Voidborn? You shaved! You showered! You smell… nice~”

Rei danced around him, hands touching his face without permission, nose sniffing around his neck like an animal.

And yet Voidborn sat still, glass in one hand, sword half-unsheathed in the other, completely unmoved by her antics.

“You were about to slice me right?” Rei chirped cheerfully, unbothered by the fact that she could have almost lost her head. “Come, come quick, no time to waste. I wanna study you for before we leave. Please? Okay?”

“I'm eating breakfast.”

“I can wait! I’m a patient girl,” Rei declared, patting her chest with a fist lightly, before scuttling towards the seat opposite him. She slid in and placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her raised palms like a flower. “Go on, eat!”

Voidborn looked at her for a moment, then calmly resheathed his sword, setting it back down. He finished the water, then picked up his knife and fork, and began eating as if Rei did not exist.

And Rei just sat there, staying silent for once, watching Voidborn as if he were a specimen in a laboratory.

The next thing Voidborn knew, the warmth and silence of the guest room was gone.

His hands were still greasy from picking meat off the T-bone when Rei wrapped fingers around his wrist.

“Done? Can we go?”

Without even waiting for an answer, Voidborn was dragged out of the room. He was pulled into the corridor while scrambling to wipe the grease off his hands with the table cloth, grabbing his sword at the sole chance he had. Hands on his back, Rei pushed him forward down the corridor. The sunlight shining through the window panes on both sides blurred into flashing strobes as Rei rocketed off with enthusiasm.

“A living subject~ A living subject~ I get to finally test a living subject~” Rei hummed in excitement.

Voidborn didn't like the way she say that.

They soon stopped in front of a metal door with a crooked plate welded onto the centre.

REISEARCH

DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT HER PERMISSION

The word seemed to be burned on, the font too neat and perfect to be done by hand. A spell, or Rei’s spell, perhaps.

The door slid to the side as Voidborn saw her direct the purple shimmer in her head towards the door’s lock, revealing the inside. The smell of paper, ink, oil, and something metallic seeped out.

It wasn't a study, it wasn't a laboratory, and it most definitely wasn't a bedroom.

It was a fusion of the three.

Books stacked into unstable towers, scrolls nailed to walls or scattered around, strange apparatus cluttering every table. A third of the room looked like a scholar’s sanctuary. Another third looked like a mad scientist’s workshop at three in the morning. The final section held a tome covered bed with barely enough space for anyone to lie.

Although, there was someone already laid there, a dog-eared book opened in her hands.

“Hi~”

“Lady Yoo,” Voidborn greeted, giving a small nod.

She wore a long maroon dress, hair still tied in a bun like the night before. She smiled back at him. “I told you to call me Jimin, right? Please drop the formalities.”

“No.”

“Hey, we should get comfortable with each—”

“Now, now. No time to waste. Time's ticking,” Rei interjected.

Before Voidborn could react, Rei shoved him into a chair.

Click.

Something locked around his neck. A wire trailed from the metal collar down to a small machine beside him. It began to emit a steady, rhythmic beeping.

Rei stepped back. The playful grin she had worn since meeting last night slowly disappeared. In its place was something far more unsettling.

Focus.

Her eyes scanned him like he was a diagram waiting to be understood. She tapped on a few keys of the controller connected to the monitor, and the machine started to emit a low hum. As the humming got louder, a surge of weak electricity transmitted from the monitor through the wire to the collar, forming a faint web of sparks around Voidborn as he remained seated.

“What's that? That looks painful,” Jimin asked, sitting up with curiosity as she set the book in her hands down.

“It's a basic measurement device,” Rei explained without looking away from the monitor. “It's something that I've developed with Derrick. Basically it imbues electricity with deconstruction and amplification, which allows the internal energy signature of a Reborn to be broken down and transferred back to the machine before being amplified again for analysis. The reason the shocks don't hurt is because I've inscribed the power of dampening to each shock, enough to allow the electricity to continue passing through the body, but not enough to cause harm. The frequency also needs to be tuned to sync with the body’s natural wavelength, allowing the nerves to register the foreign energy as something harmless. To do so, I had to—”

“You do know that I understood none of that, right?” Jimin said, crossing her legs on the bed.

“Then why are you even here?” Rei said, rolling her eyes. “You never come unless you need to know something.”

“Ugh, you're acting as if we don't see each other at all. We see each other every day,” Jimin said, sticking her tongue out playfully. “Voidborn here might get the wrong idea and think that I'm a cold person.”

“You're dodging the question,” Rei rolled her eyes, nodding as she continued reading off the monitor. “You're never here unless you need to know something.”

“As a matter of fact, I do need something. Quite a bit, actually.” Jimin picked up her book from the bed and showed it to Rei.

Voidborn turned to look at Jimin, his pupils narrowing as he read the book’s title.

An Introduction: Reborn and Rebirths

“Well, the ‘social networking event’ that I’m supposed to be at is actually a Reborn gathering between the five publicly recognised factions, and I’ll be there as a representative. And as the ever-so-gorgeous daughter of the Mechanist Union’s Head of Finance, I obviously have to do my part and not look stupid.”

“Hehe, unnie, you do look pretty stupid though.”

“Hey!”

Jimin threw the book in her hand at Rei. However, her aim was off, and it was sent hurtling towards the wire connecting Voidborn and the monitor.

“No—”

The book stopped a few millimeters shy of hitting the wired connection, grasped firmly in Voidborn’s outstretched hand.

“Unnie!” Rei exclaimed, heaving a sigh of relief. “This machine costed a thousand gold shells in parts alone! That's ten thousand steaks! Not to mention six months of our precious research time and the highborn stone—”

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry!”

“Grrrr, if you keep being violent, I’m gonna ban you from my room. You can go play with Liz instead,” Rei frowned. “Act like a proper lady. You aren't gonna get married if you keep being so hot-headed.”

“Hey—”

“And you, Voidborn,” Rei said, turning her attention back to him. “Excellent reflexes. Thank you for saving my purse.”

Voidborn nodded.

“Would you do the honours of reading to Lady Yoo, so she doesn't embarrass herself?”

“Reeiii~” Jimin whined. “I said I'm sorry…”

Voidborn flipped open the book and began reading in a flat tone.

“Reborns are humans who have been reborn, gaining abilities that transcend human limits. There are six known types of Reborns, along with six stages associated with each type—”

“Well, I know that much,” Jimin huffed and crossed her arms. “I’m not that stupid.”

“You're just ignorant,” Rei said.

“Bleh,” Jimin blepped.

“Each stage is called a Rebirth, which a Reborn will undergo upon advancing. The rules are absolute. A Reborn will only gain one new skill per Rebirth, while enhancing all previous ones.”

“Got all that, unnie? Don't go forgetting everything our dear Voidborn is teaching,” Rei said, tearing the piece of paper ejecting from the side of the monitor. “Anyway, the next section talks about Flaws, which brings me to what I’m about to say.”

Rei turned off the device, reaching forward to unhook the collar from Voidborn’s neck, before setting it back down beside the ten thousand gold shell device.

Her brows furrowed as she scanned the results.

“Are you sure you're a Savage?” Rei asked. “You're not exhibiting any of the Flaws a typical Rebirth 1 Savage should have, which is irritability. You're calm as heck, and I’d dare say that my unnie here is more irritable than you.”

“Even the weakest Savage I’ve examined had something burning inside. You have… nothing.”

“In fact, no matter how weak you are, you should be showing signs of your Flaw,” Rei continued, grabbing the book from you. “See? Every Reborn exhibits Flaws associated with their type. For example, a low Rebirth Savage will exhibit signs of irritability, and a Scholar like me will be excessively curious.”

“But you? You're Mr Poker Face. Mr Expressionless.” Rei reached forward and squished his cheeks. “And your muscle density is lower than expected. How did you even survive?”

“I punch. I kick. I draw my sword and slash.” Voidborn recited, his hands jabbing at the air as if to show how he does it.

“How long have you been a Reborn?” Jimin asked. “And how did you become one?”

“I don't remember. I lost my memory. I only remember killing the monster that destroyed my home, then someone told me that I was a Reborn.”

“How fascinating. I should run more tests. I have this device—”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Hey Rei, it's Derrick. I’ve come to fetch Voidborn and Jimin.”

“Awww…” Rei groaned, eyes dropping in disappointment. “We could have had so much more fun. I have like a zillion tests to run on you. I guess we have to wait till we get back from Kandar then.”

“Rei?” Derrick called out.

“Yeah yeah, coming.”

Rei snapped and her door slid open. Derrick stepped forward, standing at the entrance.

“Come on, let’s not keep Mr Yoo waiting.”

Voidborn nodded and stood up, leaving the room. Jimin hopped off the bed and followed along, leaning in to peck Rei on the cheek.

“Lemme borrow this book~ I’m bringing it on the trip,” Jimin smiled.

Rei nodded and waved her off, eyes already scanning Voidborn’s results again.

“I hope you weren't scared off by her quirkiness,” Derrick said, guiding both Voidborn and Jimin away. “It's just her Flaw. She can be annoying, but she's mostly harmless.”

“I’m alright.”

“That's good. Let's make this a quick one. We’ll be having lunch before leaving so we don't have much time.”

Derrick led the two up towards the Yoo Family’s Head’s study room where they met yesterday. As they made their way down the corridor, Jimin glanced at him.

“Hey, don't you have any questions for us? You're awfully silent.”

“I do.”

“As I expected, you're—wait, you have a question?”

“Yes.”

“Woooooow! Derrick, are you seeing this? Voidborn has a question!”

“You're being rude, Jimin.”

“I’m not. I'm just fascinated,” Jimin chuckled, turning to Voidborn. “So, what is it?”

“Why aren't there any guards on this floor? The entire estate is filled with guards. Not here.”

Right as the question left his mouth, the door swung open.

“That's because I am all the security that is needed.”

Mr Yoo’s voice thundered from inside as they approached. They entered the room, and there Mr Yoo was, standing behind his work desk.

“The higher the Rebirth, the stronger they are,” Mr Yoo explained, walking around to the center of the room. “You may not know, but Rebirth stages are categorised. Rebirths 1 and 2 Lowborns. 3 and 4 are Highborns. Rebirth 5 is Rulerborn, and the final stage is Overborn.”

“Advancing between these categories results in an exponential qualitative leap in power and ability,” he continued, gesturing for Voidborn and Jimin to sit. “Rebirths 3 and above can be counted on one hand, so you can imagine how rare that is.”

“Now, the reason why I have called for you is because I’m going to do something very different.”

Mr Yoo looked at Derrick.

“I shall take my leave then,” Derrick said, bowing before exiting the room.

“I’m bringing you to our vault.”

“Wait—Dad, what? Are you serious?” Jimin gasped in surprise.

“Yes. I will take no chances at guaranteeing your safety.”

“But, isn't that off limits to outsiders?”

“My decision is final.” Mr Yoo said. “The vault is where we store all of the Mechanist Union’s most important items, and they are locked behind layers and layers of security. Although, I won't be bringing you to the deepest parts, of course. Anything you see inside will have to be kept mum.”

Voidborn nodded.

“We will know if information leaks, and I will be upfront with you. Betray us, and it won't end well for you.”

Voidborn nodded again.

“To enter the vault, I must rob you of your senses. Do you consent?”

“Yes.”

“What about me? Are you gonna tie me up as well?” Jimin’s eyes shimmered in excitement.

“Karina… you've already been there multiple times. And you're our successor. Can you stop being ridiculous for once?”

“Bleh~ I’m just trying to let Voidborn feel included.”

Mr Yoo sighed with a faint smile. “Can't ever argue with you. Ready?”

Voidborn nodded.

“Then let's go. Just stand up, and I’ll handle the rest.”

Voidborn nodded and followed the instructions. The next thing he knew, the sounds of gears whirring and metal clinking appeared and a wall of metal shot out of the ground, surrounding him from all sides. Voidborn was encased in a coffin-like structure, one that prevent anything — light, sound — from passing through, apart from the oxygen that he needed.

Then the construct around him started moving. He could feel the vibrations as moments passed. Voidborn closed his eyes, leaning against one of the metal walls.

He took a nap.

The construct collapsed and dissolved into the ground, disappearing as if it never existed. Voidborn’s eyes shot open as he woke up, eyes darting around as he gathered his bearings.

“You're the first person I’ve met who slept in my Steel Cage.” Mr Yoo chuckled. “Those that I’ve used this on were always trying to escape or screaming.”

“Well, perhaps it's because they were being captured?” Jimin lamented. “And they were screaming because you used the Iron Maiden version on them. Who wouldn't be screaming when you're impaled by spikes from all around?”

“Karina, you lecture me about making Voidborn feel at ease, but here you are, delving into the specifics of blood and gore. So what exactly are you trying to do?”

“You started it! I just—tried to explain… Dad!!!” Jimin cried in exasperation.

“I don't mind.” Voidborn spoke.

Mr Yoo laughed. “I like you.”

He spread his arms.

“Welcome to the Mechanist Union’s vault. This is Tier 3. Anything past this requires three Union Heads’ approval.”

“You're allowed to pick a Reborn weapon and a Reborn artifact from this Tier. Same goes for you, Karina. Feel free to ask anything if you're unsure.”

Voidborn nodded, turning to browse the rows and rows of items, each one tagged to a code.

“We have archived each item according to their characteristics. The first word tells which Reborn type it came from, followed by the Rebirth level, and then the archive order.”

Mr Yoo pointed at an iron knuckle with spikes protruding out from it.

“Savage 2-0127. That came from a Rebirth 2 Berserker that we killed two weeks ago. She lost her temper and went crazy after failing a bargain in the black market, injuring dozens of people. We had no choice but to capture. Unfortunately, she died in the scuffle.”

Voidborn stayed silent as he took in Mr Yoo’s words. He walked down the aisle, perusing through the countless equipment.

Scholar 2-0063: A frost orb that allowed the conjuration of ice spears as projectiles.

Machinist 3-0012: A pair of visor glasses coded which allowed night vision along with the ability to shoot laser beams.

Machinist 1-0359: A watch coded that allowed its wearer to shoot paper balls with the power of a bullet.

“There are a lot of Machinist items,” Voidborn remarked.

“Yes. Majority came from those who died in service. Others had to be subdued due to succumbing to their Flaws. After all, the items spawned from a Reborn dying follows closely to their characteristics and tendencies when they were alive.”

Mr Yoo’s voice softened.

“Being a Reborn is dangerous. Whilst one can obtain power and transcend human limits, the higher one advances, the stronger the Flaw.”

Mr Yoo looked at Jimin who had wandered off to another corner.

“I may not show it, but I’m struggling with my Flaw a lot. As a highborn, I am struggling with emotional dullness, and I see everything as machines. Even my wife. Even my daughter. I love them a lot, but with every passing day, I see them less and less like humans. So please, ensure her safety.”

“That’s one of the reasons why the number gets lesser as the Rebirth stages increases. The Flaw that comes along with advancing may not be well worth the power, and many choose to stop advancing out of fear of losing themselves.”

Mr Yoo pointed to a door in the far corner. Voidborn looked over at the solid metal slab. It had countless metal bars and gears fixed over it, highlighting and driving the point that whatever was hidden behind it was of high importance.

“This tier only stores items up to Rebirth 3. Anything past here are items that holds enough power to cause catastrophic destruction or trigger wars. There is a saying: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I hope you don't be like me, and make the right decisions in life.”

Voidborn looked at the man before him. The unwavering steel silver walls around his heart were stronger and thicker. He was clearly stronger as compared to the night before, but the myriad of colourful emotions seeping out had dulled into thin strands, his expression stiller and more indifferent than ever.

“Enough about me. So, what weapon will you be choosing?”

“I do not need another weapon. May I choose an artifact instead?”

“Are you sure? There are many strong weapons here, like that watch over there.” Mr Yoo pointed to the watch that could shoot paper balls with the power of bullets. “Even though it’s only a Rebirth 1 item, it functions as a very good stealth weapon.”

“I trust my weapon. It is what I am most familiar with.”

“In that case, pick two artifacts. Anything that catches your eye?”

Voidborn nodded and pointed to a white silk cloth nested in middle of the artifact aisle.

“Scholar 1-0049. Good choice.”

Mr Yoo pressed his thumb on the small screen beside the code plaque, and the transparent lid covering the item opens with a soft click.

“Cloth of Light. It grants the ability to refract light to any item that it is attached to. The item cannot be heavier than five kilograms.”

Voidborn took the cloth from Mr Yoo and tied it around his sword’s guard. The moment the knot was completed, the entire sword vanished.

“Are you sure you want to keep it tied there? You can't see your own sword though. What if you can't find it?” Jimin hollered from the corner.

“I can feel it.”

“Sure~”

“And your other choice?”

“I want that,” Voidborn said, pointing towards a pendant coded Unknown U-001.

“Interesting choice. Do you know what that is?”

“No.”

“Then why did you pick it?”

“I don't know. It felt familiar.”

“We rarely find Unknown items, and since they are not associated with the six known Reborn paths, we can't determine it's Rebirth level.” Mr Yoo said, walking towards the item as he pondered. He did the same movement and unlocked the item, removing the pendant, before passing it to Voidborn.

“Most Unknown items are stored in Tier 4 or 5 since we don't know where they come from, but this item was judged to be safe, since it has a weak effect in preventing anyone from peering into your soul and mind.”

“You can have it.”

Voidborn nodded and took the necklace.

Jimin hopped over with her own two spoils — a jade bracelet around her wrist, and a small dagger.

“You picked well, Karina.”

“Of course~ Who do you think I am?”

Jimin looked at Voidborn and batted her eyelids.

“You picked something pretty. Is that a gift for me?”

“No.”

Voidborn replied flatly and wore the pendant.

“Hmmph,” she pouted.

Voidborn looked at her. Her heart was filled with a pale red sulkiness, but it was mixed with a pink. Voidborn nodded internally. She wasn't totally angry. It was a mixture of anger and happiness.

Weird.

“Well then, shall we get to lunch?”

Right as Mr Yoo said that, the non-Iron Maiden version of the Steel Cage appeared once again, entrapping Voidborn as he was escorted out of the vault.

“I’m gonna miss you so much, Mom…”

Jimin’s arms were wrapped around Mrs Yoo, refusing to let go as Derrick loaded the sedan. Rei was already in it, and Voidborn stood to the side, already on high alert, keeping an eye out for any enemies.

“Two weeks will pass quickly,” Mrs Yoo said.

“No? That's two weeks there for a one day event, and another two weeks back,” Jimin whined. “That's a whole freaking month!”

“You still have to go.” Mrs Yoo said. She waved Jimin off to the sedan, and called for Voidborn.

“Take this, they are potions and healing vials from our Apothecary. Use them in emergencies.”

“Thank you.”

Voidborn took the bag filled with the healing items and emptied it into his side pouch. Just before he turned, Mrs Yoo grabbed him by the hand.

Mrs Yoo looked at him, her gaze drifting to the pendant hanging off his neck.

“Yes?” Voidborn asked.

“…Nothing,” Mrs Yoo said, shaking her head as she let his hand go.

“Please take care of my daughter.”

Mrs Yoo bowed.

“I will.”