Collector: Blade Dance Prologue (Patreon)

Raynor was about to check the fireplace. As it was winter, it was cold, and his parents were at work. That meant that the sixteen-year-old was the one who kept the house warm when his parents were away.

As he was living in a small town, the gas-powered heating system was a luxury. Instead, they were using firewood to heat the boiler, which in turn heated the radiators.

As he descended to the basement, he saw something strangely absurd.

“Hmm?”

There was a fancy door in his basement! He was 100% sure there was nothing like this before in his basement!

“I am either insane, or there is an extra set of doors in my basement!” He said dumbly, walking over and inspecting them from all angles.

The doors were golden tinted with symbols in the middle, just slightly above the centre. These symbols were coloured and looked like elements.

“Those look like elements. I see fire, water, wind, light, darkness, earth.” He named them as he inspected the doors and pressed his fingers on the carvings. They looked like something a master artisan would spend hours carving.

Whatever this was, it was not ‘normal’. Doors don't just pop up like that!

‘Is this one of those isekai moments?’

He pondered on that. But then he went over to inspect the fireplace. Poke some wood with the iron rod, then put some fresh wood into it before returning to look at the door.

Mentally, he was weighing this. Curiosity was fighting with caution.

The teen was a big nerd who dreamed of superpowers ever since he saw Dragon Ball all those years ago. All the stories he read always lead to the isekai guy fighting some demon lord or something else.

There are many variations, like the evil gods, betrayals or some cringe ‘edge’ stuff. But doors in the basement? These are not as widespread tropes from what he has seen.

Will the doors disappear? For now, he looked around and took the rod he had and decided to explore! If he doesn't, he will go crazy from a sense of loss and not take a chance to explore another world!

He is one of those reckless morons who would take a gamble!

Raynor pushed the doors, and they opened up. Blinding light consumed him.

When he realised, he was standing in some sort of magical place! It was nighttime. He was in a small forest clearing with some kind of particles dancing in the air around the leaves and grass.

There was some sort of feeling in the air. Something was there, and it tingled all over Raynor’s body. It's as if the place knew he was an outsider.

His gaze scanned the surroundings. The forest looked like a typical forest. The vegetation didn't look that different. That was if he ignored the particles in the air.

Regardless, he took a deep breath as he felt he could leave this place.

In his consciousness, those doors were there. This experience was like those dungeon worlds where Mc can grind in his sleep. It's a similar concept, but unlike those novels, his one was in the basement.

Or is it? Now that he used them and bound these doors, can he use them whatever?

It's worth testing out, but first, he needs to grasp where he is.

He proceeded to explore with his rod in hand.

He walked for a while, but this tingly feeling became annoying!

Raynor looked around. He found a nice-looking tree and sat down under it, and thought about how to get this feeling away!

Since he was in some sort of isekai reality, there should be energy. Mana? Spiritual jizz? Soul energy? Something! If that is the case, then he should absorb it! Will he blow up? Get poisoned? Well, worth a try! He was already here anyway!

Well, he had already started to dig a hole for himself. It was time to finish the dig. Half-baked stuff is not cool.

So he closed his eyes and tried to imagine some sort of energy touching him. He tried to pull it into himself.

At that moment, something started to flow into his body from the tree he was leaning on.

This strange energy started to flow into him.

‘I see. So, mentally controlled energy. I suppose I didn't need to think much. This place is not normal. Those two moons in the sky, which are in reverse eclipse, are a good indicator.’

Yeah, one of the first things to look at when you are in a supernatural place is the sky! Especially when you see it at nighttime.

Stars and the moon will tell you where you are.

‘I should start a YouTube channel about supernatural world guides!’

At that moment, he opened his eyes, pulled out his phone and inspected it.

There was no reception, but he didn't need that! He turned on the camera and started to take pictures!

He then got up and found a good angle to take pictures of the sky and the double moons.

“Cool!”

Once Raynor got the shot he wanted, he thought about the energy he took in.

Now that he did it, he no longer feels that itchiness.

‘I wonder if it gives me a boost in strength, or I could do some  supernatural feats?’

He pondered on this, but the amount he had was very little. He tried to absorb from the outside, but the amount was minimal, and it would take ages to fill up his body!

‘There should be a faster way. Like a Rotation? Like in Xianxia!?’

It was worth trying! He wants to see if he can do some supernatural feat!

The madlad started to experiment; he tried to get a good grasp of the energy he was feeling in his body. Squeeze it and expand it like a string. Then clockwise to grow and eventually to connect to the other half.

Just like that, he started to spin it, spin, spin and spin some more until it felt that it was glowing pure white and generating something! It was warm! This warmth proceeded to spread through his body! Growing and expanding to every inch of his body.

With a loud gasp, Raynor opened his eyes. He could feel this energy in every inch of his body!

“Sheesh! Xianxia tropes are lit!”

He got up and realised that he had burned the grass around him! There was a perfect circle where he was sitting just a few seconds ago!

“Cool! Now, let's see if I have the juice to crack a tree!”

For a second, he looked at the tree. He took a ‘stance’, something an amateur boxer would do. Well, not even amateur, a complete noob.

That was where he hesitated. It was easier for him to cross over to this place than punch a tree!

Regardless, he felt this energy rumbling under his skin, so he decided without hesitation and slammed his fist into the tree. The whole tree shook, and there was a small crack in the tree trunk.

“...Cool…” He exclaimed as he pulled his hand and looked at his fist. There was some smoke coming from it!

“Does this mean I just reached the first stage of whatever this is!?” Dumbly, he looked at his fist some more. Well, whatever it is, he should get more powerful and try exploring properly!

Yep! He should cultivate some more!

So he dropped on his ass and crossed his legs before closing his eyes and returning to ‘imaging’ his body. The circle he created was still there, which was a good thing! It appears it doesn't just dissolve. So it was something like Dantian!

For now, he decided to return all the energy to dantian and increase its density. With every inch of energy back to the centre, he rotated once more.

This time, it was at least twice as hard to rotate it. But after the first and second spin, it was easier and easier until the dantian started to generate more of this energy.

The energy this time around was much thicker and more dense, which made Raynor gush internally! Whatever craziness he is cooking, it works!

It took twice as long for the energy to fill up his body, but once finished, he felt much more invigorated and ready to look for answers!

With a grin, he jumped on his feet and looked around.

“Oh, man! This session felt like a good night's sleep!” He stretched out and looked at the ground.

The burning area doubled in size. All Raynor could think is that his random shit is working, and he is cultivating in some isekai world!

‘Maybe a cultivation place? But those need special bodies with meridians and shit!’ For a second, he pondered before shrugging and proceeding to test his new strength.

Once more, he punched the tree. This time, his fist was embedded in the tree trunk by the punch.

“Damn. I suppose it doubled? Or something.” He needed to pull his hand from the tree trunk with quite a bit of force.

After a couple of tries, he was successful. After freeing his hand, he was able to explore the forest. He took his iron rod and started to walk around exploring the forest.

A few minutes later, he left the clearing and could see the sky properly. He felt a small amount of chill and awe at how the place looked. The sky was black, but those two moons brightened the place like a day. However, a certain aura around those celestial objects gives a red tint.

After enjoying the view, he continued to explore.

*Growl*

*Growl*

*Growl*

A pack of wolf-like creatures with dominant grey fur surrounded the exploring teen.

Raynor could sense similar energy radiating from these creatures.

But it was much smaller than what he had.

‘Did they absorb the energy like I originally did?’ The teen pondered as he recalled how he got a few drops of that substance when he sat down and leaned at the tree.

These wolf-like creatures look like they are made from elements and take the form of a canine. Raynor could see that their form blurs occasionally as if they are not completely solid.

“So. Some sort of elemental spirit thing? I suppose that's what those symbols mean on the door.”

One of them lunged at him, and at that moment, Raynor felt his world slow down, and he could dodge by stepping into the side.

“C-Cool.” For a second, he was surprised by his augmented instincts to survive.

He did that several more times. He punched one of them into the side.

The canine flew like a ragdoll into a tree trunk. Its form shattered and turned into a wind.

“Did I just kill an elemental spirit thingy?” For a second, he was confused. He never expected his strength to be that high compared to creatures of the forest.

‘I suppose they don't know how to circulate how I did. Is this reality not an Xianxia place? Well, too early to tell.’

After shattering one, he needed to dodge again, and this time, he used the rod to smack it into the side of the wolf spirit.

His eyes slightly bulged when he saw that he just turned the rod into something else with the swing. The thing didn't look like a rod after smacking the canine aside!

With the two of them down, the canine group went to run away, but Raynor grabbed one by the neck and lifted it. The elemental beast tried to struggle, but Raynor narrowed his eyes.

He felt something strange. When he punched the first one, he tried to test out something.

Raynor poured his energy into the beast who tried to struggle, but his power was like an avalanche and the spirit-like creature in his hands glowed, and a tattoo appeared on the teen's right hand. It was a grey/green wolf tattoo.

The wolf was consumed and shattered. But the teen could feel that some unique connection was established with the canine elemental spirit.

“...Oh, so it's Pokemon. But elemental spirits. Cool, I guess I know what my goal is!” He grinned for a second. He decided! He will be the Greatest Elementalist Trainer in the—

“What is this place? Some Astral place!?” He stroked his chin for a second, pondering what kind of place the greatest master he had to become!