A Soldier Adrift: An Isekai Story

His talk with his parents was eventful. There were a lot of tears and hugs later on. He was afraid they might find him odd and become suspicious, but thankfully, with the amnesia excuse, they were very understanding of his situation.

He was currently on the balcony, watching a star-filled sky with a content look. It had been a long time since he saw a sky brimming with stars, and it felt refreshing.

He thought about the talk he had with his parents. The promises he made and the realizations he took all took a toll on him—not physically but mentally.

He almost laughed at himself. Years of being a soldier, trained in all kinds of environments both physically and mentally, seeing almost all the horrors of the world, and yet he shed tears on his parents that weren’t even his. Maybe it was the boy's body and memories that influenced him. Nonetheless, he didn't mind if it meant that the boy finally had closure, even if he wasn't present physically.

After their emotional talk, they mostly asked questions regarding his amnesia, how much he had forgotten, and what he remembered. Thankfully, he was prepared for these questions. Just before their meeting, he had scrolled through the boy’s jumbled memories and managed to grasp some memories with his parents and some of the past. They were relieved when he told them he remembered them and his childhood days. To back up his statement, he recounted a memory of falling off a swing in Kesendy Park near Oakwood Street.

He did, however, forget how he went into a coma, other than his parents mentioning he fought someone and suffered great injuries. Strangely, the boy had no recollection of it in his memories, no matter how hard he tried to find it.

When he asked his parents about it, he got a large reaction. His mother, who he thought was the most gentle woman he knew, gripped the chair so hard that it cracked.

His father was better at controlling his emotions, but Jason could see the intensity of anger in his eyes.

It was an interesting reaction from both of them.

Luckily, they calmed down and told him he fought a boy named Lucas Dunne, the heir of the Dunne family, due to some misunderstanding. Apparently, there was an accident they didn’t specify, other than that Jason suffered great injuries while the Dunne boy remained unharmed.

His father became suspicious and tried to sue the family, but without sufficient evidence, they failed.

“Young Master Jason, dinner is ready,” the butler spoke from behind.

“I’ll be right there, Albert,” Jason replied.

“Of course,” Albert said, bowing before leaving the room, leaving Jason alone with his thoughts.

+++===+++

Dinner was alright. The food was delicious, and he savored every bite.

His parents were at the table with him, often chatting about things he didn’t find interesting. He didn’t say much other than responding when questioned.

He found their presence comforting despite sometimes being annoying, especially his overly affectionate mother who would hug him once in a while.

After dinner, he decided to go straight to his room. His butler followed and escorted him. His room reminded him of his old room in his old life, but larger and with more stuff.

Looking around, he spotted a rather expensive computer and tons of posters. One poster caught his attention more than the rest.

\\\\Halford Academy: Be the Hero you were meant to be!\\\\

'Hero?' he thought, amused. What a weird quote from an academy.

It was too early to go to bed, so he decided to do some research. He had the boy's memories, but they were unreliable and hard to access.

Logging into the computer, he was relieved the memory related to his password was not erased. There were some apps he was familiar with.

Oogle, which he assumed to be Google without the G on the first letter.

He clicked on the icon and typed his most awaited question.

What planet was he on? It had made him curious ever since he realized he was in another world.

It took him a while, but he found what he was looking for.

Aternus. That was the planet's name.

Furrowing his brows, he went further. He searched for countries and found none he was familiar with.

All the countries were unfamiliar. Not Earth and not in the future.

‘That is to be expected,’ he thought, pursing his lips.

Most notably, despite the difference in names, there were similarities between these countries and those on Earth.

For example, Sinozia was basically China with a different name. They had almost the same culture and a slight bit of history.

Still not satisfied, he began typing once more and searching for more related stuff in this world.

Precisely Vetron, Umbraxis, and The Great Beasts. These were all he found to be important.

For Vetron, he didn’t have much trouble finding information. There were tons of articles. He clicked on what he thought was the best.

Vetron was an energy every person held in this world. Studies showed that Vetron first appeared during the Great War when humanity was closest to extinction. The great beasts were said to be the givers of Vetron, while some believed a god greater than the great beasts gave Vetron as salvation for humanity.

He read further.

Every person in the world has Vetron. But only a few can harness it to its fullest potential. Of those who harness it, 99% are unstable due to the limitations of the human body.

His eyebrows furrowed at that statement. Interesting.

The EXOS suits were designed to handle this energy and to be used to their potential. Those who wore EXOS suits and were licensed by the TRONS INSTITUTIONS were declared as Vetron Knights, the new protectors of mankind.

“So that's what my mother meant about EXOS,” he thought. He also found Vetron Knights intriguing. If he guessed correctly, were these knights the military of this world? When he searched more on the TRONS INSTITUTION, it was said to be a government branch that handled Vetron Knights. The only academy responsible for training future knights was...

“Halford Academy,” he mumbled in slight disbelief. “Seriously, this academy?” He gave a brief glance at the Halford Academy poster in his room before shifting his attention back to the computer.

He browsed the image section to look at these EXOS suits. When he first laid eyes on them, he was surprised and shocked at how advanced the armor was. It was unbelievable that humanity could go this far in technology. There were videos of knights swinging cars with little to no effort. He noticed a bright line of light on their armor.

He didn’t pursue his search about EXOS since there wasn’t much information. The government probably kept them tightly controlled.

When he searched for the Great Beasts, there wasn’t much information.

Most articles described them as legends and saviors of mankind. Most praised and revered them, while some disagreed. There weren't many pictures of them on the internet. Most were fanworks, but based on the descriptions, he could imagine what they looked like.

Vaelrox, the Storm Wolf, was described as having black fur with spikes on its back. Its teeth were as large as a human hand. It was said to bring storms and be as fast as lightning.

Zalreth, the World Devourer Serpent, was a large serpent that could wrap around the entire planet. Its scales were said to be indestructible.

Pyraxia, the Infernal Phoenix, was a beautiful bird with flaming feathers that could light up the sky even in the blackest night. She was as hot as a scorching sun.

Gorthal, the Abyssal Turtle, was regarded as the largest of the beasts and the most gentle-looking. He was said to be able to cause earthquakes and erupt volcanoes if angered.

He curled a brow at that. Gentle but called Abyssal?

Drakthar, the Glacial Dragon, was menacing. Its presence alone could make people bend on their knees. It was said to have the power to bring the planet to an ice age.

Seriously, he found some descriptions overly exaggerated.

The Great Beasts were said to have disappeared after their involvement in the last reported war in 1432. The five great families related to each Great Beast were born a few years later to honor them.

The Great Family Dunne honored the Great Dragon.

The Great Family Joeno honored the Great Serpent.

The Great Family Hiengard honored the Great Turtle.

The Great Family Astro honored the Great Phoenix.

The Great Family Kenhart honored the Great Wolf.

He, Jason Kenhart, was the child of the head of the Kenhart family, his father. He felt a headache incoming. This would bring trouble, and he already guessed what sort of trouble he would get into.

He went deeper into his search about his lineage and family background. He was very surprised to find out his father was a Vetron Knight before he met his mother. His father was widely known as Thunderbolt. It stated that his father’s speed was unmatched during his days at the academy. But...

He frowned as he read the last part.

There was an incident that caused his injuries, leading him to be unable to use Vetron anymore, or so the sources said. The incident was never explained in the article or any article he could find, as if someone was hiding the information on purpose. The incident happened before he was born. Looking at his father now, he seemed perfectly fine and healthy. One could never guess he was injured.

He leaned back in his chair, finding the information suspicious. He doubted his father would open up about it. He decided to let it be for now.

For the Umbraxis, they were interesting to say.

If the Great Beasts were considered heroes of mankind, the Umbraxis were the opposite.

They were beasts said to come from the deepest part of hell. Savage, destructive, and terrifying summed up

these creatures.

One terrifying thought was that they could take any form, from horrifying beasts to innocent and cute creatures. They could be as small as a mouse or as big as a building. Despite their changes in appearance and size, they were still savages, eager to consume any life form they encountered. One article proved this theory.

The article stated that a man was suddenly mauled by an Umbraxis that took the form of a rabbit.

These creatures were ranked based on their danger level. Some were threats to small areas, while others were city-level threats. The most dangerous were world-class threats, capable of destroying the world if not handled correctly. Fortunately, none had occurred, even back during the first outbreak and even now.

He sank into deep thought on how to handle such information.

In a sense, they were at war like in his old world. But instead of humans fighting each other, it was humans versus monsters.

‘Just like my old one, but worse,’ he thought, burying his face in his hands with a groan.

Was he glad? Or was he disheartened that this world's state paralleled Earth’s but with different, more dangerous enemies?

He sighed. At this point in his life, he wasn’t a soldier. He was a teenager with rich parents. He could do whatever he wanted due to his wealth. His life would be considered an improvement miles away from his old one.

He could buy things he dreamed of during his childhood, but he wasn’t like that. He knew not to take advantage of his wealth over petty things. He was better than that.

He knew the struggles of being poor,  especially in times of war, people would do anything for a hint of food and money, even killing. He was lucky and unlucky to be accepted into the military. Without it, he didn’t know if he would have survived.

He closed the computer and went to his bed, slamming himself onto the soft mattress.

Nothing beats a good sleep after a long day.