Ascension Of The Throne Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Read chapter 1 of Ascension Of The Throne by YLost on NovelPedia.

Edric jolted awake as his head struck the hard ground. Pain blossomed in his skull, and for a moment, the world spun. He groaned, shifting his hands against the surface beneath him. Rough. Unforgiving. Rocks. The hum of a bustling crowd filled his ears, and he became acutely aware of voices shouting nearby. "You lowlife! How dare you sneak into our town?" Two burly men loomed over him, their strange uniforms glinting in the midday sun. They looked almost like knights from a historical reenactment, but there was no audience, no cameras—just the cold, sharp glares of the men in front of him. Edric's heart pounded as he scrambled to take in his surroundings. Stone buildings lined narrow streets, their wooden beams weathered but sturdy. The air smelled of earth, spices, and something faintly metallic. He blinked at the sight of horse-drawn carts rumbling over uneven brick roads. There wasn't a car, a skyscraper, or a paved street in sight. "This... this isn't Earth," he muttered, his voice shaky. But the sound that escaped his lips wasn't his own. It was rougher, younger, and utterly unfamiliar. His throat felt as dry as a desert. "What the hell is happening?" He stared down at his hands—calloused, lean, and scarred. His legs and body were no better, thin but wiry, as though they'd seen years of hardship. The larger of the two men grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet as though he weighed nothing. Edric gasped, his feet dangling inches from the ground. "What are you doing, you little shit?" the officer snarled, pulling back a fist. Instinct took over. Edric kicked out, his long legs catching the man squarely in the temple. The officer grunted, releasing his grip as he stumbled back. The second officer cursed and lunged forward, his speed didn't make sense for his size. Edric didn't wait. He bolted, his bare feet slapping against the bricks as he weaved through the crowd. Adrenaline surged through him, but so did questions. Who was he? How had he ended up here? His lungs burned, and his muscles ached, but he didn't stop. The officers' shouts grew louder behind him. Ahead, a bustling marketplace loomed—a chaos of colors, sounds, and smells. Edric dove into the crowd, shoving past vendors and carts. He thought he'd lost them until his foot caught the edge of a table, sending him sprawling into a pile of brightly colored fruits. He rubbed the colorful juices of his face, his heart pounding with adrenaline that didn't seem to stop. "You bastard!" a booming voice growled. Edric glanced up, his breath hitching. The shopkeeper was built like a bear, muscles bulging beneath his tunic. The man's glare almost made Edric skip a beat. As Edric scrambled to his feet, his gaze flickered to the strange, vibrant fruits scattered around him—purple, orange, red, and colors he couldn't name. This was no place he recognized. "This... this can't be Earth," he whispered, his chest heaving. The burly shopkeeper reached under his table, his face contorted with fury. When his hand emerged, it was gripping a massive butcher knife—no, it was more like a sword. The blade gleamed in the sunlight, easily as long as the shopkeeper himself and seemingly weighing half his body weight. Yet, he hoisted it with one hand, muscles rippling as though it was light as a feather. I am dead meat, Edric thought, adrenaline surging through him. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding like a war drum, and bolted down the street. The shopkeeper roared and swung the weapon in a wide arc, aiming to cleave him in two. The blade whistled through the air, missing Edric by a hair's breadth. He stumbled but kept running, his slender frame narrowly dodging what would have been certain death. What the hell?! He wasn't an athlete by any stretch, yet somehow, his legs moved with a speed and coordination he'd never known before. Especially with his thin and wiry body was another mystery. The chase continued, the shopkeeper lumbering after him. Despite the man's hulking fram