The days seemed to blend together, and just like that, another year arrived, replacing the previous one. In a year filled with major events and dramatic turns, the little boy's own small world didn't lag behind. Just to share a few highlights: He had the opportunity to learn more about the world, including its cultures, powers, nations, and influential figures, etc... And yes, table manners were on the list too! His diligent Nana didn't hold back in teaching him the ins and outs of proper behavior at the table. She made sure those lessons were ingrained in his young mind. It's safe to say that he now knows how a noble should act and carry themselves. Although he found the process a little unpleasant, Nana made it clear that being mannerless at the table was not acceptable as they prepared to enter the new year. To sum it up, he learned the basics of etiquette—from using utensils properly and not speaking with his mouth full, to greeting others with politeness and using "pleas
As he had not been born into nobility, he had never considered the possibility that it was customary for the father of a noble family to refrain from meeting his second wife's child until the child reached the age of six. He couldn't place blame on his dutiful caretaker for this unexpected twist. Many times he had asked, and many times she had denied him an answer. All in a span of a day. But with his persistent questioning, she had no choice but to spill the beans. She did so as gently as possible, considering the circumstances, but it didn't lessen the shock and bitterness he felt afterwards. Aggrieved and steadfast, he was resolved never to forgive and forget this day! He was sure of it! Already harboring grievances towards his siblings, the addition of the entire family now felt cruel, saddening, and...chaotic, yet strangely but surely necessary! It was a tumultuous experience, and to add insult to injury, the gifts thrown his way served as a reminder of the previous year.
Wiping his forehead, he looked at his chubby little hands, now glistening with sweat. Breakthrough! "It's a success...!" Huff... Huff... 'I didn't expect it to be this...challenging...but it's incredibly fulfilling! Damn, I feel amazing right now...like I'm on a winning streak or something...' And not only that, as he felt himself starting to cool down, he didn't need to check to know that his bed was now soaked. Realizing his predicament, he let out a sigh. 'How am I going to explain this? No matter how you look at it, it definitely seems like I wet the bed...well, there goes my dignity...I can't find a way around it...damn.' He groaned, pulling himself up to sit upright. 'It's twice as challenging with a toddler's body. How troublesome.' Giving the [nameless] book a quick glance, he traced its cover with his finger. 'Soon...soon, it will be your turn.' Nodding to himself, he gave it one last look before retracting his hand. 'Let's see just how much it has changed!' Wit
I reached my destination and couldn't help but feel a pleasant surprise at how smoothly everything had unfolded. I was mentally preparing myself for delays and all sorts of complications. But here I am... It's truly astonishing how 'effortlessly' things fell into place. I mean, just a moment ago, I was drowning in boredom, and now, in the blink of an eye, everything has transformed into this exciting whirlwind! My luck seems to be going absolutely bonkers! "Should've sneaked from the start." Standing before the towering, old oak door, I couldn't help but feel a bubbling sense of anticipation. It's just a door, right? But there it was, perhaps my excitement playing tricks on me, making it seem so imposing. Regardless, this door was the only thing standing between me and the library. 'Finally!' Just the thought of it brought an almost silly grin to my face. Wait, did I just call myself silly? Shaking my head, I dismissed the self-accusation. Who am I kidding? It's me we're tal
To my surprise, the doors didn't budge! "Huh?!" I tried again, exerting more force, but the doors remained firmly shut. Not even a slight tremor. Despite my small stature, I possessed an awakened power, something beyond the ordinary. Yet, these doors were refusing to yield, no matter what I attempted! Exhausted, I plopped down onto the ground, feeling an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over me. "What in the world is happening? Why wasn't I warned about this? Scratch that, nobody prepared me for any of this!" 'Could it be that Mother truly didn't want anyone to enter the library?' After catching my breath and regaining some energy, I stood up. "I have my doubts, but... I can feel it calling. I think I know what it wants, and it's going to be one of the most challenging endeavors I've faced so far. This might just take the cake." Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. Slowly, I gathered mana, bit by bit, allowing it to grow denser and more concentrated. 'Good!' Using the
Before I could even process those words and integrate them into my thoughts, I instinctively leaned back, trying to create distance between myself and the book. Suddenly, my surroundings shifted, and in an instant... ...gone was the library basement filled with books, replaced by a tall and majestic structure that towered before me. I couldn't quite discern its exact form, but it loomed above me, tall and expansive. "What's happening?!" I managed to stutter, my voice trembling. I dropped to my knees, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. It was as if the air itself had been sucked out of the space, leaving me short of breath. Panic surged through me, and I found myself struggling to regain my composure. The tightness in my chest overwhelmed me. And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the sensation vanished, leaving me gasping for air. "What the hell is going on?! Where am I?!" My confusion only deepened with each passing moment. Everything seemed to defy logic, la
With controlled breaths, I withdrew my hand from my chest and cast a basic darkness spell, barely at the lowest level, to rid my body of the perspiration that had drenched it. Despite the intense sweating, I still carried a pleasant scent. It was a peculiar observation. "Lavender, huh? Good to know." Try as I might, I couldn't distract myself any longer. What cursed Inheritance had I been burdened with? Where was I exactly? Why did the towering structure felt so familiar? Why did I feel this inexplicable urge to plunge into the pitch-black chasm? And who was it that that prevented my fall? A torrent of questions inundated my thoughts, causing my head to throb with pain. "Ugh, how troublesome... I'll have to tackle one problem at a time." Groaning I massaged my temples. I knew all too well that simply mulling over them wouldn't magically provide the answers I sought. There had to be other avenues to explore, other sources of information that could shed light on these mysterie
As the first light of day began to filter through the trees, casting a misty haze over the world, the boy found himself waking up to the familiar sound of a lone wolf's howl. "Ughhh! This is driving me mad! I always hear that damned wolf's howl every time I wake up. Someone just shut that mutt up already!" he exclaimed, irritation evident in his voice. "Shit! I didn't even get to sleep because I was nervous, and now I have to put up with a damn whining mutt on top of that?! Ugh..." Letting out a deep breath, he covered his face with a pillow. "...Must be nice to be free..." The days had stretched into weeks, and the weeks into months, and the months into years, all spent inside the confines of his room. He didn't even know the ins and outs of the place he called home. Being trapped in his room for years was taking its toll on his spirit, and the longing for freedom grew stronger with each passing day. But assuming today was the day he finally had the chance to get out of his room a
"W-what now, damn it?!"A curse slipped past my bloody lips, the taste of desperation mingling with the metallic tang of blood as darkness swallowed the wisp's feeble glow. Scrambling quickly, I pulled myself further into the rubble.Whatever it was, it was giving me the creeps. All of my senses were on high alert, screaming at me that I was in imminent danger.My hands trembled as they fumbled and scraped against the jagged edges of debris as I desperately sought a more defensible position. ...But even then I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, every single movement monitored. It was dreadful and suffocating. Unease gripped me tightly, its icy fingers constricting my chest, as I struggled to steady my ragged breaths. The tumultuous events had placed an immense strain on my body. Surprisingly, my mana core was holding up well, but even so, I had to rely on it to sustain my weary and battered form. As a result, I could feel my strength gradually diminishing, bit by
The approaching vermins seemed countless as they swarmed down the rubble towards Yon. But he still had strength even in his wounded form, and an immense amount of mana to fuel his spell. Rising, flames licked the ground, conjured by both hands in an all-consuming inferno.Points of ignition flared up around him in a circle. Creating the foundation, he connected these points, channeling his mana through them. The flames rose, forming a continuous ring of fire. He extended his arms, palms open, and began to twist his wrists, shaping the flames into a spiraling vortex.The air around him heated up rapidly as the vortex gained momentum, the flames licking higher into the sky.The searing vortex encircled his body, growing ever more intense. The front-runners of the vermin tide met the vortex head-on their tiny bodies igniting like kindling. Screams rent the air as they were immolated where they climbed, the flames tearing through their ranks.Yon concentrated harder, weaving the vortex
I tumbled through the darkness, panic rising in my throat as rubble rained down. Each passing moment felt like an eternity, as if time itself had slowed down in sync with my racing thoughts.The air was thick with dust, invading my nostrils and choking my breath. My vision was obscured, reduced to mere glimpses of fragmented shapes. The sensation of weightlessness and lack of solid ground messed with my senses, disorienting chaos all around me, utterly helpless and vulnerable.A sickening eternity passed before my fall abruptly halted with a bone-jarring crunch. Pain shot through my limbs. I laid there, stunned, the impact searing into my consciousness.Darkness unlike anything I had ever experienced engulfed me. It was a darkness that went beyond the absence of light, it was a consuming void that seemed to swallow everything, even the concept of darkness itself. It was disorienting and disconcerting, as if the very essence of my surroundings had been erased.In that blackness, my s
Darkness cloaked the tunnel as I ran blindly, breath sawing in my lungs. Behind, snarls echoed my panic, drawing ever nearer in the murky depths. Conjuring a small wisp of light, no bigger than a firefly, I concentrated on willing it to glow brighter. I drew deep on reservoir far vaster than my small form implied, pouring more mana into the wisp until it swelled into a puffball hovering above my hand.Though they outnumbered me, I had no shortage of mana to confront the swarm, it was just that they seemed to be everywhere. "Take this!"Light blazed like the midday sun behind, momentarily blinding the swarm snarling at my heels. In that flash I wove bindings of simple darkness spell, ensnaring a few of them long enough to resume my flight.Once again, I drew deeply from my reserves, conjuring more glowing puffballs that exploded in blinding flashes.The tunnel blazed briefly, momentarily blinding pursuers enough for me to sprint ahead, dodging jagged rock formations.'Ugh, this terra
Looking back, I saw a creature with a thin, elongated body. Its proportions seemed somewhat off, with an elongated form that appeared disproportionate. A lengthy, thick tail snaked behind it, coiling and uncoiling sinuously. It was slightly smaller than a coyote, but its body was unusually thin and elongated. I felt a twinge of unease, but compared to those dreaded creatures, what harm could this little one do?"Shoo! Get outta here! Shoo!" I shouted, attempting to scare it away.The small creature tilted its head from side to side, wearing a curious expression as if assessing me.I picked up a small rock from the ground, preparing to shoo it once more, but then it lowered its head. I found its appearance and actions oddly endearing."Ah... By any chance, are you lost or something? I don't have any food on me, but... um... you can stay here. We can share this place," I stumbled over my words, feeling a bit flustered initially. However, as I calmed down, I slowly pushed myself up fro
The beast was no simple animal - its biology and resilience were far beyond the normal limits.Yon's heart raced, fear and worry turning to a desperate need to survive. The exhaustion of his reckless gamble was setting in. There was only one way out of this - he had to kill.The realization hit him hard, his breath catching in his throat."Guh!"He'd taken many lives before, but not like this. "Huff... huff... huff..."Faced with the unstoppable forces of nature bearing down on him, his survival instinct took over. Kill or be killed. His fears, worry and exhaustion were turning into desperation. The desperate will to kill.His breaths came in short, frantic gasps."Hah... hah... hah..."The only way he'd escape this alive was to kill. There was no other choice.Slowly, agonizingly, Yon felt the bear's frenzied struggles beginning to weaken as his mana disrupted its raging vital functions bit by bit. But the relentless avalanche was taking its toll - even his enhanced lungs burned an
Running with every screaming fiber of his, he manuevered between the towering trees, taunting the bear towards the spot where it had smashed its massive paws into the snowy earth. The ground was now pockmarked with deep furrows, and from these churned-up gouges, massive icicles still jutted upwards – jagged, frozen spears."Come here you nasty ball of furs! You are nothing but a dirtbag!"The giant bear appeared to register Yon's shout, as it barreled forward, disregarding the injured tiger it had deemed too difficult to catch.The little critter, on the other hand, wasn't fast, but it didn't look too appetizing either. It just wanted to shut up that annoying buzzing and go for the real meal.As the bear reared up, slamming its massive paws down onto the icy ground, the impact shattered the icicles, sending razor-sharp shards flying every which way.The tiger, already on the giant bear's tail, sensed its chance and swiped at the beast, letting out a fierce growl to distract it. 'Did
Yon gripped the sturdy tree trunk with white-knuckled intensity as the imposing bear reared up on its hind legs, smashing its massive paws down with earth-shaking force. "Argh!" He cried out, his heart pounding in his chest.This was the ruler of the snowy mountains, a creature possessing brute strength beyond all reason. Its sheer presence was utterly dreadful, and it was now fixated on a prey that would likely only smear one of its razor-sharp claws with blood.As the bear drew back, preparing to charge, Yon locked eyes once more with the tiger that had led him to this perilous confrontation. The big cat's gaze was unwavering, as if daring him to make a move.Then, without any warning, the tiger suddenly bolted, drawing the bear's wrathful charge. But at the last possible moment, the feline veered aside with its terrifying reflexes.Snarling in frustrated rage, the Great bear, unable to halt its momentum, careened headlong towards the very tree that Yon clung to for dear life."No
With no respite for its prey, the mountain's ruler slashed at them with its fearsome claws.Yon rolled to the side, narrowly evading the powerful swipe, his smaller size proving advantageous for survival.The young tiger, however, did not fare as well. It was grazed by the bear's formidable claws, drawing fresh blood. Though the wound was shallow, in such dire circumstances, even small injuries could mean the difference between life and death. A trickle of blood began to flow from the tiger's side. The scent of fresh blood reached the hungry nostrils of the mountain ruler, igniting its instinct to demand more. Drool and foam dripped from its muzzle as its massive body begged to be satiated. The sight of its prey bleeding only fueled the beast's insatiable hunger, craving for more... more blood, more meat.The young tiger let out a pained snarl as its injury slowed its movements. It knew one wrong step now could mean becoming the ruthless bear's next meal. Yon, a lean but wiry hum