[CURRENT STATUS: NUMBER 9: LEVEL- 65/100 XP.
PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 95
SKILL PROFICIENCY: ACTIVE 1
—Linked Familiar: WHITE DRAGON
—Bond Type: Sealed Pact.
NEW ABILITIES: LOCKED.]
"Once a familiar and master share a bond deep enough to create a contract, the familiar’s abilities gradually become the master’s as well," Aeris noted, her gaze fixed on Raiden as he threw himself into his shadowboxing, sweat flying with each exerted breath and strike.
"However, you summon what your strength attracts, but they only reach their full potential as their summoner climbs the ranks..." she paused for a moment.
"So someone with a red dragon would see their abilities grow from basic physical enhancement to flames and draconic traits over time. The same applies to a black dragon, but white dragons..." she trailed off, "they offer nothing."
Raiden immediately halted his routine and started stretching. "How can a dragon have no ability? Something about that doesn’t sit right with me," he muttered.
"White dragons serve as the balance among all dragonkind in Dhrathopia. They’re gentle by nature, showing little aggression unless their bonded master faces danger, and even then they merely hiss or growl in warning. Beyond that, they possess nothing of value."
A smirk crossed Raiden’s face as he considered what Ash was capable of versus what Aeris claimed—it felt like they truly knew nothing about white dragons.
"Have any of you ever set foot in Dhrathopia?"
Aeris’ face grew stern."No. It exists in another world entirely, and no one has ever seen what lies there."
Raiden gave a firm nod and indicated she should go as he approached the entrance, clicking off the crystal lantern.
"Your mother wants to see you."
"You’ve gotten stronger..." Aeris said, attempting a smile, but Raiden’s silence was her only response once more. "Right then, I’ll see myself out."
Four days had passed since Raiden’s agreement with Levi, and he’d thrown himself into training without rest. His body was responding admirably to the punishment, allowing him to breeze through a hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Despite the progress, he still felt hopelessly outmatched against Levi.
To remedy this, he dedicated himself to meditating three times a day, working to increase his mana pool.
He settled into the room’s center, remaining motionless briefly to allow his muscles to unwind and his mind to focus. With a deep breath, he began his meditation.
Well, he had been trying to overcome the fear of facing Levi and just train, and as it stood now, he was only pretending to be doing well.
The handbook from Levi outlined methods for ascending ranks 8 and 7. Though each rank followed its own subjective guidelines, mastering mana realms appeared to be the clearest path forward.
But regardless of his relentless physical training and mana cultivation, his experience points refused to budge.
Determined to understand why, he resolved to head back to the city for proper answers about these mysterious mana realms.
He stayed in position, breath controlled and low, his heartbeat aligning with the rhythm of his mana as it flowed inward.
With a deep sigh, Raiden pushed himself to his feet, cracked his knuckles, and moved toward the recently constructed washroom on his left. His muscles protested with each step, but he’d learned to embrace this type of pain—sharper than what his former body had known, yet nothing he couldn’t handle.
Upon his return, he navigated the silent room with careful movements, the crack of his joints echoing as he reached down to lift Ash onto his shoulder.
He headed for the palace doors. The old adage held true—confidence was everything. Someone might tell a blatant lie, but delivered with enough certainty, it could make even those who knew better second-guess themselves. This was a lesson Raiden had thoroughly internalized.
He walked through the palace without a trace of guilt or hesitation. One could argue it was simply because he didn’t care about seeking permission before leaving the premises. But he knew full well that being caught would bring consequences.
Still, he carried himself with the confidence of a king, casually instructing guards to watch the library as he made his way outside, leaving no room for questions.
As soon as he emerged from the palace, he set course for the shop he’d been to earlier—the Odin shop. Nothing had changed in the city since his last visit; each passerby looked as busy and unapproachable as before.
Yet from where he stood, the Odin shop seemed dimmer than before. Concerned they might be absent, he increased his speed to examine it more closely.
As soon as he got near, he released a sigh of relief and pulled the door open.
"Hey there, Raiden," Leo said warmly, his eyes soft as he waved, though Raiden offered just a faint smile in return as he approached.
"Where’s the old man?" he said matter-of-factly, settling his hands on the counter’s surface.
"You mean my father? He’s made a trip to Nyx city for supplies... should be back within the week." Leo’s soft expression grew concerned as he noticed Raiden’s obvious disappointment. "What did you need?"
Raiden’s gaze sharpened as he studied Leo’s crest once more. He had no intention of returning without answers, despite finding Leo’s laid-back personality annoying.
After staring into those gentle eyes for a long moment, he rolled his eyes and forced himself to abandon his pride.
He exhaled deeply and cleared his throat. "Do you know anything about the Mana Realm?"
"Well..." Leo began, his finger tapping against his bottom lip. "You mean the ranks, right?"
Raiden gave a decisive nod.
Leo’s face brightened. "Ah, yes." He paused briefly. "I don’t know everything, but I have some knowledge."
"Then tell me what you know."
Leo’s grin grew wider despite Raiden’s blank stare. "Number 9 focuses entirely on mana application... since my power is weight nullification, I had to build up sufficient mana to cancel out the weight of 50 kilograms of metal."
Raiden’s mood visibly soured. "So you had a voice telling you what to do? Because mine isn’t offering any help whatsoever."
Leo looked confused, forcing Raiden to raise an eyebrow. "The voice with the screen?" He said with a skeptical expression.
Leo’s face immediately scrunched further in confusion. "You... hear something?" He gave him a creepy look. "I don’t have any voice..."
He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Oh wait... I do have thoughts, I suppose."
Everything felt increasingly bewildering to Raiden as he pondered the voice’s significance when Leo apparently had none.
"Could it be specific to blue crest users?... the strength-oriented ones and that sort of thing."
Leo’s confusion deepened as he stared at Raiden intently. "Besides our own thinking, no one has voices speaking to them."
Suddenly his expression brightened as he hit the counter with enthusiasm. "Wait a minute—could you be talking about Devil Milk?"
"You’ve heard that, right?"
Raiden let out a disappointed sigh as he observed Leo’s animated demeanor, as though he’d been dying to discuss this topic with someone.
"You get devil milk by killing familiars, but only if you’re a blue crest bearer. And not all familiars work—just the evil ones like black dragons, curse dolls, shadows, and those kinds of beings..."
Raiden continued watching him through tired eyes, despite being genuinely intrigued by what he was hearing. Killing Ash was out of the question, but maybe there was an alternative route.
"When they kill their familiars, they collect the milk, and the familiar’s strength determines whether their crest becomes grey, silver, or black... I’ve been told there’s a voice that encourages the killing." Leo paused, studying Raiden carefully. "You haven’t had devil milk, have you?"
Raiden just stared at him for a moment, then looked down at Ash as she slept peacefully on his shoulder.
"Stop staring at your familiar..." he fixed Raiden with a furious expression. "Lots of folks sell theirs off, which means devil milk is all over the black market."
"Have you taken any?"
Raiden grinned as he studied him. "You know what? I like you... you might actually be helpful."
Raiden’s expression turned cold once more. "Now tell me—how do I learn what’s required to move from number 9 to 8?"
"From 9 to 8 is about sensing mana and mana usage."
Leo’s demeanor lifted again. "Uh... experimentation, really. Play around with different ways of using your mana alongside your familiar."
Raiden smiled smugly as he approached the exit, yet stopped mid-stride, his hand settling on the door handle as he turned to face Leo.
"You’ll serve as my apprentice... I’ll send for you in the next week or two."
He didn’t bother waiting for Leo’s expression or reply, pulling the door open sharply and stepping outside.
His mind was occupied during the return journey. Beyond his confusion about the requirements for each realm, there was the matter of the voice in his head. What made him different from everyone else?