2 hours before the academy entrance exam.
"5,000. Good job, Raelis," Lizbeth cheered as she climbed off him.
He did 5,000 push-ups with her on his back. She wasn’t heavy at all, but it was better than doing push-ups with a sack full of Mana Beast cores.
He stood up and stretched his aching back before turning to the puddle of water beside him.
Huh. My hair’s grown pretty long now.
Raelis took out a pair of black steel daggers he had bought a few months ago, then slashed off the hair past his shoulders.
And now, it was time to check out all the progress he had made during the course of nearly an entire year.
—Flame Core: 2 Flame Rings
Flame: ??? Primordial Flame (★★☆ — Mastery: 99%)
—Bloodline: Cinder Phoenix
Purity: 12% → 19% (Ember)
Next Rank: 20% (Kindle)
Magic Control: 32 → 100
Advanced Fire Manipulation (★★★☆ — Mastery: 2%)
Advanced Heat Control (★★☆ — Mastery: 11%)
Expert Fireball (★★★☆ — Mastery: 19%)
(NEW) Advanced Heat Resistance Barrier (★★☆ — Mastery: 32%)
Advanced Stealth Technique (★★☆ — Mastery: 3% → 61%)
Expert Dagger Combat Technique (★★★☆ — Mastery: 1%)
His flame, bloodline purity, attributes, and abilities had all undergone major changes.
Sadly, he realized there was a limit to his attributes, which could only be increased by breaking through to the next bloodline purity rank.
Aside from that, he didn’t get any new abilities, but the ones he had were more than enough for what needed to be done in the academy.
But he ran into two hurdles.
The first: to smoothly form his third flame ring, he needed to imbue a part of his body with flame. Also known as manifesting a flame body.
To do that, he had to reach at least Kindle-ranked bloodline purity.
The second problem: to reach Kindle rank in his bloodline purity, he had to imbue his will into the flame.
He had tried many times, but it didn’t work.
The will to kill, the will to protect. It all seemed so superficial, and yet...
I read the notebooks... they said it was easy. It’s not easy at all, Raelis grumbled as he walked to the manor.
His mother, Sophia, was already waiting there with a tray of food, sitting on the first step beside the door.
"Oh, Raelis!" she called out with a wave. "Do you want the strawberry cake first, or maybe the cookies?"
"I’ll take both," Raelis replied with a hum and dug into the food.
It was nice seeing his mother . Alive and well. Happy, even.
But he knew that if he didn’t grow strong enough, none of it would matter.
After all... if I don’t stand out in the academy and get a bunch of followers, then nothing could stop my siblings from simply going after me or my mother. The emperor would definitely not give a damn either.
Because that was what happened last time.
A few minutes passed, and they finally finished eating.
"Raelis, when will I be able to visit you?" Sophia asked. "Or is that not a thing in the Furnace Academy...?"
He chuckled. "Don’t worry, I’ll visit you on the weekends. I promise."
"Good... I already packed your clothes... and your knives too," Sophia said hesitantly. "But why do you carry so much anyway? Isn’t one knife enough?"
"Maybe. But I need them for something important," Raelis replied plainly.
It had something to do with his father’s techniques, and once he gathered 50 knives, he’d be able to practice that technique.
Sure, he could just pick up random kitchen knives, but over the span of the year, he made sure to get the sharpest and most durable knives he could afford.
But now it was time to say goodbye.
He gave his mom a peck on the cheek. "I love you, and be sure to exercise while I’m gone."
"Are you calling me fat?" Sophia pouted, then let out a laugh. "Pfft... just kidding... see you in a week, Raelis."
A warm smile spread across his face as he turned to his maids and nodded.
His eyes lingered on Isabel for a few moments longer. After all, she had the same black earring he did.
The two never spoke, but there was a mutual trust between them, sort of like a truce. Even if he wasn’t exactly a member.
He picked up a suitcase filled to the brim with clothes, and with a final wave, dashed toward the capital city, Aurexis.
Lizbeth was right behind him, guarding him for the time being.
Yet as the minutes passed, and when they realized the city was not too far away, the two halted.
Raelis placed his suitcase against a tree, then pulled out his black steel daggers.
Without wasting even a second, he took a step, vanishing into thin air.
In reality, he had partially gone inside the nearby shadow, and by traveling through the shadows, he managed to get behind Lizbeth.
She had an amused smile on her face, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
Just as he jumped out of the shadows and aimed his daggers at her throat, he heard a low click.
He controlled the heat in the air, forming a small current of warm air, then used it to stop his momentum and jump in the air.
And thankfully he did, since the moment he looked down, he saw a giant ravine in the ground stretching several hundred meters.
Lizbeth stood there with her glowing sword and a confident grin.
She slashed her sword, sending a blade of aura flying toward him.
He summoned a fireball and redirected it, using the blast to propel himself downward.
Then, using all his power, he kicked off the ground, arriving in front of Lizbeth in an instant.
She didn’t seem surprised and made no attempt to block his attack, so he finished his slice confidently.
Soon, the clothes around her abdomen revealed a slight cut that didn’t reach the flesh.
He let out a sigh and sheathed his daggers.
"You could’ve killed me there."
"I could’ve killed you at any point," she remarked with a giggle. "I just chose not to. It’s fun seeing you improve so much after only a year. If I had to estimate, your strength is around that of a 3rd circle swordsman. At least battle-wise. But if you play your cards right, you can easily assassinate a 4th circle swordsman."
He nodded with a satisfied smile. "Thank you for everything, Lizbeth."
A faint smirk appeared on her face. "It almost sounds like we’re parting ways, Raelis."
"Hmm?" Raelis tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"I’m retiring," Lizbeth announced, making his eyes widen. "Look, I know 21 years of age is a bit too young to retire, but I don’t exactly have any more goals. I feel like the highest I’ll climb is a 6th circle swordswoman. Besides that? I can’t even fathom those demons."
As he was about to speak, she continued. "But! I am going to need a retirement home. So I was thinking..."
"Yes," Raelis agreed with a smile. "You can stay at my place. But Lizbeth, don’t give up on your goals just yet."
He approached her, looking down at her as he was now a full head taller.
"When I’m done with the academy, I will need valuable allies. Strong allies, preferably. As it stands, you’re one of the strongest people I know. In exchange, I’ll teach you a form of swordsmanship."
"Swordsmanship? You what?" Lizbeth muttered, baffled. "The last time I gave you a sword, you nearly stabbed yourself. It’s comical how bad you are with it. So what do you mean you’re going to teach me?"
His brows twitched. "I won’t be teaching you directly... but if you just so happen to pass by my room, check the bottom-most drawer. There’s a manual there. It’s the swordsmanship of the Sword God Embla."
Her eyes widened. "Y-You have the swordsmanship of Sword God Embla? And you expect me to just believe that?"
Raelis shrugged and turned around, walking back to his suitcase and picking it up.
"I’ll be needing your help in 3 years. Until then, be sure to study the manual carefully. I believe you are the one most worthy of that swordsmanship," Raelis said softly as he slowly walked away.
Lizbeth raised her hand and opened her mouth, yet no words came out. She knew this wouldn’t be the last time they’d see each other.
So instead of questioning the one who had rarely lied to her, she bowed in his direction, then vanished from sight.
Raelis let out a sigh as he walked through the bushes. Finally, the capital city of Aurexis came into view, and beyond it, the rising sun.
Just one more hour until the academy entrance exam began.