The next day arrived as usual. I woke up, slipped into pure black training clothes, ate a quick breakfast, and headed for the grounds.
The shadows were already waiting, silent as ever. But she wasn't here. Mother. Probably busy with the banquet she arranged for tonight.
Then a voice spoke. Deeper than the usual.
The shadow had been changed. Of course, they all looked the same in their faceless masks, but I could tell.
"Are you ready for training, Prince?"
"Yes," I answered without hesitation.
"Then let's begin," another added.
I broke into a sprint, my body moving lighter than yesterday. Stamina, endurance, speed—it was all sharper, all stronger. Just one day, and this much progress?
If only I hadn't collapsed yesterday, I would've trained twice as much… but maybe rest wasn't all bad. My body felt fine. No aches, no heaviness.
[ Muscles were in terrible condition. Due to Selena Bloodcrest's all-night healing, complete recovery was achieved. ]
[ Sensation is already recorded. High-heal can now be replicated after core manifestation with a single command. ]
I stumbled in my mind. …Wait. Does that mean I can copy anything? Any magic or skill, as long as I feel it?
[ Correct. With my guidance, it is certainly possible. ]
My chest tightened. "Veyra… that's insane. People spend years learning spells. You're saying I could—just like that?"
[ …Y-yes. ]
Her voice faltered for the first time. Almost like… hesitation.
I pushed harder, sweat breaking only faintly across my skin. Fifteen laps. No exhaustion.
"Veyra… is this also because of you?"
[ No. It's purely potion effects. ]
[ Current capacity: 21 laps without exhaustion. 25 if pushed at limits ]
My grin widened. "Yesterday, I couldn't even finish one. Now… twenty-five?!"
[ With my aid, exhaustion can be erased instantly. ]
I nearly tripped. "W-what? That would make me… stronger than most Vessels. Even Birth Flame level Vessels don't have infinite stamina!"
[ It is achievable with my help. ]
[ Requirement: consume 100 high-grade stamina potions. ]
[ Progress: 84 consumed. Remaining: 16. ]
"Only sixteen more, huh?" My teeth flashed. "Fine. Then let's go even faster."
My feet pounded against stone. Faster. Faster.
"More!" I shouted.
The shadows exchanged uneasy glances.
"Wasn't he bedridden just yesterday morning?" one muttered.
"A seven-year-old shouldn't have this much stamina. He was unconscious after one day of training, and now…"
"The Empress told us to go easy," another whispered, "but I don't think we'll need to."
"Right. She said punish him once every two mistakes. But… is he even making any?"
Their murmurs barely reached me over the sound of my breath. Huff. Huff. My chest burned, legs screaming.
Almost there. Almost—
I slowed. Damn it. The slap—
"Here, Prince. Potion. Drink it while running."
I snatched the vial mid-stride, gulping it down. My eyes flicked to them. "Aren't you going to hit me? I slowed down just now."
"Do you wish us to strike you?"
"N-no…"
"Then relax. Today, you'll only be struck once every two mistakes. That was your first."
I frowned. "…So less punishment, but still punishment."
One of them smiled faintly beneath his mask. The kind of smile that didn't belong to a shadow.
Huff. Huff. Almost… almost—
And then, lap one hundred. I collapsed to my knees, chest heaving.
"Recovery potion, Prince. Now onto push-up position."
"Gulp—gulp—" I drained it, wiped my mouth, and lowered into form. Elbows tucked. Shoulders retracted. Core tight.
No slap came.
Relief surged. This time, it was clean.
And for the first time, I felt it clearly. My body was stronger. Faster. Firmer. Yesterday I'd been broken. Today… reborn.
[ Current strength: 63 push-ups in one set. ]
"Sixty-three, huh…" I smirked. "Not bad. Let's see how long I take to finish today."
Lunar Chamber, the room of Current Emperor.
The sunlight spilled through silver curtains, washing the vast chamber in a pale glow. At the center, the Emperor Reyzen Bloodcrest leaned back in his chair, weary but smiling faintly.
"So," Reyzen said, his tone both exhausted and warm, "our son woke up, went straight to training, and rejected the break you gave him?"
Selena puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms. "Yes. Can you believe it? I was being considerate you know and he upright rejected it. I said rest for a week and recover but he just looked me dead in the eye and said, "I don't want to be a burden anymore, I want to catch up to you",with a flat expression and robotic voice you see. I almost cried on the spot!
I bet any other kid would've jumped in joy on the thought of holidays after such a harsh training and he refused.
Reyzen chuckled, the sound low and amused. "Ah… so the cool, merciful mother act got rejected, huh? Don't take it to heart. He's not like other children. He's like us—driven to get stronger, no matter the cost."
Selena leaned back, still puffing her cheeks. "He's so much like Aria… Golden eyes, black hair, that same stubborn will. Another god-gifted talent dropped into our hands."
Reyzen's gaze softened. "I remember how fast she grew. One blink and she was no longer a child. Now it's Kaito's turn… and he already feels too mature for his age." A pause. His voice lowered. "Sometimes I wish we could've just been a small, happy family. No concubines. No power struggles. Just us."
For a fleeting moment, the chamber was warm, almost fragile.
Then Selena whispered, "But the empire won't allow that, will it? A thousand years of tradition, of power struggles, of Bloodcrest holding it's place as the strongest empire."
The warmth left Reyzen's eyes. His voice, once gentle, dropped like iron.
"Tradition." The word carried no affection, only weight. "I've broken bones and spilled blood to uphold it. And if I must, I'll do it again. That is the curse of this throne, Selena."
The silence stretched, heavy, until Reyzen's hand softened over hers again, his mask slipping back into place. "But for them—for our children,I'll steal what little peace I can. Even if it damns me further."
Reyzen's words trailed into silence, heavy with the weight of unspoken things. Selena sat across from him, her golden eyes sharp but tired, the faint trace of mana still clinging to her from a sleepless night.
"Speaking of traditions," she said finally, her lips tightening, "the banquet tonight will be another circus. Half the nobles will come parading their daughters before you, and the other half will measure Aria and Kaito like prized cattle. I despise it."
Reyzen leaned back in his chair, his silver hair catching the lantern light, his voice calm but edged with something colder. "Despise it all you like, but banquets are no less a battlefield than the front lines. Smiles hide daggers, and alliances are forged in spilled wine. We can't ignore it."
Selena crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "Kaito is only seven. He just woke from collapse yesterday, and already they'll whisper. They'll compare him to Aria. To me."
A dry chuckle escaped Reyzen. "Let them whisper. Their words are nothing but smoke. He doesn't need to shine yet,his time will come. Moreover he's also a genius who sensed mana at seven. For now, Aria's brilliance will blind them well enough."
Selena turned her gaze on him, sharp and searching. "You almost sound… protective."
For a moment, the emperor's mask slipped, and beneath it was simply a man, weary and quiet. "I am. He's still a child, Lena. Let them underestimate him. When he rises, it will be all the more devastating."
Her lips curved faintly, though her eyes still burned. "Fine. But if anyone dares to insult him openly, I won't forgive it."
Reyzen's smirk was tired, but knowing. "This is a banquet, not a battlefield. Try not to set any dukes on fire at the dinner table."
Selena's smile turned dangerous, soft as silk but sharp as a blade. "No promises."
Training ground -
I collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving. "Okay… with this, push-ups are done."
A shadow approached, silent as ever, extending a vial toward me. "Here, Prince."
I grabbed it without hesitation. Gulp. Gulp.
[ 100 high-grade stamina potions consumed. ]
[ Commencing stamina enhancement… ]
[ From this point on, I can infinitely restore your stamina with a single command. ]
I shot to my feet, a laugh breaking out before I could stop it. "Finally,I did it!"
The words echoed across the training yard. My face flushed. "…Ah. Got a little too excited."
The shadows tilted their heads in confusion.
"…Did he really just celebrate because push-ups ended?"
"He's still a kid, after all."
Their murmurs barely reached me before a cold whisper cut through my skull.
[ Danger detected. ]
Slap!
Pain exploded across my cheek, my body spinning from the blow. I skidded back several steps, the taste of iron filling my mouth. I wiped the blood off my lip, forcing a grin. "Tch. Your strength never fades, does it?"
Another potion was thrust into my hand. "Drink, Prince. Pull-ups next."
I downed it quickly. Gulp. Gulp.
"Alright," I muttered, gripping the iron bar. "This time will be a breeze."
The voice returned, colder than before.
[ Correction. ]
[ Your stamina can now be recovered without limit. However, strength cannot. ]
[ With your current body, you can perform 23 pull-ups before failure. ]
I froze mid-grip. "…Wait. Didn't you say infinite recovery was possible?"
[ Infinite stamina recovery, yes. Infinite regeneration, no. ]
[ High-grade Recovery potions consumed: 61. ]
[ Minimum requirement for true infinite recovery: Core stage — Birth Nova. ]
My hands slipped for a moment. "…Nova?" I whispered.
I hadn't even manifested my core yet. And already, Veyra was speaking of a stage that stood at the peak of the world.