Why did Alissa hate him? The reason was simple.
The previous Grey had been a scumbag through and through. He bullied Alissa, stole her pocket money, and even stole from Richard to fund his own selfish pleasures. His personality had been rotten, his behavior disgusting, and his tendencies warped, even toward his own sister.
If Grey placed himself in Alissa's shoes, he would have despised that person too. The old Grey really had been that detestable.
Eventually, Alissa had enough. One day, she cut all ties with him. She no longer considered him family, and from then on, her coldness toward him had been absolute.
And truthfully, she had every right. There was no changing how she saw him now.
With that, dinner passed quietly. The three of them ate in silence, the clatter of chopsticks the only sound between them.
Just then, Grey's expression became strange.
He kept his gaze fixed on Alissa, who seemed entirely unaware of it.
Naturally, there was a reason for his stare.
All at once, his mind stirred to life, and fragments of information began surfacing piece by piece, like scattered puzzle parts drawn together.
[Your comprehension defies the heaven! By witnessing a True Dragon's Breathing Technique, you've gained insights into 'True Origin Energy Breathing Technique' and comprehended the 'Origin Insight Skill'.]
"???"
Grey was flabbergasted.
'True Dragon? Where?'
Grey looked around him, but there was only Alissa in his sight.
'Is my sister a dragon?'
Grey was dumbfounded. Just now, in his mind, he had seen a powerful blue frost dragon bursting forth with energy that could end the world.
There was no mistake. The reason he gained insight into the Breathing Technique was by looking at his sister.
A True Dragon. He did not know exactly what that meant, but one thing was certain. So far, there were no records of dragons ever existing in this world.
In fact, he doubted the people here even knew what a dragon was. Not a single myth, legend, or passing tale about them seemed to exist.
That aside, what he and the entire world knew about Alissa was that she cultivated the Esper Evolutionary Path, and she possessed strong ice manipulation and telekinetic powers.
But it turned out she was a True Dragon and cultivated a special evolutionary path.
Then, Grey slowly started sweating.
If his sister was a dragon, would she eat him out of spite?
Grey shivered slightly when he thought of that.
Just then, the concerned voice of Richard came from the side.
"Grey, are you alright? Why are you shaking?"
"N nothing, Dad…" Grey said while gulping down a cup of water.
Grey quickly averted his gaze from Alissa and focused on his food in silence.
What if she decided to eat him for staring too much?
Still, the pieces were beginning to fall into place. From the insights he had gained into the True Origin Breathing Technique, he could tell she cultivated an extraordinarily high level Evolutionary Path, one that most likely did not even exist on Blue Star, and cultivated a unique energy called True Origin Energy.
While gaining insight into her unique technique, Grey had also unconsciously comprehended a brand new skill.
It was an ability that allowed him to perceive the flow of True Origin Energy. Beyond that, it could even be applied to trace the flow of other forms of energy as well.
This left Grey feeling oddly unsettled. It was as if his ability itself understood what he lacked and deliberately guided him toward the path he needed. Originally, his plan had been to observe the release of cosmic energy when it became tangible and various other energies to study their workings, but now he could witness the circulation of energy in real time, even without someone manifesting it outside their body.
This was impossible for an ordinary person to achieve, but with his ability, anything was possible.
He took one more glance at Alissa, focused again, and activated the Origin Insight Skill.
Buzz!
The moment Grey invoked Origin Insight, the world around him dimmed, as though all other lights bent away from his vision.
Alissa's body unfolded before his eyes, not in flesh and blood, but in streams of radiance. Veins became rivers, meridians became starlit pathways. Flowing through them was the True Origin Energy.
The True Origin Energy was like silver threads of light flowing through her body.
They bent and curved into small spirals, then straightened again, always looping back as if turning in a wheel.
Each spiral connected to the next, forming a pattern that pulsed in time with her breath.
It looked alive, steady and endless.
[Your Comprehension defies the heaven! By witnessing a True Dragon's energy flow and breathing rhythm, you've gained insights into 'True Origin Breathing Technique'.]
More and more information about the technique surged into his mind, deepening his understanding with every passing moment.
Alissa's breathing was unlike that of any ordinary human. The rhythm and the pattern were fundamentally different. Yet, to an unsuspecting observer, it would appear utterly normal, as if nothing was amiss. The intricacy was hidden so flawlessly that no one could hope to replicate or comprehend it unless they possessed his ability.
'Which I do possess.'
Grey grinned inwardly.
True Origin Energy was without a doubt stronger than Cosmic Energy. From the fragment he had just obtained, he realized that this form of energy did not rely on compatibility at all. Instead, it relied entirely on the breathing technique itself to produce the same pattern as True Origin Energy, which would then give birth to it inside one's body.
It was an internal breathing technique and did not require drawing Cosmic Energy from the outside world.
That meant he could, in theory, utilize this breathing technique to become an evolver.
The problem of finding a new, stronger energy had been solved far faster than he expected.
'But if I start cultivating with True Origin Energy, wouldn't Alissa instantly notice it?'
Grey frowned as he took another bite of his food.
She was not a normal human, and he had no idea what kind of overpowered abilities she possessed as a Mythical True Dragon.
'Still, considering that she will be at home daily, I can just stare at her without her knowing and comprehend it faster.'
Grey nodded. Then he felt a bit weird. Staring at his own beautiful sister all day was definitely something a creep would do, and he was not a creep.
'Cough. It's to comprehend the breathing technique. Nothing wrong with it.'
Grey nodded righteously.
Alissa sat across the table, silently watching Grey. She knew he was sneaking glances at her, but she did not bother to react. It would be strange to react, since she was not observing with her eyes but with her powerful True Dragon mind perception, which stretched far even in its passive state.
What caught her off guard was his changing expression. First shock. Then confusion. Followed by excitement and righteous determination.
Her lips twitched at the sight.
Did this guy go insane mid meal?
She quickly shook her head, her gaze turning frosty. Whatever. His stupidity is not my problem. I hate him. I do not want to concern myself with him.
Grey, on the other hand, noticed her sudden shake of the head and the cold look she gave him. He stared at her strangely.
Does this woman have something wrong with her head? Why is she shaking her head randomly while looking at me?
Catching his weird stare, Alissa's eyes sharpened. She glared back at him, icy blue light flickering in her pupils.
"Cough! Cough!"
Grey nearly choked on his food.
"W-wow, the food sure is spicy today."
Richard sighed and poured him a glass of water.
"Eat slowly, Grey."
Grey gulped it down in one breath, sweat dripping from his forehead.
This is not good. The True Dragon just glared at me like I am its midnight snack, and I did not even do anything. If she decides to swallow me over some small inconvenience, I am finished.
Dragons are arrogant and fickle. They treat anything weaker as food.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that his sister might eat him as a midnight snack one day.
He silently cursed the previous Grey in his heart. Why did he have to make an enemy out of probably the most terrifying existence on Blue Star?
Did he have a cannon fodder Young Master level fate or what?
Meanwhile, Alissa leaned back with the faintest triumphant look on her face. Watching Grey sputter and sweat was oddly satisfying.
Serves him right. Choke harder, idiot.
Grey wiped his mouth and took another glance, only to catch that smug glimmer in her beautiful eyes.
Seeing this, Grey's expression darkened slightly.
You might have won today, but I, Grey Lockhart, will be the one to win next time!