Ruyn had successfully awakened and blossomed the Thousand-Year Art's (Cheonnyeongong) ultimate insight—Heavenly Seamless (Cheonui Mubong).
What's more, the so-called "genetic ailments" he had inherited from his parents turned out to grant him extraordinary talents in both swordsmanship and magic.
"If I have talent, then all I need now is time."
And indeed, although he still spent at least a third of each day asleep…
That was only natural, given how little time had passed since his birth. He had more than enough time to grow strong—time in abundance.
After all, he carried the bloodline of the great swordsmanship clan, the Laingraimes, and the mighty magical house, the Kaftalens.
"Reaching the realm of the Thousand-Year Art's master, Ganel, is not just a dream."
If he could only reach such a state…
Squeeze!
With his tiny, tender hand balled tightly into a fist, Ruyn once again swore to himself.
"I can erase the Paterion family completely."
Just as Lord Roeben, the Western Blade Duke, had once destroyed his most loyal Shadow without hesitation…
Ruyn made the terrifying vow that he would one day reduce one of the Four Skies—clans that had endured for centuries—to nothing more than a relic of history.
Just then, voices drifted in through the slightly open door.
"Dear, guess what I caught today? Look here."
"Oh my, what is this?"
"A Gray Boar. Brion said its meat is supposed to be exquisite. Took quite a bit out of me to bring it down."
"Really?"
"Of course. And apparently, it's not just tasty—it's especially good for men, too. So let's have a feast tonight. A day like this deserves a celebration!"
And so, during the small, simple party that followed, his father, Kabel, and mother, Daisy, exchanged warm words.
"You look even lovelier tonight, Daisy."
"Oh, stop it."
"Stop what? Come here, my love!"
That night, they became rather… passionate.
Uh, well.
Even if their child couldn't speak yet, there was someone else in the house.
Ahem.
"…At this rate, I might end up with a younger sibling."
…
…
Fortunately, Ruyn's concern never came to pass.
The last thing he needed was another child in the house, distracting his parents and complicating his life.
"..."
But he was a little troubled.
"Tsk, this mana insensitivity is worse than I thought."
No matter how hard he tried in the hours he spent alone, he couldn't sense the slightest trace of mana.
Thankfully, the energy of Heavenly Seamless residing near his heart was easy to control with just a thought.
"At the very least, I need to master one of the two quickly—sword or magic. Only then can I accelerate my training."
While he was organizing his thoughts—
Creak.
"Ruyn, time for your milk."
With Daisy entering, as always, Ruyn abandoned his worries.
"Food first. If I'm hungry, I won't be able to think straight anyway. I'll leave the worrying for later."
Not long after—
Pat, pat.
"Buuurp!"
"Oh my, sounds like you ate well, Ruyn."
Daisy smiled brightly, and Ruyn answered with a cheerful giggle.
"My goodness. How can a child's smile be this adorable?"
Her eyes, overflowing with boundless love for her child, lingered on Ruyn as she gently stroked his cheek.
"Let's wipe your mouth first."
Snapping her fingers lightly, she gathered the food stains from around his lips with invisible energy.
Then—
Whoosh!
A small flame appeared in midair, reducing the scraps to nothing.
Ruyn's eyes widened.
"Holy—just how advanced is her magic?"
Magic might have been integrated into everyday life, but using it so effortlessly—without a single incantation—was something only true masters of the art could achieve.
"Even for a Kaftalen, this is extraordinary. At least a direct heir… maybe even higher."
As he reeled at his mother's display, sudden noise erupted.
Thud-thud-thud, bang!
"Daisy!"
The door burst open, and Kabel appeared.
"Honey? Weren't you out hunting… Who is that behind you?"
"Damn it—it's Brion."
Dragging in Brion, battered and covered in blood, Kabel spoke with a grim expression.
"Daisy. Heal him, now."
Placing Ruyn on the bed, Daisy rushed over, closing her eyes and chanting.
"Regeneration!"
Brilliant light enveloped her hands and sank into Brion's broken body.
"She can use regeneration magic too?"
Normally, only priests blessed with divine power could heal wounds.
But a Grand Mage—or higher—could amplify the body's regenerative ability through magic.
And there were fewer than a hundred such mages on the entire continent.
"My mother's… a Grand Mage?"
Ruyn wasn't sure whether to rejoice or worry, but soon shook his head.
"Parents being strong is a good thing. It just means the people around me aren't ordinary. In my experience, sticking close to the strong always brings unexpected benefits."
Though he had yet to fully grasp the concept of family, Ruyn relied on the logic of his past life as a Shadow. Being near the powerful was safety itself.
Meanwhile, Daisy and Kabel continued their exchange.
"Phew, that should do it. The immediate danger has passed."
"Really? Thank goodness. I couldn't risk taking him all the way to the temple—he wouldn't have survived."
"You did the right thing. Judging from his wounds, he never would've made it that far."
Daisy then turned sharp eyes on Kabel.
"But what on earth happened? How did Brion get hurt this badly?"
"Well, the thing is…"
Kabel explained slowly.
They had gone into the forest for a routine hunt, but then—
"…a Giant Ogre appeared."
"What? A Giant Ogre? The Lord of the Forest?"
"Yeah. I'd only ever heard rumors before. Seeing one with my own eyes was a first."
His tone was vivid, his eyes betraying a hint of fear.
Ruyn's ears perked up at this unexpected story.
"A Giant Ogre? Why would such a monster show up here?"
Unlike most monsters, ogres were solitary creatures, each ruling its own forest. People called them the "Lords of the Forest."
But a Giant Ogre was different—it commanded multiple ogres under its rule. Thus, it was not merely a lord but a "Sovereign of the Forest."
"That means there should've been half a dozen ogres with it… Then how the hell is Father still alive?"
Daisy, clearly thinking the same thing, asked urgently.
"And you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Kabel scratched his head awkwardly and grinned.
"Me? Hurt? When have I ever worried you like that? I killed them all—the Giant Ogre and its lackeys. But while I was distracted, poor Brion here got caught. Hah, couldn't even bring back the loot."
Ruyn blinked, staring hard at his father.
"What? He killed the Giant Ogre and all its ogres by himself?"
Even at his peak in his past life, Ruyn couldn't have done that alone.
That kind of strength…
"At least Master-class… maybe even higher?"
He stared blankly at Kabel and Daisy.
"Just… what are these people?"
Two years had passed since Ruyn's reincarnation.
He now had jet-black hair and ruby-like eyes that glowed vividly.
But within him resided the soul of Shadow Unit 1872—the hunting dog once abandoned by Lord Roeben Paterion.
Creak.
"Ruyn, time for your meaaals!"
As always, Daisy entered with cheer. Ruyn, however, responded with a cold expression.
"Knock, knock."
"Oh, sorry. I should've knocked first. Anyway—are you not going to eat?"
"No. Meal."
"Alright then, open up—…oh my, you already have your mouth open."
Ruyn sat ready, lips parted in silence. Daisy chuckled softly.
"Honestly, who did you take after to be so clever? Kids your age can barely talk, let alone act like this."
As she stroked his head and fed him her homemade porridge—
"Take after? Please. It's just because I remember my past life."
Still—
"Mom."
"See? That's right. You're smart because you take after your mother."
Ruyn, considering her care, didn't mind offering this little flattery.
"Now, say ahh."
"Ahh."
Gulp.
After finishing the bland but faintly sweet meal, he declared firmly:
"Nap. Alone."
"Hm? Nap? Hehe, of course. Let's take a nap together today, then. Nap time with Mommy."
"No."
"…What?"
"Nap. Alone."
When he insisted on sleeping by himself, Daisy's face fell.
"Why? Let's nap together, Ruyn."
"No."
"Aww, come on…"
Her sigh carried real hurt.
"Smart kids are nice, but you're growing so cold. Mommy's sad."
"…No."
Reaching out, Ruyn brushed at her eye in a clumsy gesture. Daisy laughed softly at the sweet act.
"Ahh, really. You're just too lovable, Ruyn."
"Meal. Nap. Haaahm."
"Alright, alright. Sleep well, my baby. Nap nicely."
Rising, Daisy left carefully.
Creak. Slam.
The door shut.
"Phew. Not easy."
Ruyn muttered, his tone serious, far beyond his years.
"I can't afford to lose this precious training time."
Though he felt the unfamiliar warmth of Daisy's love every day, and silently appreciated it—
"Someday… I'll repay this debt."
"Right now, what matters most is raising the mastery of Heavenly Seamless."
With revenge as his clear goal, every second was more valuable than gold.
Though he had awakened the art the moment he opened his eyes in this new life—
"I still can't wield its power properly."
After endless meditation and training, he had yet to circulate the energy through a full Minor Heavenly Cycle (sojucheon).
But he was close.
"Maybe today's the day."
Two years of relentless effort had finally given him a degree of control. All that remained was to guide the energy full-circle into his dantian.
"Let's do this."
Checking the door once more, Ruyn closed his eyes and began.
He drew out the power from deep within, guiding the white energy that flowed through his body.
"Slowly. Calmly."
Patience was vital. This was the most refined of all arts, the Heavenly Seamless—it demanded delicacy.
His past failures had all stemmed from haste.
"Good. Just like this."
The white energy gathered near his heart. Ruyn carefully directed it upward.
"Between the philtrum and the brow."
Toward the spot between his eyebrows.
Then—
Voom.
"…I'm floating?"
His body lifted from the ground.
It was the telltale sign seen in warriors or mages when ascending to a higher class after enlightenment.
"But I haven't even had a breakthrough—this is just the first stage!"
The absurdity of the power made him inwardly click his tongue, but he refocused, intensifying his concentration.
At last, the white energy completed its circuit and sank back into his dantian.
Flash!
Ruyn's eyes snapped open, gleaming with fierce light.
"Haah… it's done."
The once-scattered energy now condensed into a small orb at his core.
Every sense in his body sharpened like a honed blade.
The world itself felt clearer, sharper—utterly vivid.
"So this is the true energy of Heavenly Seamless?"
The final insight of Ganel, the peerless master of the Thousand-Year Art—
It wasn't just an insight.
It was an absolute divine art that allowed mastery over not only one's own innate energy, but the natural energy of the world itself.
The surge of omnipotence coursed through him.
But—
"Tsk."
Ruyn frowned at the state of his surroundings.
"From now on, I'll need a quieter place to train."
The area around his bed looked like it had been bombed—devastated by the raging energy of his cultivation.
"How am I supposed to clean this up…"
He scratched his head helplessly.
Creak.
The door opened.
"Ruyn. Daddy's ho—huh?"
Kabel blinked at the sight of the ruined room, tilting his head in confusion.
Then, spotting Ruyn lying on the bed, feigning sleep, he chuckled.
"Hah. This kid sure has some wild sleep habits."
And with that, Kabel began cleaning the mess.
"Whew, thank goodness."
Ruyn, still pretending to be asleep, let out a silent sigh of relief.
----------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 30 chapters in advance on my Patreon: [email protected]//SwordProdigyexe