A year had passed since Aleric's return to Kiran Mansion.
Spring had returned to the city of Hess.
The trees in the gardens were once again covered in green leaves, and small flowers bloomed among the stones lining the paths around the estate.
For Myth Kiran, however, that past year had been completely different.
The child who once spent hours trying to sense elemental particles now sat silently before a table.
Several books lay upon it.
Books on magic.
Books about the four elements.
Books on spell formation.
And a number of ancient manuscripts belonging to the Kiran family.
Myth slowly closed one of the books.
He had been six years old when he first began studying magic.
Now, at seven years old, his progress had reached a point that even his parents found impressive.
Myth closed his eyes.
The elemental particles around him began to move.
Water.
Fire.
Earth.
Wind.
The four streams of energy slowly entered his body.
His central dantian, located between his nipples, began absorbing the elemental energy.
Mana gathered steadily.
A small amount.
Then another.
And another.
Until finally...
Boom!
A small wave of spiritual pressure spread through the room.
Myth opened his eyes.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Level Five."
He had finally reached the level of a Fifth-Class Mage.
However, Myth knew that this did not mean his mental power had reached the same level.
His mental power had already reached the limit that could naturally be achieved through the methods possessed by his family.
The problem was simple.
Increasing the amount of mana was relatively easy.
Increasing mental power was entirely different.
Without sufficient mental power, a mage could not control larger amounts of mana.
It was like possessing a massive reservoir of water but lacking the strength to move it.
Because of this, Myth found himself stalled at this bottleneck for some time.
Until he discovered something unexpected.
Music.
---
It all began when Myth found an old instrument stored in one of the mansion's rooms.
A violin.
At first, he was simply curious.
He had never played such an instrument before.
So he asked to learn.
For weeks, Myth practiced.
At first, the sound was terrible.
The notes came out uneven.
Sometimes he completely lost the rhythm.
But Myth did not give up.
He continued practicing.
One note.
Then another.
Little by little, his movements became more natural.
He began to understand rhythm.
Melody.
Harmony.
And he discovered something interesting.
Whenever he played, his mind became completely focused.
All unnecessary thoughts vanished.
There were no worries.
No distractions.
Only him...
And the music.
That day, Myth was alone in a small room within the mansion.
The violin rested against his shoulder.
His fingers moved across the strings.
A gentle melody filled the room.
The music continued.
Note after note.
Myth entered a state of absolute concentration.
His mental power naturally began to spread outward.
Then...
Something happened.
Myth felt his mind tremble.
"...?"
He could not explain the sensation.
It was as though a door that had always stood before him had finally opened.
Within his mind, a space emerged.
A space completely separate from his normal thoughts.
Myth froze.
"This is..."
He immediately understood.
His innate supernatural talent had awakened.
From the moment he had reincarnated, something within his soul had changed.
Now, for the first time, he could clearly perceive that space within his mind.
Myth observed it silently.
It was like possessing a place where he could store things.
Yet it was not merely a storage space.
He could absorb certain things into it.
And by doing so...
He could use them to strengthen his own body.
Myth took a deep breath.
"So this is how it works..."
He already possessed enough knowledge from his previous life and his reincarnation to understand what it meant.
When he passed through the portal during the destruction of the Netherworld Kingdom, his soul had undergone something that should have been impossible for an ordinary person.
His soul had mutated while crossing the universe.
And now, he had finally awakened the ability connected to that transformation.
Myth did not attempt to uncover more than he already knew.
He knew this talent would be extremely important for his future.
He also knew it must remain a secret.
"I can't let anyone discover this."
His expression became serious.
The abilities of that space were terrifying.
If it were an amethyst stone, he could completely absorb the soul power contained within it.
If it were a specific type of metal, he could absorb it to strengthen his body.
And there was something even more important.
Magical cores.
Myth knew that through the magical cores of magical beasts, he could absorb part of their power and gain insight into abilities belonging to them.
That meant that, in the future, his rate of growth could be entirely different from that of an ordinary cultivator.
And there were also divine sparks.
Myth knew they could be used to strengthen his body and help him comprehend the Laws.
He remained silent for several minutes.
Then he closed his eyes.
"I need to be patient."
He was still a mortal.
His body could not withstand everything at once.
But little by little...
He could build a foundation that no one in this world could imagine.
---
During that same year, his path as a warrior also advanced.
Myth had already reached Rank Four.
His father continued teaching him the fundamentals of the Extreme Spear Technique.
In addition, Aleric had begun teaching him how to use the special battle qi of the Kiran family.
It was a wind-attributed battle qi.
When circulated through the body and channeled into a spear, it made every movement significantly lighter.
The weapon seemed to respond to Myth's thoughts.
The wind accompanied every motion.
A thrust.
A spin.
A sudden change of direction.
Everything became smoother.
Myth was still far from reaching his father's level of mastery.
But his learning speed left Aleric increasingly satisfied.
And then the time came for the journey Aleric had promised.
A tour of the city of Hess.
---
"You've lived in this city your entire life."
Aleric stood before Myth.
"But knowing a city doesn't simply mean knowing your own home."
Myth looked at his father.
"So we're going out?"
Aleric smiled.
"We are."
Over the following days, father and son traveled throughout the city of Hess.
Myth visited the city's grand theater.
He watched performances.
He visited a museum displaying countless ancient sculptures.
Some depicted legendary warriors.
Others portrayed ancient mages.
There were also sculptures of magical beasts.
Myth observed everything carefully.
Afterward, they visited auction houses.
Markets.
Restaurants.
Commercial districts.
Neighborhoods where wealthy merchants lived.
And areas where people struggled every day just to survive.
The city of Hess was far larger than Myth had imagined.
There was beauty.
There was wealth.
But there was also poverty.
A great deal of poverty.
At one point, father and son arrived at a completely different part of the city.
The streets were narrow.
The houses were worn and decaying.
Children walked barefoot.
People sold used belongings on street corners.
Myth remained silent.
He observed everything.
Then he asked,
"Father."
"Hm?"
"Why are so many people living like this?"
Aleric was silent for several seconds.
"Because life is not fair."
Myth said nothing.
They continued walking.
Until they arrived at a place that caught his attention even more.
A slave market.
Myth stopped.
His face became serious.
People were being sold like merchandise.
Men.
Women.
Even children.
Myth stared at the scene with an expression that was difficult to conceal.
"Father..."
Aleric immediately understood what he wanted to ask.
"No."
Myth turned toward him.
"You can't abolish this?"
Aleric remained silent.
"Even as the ruler of Hess?"
Aleric shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I am the ruler of this city, not the king of this kingdom."
Aleric continued calmly,
"There are laws above me. Slavery is legal within the Kingdom of Hess. As long as those laws exist, I cannot simply decide they don't apply here."
Myth looked back toward the market.
His small hands clenched.
He did not argue.
He simply stored that thought away.
When I have lands of my own...
There will be no slavery.
---
A few days later, Myth made another request to his father.
"I want to visit an orphanage."
Aleric looked at him.
"An orphanage?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Myth answered naturally.
"I want to find people who can grow alongside me."
Aleric thought for a moment.
"You want friends?"
"That too."
Myth smiled.
"But I also want to build my own guard."
Aleric raised an eyebrow.
"You're seven years old and you're already thinking about building a personal guard?"
"It's better to start early."
Aleric was silent for a moment.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Very well."
That was how Myth arrived at one of the largest orphanages in Hess.
The place was simple.
The walls needed repairs, and the furniture was old.
Dozens of children lived there.
Myth observed each of them.
He was not merely looking for appearances.
Or personality.
He wanted children who could grow alongside him in the future.
After speaking with the caretakers, ten children were selected.
Five boys.
Five girls.
All close to Myth's age.
Aleric also examined their talents.
Some possessed enough elemental affinity to pursue the path of magic.
However, their mental power was relatively low.
None of them possessed talent comparable to Myth's.
So the decision was simple.
They would be trained as warriors.
"They'll grow together," Myth said.
"And they'll train together."
Aleric looked at his son.
"Do you truly intend to do this?"
"Yes."
Myth nodded.
"I want people I can trust."
Aleric smiled.
"Then treat them well."
"I will."
---
Jin also accompanied Myth throughout that journey.
The little golden bird had grown considerably.
Her strength had reached the level of a Rank Four Magical Beast.
But her speed was on an entirely different level.
Even Rank Six Magical Beasts would struggle to catch her.
Myth still did not know her species.
Neither did Aleric.
Nor Louse.
No one in the Kiran family had managed to identify her true origins.
But to Myth, that did not matter.
Jin was his companion.
And that was enough.
---
When the journey ended, Myth returned to the mansion.
However, another change was about to occur.
Lorean Kiran had just turned six years old.
That morning, she sat across from Louse in the library.
Rowen, who had recently turned three, was playing near the bookshelves under the supervision of a servant.
Lorean looked at her mother expectantly.
"Mother..."
Louse smiled.
"Yes?"
"Am I going to learn magic too?"
"If you have the talent for it, yes."
Lorean's eyes lit up.
Myth watched the scene from the doorway.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He knew exactly what was about to happen.
Louse would test her daughter's elemental affinity.
Then her mental power.
And perhaps...
The Kiran family would discover another talented child that day.
Myth slowly entered the library.
"So it begins."
Lorean looked at her brother.
"Myth!"
She ran over to him.
Myth crouched down and ruffled her hair.
"Are you nervous?"
Lorean immediately shook her head.
"No!"
Myth smiled.
"Then let's find out what kind of mage my little sister will become."
Louse watched her children.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
The Kiran family was growing stronger, and I hope my siblings are talented enough to accompany me on this lonely journey through this world.
A world where Saints do not die of old age, and where time is one of the least precious things in the world of Coiling Dragon.
'I need to become a Saint. That way, I won't have to worry about dying of old age...'