He was now 7 years old and it was his birthday. Ren and his Grandfather travelled the skies every morning. They flew from their home and then encompassed the edges of the boundary of the human kingdom. Patrolling the borders of the human settlements. Keeping the advance of demons in check.
Reginold was observing from atop Parthenax and he was sometimes diving towards potential threats on the Kingdom. Especially Demons and Cultists.
They were a blight that has to be removed completely. A war might happen again but the demon kingdom still has to recover from the last war. Especially the 3rd Demon War.
Making temporary peace on the process that humanity was taking for granted.
Reginold was doing his job in the shadows and Ren admired such heroism. And it was not rewarded too. He was making efforts to maintain the peace. Making him adore his grandpa as a good example of what heroism should be.
He was only left on Parthenax's back to observe from a distance while his Grandpa turned to his Dragonoid form and battled enemies.
Ren's view of this world changed after he met his grandpa. He was someone he wanted to follow.
The young Ren was able to become a healthy kid. Black hair was being blown by the wind. His eyes were deep black and expressed an observant demeanor. The two were traveling the skies with their dragon Parthenax. Without him, they were traveling by foot.
Sometimes, Ren was playing with the dragon. Doing punches at his scales while intimidating him to fight back. Parthenax was just having a lifeless stare at him while having drowsy eyes. He just grabbed him and he was thrown upwards, making him sent flying.
"Ahhhh!" Ren was screaming and then his mouth was distorted due to the winds battering his face.
Reginold was alarmed, he then flew towards the skies and grabbed Ren.
"Hey! What was that for?" Ren screamed at Parthenax. He then kicked him on the side then walked away. Spitting on the side then looking back at Parthenax, then spitting again.
It was later that Ren decided to spar with Parthenax. With the martial arts of mortals, he decided to show it to him.
He was sparring with Parthenax in his vacant time with a stick and he waved it left and right with several slashes right after.
Parthenax looked at his performance and he just blew fire on it. Making his sword burn to ashes.
"Hey! That's dirty! Tsk!" he just walked away again this time. And came back with more sticks to burn!
Their time was mostly spent bonding as they took picnics on the grassy hills on the nearest hills from their home.
Parthenax blew fire on the grass and then settled his butt to have a warm bed of grass to sit on. The other two perched the blanket on the grass and then sat on it.
Ren can only eat as much as he wanted as he was having a growth spurt. Making him a bloated fat kid. He was a bit stout if they would assess his height and all his height went to his belly. Reginold was just watching him grow healthy. Though it was too much. He was too healthy and this made him have an idea.
'He should train when he reaches seven,' he inwardly thought. He planned to make Ren have a training regimen to make his belly converted into height and refined physique.
"Ren, can I ask you a question?"
"Yep," he was still eating, stuffing his mouth with food.
"Do you love martial arts?" Reginold was serious this time.
"Yes! More than this food!" he answered.
"Good! Then let me give you a gift. Happy Birthday! No matter what happens, do not surrender," he spoke then gave him weights.
By the looks of it, they were weights with magical runes in them and were in pairs that were put on the hands and a pair on the legs. It was attached to his legs and his hands and he then felt strange.
"Why do I feel weak?" he asked.
"Forgive me, but you will know its importance later on. Those were called Limiter Weights. You will feel weak but your bodily strength was constantly exercised. Right now, you can only exhibit 10% of your actual strength," he said to him.
"More exercise and you will exhibit more prowess. Just release the limiters in the direst times okay? Don't flaunt it to others," Lucian instructed him.
"Ah, I see. I will cherish this gift of yours. Thanks!" Ren then smiled.
"Hahaha, you will become weak with this but I surely will not regret letting you have this. These limiters also grow with you. So it will become your companion from now on, you can't use your class by the time." Reginold then laughed at him.
"My classes!? No!!!" Ren shouted in disbelief and worry. "I can't believe this....."
Ren then smiled bitterly. It was heavier than he thought. He couldn't move at all!
"Help!" he screamed.
"Oh, I think I will still disable the limiting factor. Maybe the sheer raw weight of the limiters is doable," he said to him.
Ren then started to pout. He couldn't do excessive movements and he couldn't sometimes move at all! All thanks to the said gift that he got. Making him sometimes tempted to remove it and have a rest. But he did not, because he wanted to have prowess.
"This is all part of training. I must endure," he said then pouted.
Parthenax was just chuckling at him while he was barely able to lift his foot or even walk like normal. He sometimes needed to grab his legs and pull them upwards to just walk.
It was a very tiring and very traumatic experience for him and it made his childhood shrouded with gloomy and depressing experiences. Though it did not last long, after he finally got used to it, he felt a great achievement that he finally surpassed himself. Making him proud of his milestones. Also, his belly fat was stripped off and he was getting taller. A good stature was achieved!
They went home and they entered the door. Making them see that his parents held a cake for him to blow.
"Happy Birthday Ren!" Anna was in tears, Renji then laughed.
"Hahaha! Our boy is a grown up child now. As a present, we announce that you will have a sibling soon!" Renji then laughed greatly.
Anna then poked him on the side. "Dear, what are you saying to the child? He might misunderstood." She said.
They soon made a feast of foods and Ren felt happy, now that he has a sibling to look forward to. Also, train him, with greater pain than his experience. He then laughed like a mad man.