Inside Jago's courtyard. Training field.
Jago stared down on the grassy field. A mature lady stood before him and caressed his face with care and longing. Asri put down her hand and turn her body around. Jago saw the back figure of the queen and couldn't keep his mind calm.
"I know that you have only level 4 wood affinities, but the cultivation path does not only depend on the affinity level. You always can try to walk on another path. Warrior path maybe?" she kept talking with her back facing Jago.
Soft wind flowed on the training field. The wind pressed the skin tight robe to further elaborate the body's contour. This provided beautiful dream-like scenery.
"You may think this is the best way out. With your current talent, nobody will bother you. Kemaki will leave you alone. Others would probably do the same." Asri turn her body again.
Now facing Jago, strength and determination could be seen on her eyes.
"But in that case, you will live your entire life in mediocrity. Never become somebody. You may retain your status as a prince of Rivermountain. They will respect you when they are standing in front of you, but you know that you will be mocked you as soon as you turn your back. Are you sure you want to live with that?" Asri's voice kept higher and higher.
It was almost like an orator in front of his colleagues during anti-war rally.
Asri's voices became softer and softer till it sounded like a mumbling, "You're Ayu's son, you can't be a mediocre person.."
Asri had an ordinary looking ring on her left hand. Jago never took notice about the ring until she lifted her right hand and touched the ring with it. A glistening small bottle magically appeared in her right hand.
Seeing this, shock appeared on Jago's face. He knew that the ordinary looking ring was actually a special magic artifact, the re-known inter-spatial ring. It was a rare but sought after magical artifact. The practical use of this inter-spatial ring was enormous. He knew that Alash had one of those, but he never suspected that the Queen also had it, not until today.
Asri, oblivious to Jago's shock, waved the bottle with her right hand. A pill could be seen inside this bottle. Seeing from Asri's expression, Jago knew that the pill should be a precious one.
"This is a Body Strengthening Pill; it can improve body constitution tremendously, making it suitable to cultivate the warrior path. Since you just recently awaken and I believe you haven't start cultivating yet, you can't take the pill directly. You can dip the pill on the ordinary water and drink the water instead. It will become something like Body Strengthening Elixir. Repeat the process until the pill dissolves."
Jago never heard of the Body Strengthening Pill before. As the descendant of the Rivermountain Kingdom, he was taught to thread the mage path, long before he awakens his affinity level. Thus no knowledge related to the warrior path cultivation had been introduced to him by the Royal family teacher.
Jago hesitated to accept the pill. He knew that with his affinity he would not be able to achieve much on the mage path, but he also had no plan to thread the warrior path. He would try to make decision after he joined the Primary Academy.
Seeing Jago hesitating, Asri's brow scrunched together. Her caring and tender temperament became little bit gloomy.
With slightly cold voice, she asked Jago, "Jago, why you don't accept the pill? You know that it take a lot of me to get this pill, don't you?"
Jago trembled, he bowed his head and answered, "I'm sorry Royal Mother, I wouldn't dare to accept such precious pill from you. I haven't decided yet that I will cultivate the warrior path. I will make decision after I study on Primary Academy."
"You little kid, with your level 4 affinity, you will find out that the mage path isn't for you. Take this pill and cultivate the warrior's way, at least you may achieve something." this time, Asri's tone was not asking but more like commanding. Jago felt tremendous pressure coming from her.
He felt that the air was getting thicker and hard to breathe. The feeling was similar like when you have to breathe inside the water. He also felt like that the earth's gravity was increasing several times. It took a lot for Jago just to remain standing in his place.
Jago didn't know and maybe he would never know that currently he was under pressured of the re-known Element Domain. This was special technique only available for a real mage cultivator. In the continent, a mage would be considered real mage when he/she achieved the True Mage level, as it names implied.
Asri exerted her Earth Element Domain to pressurized Jago. She did that to break Jago's will. The Element Domain often possessed its natural characteristic. Each different cultivator would have their own specific domain. Although both of them cultivated similar element energy, they might have different domain. Asri's domain was Minor Gravity Earth Domain. Once she exerted her domain, the gravity on the area around her would increase. The increase of gravity depended on her.
Jago was only 5 years old boy which didn't even started cultivating yet. Asri only put 1.2x normal gravity on her domain. It was far from her maximum level which was 4x normal gravity, never underestimated the little figure, when she utilized her 4x gravity domain, she practically unbeatable on similar level.
Jago didn't know any of that. He only felt that his body was getting heavier and it was difficult to breath. His consciousness started to fade away. In the line between wake and unconscious, his energy center started to trembled. The dark and gloomy sky surrounding his energy center started vibrated. A wisp of dark element passed through the barrier of his energy center and entered the core area.