Blushing Martha moved, on to the question she was asked. "Tommy is still so young, and while he has a great talent for mana he just refuses to study it. I'm going to try to teach him some simple formations tomorrow. He always loved the illusion formations I made for him in the garden."
"If Jason can speak by eleven months he will probably have the talent for mana. Until then lets let him use the gravity chamber in your arms for one hour a day so that his body can be strengthened. Even mages need a decently strong body. Usually children have to wait till they're five before they can start studying magic, and 8 before they can begin practicing to be a knight. With his natural physique he can probably start as early as 3 for mage or 5 for knight." Charles requested.
"Hmm, ok then, but we'll only make him start training after five, unless he asks to go earlier." responded Martha.
Jason seeing the worry amd love his parents held for him felt a warmness in his heart. In his last life he never knew his father and his mother was a whore who sold him as a servant to buy her own freedom. The only one he had who loved him before was Jasmine. He was still distrusting but he felt drawn to these people.
....
The days passed as Jason continued to refine his body according to the Nine Immortals rebirth technique. everyday he'd spend an hour in a gravity chamber with his mother. At first it was hard but by the time he was 2 it was increased to two hours and he spent the time playing with his mother.
He had shocked his parents when he started talking at ten months. He could have talked sooner but he was worried about the consequences. By this time he had started learning more about this world and it's power structure.
Firstly this planet was millions of times bigger than the earth of old even thousands of times bigger than his home planet of Junn. Secondly his farther was a lieutenant which is part of the lowest ranking nobles. Lieutenant can own a city but not their own land, and for this they're considered to be low end nobility. the only ones lower is knight and knight errant. Knights may own a mansion or castle while knight errant may own his own town. His mother was a Disciple of magic which was one level below his farther's rank and the rights and privileges of a mage are equal to that of a knight of the same tier.
Knights used the energy he thought was a strange form of ki, it was called vital qi and was absorbed through body techniques. A knights talent was determined by how much vital qi they could absorb and merge with their body per hour. Mages like his mother absorbed mana, while mana came in many forms. His mother used lightning and fire mana, having medium talent for fire and high talent for lightning. Your talent for an element was based on your absorption ability of the elements in question and the ability to sense that element.
The city he was in was his farther's city called Black Iron Keep. It was named that because the main resource of the city was black iron and it was the main supplier of black iron for the county of dwarven mountains path. The city was known in the whole county for the top rated blacksmiths. it was the only city in the county with its own rank 6 blacksmith.
....
More months past and Jason is brought into his farthers study by his mother. He could barely contain himself as he already knew he would be able to begin his true training in earnest now that he was three years old.
As he sits down his father smiles as he sees him squirming there perhaps remembering his childhood doing the same. Jason's mother tells him to settle down this is serious. Charles hearing this gets a solemn face. As he looks towards his son he decides on how to explain things.
"Jason as you know you have the gift to be a knight or probably a mage if you'd prefer. So first I will tell you about the perks of choosing a knight class while after your mother will share on the mage path." Taking a deep breath Charles begins to explain the truth about knight. "Knights are people who fight up close and personal for the most part, admittedly there are archers and such but we can't train you for that so no need to go down that path. Knights require strong bodies and a hardy will. We absorb vital qi that at the early levels is a two-edged blade as while strengthening us it also destroys our life force." Hearing this terrified Jason to the point he was as pale as a ghost and covered in sweat. Seeing his son like this Charles rushed to explain, " Vital qi is only harmful before the evolution into an actual knight. Knights live for 350 years. Knight errants live for 500 and lieutenants live for 800 years Each time you rank up your bodies aging slows down as well. It is just that before you become a knight vital qi shortens your life. Mortals live a 150 years, but an apprentice can only live for 100, a squire has 75 years, and a swordsman can only live to be 35. While their life is running out more quickly their body will still age at the same speed . Knights also are blessed with superb defense. Mortal blades can only harm an apprentice. To harm a knight of a higher tier you need a weapon made by a tiered blacksmith. Only those squishy mages need to fear mortal steel hahaha."
"Unless you want to test how hot my flames are you better get back on topic," growled Martha .
"Hehe, you are right dear. Where was I? Oh yes, a knights power also comes from the fighting techniques he knows, and how strong he forges his body. We only have one breathing technique in our family, but we own three different body forging techniques. Fire and Ice Body as One, and Demonic Ape Body Art. I practice the Demonic Ape Body Art which is a high tier six body forging technique, while the Fire and Ice Body as Pne is only a mid tier two. Most powerful clans in the duchy use high tier 2 to mid tier 4 ." Charles had a huge prideful grin on his face. "The baron clans use high tier 5 to low tier 7 arts. Our baron, Baron Nathan, has a high tier 7 technique. It is rumored that the Duke has 2 high royal tier body forging arts.
" Umm, dad isn't there a third technique?" asked Jason innocently.
Coughing softly Charles said, "Oh hrrmm, yes it's the Dragon Forged Body Art. We don't know it's rank but we expect that it's a royal or higher tier technique."
After waiting for while for his farther to continue Jason decided to ask, " Well if it's so much better than the body art you use then why not cultivate it yourself?"
Blushing red like a boy whose crush just found out he like her Charles responded, " Well yes, it's far stronger than mine but the pain of it actually feels like a blacksmith us forging your body while you roast in dragon flames. Even your ancestor only made it to the 3rd stage of the art before giving up. There are 9 stages that we have and according to the slab it's on its only the first chapter of the art, so there's at least a second and possibly even more. I admittedly tried it as well but I couldn't even reach the second stage. But that first stage plus the 8th stage of the Demonic Ape Body Art has made me stronger than any lieutenant and I can even beat a few weaker stage 3 corporals. "