As they entered Wanda's modest abode, Riolu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Not big, huh?" he thought to himself. Before he could say anything, however, a mysterious figure whispered to him, "Just act like always." "Be handsome and sarcastic?" Riolu whispered back. "No, be quiet and stupid," the figure replied. Riolu stifled a laugh. "Hehe, funny," he thought.
Wanda introduced the figure as her father, Albert Holman, and expressed her gratitude for his help in rescuing her. "Good night, sir," Albert said to the figure. "I'm really thankful for your help in saving my daughter." "Don't mind that," the figure replied. "My student got kidnapped too." "Even so, you are still my daughter's savior," Albert said. "It's not much, but please enjoy your time here." "Thank you for your kindness, sir," the figure replied.
As they made their way to the dining room, Riolu asked Wanda about her father's busy schedule. "Our business has been blowing up lately," she explained. The mysterious figure chimed in, "Maybe there is a reason behind your kidnapping." Wanda quickly shut down that train of thought, urging everyone to simply enjoy their dinner.
After dinner, Wanda offered to prepare a carriage for their guests so that they could depart early the next morning. As Riolu settled into a comfortable bed, he couldn't help but think, "Finally, some sleep in a real bed."
A few hours later, the mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. "Come out, you're not good at spying on people," he said to Albert. "As expected from a legend." "How do you know me?" Albert asked. "I have seen you once when I was young," the figure replied. "I will never forget that time when you saved an entire nation from the horde of demon beasts."
"That was a long time ago," the figure continued. "Now I'm just an ordinary traveling merchant." Albert prodded him, wondering why he gave up his heroic ways. "But you are a merchant from the start, even before becoming a hero," Albert said. "That's why you were called the Greed Hero."
"Now I'm just a merchant, not a hero anymore," the figure replied. Albert protested, pointing out that there was no one who could take on an SS-Class demon beast alone. "Hero is chosen not from their strength, but from their belief," the figure explained. "How much will they sacrifice in desperate situations, how much they will endure pain."
Albert was still skeptical, but the figure reassured him. "Don't worry too much," he said. "A hero will rise up when they are needed." Albert thanked the figure, who revealed his name to be Hex Snowfallen. "And please keep this conversation a secret. I don't want the kid I brought or your daughter to know. It may bring harm to them," Hex replied.
The next morning, Riolu was slow to wake up. "This is the first time I have had a really good sleep," he said. But Hex was already eager to get going. "If you don't arrive at the carriage before 8 am, you'll not get any lunch," he warned.
As they rode away, Wanda presented Hex with a bag of gold coins. "This is not much, but please accept this gift from us," she said. Hex was touched by her kindness. "It's alright," he said. "This is already too much for us." As they rode away, Riolu waved goodbye. "We are really leaving that heaven," he said. "I will miss that soft bed and warm room." "Don't get too attached to those things," Hex cautioned
The following day, Riolu embarked on a grueling training session with Hex, his mentor and guide. The sun was already high in the sky, casting its warm rays upon the two as they began their training.
"Sit and meditate," Hex instructed, "circulate your mana through your fingertips. This will enhance your fire-controlling ability."
Riolu attempted to comply with the instruction, but found it challenging to stay calm and relaxed. Hex immediately noticed Riolu's struggle and commented, "It's going to be really hard."
Several hours passed, and Riolu was beginning to feel the strain of the intense training. Suddenly, he let out a piercing scream, "AAAHHH.... Can I do some other training like rock lifting or push up?"
Hex shook his head in disappointment, "That's why your magic foundation is so weak. You can't just focus on physical training. Your mana must be trained as well."
Riolu was puzzled, "For what? Why must I train that weak magic? It will not do any good either."
Hex then revealed an intriguing secret, "Did you know that magic tier can be enchanted?"
Riolu was surprised, "Really...??? I don't believe you. Tell me how?"
"If you're stupid, don't act like you're smart. Circulating your spirit through a certain part of your body can enchant that spirit, making it level up by one tier," Hex explained.
Riolu's eyes widened with excitement, "So, I can level up my magic until it reaches a god level?"
Hex corrected Riolu's misconception, "Circulating it only can enchant its tier, not level. You must consume a level upgrading item for it to raise its level."
Riolu was intrigued, "Like what? I've never heard of that kind of level upgrading item."
Hex replied with a hint of sarcasm, "It's really rare. A piece of it can be sold for at least a few hundred thousand gold."
Riolu was crestfallen, "So, you mean I can't get stronger than level 1 high tier? That sucks."
Hex advised Riolu, "Just train your spirit like I told you. Let your fortune decide its next move. And one more thing, don't ever reveal this method to anyone else. Not everyone is lucky."
Riolu nodded in understanding, "Yes, I understand."
"Then begin your training now. We must reach the next town in three days," Hex said.
Riolu began his first training session, and it wasn't an easy task for him to sit calmly and meditate. Days passed, and Riolu's hand began to feel numb.
"Well, I forgot to tell you. There are some side effects in that training," Hex confessed.
Riolu was taken aback, "What...? You tell me now? Then why must I do it if it has bad side effects?"
Hex explained, "The side effect only lasts a few hours. It usually happens before a breakthrough. I don't think your tier will go up that fast."
Riolu's face lit up with joy, "You mean my fire is going to tier up to medium tier? Is that what it means? Does that mean my talent is great?"
Hex shot down Riolu's excitement, "No, it's just that your fire level is too low, so it's not that hard to tier up. Don't think too highly of yourself."
Riolu felt disappointed, "Yes, yes, alright. Can't you just praise me a little?"
Hex asked, "Why must I?"
Riolu muttered under his breath, "Huh, stingy old man."
Hex's eyebrows shot up
"What did you say?" Hex asked sharply.
"Nothing. I'm really happy I'm about to have a breakthrough," Riolu said, quickly changing the subject.
"Just keep training. I'm sure you will reach high tier in no time," Hex said.