I enter a small room dimmed by only one small light in the middle of the room.
This is Enchantio's prison deep underground, the interrogation room. The walls are enhanced with steel with a security and alarm array put into place.
Nami, Lupus, the old man, and the old lady is chained to the table in the middle. I sit opposite them.
"Loi?" Says Lupus. "What do you want?"
"I will get to the point. The black ball in the treasury, where did you get it?"
!!
They tried to hide it but their eyes twerk a little when I said that.
"Brat, what are you talking about?" Says the old lady.
I sigh and was about to order the knights to shock them but Nami speaks up.
"It was provided to us by a man in a white mask." Says Nami.
!!!
"N-Nami! You-"
The Knight slams Lupus's head to the table.
"Continue," I say.
"The man has white hair and pale light skin. He wears a black coat and possesses a murderous aura. He usually visits my father and discusses something. Each time, he would bring bits and bits of black dirt that my father accumulates to a ball."
"What?" Mi mumbles.
I shift my attention to the old man. "Y-You will get nothing out of me!"
...
Mi steps forward but I hold my hand out. "I will handle this."
I take out a knife from my coat
?!!
"S-Stay away!"
I plunge the knife into his thigh.
"ARGHHH!!!" The old man screams.
"Loi-"
"Massive heal," I say and the wound glows in bright green.
However, with the knife still intact, the wound constantly opens and closes.
"UGHSHAJKKKK!!! KAHHHH!!!!" The old man screams in pain. His agony echoes throughout the room as the Azure family stares in horror.
"I WILL SPEAK I WILL SPEAK!"
I pull the knife out and close his wound.
"Huff huff...damn brat."
"Speak," I say.
"It's nourishment. Nourishment for the devil." He says.
?!
"What?" Lupus widens her eye. She does not know about this.
The old man glanced at the sword on my hip. "That weapon. It's nourishment for her to grow and survive."
Nourishment for Lydia? How is it a system property? I don't get it.
...
I sigh. This is information nonetheless. Demonic artifacts feed on those particles that the system deems to be a property. However, those black particles...the aura felt similar to that of the Abyss God but an immensely diminished version. Am I overthinking things?
"Do whatever you want with them. It's time to return, Mi." I say.
Mi shakes her head. "I have something I need to do here. Loi, can I speak to you before you leave?"
?
"I don't mind."
Mi and I go to the top of the bell tower. Night fell and lights engulfed the lively city.
The breeze blows past us at a gradual decreasing velocity.
"Is that sword a demonic sword?" Says Mi.
I nod.
Mi sighs. "I don't know if I should congratulate you."
Demonic swords are meant to be dangerous as they feed on the essence provided by their owners. At the same time, they are incredibly powerful. That fact cannot be ignored. In addition, demonic swords only choose worthy vessels. After all, their life becomes interconnected with their owner after the contract.
Mi looks around and sits at the edge. "Are you curious about your mother's identity?" She asks.
"What...?" I say.
"Did you not wonder why I am working for your mother?" Says Mi.
"Of course, I do. But I don't plan to pry into my family's secret." Just like how I have mine as well.
Mi smiles. "You are a good son."
She's smiling?
When I take a good look, she is cute without her mask. Her azure blue eyes and blond short hair makes her look similar to a noble.
Mi stands up and mumbles something. A loud shattering sound consumes the atmosphere as everything quietens down.
!!!!
Mi used an ancient spell, time stop?!
"You don't look very surprised." Says Mi.
...
"Isn't this very mana consuming?" I ask. "What is it so important for this?"
Mi looks around. The air has turned still and birds in the sky float motionless. Even the shadows of both Mi and I stay in place.
"Your mother is a runaway princess." Says Mi
!
"What..."
Wait...wait...
"Wait, why are you telling me this?" I ask.
"You have the right to know. Also, you need to be careful." Says Mi. "Things are more complicated than it seems as you are also an eligible heir to a throne."
I...
"No...What?"
...
Do my mother's illness and my father's death have something to do with her previous status? Mi doesn't seem like she is lying because of this time stop spell.
Mi stares at my troubled face and places her hand on my shoulder. "I've been observing you for a long time and am only telling you now because of your surge in power."
"..."
Ha...
To think I have noble blood in my veins...really ironic.
Mi and her organisation were serving directly under my mother before she eloped with my father from all the political pressure. Only until recently did my mother attempt to contact them. Her originating country knows nothing of this but news will bound to spread.
I...
Tch.
More trouble will be coming, I hate this. I just want a peaceful life.
Mi notices my clenched fist and sighs. She undoes the time stop and turns away. "We will be returning to Albion tomorrow. Get some rest." She says.
"Yes," I reply.
----------------------------------
2 days later...
----------------------------------
"Phew..." I calmly breathe out as a burst of energy expels from my body.
I broke through the tenth stage of Foundation Establishment...I never thought a day like this would come. All that's left is the heavenly tribulation.
Currently, I'm in the woods behind Albion. There shouldn't be anyone near, I climb to the top of a cliff.
...
I take a deep breath.
Supposedly, I didn't want to rush things and would do my utmost to prepare for tribulation. But, at the rate of trouble, I am too weak.
I buy 3 elixir pills from the dimensional shop just in case and pop one perfect Foundation Establishment into my mouth.
*gulps*
*rumbles*
Several dark clouds gather overhead as the discharge of electricity roars across the sky.
I brace myself for impact as the first wave of thunder strikes.
*BOOOOOM!!!*
Surrounding nature was set on fire, which was extinguished by the sudden downpour.
Another barrage of thunders rain upon me. I grit my teeth and close my eyes, bearing with the pain.
This pain...it's nothing compared to the one with the Tiger Bandit's chief. In addition, the thunder resistance is working well in mitigating the effects.
Strikes after strikes did heaven bombard but I stay unfazed throughout. The final zap of lighting came and my body exerts a gleaming glow of energy, a beam of light strikes the sky from my physical vessel and dissipate the grey reign in the sky.
"Huff huff..." I open my eyes.
!
These particles...in the atmosphere. Blue particles, I can see them, it's mana!
I blink again and the mana disappears. Upon focusing and straining my eyes, they appear once more.
Blue particles, yellow particles, and green particles ride the breeze and travel around. When I attempt to absorb them, all of the particles rush toward my body in a frenzy and go into my meridians.
These are different kinds of mana... To think that I can confirm my own eyes that atmosphere mana is impure with many types of mana congregated.
I attempt to gather mana in the atmosphere to my palm. Enough is collected for small little blue dust to form.
...
Tears drip down my cheeks as I smile.
Finally...
...
Finally...
I've reached the "impossible" stage of my past life.
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Lvl 31
Current best cultivation speed(using River Flow Method): 0.000001%/second
(Off)Auto Cultivation speed: 0.0000000001%/second
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--------------
"Congratulations, young master." Says Mi. "At your current age, you are a genius to reach such a level."
"*sniff*..." I didn't turn around to look at Mi.
"Don't call me that," I say. "You are a lot stronger than I am."
"I am 27 years old, you are 17," Mi replies.
"Whatever, is there anything you need?" I ask.
Mi nods. "Your family received an invitation to the capital to celebrate prince Kaney's birthday. All of the nobles are required to attend and many other influential figures from other countries will be there too."
I nod and get up.
"Oh yes, we received an anonymous package directed to you." Says Mi.
!
Is it the package from Ardeus?
Regardless, I follow Mi back to my family's residence.
Prince Kaney's birthday celebration... I fear that something will go wrong. Am I overthinking it?