"Sleep well, sire; there's a long road ahead of you."
As Matthew opened a portal to the galaxy, he threw the plates through it, knowing they wouldn't break. The cups and plates were enhanced with magic to resist gravity's pull.
The next day, when Neo woke up, he started his day with 200 push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups while also bench-pressing large boulders and eating huge portions of protein-rich food, maintaining a decently balanced diet. He wanted to look strong, even though his body was very feminine, but that didn't stop him. He kept exercising to maintain his body and build muscle. He had enough of being a weak boy; he wanted to be a strong man. Afterward, he began his studies again, focusing on magic and its intricacies. Soon, he was called to the main hall, located in the center of the magic house, by the top three mages, excluding the head mage. When he arrived, he saw a crowd of top-tier magicians who were more than professionals. The trio stood in the center: Jason with his arms crossed, Matthew with his hands in his pockets, and Aisha reading a book. Neo approached but was stopped in his tracks by the head mage, Gabriel.
The mages looked at the prince with high expectations, bowing as the head mage emerged from his room.
"My lord, it would be an honor to train another generation of royalty in how to become the strongest kingdom!" the head mage said, bowing his head.
"My lord, please allow me to train you in your magic skills. If you grant me this honor, it would mean the world to me!" Gabriel added.
Neo giggled and nodded in agreement, listening to whatever the head mage had to say.
"Alright, for the first element, it should be easy: grass. Just imagine a happy place in your mind and summon forth the element of grass."
Neo agreed, visualized it in his mind, but couldn't even sprout a single blade of grass. The head mage was confused, sighed, and moved on.
"Your natural element isn't grass; that's fine! Now, let's summon the element of water. Keep your mind calm like the sea and summon forth the element of water."
Neo tried again but couldn't summon a single drop of water. The head mage frowned but smiled and said, "It's fine, my lord. Water is only for some. Now, let's try fire, the second hardest element after lightning. Set your mind and heart ablaze and summon forth the flames that will erase your enemies!"
When Neo followed the instructions, he conjured up blue flames from the palms of his hands and threw them. The flames instantly consumed the target practice dummy, turning it into ashes. The head mage was startled by the blue flames, but he quickly turned around when he heard Neo groaning in pain. Before the head mage could react, Neo's hand regenerated instantly. Neo continued to groan and take deep breaths.
"It's impossible. Instant regeneration and summoning blue flames that are much more powerful than regular flames. These blue flames are more powerful than normal blue flames and instantly erased the practice dummy, even though it was made to withstand extreme heat!" the head mage said, terrified, as were the rest of the mages and even the knights who had accompanied them.
Neo looked at the head mage with a determined smile. "Tell me more about lightning magic and how to summon it immediately!"
The head mage nodded. "Think of a storm and control the anger it brings. Then, summon forth lightning!"
Neo followed the instructions, but when he tried to summon lightning, nothing happened. He sighed, disappointed, and walked toward the guards. He appeared beside them instantly, shocking everyone, including himself. He turned to the head mage and asked, "What was that? I need answers, now!"
The head mage explained, "What you're using is advanced lightning magic. You're channeling lightning into your legs and can now move at the speed of a lightning bolt. If you can do that, you can also create storms, strike lightning anywhere you want, and even teleport wherever you strike the lightning."
Neo was fascinated by the information and nodded. The mages bowed to him again as he left the area with the guards. They stopped at a blacksmith, where Neo admired all the blades. He had loved blades ever since he was 10 years old and wanted to wield a real sword in combat. As he approached the blacksmith, Carl, he bowed his head.
"Ah, your majesty! I'm honored that you've graced my shop with your presence. But may I ask, what do you need from me?"
Neo smiled and replied, "I want a sword with a rune enchantment that can absorb magic or be covered by magic. It must have a heat tolerance high enough to withstand even enhanced blue flames. Can you do that for me, dear old Carl?"
Carl laughed, smiling. "I'm honored that the future king knows my name! It's truly lucky. I'll have it ready for you in about 10 days. You can use some of the other blades while you wait. They all have excellent heat resistance."
Neo nodded, testing the other blades and feeling the excitement of wielding a real sword for the first time. He enhanced his speed using lightning magic, slashing the air, and creating sparks. He laughed maniacally and looked at Carl, paying for two blades and the one Carl was making. Neo left the blacksmith, still smirking with excitement as he returned to the castle, practicing his swings. He used his newfound lightning powers to increase his attack speed and potency, hoping to unlock more potential in his lightning magic. After a deep breath, he leaped into the air.
"Thunder Dragon Slice!" he shouted, summoning a small star behind him. He jumped off the star, and a giant Chinese dragon made of lightning appeared. The dragon sliced the training dummy in half, sending a powerful lightning bolt strong enough to shake the ground and irritate the tectonic plates, causing a small earthquake. Neo was beaming with excitement, eager to see how strong he'd become once he had his rune blade. He returned to his room and studied more about runes.
[A Fateful Encounter]
After approximately 10 days, Neo started experimenting with different outfits. He enjoyed the fancy feeling they gave him, but soon changed back into his usual clothes, realizing that dresses weren't meant for combat. He opened the door of his room, walked out, and bumped into someone. He fell onto his back and looked up to see a knight—more importantly, the head knight, Murania. She got on her knees and bowed.
"My apologies, my dear prince. I did not see you there."
Neo was a bit surprised but ignored it. He got up and offered her his hand. Murania took it and stood. Neo asked her many questions, and Murania answered them all. When he finished, he bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your time, but I need to go. I think it's ready."
With an excited smile, Murania panicked and said, "My dear prince, please don't bow to me! It's a crime for royals to bow to anyone but their parents."
Neo giggled and nodded. "Alright, sure."
He headed to the blacksmith and ran into the head council member, Iris. He stared at her for a moment, unable to speak due to her beauty—her light blue eyes, perfect face, and long, shiny brown hair. He was left stunned. Iris looked at him, flicked his head playfully, and walked away. Neo turned to watch her, and the guards patted his back, teasing him.
"The prince has already fallen in love!" they giggled, then quieted down as Neo cleared his throat, returning to seriousness.
At the blacksmith, Carl smiled and hugged Neo from behind. "Hello again, your majesty. Your sword is almost ready—just some finishing touches!"
Carl grabbed a rune stone of fire and lightning, shattered it, and enchanted the blades to withstand the power of lightning and flames, even from the sun's heat. Carl handed Neo the blades. As Neo took them, he felt a jolt of energy and collapsed, passing out. Carl stood in shock as the guards aimed their spears at him.
"What did you do to the prince, old man?!" one of the guards shouted.
Carl trembled and said, "I didn't do anything! I just handed the prince his newly forged swords. Maybe two of them were too much for his body to handle. They're enchanted with runes and extremely powerful, requiring experience and talent to wield."
The guards considered this and, after some thought, grabbed the blades. They were sent flying into another shop by an unknown force. Carl stared in fear and backed away.
"But why didn't it affect me when I was holding them...?" Carl muttered.
As he grabbed the blades again, he was sent flying into the sky, landing on a sharp pole that pierced him through the gut. Struggling to get free, he was unable to receive help in time. The only guard who wasn't knocked out grabbed Neo and the other guard, rushing back to the castle with one of the cursed blades. The prince was taken to the infirmary, and the guards reported to the King and Queen.
The King and Queen were shocked and couldn't believe it. They went to the infirmary, where Neo lay unconscious. As Neo slowly woke up, he opened his eyes to find them blood-red. Small fangs grew from his mouth, and a horn sprouted from his head. He tried to reach for his parents but felt something pulling him down.
The bed collapsed, and Neo fell to the floor with a cry of pain. The Queen, shocked, reached for her son and hugged him tightly, but they both fell as the weight seemed too much for her. The King ran back to the throne room, catching his breath. The Queen used her magic to dispel the tormenting magic, and Neo felt better. The Queen confronted the King, but Neo walked back to his room, feeling stronger. He sat on his bed, and the horns and fangs disappeared. He grabbed one of the rune swords and heard a faint sound from a distance. Looking into the sword, he was suddenly transported to another world. He looked around, horrified by the sight before him.