The remnants of a messy meal lay scattered as Aurora gently placed Aaron on the bed.
"Stay here, Aaron. The griffins always attack when the sun is high. You'll be safe inside." She offered a reassuring smile before leaving the room.
'Griffins? Daytime attacks? I need to understand the dangers of this forest.' Aaron's gaze drifted to the closed door.
{All Seeing Eyes.}
{Name: Wooden Door. Class: Common. Info: A portal of entry into a building.}
'This "All Seeing Eyes"… it's too slow, too vague. Three seconds just to see basic information? I need to master this, make it faster, more useful. Mom is out there fighting to protect me. How can I grow strong enough, quickly enough, to protect her too?'
BOOM!
BAM!
"There are two more, Mom! Ignis in virtute vocantem!"
[Calling the power of Fire.]
'That's Lilly! Sounds like a real fight out there.' Helplessness washed over Aaron. 'Just sitting here, listening…'
BOOM!.....
Silence followed the last explosion. 'It seems to be over.'
The door creaked open, and Lilly entered, her hands stained with blood. Aaron's eyes fixed on the five glowing cores she held.
'Why is she bringing them in here?' He watched as Lilly placed the cores inside a meter-long wooden chest.
"These are for you, baby brother." She smiled, closing the lid. "When you're older, you can absorb them."
Lilly sat on the edge of the small bed. "Don't worry, the griffins are all dealt with. We were lucky; they were only Awakened-stage, so I could help Mom."
Aaron stared at her for a moment, then glanced at the chest. 'Mine? All of them? That's… good. I'll be able to use them when I can move properly.'
"Do you want me to bring one over?" Lilly asked.
He nodded slightly.
Lilly stood and quickly retrieved two Awakened-stage cores from the chest.
"Here are two for now." She placed them gently in front of Aaron on the bed.
Aaron frowned slightly, his gaze drawn to the blood on her hands. Lilly followed his eyes and gasped softly.
"Oh! Sorry, baby brother, I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room.
Aaron looked at the two cores.
{All Seeing Eyes.}
{Name: Awakened-stage Griffin's Core. Class: Rare. Info: Increases all beginner stats by +20.}
'So, no realm advancement yet, but my stats will go up. I'll take it.' He pushed himself up into a sitting position, a small victory in itself, and placed a tiny hand on each core.
{All Seeing Eyes.}
{Absorb? YES/NO?}
He nodded firmly. In the next instant, the cores crumbled into shimmering particles that swirled into his small body.
{All stats increased by +40.}
He paused, considering the change. Then, he looked at his hand.
{Name: Aaron Lucian.}
{Realm: Not-Even-A-Beginner.}
{Class: None.}
{Race: Half Elf.}
{Strength: 50.}
{Agility: 45.}
{Defense: 47.}
{Endurance: 50.}
{Affinity Mastered: None.}
{Attack: 2. Critical - 4.}
{Health point: 30.}
{Intellect/ Wisdom: 30.}
{Improvement: You have a lot to Improve in. You are getting somewhere.}
{Resistance: Poison: 0%. Darkness: 0%. Death: 0%. Light: 0%. Fire: 0%. Water: 0%. Earth: 0%. Wind: 0%. Magic: 0%. Ice: 0%. Lightening: 0%.}
'Even with a forty-point increase, I don't feel any different. Is it because of my infant body?'
"I'm back." Lilly walked in. "Huh?" She stopped short, her eyes widening.
"Where are the cores?" She asked, approaching the bed.
Aaron simply stared back, feigning innocence.
"Did you…" She crossed her arms, a knowing look on her face. "Why didn't you wait for me before absorbing them?"
Aaron looked pointedly at the chest. Lilly's eyes lit up, and she quickly retrieved the remaining three Awakened-stage cores.
"Come on, baby brother, absorb these too." She placed them on the bed beside him.
Aaron looked at the cores.
{All Seeing Eyes.}
{You won't be able to Absorb it. You have to wait for at least 2 hours before Absorbing again.}
'Huh? That's unexpected. I guess even absorbing has its limits, especially for a baby.'
"Come on, baby brother," Lilly encouraged.
'Sorry, sis, not right now.' Aaron flopped back onto the bed, closing his eyes. 'Need to rest, let this power settle, even if it's a tiny fraction of what I imagined.'
"Uh? What are you doing, baby brother? Don't you want them?" Lilly stared at Aaron, who was already drifting off to sleep.
"Eh?" She shook her head, a soft smile touching her lips. She gently tucked a blanket around him. "Sleep tight, brother." She quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.
Aaron cracked open one eye, watching the door for a moment. He then attempted to sit up again, succeeding with a small grunt. 'Being a baby is exhausting! Just sitting up feels like a monumental effort.'
'Now,' he thought, his gaze sharpening. 'The All Seeing Eyes. Time to master you and understand this forest.'
[Elven Kingdom.]
[Throne Hall.]
The Elven King sat regally on his throne, his gaze fixed on the three figures who entered the grand hall through the massive double doors.
The three bowed their heads in unison to the King and the Grand Priest.
"What transpired?" the King asked, his voice deep and resonant.
"She ventured into the Flesh Eaters' Forest, my King," Mariel reported.
"That much I am aware of, Mariel. My inquiry pertains to whether she harmed any of my soldiers."
"No, my King," the Commander replied, then added, "Permission to speak freely, my King?"
"Granted, Commander Visco."
"Thank you, my King. I seek to understand the reason for our recall."
The King paused for a moment before speaking. "I will not have my soldiers needlessly perish within that accursed forest. Furthermore, the Grand Priest has an announcement of import for all of you."
The doors opened once more, and a man and a woman entered the hall.
"My King," they greeted respectfully.
"Welcome, my Commanders. I have summoned you all from your duties to impart crucial information." He gestured for the Grand Priest to proceed.
The five turned their attention to the Grand Priest, who stepped forward.
"As you are all aware, the Cursed Child has been born."
The Commanders nodded in acknowledgment.
"I wish to inform you that the Council has reached a decision. The Academy for training young warriors will commence operations in one year's time. All five races are permitted to attend, provided they have unlocked their Class."
"A question, Grand Priest," the woman in a long black robe stated.
"Proceed."
"Why a year's delay in opening the academy? Would it not be more prudent to begin sooner, perhaps within the month? Why this one-year interval?"
"An astute question. As you know, this academy will be a place of learning for all races. Certain measures must be implemented to ensure an environment free from prejudice and discrimination among the students."
The Commanders nodded in understanding.
"The reason I have gathered you five specifically is that you will be the instructors of these young students."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"But the soldiers?"
"Why, my King?"
"..."
Of them all, only Mariel remained speechless. 'I… a teacher?'
"There is no room for refusal in this matter. This is your duty to our world. The commanders of the other races will also serve as instructors within the academy. You will guide these students, nurturing them into formidable warriors who will stand with us in the battles to come!" the Priest declared, his voice rising with urgency.
The five raised their gazes to the King, awaiting his confirmation.
"I am aware that your expertise lies in combat, protection, and the defense of our kingdom. However, our current priority must shift towards the cultivation of a new generation of fighters – strong, courageous individuals. It is for this reason that the Council has decreed that the academy will accept students between the ages of ten and sixteen."
The Commanders exchanged glances. Though the prospect of teaching was not their preferred path, their dedication to their world left them with no other choice.
"When do we commence our duties?" Visco inquired.
"Next year," the King stated, and they all nodded in acceptance.
[Six Months Later.]
[Flesh Eaters' Forest.]
Six months had passed in the blink of an eye. Aaron and his family had made the perilous Flesh Eaters' Forest their home. The constant threat of monstrous creatures was a stark reality, forcing them to seek refuge indoors whenever a being of greater power than Aurora roamed nearby.
Despite the inherent dangers, this life of survival had brought significant growth to all three of them, particularly Aaron. After witnessing her infant brother absorb the Omega-stage core of an ogre, Lilly made it a habit to bring him cores whenever possible. Yet, even with this advantage, Aaron remained relentlessly driven in his own development.
By his third month, he had begun to walk and speak, appearing to be a toddler of three years, a remarkable feat for his actual age.
After persistent persuasion from him and Lilly, he had even begun rudimentary combat training with his mother.
In his fourth month, Aaron made a significant breakthrough with his All Seeing Eyes, a discovery that would, within a mere two months, earn him a reputation as the most formidable hunter in the forest, all while still a six-month-old infant in appearance.
"Aaron! Where are you?!" A young girl's voice echoed through the trees. Lilly moved cautiously, calling out her baby brother's name, a sheathed sword secured to her back.
"Why are you shouting my name?" A calm voice replied from above.
Lilly looked up, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the silver-haired youth perched on a tree branch. He appeared to be around one meter tall, clad in a long black cloak, with a sheathed sword and a quiver full of arrows on his back, a wooden bow held loosely in his hand.
Aaron sat serenely on the branch, observing Lilly below, who was also dressed in a black cloak.
"How did you even get up there?" Lilly asked, a hint of confusion in her tone.
"We are here to hunt, not to engage in idle chatter," Aaron stated simply. He then gracefully leaped from the branch, using the tree trunk as a slide to descend swiftly to the ground.
"I have already located our evening meal," he announced the moment his feet touched the forest floor.