The sun shone brightly in the sky, already nearing afternoon. His father had likely left for work, while the soft, rhythmic squeak of the treadle sewing machine echoed from the other room, signaling his mother was busy sewing. Suddenly, hunger hit him, as expected. The sun was already high, yet he had just woken up. He instinctively began to cry, calling for his mother. Maybe it's time for me to try something new.The idea of speaking, or at least forming some words, crossed his mind.
A while later, Sarah came in and gently picked Auron up from the cradle, cradling him close. She fed him some food she had already prepared, her movements calm and nurturing. As she scooped another spoonful, Auron tugged at her hand, his eyes shining with an innocence only a child could have. "Ma...ma," he murmured, his voice soft yet clear.
Sarah froze for a moment, both shocked and overjoyed. Her heart skipped a beat, and then she burst into laughter, tears welling up in her eyes. "Did you just say mama?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief. A bright smile bloomed across her face, the kind that lit up the entire room. "Can you say it again, my little star?"
"Mama...mama," Auron repeated, his small voice filling the room. Sarah's joy was boundless as peals of laughter escaped her, the sound of it echoing warmly from the kitchen. She hugged him close, overwhelmed with pride and love. He's growing so fast, she thought, her heart swelling with joy as her little boy began to speak his first words.
Sarah began to formulate a new plan for Auron. "I need to teach him how to read soon," she thought. Thankfully, she had bought a few books last week, trusting her intuition that the time would come. After bathing Auron, she gently placed him in a playpen set up in the living room. After the incident with the fireplace the previous day, Sarah felt it was time to bring out the playpen to ensure Auron's safety while she worked in the other room.
As Sarah continued her sewing, the rhythmic sound of the treadle machine filling the air, Auron began contemplating the Celestial Codex. Activating his mystical eyes, he peered into the orb, straining to make sense of the faint, rune-like images within. Though the runes appeared vague and distant, he could feel something stirring in them. He tried to reach out with his senses, attempting to draw feedback from the orb, but after a few moments, a sharp splitting headache struck him, forcing him to stop. "My soul force isn't strong enough yet," he realized.
Resting for a few minutes, Auron attempted to contemplate the orb again, only to be met with another wave of pain. "It's clear that my soul can't recover quickly," he thought, reluctantly putting aside the orb for now. Instead, he switched to cultivating the Celestial Aura Cultivation Art. Immersing himself in the familiar flow of energy, he diligently guided the celestial aura through his body. Suddenly, a faint sound, as if glass shattering, echoed in his mind. His entire body surged with power, his muscles humming with newfound strength.
Auron felt invigorated, his body brimming with vitality. The cultivation had pushed him to a new level, and he could sense the strength coursing through his veins like never before. "This is only the beginning," he thought, as he basked in the feeling of his progress.
"Xiao Yu, display my stats," said Auron excitedly.
Name : Auron
Age : 1 year
Rank : 1 layer Celestial Awakening
Cultivation Art : Genetic Ascension Art, Celestial Aura Cultivation Art
Item : Celestial Codex , Mystical Eyes
"Finally reached the first layer. I really need to accelerate my progress. This cultivation art is remarkable—it's living up to its reputation. According to the tomb's records, it's supposed to enhance both comprehension and affinity, though I'm not entirely sure about the affinity part yet. However, my comprehension has definitely improved. On top of that, I have already form my dantian, it seems to be located on my acupoint, it also increase my celestial aura storage and compressing it more effectively. This technique is incredibly powerful. I can't help but be thrilled by its potential. The journey is just beginning, and I'm eager to discover the extent of my limits," Auron said with satisfaction.
Suddenly, his mother entered the living room, her face etched with concern. "It looks like the mana fluctuations from my breakthrough startled her. I need to conceal this celestial aura from her," Auron thought, focusing on drawing the celestial aura deep within his body. When Sarah approached and picked him up, she examined Auron carefully but found nothing unusual.
"Mommy...," Auron murmured, his voice comforting her.
Sarah's worry eased immediately upon hearing him. "It's alright, little star. I was just a bit concerned when I felt those strange fluctuations earlier," she said, smiling warmly. She gently set him down and resumed her tasks, her anxiety now soothed.
" I nearly busted there. Whenever I want to make a breakthrough, I need to make sure that nobody was nearby," Auron noted down this piece of important information in his mental note. "By the way Xiao Yu, what functions do you have exactly ?,"asked Auron.
"Give me a moment Sir," informed Xiao Yu.
".... I can perceive and contemplate the heavenly runes passively hence I can enhance your understanding and application of the heavenly runes without needed direct involvement from you. I can also take control of your body for a moments such as observing your surroundings while you cultivate or waking you up. Other than that, I need more time to explore it Sir," said Xiao Yu confidently.
" That is definitely helpful. Why you didn't informed me any of this before? We could safe a lot of time like that," asked Auron.
" It seems my computation abilities increase when you breakthrough just now. Plus, it is my first time thoroughly inspect my abilities," said Xiao Yu with hint of regret. " Well it is already happen. What we need to do now is focus on the future. Right now, I will focus on Celestial Aura Cultivation Art while you focus on contemplating the heavenly runes. I guess it might have been something about soul as I feel a bit of clarity after I contemplate it before," suggest Auron.
As the sun began to set, his father returned home. Sarah excitedly shared the news that Auron had started to speak a little. This news thrilled Alex, who hugged Sarah tightly in his joy. Eager to hear it for himself, Alex picked up Auron.
"Fa… da," Auron managed to say, prompting Alex to burst into laughter and request him to repeat it. Feeling embarrassed and already cringing, Auron pretended to be sleepy. Only then did his father, noticing his discomfort, gently set him down and let him go.