Due to the previous mistreatment by Seraphina and Phoenix Starling, "Aurora Starling" often found herself injured and in need of medical attention, making her a frequent patient of Utumn Starling's.
If there was anyone in the Starling family who wasn't too harsh on Aurora Starling, Utumn Starling was one of them.
"Uncle Utumn," Aurora Starling said with a dazed blink, masking the sharpness in her eyes as she looked at Utumn Starling.
Looking at the naive and simple seventh young lady, Utumn Starling felt a mix of helplessness and affection. Despite his feelings, his face still bore a kind smile. "Young lady, your constitution is still weak. You should rest well for the time being. Uncle has brought you your favorite Osmanthus cake."
As a loyal servant of the Bennu family, Utumn Starling's exceptional medical skills had earned him the respect of Arcanus Starling. Utumn Starling, who had dedicated himself to the study of medicine and never married or had children, had come to regard Aurora Starling as his own granddaughter in his care. However, not being a blood relative of the Starling family, he could not interfere too much without a command from Arcanus Starling.
Aurora Starling accepted the Osmanthus cake with a smile, as if the pain in her body was nothing compared to the delight of the pastry.
It was a tragedy that despite having no wants for material needs, the things Aurora Starling used and ate were no better than those of the lowest servants in the Bennu family. Under the deliberate harassment of Seraphina and Phoenix Starling, she often went hungry, let alone indulging in such "luxuries" as pastries.
Watching the child clutching the Osmanthus cake with such joy, Utumn Starling couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He knew that with Aurora Starling's intelligence, she couldn't understand complex matters, so he spoke his mind without hesitation. "Young lady, the master is truly angry this time. Uncle can't do much for you. You should focus on recovering from your illness. Uncle will do his best to buy you time and ensure that your frail body doesn't face the master's punishment too soon..."
Aurora Starling continued to eat her cake without a change in expression, but her ears caught every word of Utumn Starling's soliloquy.
The dungeon where the Bennu family kept their magical beasts was forbidden territory for the younger generations. Not only was she not allowed, but even Seraphina and Phoenix Starling had no access. Her previous trespass into the forbidden area had already offended Arcanus Starling's dignity, and the two troublemakers had mentioned that Arcanus Starling would interrogate her.
However, Aurora Starling had no knowledge of what the previous "Aurora Starling" had encountered in the dungeon. The memories she inherited were chaotic, filled with nothing but darkness and endless fear, providing no further information.
Aurora Starling understood Arcanus Starling wouldn't care about the dangers the "shame of the Bennu family" faced in the dungeon. He was more concerned with his authority being ignored.
Fortunately, Utumn Starling was planning to buy her some time. For his selfless act, Aurora Starling had mentally stamped the kind old man with a "good person" mark.
Utumn Starling sat by Aurora Starling's bedside for a while, muttering this and that. After all, in his eyes, the little one in front of him was still the four-year-old with limited intelligence, and there was no point in giving too many instructions. Once he was sure that Aurora Starling's condition was stable, Utumn Starling left the room.
No sooner had Utumn Starling left than Aurora Starling sprang out of bed.
She eagerly examined her body, her mind vividly recalling that just before she had lost consciousness, Heron had released the first layer of her seal and told her that she had met the conditions to train in Heron's Furyflame and Arcanergy.
On her right arm, where the seal was, there was now a bright red mark about the size of a palm. This small red stamp, no larger than a quarter of her pinky nail, signified the lifting of her first seal.
"Am I supposed to train in Heron's Furyflame or Arcanergy? Heron wasn't clear about that." Although she knew nothing about Heron's origins, Aurora Starling had keenly sensed the power of this "demon". Unfortunately, she was ignorant of everything in this world, let alone Heron's Furyflame or Arcanergy.
"You may choose both, if you wish," Heron's cold voice sounded in Aurora Starling's mind once again.
Aurora Starling raised an eyebrow, pondering the meaning behind Heron's words.
Could it be that...
What Heron had said before did not mean that she could choose to train in either one of the two, but both? This… isn't it amazing?
Through the memories of this body, Aurora Starling vaguely understood that in this world, people fell into two categories. The first had robust physiques and resilient meridians, capable of condensing Furyflame into their dantian to form battle aura. These individuals were chosen to train in Furyflame. The second type had average physical conditions but possessed powerful spiritual energy and could harness it to control various elements in the world. These were the standard candidates for learning Arcanergy magic.
The gods are fair; if they grant you a strong body, they will not bestow upon you great spiritual power. Therefore, across the entire Light Continent, for centuries, no one had ever achieved the level of dual mastery in both martial and magical arts. Both Furyflame and Arcanergy require arduous training to reach a certain level, and progress demands a significant investment of time and effort. It's rarity enough for someone to possess both physical and spiritual power, but the notion of training in both at the same time is simply a pipe dream.
"Are you saying I can dual train in both martial and magical arts? But I'm already fourteen years old, and I know nothing about either. Dual training seems too far-fetched for me." Aurora Starling was frustrated. On the Light Continent, everyone chose their path soon after they came of age. Her starting point was already a decade behind others, and it was too late for her to train in either, let alone both. The idea of dual mastery was a joke to her.
"You can," Heron's voice was cold and resolute.
"Your physique is completely different from ordinary people, and with my assistance, no problem will remain unsolvable."
Aurora Starling brightened up. How could she have forgotten that Heron was a deeply mysterious "sorcerer"? A being capable of surviving for over a decade by inhabiting another's body was no ordinary character.
With hope on the horizon, the problems Aurora Starling faced dissolved. She was all too aware that she had no one to rely on now. If she couldn't quickly empower herself, she would be stuck living as this idiotic waste forever.
And that was the last thing she wanted.
"You will teach me Furyflame and Arcanergy, won't you?" Aurora Starling asked with a smile.
"If you have the capability, I will impart all that I know to you. This will be my second gift to you." Heron's voice was filled with infinite possibilities, and the cold tone spoke words that were thrilling.
"Then, let's look forward to a pleasant collaboration." Aurora Starling smiled like a cat that got the cream. With the help of such a mysterious Heron, she refused to believe that she would continue living as this foolish waste!