"Do you want to earn a place in the family?" Cassie asked, face-to-face with Vonn, her expression serious.
Vonn lowered his gaze, finishing the last piece of food on his plate. He swallowed, unable to resist the aroma of the grilled meat prepared for him.
He smirked after swallowing the last bite. "You know that isn't my goal. I trusted your plans because I want to become strong, secretly."
Cassie went silent, staring at Vonn without any particular expression. Then, she sighed, noting the indifference in Vonn's eyes.
"You're a talentless Silverfein. Your mother deemed you useless, and I saved you."
"Is this all about your dream? Cassie, I see you as a mother, but, can you give me time? You believe in me, right?"
"My dream… Vonn, you don't need to worry about my dream. All I want is a better future for you."
Vonn sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know where you get this belief that I have a place in the family, but my future isn't with them. In fact, I don't have a future anywhere near the family."
Cassie's face frowned, then she looked off to the side, her special eyes—All-knowing Eyes—activating.
'Is this all because of his hatred toward his family? I can understand it. Diana was an awful mother, but the Silverfein family still has a future.'
Seeing no changes in Vonn, not even a faint mana signature or any mana particles around him, she still saw him as the embodiment of a void of mana.
She closed her eyes and then stood from the table. "Let's start our training at nine. Prepare."
Vonn smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Cassie."
Cassie's beautiful face turned away, revealing her flawless, curving back and hips as she disappeared instantly.
Vonn sighed.
'I can't believe she still thinks I can control mana from the surroundings. I know it isn't impossible, but it would take too much time—and I don't have that time. Two years with no results is enough.'
Vonn had decided to abandon the goal of controlling mana from the surroundings. His new objective, while he worked on regaining his full exorcist powers, was now to create his own Mana Heart artificially.
***
Caldwell's training ground…
To Vonn, Cassie had always been mysterious. In the past few months they had spent together, sharing chambers, he had never once seen her use her full powers. All he knew was that she was a powerful mage.
It was apparent in Cassie's stature. She had the aura and the beauty to match it. Not only that, but she was also knowledgeable enough to teach Vonn how to sense mana.
Indeed, Vonn was now capable of sensing mana despite not having a Mana Heart, which was crucial for every human. Yet, all he could do was sense it.
"Vonn, this might be the last easy training for you. Next month, I'll send you outside the city to a better training ground."
Hearing that, Vonn smiled wildly. Finally, the time had come.
'Linn will be sent out too, by Uncle Yurik. If I'm not mistaken, he should be six by now and has already had a year of training under him.'
'Knowing Cassie, with how optimistic and forward-thinking she is about my training, she's probably planning to send me somewhere with abundant resources for young ones—the Biennial Dimension, which opens every two years.'
'The Biennial Dimension is a mysterious land that opens every two years, accessible mainly to the young. Adults can enter too, but the International Union regulates it. Only the rich and influential families can secure access and map the ever-changing terrain of the place.'
"What are you thinking?"
Vonn jolted at the sudden question. He hadn't noticed he was almost spacing out.
"Yeah… I understand your plan. So, what's this last training?" Vonn asked.
Cassie smiled, noticing Vonn's calm and excited expression. "You seem confident. Are you sure you can survive this one?"
"Cassie, the past training was all about sensing mana and trying to control it. I know it was painful when you injected mana into my system, but it was bearable. I can see the progress."
Vonn smiled, sitting in a lotus position in front of her. "Let's start." Then, he snapped his fingers and flicked, creating a small spark from mana.
"We're not doing that. This last training will be much harder than what we normally do."
Vonn raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Did I mishear you earlier? You just said this will be my last easy training."
"You're going to fight me."
He was stunned. "Fight you? How is that possible? I know I've progressed a lot since before, but let's be real—I have no means to fight you."
Cassie shook her head. "You know well enough that you can fight."
"No, I can't! Maybe you dreamed about it, but I really can't."
Cassie remained silent, simply staring at him with an unreadable expression, as if she didn't believe him. Vonn could only sigh and stand.
"How is this going to happen?"
"The question is not how," Cassie said. "It's when. And I say, it's now!"
Cassie's slender fingers snapped, and her palm immediately faced Vonn. Before he could register what had happened, he was sent flying back several meters, his body rolling across the ground and gathering dust on his clothes.
His eyes widened in shock, and he grunted as he pushed himself up. Pain radiated through his body, making him wince.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Vonn groaned.
"This is necessary."
Before he could react, an invisible force pinned him to the ground, creating a small crater from the impact.
Vonn felt his body pressed down, his bones cracking under the pressure. His vision blurred, and he couldn't even scream—he could only endure the overwhelming pain in silence.
"Cassie? Are you actually trying to kill me?"
She smirked. "You won't die if you react."
She raised her hand again. This time, Vonn saw it coming and summoned enough energy to push himself out of the way.
Just after he moved, another crater formed right where he'd been. He stared in disbelief, it was even stronger than before. If he'd stayed there, he would have been crushed.
'I can't believe she's this inexplicably strong. That attack wasn't even magic—it was pure, controlled mana.'
Groaning and grumbling at the pain, Vonn steadied himself, placing a supporting hand on his body. A few green particles appeared, and he felt lighter than before.
The pain faded, but he still felt powerless in front of Cassie.
"Vonn, you're not going to last long like this. Push yourself and show your true power," Cassie said in an authoritative tone.
'Does she know something?' Vonn wondered.