"1, 2… 3…"
Leon calmly counted his breaths, his muscles gradually relaxing as a serene expression appeared on his face.
The yellow chakra in his body moved in sync with his breathing, flowing effortlessly.
He stood up and took the wooden spear in his hand once more.
[Congratulations, Sage Candidate! You have learned: [Limitless Tyranny] skill]
A black flicker of light appeared again, but Leon didn't seem to care.
His shoulders slumped as he lazily stabbed forward, his expression indifferent.
At that moment, an imaginary black figure materialized before him. Leon engaged it, his body loose, weaving effortlessly through the opponent's sword strikes, dodging by a hair's breadth.
Then, at an almost excruciatingly slow pace, he stabbed straight into its heart.
The figure vanished.
"Truly one of the best techniques… even without incorporating any techniques."
There were no wasted or unnecessary movements—every action was meant to kill. No fancy tricks, no excess. Just a technique forged purely for killing, drawing blood with every blow.
Tens of imaginary figures appeared before him.
Leon pointed his spear, his lips curling into a mad smile, his body completely at ease.
"He should be fine now."
Zara paced around the room, her expression filled with worry.
"Yeah, he should be fine. I don't know how he did it, but his raw strength is already comparable to a Ten-Strong warrior."
"He is our son—how could he not be special?" she said proudly.
"Once he establishes his Warrior Heart… I wonder how far he could go."
"Can we gather enough money to forge his Warrior Heart?" She looked down. "Even if you hunted and traded with this village, even if we managed to gather all the money, it still wouldn't be enough to buy the precious ingredients for the Warrior Heart."
"... I'll manage something." Alex sighed. "Though we've saved up a lot, most of it is locked away in our house, and I'm pretty sure the emperor has taken it. There's not much we can do."
"Let's start gathering money from now on. His birthday is the day after tomorrow."
The night soon passed, giving way to the morning sun. Leon woke, groggy and aching all over.
"This feeling is unpleasant." Muttering this to himself, Leon sat cross-legged on the bed and began circulating the orange chakra through his body.
The orange chakra, drawn from the Creative Rune deep within him, was the very energy that not only enhanced his critical thinking but also helped him relax, as it did now.
Afterward, he went out for breakfast: a simple omelet. Following that, he spent some time chopping wood and training his body before taking a stroll through the village.
The village was simple, with sparse thatched huts scattered around, and the few villagers seemed to move about slowly, barely crossing paths.
Leon took a deep breath to steady himself.
"It's quite refreshing, huh?"
"Wow, are you Leon?"
A short, dark-haired boy called out from a distance, his eyes twinkling as he approached.
"So, you're the kid who looks almost like an adult at just ten. I wonder how gigantic you'll be in the future." He raised his hand, eyes full of wonder.
"... Am I really that famous in the village?"
"Yeah, you're quite infamous," the boy grinned. Rising onto his toes, he stretched his hand as far as he could, "You're this tall, even though you're only as old as me."
"What does it matter if I'm tall or not?"
"Hehe, my name's Fredrick. Nice to meet you." Fredrick extended his hand for a handshake.
"Forget it." Leon shook his head and turned away.
"This jerk, just because you're big and strong." Frederick growled before walking off.
"Children are strange nowadays."
Leon sighed as he returned home.
"You should spend more time with children your age, Leon," Zara said the moment he entered.
"He was trying to take advantage of me," Leon replied.
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Because it was obvious. Even though I don't leave home often, that brat is a menace—he bullies the other kids here, using his status as the village chief's son. What would he need from me?"
"Haha, that's right." Zara walked up to him and patted his shoulder, struggling slightly to reach his head. "You have to remember, Leon: the stronger you become, the more you'll face envy, jealousy, and hatred. Some will become your enemies, some will try to be your friends, and others will try to use you for their own gain."
"So, remember, we'll always be here for you."
"Thank you, Mother." Leon bowed, a smile on his face.
The day soon passed as he studied in his room, carefully going over everything.
Knowledge is one of the key aspects of gaining power!
After dinner, he went back to sleep, but a hesitation lingered in his heart.
Tossing and turning in bed, Leon couldn't sleep…
"What is this feeling?" Leon touched his heart, lost in thought. He stood up from the bed and gazed at the crimson moon.
"Is it almost midnight?"
The crimson moon seemed unusually close to Leon, as if it were right there in front of him.
[Warning! Warning! There is only a year left for you to face your first trial.]
[If you die, your soul will be wiped out, turning into nothingness.]
[From now on, the sage candidate can access his Runic information anytime.]
A black flicker of light appeared before him, materializing into a semi-transparent panel he could see.
"Hm." Something inside him seemed to shift as a stream of foreign information flooded his mind. Leon took a moment to process it all.
Then, with a thought, Leon willed the transparent panel to change before him.
***
Name: Leon Finn
True Name: …
Achievement: …
State: Astetive
Chakra Core: Semi-Established
Nature: [Tyrant Emperor] (Sealed)
Skill: [Path of the Spear], [Echo of the Five Senses], [Dragon Swirl] [Limitless Tyranny]
Main Rune: [Earth(locked)], [Creative(locked)], [Divine Core(locked)]- All proficiency reached the limits.
Flaw for the First Trial: Locked
Time Remaining: 1 year
***