A month had passed in the blink of an eye.
As the alarm rang, Amara gently placed Aaran back into his cradle after he finished feeding.
Motherhood was new to her, and to say it was challenging would be an understatement. At moments, she thought fighting the demon lord was easier than raising a child. At least she didn't have to fight him day and night.
But she had to do that for her child. Aaran was a hungry child, demanding to be fed every two hours. Forget about a peaceful sleep, Amara had not taken a nap in a month.
He's such a little troublemaker
Amara smiled, gently patting Aran's head.
No matter how many maids were at her beck and call, caring for Aaran had become Amara's sole responsibility. Because Aaran cried whenever anyone separated him from Amara, and only calmed down when she held him.
Even Lucien could only cradle him for a few fleeting minutes before Aaran's cries demanded his mother's presence once more.
No matter how much Lucien wanted his beloved to rest, it wasn't possible. Yet, in Amara's sleep-deprived eyes, there was nothing but unwavering love for her son.
"Sleep well and grow strong, my child," she whispered. "This kingdom needs a strong king to keep the evil away."
Even though Aaran's eyes were closed, his mind was wide awake. Having completed the first quest, he eagerly awaited the reward he'd receive.
[Charm Store Unlocked!]
Charm store? It's the first time I've heard of anything like this.
[It is identical to the EXP store the user had in the fifth incarnation.]
[Instead of EXP, the champion has to spend charm to exchange skills, materials, and more.]
If he could, Aaran would have sighed. Instead, he settled for an internal groan.
All my stats and achievements from nineteen previous incarnations converted into charm points. I must have at least a few hundred thousand points by now.
The more Aaran thought about it, the more he realized how great having the charm store was for him.
But there was a catch.
Both the system and the store relied on gestures or voice commands to operate. As an infant, Aaran had no control over either.
Even though the store might offer him priceless treasures, they would remain out of his reach until he mastered the use of his hands or found his voice.
Forcing gestures seems a better choice. It should take me six to eight months to get the gestures in order, rather than speaking.
It was a daunting thought. Being trapped in an infant's body with nothing much to do. Oh well, at least he could see his parents again, so that was a plus.
Besides, with the quest complete, I can let mother have some rest.
Aaran couldn't see his mother, but her warm touch was more than enough to bring him peace. As he pondered deeply, Aaran felt quite tired.
I wonder what else have the gods changed this… time… around.
His body couldn't obey his mind and resist its natural needs. Hence, he fell into a deep sleep.
[Quest name: Build an Indomitable body.]
[Quest type: Series quest.]
[Phase: Two.]
[Task: Learn to crawl.]
[Reward: +10 charm points]
***
No one liked a repetitive story. The gods were no exception. Stories that looped endlessly without variation bored them.
No matter how enticing the conclusion promised to be, their hunger for the perfect ending was boundless, but their patience for repetition was nonexistent.
So, each time Aaran regressed, they tweaked the narrative. A detail here, a twist there—just enough to keep them entertained. It was to make their watch time entertaining, even though it often led to Aaran being trapped in strange situations.
But there was one thing they never touched: his origin story.
It wasn't out of obligation or because of some strange time-loop law they couldn't change.
They simply saw no reason to alter it, so they didn't. Why meddle with the beginning when the middle and end provided so much more amusement?
Besides, they'd never forced Aaran to regress as far back as infancy—until now.
Hence, they shook things up a bit. Since they were things that Aaran didn't know about, there was no issue, even if they changed a lot. To the gods, it was a blank slate. A perfect opportunity to push Aaran to his limits.
However, they couldn't change everything. They didn't want to spoil each other accidentally, after all.
***
Aaran had countless moments where he felt proud. From slaying his first dragon to bedding his first elf, Aaran's life was full of triumphs. But none of those moments compared to the pride he felt now.
Why? Because he could finally crawl on his own. And crawling meant he'd get another reward soon.
But before he could even think about his reward, he ran into a problem.
"Yes, my little prince! Come to mother. Come on!"
Amara clapped and cheered for Aaran as she slowly backed away.
"Aaran, come to father. You know I'm your favorite."
Lucien did the same but walked in the opposite direction.
Aaran sat there, staring at both of them.
What is this game?
Aaran sighed inwardly.
The love his parents had for each other was unparalleled. But the love they had for Aaran went beyond that. So much so that they turned almost everything into a competition to win his affection.
And now, it seemed like they were doing it again, walking in opposite directions to see who he would crawl to first. That's why they were walking in opposite directions while trying to get his attention.
Sadly for them, no matter how much they called or clapped, Aaran didn't move an inch. He just sat there, watching them.
"Why isn't he coming to me? He always comes to me!"
"Maybe he's just tired," Lucien replied, scratching his head.
Before they could dwell on it any further, a servant burst into the room, panting wildly.
"Your Majesties! There's been a monster sighting beyond the woods!"
Amara and Lucien's expressions turned serious immediately.
Recently, there have been a lot of monster sightings around the capital. It was strange, as no monster had appeared in their small kingdom for nearly a decade. But a day after Aaran's birth, the monsters appeared every week without fail.
"Take Aaran to his room. Now," Amara instructed the servant.
"Grab the weapons," Lucien joined in. "I'll get the horses ready."
As the two stormed off, the servant quickly scooped Aaran up, cradling him. Aaran remained calm as a notification appeared before him.
[Your first trial awaits!]
[Quest Map unlocked!]
The map wasn't a physical one. It appeared in Aaran's mind, and only he could see it. On it, a red cross marked a location deep within the castle.
[Objective: Reach the X mark and claim your reward.]