Ch.22 Nexus(2)

"Don't worry too much about your mana quantity and quality rank,"

Father said as he patted my head, well it's not like I was that worried.

"Understood."

I still replied as I put the now empty bottle down.

"Good."

Father says with a smile and in that same instance throws a punch at my face, ducking down I am barely able to dodge it.

"Good reflexes."

He comments as using his hands he lifts himself from the ground and kicks me, blocking it with my hands I am thrown back.

"Well, then we can't slack off too much."

Father says as he gives me a wild smile, increasing his mana rank two levels above mine, he charges at me.

"Don't break too many bones, ok son."

Father says as with lightning-fast motion he punches me again, taking advantage of my position I am somehow able to dodge it.

But it was futile as he threw another punch hitting me in the stomach, vomiting some blood I made distance from him.

But he doesn't relent as punches after punch he continues to attack me, Crack!.. I can feel my bones breaking as pain courses through my body.

Powering through it I continue to block and dodge his attack without giving up.

"Good spirit, HAHAHA"

He laughs after complimenting me then punches me in the face, wow what a great father I have got.

Spiting the broken tooth and blood from my mouth I channel more mana into my body as I start to cast enhancement magic.

<Strength Enhancement>

<Physique Enhancement>

Casting to body enhancement spell I am somehow able to barely fight back against him.

"Good tactic. After all, one must always take advantage of whatever one has."

Father says as he kicks the ground with all his strength and appears in front of me, with a fist imbued with magic he punches.

Putting more mana in both of my hands I put in a X shape as I try to block his attack.

Crack!

I am pushed back as one of my hands shatters making it impossible for me to even move it.

"Haa, haa, Isn't this a little too intense."

I ask as I try to buy some time to cast a healing spell on my body.

"Intense you say. My son you must understand that in a battle the enemy won't wait for you."

I hear his words right next to my ears as intense pain courses through my body, I feel a mana-imbued kick hitting me.

Getting sent flying like a rag doll I fall to the ground, vomiting blood uncountable I put healing magic on the spot he hit.

I feel like most of my internal organs have collapsed, channeling mana through it I barely manage to raise my head.

I can see my father slowly walking toward me, his hands imbued with magic ready to attack me. 

Wiping the blood from my face I try my hardest to stand up, channeling the mana throughout my body I am barely able to lift.

"You still have a long way to go, my son."

I hear my father's voice next to me and in that instance, with a feeling of intense pain in my head I am knocked unconscious.

"haa, haa, haaa"

Opening my eyes I take deep breaths as I stand up from the ground, looking at my completely healed body I heave a sigh of relief as I let myself fall back into the ground.

"Oh, awake already. I thought it would take an hour more."

Father's voice is heard as he walks towards me, looking at his bloodied hands and feet I cannot help but remember the beating I just had.

"Father, is it really okay to have such an intense first training session?"

I complained a little, after all, I thought the training would be hard as it is the Lionheart family culture but not this hard in the first session.

"Well, normally it is a little less intense,"

Father nods his head as he says that, sitting next to me he heaves a big sigh as he continues.

"But you know son times have changed, you are a smart kid you must already understand what is coming in the future."

"Oh, you mean the Karmic debt."

"Haha, I thought you would know of it."

Father laughs hearing my reply as he meshes with my hair.

Well, I have read a lot about such things so there is no way I won't know it. In fact, in this situation, even a normal person with enough intelligence will be able to put two and two together.

It is a normal known fact that as a person grows stronger and reaches higher ranks it becomes hard for them to have offspring.

So isn't it weird that in just this decade powerhouses after powerhouses started to have children, that can only mean one thing.

Something bad is about to happen in the world and the world is preparing for it, though how severe that bad condition is still to be known.

"Then you should know why I am making your training more intense, after all, your generation may not get too much time to prepare."

Father says as sadness flashes through his eyes for a moment. 

"I know,.... don't worry Father, although I may complain I won't slack off."

I comment as I give him a big smile, after all even though I may train hard I still have a right to complain.

"Hehe, will you now."

Father chuckles as he uses cleaning magic to wipe my blood from his body, I am not sure if this is supposed to be a warning or not.

"Hey son, do you still remember our Lionheart Ducky saying."

Father asks as he looks up into the unending darkness of this dimension.

"Of course I do father. It is, 'We of the Lionheart don't grieve for the fallen as that would be a shame to their warrior name. But not grieving isn't same as forgetting as we pay the price of blood with all the bones of the killer.'.."

"Yes, that is the motto followed by all the people of this dukedom, but you must also know the things added to our family motto."

"Yes, after all, we as a noble family have some privilege as we call it, We are allowed to grieve but only after paying back the blood debt thousands of times the initial price."

I reply to my father's question, although we call it a privilege those outside the Duchy may not see it as such. But for the citizens of this Duchy, it is a great privilege as we are the only ones who even have the chance to mourn for the fallen.

"You know why we added that son."

My father asks as he turns his head towards me.

"No."

I reply as I truly didn't know, after all my knowledge comes from what is recorded in the books.

"It's simple son, it is to act as a source of motivation after all we are a Vengeful bunch, we are even called worse than devils when it is someone that is our family."

"After all, taking away our family is the greatest sin one could commit against us, Lionheart."

Father says in a heavy voice as his eyes turn completely void of any light, scary for most but fascinating for me.

After all, I am the same.