Home

Two years. Two brutal, unforgiving years I'd spent locked in this frozen purgatory. Mother threw every scenario she could dream up at me: injured, low on mana, surprise attacks, even underhanded moves. The outnumbered situations especially grated on my nerves. One opponent was a struggle, let alone four identical ice soldiers charging me with inhuman coordination.

But I adapted. Just like the technique promised, every fight, every near defeat, fueled my growth. As I learned to exploit weaknesses, anticipate movements, the difficulty ratcheted up. The soldiers got faster, stronger, their numbers multiplying until I stood on a literal hill of shattered ice corpses.

It hadn't been easy. Exhaustion gnawed at me constantly, the ache in my muscles a constant companion. Yet, the pain served as a twisted reminder of my progress. From a clumsy turtle to a whirlwind of ice, I'd come a long way.

Now, at thirteen, I was a 4-star warrior, sparring against soldiers ranked six and even some pseudo-seven stars( those at the threshold to ascend but cannot either due to lack of potential or resources).

My ice manipulation had blossomed. Gone were the clumsy spikes – now I wielded ice with the precision of a surgeon. It was versatile, sturdy, and remarkably efficient, according to Mother, who finally conceded I was a "peak apprentice" in ice manipulation.

However, victory felt hollow. The looming demon invasion was a mere year and some months away. Three years before the academy opened its doors. Yes, I'd made incredible progress, but was it enough? Doubt gnawed at me. Against the demons, what good was a peak apprentice? I needed more, so much more. Strength, speed, anything to tip the scales in my favor.

Looking down at the battlefield of shattered ice, a resolve hardened within me. This wasn't enough. I wouldn't let it be enough. My future, hung in the balance. I needed to push myself further, harder.

Mother had finally deemed me worthy. Today was the day we ventured to the vampire continent, a place I'd only heard about in hushed tones. Apparently, this desolate island with its chattering bats was a mere training ground. The real test, the "experience" she spoke of, awaited me in her "garden" – a chilling term considering the likely inhabitants.

"Ready, then?" she asked."Alright," she said, cracking her knuckles, a predatory glint in her crimson eyes. "Let's go." She stretched out an arm, a silent invitation for me to grab on. With a familiar rush and a twist in my gut, the scenery dissolved. When it solidified again, we stood before a colossal, imposing castle. It loomed dark and ominous against the twilight sky, not a single flicker of life detectable even with my enhanced senses.

"If you can teleport so easily," I blurted, a sliver of annoyance rising in my chest, "why did you drag me around like a sack of potatoes when we first met?"

A sardonic smile played on her lips. "Oh, that? I simply wanted to see how the world had changed in my sleep. Years can be quite disorienting, wouldn't you agree?"

I glared, the old wound of her neglect still raw. Yet, before I could retort, she strode towards the castle, the heavy oak doors groaning open at her approach.

"This," she declared, gesturing towards the cavernous, dimly lit interior, "will be your home, your base of operations, at least, and after your… journey. You must always return here, to me."

There was a possessiveness in her voice that sent shivers down my spine. She pointed toward a corridor that snaked deeper into the castle. "Your room is across from mine, at the very heart of this place."

The sheer size of the castle, built entirely underground, baffled me. "But why such extravagant halls," I asked, "if we live below the surface?"

"Just because," she said with a nonchalant shrug. Classic Mother – cryptic, domineering, and utterly devoid of explanations.

"You'll have a month to rest, to acclimate," she continued. "After that," she said, a cruel edge creeping into her voice, "I'll drop you into my garden to… deal with its pests."

A nervous knot formed in my stomach. "Pests," I echoed, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. The image of monstrous creatures, far more terrifying than the ice soldiers I'd conquered, flashed through my mind.

This was my chance to unleash my newfound abilities, to test myself against real threats.

A month of rest and bonding with Mother? That was unexpected, but perhaps not unwelcome. Maybe, just maybe, I could learn more about her, about this dark legacy she kept hidden behind a mask of stoicism. With a newfound resolve, I stepped into the vast halls of my vampire home, ready for the trials that awaited me in this monstrous garden.

The cavernous halls of the castle echoed with our footsteps as we walked. As the silence stretched on, my mind drifted back to the day I first met Mother. Terror had been a constant companion, a cold hand gripping my heart. And yet, she'd taken me in, trained me, moulded me into the warrior I was becoming.

The thought sparked a strange yearning. What if I hadn't encountered her? Where would I be? How well would I have fared on my own? Unlike the protagonists in those stories I used to read back in the human world, there wouldn't be any mystical encounters, no hidden caves with magical beasts guarding ancient artifacts. No, in my reality, even stumbles upon four-star beasts meant certain death, let alone defeating them as a one-star scrawny kid. Even back there, fights were settled with fists, the occasional gun fights or other weapons basically anything I found near me, nothing to prepare me for the monsters and magic that awaited in this new world. Even Raven himself had little knowledge.

Say I had money, how would I have spent it?

And what stopped someone from stealing it? In this world strength matters,morality and honour were avformality that many won't abide by.

A dark thought wormed its way into my mind. Maybe Mother is right – restraint wouldn't get me far. Maybe, in this dog-eat-dog world, I needed to play by a harsher set of rules.So I'll be stealing techniques… not just from the heroes, but also from the villains heck I won't even soare the supporting characters and npcs, from anyone powerful enough to possess something that could shorten the immense gap in strength between me and the coming threats. After all, protagonists had gods and super families ( though I'm also a prince but will that stop me? The answer is no.), demons backing villains or having their own dark pacts. I was fighting monsters on my own – a bit of evening the odds wouldn't be a bad thing, right?"

But before that could fully take root, gratitude for Mother pushed it aside. "Hey," I blurted out, surprised even myself, "I miss your cooking."

Mother stopped, a flicker of surprise crossing her crimson eyes. Then, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Alright, little one," she said, her voice softening. "Let's head to the kitchen."

And so, instead of dwelling on stolen power, I found myself perched on a stool, watching Mother work her magic in the kitchen. A simple smile bloomed on my face. Maybe, just maybe, even in this world of darkness and monsters, there was still room for a little normalcy, a little comfort. For now, I won't worry about the protagonist and villains, I need to rest and get to know my mom.