Chapter 17: Gratitude

[Rhys Verdon Family Estate]

[Underground Training Chamber]

A figure can be seen in a meditation pose, absorbing mana from the surroundings with a pained expression.

It was none other than Nolen Verowsdin, Luka's older brother. He trusted his younger brother and was doing his best to fix the problem in his body, striving to escape the cruel fate and the title of "Fallen genius."

Intense pain began to affect his nervous system and the core of his heart.

The prospect of practicing and recovering had dawned on him. He did not want to be mediocre.

He strove for strength, strong enough to outperform his father, defend his family, and marry the love of his life.

He remembered the crystal clear lines his younger brother wrote in the letter.

The answer was far simpler for his problem, but not many would have the courage to try.

An old method of solving the problem: destroy the roots and make it better. That is exactly what he was doing.

A technique said to reset one's magical circle. By completely destroying the existing circle that needs fixing, restrictions are imposed on the existing circles. And quickly destroying the restrictions with powerful mana. As a result, mana circulation improves, and if successful, the destroyed circle can be recreated. And be crippled at this stage for the rest of my life.

He was the one who searched every nook and cranny of the existing Owsdins family library. He had never heard of this technique before.

The price was steep, but not for him. He did not want to lose, and he did not want to lose his love because of his weakness.

As a result, for the first time, he trusted his younger brother, who he thought was never close enough and annoyed him with his actions.

And here he was, feeling grateful. He had almost achieved halfway through the process.

Not long ago, he finished destroying his broken sixth circle and was in the process of the most critical part: unlocking the restrictions placed upon the other five circles.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, but did not lose control.

A strange impacting shockwave emitted from his heart at the same time. He completely destroyed the first and second circle restrictions at once.

Another shockwave erupted from his body. The third and fourth restrictions were thus destroyed.

The chamber echoed the sounds that escaped his mouth in pain.

The pain got a lot worse as he sensed intense mana circulating in the existing open four circles and slowly starting to expand.

He had to be quick, gathering all of the condensed mana. He pushed it through the circle with all his might.

Wosh!

A powerful shockwave escaped from his heart, destroying the existing HP potions simultaneously.

The door to the training room burst open, and a figure rushed in. It was his father, Rhys Verowsdin.

He was worried for his son, hearing that he had found a way to fix his problem but with severe consequences upon failure. He prepared for the worst and brought the last of his life savings, phoenix blood from the treasure.

He couldn't risk losing any more of his family members. He had already lost his parents. He didn't want to lose anyone else.

He burst through the door and dashed towards his bloodied son, almost ready to activate the parl.

But as he approached his son, a blue aura surrounded his entire body. His injuries began to heal. Five magical circles hovered behind him, along with a smaller circle.

"H-he succeeded!" He couldn't believe his eyes. He could still remember the despairing look on his son's face. He had tried his best to find any possible ways to fix the situation. He couldn't bear to see his son go astray.

And now, at this very moment, his son finally recovered from the restrictions. Tears were about to fall from his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.

He wiped them away before slowly retreating. He used his earth magic to repair the broken door and closed it as if it had never been destroyed.

He looked up and sighed. Finally, the worries and guilt in his heart faded away.

He felt calm.

The reason for this was none other than his adorable son, who matured quicker than his peers.

He slowly retrieved a parchment titled, "For Father."

He had already read it dozens of times and verified it through every means possible. And now he couldn't help but read it once again.

The first part contained the actual technique for his son's recovery.

The next part was the most concerning. The information his son had written, claiming to have met a strong mage and becoming his disciple, was frightening. According to what it said, there was a mana vein in the center of the Hundred Mountain Range. The Kairos Family would win huge amounts of money again. Father, do not become their enemy. The third and fourth elders have been severely poisoned and may die soon. Stella Kingdom will fall in the southern range within the next year.

And for the last part, there were dozens of names from all over the continenttitled, "Please recruit them." The potential they possessed far surpassed the existing candidates.

And lastly, in bold letters, "Please protect Arnold Family's 11th branch. Master told me to protect them."

With that, the letter ended with another three small lines.

"I will answer everything. Father, when the time is right."

By,

Your loving son, Lukas.

His father finished reading and folded up the letter.

"Son, it's a huge responsibility," he muttered before burning the letter and becoming serious.

At first, he didn't believe the contents. Only the technique was somewhat believable after the grand mage verified it.

But now, seeing that everything had worked perfectly, the technique that allowed one to recreate their circle, he couldn't ignore it anymore. He had to take necessary steps to reduce the danger and minimize casualties.Just the first thing mentioned in the second part was enough to make an all-out war between the Crests and the Skylark family.

"Shadows," he muttered.

Three figures wearing black clothes appeared.

"Contact the Rinehart family and prepare for the expedition."

"Understood, sire."

The three figures disappeared, leaving him alone, deep in thought.

"A storm will befall soon. Thank you, my son, for giving us the time to prepare," he muttered under his breath before disappearing into the darkness.

[To be continued...]