After pushing the hidden alarm button the assassin seem to figured it out immediately he moved faster than what Erez could follow.
"!?"
Instead of the neck of the young master of the Pendragon household the assassin hit one of the furniture inside the room.
'What?' could it be that the boy already learn the sword art of the Pendragon household!?'
He spread out his ki sensing the location where the boy is hiding.
With a flick of his fingers another wave of dangers rain upon the boy.
"Argh!"
Several dangers stab right through the boy making him incapable of moving.
"Danm it!"
For the second time the assassin disappeared Erez felt the air around him change he presume that the pressure he felt is where the assassin will attack.
"!?"
He dodge again the assassin was now more certain that the first attack failed due to his opponent seeing it.
But there is a problem Erez barely dodge the attack and now could only hold his bleeding neck and punctured body. Panicked begun to penetrate the boy but still kept his breathing stable he tried his best to move but the wounds he sustained prevented him from doing so.
'I need to get out of here!'
One last time the man seem to put all his power to this one last strike and Erez knew he won't survive it. Feeling the impending danger he felt an unexplainable heat coming from his body.
'Out! I need to be out of here!'
His thoughts became so loud that Erez lose his consciousness opening his eyes again he was surprised to see himself inside the forest he used to practice.
"This is a safe place no beast would come here"
Knowing he was safe the boy could finally breath properly but knowing his body's state he couldn't help but panicked.
"I can't move and there is no way someone will come inside this forest in this hour"
"Actually there is"
"!?"
"Who is there!?"
"It's me young one"
Emerging from the trees was the old man Erez used to visit when he was working inside the Market district of Argonia.
"It seems like you are in grave danger "
Looking from head to toe the old man seem to think if he should help or not.
"Please help me I can't move my body"
"Of course you couldn't the person that inflicted this wounds on you embedded their weapons with a poison it's already a miracle you are still alive right now"
'What poison!?..'
His thoughts was cut off short as a heavy dose of dizziness came to him.
"Help... please help me"
Those were his last words as the boy who only celebrated his birthday with his family finally closed his eyes.
.....
An unfamiliar ceiling, instead of the things he read about the afterlife all he saw was a white ceiling.
"Where am I?"
"In my house"
"!?....you ...you were the old man from before"
"Yes, I am truly happy you are safe I almost lost you there you know"
"So you save me... thank you"
"Me?...no you save yourself"
"Me? how?"
The old man became energetic all of a sudden as if he was waiting for this moment.
"Because your mana destroys the invading poison inside your body"
"My what?"
"Mana....the energy that flows from every nook and cranny of this world. From the meres stones you step every day to the people you encounter everything in this world have mana"
"....."
'I don't understand anything wasn't that ki?'
Like reading an open book the old man can definitely read what the boy was thinking.
"Let me explain there is two types of energy that coexist in this world.... first is the one I told you about, mana. The second is the energy you currently know ki. I wont explain anything about ki energy since you already knew about instead I'll tell you about mana"
The old man raise his hand and from it a huge magic circle appear.
"!?"
Huge gust of wind begin to focus on the old man's hand which slowly generate a small flaming tornado.
"Wow"
"Watch boy "
Waving he's other hand the oldman opens the large window and throw the spell he was holding on his other hand.
*BOOM!*
The entire house shook from the tremor making Erez fell from his bed.
"That was amazing"
"Of course it is"
With still struggling posture Erez tried his best and look outside the window. A huge crater was made there mainly due to a single spell from the old man.
"Since mana flows from everything beings like us can tamper the flow according to a spell"
"Spell?"
"Yes a spell is similar to a sword art that swordsman use but unlike a sword art a spell is more versatile and unique it creates more possibilities than a singular technique. Through the use of mana spells are born but similar to a sword art it it extremely difficult to master"
"So what you did a moment ago was a spell?"
"Yes being like us can manipulate nature through the use of different spells"
"You've been mentioning beings like us what do you really mean by that?"
"People who can manipulate mana and cast spells are known as mages...Erez you and I are a mage"
Erez was quite dumbfounded as he never heard of such thing all he knew was that you either be a swordman or be a spirit user. He clenched his head trying to remember if he have ever heard of such thing but he never did.
"You said that mana and ki are the two types of energy but what about spirits then?"
"That's a separate topic that I will tell you later for now you should know more of who you are now"
"A mage?"
"Yes the reason you can't harness ki energy properly was due to your potent mana. The mana inside of you is to strong and end up suppressing the ki inside your body "
"I am still confused you said all beings have mana but why am I the only one who is like this"
"Remember the body types?"
"Yes"
"Red , orange , violet, yellow, green and blue are actually types of mana"
"!?"
"The color of the mana decides what type of body a person will have. Each color of mana corresponds on what will happen to someone's ki energy it'll either be strong or weak "
"Blue is a type of mana that have the perfect harmony with ki energy. Both ki and mana have a perfect balance inside the body, due to this blue body types have the capacity to have a maximum potential of having the largest ki and mana"
"Green mana type is a type of mana that leans to assist the growth of ki inside the body. The level of mana may be minimal but due the assisting effect the green body types will have the fastest growth in strengthening their ki"
"Yellow mana is a type that made the ki and mana inside the body denser. Thicker and more potent than any body types this made their attacks more powerful against the same level of opponent and can duel those who are a bit higher"
"Violent mana makes the ki and mana exponentially destructive. The ki and mana have an explosive nature that makes it hard to control people who have this mana type have a hard time controling their power"
"Orange mana makes the mana pool and ki storage in the body bigger due to it orange body types have the greatest stamina both in ki and mana energy"
"Lastly the red body type ....it's your body type right?"
Erez just nodded he want to finally know what characteristics do red body types have.
"Red mana have the characteristics of orange, violent and yellow body types"
"!?"
"In your knowledge what are the characteristics of orange, violent and yellow types?"
"Um...orange have the greatest stamina they often became swordman who specialize in defence. Violent was known as the best offense body type mainly due to its destructive power and yellow was known for people who have a high chance of winning against opponents who have the same level or slightly above level as them"
"Correct all this are characteristic of red mana, it have the ability to widen the mana pool inside your body making a vass amount of mana to be stored. It also have the destructive power of a violent mana making it feared for it's offensive and yellow mana makes the density and potency of your mana much higher than others "
"Due to its nature red mana types tend to suppress their ki energy. The red mana inside of your body is to powerful for your ki to resist it unlike blue who can harmonize with ki red mana is very antagonistic"
"Wait it means that I have ki but due to my red mana I can't utilize it?"
"Yes unless your ki became as great as destructive and as potent as your mana then you'll be able to use it"
"But didn't you say the type of man influences the ki then it means my ki should be have the same characteristics as my mana"
"Yes but it is not enough, your energy is mostly mana thus your ki can't fight back"
Erez then contemplate the information he just heard but suddenly it dawn to him that he must return home his family must be really worried.
"No I don't really need to know this I must return!"
Struggling to walk properly Erez came closer to the door but the old man magically appear blocking the him which startled the boy.
"Why?"
Erez could only muttered feeling defeated in his current state he won't be able to run and even if he could it's already a miracle if he could outrun the oldman.
"Honestly young one I don't want you to return"
This time the old man look extremely sad and feeble he seems to be contemplating about something.
"Young one to tell you the truth I want you to become my student. I am not doing this because you have the greatest potential for becoming a mage but because I have taken a liken towards you"
"But I can still do that even when I came back?....I don't understand what's the real reason why you don't want me to return?"
"Is it because of the assassins?"
"No, it's because I don't have much time I need to take you on an intensive training due to that I can't let you leave....a year, give me just a year and I let you return "
"You are dying?"
"I am already old young one death is just around a corner for me"
"But I still I don't understand why are you so desperate to train me even just a year couldn't I stay with my family while training with you?"
"I am desperate because not only because I am close to death but because of something I have created "
The boy saw a melancholy and a bit nostalgic on the old man's face.
The boy and the old man decided to sit down first to have a proper talk.
"You see pass the dark forest lies a vast land that owned by a great power known as the Empire of Fyodor"
"The empire was once a small kingdom often being cornered by bigger and stronger kingdoms. But things took a turn when I a country bumpkin was hailed as a Archmage. With my abilities the small kingdom grew in power shocking the entire central continent. I was happy that we are no longer being bullied by other kingdoms. I keep working hard engineering and creating innovative way of using magic. Our hard work paid off the kingdom of Fyodor became strong enough to be part of the top 3 powerful kingdoms of the central continent. No one can step on us anymore as we have the power to crush anything. The kingdom became peaceful and I became the teacher of young crown prince"
Erez just listened looking at the old man that seem to be recalling a nightmare instead of a story.
"I taught him everything every little thing I knew about magic. He brought pride and joy to me. He was the brightest most talented child I ever taught. Not until he finally sat on his father's throne. That's when I realized I raised a monster.....a monster so hungry for power"