In the Ashford family's underground training room, the atmosphere was silent but tense. Crystal chandeliers hung on the walls. They lit up the circular arena with a solid stone floor. The sound of footsteps echoed—Laguna stepped in with a simple silver sword in his hand. No magical equipment, no tools. Just himself and a pure steel weapon.
From the side of the arena, Alfred gave the signal. The magic seal opened, and an Earthfang Monster Beast stepped out from behind the iron door. The animal had tough skin, a mouth full of stone teeth, and big claws strong enough to rip through iron shields.
Laguna took a breath. He crouched his body low, his sword positioned to the side as Leon had taught him. In an instant, the monster roared and shot toward him.
The first impact made the floor shake. Laguna dodged to the right, lightning-fast, and slashed at the monster's side. But its skin was too tough. Only a thin scratch was left.
"Don't just dodge; feel the rhythm!" Leon shouted from the observation balcony.
Laguna growled, tightening his grip on his sword. The monster turned around and charged again. This time, Laguna didn't dodge completely. He jumped on top of the monster's head, spun around, and stabbed into the gap between the stone plates on its back. The monster roared in pain.
But it wasn't over yet. Earthfang stomped his body, knocking Laguna down. Without hesitation, Laguna rolled over and slashed the monster's hind legs from below. The attack hit a tendon—the monster wobbled.
Laguna seized the moment. He lunged forward, using his strength and skill. He swung his sword in a diagonal arc from the monster's shoulder to its waist.
Slash!
Black blood gushed out. The monster collapsed and lay motionless.
Laguna was panting. His body was covered in dust and scratches, but his eyes were still sharp. He stared at the body of the monster he had defeated. Then, something happened.
Above the monster's body, a faint light appeared. Like a bluish-purple mist that rotated with a gentle motion. Laguna frowned.
"Essence... I can see it again," he muttered.
Leon and Alfred looked at each other from above.
Laguna stepped forward and opened his palm. Even though he wasn't wearing his new glove, he could feel the resonance left behind by the device.
"Ever since I put on the glove a few days ago... I started to notice this every time I killed a Monster Beast. And if I hold my hand and point the back of my hand towards the essence, the essence can be absorbed by the orb in my glove."
Leon paused, then a subtle smile appeared on his face. "Your physical strength may be comparable to Lina's now, but as a man, you should be more than that. You still need to train your strength and stamina."
"Yes, Father, and thank you for today's training," Laguna bowed. Leon turned around and left the training room.
Laguna stared at his new glove, as if he could feel the power waiting to be awakened. "I need to understand more deeply... before this power gets out of control."
Alfred lowered the rope ladder from the balcony, calling out, "Training is over for today, Mr. Laguna."
Laguna offered a subtle smile. His body was tired, but his soul was burning with an unquenchable curiosity.
Laguna immediately returned and stood in front of the mirror in his room. He was still breathing hard from training, but his eyes glowed with satisfaction. He touched his reflection. His hands wore the magical gloves he had made with care.
[Name: Laguna Ashford]
Race: Human
Skills: Magic Engineering EX, Invention Mastery S, Alchemy A, and more...
Attributes:
Str: 13
Vit: 15
Agi: 11
Int: 37
Wis: 45
Luk: 25
"I've gotten stronger... not just because of this device, but because my body has also evolved."
He looked at the magical gloves on his hands. A faint blue aura glowed behind the runes.
"But... ever since I started using these gloves... every time I kill a monster, I can see some kind of... essence..."
He lifted his gloves. A faint light rippled like a small flame on the surface of the orbs.
*******
Flashback
The morning after he finished his new gloves, Laguna thought about sleeping all day as a reward. But that hope was dashed when Leon banged on his door.
"Wake up! Today you start physical training!"
Without having time to eat breakfast, Laguna was forced to run around the mansion. He collapsed from exhaustion several times. Leon raised his hand, activated Heal, and helped him stand up again.
After the running session, Leon dragged him to the backyard and threw a wooden sword.
"You want to be strong? Then learn how to fight with your hands and a sword!"
Each day was the same: run until faint, heal up, then train with swords until faint again. For seven consecutive days. Pain, soreness, and frustration became Laguna's daily food, but... he started to get used to it. He even started to enjoy the process.
*******
Today, exactly one week since the first day, Laguna lay down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling of his room while taking a deep breath.
"Tomorrow... the last day of training with father..."
The next morning.
As usual, Laguna ran around the mansion again. His muscles were used to it; his breathing was steady. When he was done, he cleaned himself up and headed straight to the training room. But this time, something was different.
In the middle of the arena stood a silver-haired young man with a calm and respectful expression.
[Name : Axel]
Race: Human
Skills: Ice Elemental Mastery A, Cryo Barrier B, Ice Magic Creation B, more...
Str: 15
Vit: 20
Agi: 15
Int: 25
Wis: 28
Luk: 7
Axel bowed. "I'm glad you were safe in Veredale Village that time, sir."
"Yes, thank you for your help. Julia and I were able to survive thanks to you," Laguna said as he drew his sword. "Alright, let's get started. My time is limited."
Axel also drew his sword. "Yes, sir. And before that, I apologize if I hurt you during training."
Laguna offered a subtle smile. "Don't hold back. I won't lose to a mage."
"Then, I'll fight to my heart's content."
Alfred stood at the arena's edge. "All magic except enchantment is banned. Any questions?" After a moment of silence, Alfred raised his hand and swung it down. "Begin!"
The two swords collided. The sound of metal clanging filled the room. Laguna tried to press, but Axel twisted his body with speed and activated ice magic around his sword. Laguna dodged to the left, but the friction of the ice made the floor slippery. He almost slipped.
"I can see his attack pattern with my eyes... but my body... still can't catch up...!"
Axel attacked with speed, stabbing with a feint and swinging from below. Laguna twisted his body, parrying the attack, but Axel was too fast.
Flashes of the scene when he fought Zareth came back to his mind. Frustration, the inability to adjust his body to his instincts.
But amidst the pressure, his father's voice rang:
"Abandon all unnecessary movement. Evasion is not retreat. Flexibility is more important than strength."
Laguna took a deep breath. He started to slow his sword swings. He moved his body less and focused on being efficient. He began to read Axel's rhythm with a deliberate pace. As Axel lunged with his sword, Laguna moved in. He blocked Axel's attack. Then, he twisted the sword and pressed it against his shoulder.
"Now!"
With a single thrust, he knocked Axel's sword away.
Clang!
Axel stepped back, then smiled as he raised his hands. "I surrender. You win, Mr. Laguna."
Laguna caught his breath. "You're strong, Axel. But this time, I win."
After the match was over, Leon asked Laguna to follow him.
On a quiet night, Laguna heard only the wind as he followed his father to the balcony above. Outside, the moon hung in the sky, its light seeming to wash the entire garden with a soft silver glow. Leon stood still, looking at the night sky, as if he were searching for courage among the stars.
"You know, son..." Leon's voice broke the silence, heavy and deep. "The reason you can't use magic... is not because of an illness. But because of a poison."
Laguna froze. His gaze was fixed on his father's back with questions and fear that began to creep in.
"The poison is called The God's Silence. A poison that can rot all the mana flow in the body, destroying the magic circuit until nothing remains. Made from the blood of a dragon that has rotted for hundreds of years. Its only source is from a cursed creature known as The Rotten Dragon, Draig Haazak. A dragon that can kill an entire forest by walking through it."
Laguna fell silent. His entire body felt stiff.
Leon continued, still staring at the moon, as if unable to face his son's gaze.
"In the legend, the last bottle of The God's Silence was destroyed by Archmage Veyloth. He would rather burn the entire magical library than see this poison fall into the hands of humans."
In a hoarse voice, Laguna asked, "Shouldn't... I have died if I drank that poison?"
Leon held his breath. His jaw tightened. Tears began to gather in the corners of his eyes.
"Your mother... she was a direct descendant of Archmage Veyloth. She knew everything about poison, especially poisons that attack mana. Her body was immune. When she saw you dying, she absorbed all the poison into herself."
Laguna began to shiver. Those words cut more than any wound.
"But... it was too late. Most of your mana flow and magic circuits have rotted away. So... she sacrificed the rest of her Life Essence to restore your magic circuits. When I came... she... she was no longer a mage. There was no magic in her at all. Just like a normal human."
Leon's voice broke.
"I tried to fix your mana flow. But I was too weak. I could only remove the decay in your body. Without being able to restore your mana flow. Just like your mother did."
Leon lowered his head. His tears fell, wetting the balcony tiles.
"If only... I knew a technique like your mother's. I would sacrifice my life to save you completely. I... I want to be with her too."
Laguna finally couldn't hold it in. Tears streamed down his face. His chest tightened. All feelings were mixed together—sadness, anger, guilt, and emptiness.
Leon bent down with care.
"I'm sorry... for making you unable to use magic and wasting your mother's sacrifice trying to save you and your future. And I couldn't even defend you from your own brothers. I'm not a good father."
Without thinking, Laguna hugged his father.
"Father... don't talk like that. You've done everything. Even losing your power to save me. Even losing your title as the strongest Archmage. I'm still alive now; that's more than enough."
Leon hugged him back tighter than before.
"The title of the strongest Archmage is nothing compared to the life of a child."
Laguna wiped away his tears, then looked at his father with a grave expression.
"Father... Do you know who poisoned me?"
Leon shook his head with a deliberate motion. "No. I don't know. You... weren't you the one who drank it?"
Laguna frowned. "I don't remember drinking anything that night. Maybe... someone used a different method."
"After the incident, I had Alfred check all the servants and residents of the mansion." But there was no evidence. Nothing suspicious."
Laguna tried to remember. A fragment of an image appeared in his mind, showing someone's hand feeding him food. But his face... was blurry.
Leon patted his shoulder.
"Don't think too much about it. I don't want you to lock yourself in the lab for decades again."
Laguna nodded. "No, Father. This time... I already have a goal."
Leon turned around, about to leave, but he stopped for a moment.
"As an apology... I give Veredale under your control. You want to conduct research on electric lights and build there, right?"
Laguna bent forward at the waist. "Thank you, Father. I won't waste it."
After Leon left, Laguna returned to his room. But his mind couldn't stay still. The shadowy figure that gave him food reappeared in his memory. Gentle, but there was something wrong... something dangerous.
Laguna stood up and walked to his room's window. The night air greeted his face.
However, something caught his attention.
In the garden, a girl's figure glided through the dark bushes, making no sound.
Laguna squinted. "...Julia?"