Castreed Mansion dining hall
Neo's strike ended, but the electricity in the air lingered. His father's palm still tingled faintly where lightning and warped Chaos energy had clashed against it.
"Neo!" Annovelle's voice cracked, trembling with something Dean hadn't heard in years—raw fear.
But Neo didn't hear her. His chest heaved, crimson sparks still coursing over his skin. His gaze was locked onto that face—his father's face—the face that should have been there when he learned to walk, when he fell sick, when he had nightmares— and was right in front of him now. And all Neo felt was rage.
He ripped his hand back with a snarl. "Tch."
Then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the dining hall, lightning sizzling at his footsteps.
"Neo!" Annovelle called again, voice breaking into a sob as she slumped into her seat, hands trembling as she covered her mouth.
Dean sat frozen. His fork was still clutched in his other hand, untouched. His son's eyes—so full of hatred—burned behind his own. His fists clenched at his thighs until his knuckles turned white.
Six years… and that's all I am to him. A stranger.
He stood abruptly. "I'll go to him—"
But Adrian's voice cut through the air, calm but heavy.
"…Don't."
Dean turned to his elder son. Adrian didn't even lift his gaze from his plate, where his fork pushed at untouched food.
"If you go now, you'll only make it worse," Adrian muttered. Then finally he looked up, eyes sharp.
"Just let him breathe, Father."
The silence that followed was deafening. Annovelle was quietly sobbing, her shoulders trembling. Dean clenched his fists harder, his jaw tight. He wanted to explain, to tell Neo everything—but Adrian was right.
Adrian stood after a long moment, wiping his mouth softly before tossing the napkin onto the table.
"…I'll go."
And with that, he left the dining hall.
---
Neo's POV
Neo stormed down the endless crimson-carpeted corridor, his vision hazy with anger.
His...father...HIS...FATHER!?
Where the fuck was he for six whole years! What was he doing all this time? Why hadn't he reached out to them? Why was he only appearing now? Was it because of his awakening? Was that what it took before he could even get his own father's attention?
A storm of questions flooded around his head, threatening to drown him in uncertainties. Even with 999+ intelligence, he was still finding it hard to think straight.
"Fuck this!"
He didn't even notice the maid until she nearly bumped into him. The same one who had guided him earlier. She looked up at him with startled eyes.
"M-Master Neo, is something—"
His gaze snapped to her. Cold, sharp, dangerous. Residual aura of lightning and chaos lingering faintly around his form.
Her voice died instantly, terror flooding her face. "F-Forgive me!" She bowed frantically, retreating down the hall until she vanished from sight.
Neo exhaled through clenched teeth, trying to steady himself amidst the storm of emotions threatening to tear him apart from the insides. He stopped at a shadowed corner between two sensory wards, fists still trembling.
Sigh.
"I need to think."
Then—blip.
His figure warped in faint essence of Soul and lightning, and in the next instant, he was crouched on the roof of the estate's clock tower. The breeze tugged at his shirt as he slumped against the shingles.
"Damn it… damn it!" His fists hammered the roof tiles,hairline fractures spreading from the point he had vented his frustration on the roof.
Celeste's form appeared hesitantly beside him, still in her oversized shirt, controller hanging absent from her side. For once, she looked uncertain, even timid.
"...Neo…" she started, voice soft.
"Don't," Neo snapped without looking at her.
She froze.
He dragged his hands down his face, exhaling shakily. "...Just leave me alone for a while, Celeste. Please."
For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, silently, she retreated back into his Soulscape, her presence fading.
Neo's eyes drifted downward. A guard in crimson armor strolled casually across the courtyard below, heading toward the training wing. Recognition flashed.
Rian.
The young guard from his mother's mansion. The unlucky soul he used to force to chase him around the estate back when he was four as a form of exercise. His first unwilling training partner.
'I need to work off this energy.'
Neo's body blurred, and he dropped silently from the tower, landing lightly with only a soft tap of boots on stone.
He landed in front of the guard causing the young man to shriek as his hand flew to his weapon. But after a while of staring at the unmoving figure, he finally recognized those crimson eyes.
"Y-Young Master Neo?" Rian stiffened. His face paled slightly as memories of grueling "training sessions" resurfaced.
'Just my luck. I ran into this monster just as my shift ended.'
Neo's eyes locked on him, cold as ice. "...I want to train. Now."
Rian blinked. "Eh? Now...as in right now?"
Neo didn't answer—he was already walking toward one of the nearby training chambers.
Rian hesitated, then sighed, following reluctantly as he sheathed his sword.
'He probably just wants to test mana flow… the young masters usually do that.'
He couldn't have been more wrong.
---
Training Chamber
"Welcome, Castreed Clan members. Access confirmed.
User: Neo Castreed, Novice rank.
Access level: Low.
User: Rian Altor, Advanced rank.
Access level: Medium.
Authority codes verified."
The AI's monotone voice echoed as the chamber hummed to life.
Neo went straight to the console, his fingers flying across the controls with uncanny precision. The chamber expanded, shimmering with conjured obstacles, walls that dissolved and reassembled in random patterns, and pillars of mana that sprung when stepped on.
Rian raised a brow. "...You already know how to use this?"
Neo's only response was to snatch a training sword from the rack, its dull blade buzzing faintly with mana conduction. He turned to Rian who had put on a brace made of a metal Neo has never seen before. On the tiny blue screen it said boldly 'Novice 5'.
'The peak of Novice rank. Not too high, or too low.'
Crimson lightning suddenly exploded across his arms in an almost savage manner. Rian's face turned a shade darker at this.
"One rule," Neo said, voice low. "Survive."
Rian's expression faltered. "…What?"
But Neo was already moving.
BANG!!!
Lightning exploded off his legs as he lunged, blade raised in an amateur yet fim grip. Rian yelped, hurriedly summoning his own sword and coating it with his water element. Their clash rang like steel on steel, sparks scattering.
'Shit! He's way faster than before. Lightning element! Why does the world hate me so much?' Rian thought, eyes wide as he staggered back, struggling to parry Neo's rage-infused strikes.
Neo wasn't using Chaos. No, it was far too early to reveal that card. He had only accidentally used it in front of his father in blind rage.
But even without it, with the passive speed enhancement from the lightning element and mana coupled with his own abnormal natural speed for his age, he could match peak Novice rank cultivators if he went all out, as long as they didn't have a mobility based class or element.
Even if they did, he'd probably only fall behind slightly. His speed wasn't at terrifying—not by a long shot, but it was still beyond what any Novice should be able to use—especially one at the first stage.
Wild, untamed lightning crackled around him, forcing Rian to dodge frantically between the shifting obstacles as Neo hunted him down.
This was less like a training session and more like a wild hunt.
For nearly an hour, it became a relentless game of cat and mouse. Every time Rian thought he gained distance, Neo's blade seared through the air, forcing him back. His uniform now clung to his sweat-soaked skin as his breaths grew ragged.
Finally, his back hit the floor. He lay sprawled, chest heaving, staring up at the boy looming above him—eyes glowing crimson, sword still crackling with lightning.
"No...more...please." He panted as Neo stood above him with the wooden sword to his throat. Neo held his gaze before lifting the sword in silence.
Freakish monster… He's only six. What the hell did the elders give birth to this time…?
Neo dropped his sword and slumped to the floor, palms on his knees as he panted heavily. His rage had burned off in sparks, leaving only exhaustion.
That was when he heard footsteps.
Adrian.
His older brother stepped into the chamber, hands in his pockets, gaze calm but unreadable. He watched silently as Neo gulped down air.
Neo turned his head slightly, annoyed, but when his eyes met Adrian's steady gaze, something softened.
Adrian sighed, reaching into his jacket. With a casual flick, he tossed a can of soda toward Neo.
Neo caught it with one hand. He cracked it open and downed it in a few gulps, the fizz sharp on his tongue.
They sat together on the bench at the chamber's side, silent except for the soft hiss of the empty can in Neo's grip.
Adrian finally spoke, his tone quiet.
"You ready to talk now?"