As Mina carried him into the depths of the Sword Grave Manor, Ronan felt the chill of the air seep through his swaddle, like stepping into a forgotten crypt. The hall stretched out vast and shadowy, with walls carved in ancient swords and storms, and a floor that gleamed like dark ice under flickering torches.
Nobles clustered around, their voices a low buzz, dressed in silks and jewels that sparkled like distant stars. At the front, on a raised stone seat, sat his father—Duke Harlan Blackwood—stern and unmoving, his eyes like cold steel. Beside him, his mother, Lady Seraphina, smiled softly, her emerald gown flowing like a gentle wave, her gaze locking onto Ronan with quiet warmth.
Mina's arms tightened around him, her steps slow and careful. Ronan, trapped in his tiny body, could only stare wide-eyed.
The nobles' chatter filtered through, their words sharp and curious, like whispers around a campfire.
"Look at the little heir—barely a day old, and already facing this test," a tall lord in velvet muttered, sipping from a goblet. "Duke Harlan's bold, and ruthless starting so early. But if the boy's Blackwood blood takes to it..."
A woman nearby nodded, her fan snapping shut. "The pool's no simple bath. Rare herbs from the Storm Peaks—dragonleaf, voidroot, essence of ancient wyrms. Soaks into the veins, unlocks hidden potential. Makes the body tougher, wounds heal faster, poisons shrugged off like rain. By the time he grows, he'll be a fortress of flesh. A golden gift for any noble line."
Ronan's thoughts stirred. "A pool to toughen me? Herbs and medicine rewriting my body from the start?"
He felt a spark of excitement beneath the unease. "In my old life, strength came from scars and sweat. Here? They brew it like ale. Another golden finger, just like 0001. If this works, I'll grow unbreakable. No more fragile bones—I'll be ready for whatever duties Mother meant."
Another noble chuckled lowly. "Risky for a newborn, though. The mana surge could overwhelm him, twist the bloodline wrong. Remember the failed heirs? Left weak, unfit for the trials. But if he succeeds... ah, the Blackwoods rise higher."
Mina bowed before the dais, her voice soft. "My lord, my lady. The young master is prepared."
Duke Harlan's gaze pierced like a blade. "Begin the ritual." Seraphina reached out, her warm fingers brushing Ronan's cheek. "My brave little one," she whispered. "You'll shine through this."
Ronan met her eyes, his infant face calm but his mind whirling. "She knows something. That promise in her voice... she's not worried. Maybe she senses I'm different." He silently called out.
"0001, what's in that pool? Risks?"
[Appraisal: Awakening Pool. Infused with dragonleaf, voidroot, wyrm essence. Effects: Enhances constitution, unlocks latent bloodline, boosts growth resilience. Risk for newborns: Mana overload. Host probability: High success, due to reincarnated soul.]
"Good enough,"Ronan thought. "Let's get this over with. If it makes me stronger, I'll take the itch."
The hall fell silent as Mina carried him to the center, where the massive pool waited—a wide circle of black stone, steaming with shimmering liquid that glowed like melted stars. Scents rose sharp and wild: bitter herbs, sweet blooms, a metallic bite that tingled his nose.
Mina stepped to the edge, hesitating. An elder in runes-etched robes nodded. "Hold the child steady. The immersion awakens what sleeps within."
She waded in, the water lapping at her knees, warm and buzzing. Lowering Ronan gently, she cradled his head and body as the liquid enveloped him. It seeped in like a gentle fire—tingling, then burning softly, threading through his veins like roots taking hold.
Ronan's tiny body twitched, the warmth spreading, his muddled thoughts sharpening just a fraction.
"It... itches. Like my insides are waking up."
He didn't cry, just stared at the ceiling's shadows, feeling the change begin.
The warmth turned to a prickling heat as the pool's liquid soaked deeper into Ronan's skin, threading through his tiny body like roots burrowing into soil. It wasn't gentle anymore—a burning itch that spread from his toes to his scalp, his veins humming with raw energy.
"This... hurts." he thought dimly, his infant mind fogging under the strain. *Like fire in my blood. But I can feel it... changing me.* He didn't cry out, just clenched his tiny fists, instinct driving him to absorb more, to push his limits even in this helpless form.
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
The notifications flashed in his vision, one after another, a steady stream that blurred together. Ronan barely registered them, his focus narrowing to the pull of the pool—the way it tugged at something deep inside, unlocking hidden reserves.
"More... I need more," he urged silently, his body twitching in Mina's hold. The pain sharpened, like needles weaving through his flesh, but beneath it, a surge built. His potential as a carbon-based being stretched, cells hardening, limits expanding indefinitely, as if the elixir was rewriting his very foundation.
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
Mina's arms trembled slightly, her voice a whisper. "He's... he's taking it well, my lady. The glow's intensifying."
From the dais, Seraphina watched with steady eyes, her hands clasped tight. "Hold firm, Mina. My son is strong." Duke Harlan leaned forward, his expression unchanging, but a flicker of approval crossed his features as the pool's surface shimmered brighter.
Ronan's thoughts grew hazy, the agony drowning out everything. "Can't... think straight. Just... absorb. Make it count." He sucked in more energy, his tiny chest heaving, the burn turning to a roar in his ears.
[Achievement unlocked: Initial Surge Complete]
[Host strength rise detected. Issuing first mission.]
[Achievement: Accumulate 10,000 points across stamina, strength, muscle strength, energy, mana, and constitution]
[Reward: Obtain Biometric Attribute—Use It or Lose It]
[Accumulated Progress:
Stamina: 0/10,000
Strength: 0/10,000
Muscle Strength: 0/10,000
Energy: 0/10,000
Mana: 0/10,000
Constitution: 0/10,000]
The message appeared, but Ronan barely glimpsed it through the haze of pain. "What... is that? Some new... thing?" His mind rebelled, too overwhelmed to grasp the details—the reward, the attribute, what it meant. He pushed it aside, gritting his nonexistent teeth, focusing only on enduring, on drawing every drop of power from the pool to forge his potential higher.
The nobles murmured in awe, the hall thick with tension, as the ritual pressed on.
10 min later,
The pool's liquid churned faintly around Ronan, bubbles rising like whispers from the depths as the energy surged into him. Mina held him steady, her face etched with quiet awe, the water's glow casting ethereal patterns across her skin. The nobles, clustered in shadowed corners of the hall, leaned closer to one another, their voices dropping to hushed murmurs that barely carried beyond their circles—low enough to evade the duke and lady's ears on the distant dais.
"Did you see? The previous heirs barely lasted a minute or two before the surge overwhelmed them," a veiled lady whispered, her eyes wide. "This one's holding on—ten minutes already. Unheard of for a newborn."
Another noble, a bearded man with a jeweled chain, nodded subtly. "Aye, the pool's essence is draining slower, but look—the level's dropping. That hasn't happened since the old duke's time. The boy's drawing it in like a sponge."
Ronan's world narrowed to the fire in his veins, the pain a relentless wave crashing over his tiny form. He couldn't hear the whispers—his mind was a storm of agony and focus, every fiber straining to absorb more, to push his limits. "Hurts... but I won't stop. More energy. Fill it all." His infant body trembled, but he endured, instinct and will merging in the haze.
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
[Potential Rank: F → E]
The notifications blurred in his vision, the pain drowning details. He felt it, though—a deep shift, his carbon-based form evolving, potential uncoiling like a spring wound tighter.
Ten minutes passed, the pool's surface rippling as the liquid level dipped ever so slightly—imperceptible at first, but enough to stir more whispers.
"Thirty minutes now," a young lord breathed, glancing nervously at the dais.
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
[Potential Rank: E → D]
[Accumulated Progress Updated:
Stamina: 1800/10,000
Strength: 1800/10,000
Muscle Strength: 1800/10,000
Energy: 1800/10,000
Mana: 1800/10,000
Constitution: 1800/10,000]
Ronan barely registered the mission screen, his thoughts fragmenting under the burn. "Keep... going. Absorb... everything."
An hour crept by, the whispers growing more astonished, though still veiled in secrecy.
"An hour! The essence is waning visibly now—look at the edges," an elder noble hissed. "No heir's ever pulled this much. The Blackwoods have a monster on their hands."
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
[Potential Rank: D → C]
Two hours dragged on, the pool's glow dimming as the water level sank further, though the massive basin remained far from empty—a testament to its depth and the boy's insatiable draw.
"Two hours... impossible," a woman murmured, her fan trembling. "The pool could sustain a legion for weeks, yet it's yielding to him. What potential does he hide?"
[Stamina +1]
[Strength +1]
[Muscle Strength +1]
[Energy +1]
[Mana +1]
[Constitution +1]
[...]
[Potential Rank: C→ B ]
[Accumulated Progress Updated:
Stamina: 5200/10,000
Strength: 5200/10,000
Muscle Strength: 5200/10,000
Energy: 5200/10,000
Mana: 5200/10,000
Constitution: 5200/10,000]
.....