After a short while of rest, Modret woke up very early in the morning. With a faint smile tugging at his lips, he studied his body. He had grown noticeably stronger than before, with lean muscles now lining his once-thin frame.
At the same time, his appearance had also improved. His skin had become fairer, smoother, and more radiant, as though the impurities within had been completely purged.
Modret subconsciously glanced toward the window not too far away. The sky outside remained dark. "Dawn hasn't broken yet?" he muttered, pondering it a little more before nodding in understanding.
"It should be because my strength has increased, and the mana within my body has subtly boosted my endurance. That must be why even a little sleep is enough now."
"This should also explain why I've seen Mother go without sleep for days without showing any signs of fatigue," Modret guessed silently, then decided to make use of the remaining time before sunrise to cultivate.
Time passed slowly, and before long, the first rays of sunlight spilled through the window. Morning had arrived. Modret quickly prepared for his classes.
Later that day, he made quick work of the animals, this time using the blade instead of his Nullfire ability. He wanted to avoid destroying the cage like he had done the last time.
Just like that, several days passed in a blur. Inside the stead, Modret had just finished off the animals that Xara had hunted. After wiping his blade clean, he turned his gaze to the system panel hovering before his eyes.
[Gained 260 shadow fragments.]
[Shadow fragments 200/1000]
[Shadow roulette: 2]
Modret scanned the words with barely suppressed excitement. Day by day, with Xara constantly capturing rabbits, squirrels, and all sorts of small creatures, Modret had become more skilled. The creatures he now captured far exceeded the quality and number from before.
Of course, Modret was thrilled with this result. It was the main reason why his shadow fragments had risen so drastically.
His eyes then shifted to the shadow roulette section, and just as he had predicted, it was stackable. 'This way I won't have much to worry about in the future,' he thought, a smile blooming on his face.
Without wasting time, he gave the command, and his consciousness vanished from the physical world, materializing within the massive roulette void.
Modret stood beneath the colossal spinning wheel and prayed silently, 'Please let it be a good ability this time. There's a fifty percent chance, right?'
He couldn't suppress the nervous tension coiling within his chest. The void echoed with the sharp whistling of the rotating wheel. His ears caught every spin as though it was resonating directly with his heartbeat.
Gradually, the wheel slowed. It skipped over red, purple, green, and just when Modret thought it would land on the white color—his heart dropping—the pointer tilted slightly and landed on blue.
"This thing can really give someone a heart attack. Talk about drama," Modret grumbled inwardly, then focused his attention on the blue-colored slot as the words gradually became clear.
"D-grade?" Modret's face fell in disappointment. "Not much better than F-grade," he muttered to himself, condemning the result entirely. However, the system was unmoved, immediately displaying the reward.
[Congratulations on receiving a D-grade ability, enhanced hearing.]
Modret squinted at the line of text. Despite having dismissed the ability outright, a part of him was still curious.
'With this, I should be able to extend my hearing distance,' he reasoned. The more he thought about it, the more his mood lifted slightly. Perhaps the ability was not as useless as he had feared.
Still, his heart longed for something greater. 'An S-level ability or higher would have been ideal,' he thought bitterly.
From what he understood, only S-grade or higher abilities received a detailed explanation from the system. Just like with his Null Fire, the system had given a breakdown of its effects.
'They even possess multiple effects… how ridiculously useful. Please, luck, just get better already,' Modret thought furiously, then gave the command.
"Spin!"
As soon as the word left his lips, the spinning wheel surged to life once more. The glowing mechanism spun faster and faster, whirring loudly as it rotated with a hypnotic rhythm. After several tense seconds, it began to slow.
Just like before, the wheel seemed to mock his emotions, pausing dramatically before finally resting on the color white.
"Useless!" Modret cursed under his breath and withdrew from the mysterious space. His mood plummeted. However, he tried his best to keep his face calm and composed.
"Go and capture more creatures tonight," he said to Xara without making eye contact. He turned sharply and walked away.
Xara stood stunned. 'The lord's mood just shifted again. Could he have a mental problem?' Xara muttered in confusion.
He could not understand Modret's emotional swings. One moment, he was smiling, and the next, he became extremely irritated. The inconsistency left Xara deeply exasperated.
Still, with no option but to obey, he turned around, cleared the corpses lying nearby, disposed of them efficiently, and dashed off into the forest in search of more prey.
…
Modret arrived home and saw his mother standing on the balcony, humming a gentle tune. The soft melody floated through the air, carrying with it a warmth that eased his frustration.
For a moment, the sound lifted the weight from his chest. Her face, once riddled with worry, now glowed with joy. It was a familiar expression—one that reminded him of happier times, of days untouched by anxiety. He couldn't help but feel curious.
"Mother, did something good happen?" he asked.
Snapped out of her thoughts by his voice, Anna raised her eyes and saw Modret standing there. His wide, curious eyes shone with youthful energy, and loose strands of his blue-silver hair fell messily over his face.
She smiled sweetly, her voice gentle and calm. "I just received some wonderful news. Go and freshen up first, then we'll talk about it over dinner."
Modret's gaze shifted to a letter resting nearby. His lips curved into a faint smile, a guess forming in his mind about the nature of the news. Without further questions, he nodded and rushed off to take his bath.
…
Time slipped by, and soon the dining room was filled with the soft clatter of cutlery. Modret sat between his parents, the table brimming with dishes. The air felt light and harmonious, unlike the recent gloom that had shadowed the household.
While eating, Modret couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Mother, what exactly are we celebrating?" he asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Before him lay a spread of his favorite meals—savory stew, roasted vegetables seasoned to perfection, fluffy bread warm from the oven.
Such a feast was rare, usually only prepared for birthdays or major occasions. His birthday was still months away, deep in the heart of winter.
His mother smiled, her lips curving slowly upward as she finally prepared to reveal the surprise.
Author's Note: I apologize for not uploading at the normal time. I have been having slight issues at home, but hopefully updates should be back to normal... Please drop some powerstones to support the book's visibility...