His mother smiled slightly, her lips curving upward before she finally let the cat out of the bag.
"The imperial order has been approved, and according to the letter we received, we have been granted a ten-year absence from the battlefield. Isn't that wonderful news? By the time we leave, you'll almost be an adult!"
Modret listened to his mother's words, his mind drifting off with excitement. 'By then, I should be strong enough to protect myself, and my power will likely have reached a new peak. I wonder how many abilities I'll have awakened by then?' he wondered silently.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he looked at his mother. His voice carried a soft emotion, "I'm glad to hear this. At least I don't have to live out the rest of my childhood in solitude."
Hearing him speak with such maturity, Anna laughed, and even Donald let out a small, amused chuckle.
'Our son is truly mature for his age,' they both thought in unison. After the good news was shared, the atmosphere lightened, and the family continued chatting.
Then Modret suddenly remembered something and turned to his mother with a question lingering in his mind.
"Mother, you once said I was too young to absorb mana."
Anna shrugged slightly and replied in a calm tone, "Of course. Only at the age of fifteen can you come in contact with an awakening stone, awaken an ability, and officially embark on the path of strength."
Modret's eyes widened slightly. "So far away?" he muttered, unable to hide his disappointment.
Just as Anna was about to speak, Donald's deep voice echoed faintly through the dining room. "Do not think too much about it, son.
"That is the general rule for most awakeners. At the age of fifteen, you awaken your ability. If your awakening catches the attention of any academy, you may even be invited to study there and develop your strength further."
Modret nodded, trying to suppress the impatience building inside him.
Sensing that the topic might be too heavy for someone his age, Anna gently changed the subject. "Son, what kind of ability would you like to awaken? Your mother here awakened an S-rank ability known as Spirit Fire…"
Her excited voice trailed off into a wave of fond memories and emotion.
Modret's eyes sparkled with newfound clarity as he digested the information.
'No wonder her flames are so unique. But mine is Null Fire, classified as SS-grade. Does that mean it's stronger than Mom's? Could it be that this is the ability I was meant to awaken, but the roulette system interfered? That would explain why my luck seems to be so terrible.'
A dark thought crossed his mind.
'Is the roulette spin a scam?' he wondered grimly.
His expression turned serious as he made a quiet decision in his heart. He would act on it, but only in the future. For now, he pushed the thought aside and rejoined the conversation with his mother.
The rest of the evening passed in lighthearted chatter, filled with rhythmic laughter and warm giggles that lingered in the air until the family finally retired for the night.
Lying on his bed, Modret sighed softly, a sense of relief spreading through his chest. For now, he could rely on his parents' strength.
'After ten years, that's when everything will change. That's when the real nightmare begins,' he reminded himself.
It was the calm before the storm.
Although everything seemed peaceful on the surface, Modret knew that it was only temporary. Sooner or later, everything would unravel.
"Before that happens, I need to be strong enough."
Modret clenched his fists, his heart steeled with resolve. Only by cultivating enough strength could he overcome the crisis looming on the horizon. With that final thought, he closed his eyes. Moments later, faint wisps of mana began flowing into his core, steadily enriching it.
…
The night was meant to pass peacefully. However, beneath the canopy of an umbrella tree, three figures stood cloaked in shadow. Their pale blue masks shimmered beneath the moonlight, and a heavy mood hung over them after receiving the latest message from their master.
"To think this detestable couple would use the imperial sigil for something so trivial. They could have gained many times its value if they used it at the right moment," said a woman's voice filled with fury.
She flicked her hand, and a pale green wind blade exploded outward, slicing cleanly through the trunk of the nearest tree. With a violent crack, the tree shattered, fragments of wood splintering in all directions.
A second voice responded, this one male and laced with mockery. "You're just frustrated because you planned to use it recklessly.
"How unfortunate for you. Speaking of which, none of us saw that coming. Should we just leave this branch capital and eliminate children from other branches? There's not much left to do here anyway."
The third masked figure standing beside him nodded silently in agreement.
Suddenly, the woman's voice turned cold. "Have you forgotten why the master sent you here in the first place? I could eliminate that boy myself, but there is something far more dangerous we need to consider."
The third figure spoke with a solemn tone. "The Enigma."
The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. "And how are we even sure that entity exists? Maybe you just fell into a trap. You take everything too seriously. This boring city has already drained me enough."
The masked woman shot him a cold look, then shook her head. "Someone who can control the dead without being a necromancer from the organization is a threat we cannot ignore."
The man sighed and let his figure fade into the shadows. There was no point in continuing the conversation. Deep down, he already knew he would not be leaving this cursed branch city any time soon.
…
Unaware that his identity as the Enigma was now being discussed by dangerous forces, Modret continued his cultivation peacefully. The night passed in silence. By morning, he sensed a small yet noticeable increase in his strength.
The day moved forward, and so did the next. Afternoon turned to night, then night to dawn.
Time crawled slowly for Modret, each second stretching out during his quiet training. But for others, it passed rapidly. It was as though the flow of time moved freely, untouched and unobstructed by any will or force.
…
"It didn't increase again this year," said a youth who appeared to be around sixteen. His voice was quiet, almost disheartened, as he looked toward the distant sky through the window of a lavish room.
Behind him stood a young man with jewel-like eyes. "Young Master, it has been three years, and it has never risen beyond ninety-nine percent. However, the mana density and saturation have continued to rise gradually every day. There's no reason to be concerned. It cannot possibly mean anything bad."
Hearing this, the youth turned his gaze from the sky and collapsed into his seat with a heavy sigh.
"Axel, you really have your way with words," he said softly, his expression one of weary contemplation.