Egon returned to the house just before evening.
However, this time he had been caught red handed.
He saw Luminaire standing in front of the house with her arms crossed and a furious look on her face.
As soon as she saw Egon's figure, she barked without restraint:
"Egon! Stop!"
Egon's footsteps immediately paused, and he gave a sheepish smile to Luminaire.
"What's wrong, mother dearest? You haven't started cooking yet? Your son is really hungry!"
Her face turned dark. "Young man, we have a serious thing to discuss. Where were you? And what are you hiding behind you?"
She didn't wait for him to reveal them. A mother's protectiveness made her forcefully snatch the items from her son's hand.
She saw the smooth blue crystal and several patches of Blue Star Grass.
"What are these, Egon? You went to the Woods again?" she shrieked, her voice a mix of fear and anger.
'Oh, lord... Looks like I have caused another storm in the house,' Egon thought, feeling a cold sweat on his back.
---
Later, at the dinner table, instead of the usual cheerful atmosphere, what welcomed Egon was a thick, tense silence. He saw Luminaire and Edmund seated opposite each other, both wearing dark expressions.
Despite possessing the soul of a 30-year-old man, Egon felt genuinely apprehensive as he took his seat. From the look of it, he really had made them angry this time. And why not? He had pulled stunts like this many times before. But today, their patience had finally worn thin.
"Egon, how old are you?" His father, Edmund, asked in a serious tone, completely lacking his usual warm smile.
"T-ten years?" Egon replied, stuttering a little.
"Right... Ten years," his father affirmed, his tone becoming louder. "So, why do you still act like a child? You always act more intelligent than your peers, so why can't you understand: The forest is dangerous for a ten-year-old. Why can't you understand this simple damn truth? Why, Egon, why?"
His voice was loud enough to make the maid's heart tremble in the kitchen.
Luminaire placed a calming hand on her husband's arm, and said in a softer tone,
"Edmund, please. Let me speak." She turned her gaze, heavy with maternal concern, onto Egon.
"Your father is right, dear. The woods are not safe. Those little blue grasses you found are Blue Star Grass. They're rare, but they're useless, and they only grow in the deepest parts of the woods where wolves and even goblins sometimes wander around."
Egon kept his eyes down, feigning guilt. He knew the risk was real, but the reward had been absolute.
"I just... I wanted to give them to sister Lucia," Egon murmured, hitting the one emotional note he knew would disarm them.
"She's always so busy studying at the Academy. I read they help with her concentration. I just wanted to help my sister any way I can."
Edmund sighed. The anger drained away, replaced by resignation. "That's a noble thought, son. But your life is more important than any herb. You can't put yourself in danger."
"And this!" Luminaire lifted the small, beautiful blue crystal Egon had brought back. "Where did you get this? It looks like a fragment of Raw Mana Ore. It's valuable, but where you find one, there might be more. You can't just stumble onto things like this in the woods, Egon. You have to be careful!"
Egon knew he had successfully diverted their suspicion from the real prize—the Elixir of Souls, which was currently nestled safely beneath his mattress.
But he had to pay for this success with a loud lecture and a mild fright, which a perfectly acceptable trade.
"I understand, Father. Mother. I won't go near the Woods again," Egon promised solemnly.
He then lifted his spoon, trying to encourage the return to a semblance of a normal dinner.
His parents couldn't help but exhale a helpless sigh. They were still not assured by his promise.
Nevertheless, after dinner was over, Egon went back to his room and took out the vial containing the Elixir of Souls to consume.
All physical and mental preparation was complete. Now all he had to do was drink it.
He uncorked the vial, and then, without hesitation, drank the blue liquid.
As soon as it reached his lower belly, a warm sensation erupted from his stomach. This ethereal warmth instantly spread throughout his whole body.
His mind also felt the heat, and instantly he reached a profound state. The world seemed to slow down in his vision.
He could feel every part of his body. Literally, every part: the cells regenerating, the heart's rhythmic blood pumping, the lungs inhaling and exhaling, and most importantly, he felt the existence of the Soul.
The ethereal construct that had been just a concept and a fairy tale to him was now a palpable reality.
He could feel its existence within him. He sensed how it governed the whole body, how it maintained synchronization by connecting the physical body with near-infinite invisible threads.
Everything was miraculous, as if a whole new understanding of the world had opened up to Egon. The concepts he had only written on paper and digital screens became real.
What could be more satisfying than this?
The Elixir did not grant him magical power instantly, but something far more valuable: Absolute Mental and Physical Control. The power of a 40-year-old mind was no longer hindered by the ten-year-old body.
Egon spent the next several hours completely immersed in this new state. He commanded his lungs to slow their intake, speeding up the purification of his blood. He felt the minute stiffness in his small muscles and consciously commanded them to relax and absorb nutrients more efficiently.
This wasn't just heightened awareness; it was the ability to optimize his own existence.
'My body is a machine, and now I have the maintenance manual,' he realized triumphantly.
With this, his preparation of Soul Book Awakening was complete.
He could now make sure his Awakening wouldn't be a complete disaster, like those countless background characters.