7 months had passed.
Dex sat under the big tree behind the house, eyes half-closed, his breathing steady like someone sleeping.
In his hand, a dry blade of grass he chewed slowly.
The sun was high, almost noon, but he hadn't moved from his spot since morning.
"DEX!"
The loud voice made Dex open one eye.
A middle-aged woman walked quickly toward him, hands on her waist, her face full of annoyance.
"You're still here? Didn't I tell you to help your uncle in the warehouse since this morning?"
Dex closed his eyes again. "Too hot, Aunt Mera, Later in the afternoon"
"Later in the afternoon?!" The woman, Aunt Mera, let out a long sigh while shaking her head. "Lazy boy! You've been staying here for three months, but all you do is eat, sleep, and who knows what you do every night!"
Dex opened his eyes, staring at the sky. "I'm training"
"Training?" Aunt Mera folded her arms across her chest. "Training what? Sleeping? You're young, Dex, You should be energetic, not like an exhausted old man"
Aunt Mera sat beside him, staring at the same sky.
"Your mother was my sister" she said softly. "I know what it feels like to lose someone, But Dex, life has to go on"
Dex opened his eyes slowly, watching the clouds move lazily.
"I know" he replied quietly. "That's why I'm still here"
Aunt Mera smiled faintly, then patted his shoulder. "Alright then, Help your uncle later, Don't make him angry again like yesterday"
She stood and walked back to the house, leaving Dex alone under the tree.
Dex looked at his hands, which were now much stronger than seven months ago.
But he never told anyone about his nightly training.
No one knew that every night, after everyone slept, he went to the small forest behind the house and trained until his body almost collapsed.
No one knew that his laziness during the day was because he barely slept at night.
Dex stood and walked toward the warehouse to help his uncle.
---
That night, as usual, Dex slipped out after everyone slept.
He walked to the small forest behind the house, a quiet, dark place lit only by moonlight.
Dex stood in the small clearing he had cleaned himself.
He raised his right hand, and the Wind Card appeared, floating with a soft blue glow.
Nothing spectacular,
Just wind swirling gently around him.
But this time, his control was far better than seven months ago.
Dex imagined the wind flowing, gentle but directed
A breeze began to form, swirling in his hand, creating a small stable vortex.
He closed his eyes, feeling every vibration, every movement of the wind.
Then he opened them, and pushed his hand forward.
The wind vortex shot forward, striking the tree in front of him hard.
WUSH!
Leaves scattered, the trunk trembled.
Dex took a deep breath, This time his stamina had improved greatly, he felt that even if he fought nonstop for 5 hours, he would still be strong.
He continued training, forming wind vortices, pushing, pulling, controlling their direction, until the sun began to rise and his body could barely move.
Only then did he return home and sleep like someone who had done nothing all night.
That morning, Dex woke with aches all over his body.
He went down to the dining room with lazy steps, scratching his messy hair.
On the dining table, Aunt Mera had already prepared breakfast, Across from her sat a middle-aged man with a thick beard, Uncle Rold, Aunt Mera's husband and a lumber merchant in Lumiran.
"Morning" Dex muttered as he sat and immediately grabbed bread.
Uncle Rold looked at him while chewing. "You look like you just fought all night"
Uncle Rold raised an eyebrow. "With black eyes like that? Did you sleep or fight spirits?"
Aunt Mera tapped her husband's arm. "Enough, don't bother him, Dex, eat well, Someone wants to meet you this afternoon"
Dex turned. "Who?"
"An old friend of your father and me" Aunt Mera answered with a smile. "His name is Instructor Varn, He came from Aetherion Academy"
Dex stopped chewing.
"Aetherion Academy?" he repeated quietly.
Uncle Rold nodded. "The best academy in the world, Where the strongest card users are trained, Varn was your mother's friend when they were young, before she married your father and moved to Taren village"
Aunt Mera continued. "He heard about what happened in Taren, And he heard you live here now, So he wants to meet you"
Dex stared at his bread for a long time, then continued eating without saying anything.
To Dex, it just sounded like a tiring place.
That afternoon, a tall broad-shouldered man came to the house.
His face was stern, a long scar crossing his forehead, His hair short and black, his eyes sharp like an eagle's.
He wore a black uniform with a wing-shaped emblem on his chest.
Instructor Varn.
Dex sat in the living room, looking at the man with a sleepy gaze, He still yawned occasionally, like someone who had just woken up, which was true.
Varn sat across from him, staring at him for a long time without saying anything.
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Varn spoke.
"You look like your father" he said softly. "Especially the eyes, the eyes that always look down on everything"
Dex didn't answer, He just scratched his messy head.
Varn leaned back in his chair. "I heard what happened in Taren, My condolences"
Dex looked at him briefly, then nodded slowly. "Thank you"
Varn exhaled. "I didn't come here just to sympathize, Dex, I came because I feel indebted to your father"
He stared at Dex seriously. "Long ago, when we were young, your father once saved my life, And now he's gone, at least I want to do something for his son"
Dex didn't even know how his father, only a Rank F card user, could save his life.
"What rank is your card?" Varn asked directly.
Dex was silent for a moment. "B"
Varn raised his eyebrows, looking slightly surprised. "B? That's good, Very good, even better than I expected"
He leaned back again, assessing Dex with his eyes. "But a strong card isn't enough, Without proper training, without deep understanding, a Rank B card can lose to a Rank D card used correctly"
Dex yawned again. "I know"
Varn paused, slightly surprised by the casual reply.
"Then why don't you seek training?" he asked.
Dex scratched his cheek. "Troublesome"
Varn stared at him in disbelief. "Troublesome?"
"Yeah" Dex replied, leaning back in the chair.
"Looking for a teacher, paying training fees, attending training every day, it sounds exhausting"
Varn fell silent for a long moment, then suddenly laughed, a low but genuine laugh.
"Hahaha, you really are like your father"
he said while shaking his head.
"He also always said that, 'Why bother if you can relax?'"
He looked at Dex with a faint smile. "But you know? Behind that laziness, your father was one of the toughest people I ever knew, He proved to me that rank isn't everything, Not because his card was strong—his card was only Rank F—but because he knew when to move, and how to move efficiently"
Dex stared quietly, slightly curious.
Varn stood, walking to the window while looking outside.
"Aetherion Academy is holding an entrance exam in two weeks" he said without turning.
"I can give you a recommendation letter, But that doesn't mean you'll be accepted, you still have to pass the exam like everyone else"
He turned to Dex. "The exam is tough, Out of hundreds of thousands of participants, only 50 are accepted each year from each kingdom in this world"
Varn stopped at the doorway, glancing back. "But if you think it's too troublesome, then fine, Stay a lazy boy in this small town, I won't force you"
He looked at Dex seriously. "Your father once told me. 'hahaha, Varn, being lazy doesn't mean giving up, It means you believe you can do it, and you choose the easiest way to get the best result'."
Varn smiled. "Think carefully, Dex, The entrance exam is in two weeks in the capital. If you come, I'll wait for you at the academy gate, I've already given your aunt the recommendation letter"
Then he left, leaving Dex alone in the living room.
Dex stared at the ceiling, yawning softly.
"Academy, huh" he muttered quietly.
"Well, maybe I'll try" he muttered softly. "If I don't pass, then fine, If I pass, Aunt Mera and Uncle Rold will be happy too"