That morning, Veyron was still haunted by unease.
The strange voice he heard the previous night still echoed in his mind. He hadn't slept well, but before him now stood his mother, approaching him with gentle warmth and affection.
"My son, you're awake? Did you sleep well, dear?"
"Yes, Ma... I slept fine. No need to worry. I'll become strong, Ma," Veyron replied with a faint smile, even though his heart was far from calm.
Now, the palace guards and servants no longer looked at him with disdain. Instead, their faces bore satisfied expressions, as though something had shifted.
"Maybe I shocked the entire palace yesterday, and now no one dares look down on me anymore. In this world, the strong are feared, but the weak are trampled or looked down upon," Veyron thought silently.
He and his mother entered the grand dining hall. At the center of the long table sat his father—the King of Aldrecht—who also bore the family name Veyron. Beside the king sat his first, second, and third wives. Veyron's mother, the king's fourth concubine, now endured the scornful stares of the royal wives.
"My son Veyron said everyone in the palace knows you've awakened your aura. Is that true, Veyron?" asked the king, his sharp gaze piercing, yet curious.
"Yes, Father. I've managed to awaken my aura. I can't open my mana yet, but I'll fight anyone who tries to stop me from becoming the strongest—only with aura. I don't need mana, because this world... doesn't offer everything," he answered with an arrogant tone, deliberately provoking the king's wives.
"Hahahahaha! My son! You're just like our ancestor. He too was weak, but he rewrote our family's fate and became the strongest!" the king laughed heartily, joy brightening his face.
"Thank you, Father… for comparing me to our ancestor."
"Very well. Since you've awakened your aura, what do you request, my son?"
Veyron looked straight into his father's eyes, full of determination.
"I have three requests, Father. First, I want to enter a prestigious academy. Second, when I go outside the palace, the knights must not follow me. And third... grant me access to the family library. I know I'm only five, but please let me into the library. I want to grow stronger."
The king paused, clearly weighing the decision. But the unwavering fire in Veyron's eyes moved him.
"Fine. I'll allow you into the library, but only the first floor. If you go beyond that, you'll be expelled from this family. Understood?"
"Yes, Father. I'll remember that well."
They continued eating in silence. Afterward, everyone returned to their chambers. That night, the stars glimmered above, and Veyron stared at the sky from his window.
"Stars... the last memory of Mother in my first life. Mother... are you happy there? Or are you suffering? If you're suffering… I'll fight whoever made you suffer there."
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a sudden pull surged through his body. In a blink, he was dragged—through space and time—into the 1000th timeline. There, he saw a man standing, smiling at him. That smile… it was strange, terrifying, and eerily familiar. Veyron instantly snapped back into his body, panting and drenched in sweat.
"Who was that? Why did he smile at me like that… just like when I was thrown into a universe full of fire?"
---
The next morning.
Though the events of the night still lingered in his thoughts, Veyron remained excited. Today was the day—he could finally enter the family library.
"Alright… I'll set that thought aside for now. Today, I'll uncover this world's history."
But unknown to him, the elders responsible for choosing the royal heir were already making secret moves. To them, Veyron was a dangerous variable—unpredictable and uncontrollable. And thus, he had to be eliminated.
---
In Front of the Family Library.
"Wow… such a massive door. So this is the Aldrecht family library. Alright, let's go in."
The moment he stepped inside, Veyron was awestruck. Books lined every wall of the first floor. Even on this level alone, the sheer number of books surpassed his expectations. He began to explore, scanning shelves filled with arcane knowledge and martial techniques.
"Ah… here it is. The lightning technique I've been looking for. It might be considered low-class in the Aldrecht family, but I like it. Lightning is fast… and deadly."
Then he moved toward the history section, curiosity drawing him deeper. He opened one of the older volumes and started reading.
"So… Aldrecht's history began with commoners? But then came a young man wielding a weapon with… Gabriel's wings?!"
Veyron's eyes widened.
"He united the continents of Ironvale and Elarion… and my family, Aldrecht, became rulers afterward."
His hands trembled as he read further. The Aldrecht family was once nothing—until a mysterious youth appeared and changed everything. And more shocking... the sword that youth wielded—was the very same sword he saw in that dream.
"Who was that young man? Why was he wielding Gabriel's sword? Could he be… the one who stabbed that sword into the earth?"
Without wasting a second, Veyron closed the book, took the lightning technique manual, and rushed out of the library.
But as soon as he stepped outside... four cloaked figures were already waiting.
"Assassins, huh...? Who sent you to wait for me? Could it be... the elders?" he asked coldly, his eyes sharp and focused.
One of them chuckled.
"How did you know... that the elders ordered us to kill you?"
[Ding! The Second Tutorial Mission Has Appeared: Eliminate All 30 Assassins Within 1 Hour.]
Veyron's eyes lit up with excitement the moment the notification echoed in his mind. Without hesitation, he unsheathed Gabriel's sword, and his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, he stood face-to-face with the assassins, his gaze sharp, unflinching.
He slashed immediately, but his first strike was blocked by the fourth assassin, who smirked with condescension.
"Hey kid, just because you're five doesn't mean you can play the hero."
"I'm not playing hero," Veyron replied coldly, his voice brimming with confidence. "I'm just stating a fact. I am strong, aren't I?"
Without giving the assassin a chance to respond, Veyron pivoted and swung his blade in a different direction. This time, the attack connected cleanly—striking the second assassin directly. Blood splattered. The others stood stunned.
"What…? Why is he swinging so fast? I can't even see his sword move!" one of them muttered, disbelief and fear seeping into his voice.
Veyron didn't stop. He dashed like a phantom between the assassins, moving with such blinding speed that their eyes couldn't follow him. Then, with calculated precision, he began channeling a hybrid technique—one forged from the union of fire and lightning.
"First Technique—Blazing Thunder Fang Slash!!"
A deafening boom followed. The assassins were cleaved in half in a single stroke. Trees in the surrounding area crashed down violently, and a deep slash scarred the ground, splitting the earth itself. The battlefield fell silent, blanketed in dust and smoke.
The assassins who hadn't yet fallen simply froze in horror. They couldn't believe that a mere five-year-old had unleashed such destructive power… until the final tree collapsed and crushed what little hope they had left.
[Congratulations! You've Successfully Completed the Third Tutorial Mission.]
Reward: 20 Stat Points | You May Choose a Heaven's End Outfit.
[Level Up: 30 → 60.]
"Hahaha! Leveling up this fast is so much fun!" Veyron laughed gleefully. "Let's see who still dares to try eliminating me now, heheh…"
But just as he turned to leave, a strange sensation crept up his spine. His instincts flared. Someone was watching him.
His gaze snapped toward the top of a distant hill—there, silhouetted against the sky, stood a lone figure. Still. Silent. Watching.
---
As Veyron walked back toward his room, blood still staining his clothes, every servant he passed stopped in shock.
"Why… why is the young master covered in blood?" whispered one of the attendants, eyes wide.
"I don't know… maybe he's been hunting monsters?" another servant whispered nervously, as if afraid even their voices might draw his attention.
Veyron heard them. But he didn't care. His thoughts were elsewhere. He just wanted to wash the blood away—both from his skin and from his mind. As warm water poured over him, cleansing his body, his mind returned to the figure he had seen earlier.
"Who was that?" he whispered. "Why was he watching me?"
Suddenly, a voice—not his own—whispered softly in his ear. It wasn't loud. But it was heavy, trembling, as though laced with unspeakable fear.
"Veyron… you must become stronger—strong enough to overcome the greatest disaster… the one even I cannot touch."
Startled, Veyron looked around, spinning quickly. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his veins. But there was nothing. No one.
Only silence.
"What kind of disaster… could possibly exist… that the speaker themselves can't even touch…?"
---
Chapter 3 Completed