That morning, Veyron continued to be haunted by strange sounds and mysterious dreams that echoed deep within his soul. With a weary sigh, he muttered to himself:
"Why do I always hear mysterious voices and have strange dreams? I have to train—to prepare myself for the disaster that, according to the voice, even it cannot touch…"
Without wasting time, Veyron set out to find his father. He needed a secluded place—somewhere he could shut himself away and train in secret for two full years. He searched through the palace grounds until finally, he found his father deep in the royal chambers.
"Father, is there a warehouse that isn't being used? If there is, I'd like to train there behind closed doors for two years."
"There is an unused warehouse," his father replied thoughtfully. "It might have once been a training ground for our ancestors. I'll have it prepared for you."
"Alright, Father. I'll wait. When it's ready, just tell a servant to come get me."
Veyron turned and walked back to his room. For the first time in a long time, he felt a quiet happiness. The man who once looked at him with cold disdain now spoke to him with warmth. A shift had begun.
"Hah… I almost forgot. My aura is blue, but my technique is yellow with lightning. If I use it like this, my aura will rebel. I need to align my aura—make it yellow with lightning—so it won't reject the technique."
He pushed his mattress aside, sat cross-legged, and entered his subconscious mind.
"Alright. My conscious aura is blue. I need to change it to yellow first before using the lightning technique."
"First Technique — Blazing Thunder Fang Slash!!"
The aura that had once been blue began to shift—changing into a brilliant yellow laced with crackling lightning. But just as Veyron was about to leave his subconscious, a woman appeared, waving at him gently.
"My son... you must grow to be stronger than your father. I believe you can surpass him."
Her smile was soft—full of love and certainty.
Veyron jolted awake from his trance, breath heavy and heart pounding in his chest.
"Why... why did Mother appear again in my subconscious? And why did she say something different this time...? So I do have a father? And he's strong? Who is my father... really?"
In his first life, his mother had always told him he had no father—that Kim Han, his past self, was born without one. But now… could that have been a lie? Or was it just a truth he wasn't ready for back then?
Lost in thought, Veyron was startled by a knock at the door.
"Young Master, the ancestral warehouse has been prepared."
"Alright, servant. I'll be right out."
Veyron shook away his confusion. He didn't have time for doubts or questions. There were elders who wanted him gone—and an unknown disaster on its way. He had to become strong.
---
At the front of the warehouse, Veyron stood still, eyes examining the crumbling structure. The building looked like it would collapse at the slightest wind.
"Hey, servant. You may leave now. If you dare question me, I'll report you to the King. He'll have you dismissed. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. I'll take my leave."
Veyron entered the dark warehouse. Dust floated in the air, and straw filled the center of the room. He pushed the hay to the side and checked his surroundings.
"Good. No one's around. Time to train... every lightning technique—from the first to the final."
---
Elsewhere, in the King's chamber, Veyron's father sat, observing his son through a magical projection. He wasn't alone. The First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder stood nearby, all smiling subtly.
"He's not an ordinary child, is he?"
"No. Power-hungry, yes... but also cunning. He's good at provoking people. And he activated his aura with finesse. The boy—he's just like the prophecy. The one who'll shatter fate."
"He's also claimed the Gabriel Sword. Now we wait. Will he surpass his father… or simply become his equal?"
---
Two Years Later.
The warehouse doors slowly creaked open. Standing outside, the King smiled in anticipation of the son he hadn't seen in years.
BOOM!!
A powerful explosion shattered the warehouse. Dust and debris swirled through the air. And then—from within the smoke—a figure emerged, stepping forward with calm and strength. It was Veyron.
"You've done it, my son. But why did you choose lightning? Why not fire? Or water and ice?"
"Because I want to be like lightning, Father. Fast. Deadly. This technique... it's my favorite." His eyes burned with determination, his heart pulsing with ambition.
"Well then, my son... it's time to prepare for your 7th birthday."
"Alright, Father. I'll get ready for it."
---
Back in his room, Veyron collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling before calling out:
"System, open my status."
"Yes, sir."
---
STATUS
Name: Veyron Aldrecht
Level: 60
Title: Child of Lightning
Swordsmanship Level: 5
STATS
Stamina: 100
Strength: 130
Aura Control: 70
Ability: 50
Luck: 50
---
SKILLS
First Technique — First Lightning Slash (Lv. 2)
A basic attack that coats the sword in lightning, increasing its speed above average.
Second Technique — Lightning Slash Step (Lv. 2)
The user slashes while dashing at lightning speed, leaving behind a lightning afterimage that deals a second strike.
Third Technique — Lightning Dancing in the Blade (Lv. 2)
A chained attack that releases spiral bolts of lightning with each slash.
Fourth Technique — Invisible Spark Blade
A strike so swift it becomes invisible to the eye, leaving behind a burn of raw electricity.
Fifth Technique — Sky-Cracking Crescent Slash
A massive crescent-shaped lightning wave that can split cliffs and tear open land.
Sixth Technique — Echo of Thousand Bolts
Each main slash ricochets with lightning from random directions, making defense difficult.
Seventh Technique — Breathless Thunder Blade
A silent technique that allows the user to vanish momentarily and strike with undetectable lightning.
Eighth Technique — Fate-Slicing Lightning
A single spiritual lightning-infused slash said to sever the target's destiny upon contact.
Ninth Technique — Armor of the Thunder God
Envelops the user and their blade in a dense layer of lightning, rendering them untouchable for 7 seconds of continuous assault.
Tenth Technique — Raijin no Kensei: Heavenly Wrath Slash
The ultimate move. The user leaps into the sky, calls forth divine lightning, and slashes it down. The impact transforms the entire battlefield into a storm of heavenly destruction. Only a true warrior can survive unleashing it.
---
Veyron stared at the screen, surprised at the overwhelming power he now possessed. Yet he frowned.
"I've figured it out. This system... doesn't help me much. It raises my level and stats, yes—but if I want to learn techniques, I have to do it myself."
He scrolled down further, searching for something. But what he sought was gone.
"Where's the 10-element technique the system gave me?"
"Sir," the system replied, "I have deleted the technique you were gifted. It was only a starter gift. Now that you've forged your own path, you no longer need it."
"I see…"
Veyron glanced at the clock. It was nearly time for his seventh birthday party. With a deep breath, he stood up and began dressing—ready to greet the world once more.
What he didn't know was that outside the palace, storm clouds had begun to gather… and fate itself was shifting beneath his feet.
As Veyron walked toward the grand party hall, his mind was not only filled with anticipation of the celebration but also haunted by a detail he had seen on his Level 5 Swordsmanship system panel.
"So... I just discovered that in this world, Aura corresponds to Swordsmanship from Level 1 to 10, and Mana Circle also goes from Level 1 to 10. I've only reached Swordsmanship Level 5," he pondered silently. "Oddly, no one here truly uses Aura like I do. Everyone else relies mostly on mana, with only a hint of Aura."
When Veyron arrived at the massive party hall door, two knight-guards bowed deeply and held it open. At the same moment, a palace attendant announced in a clear voice:
"Young Master Veyron has arrived!"
The entire banquet hall—a sea of nobles and esteemed guests—fell silent briefly. Low murmurs began to ripple across the crowd:
"That's the child born of noble and common blood…" whispered one aristocratic lady with a dismissive tone.
"But I've heard… he mastered every lightning technique by five years old," said another, mixing awe with disbelief.
The atmosphere was tense. Some glared at Veyron with disdain, others watched with fascination. He paid them no mind. His attention was fixed on the council of elders gathered at the center of the room—the very ones quietly plotting against him.
He also noticed a small girl huddled alone in a corner, looking downcast as if carrying an unseen wound. Without hesitation, Veyron approached her:
"Hey... why don't you join the party?" he asked gently.
Startled, the girl looked up—shocked that the prince himself spoke to her—and bolted away.
"Strange child," Veyron murmured with a small smile. "Better I head straight to the elders."
With purposeful steps, he walked to the table of elders. His polite smile masked the weight of his aura, which pulsed faintly but threateningly.
"Good evening, illustrious elders. How are we this fine night?" he asked, outwardly genial but inwardly intense.
They responded stiffly.
"Y-yes, Young Master. We are well. Are you also in good health?"
"Of course, I'm fine—thank you for your... concern," he replied with veiled meaning.
He gestured subtly for them to move toward a more central position at the table. Once they were close, he spoke in a whisper, so quiet yet filled with intent:
"So… you're not discussing how to eliminate me, are you?"
A stuttered answer came back:
"N-no, Young Master! We were simply discussing your engagement to Miss Violet Hari of the northern region."
"Is that so? So it's true—my betrothal to Violet Hari of the northern Violet family? Well then... I'd like to say a few words to everyone present tonight."
Without waiting, Veyron ascended the stairs to the second floor balcony. All eyes in the room turned to him, following his every step.
"Greetings, esteemed guests," he declared from the balcony. "I would like to share a few thoughts—so listen carefully."
Silence fell like a curtain.
"Imagine someone living in a magnificent palace, dressed like royalty, seated on a throne as if they rule the kingdom... Yet in truth, they are not king. They know only how to bow before the true monarch, all with feigned subservience. They wield no real power—just ambition."
He paused, lowering his voice until the room leaned in.
"He already has everything—wealth, a palace, wives, concubines—but his heart remains empty. And the most absurd part? He wants to eliminate the only true heir."
His gaze pierced toward the table of elders.
"So… what name suits someone like that?" he asked with caustic clarity. "The Crowned Leech? Or perhaps… The King Without a Throne? Call him what you will. Just remember—I am not him."
A suffocating silence followed. No one dared move. Then Veyron saw his father on the throne: King Aldrecht—smiling with pride. The three principal elders also managed faint smiles, but their eyes betrayed unease.
"Hahahahaha! Veyron, 'The Crowned Leech' is perfect. Absolutely fitting!" the king boomed aloud.
"Ah, so the label is clear now," Veyron replied coolly, glancing at the elders whose faces had flushed with shame and lingering resentment.
Laughs echoed through the hall. But the moment had barely settled when a petite figure—an energetic 7‑year‑old girl—advanced, sword raised at Veyron. The guests gasped.
"Everyone says you are the strongest aura user... then I, Violet Hari, challenge you to a duel!"
Chaos erupted. Whispers rippled: "How dare the Grand Duke's daughter challenge the prince?"
Veyron looked at his father, who nodded with subtle encouragement. He understood.
"Very well. I accept your challenge—but don't cry when you lose."
Immediate excitement erupted as bets and speculations flew.
---
The Duel Arena
A magnificent coliseum ringed with raised stands held the attendees. To the right stood Violet Hari, her long red hair cascading over her crimson party dress. To the left, Prince Veyron Aldrecht stood with unwavering calm.
Violet smirked inwardly, suspecting Veyron's strange posture indicated weakness. But high above her, King Aldrecht and the three elders exchanged stunned glances:
"That posture… that stance… it's the ancient Aldrecht fighting style! But how could he possibly know it?"
The stance: sword held behind the body in the right hand, left hand empty in front, left foot forward and right foot back—a long-forgotten signature of Aldrecht ancestry.
"On your right, Violet Hari—are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"On your left, Veyron Aldrecht—are you ready?"
"Absolutely."
"Let the duel begin!"
In an instant, Violet vanished from view. She reappeared behind Veyron and struck—but he blocked it calmly.
"Slow," he whispered, "Weren't you curious what real speed is?"
Then he vanished, and Violet panicked. She searched wildly—then looked up. Veyron hovered overhead, gathering his energy.
"Hari... you rely on Mana Circle level 3, sword skill level 6. If I used ordinary techniques, I'd lose. So now… watch me forge something new."
He smiled. Aura crackled at his feet and bathed his sword. Eyes closed in concentration. When he opened them again, lightning flared.
"A fusion of Blazing Thunder Fang Slash and Lightning Slash Step... this is…"
"Second Technique—Heavenfang Thunder Step!!"
BZZZZT!!
A searing bolt of lightning shot out. Veyron moved faster than light. Violet had no chance to counter.
BOOOMMM!!!
Smoke and dust engulfed the arena. Everyone held their breath. When the air cleared, Violet lay unconscious. Veyron stood tall, chest heaving with exertion.
"Today… you lost. I won."
He lifted his gaze to the starry night sky—but the mysterious voice echoed in his head again:
"You've grown strong, Veyron… but it's not enough."
His expression hardened. He left the arena in silence. His robe was stained, body battered—but his stance resolute. He walked toward his chamber, gripping Gabriel Sword firmly in his right hand, and stepped into the dim corridor, heading into the destiny that awaited him.
---
Chapter 4 Completed