Fifteen months old, and Ashen had finally been granted access to the family library.
Not the full library, of course. That was a massive collection of thousands of texts ranging from basic primers to forbidden cultivation manuals locked behind essence-sealed vaults. But the children's section—a smaller room adjacent to the main library filled with picture books, simplified histories, and basic educational materials—was now within his reach.
Seraphina had brought him here after breakfast, settling him on a cushioned mat surrounded by carefully selected books.
"These are all safe for little ones," she explained, arranging them within his reach. "Lots of pictures, simple words, nothing too advanced. Though you seem to understand more than most children your age, so maybe you'll find them interesting."
She had no idea how interesting he'd find them.
Ashen waited until his mother had settled into a nearby chair with her own reading before reaching for the first book. It was titled "Basic Essence Theory for Young Minds" and featured a cartoon figure meditating on the cover.
The content was extremely simplified, obviously designed for children just beginning to learn about cultivation. But it still contained useful information about how this world understood essence manipulation, the basic principles of cultivation, and the general structure of advancement.
He flipped through pages slowly, absorbing every diagram and explanation while maintaining the appearance of a toddler interested in colorful pictures.
Essence flows through the body in pathways called meridians, the book explained with simple illustrations. These pathways connect at points called nodes. When you cultivate, you're strengthening these pathways and expanding your capacity to hold and manipulate essence.
Elementary concepts that Ashen already understood from the novel he'd read, but seeing them explained within this world's educational framework added context. The terminology was slightly different from what he'd expected, and the diagrams showed subtleties that text descriptions had missed.
"Finding it interesting?" Seraphina asked, looking up from her own book.
Ashen pointed at a picture of a meditating figure with glowing points marked along their body. "Light."
"Yes, those are essence nodes. When you're older, you'll learn to sense your own nodes and strengthen them through cultivation. But that's years away yet."
Four years away, specifically. Though I already have a Primordial-grade physique with essence pathways that make these simplified diagrams look like crude sketches.
He moved to the next book, this one about elemental affinities. It showed different colored flames representing fire, drops for water, rocks for earth, swirling winds for air, and lightning bolts for electricity.
"That's about the five basic elements," Seraphina explained. "Most people have affinity for at least one. Your father has lightning affinity, which is why he's so good with his sword techniques. Your brother Kael has fire affinity."
Ashen looked at the lightning symbol, then at his mother. "Papa."
"Very good! Yes, lightning is Papa's affinity." Seraphina seemed pleased by the connection. "We won't know what your affinity is until your awakening ceremony when you're five years old. But given your father's lightning and my light affinity, you'll probably have something impressive."
If only you knew I have Primordial-rank Space, Time, and Sword affinities hidden under concealment protocols. "Impressive" doesn't begin to cover it.
The next hour passed with Ashen methodically working through every book in his reach, absorbing information while playing the role of a curious toddler enjoying picture books. His mother read quietly nearby, occasionally glancing over to make sure he was content.
It was peaceful in a way that Ashen's previous life had never been. No deadlines looming, no boss demanding results, no pressure beyond a mother wanting to share knowledge with her child. Just quiet time in a library, learning about a world he'd spend the rest of his life navigating.
The door opened and Elara entered, carrying her usual stack of documents.
"Mother, I need your signature on these supply requisitions—oh." She noticed Ashen surrounded by books. "Starting his education early?"
"Just letting him explore the children's section. He seems quite interested in the pictures."
Elara approached and crouched down to Ashen's level, examining which book he currently held—a simplified history of the Asterian Empire.
"This one's about emperors and wars," she said, flipping to a page showing a battle scene. "See these soldiers? They're fighting to protect the Empire from invaders. Very brave, very heroic."
Ashen pointed at a figure in the back of the illustration—someone who appeared to be coordinating troop movements rather than fighting directly. "What?"
"That's a strategist. The person who plans battles instead of fighting in them." Elara's eyes showed approval. "Some people think strategists are less important than warriors, but they're wrong. A good strategist can win wars without losing a single soldier. That's real power."
She's not subtle about her own preferences, but she's not wrong either. Strategic thinking matters more than raw strength in the long run. Though having both is ideal.
"He's very focused on the books," Elara observed to Seraphina. "Most children his age would get bored after a few minutes."
"He's been here almost an hour now, completely engaged. I think he might take after you in the scholarly department."
"Would that be so bad? The family could use another administrator. Reikan will be Duke, Kael will handle military matters, but there's always need for capable people in economic and diplomatic positions."
"He's fifteen months old. Let's not assign him a career path just yet."
Elara smiled slightly. "Fair enough. Though early aptitude often indicates future interests." She straightened and handed the documents to Seraphina. "The requisitions, when you have time. No rush."
After Elara left, Ashen continued his exploration of the children's library. He found books on geography, basic mathematics, etiquette for noble children, and even a simplified bestiary showing common monsters found in various regions.
Each book was a piece of the puzzle, helping him understand how this world functioned beyond the broad strokes he remembered from the novel. The novel had focused on the protagonist's journey and major plot events, not the day-to-day details of how society actually operated.
But Ashen needed those details. Understanding economic systems, social hierarchies, regional politics, monster ecology—all of it would be useful in the decades to come.
A small commotion outside drew their attention. Through the library window, they could see Kael in the training yard below, apparently teaching some younger guards a new technique. His voice carried through the glass, enthusiastic and loud.
"No, no! You're putting all your power into the first strike, leaving nothing for the follow-up! Cultivation isn't just about hitting hard—it's about sustained offense!"
Seraphina shook her head with affectionate exasperation. "Your brother never stops training. Even when he's supposed to be resting, he finds someone to spar with or teach."
Ashen watched his brother demonstrate a combination attack, noting the technique's strengths and flaws. Kael was improving, definitely approaching D-Rank Peak as he'd predicted. His swordsmanship had gotten cleaner over the past few months, more controlled.
But he still had that tendency to overcommit on aggressive moves, leaving defensive gaps that a skilled opponent would exploit. Raw talent could only compensate for so much—true mastery required patience and self-awareness that Kael didn't quite possess.
Not that it mattered for Ashen's purposes. His brother's combat capabilities were interesting to observe but not particularly relevant to his own plans. Kael would be a competent military commander, probably quite successful within conventional warfare parameters.
But conventional warfare wouldn't stop cosmic threats.
"Should we head back for lunch?" Seraphina asked, checking the time on a small essence-powered clock. "You've been very good sitting still for so long, but you must be getting hungry."
Ashen was actually perfectly fine—his Primordial Physique meant his body's needs were less demanding than normal children's. But maintaining the appearance of normal infant behavior was important.
"Hungry," he agreed, using one of his limited vocabulary words.
Seraphina gathered him up, leaving the books scattered on the mat. "We'll come back another day. Would you like that? More time with the books?"
"Yes!" Ashen made sure to sound enthusiastic. Getting regular access to the library, even just the children's section, would be valuable.
They made their way through the castle corridors toward the family dining hall. Servants bowed as they passed, and Ashen caught snippets of their conversations—discussions about supply deliveries, gossip about a guard's engagement, concerns about a minor essence fluctuation detected in the eastern wing.
Normal, everyday concerns of people living their lives. None of them aware that reality itself would start fraying in a few decades, that cosmic entities would eventually view their world as a resource to be harvested.
It created a strange disconnection in Ashen's mind. These people went about their daily routines, worried about mundane things, completely oblivious to the larger threats looming in the future. Meanwhile, he carried knowledge that would terrify them, preparing for battles they couldn't imagine.
Was that burden? Or privilege? Maybe both.
Lunch was served in the smaller family dining room rather than the formal hall. Aldric was there, along with Reikan and surprisingly, Lyra, who'd apparently returned from whatever expedition she'd been on.
"Little brother!" Lyra called out, gesturing dramatically. "I have amazing news! I found a frost lotus in the northern mountains! Do you know how rare those are?"
Ashen looked at her blankly, playing his role.
"Very rare," Aldric supplied. "Worth quite a bit if sold to the right alchemist. Planning to keep it?"
"Actually, I was thinking of giving it to Mother. It's supposed to be excellent for light-affinity cultivators." Lyra pulled a small essence-preserved container from her bag, showing the delicate blue-white flower inside. "Thought she might find it useful."
Seraphina looked touched. "Lyra, that's incredibly thoughtful. Thank you."
"Don't get mushy on me. I'm still the irresponsible adventurer of the family."
"You can be irresponsible and thoughtful simultaneously," Elara noted, joining them with her usual stack of papers. "The two aren't mutually exclusive."
The family settled into lunch, conversation flowing around Ashen as he ate his portion of mashed food. He listened carefully, cataloguing information about frost lotuses and their properties, the political implications of Reikan's upcoming trip to the capital, Kael's progress toward his breakthrough.
"The eastern monster surge has gotten worse," Reikan reported between bites. "House Crimson sent another request for aid, though they're still not making it official."
"Pride will get them killed," Aldric said bluntly. "If they need help, they should ask properly instead of sending these vague hints."
"Political complications. If they admit they can't handle it alone, they lose face among the five great houses."
"Better to lose face than lose territory to monsters."
Ashen absorbed this information with interest. The eastern monster surge was accelerating faster than the novel had described. Either his memory was imperfect, or his presence had created some kind of butterfly effect that was changing minor events.
Something to monitor carefully.
After lunch, Seraphina brought him to the gardens for afternoon sunshine. It was becoming a daily routine—morning lessons or exploration, lunch with family, afternoon outdoors, evening with parents.
Structured, predictable, safe.
Everything his previous life hadn't been.
Ashen practiced walking around the garden paths, still maintaining the wobbly toddler persona despite being fully capable of running if he chose. Seraphina followed close behind, ready to catch him if he fell.
"You're getting steadier every day," she encouraged. "Soon you'll be running around like your siblings used to. Then I'll never have a moment's peace."
Unlikely. I'm far too strategic to run around chaotically. But I appreciate the sentiment.
They passed the fountain where essence fish swam in their gravity-defying patterns. Ashen stopped to watch them, genuinely fascinated by the enchantment maintaining the water's unnatural flow.
The magic system in this world was complex, built on understanding fundamental forces and manipulating them through will and essence. The fountain's enchantment was probably considered basic by cultivation standards, but it represented sophisticated knowledge of spatial and gravitational principles.
Knowledge he'd eventually master and surpass.
But not today. Today he was a toddler watching pretty fish swim in magical water, marveling at simple wonders with his mother beside him.
Sometimes the simplest moments were the ones worth remembering.
"Ashen," Seraphina said softly, sitting on a garden bench and pulling him into her lap. "Do you know how much you're loved?"
He looked up at her face, seeing genuine emotion there.
"Your father and I, your siblings—we all care about you so much. Whatever you become, whatever path you choose, that won't change. You're ours, and we're yours."
If only it were that simple. If only love could exist without secrets, without the weight of knowledge that had to remain hidden.
But in this moment, sitting in his mother's arms with sunshine warming the garden and essence fish swimming their impossible patterns, Ashen let himself just be a child being held by someone who loved him.
The deception could wait. The plans could wait. The future threats could wait.
Right now, this was enough.
The system pulsed once, quiet acknowledgment in the back of his consciousness.
[PRIMORDIAL AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM]
═══════════════════════════════
No techniques detected.
═══════════════════════════════
Still dormant. Still patient.
Forty-five more months until awakening.
The journey continued, one peaceful afternoon at a time.