CHAPTER 11 — THE YEARS OF SILENT GROWTH (Age 2 → 3)
Part 1 of 6
Age 2 — The World of First Words
The months after Árman's second birthday passed gently, like warm Brazilian breezes drifting through the Azevedo estate. Life settled into an easy rhythm—one filled with laughter, footsteps echoing through marble halls, and the constant soft chatter of a large loving family.
To the world, he was simply:
The Azevedo Miracle Child
Beautiful beyond his age, sweet, gentle, always glowing with warmth.
To his family, he was everything.
And inside his mind?
He was quietly learning, expanding, evolving—without showing a single trace.
---
First Steps into Speech
By 2 years and 4 months, he had progressed from "mama" and "dada" to simple but adorable attempts:
"Na-na!" (Helena)
"Ta-ta!" (Thiago)
"Pa-pa!" (for Augusto)
"Baa!" (ball)
Every time he said a new word, the whole family reacted like he discovered fire.
Helena would gasp dramatically.
Sofia would cry.
Isabella would hug him tight.
Leonardo would record every second on his phone.
And Árman?
He just blinked and giggled innocently—while understanding EVERY conversation in the mansion thanks to Language Master.
But he never said anything complex.
He made sure of it.
He had to stay normal.
---
Life Surrounded by Love
His days were filled beautifully:
Mornings
He woke up with messy white hair, clutching his tiny football.
Leonardo lifted him from bed every day and kissed his forehead.
"Bom dia, campeão."
Árman always replied with a soft, sleepy:
"Da…"
Afternoons
He played in the garden with cousins:
João, Mateo, and Lucas (the little chaos trio) chased him around.
The baby girls, Clara and Sofia, hugged him constantly like he was a living plush toy.
The adults watched fondly.
"Look at how they adore him," Alejandra always said.
"He's like a magnet."
Even the household staff cherished him.
The butlers bowed to him as if he was royalty.
Maids smiled whenever he toddled past them, carrying his little football.
Nights
He slept with a peacefulness that made the whole mansion feel safe.
And sometimes, alone in his crib…
he whispered to the system.
---
Private Moments With the System
Slowly, he explored the system more carefully.
Not too much.
Not too fast.
Just enough to understand its structure.
He read (mentally) millions of items, abilities, templates.
He didn't buy anything new—he wanted to develop naturally for now.
He understood one thing:
His body was not ready yet.
A baby's body couldn't handle cosmic power.
He needed to grow.
And he accepted that.
---
Age 3 — The Question That Would Change Everything
18 March 2013 — His 3rd Birthday
The mansion was decorated again—more mature this time, but still full of pastel colors.
The whole family gathered, singing, hugging, celebrating.
He blew the number "3" candle with a stronger puff than last year.
Everyone exploded in applause.
He received gifts again:
new shoes
children's storybooks
a tiny backpack
toy cars
a plush dolphin
baby-sized football boots (Leonardo's idea)
clothes
building blocks
And then a rainbow-colored cake smashed on his face by João.
The laughter was endless.
It was a perfect third birthday.
But that night?
Everything changed.
---
A Conversation in the Dark
The mansion was quiet.
The moonlight painted silver lines across his crib.
He hugged his blanket and whispered mentally:
"System…"
A soft chime rang in his mind.
[Yes, Master.]
A thought had been bothering him for months.
A dream he held since he lived in his previous world.
He swallowed lightly.
"System… can I buy the Superman template?"
(The strongest version—the one with limitless potential.)
There was a pause—then the answer came clearly, softly:
[No, Master.
Your current body cannot handle that template.]
His little heart sank slightly.
But the system continued:
[Master must wait until the body reaches age five.]
Five.
That number settled deep into his mind.
Not three.
Not four.
Five.
"Why five?" he asked gently.
[At five, your bones, muscles, neurons, and mana pathways will be strong enough to withstand template integration.]
Árman nodded slowly in understanding.
He wasn't disappointed.
Instead?
He was excited.
He had a goal now.
A timeline.
A milestone.
Age five.
The year he would ascend.
But he had to act normal until then.
Very normal.
---
Life At Three — Normal Outside, Infinite Inside
He spent his third year as a completely normal, adorable child.
He climbed onto his father's lap during meetings.
He held his mother's finger while walking down the hall.
He played hide-and-seek with cousins.
He napped on Helena's lap after lunch.
He giggled whenever Thiago lifted him high.
He helped Sofia water flowers (though he mostly splashed water on himself).
He visited Ricardo's hospital and waved at the workers.
Everyone adored him.
And he remained perfectly normal.
But inside, his mind sharpened every day.
His comprehension grew.
His emotional control matured.
His planning became clearer.
He wasn't in a rush.
He was patient.
Five years old.
Everything would begin then.