《Aether》 Chapter 1: The Beginning ¡°Wuu.¡± When Spring gathered every ounce of strength to open his heavy eyelids, a simple, crude yet tidy room appeared before his eyes. This familiar scene caused him to blink distractedly, unable to make sense of why he was here, though soon after, he promptly turned his head in a flash of understanding. Sure enough, he saw the two figures of a man and a woman seated at a table in the room. ¡°Father, mother¡­¡­¡± As Spring gazed at the two figures, he grew spirited and let out a soft cry. Dressed somewhat plainly and about thirty years in age, she looked quite homely. Her body was a bit, let¡¯s just say, wide, and her arms muscular from doing the chores daily. This was Spring¡¯s mother, May. Little bastard, you¡¯ve woken? Now, shall we speak about the ¡®incident¡¯? Seated beside the woman was a man who looked to be about thirty or forty years old. His body was slightly frail yet he had a bit of sternness in his brows, he also seemed to be suffering from serious injuries as his face was pale which in turn masked up a large part of his sternness. This was Spring¡¯s father, August. Turning to face his oftentimes-stern father, Spring ostensibly displayed a sliver of fear, pulling back his neck, though soon after he somewhat defiantly declared, and ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. He insulted me.¡± ¡°So you picked a fight with a boy 2 layers higher than you?¡± ¡°In my defense, it was a really mean insult.¡± ¡°You came home on a stretcher!¡± As he spoke, Spring reached to feel the still aching wound on his chest, and clenched his teeth. Today was merely one of the several times this had happened. His elemental rank was rather low, and his family didn¡¯t have access to many spells. Today¡¯s setback hardly dented his faith in himself because he had only been training for about half a year and he did not expect to make much progress. He remained confident that given the same time and conditions to train, he would not lose out to anyone. After all, he had a high elemental affinity, and we worked tirelessly every day. Nevertheless, right after the class ended, as Spring was preparing to make his way home, he encountered a fellow with whom he had some bad history. His original plan was to ignore that chap, however after a few rounds of deliberate provocation, he could no longer stand it and in a moment of fury, the young and hot-blooded Spring attacked the provocateur. Nonetheless, the results were clear as day as a fireball immediately soundly knocked him out. ¡°Melon, you had better remember this! The next time, I vow to smash your head into a pulp, or my name is not Spring!¡± Spring ground his teeth together. The Melon mentioned, was the perpetrator of this incident, and the number one enemy in Spring¡¯s heart. Because their fathers had bad blood between them, Melon constantly tried to inconvenience Spring, and the latest incident was just one of many. One moment he was resolutely clenching his jaw, yet the next, Spring was hanging his head dejectedly. Though Melon was extremely vile, the fact remained that he was currently already a 1st rank 4th layer fire mage. In Turquoise village, this kind of achievement was considered better than average. Compared to the 2nd layer that Spring was at, it was indeed much better. The 1st rank of mages is divided into 9 layers; the difference between the first three layers is not significant as it only improves one¡¯s casting speed and foundations slightly. Only when reaching the 4th layer will results truly begin to show. Casting speed becomes faster, elements be materialized and used as projectiles, and the body gets substantial amounts of protection. Since Melon was currently at that level, Spring, who had only mastered the second layer, was clearly outclassed. As for why there was such a disparity between the two, although they were both of similar age, it was not due to a difference in their potential. For the 1st rank, talent was not a key factor, in fact it could be said that anyone could train in it, as long as he had some affinity for some element. However, how far they were able to progress would depend on one¡¯s wealth and knowledge. Simply speaking, potions and spellbooks. Thus, those who had access to a more varied selection of spells, and those who could splurge on potions had greater progress, especially in the earlier ranks. As the rank of the mage improved, however, elemental affinity becomes more and more important for growth. However, as children just starting out, the access to potions and the availability of spells were the key factors in judging a person¡¯s strength. This is the so-called wealth! The reason why Melon was able to surpass Spring by two layers was not that he had trained for half a year more but largely that his father had wealth. In comparison to Spring who lacked this good fortune and therefore the access to potions. Thus, his training progress was naturally much slower than the former¡­ ¡°It¡¯s your fault I can¡¯t beat him anyway¡­¡± Spring muttered under his breath. Suddenly, as August heard Spring¡¯s mutterings, his palm that was resting on the table clenched tightly, as his expression grew a shade darker. To the side, May, who had seen this change, promptly signaled to Spring with her eyes before the latter hastily shut his mouth. ¡°You ungrateful brat! Do you know how much your medical expenses cost us? Perhaps if you stopped picking fights so often, we would have more funds to buy you potions. Why don¡¯t you try earning money, you miserable prick?¡± ¡°Smack!¡± ¡°Thud!¡± As his fist connected, Spring¡¯s chair toppled backwards, making a loud sound. After his short outburst, he slowly calmed down.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Leave!¡± ¡°Father, I¡­¡± ¡°Just go.¡± As Spring left the room, August called his wife over. He waved his hands as he said, ¡°May, take the Redleaf Mushroom and pass it to the brat. With it, his training should go slightly faster. There¡¯s only half a year left till the family competition, if he doesn¡¯t make the most of this time to train, he will only bring shame to us.¡± ¡°But your injuries¡­¡± May hastily said before she fell into a quiet stupor. ¡°I am already a useless person, no matter what kind of remedies are used, it would all be for naught. In the future, I will spend more time finding ingredients in the mountain for him.¡± August declared in a self-mocking tone as he shook his head. ¡°Honey¡­¡± August subconsciously clenched his fist tightly as a deep pain flashed across his face. A moment later, he stood up and tiredly walked outside the room. ¡°May, brew the potions for our child, my injuries are fine, it¡¯s already been so many years, what use would one Redleaf possibly be?¡± Gazing at his somewhat decrepit back, May¡¯s eyes reddened, who could have imaged that that the man who was once the most gifted and remarkable man in Turquoise Town would end up in such a slump. In his room, as he was circulating mana, Spring heard sobbing coming from the kitchen. Checking to see that his father had left the room, he entered to see his mother sobbing softly. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry, Your son promises that he will work hard in his training. And when the time comes, I will find a way to cure father.¡± Spring softly said as he pulled at the corner of May¡¯s clothes. ¡°Spring, don¡¯t blame your father if he is strict towards you. It is just because he has devoted everything to you; after all, you should know that you are his only hope.¡± May muttered softly as she lowered her head, lightly wiping at her eyes and stroking Spring¡¯s tiny head while she gazed at the earnest expression on Spring¡¯s young and tender face. ¡°Mother, I have heard that top three contestants in the upcoming family competition will obtain a type of 3rd grade ingredient called the Vermillion Fruit. I once heard an uncle say that it is very effective in treating injuries. If I manage to obtain it, it would definitely aid to heal the wounds in Father¡¯s body.¡± As if he had suddenly thought of something, Spring lifted his head as he said while watching May with shining eyes. ¡°Vermillion Fruit¡­¡­¡± Hearing these words, May was slightly taken aback. Nonetheless, she helplessly shook her head: ¡°It is not easy to be the top three in the family competition; it is good that you have the heart. Mother will leave first and brew the Redleaf for you.¡± As she finished, May turned to walk out of the room. Within the current younger generation in the Grassblade family, there were already a few that had obtained decent accomplishments, therefore it would not be easy for Spring to enter the top three and obtain the Vermillion Fruit. Hence, she did not take this matter too seriously. As he gazed at May¡¯s leaving back, Spring¡¯s lips pursed tightly together, clenching his tiny fists: ¡°Mother, rest assured, I will definitely obtain that Vermillion Fruit and heal the injuries in father¡¯s body!¡± As Spring thought of August¡¯s injury, a deep hatred suddenly surfaced in his eyes. The reason why many often ridiculed father was that one man! The Grassblade family that Spring belonged to was only a small family, even in Turquoise Town, they could not be considered the best. Yet this unremarkable looking Grassblade family had a highly respectable background that would shock many people: they were of the Grassblade Clan. One of the four great clans of the Thimble kingdom, the Grassblade Clan! From a certain point of view, the Grassblade Family of Turquoise Town could count as an extension of the Grassblade Clan, yet to Spring who had never travelled beyond a hundred miles of Turquoise Town; the overwhelming strength of the Grassblade Clan in the Thimble Kingdom was just another unfamiliar and distant thing. What Spring knew from the occasional scraps of information gleaned from his father, was that the branch they belonged to was actually once part of the inner circle of the Grassblade Clan. It was only because of one mission. The failure of Spring¡¯s grandfather in that mission had led to a huge loss for the clan; consequently, he was expelled from the inner circle and banished to Turquoise Town. Here, he established this small Grassblade Family and over these tens of years, he has tried everything he could in order to fulfill a lifelong dream: to return to the inner circle of the Grassblade Clan. Yet not all his efforts amounted to much. All that he had accomplished was not even worth mentioning to the huge and incomparable Grassblade Clan. Therefore, he could only turn his attention to other places, such as the Ten-Year Clan Gathering of the Grassblade Clan. This was the most important gathering of the Grassblade Clan and an extremely famous event in the entire Thimble Kingdom. Held every ten years, each gathering presented the perfect opportunity for the younger generations in the clan to stand in the spotlight and make a name for themselves. Moreover, many of the prizes for this humongous competition were naturally so generous, that they would draw covetous gazes. Yet, the most appealing caveat for Spring¡¯s grandfather lay in the fact that as long as one could enter the top ten in this gathering, even if you were an outsider to the clan, you will be promoted into the inner circle with no obstructions and obtain unparalleled honor. Thus, the clan gathering gave Spring¡¯s Grandfather new hope. However, because of his age, he was already unable to participate; therefore, he placed all of his hopes onto his five sons. Naturally the most outstanding one of them all, Spring¡¯s father, became grandfather¡¯s and the entire Grassblade Family¡¯s ray of hope. Even though Spring¡¯s father carried this heavy burden on his shoulders, he did not betray their expectations. Among the five brothers, he was the earliest to become a 2nd ranked mage. Furthermore, in another short four years, he once again advance to become the second 3rd rank mage in the Grassblade Family after grandfather. This spectacular progress caused the normally quiet and stern grandfather to elicit a kind and gratified smile on his aged face every time he met his father. It was said that in all of the ten long years, this was the time that grandfather smiled the most. However, when the Ten-Year Clan Gathering finally arrived, the outcome shocked all the members of the Grassblade Family, and left them deep in the abyss of despair. One spell! In just one spell, his father, the shining ray of hope for the Grassblade Family, was cruelly defeated! Furthermore, this happened in the first match right at the start of the gathering! Years of expectations and nurturing crumbled into dust within that brief moment. Furthermore, his mana circuit was ruptured, leaving him unable to cast. The final reward for losers was naturally countless peculiar gazes as well as an endless stream of mocking sneers. Like a pack of stray dogs, they returned to Turquoise Town defeated. Within the family, what was once respectful gazes had gradually turned to sighs and disappointment¡­ Faced with disaster after disaster, August finally gave up all hope. Every time he got drunk, he would furiously pound at his own chest. The sound of the dull thuds broke his mother¡¯s heart as she quietly stood aside and brushed off her falling tears. Even though Spring was still young when he witnessed this scene, he felt as though his heart was sliced to shreds. At the same time, in his young heart, seeds of hatred were quietly planted towards the man who had humiliated and devastated his father. He not only destroyed my father but he ruined his family as well! As for the man in question, later on, Spring by chance heard his uncle and the others mention him with loathing and powerless tones. At 10, he started training. At 14, he became rank 2 mage. At 17, he advanced to rank 3. At 25, his mana condensed to form a jewel. He joined the ranks of the rarified few in the Thimble Kingdom to form a jewel before the age of 30. The story of his life was practically one legendary feat after another. His name was Grassblade October. In his room, Spring clenched his fist tightly, as thick hatred brewed in his eyes. Chapter 2: Still no Real Story In the wee hours of the morning, stood a lonely mountain peak surrounded by a thick white fog that caused one''s vision to become fuzzy. ¡°Huff~huff~¡± Within a dense forest behind the mountain peak, a sudden and intense gasp sounded out. Upon taking a closer look, in an open space within the woods, a tiny figure could be seen sitting cross-legged, with winds moving around him. Mana flowed into his body, and flowed out, constantly, at nearly the same rate. Naturally, this tiny figure was Spring. Unlike his peers, he did not enjoy the luxury of wealth and riches due to his childhood circumstances, but rather his strict father taught him that the most important things for training were willpower and diligence. These things were his only advantage over the rest of his peers who were blessed with a good amount of wealth. Although the rate of movement of mana was slow, it was constant, churning throughout his body, never stopping. Any sweat produced by his body was instantly blown away by the surrounding air currents. His mana circuits were throbbing with a slow, dull pain, akin to a headache. Nothing too painful, but becomes unbearable over long periods. However, he remembered what his father told him. Only during this time, will one be able to break through his limits. Hence, he must endure! He absolutely must not let go! For the Family Competition half a year later, he needed to train as if his life was on the line! The sensation you receive as you approach your limit leaves you feeling dizzy and nauseous. Nonetheless, Spring gritted his teeth and persevered on. Suddenly, he stopped. Out of mana. He reached down, to the side of the boulder and picked up a small glass vial filled with red liquid. He downed it in one gulp and a warm feeling started rising from the pit of his stomach. He felt a strange heat gushing from within his body, and immediately this feeling refreshed him and lifted his spirits. It was the power of the Redleaf potion! Several days ago, the Redleaf was meant to be used to heal August¡¯s injuries. However, upon August¡¯s insistence, it was finally delivered to Spring instead. It must be said that this kind of potion truly provides a major boost for a low-layered practitioner like Spring. Within a mere few days of training, Spring could clearly feel that his mana had become at least twice as strong as it used to be. Every time his mana was on the verge of collapse, he would take a drink, and his training would be revitalized. However, while the Redleaf provided a major boost to Spring¡¯s training, the amount of the potion was not unlimited. After all, it was but a single mushroom. Therefore, after five days, there was no more potion to drink. ¡°Hei¡­¡± Spring hopped off the boulder. He had been sitting in the same spot for 5 days and 6 nights, not moving in the slightest. ¡°3rd Layer!¡± Spring gripped his tiny fists tightly as he enjoyed the power surging through his circuits, his tiny face breaking out into a smile of surprise and delight. Due to his family circumstances, ever since he started training, he had little opportunity to make use of potions. Thus, he did not expect that just after a single use, the results actually turned out so good. ¡°Hmm, not bad¡­¡± As Spring was busy celebrating his advancement, a voice echoed from beside him. He hastily turned his head to see August standing below a big tree, clothed in a plain attire. Furthermore, he could see a shadow of a smile emerging on August¡¯s usually stern face. ¡°Father.¡± Spring excitedly proclaimed when he saw August who was standing beside the tree. August nodded his head as he approached Spring. Scanning his son¡¯s body, a rare smile finally emerged, as he said, ¡°3rd Layer, not bad.¡± ¡°It was all thanks to the Redleaf¡±, Spring chuckled as he dipped and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s merely one mushroom, even if given to others, they would finish it before ever reaching layer 3. This is the result of your hard work and training.¡± August softly sighed as he gazed at Spring who was standing before him. He had naturally noticed how hard Spring was pushing himself during this period. Several times, he would see his wife tearing up and even though he did not say anything, as Spring¡¯s father, he nonetheless felt some heartache.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He understood that the reason why Spring was training so incessantly was that he desired to achieve a good result in the upcoming annual Family Competition that was half a year away. This would restore some of his father¡¯s honor and reputation in the Grassblade Family. Spring grinned happily, as he felt that all his hard work and effort after all this time had finally bore some fruit. He felt that he was catching up to the top students in the Grassblade Family. ¡°Since you have reached 3rd Layer, you are now just eligible to learn an actual spell. Nothing fancy, it¡¯s the standard wind-blade,¡± August said. Upon hearing this news, Spring¡¯s jet-black eyes immediately lit up. Even though he had finally reached 3rd Layer, he did not know any spells at all, and when he fought with others, he came home in a stretcher. Therefore, in his heart, he was very eager to learn this spell in order to boost his fighting potential. However, because of the injuries in his father¡¯s body, August had yet to teach him any spells. Now that his chance has finally arrived, he was naturally ecstatic. Spring nodded his head; he did not feel upset even though he was only learning a standard, basic spell. He understood that you need to take things systematically, and that for most people, it was already a great opportunity to learn spells in the first place. ¡°Even though spells have different levels, the most important part lies in the user himself. In the hands of a strong user, even a standard spell can become a powerful and deadly force. Therefore, the stronger one¡¯s mana is, the more powerful his attacks become.¡± August extended his palm and signaled to Spring, ¡°Come, and use all your strength to attack me.¡± Spring blinked his eyes, as he gathered a clump of mana on his palm and shot it forward. As he faced Spring¡¯s full-power blow, August merely stretched forth his hand, and the mana dissipated. ¡°This is why spells are necessary.¡± Autumn said, and stretched his arm forward. Wind mana gathered on his palm, and then moved itself, taking the shape of a symbol, a glyph. Then, another one appeared, different from the first. Then there were five, then nine. The nine gathered on his palm and formed a green crescent of light. The crescent flew out and impaled several trees before embedding itself in a boulder and stopping. ¡°You had better watch closely and memorize all nine glyphs closely!¡± A lot slower this time, August merely formed the glyphs one by one and shot them as individual wind blades. Spring gazed attentively as August¡¯s mana danced around, his mind concentrated solely on the sight before him. Everything else was ignored, and all that was reflected in his eyes were the glowing symbols appearing and disappearing on August¡¯s palm. Because he was teaching Spring, August purposely slowed down and repeated each glyph a few times. Finally he gently slowed to a halt and turned to face Spring, asking, ¡°Have you memorized it?¡± Spring muttered to himself for a while before nodding his head, somewhat unsure. ¡°Oh? Why don¡¯t you show me?¡± Astonishment streaked across August¡¯s face; although he had slowed his speed by quite a bit, these nine glyphs were not extremely easy to learn. Moreover, this was Spring¡¯s first ever contact with glyphs, could he have actually managed to memorize it so quickly? As if he could sense August¡¯s astonishment, Spring extended his palm out, then moved his mana about, though in a shoddy and slow manner. A bit of delight emerged on August¡¯s face as he stood to one side and witnessed, his son go through all 9 glyphs. Even though his performance was very amateurish and carried little substance, his accomplishment was still impressive especially considering that this was his first ever exposure to the Penetrating Fist. Moreover, this also demonstrated that he was a gifted and talented learner. Upon discovery of this fact, August felt overjoyed as he realized his son had inherited the kind of potential that he had at that age. ¡°Father, why is it that I cannot create the wind blade?¡± Spring helplessly asked as he completed another set of glyphs in shoddy and slow manner. ¡°You little brat, if it were so easy to produce a spell, then mages would be everywhere.¡± August chided before continuing: ¡°Your glyphs are hollow and meaningless, full of imperfections. Don¡¯t try doing all nine simultaneously. Instead, take them one by one, and truly understand the meaning behind each one. Each time you learn a new glyph, your wind blade will get stronger. Once you have mastered all nine, then you would be considered to have successfully learnt this set of moves. Come, try a few more times.¡± Spring¡¯s mouth chanted these words a few times before he tried to turn theory into action as he drilled. Meanwhile, August stood beside him, while occasionally pointing out some mistakes or slipups. The afternoon quickly passed as Spring continuously practiced without rest, and his efforts was not for naught. Spring gradually became more proficient at the first glyph and although he was still unable to cast the spell, his attitude did not waver at all. ¡°Let today¡¯s training end here, you can resume your practice tomorrow.¡± August suddenly said as he glanced to the sky before turning back to look at Spring who was perspiring profusely. The amount of dedication and persistence the latter had displayed in his training had caused even him to be somewhat moved. Soon after, he secretly sighed as he moaned the fact that his many years of dispiritedness had forced his child to mature a lot faster than normal. ¡°En, Father please go back to rest first, let me stay just a little longer before returning home.¡± Spring replied his mana did not stop as he concentrated on following August¡¯s instructions to feel the tiny movements and changes in the power flowing through his circuit. In response, August could only helplessly shake his head. Spring¡¯s improvement was very distinct, but truly forming a glyph was not easy, August had previously trained for a whole week before he finally succeeded. Quickly informing Spring that he was leaving, August turned around with his hands at his back. As he turned, a smiling expression surfaced on his face, the perceptive ability that Spring displayed today caused him to be extremely satisfied. ¡°This child is unusually perceptive and possesses an unrelenting willpower that even surpasses me at my prime, this shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him¡­¡­¡± *THUD* As this thought flashed across August¡¯s mind, a loud, clear and crisp ¡®THUD¡¯ sound abruptly sounded out from behind. Immediately, his face went rigid as he staggered forward. Yet, at this moment, a bright light sparkled in his eyes. ¡°It appears that it was not too difficult but a rather easy matter for him to accomplish ¡­¡­¡± Chapter 3: Theres Actually Story this Time In the open space, a tree had fallen, cut at the trunk about 2 feet above the ground. Spring stared blankly at the fallen tree as a euphoric look emerged on his small face. Yet when he lifted his head, he saw that August¡¯s figure was already slowly walking out of the forest. ¡°Heh heh, tomorrow I will show father, I am sure that he will be pleasantly surprised.¡± Spring grinned. He was so ecstatic that he immediately tried to replicate this achievement. Repeatedly, blades of wind flew and trees were felled. Suddenly waves of pain emitted from his arm, he hastily lifted his sleeve only to find that his entire arm was covered in blood red marks, so much so that there were even places where the skin had peeled back as blood continuously oozed out. ¡°Hss¡­¡­¡± Overdrawn mana. Dazed, as if in a trance, Spring wandered off deeper into the forest. Overexertion of mana had caused a large physical and mental fatigue on him, thus leading to confusion and shock due to pain. Approximately 10 minutes later, a steep cliff appeared before him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of his surroundings. His mana had partially recovered, to the extent where regular mental procedures wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance. He cautiously looked around, before following a path of jutting rocks down the cliff, uncertain how he had gotten here to begin with. Spring was quite unfamiliar with this part of the forest. However, as he carefully descended, there were no accidents. After a while, a cave that was hidden from sight by a few huge rocks appeared before him. Slowly entering into the cave, a cool and refreshing feeling blew away the stench and sweat on Spring¡¯s body. Compared to the blistering hot weather outside, the cave was like a different world, and a great place to take shelter from the heat. Curiosity got hold of him as he ventured deeper within. The inside of the cave was not extremely spacious. Other than a 6-10 meter wide rock pool at the center of the cave, there was nothing else special in this cave. Walking towards to the rock pool, one would see that it was filled with crystal clear water, and atop the water, a slightly cold breeze floated back and forth. Warily checking the water for threats, Spring got an irresistible urge to enter. Arriving beside the rock pool, Spring quickly took off his clothes, and straightaway jumped into the water. The slightly cold air caused his body to shiver for a little but he quickly adapted to the cold. After Spring soaked in the water here, he unknowingly felt his mind become particularly sharp and he was able to enter into a concentrated state quickly. There did not seem to be any merit to this kind of feeling, however it felt quite pleasant. ¡°Is it just me?¡± As he laid in the rock pool, Spring cupped some water in his hands and watched it slowly flow off. Spring leaned against the edge of the rock pool, as he relaxed, his head facing upwards with his eyes shut. His thoughts ran wild for a while before unexpectedly, he gradually fell into a deep sleep. This period of training was too extreme for him and now that he had finally found some time to relax, his pent up exhaustion started to spread out from his bones. As Spring soundly slept, the cave once again became peaceful as the pool water gently heaved about. ¡°Plop¡­¡­¡± Amidst the silence, a disturbance suddenly started in the clear water. A dark red drop of blood rolled down from Spring¡¯s injured arm and quietly fell into the pool. As this drop of blood fell, the originally peaceful water abruptly started boiling. One by one, bubbles with faint traces of blood-like color emerged to rise up from the surface of the water before bursting around Spring¡¯s resting body. Traces of faintly red colored liquid scattered in the air and as if they had a mind of their own, moved to twine around Spring¡¯s body before finally quickly entering through his pores. Just as these faintly red colored liquid seeped into Spring¡¯s body, it gave rise to a sensation as if the mana* in his body were violently compressed. Like a tide, a torrent of sweat gushed forth, converging together and then streaming into the water. This sensation was akin to ferociously squeezing out all of the water from a wet sponge. After approximately 10 minutes, the water in the pool stopped boiling. Just as the pool water began to calm down, Spring suddenly awoke and shouted, ¡°Hot!¡± ¡°Splash!¡± As he shrieked, Spring swiftly ducked his head and immersed his whole body in the pool. After a while, he finally broke the surface to catch his breath. A look of bewilderment was plastered on his face as shortly before he awoke, he felt as though he was being baked in a furnace, and the burning sensation he experienced was what caused him to involuntarily scream out.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Why would it be so hot in here?¡± Spring pondered as he stood in the pool for a while in order to cool himself off, before he finally decided to climb out. Standing beside the rock pool while thinking for a while, Spring wordlessly shook his head. Just as he grabbed up his clothes and started to put them on, his gaze suddenly paused at his arm. ¡°Huh?¡± Spring stared at his arm in wide disbelief. He clearly remembered that this arm was previously scarred with bloody wounds after his mistake, yet now all of his wounds seemed to have miraculously disappeared. Perplexed, Spring gently stroke his once wound ridden arm, suddenly, his body stiffened. An incredulous look swiftly surfaced on his face as he discovered that the skin on his arm had substantially hardened. ¡°How¡­¡­is this possible?!¡± This discovery left Spring dumbstruck as he stood in a daze on the spot. ¡°Illusion¡­ An illusion¡­ It must be an illusion!¡± Foolishly gazing at his arm for a moment, Spring shut his eyes and firmly inhaled in a few breaths of air. Only when his mind gradually calmed down did he once again gently stroke his arm, though still slightly trembling. Under his touch, the outer layer of skin felt reasonably hard. Although it had yet to reach the level of hardness present while channeling mana, Spring¡¯s skin was clearly several times harder than before, despite him not channeling mana whatsoever. ¡°How¡­¡­did this happen?¡± Although he was still giddy from happiness and excitement, Spring had matured at an earlier age than most; therefore, he managed to regain his calm and wits after a while. His tiny face tightly wrinkled up as he started to recall all the details of this affair. Yet there was nothing strange about the cave, thus, after taking a slow look around the cave, his gaze eventually came to rest upon the rock pool. ¡°Could there really be something strange about this rock pool?¡± What had actually happened? It could not possibly be because of the Redleaf as it was merely a grade 1 ingredient. ¡°There was definitely something different today.¡± Spring tightly pursed his lips together, a stubborn determination on his small face. He understood that it would be of utmost importance to him to discover the mystery within. Spring squatted beside the rock pool, his brows tightly knitted together in thought. His palm subconsciously moved to stroke his arm, and he froze. His gaze slowly moved to fix on his arm, where many traces of blood used to be. ¡°Blood?¡± Spring¡¯s eyes brightened. He suddenly pulled out a small dagger hidden in a slit within a pile of rocks near the rock pool that he had previously left behind. Spring gently sliced his fingertip with the dagger, causing a drop of blood to emerge He hesitated for a second before he carefully dripped it into the rock pool. ¡°Plop!¡± The sound of blood dripping into the pool resonated clearly within the quietness of the cave. However, Spring kept his eyes keenly peeled onto the location where the drop of blood had fallen. Just as the drop of blood touched the rock pool, a wave of ripples emerged as the reddish hue of the blood gradually dissipated. Water bubbles swiftly emerged from the serene rock pool, startling Spring. A reddish liquid was faintly discernable within each bubble. Spring¡¯s throat clenched as he hesitantly extended his hand into the rock pool. Instantly, the water bubbles exploded and a gooey light-red liquid stuck onto his palm. The liquid then slowly seeped in through his pores. As the light-red liquid seeped into his body, Spring¡¯s palm suddenly experienced a burning sensation. This sensation was the same as how he felt when he was abruptly awoken. Moreover, this time he could clearly feel that as the liquid seeped into his palm, the skin on his palm was gradually becoming tougher. ¡°This is indeed the case!¡± As he noted the changes to his palm, Spring¡¯s tiny face instantly lit up. His had guessed correctly! The water in this rock pool required blood to activate their special properties. Spring gripped then extended his palm a few times, only to discover that the skin on this palm had indeed become much tougher than the rest of his body. His mana had also experienced a significant boost, nearing layer 4. Furthermore, this effect was achieved after only a short exposure. According to Spring¡¯s calculations, he estimated that the effect of this water was truly legendary and even exceeded the effects of those grade 3 potions, brewed from countless ingredients, sold in Turquoise Town. ¡°Hmm, how is it that this water can bring such a remarkable effect that even surpasses that of a grade 3 potion?¡± Spring sighed deeply as he rubbed his forehead. This mysterious rock pool had overly excited his emotions and he decided to lie down beside the rock pool to take a breather. Regardless, even though he was unable to uncover the reason why this rock pool held mysterious powers, this discovery was still bound to be highly beneficial to him. Due to his injuries, August requires several elixirs in order to nurse his health. However, these elixirs are expensive and owing to August¡¯s stubborn nature, he refused to accept any financial support from the Grassblade Family. As such, he would often try his luck and go hunt for ingredients by himself. Inevitably, this resulted in Spring being unable to enjoy the same privileged training conditions as his peers in the Grassblade Family. Hence, at this juncture, the effects of the rock pool was especially important to Spring. ¡°The effects of this rock pool must absolutely be kept a secret!¡± Spring gripped his tiny fist. He understood that he not only required the aid of this rock pool, but that if news of this rock pool spread out, it will surely lead to a huge commotion. At that time, perhaps several other factions in the Turquoise Town may get involved and this may spell a small calamity onto the whole Grassblade Family. ¡°Possessing treasure is no sin, but it will often lead to trouble!¡± Even though Spring was still young, he clearly understood this principle. As Spring tightly pursed his lips, he formulated a plan in his heart. Just as he was about to leave, something suddenly caught his eye and he softly gasped. He immediately turned his vision onto the ceiling of the cave as he caught a glimpse of light flickering over there. Under normal circumstances, if Spring encountered this situation, he would not give it even the slightest notice. However, now that he knew the effects of the rock pool, he became extremely attentive to the whole area surrounding the cave. Spring kept his eyes firmly locked onto the location where he spotted the flickering lights. Under his watchful gaze, the flickering light appeared again. However, it looked as though the light was flickering slightly more hastily. Soon after, a ray of light fell down into the rock pool. Due to the ray of light, a gentle ripple emerged on the surface of the rock pool. Spring stared at the location where the ray of light had fell into the rock pool. As he swallowed, he remembered catching a glimpse of what seemed to be a dark-red liquid within the light. That liquid¡­ it was exactly what Spring saw after his blood fell into the rock pool. ¡°It seems that the secret is hidden above¡­¡­¡± Spring softly murmured as his eyes brightened and he lifted his head to gaze above at the ceiling of the cave. Chapter 4: A training montage, I guess. ¡°What is this?¡± Spring stared blankly at the object in his hand; it looked like a gold pendent inlayed with a large ruby and was about as big as two fingers put together. After Spring had painstakingly climbed to the roof of the cave and searched about, he finally managed to find this stone piece in a hidden crevice. From the location it was found, It seemed like the liquid that had dripped into the rock pool had originated from this object. ¡°What a mysterious object.¡± As Spring muttered, he noticed that on the ruby, some cryptic patterns which looked like glyphs were faintly discernable. At this juncture, besides the cryptic and profound looking glyphs on the amulet, there were no other unusual aspects. Yet Spring understood that the shining drop of red liquid he had just seen was definitely not an illusion. ¡°The reason why the rock pool possessed that kind of special property must have something to do with this amulet¡­¡­¡± Spring sunk deep into thought. Previously, he had personally seen a drop of light fall into the rock pool, and only this was the only evidence that could explain why the rock pool would possess such a miraculous property. As Spring reasoned to himself, he realized that much time must have passed inside the cave, and decided to leave. He stuffed the amulet into his inner garments, placing it at the spot near his chest. As he wandered around the forest, he eventually reached the clearing. From there, as he picked up his things and was about to leave for home, ¡°Brother, hee hee, I knew that you would be here.¡± Just as Spring managed to clean up his things, a figure appeared at the entrance of the clearing. The figure was revealed to be a young girl who looked to be about 13 or 14 years old, wearing simple light colored clothes. Yet these simple clothes were unable to conceal the quick wittedness on her small face. Though the girl was rather young, her small face was rather elaborate, her huge eyes glittered, making her look extremely adorable. ¡°Ship!¡± Spring heard a voice exclaim. The voice was somewhat arrogant and pretentious, like a noble or scholar. It was also male. Most definitely male. Very clearly male. He looked around, bewildered. Other than his sister, nobody was around. ¡°You hear something?¡± She tilted her head, as though confused at his question. ¡°Never mind, then.¡± {#_#} Meanwhile, somewhere, a red haired man dressed in combat garb had his finger on his lips as he motioned his companions to keep quiet. He was muscular, yet nimble, a born warrior. Near him was a sky-blue haired man, significantly older, yet not yet ¡®old¡¯. His figure was more slight than the red haired man, but not frail, and he was dressed in a pristine, white lab coat. There was also a gigantic creature demon thing dude guy. Very, very large. Very, very bulky. His features were the color of dirt. It was basically a giant, buff, brown garchomp the size of a three story building. ¡°I think he can hear us.¡± The red haired man took his finger off his mouth then mouthed to the blue haired one. {#_#} Spring shook his head, and convinced himself he was hearing things. The girl was not a member of the Grassblade Family, rather she was adopted by May not long after he was born. She was younger by Spring by just a bit, so the two of them had grown up together and their relationship was akin to that of brother and sister, extremely intimate. April was her name. ¡°Brother, the sky is almost dark, dad asked me to come get you.¡± April laughed merrily as she approached, her small hands naturally pulling at Spring¡¯s arm as she dragged him out of the clearing. As she walked, she mumbled: ¡°If the sky had gotten dark, you won¡¯t be able to navigate the forest, don¡¯t tell me that you planned on sleeping here another night?¡± Gazing beside him at April, whose voice chirped melodiously like a lark, Spring could not help laugh. Soon after, his arm moved to lightly touch his chest area. At the centre of his chest was the amulet, which was emitting a cooling sensation. Although he did not know where this amulet came from, Spring¡¯s intuition told him that it was definitely no ordinary thing. As the dim light of the night shrouded the land, the cool and refreshing moonlight flowed down, washing away any remnants of heat from the day. In the room, Spring was fast asleep. Strands of moonlight sprayed from the window, some of which shined on Spring¡¯s body. Suddenly, the moonlight started to ripple like water, soon after a bizarre scene occurred. The moonlight unexpectedly started to gather at Spring¡¯s chest area, as if in response, the simple amulet emitted out a bit of light, causing it to be faintly discernable at the center of the light. As the amulet shined, the originally sleeping Spring slightly cracked opened his eyes. However, before he could fully open his eyes, a suddenly dizziness gushed forth from depths of his mind. Following which, he alarmingly found himself in a dark dark space. There was no light here, only silence and cold. This sudden change caused fear to rise up in Spring¡¯s heart. No matter what, he was still a 14 year old kid. ¡°Snicker!¡± As Spring choked in fear, a sudden voice broke the silence of the pitch-black space. Soon after, a glowing figure suddenly appeared before him. Carefully examining the figure, he realized that to his surprise, the figure looked exactly like him. However, its face did not have any signs of life, rather it was expressionless like a doll. ¡°What is going on¡­¡­¡± Spring blankly gazed at the glowing figure in front of him, his brain somewhat paralyzed with fear by this weird sight. While Spring was still in a daze, the glowing figure of ¡°Spring¡± suddenly moved. The figure¡¯s had adjusted its body and extended both its arms. A glyph appeared in the air in front of him, then five, then nine. ¡°Is this¡­ Wind blade?¡± The nine Glyphs interlocked, and mana gathered forth in the form of a blade of wind As he gazed at the fist technique displayed by the glowing figure, Spring¡¯s eyes opened wide in bewilderment. ¡°Nine glyphs.¡± Just as Spring mumbled to himself, suddenly he felt a jolt of shock. A tenth glyph had appeared.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°What¡­¡± The glyph generated was extremely dull, and it was also hidden in the glow of the wind blade. Only because Spring was in a state of high alert within this quiet space was he able to see that last glyph. 10 glyphs! Spring looked at the glowing figure in astonishment. He clearly knew that there were only supposed to be 9 glyphs in a wind blade, yet this glowing figure was able to generate a 10th one?! At this point, Spring was fairly certain that even if his father personally cast the wind blade, he would not be able to generate this last glyph. ¡°BOOM!¡± A sound cried as the wind blade blew itself across the space and into the void. ¡°What is going on?¡± Spring was shocked at this sight. Moments later, he finally regained his composure and started to contemplate the situation. Even though he had only witnessed it once, Spring could sense that the wind blade displayed by the glowing figure was even more natural and sharp than his father¡¯s, or perhaps, perfect. As to why this glowing figure was able to display such unique ability, Spring was clueless. Nonetheless, he understood that this time, he had found a treasure¡­ As this thought crossed Spring¡¯s mind, the glowing figure had yet to disappear. Instead, it once again displayed the same wind blade, but faster this time. As Spring stared at the agile glowing figure, he realized that the fear that plagued him at the start had unknowingly dissipated. Feeling a little lost, he decided to gather up his spirits and concentrate onto the glowing figure. With a particularly serious expression, he watched every glyph again and again, memorizing even the most minute intricacies in each glyph. By this time, the wind blades were being cast almost instantaneously. Suddenly, however, the figure slowed down, and the spell returned to the original casting time. After observing for some time, Spring stretched out his arms. He begun to mimic the glowing figure and slowly cast the wind blade. In the darkness stood two similar figures, one human shadow and one glowing shadow, tireless repeating the same spell. A series of crisp crackling sounds continuously echoed, though a majority of them were generated by the glowing shadow. Nonetheless, Spring did not feel discouraged. An earnest expression remained on his tiny face, as he unconsciously adjusted his glyphs to resemble those of the glowing figure. Even though these adjustments were merely minor changes, it was akin to adding the finishing touches to a masterpiece as each tiny adjustment brought about significant effect. 4 glyphs! Both of Spring¡¯s eyes instantly brightened! He did not expect that a few minor adjustments would cause the wind blade to improve this much.