"He really is your grandson! How I wish you were here to witness it yourself," said Scarlett with a look of melancholy and a single tear gracing down her enchanting pale face.
"Why are you still fixated on the past, especially after the tantrum you threw?" the elderly voice resounded once more only now it was full of mockery.
"You bastard, can't you let me reminisce in peace?"
"Heh."
"What is it?" Scarlett asked in annoyance.
"Didn't you say you and him cannot exist together?"
Scarlett still didn't get his point and was instead displeased at the elderly voice bringing back words she spoke out of anger.
The elderly voice continued without a care for her displeasure, "Why does it look like your granddaughter has fallen for the boy you so wanted to kill? What a twist of fate, don't you say?" He snickered at the end of his words.
Meanwhile, Scarlett's expression crumbled utterly, and her face turned hideous.
She knew he wasn't wrong as she could tell that her granddaughter was acting strange around Arlo.
However, it's one thing noticing it, and another confirming it.
She really hoped she was just overthinking things, therefore she just let out a "humph." As she didn't want to continue bickering with the old fool.
'Perverted bastard,' She cursed in her mind.
"Count."
*Whoosh*
A man appeared instantly before her and knelt down.
"My liege!"
"Take him to his room and be sure to eliminate any sign of my presence." She handed the unconscious Arlo to him ad disappeared from the room.
"Yes! The man immediately sprang into action."
....
Throughout all the turmoil in the room, one person was left unperturbed.
Joe!
He had lost consciousness when Arlo entered the room.
However three hours after the fight ended, his eyelids suddenly twitched, and his eyelashes quivered slightly, signs that he was about to wake up.
With a twisted face in pain, his shut eyes snapped open.
*Whoosh.*
Alas, what greeted his eyes were two pair of crimson fangs, before his painful screams echoed in the room.
"AAAAH!"
...
Arlo lay unconscious on the floor of his room.
He would have been mistaken as a corpse if it wasn't for the occasional twitching of his body, and the painful moans that leaked out of his mouth.
...
After several hours.
Arlo's eyes suddenly snapped open, before a heart-wrenching scream was released from his mouth.
"AAAAH!"
His body unconsciously shifted to a kneeling position, as he used his left hand to clench the stump that was left of his right arm.
The pain he was currently feeling was unbearable.
Drip.
Drip.
Tears cascaded down his childish face.
No matter how smart he was for his age, in the end, the fact remains that he is still a kid. Moreover, for a kid, this kind of pain was simply unbearable.
In fact, if it were any other kid, their mental defense would have already collapsed by now.
…..
An hour later.
Arlo sat in a lotus position, his teeth visibly clenched tightly and pools of sweat filling his forehead.
He was currently trying not to scream, as he resisted the pain with all his will.
This continued for a few more minutes before he unclenched his teeth and released his body.
The only sign he could not control was the occasional spasm in his body.
Even with that, what Arlo just achieved was simply phenomenal.
His eyes snapped open revealing red scleras with the only colorful light being a silver-colored iris resting unblemished within them.
Arlo finally opened his mouth and spoke the first sentence after the ordeal he just faced.
"Elder, I want to be strong," his voice was a mix of anger, grievance, and resolve.
An unrelenting resolve.
The now two saber marks on the back of his remaining hand suddenly glowed, before an elderly voice resounded in his head.
>
A simple question.
One word.
But with countless answers.
"I want to protect myself and most importantly my family."
Hearing the resolve with which he spoke, the artifact spirit fell silent for a moment.
>The artifact spirit continued, >
Arlo's eyes flashed with resolve.
He never wants to feel this weak ever again.
He never wants his fate to be under someone else's will.
> The artifact spirit suddenly revealed.
Arlo couldn't help but smile even while he was in excruciating pain.
However, the smile didn't linger for long before it was squashed.
>
Arlo's pupil constricted into slits.
For the artifact spirit to claim it would be painful simply meant the pain would be unbearable.
However, he barely hesitated for a second before his resolve steeled than never before.
"I never quit."
Little did he know that the number of times he will quit in the future could simply not be counted.
.....
Arlo sat near the window of his room as he danced slightly with the wind.
His eyes were closed as he listened carefully to the voice of the artifact spirit that was resounding in his head.
>
Arlo said nothing to this, as he knew his knowledge was not deep and all he knew were some information passed by Ari.
>
Arlo waited with bated breaths. He could tell a new world was about to be opened unto him.
> The artifact spirit paused before he continued solemnly.
>
"Astral energy?" Arlo asked in wonder as this was the first time he heard of such a thing.
> The artifact spirit affirmed.
After a moment of silence, he continued.
>
>
Arlo drew in a long breath, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Who can blame him?
Even though the artifact spirit said 99% awakens their mana core, the other 1% were practically non-existent in this current era. At least Arlo had never heard of a person that was not able to awaken successfully.
Yet, only three out of every hundred persons would be able to tap into astral energy.
"Does that mean astral energy is more powerful than mana?" Arlo asked in bewilderment.
>
However, the reply he received left him in confusion.
As if noticing his confusion, the artifact spirit spoke.
>
Arlo nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.
>
>
>
'Essence of reality?' For some reason, Arlo's breath quickened and his heartbeat increased in tempo.
>
>
The artifact's spirit words were like a bucket of water poured on his head.
'A mortal?' Arlo frowned. For some reason, he didn't like the tone with which he said it.
The artifact spirit didn't seem concerned with him as he continued his explanation.
>
>
Arlo suddenly felt enlightened.
However, he soon realized something very important.
"Are you saying we control laws and not elements?"
>
A flash of understanding appeared in Arlo's eyes.
>
>
Arlo took a little while to digest the information he just received.
>
>
"I see."
The artifact spirit was satisfied that Arlo could understand the core of the matter very easily unlike some people…
>
"KI!"" Arlo suddenly screamed, interrupting the artifact spirit. However, he didn't seem to mind.
> He affirmed. >
"He really is your grandson! How I wish you were here to witness it yourself," said Scarlett with a look of melancholy and a single tear gracing down her enchanting pale face.
"Why are you still fixated on the past, especially after the tantrum you threw?" the elderly voice resounded once more only now it was full of mockery.
"You bastard, can't you let me reminisce in peace?"
"Heh."
"What is it?" Scarlett asked in annoyance.
"Didn't you say you and him cannot exist together?"
Scarlett still didn't get his point and was instead displeased at the elderly voice bringing back words she spoke out of anger.
The elderly voice continued without a care for her displeasure, "Why does it look like your granddaughter has fallen for the boy you so wanted to kill? What a twist of fate, don't you say?" He snickered at the end of his words.
Meanwhile, Scarlett's expression crumbled utterly, and her face turned hideous.
She knew he wasn't wrong as she could tell that her granddaughter was acting strange around Arlo.
However, it's one thing noticing it, and another confirming it.
She really hoped she was just overthinking things, therefore she just let out a "humph." As she didn't want to continue bickering with the old fool.
'Perverted bastard,' She cursed in her mind.
"Count."
*Whoosh*
A man appeared instantly before her and knelt down.
"My liege!"
"Take him to his room and be sure to eliminate any sign of my presence." She handed the unconscious Arlo to him ad disappeared from the room.
"Yes! The man immediately sprang into action."
....
Throughout all the turmoil in the room, one person was left unperturbed.
Joe!
He had lost consciousness when Arlo entered the room.
However three hours after the fight ended, his eyelids suddenly twitched, and his eyelashes quivered slightly, signs that he was about to wake up.
With a twisted face in pain, his shut eyes snapped open.
*Whoosh.*
Alas, what greeted his eyes were two pair of crimson fangs, before his painful screams echoed in the room.
"AAAAH!"
...
Arlo lay unconscious on the floor of his room.
He would have been mistaken as a corpse if it wasn't for the occasional twitching of his body, and the painful moans that leaked out of his mouth.
...
After several hours.
Arlo's eyes suddenly snapped open, before a heart-wrenching scream was released from his mouth.
"AAAAH!"
His body unconsciously shifted to a kneeling position, as he used his left hand to clench the stump that was left of his right arm.
The pain he was currently feeling was unbearable.
Drip.
Drip.
Tears cascaded down his childish face.
No matter how smart he was for his age, in the end, the fact remains that he is still a kid. Moreover, for a kid, this kind of pain was simply unbearable.
In fact, if it were any other kid, their mental defense would have already collapsed by now.
…..
An hour later.
Arlo sat in a lotus position, his teeth visibly clenched tightly and pools of sweat filling his forehead.
He was currently trying not to scream, as he resisted the pain with all his will.
This continued for a few more minutes before he unclenched his teeth and released his body.
The only sign he could not control was the occasional spasm in his body.
Even with that, what Arlo just achieved was simply phenomenal.
His eyes snapped open revealing red scleras with the only colorful light being a silver-colored iris resting unblemished within them.
Arlo finally opened his mouth and spoke the first sentence after the ordeal he just faced.
"Elder, I want to be strong," his voice was a mix of anger, grievance, and resolve.
An unrelenting resolve.
The now two saber marks on the back of his remaining hand suddenly glowed, before an elderly voice resounded in his head.
>
A simple question.
One word.
But with countless answers.
"I want to protect myself and most importantly my family."
Hearing the resolve with which he spoke, the artifact spirit fell silent for a moment.
>The artifact spirit continued, >
Arlo's eyes flashed with resolve.
He never wants to feel this weak ever again.
He never wants his fate to be under someone else's will.
> The artifact spirit suddenly revealed.
Arlo couldn't help but smile even while he was in excruciating pain.
However, the smile didn't linger for long before it was squashed.
>
Arlo's pupil constricted into slits.
For the artifact spirit to claim it would be painful simply meant the pain would be unbearable.
However, he barely hesitated for a second before his resolve steeled than never before.
"I never quit."
Little did he know that the number of times he will quit in the future could simply not be counted.
.....
Arlo sat near the window of his room as he danced slightly with the wind.
His eyes were closed as he listened carefully to the voice of the artifact spirit that was resounding in his head.
>
Arlo said nothing to this, as he knew his knowledge was not deep and all he knew were some information passed by Ari.
>
Arlo waited with bated breaths. He could tell a new world was about to be opened unto him.
> The artifact spirit paused before he continued solemnly.
>
"Astral energy?" Arlo asked in wonder as this was the first time he heard of such a thing.
> The artifact spirit affirmed.
After a moment of silence, he continued.
>
>
Arlo drew in a long breath, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Who can blame him?
Even though the artifact spirit said 99% awakens their mana core, the other 1% were practically non-existent in this current era. At least Arlo had never heard of a person that was not able to awaken successfully.
Yet, only three out of every hundred persons would be able to tap into astral energy.
"Does that mean astral energy is more powerful than mana?" Arlo asked in bewilderment.
>
However, the reply he received left him in confusion.
As if noticing his confusion, the artifact spirit spoke.
>
Arlo nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.
>
>
>
'Essence of reality?' For some reason, Arlo's breath quickened and his heartbeat increased in tempo.
>
>
The artifact's spirit words were like a bucket of water poured on his head.
'A mortal?' Arlo frowned. For some reason, he didn't like the tone with which he said it.
The artifact spirit didn't seem concerned with him as he continued his explanation.
>
>
Arlo suddenly felt enlightened.
However, he soon realized something very important.
"Are you saying we control laws and not elements?"
>
A flash of understanding appeared in Arlo's eyes.
>
>
Arlo took a little while to digest the information he just received.
>
>
"I see."
The artifact spirit was satisfied that Arlo could understand the core of the matter very easily unlike some people…
>
"KI!"" Arlo suddenly screamed, interrupting the artifact spirit. However, he didn't seem to mind.
> He affirmed. >
