1-7 Path to Transcendence - [Isekai/Litrpg]

Prologue

After Julian lost his parents and sister several years ago, he hadn't known what to do. As just a young child, he wasn't emotionally prepared to deal with everything that came after. Their deaths hadn't even been a possibility in his mind. Death was an obscure thing to young Julian. 

They were killed in a car accident. Some stupid drunk driver coming home from the bar late at night was several times over the legal limit and hit them head-on, killing them instantly in a ball of flame.

He didn't have any other relatives other than his mother's father. Luckily, his grandfather took him in and raised him as his own. His gramps had lost his own wife a few years earlier but learning of his daughter's death had hit him harder than it had hit Julian. Julian had seen his grandfather often crying over old photo albums of his mother. 

Julian had been angry for a long time, it took years before he was able to get past the worst of it. The rawness faded with time, but the pain and rage never went away. However, the loss and anger he and his grandfather shared brought them closer together. They would take week-long camping trips to the middle of the wilderness, hunting, fishing, and enjoying nature in its purity. The time they spent with each other was therapeutic for both of them and allowed each other to heal from their anguish. They both learned to continue living their lives and they did, for several years at least.

But now he was gone too. It wasn't like it was unexpected. His gramps was almost 80 years old but it still hit Julian hard. In fact, it might have hit him harder than losing his parents and sister. Because this time, he understood the value of family and appreciated it more than before. 

His gramps didn't want to have a funeral or any type of service, most of his friends had passed away already, and wanted his ashes spread on the mountain they had often camped on. 

So that was exactly what Julian did. He was sitting on the edge of the cliff that he and his gramps used to watch the sunset over the horizon. He had his gramp's urn full of ashes lying in his lap, looking over the green forest that expanded all across. He spent hours there, sitting there and reminiscing about the memories that they had gathered over the years. 

Julian didn't have many close friends after his family's death. He had friends from school, but most of them were just people he saw and hung out with. Most of them didn't even know about his family's death. 

His gramps was his best friend, they had shared everything together. He taught Julian all he knew, from cooking to hunting to just being a decent human being, he taught him everything. 

After a while, he finally saw the sun begin to fall over the horizon. The orange light from the sun cast a beautiful ray of light over the forest and sky. However, he noticed something off in the distance. Large flashes of blue and violet streaks were stretching across the sky. Beautiful arcs of light danced and sparkled.

He didn't know what it was. It certainly wasn't lightning, not when there wasn't a cloud in sight. So what could it possibly be?

Even after several minutes went by, the light show continued without any signs of stopping. Julian didn't know what it was, but he didn't believe there would be a more magical send-off than this.

With a smile on his face and tears running down his cheeks, he opened up the urn and tossed his grandfather's ashes high up from the mountaintop. He watched as the wind took the ashes and scattered them all over the forest standing below. 

It was a stunning scene, arcs of magical light dashing across the sky with the sun setting just over the horizon. It was a fitting goodbye for the person who saved him from despair and gave him a little hope in his bleak life. 

However, just when he was about to turn around and make his way down the mountainside. The ground started to tremble and an enormous gust of wind hit him from behind, blowing him right over the edge.

The world seemed to slow to a crawl as he tried to turn around and grab anything that might save him. But there was nothing. It was a straight drop over a couple hundred feet. So, with the extra time the world seemed to grace him with during these last moments, he took a moment to think about his life. 

Although the world brought him plenty of misfortune, he lived a good life and even after everything, he wouldn't change anything because it would mean he wouldn't have gotten to spend all that time with his gramps. 

So, with a final smile, he peacefully accepted his death and plummeted down to the trees below.

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Julian woke up staring at the sky, the sun glaring down at him.

How did he survive that fall? There was no way he should have been anything other than a pancake on the forest floor. 

He also had a huge migraine that was like a jackhammer inside of his head. Rolling over and trying to get to his feet, he felt… off, like there was a disconnect between his mind and body. 

All of a sudden he felt a massive rush of information inside of his head. Things he previously did not know were now suddenly just there. Names and faces. His favorite food. Years of memories were being jammed inside his brain at an unprecedented speed. It was overwhelming. The pain, the sheer amount of information. It felt like someone was trying to shove his brain into a jar the size of his fist.

He felt blood dripping down his face, and unable to take the pain, he fell unconscious.

Gwen POV

Gweneth was a retainer of House Hyperius. She had worked for the noble house for over two years now. Originally, she was an adventurer and their party's support mage. Reaching Tier 3 with healing abilities, she received many offers from powerful houses and guilds. 

However, she chose House Hyperius because having the backing of one of the most influential powers on the continent was very appealing. On top of the generous pay, they also offered to sponsor her to Tier 4, teaching her things that only those from established powers would be able to. 

It was a no-brainer. All it would require from her was to watch one of their young scions. 

A brat just over 7 years old. It was an easy job; she just had to bathe and feed him. Otherwise, he would just play around all day around the estate, while she tried to advance. However, Julius always came back when the sun started setting because he had to eat supper, which is why she wondered where he was. It was almost time for his meal, and he never missed anything regarding food. 

Feeling slightly nervous, Gwen started to search for him around the estate. Stopping to ask various workers around the property if they had seen the young master, she continued her search. She eventually found him lying beside a tree on the edge of the property. 

Probably took a little nap after running around so much, she laughed to herself.

Gwen walked up to him to wake him up. Though, when she got closer she noticed that there was blood running down his nose collecting in a puddle beneath his face.

Panicking, she quickly rushed towards him and activated [Diagnosis]. Her skill allowed her to see that Julius had minor brain bleeding. Completely shocked as to why or how it happened, she quickly started to use [Advanced Heal]. She carefully dissolved the excess blood filling his brain and slowly reduced the swelling. Once she stabilized his condition, she started channeling small amounts of healing mana throughout his body.

It was probably overkill, considering that his head was the only injury, but she had plenty of mana, and this wasn't a time to be stingy with it. After a few seconds, she could see the tension in his face relax and she released the breath she didn't know she was holding. 

Cleaning up most of the blood all over his face, she carefully picked him up and carried him back to the mansion.

Chapter 2: He Tries

It's been a week since the incident, and Julius has finally started to sort through the clutter of memories. He was the son of Gregor Von Hyperius, one of many younger brothers of Lukas Von Hyperius, the current Patriarch of House Hyperius. 

House Hyperius was awarded the rank of Marquis centuries ago by the Emperor for its achievements during the Great War. It governed the Valorbury region, a large territory with many smaller houses underneath it. 

He didn't know who his mother was and had only seen his father a handful of times. 

It seemed like his father and family overall did not particularly care about Julius, or rather, himself. His father had returned to the estate several times over the years, but in that time, had not visited to see Julius once.

Compared to other great houses, there were not many members of House Hyperius. The most recent monster flood took the lives of many of their elites. For a house that made their name for their martial prowess, this was a major blow to their power. Their few remaining elites were either offered better options from more powerful factions or wanted to settle down to start families of their own. This meant that House Hyperius was experiencing pressure from the remaining great houses, losing much of their influence and holdings in the past decade. It was only due to the strength of their Patriarch that they weren't swallowed up entirely. 

Reaching Tier 5 before turning forty years old, Lukas Von Hyperius was considered one of the most talented individuals of his generation. His talent was what made the former Patriarch name him his successor. However, when the former Patriarch died in the prior monster flood, Lukas was still under fifty years old but was widely known as one of the most powerful Tier 5s in the Empire. 

Julius had many questions. There were so many questions that he wasn't able to answer. He was restricted to a few areas of the estate. There was something about his circumstances that confined him to the estate. He was not allowed to visit other areas and most of the time had to eat his meals in the kitchen or his room.

To be fair, the estate was massive. The mansion alone would make Bruce Wayne's mansion feel like a studio apartment in comparison. It could house hundreds comfortably, and the land it resided on was even more ridiculous. So, even if you lived together, you could go years without seeing each other. So he couldn't say it was even that bad, he had more space than he did in his previous life. With that being said, it was lonely being confined in these prison-like conditions.

Reviewing his memories, he found himself pitying the former Julius. There weren't many children his age around in the first place and the ones who were already had their groups. At seven years old, the only people he had interactions with were Gwen, Edwin, and a handful of workers, and even then, they were employees of the house, not his friends. It was also important to mention that not a single one of his blood relatives interacted with him during these seven years. 

For the previous Julius, this was a curse. However, for the new Julius, this was a blessing in disguise. Because while he was confined to this part of the estate, as long as he remained inside the area, he was free to do whatever he wanted. He didn't need to worry about pretending to be a seven-year-old child all the time. But it was odd, that in all these years his family treated him like he didn't exist. Another unanswered question.

However, there was one thing that he was very excited about. 

Magic. 

It seemed that magic was possible in this world and that everyone has the ability to use it to some extent. It also had something to do with skills. The memories he gained didn't have many details describing them, but he understood they were important. According to Gwen, he would learn more once he went through his baptism when he was twelve. Unfortunately, even after pressing her for more answers, she said the house restricted her about what she could tell him.

Magic and skills were apparently how he was able to recover so quickly. His caretaker, Gwen, was an accomplished healer and found him outside unconscious. From there, she was able to heal him and within a day he awoke in his bed feeling better than ever. 

It was truly an amazing feat, and he would be feeling even more excited if it wasn't for the fact that he had been under strict orders not to move for the last week. 

Therefore, he has spent the last week sitting in bed eating, sleeping, and going over 7 years' worth of memories. It seems that he didn't just take over Julius' body. It was more accurate to say that their souls somehow combined. There wasn't a separation between identities. Nonetheless, because Julius was only around 7 years old, the memories and weight of his soul were slightly lower than Julian's. This is why he suspected his personality hadn't changed that much from his previous life. 

He also still had many questions regarding the events that brought him here, like if that light show was the reason why he arrived in this world or what else might have happened to his world during that anomaly. He couldn't believe that something only happened to him, but he didn't have enough information to figure out his questions. But learning and understanding magic would probably be a good start.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be an issue. Magic was not easy to learn. After a week of trying everything his brain could think of, he ended up back where he started. From visualizing to chanting, he made no progress. 

Although he would be damned if he didn't stop trying, it was magic for heaven's sake. He and every kid always dreamed about the day they acquired magic. Now, it was an actual reality for him and he would be an idiot if he didn't put everything into learning it. He would not allow this chance to pass him by without giving it his all. He made a pact with himself to commit to learning magic, even if it was too difficult, he wouldn't give up.

So, he tried.

For years, he followed the same routine every day: wake up, try focusing on using the mana around him, fail, eat, and once a week go to see Edwin, a scary middle-aged gentleman for his educational lessons. He wasn't able to access any real knowledge from the library. He was allowed to read stories or history but all techniques and guides were kept heavily restricted.

Julius was thankful he retained his memories because learning another language would have been annoying and hard to explain to everyone. 

Following his lessons, he would spend the rest of his time reading whatever piece of literature he got his hands on or trying another method to use mana. In three years, he tried many techniques he thought of or found in stories. But nothing seemed to click for him. It was frustrating, to say the least. But he never gave up.

His latest attempt was to blindfold himself as he went around the estate. He got this idea because he believed that by depriving himself of his other senses, he could concentrate on his mana-sensing one. He would randomly walk around for hours, bumping into everything until he got used to it. Despite going through with it for almost a year, Julius didn't accomplish his goal. But he was adamant he was on the right track. Being able to perceive mana was an obvious condition to use it.

Thankfully, since he was still considered a child who hadn't undergone his baptism, most adults thought his admittingly odd actions were just that. Actions of a child. Julius didn't think anyone really knew why, and the ones who did know did not believe him.

Because they only saw him as a young child. That's how it worked in both worlds. Adults rarely ever take children seriously. But it certainly helped him in this case. He was now able to practice with complete freedom without many distractions. Therefore, he embraced the facade of a slightly smart yet eccentric child without second thoughts.

He kept that up for a long time, and although he didn't get a grasp on mana, he managed to enhance his other natural senses. He swore his hearing was magnified by a significant amount. He also became much more sensitive to tastes and smells. Another interesting development was that he was developing a sort of sixth sense. 

He would be able to tell where people were standing or sidestep if he was about to run into them. It also became very hard for others to sneak up on him. And interestingly became more sensitive the more often he did it. 

Making a decision, he set aside his focus on finding a way to use mana for a while and decided to explore this possible ability a little more, focusing everything he had on developing it. 

As a result, he started pushing the limits of this ability. How detailed can he perceive something, how far away does it extend to, is it only restricted to people or can he sense objects? Those were the questions he wanted to find out. So he spent hours every day experimenting with this new power. Using his stubbornness as a sledgehammer, hoping to break through the invisible wall he felt was just beyond reach.

So, he cranked up the intensity. Instead of depriving himself of just his sight, he stuffed pieces of clay in his ears and nostrils. Now, he could not see, hear, or smell. He wanted his entire focus to be on this supernatural ability. He also decided he needed to add some complexity to his actions. 

Rather than meditating on a bench or grass, he wanted to add stress to his training, hoping that it would act as a catalyst for improvement. Therefore, he exercised around the estate and swung a wood staff he made at a gathering of trees and other targets, pretending they were enemies. It took a while for the results to show. But they slowly did. Now Julius was able to run around without ramming into trees or walls. He was also able to hit most of his intended targets without missing. It was unbelievable for someone who was previously from a world that didn't have magic. 

There were times Julius would try random things, like guessing how many petals are on a flower or how many coins are inside a purse without looking. Julius also liked a game where he would grab a random rock and throw it while trying to track its trajectory. That was a much harder endeavor. Being able to perceive a small inorganic object while it was moving was a challenge. But Julius noticed how challenging himself with games like these was improving his ability. Plus, it was just fun for him. It didn't feel like training because he was enjoying himself so much. Therefore, he got into the habit of making up random games that would force him to use this perception ability in more creative and challenging ways. It was during this, that Julius experienced explosive growth.

Julius's dedication had proven its worth, his perception ability had grown to the point that he didn't need the blindfold and aids anymore. One morning he woke up and realized he was activating it instinctually. 

It was as if it was just suddenly there. Like another sense. He felt extremely validated for all his efforts. However, it seemed like using it along with his other senses for very long was not possible yet. He believed the amount of information that his brain had to process was probably too much for him to handle. However, he noticed that with practice using it with his other senses, he increased the time he was able to keep it up. In the meantime, he removed his ear and nose plugs to slowly introduce more stimulus for his brain to get used to at one time.

Regretfully, now that Julius was almost twelve, his antics were becoming less of an adorable quirk and more like he was just a weirdo. He observed the other workers in his part of the estate to start giving him strange looks from time to time.

While he hadn't quite learned how to listen in on people's conversations using his perception ability yet, his ears were still unnaturally sharp and ended up hearing many of the workers talking about him behind his back.

Nevertheless, Julius sucked it up and ignored them, continuing with his training. It wasn't like anything they were saying would get him to stop. Not after he had improved so much. 

In the end, he didn't care what the others said or thought because he was having so much fun. He might not have learned to manipulate mana yet, but this ability to perceive in every direction is in some ways more magical to him than throwing a fireball.

Chapter 3: Strange Child

Edwin POV

Edwin was enjoying his morning tea while reading an interesting report about the recent developments in the Kingdom of Corvus. Corvus was one of the Luminous Empire's largest trade partners. Situated on the empire's western border, Corvus was having issues with its northern neighbor. According to the report, The Alliance of Morning Sun had elected a new leader. The country's previous Prime was more interested in cultivating beneficial trade agreements with other countries. However, this new Prime, Halom Anderaz had a different plan.

Anderaz completely voided many of its prior contracts and planned to renegotiate its terms with Corvus. This obviously angered many in Corvus, who in retribution, decided to restrict shipments that were planned to be sent to other countries. These tensions between the two countries and the various mercantile guilds and businesses have drastically raised prices and caused civil unrest in both regions.

Luckily for House Hyperius, it's situated in the eastern region of the Luminous Empire, very far away from the potential conflict, Edwin noted. 

Edwin's attention was brought to the door that had just opened. Walking through was young Julius, still wearing a black piece of cloth around his face. Edwin was well aware of the young child's strange exploits. Everyone in the estate, even those who never met him had heard of his peculiarities. But typically, Julius took his lessons seriously. Which meant that he usually took off the get-up before the lesson started. 

He is by far one of the most peculiar children I have met. Remarkably intelligent in many areas of study, but he can be completely lacking when it comes to many other areas, Edwin remarked to himself. The young scion of House Hyperius has been the subject of much gossip around the estate these past years. People took notice that the young child spent most of his days roaming and playing around the estate doing weird things by himself. 

At first, when Julius decided to wear a blindfold, people thought it was cute. They thought he was just pretending to be a character out of a story. However, as years went by and when he started to jam pieces of clay up his nose, people began to question the sanity of the young Hyperius.

Edwin could not understand why Julius was so insistent, playing around like this. Edwin had discussed it in passing many times, but to no avail. 

Even now, Edwin was watching Julius as he got out his materials for the lesson. He was still blindfolded and was taking his sweet time. Edwin knew Julius was doing it on purpose in retribution for the times Edwin did it himself.

Exasperated, Edwin reached over to try to remove the stupid things. But surprisingly, Julius neatly swayed out of the way. Edwin had always had a suspicion that there was something more to the blindfold than at first glance. Julius was able to navigate his way around the estate quite well for someone unable to see but Edwin had always thought that the blindfold was sheer enough that Julius could still see through it. Not to mention that Edwin actually tried to be quick about it. For an untiered to be able to dodge him when he was somewhat trying was embarrassing. He was a Tier 4 who largely focused on speed. Besides, Julius wasn't even looking at him. 

Hmm…I wonder.

Deciding to do a little test, he used a bit of mana and wrapped it around a little sugar cube from the table and launched it at the back of Julius's head. 

Julius POV 

Julius was purposefully taking his time unloading his bag and setting up his stuff for the lesson. He learned this from Edwin himself. It was a tactic Edwin used to annoy him and he found it quite effective when used on others. Whenever Julius had a question about skills or anything to do with what tiers were, Edwin would pretend to ignore him while slowly sipping his tea. Therefore, he made it his mission to be as petty as he could get away with. Nothing to drastic, the old man was still very intimidating and Julius suspected Edwin of being at least Tier 3 or 4.

Julius still had his blindfold on and he could feel Edwin shifting in annoyance behind him. 

Hah! Doesn't feel so good when someone else ignores you huh old man?

Edwin didn't actually look old, he had the appearance of a fit thirty-year-old man with medium-length black hair that curled at the tips. He had dark eyes and sharp facial features that made him look quite strict. But he also had a poise about him, that exuded confidence.

Suddenly, he felt Edwin tense and quickly reach out to Julius's head. Julius, who had learned to react very quickly to sudden perceptions thanks to his training, instinctually shifted his head to the side. 

Playing the ignorant, Julius pretended like he didn't even notice Edwin's actions. However, he soon felt something rise behind him. It was small, barely the size of a pebble, but it was oddly square, like a cube.

How is it floating? I don't feel Edwin moving at all, but is he using mana to float it? I also feel something else, like there's swirling air around the object. Is this mana manipu–

Without warning the cube-like object was shot toward him with alarming force. Julius only managed to tilt his head a few degrees and it still nicked him across the back of the head. A stinging pain erupted from where he was hit and dropping his act took off his blindfold to confront the crazy old man.

"Oww, what was that for?" Shouted at Edwin.

"It's rude to ignore others, Julius," Edwin calmly responded.

"I would argue that throwing things at others is more rude," Julius argued.

Edwin just stared at Julius. It wasn't long but it was enough to feel uncomfortable. Finally, Edwin chose to ask a question.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?" Julius played dumb.

Edwin pressed his lips together. "How did you know what I was doing, even though you were not looking in my direction?"

"I am pretty sure I have told you before. Haven't I?" 

"No, I am quite certain you have not. When I asked you last time, you said you were doing it because it was fun." Edwin said impatiently.

"Well, it is fun. That doesn't mean there aren't other reasons." Julius replied.

"So what are these other reasons?" Edwin stressed.

Julius thought about answering. To be honest, while he hadn't kept it a secret of what he was doing with his time, he never gave a complete explanation about why he was doing it. Certainly not explaining his perception ability. He kind of liked keeping it a secret. However, it seemed like that was no longer going to be an option.

"I originally started to wear a blindfold to get a sense of mana. I was hoping that by depriving myself of my other senses I would be able to sense it easier. I wasn't able to do that. However, a side effect is being able to sense my surroundings without relying on traditional senses." Julius explained.

Edwin was surprised. For one, he noticed that Julius had spoken quite eloquently for a child who hadn't awakened yet. Secondly, noble houses have tried to get their children to sense mana before their baptism for many years. However, they had never accomplished this with any reliability. Finally, an ability like this was quite outrageous. How does someone just gain the ability to sense everything around them by just wearing a blindfold? 

"You're telling me that you are able to perceive your immediate surroundings because you wore a blindfold?" Edwin asked for clarification.

"Not just wearing a blindfold," Julius added.

Edwin just looked at Julius with a deadpan expression.

"I also practiced," Julius said innocently.

"Practice… he says. Julius, do you know how outrageous that sounds?" Edwin asked him. Julius shook his head. 

"There are many skills that improve perception. Most fighters end up getting one as a utility skill. Skills like [Mana Sense] or [Life Detection]. However, there are usually restrictions on what they can perceive. [Mana Sense] has limitations, the major one is that it can only detect mana and not anything else. [Life Detection] has the downside of being able to sense living targets, not inorganic objects. Even the skill [Danger Sense], which can detect practically anything as long as it presents a danger to the user's life, cannot sense small things outside of its scope. There are strengths and weaknesses to every skill. But your skill seems to be very versatile without much drawback." Edwin deeply explained. 

Julius had just learned more about skills and magic in that short rant than what he had managed to find on his own for several years. Information about stuff like this was kept away from him. Furthermore, all his questions always seem to come back to his baptism, which was only a few months away. 

Julius did not know how to respond to Edwin's statement. According to him, his ability, or rather, skill was able to do too many things without a limit. Except for mana, he still hasn't quite figured that out. 

Wait a second. That last thing Edwin threw at me was different. Was that weird air around the cube mana? If so does that not mean I can sense mana? If so, then all this time I have had the answers right in front of my face but was too blind to see it. I gotta ask him, I have to know, Julius decided.

"Was that last thing you threw at me made up of mana?" Julius asked with wide eyes.

"It wasn't made up of mana, but yes, I surrounded a cube of sugar with mana." Edwin said.

This was amazing. So he was able to sense mana, which means there is a great chance that he would be able to find a way to use actual magic. 

Julius was still a little upset that he had been able to do this for who knows how long, but honestly, it was more of a relief. He had been trying for almost five years to learn how to do magic and without any success, it was hard not to get pessimistic about it. If he didn't know with certainty that it existed he wasn't sure if he would have been so stubborn. 

Nevertheless, Julius had finally done it. He wanted to run around with joy, and shout from the rooftops. Maybe eat some cake. Yes, definitely cake as a celebration. I will ask one of the chefs to make one. This is a momentous day! He couldn't keep the massive smile off of his face. Grinning like a maniac.

All of a sudden he felt something hard pelt him in the forehead. It broke him out of his daydreaming. He looked down and saw a sugar cube broken in half lying in his lap. Looking back up, he saw Edwin holding another sugar cube, preparing to throw it again. 

"Do I have your attention again? Or is there something more important taking up your focus?" Edwin asked with amusement.

"Sorry, I was just excited," Julius said smiling. "I didn't know my ability could detect mana until now. But now that I can, I believe I can start learning how to use mana."

"I think you are misunderstanding something, young master. Most people, unless they have the [Mana Sense] or similar skill, are not able to detect mana other than their own. Even then, the majority of people simply direct their mana into whatever skill they acquired." Edwin clarified to Julius.

That was a revelation to Julius. He had always thought it was logical that people would have to be able to sense mana before they could use it. If he understood Edwin correctly, he was mistaken. He guessed that this was the main dilemma of trying to practice without having access to knowledge and resources. He just didn't know enough to train effectively.

Regardless, he had a feeling that things were about to take a big change of direction once his baptism came around.

Chapter 4: The Chamber

In the months coming up to his baptism, Julius started to make some progress. He couldn't quite manipulate ambient mana but he could sometimes push it around like one would try to move air by waving their arms really fast. 

Edwin also became more involved than before. In the past Edwin and Julius's relationship was at most considered, professional. However, since that day Edwin started to take interest in Julius's life. In contrast to previous years, Edwin would take the time to answer some of Julius's questions. He wouldn't answer everything, but compared to how it used to be, it was huge progress. As such, Edwin helped explain what a baptism entailed. He didn't go into too many details but Julius was able to get a general understanding. 

A baptism was a ritual everyone, from nobles to commoners went through. It was a process that infused mana into a child at the age of twelve. The infusion of mana would start the process of developing one's Core, allowing mana to be stored internally. This enabled children to start absorbing mana and try to consolidate it into a Core. Once they concentrated all of their mana into a Core, they would officially be considered a Tier 1. 

However, it was during the process of trying to develop a core that one would finally be able to have their own mana to practice with. That is the reason Julius had not been able to manipulate mana. Learning how to use your own mana can already be difficult, but trying to manipulate ambient mana as an untiered was on another level of difficulty. However, mana manipulation will be much easier to learn once he awakens and can use his own internal mana. 

A baptism was also used to determine someone's innate talent. Those with higher talents could be infused with more mana and develop their core much sooner than others. This was a good indication of how much mana you could handle at once.

Soon, the days leading up to his baptism closed in. He noticed that everyone other than Edwin started to act differently around him. Wondering why, he asked Edwin the next time he saw him.

"I am not supposed to tell you this, but I feel like not telling you would just do more harm than good at this point", Edwin said in resignation. "I need you to promise that nothing I say leaves this room, this is just between you and me okay?" Julius promised. 

Edwin hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I bet you realized it already, but everyone has always stayed their distance from you correct?" Julius nodded in agreement. Seeing his response Edwin went on. "There is a reason for that. Your father does not have a good standing with the house. Although he is the patriarch's younger brother, many of the elders do not hold favorable opinions of him. He has always been rash, arrogant, and quite careless, causing many issues over the years."

"This caused many to talk about disowning him from the family. But one day he showed up with you. He said you were some child between him and some commoner. Unsurprisingly, the elders were not happy to hear that and some wanted to throw both of you out of the house. Despite that, thanks to the Patriarch's intervention they allowed you and your father to remain, on the condition that it would be reevaluated after your baptism."

That was a lot to take in. As Julius processed what he had just heard he started to connect the dots. He was always curious why some servants of a noble house felt so comfortable acting casually around a young scion like himself, even going as far as to insult him. It also made sense why people like Gwen and some of the others he knew had been growing more and more distant over the years. 

"So the reason why people were isolating themselves from me, was because they thought I would fail?" Julius wanted to confirm.

"Yes, considering the circumstances of your birth as well as your peculiar behavior, many do not have high hopes," Edwin confirmed.

Did they think that his abnormality was an indicator that he was going to do poorly at his baptism? He thought many of the strange looks he had gotten over the years were because they thought of him as an odd duckling. However, looking back, he understood those looks were more pity than anything else. That was also probably why his family never interacted with him. If they thought there was a high chance of losing him anyway, why take the risk of getting close? 

So all those times when Gwen, Edwin, or someone else was dismissive or distant, they were probably just emotionally distancing themselves away just in case something happened to him. 

It all started to make more sense. He was far too absorbed in his own training to notice these clues until it was almost too late. However, Julius still had a question for Edwin.

"What changed your mind?"

"You did." Edwin simply said.

"How?" He pressed.

"I had always thought you were an intelligent child, quick to pick up lessons but you had very odd habits that were similar to what I have seen in other children who were… mentally challenged. But seeing your skill completely changed my opinion. You don't get a skill like that unless you are extremely talented or hard-working." Edwin explained further. 

"...So you thought I was retarded. Hold up, does everyone think that?" Julius asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Edwin didn't say anything for a few moments. 

"Yes," he finally answered.

"Does this mean you now think I will do well enough during my baptism?." Julius asked.

"You have nothing to worry about. Of that, I am absolutely certain."

"How do you know?"Julius asked worryingly.

"Once you get to my age and tier, you just know things. Trust me you are going to be fine." Edwin added confidently. 

Julius decided to trust him. It wouldn't matter if he worried about it anyway. With only a couple of days until he turned twelve, there wasn't anything he could do. Once he realized that, a lot of his worries and stress went away. Julius took a deep breath, steadying himself. He had learned that sometimes, knowing something was out of your hands made stress less of a factor. 

And so the day of Julius's baptism arrived. Deviating from his typical routine, Gwen made sure he wore his best set of clothes and told him to follow her. She didn't mention where they were going or explain what was happening. 

After hearing what Edwin had to say to him, he could see that she had completely distanced herself away from him. He wasn't going to lie; that kind of hurt his feelings. While they weren't close, she had been the person he had seen almost every day for most of his life. 

Gwen led him to a part of the mansion he was unfamiliar with, then opened a door that led further downwards. 

"Of course, there is a creepy ritual chamber in the basement," Julius muttered under his breath.

He didn't know if she heard him but she continued on anyway. Once they started to reach the bottom, the entire floor opened up. It was the farthest thing away from a creepy chamber. Lamps with floating orbs of soft yellow light illuminated the chamber. There were intricate carvings embossed with gold on every wall and pillar. In the center of the ceiling, there was a beautiful mural of the sky. Right in the middle of it was the depiction of a glowing sun, shedding light across the entire mural and chamber. It felt oddly divine. Like heavenly light flooding down on the mortal realm.

It was gorgeous. It was completely unnecessary and probably cost way too much. But it was glorious. 

He was so distracted by the beauty that he completely missed the crowd surrounding a pedestal in the middle of the room. There was a surprising amount of spectators, which made Julius slightly anxious. He only recognized a few faces. One was the Patriarch, Lukas Von Hyperius, who stood apart from the others and was closest to the pedestal. The Patriarch was a very handsome man with wide shoulders, long blonde hair, and immaculate clothes; he was the quintessential image of a lord. However, it was the eyes that got Julius's attention. Golden yellow, glowing with an oppressive presence emanating from them, like he was looking down on everyone and everything. It reminded him of the sun depicted on the mural.

It seemed like his father was forced to come as well because he was there too. However, his father didn't even bother looking up at him as he approached. But with a quick glance Julius could tell he got his mother's looks. His father, just like his older brother, had long blonde hair tied in a bun but a much sharper face and brown eyes. Julius on the other hand had soft black hair, a heart-shaped face, and dark brown eyes. 

He also spotted Edwin in the back who gave him an encouraging nod. 

The Patriarch, who was technically his uncle, suddenly spoke. 

"Come here young Julius," Lukas commanded.

Those eyes looked down on his much smaller frame with such intensity. There was nothing he could do but obey. His legs started to move on their own before he even knew it. 

Once he was close to the pedestal, he could see a round device implanted directly on top of it. It shone with a brilliant white light, sparkling with energy. 

"Are you aware of what a baptism is?" Lukas asked.

Julius didn't trust himself to speak, so he just nodded his head.

"Yes or no?" Lukas demanded.

"Yes," Julius managed to squeeze out.

"Okay, I want you to put your hands onto the awakening orb. Once I say begin, I want you to pull as much mana into yourself as possible. Don't stop until you can no longer take in any more. Clear?"

"Crystal," he responded.

"Excuse me?" Lukas asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"I meant yes, yes I understand." Julius quickly amended.

Giving Julius one last long look, he placed Julius's hands onto the orb. 

"Begin."

Chapter 5: The Baptism

The second the Patriarch said to begin, Julius began to feel a warm feeling suffusing his entire body. However, just as quickly as it came, it slowly went away. The mana started to congregate towards the center of his chest. No… not towards his chest, deeper, more like it was heading directly into his soul. 

A part of himself that Julius never knew existed appeared within him. He could sense the mana from the orb start to collect within this chamber. The mana was like water vapor, slowly filling up the room. 

When the entire room was filled with this mist it stopped filling on its own. The mana coming from the orb was slowing to a trickle.

This is what Edwin meant by determining talent, Julius realized.

So, it became the challenge of how much mana Julius could fit inside before stopping. Instead of just allowing the mana to fill up on its own, he began to try to shove in as much as he could into it. However, that started to no longer work either. He was letting more and more slip through his fingers, and most of it wasn't going to him but getting lost.

Panicking slightly, he decided to change methods. What if he didn't shove the mana? What if he sucked it in, like air through his lungs? Visualizing what he imagined, he began to take deep breaths, trying to suck in as much mana in with each breath. It started to fill up rapidly, and the pace increased noticeably. The room started to fill up with a thick fog rather than a fine mist. 

Julius started to understand that the more mana that it was filled with, the greater the difficulty in bringing in more. It didn't matter how much you wanted to continue. In the end, it became more of an issue of how much you can stuff inside a limited space. 

With that being said, Julius had a random thought. He knew from his previous memories that condensed mist was just water. Therefore, it should be theoretically possible to fill it up until it is all liquid. He was curious what his core would look like if he accumulated as much mana as he could within himself. With this goal in mind, he renewed his focus and tried to condense all the mana even more, using the momentum of what he was taking in to compress what mana he already had into one side of the room. 

For a moment, nothing happened. It looked like he was just exerting himself unnecessarily. Until, for a second, he felt a little give. It was a sign that it was possible. 

However, the rate at which he was bringing in new mana was slowing down. It became similar to breathing through a thin straw. No matter how hard he pulled in, there was a limit. But what if he didn't try to breathe it in? Why would he try to sip it in when he could aggressively drag it? 

Julius thought about what he could adjust, and after some moments came to a realization. Just like the vortex of a whirlpool, he would rip the mana from the orb and pull it into himself, constantly gaining more and more momentum. He would not stop until he filled it to the brim. 

With this image in mind, Julius started to spin the mana, imitating a vortex motion. It was extremely difficult. On top of trying to continue to compress his mana into liquid form, his brain was on fire, and his soul felt like it was being wrung like a dish towel. However, it started to work. Mana began to flood into him, wave after wave crashing against the mana already inside, condensing it even easier. Once the vortex was spinning at a ridiculous speed, he didn't even need to focus on it anymore. It was sustaining itself without much input from him. 

Unfortunately, he started to run into a different problem. The walls of this internal room started to show signs of wear and small hairline cracks appeared. Understanding that the walls containing his mana could not endure the pressure he was generating by compressing it, he started to reinforce the walls themselves. He imagined his entire will infusing into the walls, smothering the mana inside, not allowing even a drop to get out. 

Eventually, he noticed a pool of mana—a small pool of liquid mana in the center of the room, radiating a sense of power that was incomparable to its prior form. However, Julius was at his limit—hell, he was way beyond his limits. Only sheer stubbornness kept him going. He didn't even try to focus on anything other than keeping it contained. 

When Julius came to this world, he was given a chance, and he would not take it for granted. He had promised himself that he would never give up. He remembered what it felt like to give up, to fall to his death, to be okay with dying without a fight. Not again. He would fight for every inch, every second. He would fight. 

To that end, Julius didn't let up, not even as his soul was screaming in pain and his mind was in complete delusion. However, not even he could keep it up forever, and the comforts of darkness soon welcomed him.

Lukas POV

Lukas Von Hyperius was speechless. His nephew, Julius, was an unexpected addition to his family. When his youngest brother came home bearing a baby boy in his arms, he didn't know what to think. The others thought it was well beyond the point of return for his brother. 

Lukas didn't necessarily disagree with them either. He loved his brother. Gregor was his youngest sibling and held a special part in his heart. With that being said, Lukas knew that he had been irrational when it came to his brother. Gregor was given every chance to show the family that he had changed for the better and failed to prove it. 

Despite that, he continued to act as an arrogant fool who flaunted his status at every turn. He had no sense of responsibility, rather spending his time out drinking and whoring around. It was an embarrassment as a member of a Marquis house. It was only by Lukas's word that he had managed to stay attached to the house.

However, when Lukas saw his brother bring home a child of his own, he thought it might be a sign that he would change. Except it didn't. Gregor remained a boastful, conceited, self-important noble. 

Naturally, Lukas was curious about the circumstances of Julius's birth. Thus, he investigated what had happened. Lukas wasn't stupid; he knew that Gregor probably had dozens of spawns running around the empire. He just didn't know what made him decide to bring Julius home instead.

According to everything Lukas had managed to find out, the mother was just some commoner who had caught his brother's eye. However, with her passing, she requested that Gregor take care of their son. Lukas was surprised Gregor actually followed through, expecting him to drop the child off at some orphanage and forget about him.

When Gregor brought young Julius back to the estate, many of the Elders wanted to expel him immediately. Elder Samuel, who had a particular dislike for Gregor was especially adamant. Fortunately for his brother and his child, Lukas managed to convince the others to allow them to remain in the family. However, Samuel put a stipulation in place, agreeing that they could as long as they were able to reevaluate the situation once Julius's baptism had passed. 

Lukas was frustrated; he understood Samuel's dislike for his brother, but he disagreed with taking it out on Julius. Who was by all accounts still his nephew and innocent. Lukas didn't believe in punishing a child for his father's crimes but the agreement was set nonetheless. Gregor had gotten worse over the years and the decision about him had already been made a while ago, and as the Patriarch he had prepared himself for what had to be done.

As the years went by, Lukas always maintained an eye over Julius. Other than one freak accident that occurred when Julius was seven, he was a perfectly healthy young boy. Lukas found himself enjoying hearing about his young nephew's antics and unusual behaviors. It was often a highlight of his day when Edwin came in to give a recent report. 

However, in Edwin's opinion, he thought the boy had a developmental disorder. He backed it up by noting his antisocial behavior, above-average intelligence, obsessive habits, and overall odd behavior, which were all signs that it was true.

While Lukas understood some of the truth behind Edwin's claims, he couldn't help but feel attached to Julius. Lukas wasn't happy keeping his distance from his nephew all these years, but he had to maintain his neutrality to avoid angering other family members. Unlike many other of the kids running around, who were all spoiled rotten, Julius was seemingly a kind young man who treated everyone around him with respect and consideration. However, kindness and patience did not necessarily relate to talent, and if he wasn't talented enough, he would be expelled from House Hyperius.

As such, he had already decided that if the baptism didn't go well, he would find him a loving home fit with anything he would need for his entire life. That was the least Lukas could do for Julius after being absent for many years.

With that being said, he did not expect the current situation at all. Edwin had previously mentioned that the boy had a good possibility of failing the requirements to be considered a natural talent.

When Julius first started absorbing the mana inside the orb, it was slow but predictable. So when Lukas noticed the rate of mana being absorbed slowing down, he was ready to end the test.

Despite that, against all expectations, he felt the rate increase dramatically. Before, it was like raindrops accumulating, but now it felt like a faucet rapidly filling up a bucket. At this rate, he believed that Julius was going to pass the test. Lukas took a quick glance at Edwin standing in the crowd. Edwin wasn't surprised. No, he had a shit-eating grin all over his face. Lukas was confused. Why would Edwin say he didn't think Julius would pass but now was not even mildly shocked at the outcome?

He pulled his attention back to Julius. The flow of mana was still large, however, Lukas ascertained that he would be slowing down any second. 

Sure enough, a few moments later, mana started to slow down. This was already an amount that exceeded the general average, which meant that the others arguing for his expulsion would find it difficult to do so. 

I guess this means tha—

Lukas's thoughts were interrupted as he felt a massive surge of mana, dwarfing the previous amount, erupt from the pedestal. Just as he thought Julius was done, he once again figured out how to increase the rate of flow. Everyone present, except for Edwin, was in undisguised shock at this turn of events. Even Samuel had a sour look on his face. 

After several moments, the amount of mana being drained from the orb was enough to fill several average cores. However, he could sense a lot of it was being wasted, dissipating into the surroundings. Therefore, it was difficult to predict how much mana Julius was retaining. Regardless, he had already proven his talent enough.

At this point, Lukas could see Julius's face was screwed tight in pain and concentration. Grinding his teeth so hard, Lukas swore he heard some of them crack. After a bit of time, trickles of blood started to drip out of Julius's nose and eyes. Alarmed, Lukas was just about to put a stop to it. However, just as he was about to interrupt, Julius passed out, spilling to the floor. 

The rapid flow of mana slowly dwindled and Lukas noticed that Edwin immediately tended to Julius while the others took time to process what had just occurred.

The entire crowd was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Not a single person spoke, in shock of what happened. 

Finally, Abigail, one of his cousins who was in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the house, such as scheduling and maintenance, spoke up. 

"What in the god's name just happened?"

Nobody answered her. They didn't know themselves. However, after a bit, it seemed like Samuel had something he wanted to say.

"It seemed like the child managed to drain mana out of the device with a surprising level of force. However, I found it odd that although the amount of mana being drained was massive, most of it was being wasted. If the child had indeed been successful in absorbing even a small amount of that mana, he would have easily formed his core several times over. Therefore, since he is evidently still an untiered, I believe that we can explain this away with it just being an anomaly. Maybe the device has malfunctioned in a way, releasing way too much mana for a child such as Julius to handle."

The people around took time to digest this information. Everyone knew that Samuel was one of the only ones with a proper mana-sensing skill amongst them. Most of the people around the estate were not the most skilled users in the family, bottlenecking around Tier 2 or 3. Most of their remaining elites were off doing more important missions or tasks. But Samuel was a powerful Tier 5 who was almost two centuries old with an abundance of experience. Thus, his statement convinced many of them. In their view, what Samuel proposed was way more realistic than the option that a child just turned twelve could somehow manipulate such an incredible amount of mana. An amount that many of them could not do themselves. 

Lukas decided to speak up. "I agree. It is possible that it was a malfunction, and most of the mana towards the end was unabsorbed. With that being said, that doesn't mean the child didn't absorb any of it. By my accounts, young Julius was able to absorb much more than what most are capable of during their baptism. He has very likely almost filled up a major portion of his core. This means that by all standards, he is a talent we cannot afford to lose. Do you disagree, Samuel?" Lukas looked directly at Samuel.

Samuel nodded in agreement; he knew very well that Lukas's point was true. While his opinion was biased, he couldn't ignore the facts. Samuel was extremely loyal to his house and wouldn't deprive it of a potential talent just out of spite. 

Now that people got their composure back, several questions were thrown around at once, while the person of their inquiry laid passed out on the floor.

However, there was something that surprised Lukas. He didn't know if Samuel had managed to catch it, but he had. Lukas couldn't quite tell what Julius was doing with the mana he absorbed. It was a weird technique that was similar to what you would do to condense your core, but it was different in some ways that made it very intriguing. He also didn't miss the fact that this interesting technique wasn't released even after Julius passed out.

Chapter 6: Unexpected Turn

Julius found himself lying down on the cold stone floor of the chamber. His mind was hazy, and he was barely cognizant. With his eyes still closed he could recognize Edwin beside him. To his surprise, he could feel Edwin was channeling mana into him, rejuvenating him, something he wouldn't have been able to sense before. 

Julius could immediately realize it was nothing like what Julius did during his baptism. Whereas Julius's manipulation was a violent tantrum, Edwin's manipulation of mana was elegant and beautiful, likely refined over many years of practice. 

Now that he had done his baptism, he could see what Edwin meant. Before, it was like feeling mana through several layers of clothes, now those layers were off, and he basked in the feeling of mana all around him. Using his perception ability, he tossed out a small pulse to get a bearing on his surroundings, wincing at the slight head pain that this action caused. 

He was still lying next to the pedestal, but the spectators were now discussing things with each other, talking animately. However, what caught his attention was the sound of ding going off inside his head, and he felt something inside him. Focusing on it, a notification popped into his head.

Would you like to learn the skill [Sixth Sense]?

Julius was completely taken aback. What was this? Nothing he had experienced in the world so far suggested something like this. Nevertheless, after thinking for a moment his curiosity got the better of him and mentally confirmed. 

Congratulations, skill [Sixth Sense] acquired.

However, that wasn't the end of the notifications.

Would you like to learn the skill [Detect Life]?

He hesitantly confirmed it as well. 

Congratulations, skill [Detect Life] acquired.

Would you like to learn the skill [Awareness]?

Congratulations, skill [Awareness] acquired.

Synergy detected. Would you like to evolve [Sixth Sense], [Detect Life], and [Awareness] into a single skill? Notice: This will remove existing skills.

Julius didn't know the consequences of doing so, so he wanted to wait. To his relief, the second he decided to wait, the message disappeared. However, in the back of his mind, he knew that if he wanted to, it could reappear anytime. 

Julius, full of so many questions, opened his eyes to look at Edwin. Edwin must've felt him shift because his eyes, which were focused on the others' discussions, turned and looked down at him. 

"I know you have many questions. I didn't tell you because it is hard to explain unless you experience it for yourself. It is also why this ritual is so important. It doesn't only awaken your mana, but it also opens you to the Words of the World. And I suspect you have a few notifications due to your perception ability. However, do not make any decisions yet. I will explain everything once we leave here and are alone." Edwin whispered quietly into Julius's ear. "For now pretend to be unconscious. You don't have anything to worry about. There is no way they are going to expel you after this"

Edwin's words calmed down Julius significantly. He was curious why Edwin didn't want to let the others know he was awake, but he must have a reason for it, so Julius played along. 

Now that he was somewhat lucid he was able to listen in on the conversation. Someone had just asked a question. "Did the child truly not receive any training during these years, Patriarch? Because I find it difficult to see how a child his age was able to achieve such a result."

Julius didn't see who asked that but Edwin spoke up from Julius's side and answered. "I can personally guarantee that I nor anyone else had taught Julius any techniques. There has been no violation of the conditions you and the others set. Every bit of his results are due to his own merit."

Conditions? I didn't know there were conditions. Just how much do I not know, about my own circumstances, or about this world? I have more questions now than when I first arrived.

"I can confirm with Edwin that Julius has been isolated for these years without the possibility of learning outside what was available to him," Lukas added. "Therefore, I recommend that we do not expel him, rather, we should cultivate his talent so that he becomes a more valuable member of the family, not wasting his talent. Does everyone agree on that?" Lukas proposed to others.

Everyone's heads nodded in agreement and nobody offered any opposing opinion. 

That was easy! I thought there would be more pushback. If I were to guess, that was what they discussing when I was asleep, Julius thought to himself.

Unfortunately, his father decided at that moment to speak up. 

"Well, now that this has been settled, I will be on my way. I have some things I need to do," Gregor said while already quickly making his exit. 

Most of the people had forgotten that he was even there in the first place. Even Julius had completely forgotten that his father was present. He decided to take a quick peek around and based on what reactions Julius could perceive from the others, it might have been better to stay quiet.

An older man with gray hair spoke up. "Gregor, I am afraid that while it has been decided that the child will not be removed from the house, I can't say that goes the same for you." the man said.

"What do you mean? You all agreed that he is a valuable asset to the house," Gregor boasted.

"It does not work that way. Twelve years ago, we decided to extend the vote about whether to expel Julius and yourself. Meaning, that just because we decided that Julius can stay, does not mean that we have decided that you get to stay alongside him." The older man explained.

"You are not making any sense Samuel. I am still his father," Gregor insisted. 

"A father in name only. I would be surprised if you had even had a conversation with young Julius in the twelve years since he was been born. Over the years you have come back to the estate a handful of times, and during these times I don't recall you ever visiting young Julius." This man, evidently named Samuel scolded his father. "The house's servants are closer to a father to the child than you have ever been. Now you dare try to use that relationship to justify remaining within this house? You have been a plague to this family's resources, and reputation, and have been an overall pain in the ass to everyone here. You are a talentless wastrel that only fucks whores and drinks booze. The noble House Hyperius does not need leeches like you." Samuel viciously insulted Gregor. 

Julius, even as Gregor's son, didn't find any fault in what Samuel said. Sure it was harsh, but considering his father's reputation, it was completely warranted. It wasn't like Julius had any positive feelings towards this man anyway. To Samuel's point, Julius had not spoken a word to his father in twelve long years. 

However, just because Julius didn't take offense to Samuel's words, didn't mean his father didn't. 

Gregor's fists balled up in anger. He looked like he wanted to do something about it. However, in the end, he didn't.

Julius was curious about Samuel. While he might have been older with a full head of gray hair, his physical appearance spoke of another story. Samuel was still fit, with broad shoulders and biceps the size of Julius's torso. Julius quickly saw that Samuel was not like the others there. He had a similar presence to the Patriarch. There was an intimidating aura emitting from his body like bloodlust smothering those in its wake. 

Julius didn't know what tier or how powerful Gregor was, but he would bet every penny that he was much weaker than Samuel. 

Watching Gregor not saying a word, Samuel continued. "Today we were supposed to decide what we were going to do with both of you. The house has kept tabs on your activities these past twelve years. It has been quite enlightening to see what you have been doing."

Julius's father's eyes widened and you could see the cogs turning inside his head, looking for a way out. Gregor inevitably looked over at his brother, Lukas. If there was someone who could save him from this situation it would be his brother. But the Patriarch of the Hyperius family could only look at his younger brother in disappointment, shaking his head slowly. 

Samuel wasn't finished. "What you might not know, is that your fate had already been decided weeks ago. Everyone has received a detailed report of your doings over these past years. It was unanimous, not even your brother for as much as he loves you could overlook some of your egregious errors. Firstly, you threatened the son of Baron Astraeus, one of our few trusted remaining allies. Secondly, you decided to borrow two hundred thousand credits under the house's name. Thirdly, you were caught blabbering about house secrets in a brothel for everyone around to hear. Need I to go on? I have over two dozen more offenses recorded." 

"Desmond Astraeus was the one who started it, he has always been a self-righteous prick and you know it. Also, I needed the money, I had some… important house business to settle." Gregor pleaded.

"And the brothel?" Samuel asked.

"The brothel doesn't matter, nobody is going to believe a whore." Gregor said dismissively.

Samuel could be seen sighing visibly in disappointment. 

"That brothel was owned by Duke Greyson."

"Oh," Gregor said, looking like he swallowed a rock.

"Yes, oh indeed. You should have never been privy to that information but still, thanks to you, Duke Greyson and everyone allied with him knows sensitive information about our house. House Hyperius has been trying to recover for a long time, but in one swoop you have ruined years of work." Samuel said angrily.

"It was an honest mistake. I promise. It won't ever happen again, I swear it." Gregor pleaded looking at his brother.

Lukas did not even look at Gregor. He was resigned to his brother's fate. 

"We did have to discuss what would happen to you, Gregor. After all, you have already proven that you are willing to betray house secrets. Therefore, we can't take the chance of you running off to another house and selling out more secrets. There is only one option." Samuel explained. 

Julius while lying on the floor was speechless. He didn't believe things would have escalated this far. He knew his father had a bad reputation, but this…

Gregor began to freak out and beg for forgiveness, not even able to coherently say anything.

"I am truly sorry that it has come to this Gregor," Samuel said softly. "I didn't wish it to end this way."

Julius could barely watch as his father begged desperately. So, Julius glanced at Lukas to see how he was reacting. Lukas was staring coldly at Gregor, making his intent of not helping his brother clear. It seemed like the time Lukas protected his brother, was no longer.

Seeing nobody come to his aid. Gregor tried to run for it.

Unfortunately for him, Samuel was prepared and had already wrapped him in mana. Completely immobilizing him. 

Julius watched as Gregor was helpless to do anything. Unable to speak or move due to what Samuel had done to him, he stared around frantically, tears pouring out of his eyes. 

In Julius's opinion, the man's fate was unsurprising. Gregor was already a deplorable man and now had betrayed his family. He knew most noble families would do even worse if someone like Gregor was one of their own. Furthermore, Julius found it difficult to feel any sympathy or remorse for a man whom he didn't know, and what little he did know wasn't pleasant. 

Julius knew what it was like to lose his family, after he had lost his family and gramps he had cried for days on end. He still felt the pain from their deaths. However, now that he was about to watch his new father get executed, he didn't feel a thing. It made Julius question his own morality. Shouldn't I feel more upset? Failed father or not, he was still technically family.

Breaking his silence and Julius out of his thoughts, the Patriarch spoke. "Gregor Von Hyperius, as the Patriarch of House Hyperius, I Lukas Von Hyperius declare you a traitor to your house and therefore sentence you to death."

Julius could feel an incredible amount of mana move. It made the amount of mana used during his baptism look pathetic in comparison. He could feel it congregating towards the Patriarch. Then in a split second, an aura of light appeared around his father's frozen body and erupted with golden light. There was no heat or explosion of energy. Just silence and an empty spot where Gregor had stood.

Chapter 7: Training Begins

Afterward, Julius was in a bit of a daze. There was a lot to unpack. His father's death didn't have much impact on him as he would've thought, even after the shock of it. What had astounded Julius more, was the casual ease at which the Patriarch had vaporized his brother. It wasn't like in movies, a big explosion. No. The calm effortlessness was what surprised Julius. It was the first time Julius had seen someone who was powerful seriously use magic and it was terrifying.

In the days that followed his baptism, Edwin remained close by. It was unusual, Julius was used to seeing Edwin once a week for many years. However, recently he has been spending much more time with him. Julius enjoyed his company. As irritating as Edwin could be at times, he was a comforting presence to be around. He didn't speak or ask unnecessary questions about how Julius was feeling, he would just sit there sipping his tea while reading a book.

They did end up discussing the prompt that showed up after his baptism. In all the drama that occurred, Julius almost completely forgot about the notifications he received. He ended up going to Edwin to answer some of his questions. 

"Skills are considered a blessing from the Words of the World. It is the closest thing to a god that humanity knows of." Edwin described. "You will receive the opportunity to learn a skill through repeating an action over and over again. Skills are very important for many reasons, one of the most important ones is that by using a skill to say for example, light a fire, it would be more efficient mana-wise and faster to activate it than without a skill. However, there is a limit to how many skills you can learn at one time. Humans can learn ten skills before the capacity in their souls is reached. This means that it becomes incredibly important what skills you choose to learn. You will always have the choice to remove skills but that is an extremely painful process."

"Once you told me about your ability, I already expected you to receive a notice about learning some sort of skill after your awakening. But what did you end up getting?" Edwin asked him.

Julius thought about not telling Edwin, but in the end, Julius needed information more than he needed to keep secrets. It was an opportunity to learn something important and he couldn't afford to be tight-lipped about it.

"I got offered three separate skills. [Sixth Sense], [Life Detection], and [Awareness]. I didn't know there was a limit to how many skills I could have but I learned all of them." Julius admitted.

Edwin winced. "All three of those skills are useful, but honestly [Awareness] is probably the best out of the three. With time you could learn to do the effects of [Sixth Sense] and [Life Detection] with some time and practice. Luckily you have plenty of slots left. You will probably have to release them in time, but you can worry about that later."

Julius almost forgot to mention the other notice he got. "I also got a prompt telling me there was a synergy between the three skills and that I could combine them. I didn't say yes or no, but if I did, does this affect how many skills I can still hold?"

Edwin's eyes widened and his lips turned up into a grin. "No, you can hold nine more. Can you still pull up the notice?" Julian nodded. "Okay, I want you to read it to me word by word."

Julius pulled it up again and repeated exactly what was said for Edwin.

Synergy detected. Would you like to evolve [Sixth Sense], [Detect Life], and [Awareness] into a single skill? Notice: This will remove existing skills.

"You are something else, Julius. Being able to combine synergistic skills is everyone's goal. Being able to combine skills into a single one is a massive advantage at the later tiers." Edwin said in disbelief.

"Really, why is that?" Julius asked.

Edwin gave an example. "Imagine a fight between two fighters in the same tier, but one of them has a few combined skills while the other doesn't. Who do you think will win?" 

"With the same experience, probably the one with the combined skills because he has effectively more skills than the other," Julian responded.

"Correct, but there is more to it. To evolve a skill you must reach a certain threshold of understanding. Meaning, you can't just learn a couple of skills and combine them. You would need to practice them extensively and then understand how these skills interact and synergize with each other on a fundamental level. It is not easy to achieve."

"So I should evolve them?" Julius was sure this was a no-brainer, but he wanted to double-check.

"Yes, the sooner the better," Edwin told him.

Now that Julius had a better understanding of skills, he mentally focused on the message and selected yes. 

Skill evolution commencing…Congratulations, skill [Spatial Perception] (Rare) acquired.

"It says, I gained the skill [Spatial Perception] but it says it is rare," Julius said.

"Skills typically start at level one, and as you progress through use, you can evolve it down various paths. You could keep the same path and specialize, or combine skills with it, both have their advantages. This usually leads to a skill's improved grade. Most are general ranked, but it goes up from there. Next is uncommon, then rare, then epic, then legendary. The fact you already have a rare ranked skill is very impressive." Edwin patiently explained.

This was a familiar concept Julius had seen in video games. Which begged the question. Why was it so familiar? Even more questions.

"So if I understand it correctly, unless you combine skills, the only way to rank up skills is by increasing their level?" Julius asked.

"Level 10 is the minimum threshold one would need to get to, to qualify for a skill rank-up. It usually ends up being higher in reality." Edwin said.

"What's the best way to level up?" Julius was curious if there was a method that increased the rate of leveling up skills.

"After many centuries, nobles have found a method that works the best by far," Edwin said with a grin.

"Really?" Julius had an excited expression on his face. He was already fantasizing about all the things he would be able to do with the techniques of a noble family.

"Practice," Edwin said.

"Sorry?" Julius asked.

"Practice," Edwin repeated with a big smile

Shortly after his conversation with Edwin, the Patriarch summoned him to his study. After Edwin had shut the door, Julius realized it was just him and the man who had casually erased his father several days prior. Julius walked in with sweaty palms, anxiously thinking about what he wanted. 

Nobody spoke for a while, it was just the two of them sitting in their respective chairs in silence. Until the Patriarch finally decided to break it.

"I first want to apologize for never coming to see you. As the family head, I have a responsibility and that responsibility made me unable to get close to you." Lukas explained. "I hope this doesn't mean we can't become closer, I lost my younger sister in the monster flood years ago and I never had children of my own."

"Edwin already explained some of the situation to me, Lord Hyperius. I don't hold much resentment towards you, I understand that my conditions could have been much worse. After all, I still had servants taking care of my needs. But I am curious about what will happen now." Julius said.

Julius could see on Lukas's face that he was having a difficult time accepting Julius's ease in forgiving him. He probably thought it would be more difficult.

"First off, you can call me uncle when we are in private. As for what happens now, it is to begin your formal training. Because of your circumstances, you have never been given the same opportunity as the other sons and daughters of House Hyperius. The original plan was to put you with the other children and to help you catch up. However, Edwin had another suggestion. He volunteered to be in charge of your training. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. In the many years I have known Edwin, he has never volunteered to train anybody." Lukas said.

"So I will be his first?" Julius asked.

"Yes, you will be. I am confident you won't find a better teacher. Edwin is one of the best fighters at Tier 4 you can find in the Valorbury Region." Lukas explained. "He placed in the top 50 in the annual Inter-Academy Tournament as a commoner. A feat very few have achieved."

"Inter-Academy Tournament?" Julius hadn't heard anything about a tournament like this.

"Yes, it is a tournament held within the capital, Luminous, every year. Every academy across the Empire is invited to participate to decide who is strongest. Each school sends their best and brightest to compete. There are also other competitions for enchanting, smithing, alchemy and other sections. But by far the most popular is the martial competition. You might even have the option to join this tournament in a few years." 

Julius wasn't expecting that. He had been so focused on his training, that he had completely forgotten what he would have to do as a noble born. Most noble-born are sent to academies once they turn fifteen or sometimes earlier if they reach Tier 1 before that. 

This excited Julius. For years he had been stuck in the estate, not allowed to leave. The idea of exploring a new world and going to a school to learn magic sounded like a fantastic idea. Having to deal with school drama again was not so ideal, but it was worth it if it meant he could find some freedom. 

After that, the two of them just talked. Like any plans or goals Julius had, or stories they had that they wanted to share. It was soon apparent that his uncle truly wanted to get to know him. Julius had to admit, that while it was awkward at first, it was nice that he was finally building a relationship with his new family. 

They also discussed what his future training would be like. According to his uncle, the main thing he would be focusing on is condensing his core. On top of that, he would be doing physical training with Edwin every day, as well as some mana exercises. However, he was told he needed to limit how much mana he used. This was because, without a core, Julius wouldn't be able to regenerate mana on his own. He would have to absorb ambient mana and then use that to fuel his usage. However, that would also mean he would be taking mana away from his core, significantly increasing the time it would take to establish his core. 

The mana exercises he would be learning to use would center on him recycling whatever was left back into himself without wasting it. This is also the reason why most join a school or academy once they reach Tier 1. Otherwise, it was just a waste of time.

However, now Julius had a goal set. For a while, he had been stuck training his perception skill with no real way forward.

Julius's first day of formal training arrived. He was told that Gwen would no longer be assigned to him, and Edwin would be taking up most of her duties on top of his training. Julius showed up at the training yard right after the sun rose. Edwin was already there waiting for him with his arms crossed. 

Edwin didn't even take the time to greet Julius. He just stared at him and said, "Start running". Julius had a bad feeling about what was to come, but still started to run around the training yard regardless. 

"Faster!" Edwin yelled.

Julius picked up his pace, but after a couple of minutes, started to flag. His pace started to slow down and Edwin didn't seem to appreciate that. Julius felt a painful zap go right into his back. That on top of the exhaustion, caused him to trip over his feet and fall right onto his face, tearing up his hands and knees on the stone floor. 

"Where is all that bravado? Giving up already?" Edwin taunted him.

Not in a million years, and definitely not to a sadistic wanna-be butler. I know if I give up you would hold it against me forever. Julius told himself. He crawled his way back to his feet and started back into a run.

For what seemed like hours, Julius ran around the yard. The only thing that kept him going was sheer stubbornness and the fact that if he did stop, Edwin would zap him and then insult him while he was face down on the ground. Then would continue to zap him until he got back up.

Julius was already aware that Edwin was a petty old bastard but during training, he became a ruthless taskmaster.

"Why are you stopping? Did your legs fall off or are you just that pathetic? Stop breathing so hard, I can smell your nasty fumes from here." Edwin continually berated Julius.

Julius knew that Edwin was trying to beat him up physically and mentally toughen him up. But just because Julius knew what Edwin was doing, didn't mean he wasn't getting angry.

With that being said, he could see why militaries back in his old world used methods like this. It was very effective. The fact that Edwin was able to use healing magic on Julius whenever he could not physically move anymore, made the training even more brutal. Instead of getting a break to recover, he would be given a painful jolt of healing mana that would increase his recovery. 

Edwin claimed he wasn't very good at healing magic, and that was why it was slightly painful. But Julius knew he was full of shit. He had already felt Edwin's healing magic before, after his baptism. He was just doing it to hurt Julius, and because it seemed like he enjoyed it. 

This went all the way until lunchtime when he was given time to eat. After that, Julius was forced to sit down and meditate. The orb that was used to awaken him was only useful for children who had not accumulated any mana whatsoever. Once, someone goes through their baptism, it falls to the individual to independently absorb mana. 

That was where it got hard. Julius had to meditate and enter a trance-like state. Which was already hard enough as is, but Edwin decided to add an additional challenge on top of that. Julius was supposed to enter a trance while maintaining [Spatial Perception]. Edwin explained that any self-respecting practitioner should be able to cultivate his mana with distractions. 

This might have been easier for others, but with Julius's skill, it was practically impossible. Since [Spatial Perception] had to process an insane amount of information while active, meditating when Julius was using it was like trying to ignore a child who was simultaneously screaming and slapping his face. It didn't help that Edwin just stood by reading a book while occasionally throwing random things or zapping him.

While Julius had no success in finding his inner peace. He was able to level up [Spatial Perception] quite nicely. 

[Spatial Perception] has reached threshold. [Spatial Perception lvl 1 -> Spatial Perception lvl 2]

[Spatial Perception] has reached threshold. [Spatial Perception lvl 2 -> Spatial Perception lvl 3]

[Spatial Perception] has reached threshold. [Spatial Perception lvl 3 -> Spatial Perception lvl 4]

Edwin did mention that since he had prior experience with the skill, Julius would see a higher rate of leveling until he caught up. Afterward, it would slow down to normal.

Regardless, it still felt nice seeing numbers go up.