Home I

The next day, they boarded the train and returned to their hometown.

Upon arriving at the station, their father was waiting anxiously. He looked like he had aged years in the past three months, with visible signs of fatigue.

"Michael! Leon!" he exclaimed, embracing them tightly.

"Father," they greeted, returning the hug.

"Yo... you've reached Mid-level of Specialist Stage!" Their father suddenly noticed Michael's new level with astonishment.

"I had many opportunities in the secret realm," Michael replied.

Their father nodded, then turned to Leon, his expression puzzled. "Leon, what's your realm? I can't sense it."

"Peak Sergeant Stage," Leon replied calmly. Their father looked as though he had received the shock of his life.

"Well, it's unusual to reach Peak Sergeant Stage in just three months," their father said, still in disbelief.

"I'll explain my lucky opportunity at home," Leon said. Their father nodded, and they continued their journey home.

Within minutes, they arrived. At the door, their mother was waiting.

"Mom!" Michael exclaimed, gently hugging her.

"How are my sweeties?" she responded, hugging him back and kissing his forehead.

Leon also embraced her, noticing she looked unwell, much weaker than she should be. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing serious, just feeling under the weather," she replied. Leon nodded and handed her a large jar.

"You should take this; I learned it's good for recovery," Leon said, giving her the Daffodil Honey jar.

"This is Daffodil Honey. How did you get so much?" she asked, surprised.

"I'll explain later. But first, let's go inside. You need to take it; you seem like you're on the verge of falling ill," Leon said with a chuckle.

She nodded absent mindedly, as they began to enter inside.

As the family gathered around the dining table, Leon began to share the story of his past three months.

"You see," Leon began, "when we were moving out three months ago, our train was attacked by a swarm of beasts." His father, while listening, poured spoonfuls of honey for their mother.

"I was seriously injured during the attack. As the chaos unfolded, I had to escape, and in the confusion, I accidentally fell into a tunnel that the beasts had dug. Inside, I encountered even more beasts. I ran for my life, but soon found myself cornered. I remember looking into the eyes of the beasts—they were filled with hunger and malice. Just when it seemed like there was no escape, the wall behind me collapsed, and I was thrown into an Inheritance Ground."

Leon paused to let the gravity of his words sink in. "Time flowed differently in that Inheritance Ground. For every year that passed outside, 50 years passed inside. It was a place where time was warped, allowing me to experience decades in what seemed like a short time."

"Inside, I spent a considerable amount of time fighting fierce creatures, learning ancient techniques, and mastering powerful skills. It was a grueling experience, but it allowed me to claim the inheritance contained within the ground."

"That's how I was able to return with the strength and abilities I have now," Leon concluded.

His mother stood up and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that," she said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Leon reassured her, then urged her to eat the honey.

"No, wait. Go into the bathroom and eat it," Leon said, covering the honey jar. He added, "Honey can also numb the mind, and I want to make sure you don't feel disoriented."

"Why the bathroom?" their mother asked.

"You'll see," Leon replied with a knowing smile. She nodded and went into the bathroom to consume the honey.

After about half an hour, she emerged looking refreshed and more vibrant than before. "Oh my God, Leon, you should give some to your father too!" she exclaimed.

"It really rejuvenated me," she added enthusiastically.

"I'm glad you like it," Leon said with a smile. He then placed some black seed-like items on the table. "Take these next; they can purify one's mana and also increase mana sensitivity," he explained.

Their mother tried them and was surprised by how effective they were at purifying her mana. Their father also took some, and soon their mana was 100% purer.

"Michael, why aren't you eating?" their mother asked.

"I can't. He won't let me," Michael replied with a wary smile.

"Leon!" she turned to him with a concerned look. "Why?"

"I don't want to spoon feed him just yet. Let him push his limits a bit more, and I promise I will give him everything , this is like a test for him" Leon explained.

"Leon" Father also looked at him and said, "Are you telling the truth?" 

"Yes, I am, " Leon said, as he brings out a Space pouch, "I have stored all of it here and also locked it so that only a Corporal stage can open it" He said as he passed it to Michael.

"Also, let me show you something else," Leon said as he placed his hands on their monster partners. They were both Grey Spark Sparrows, a common monster of level 2 strain. These monsters, while only at the Specialist Stage, were still basic compared to Ashlyn.

"awaken" he said and then both of them began to shine as their bloodlines began to increase in quality.

Shadow Spark Sparrow, It was the Evolution of Father's partner, This evolution emphasizes shadow manipulation, allowing the sparrow to blend into darkness and create illusions or shadow-based attacks.

Obsidian Harbinger, it was the evolution of Mom's partner, the Obsidian Harbinger wields dominion over the forces of death and decay, capable of corrupting entire areas, summoning dark storms, and invoking catastrophic curses.

"This is..." Both their mother and father stood up in astonishment. Leon continued, "As you can see, I can now awaken the dormant bloodlines of any beast."

Before they could ask further, their newly evolved partners—Grey Spark Sparrows—suddenly entered them. As they did, the beasts leveled up continuously, reaching the peak of the Lieutenant Stage one after another.

"It seems that the accumulated energy has boosted you guys quite significantly," Leon remarked. He observed that the seeds of power had formed within them. "Now, all that's left is to gather the necessary materials and blueprints to create your own Totems."