Chapter 9: Sylvie & Family Reunion

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV:I jumped out of my bed and carefully rummaged through my robe to locate the gem that Sylvia entrusted me with."H-haha...Holy shit..." I breathed out as I fell back on my butt, staring at what used to be the rainbow-colored gem."Kyu~!"The stone wasn't a gem...It was an egg!And what used to be an egg was now something that I couldn't put into one word.The first thing that came to mind was that it was a dragon. It looked sort of like a dragon to me, but at the same time, it didn't. It was all black. It kind of reminded me of a small kitten but with scales. It was sitting on all fours, studying at me with its head tilted to one side. The sclera that would usually be white in the human's eyes was black, like Grandpa Virion when he used his second form, except its irises were a bright red instead of yellow. The pupils were sharp slits that would normally make it look menacing, but with the body of something akin to a small feline animal, it just looked adorable. The most noticeable difference between a dragon-like Sylvia and this little... thing was that it had two horns on its head. The horns looked identical to the illusion that Sylvia had been before she revealed to me that she was a dragon. It curved outward around its head and then, sharpened into a point in the front.Its head was shaped like a cat's but the snout was just a little bit more pointed, otherwise the same. The tail, though, looked exactly like Sylvia's tail. It was a reptilian tail that had two red spikes at the end. Along the spine of this hatchling were also small red spikes that matched the color of its eyes. It didn't have wings but where the wings should be located were, instead, two small bumps.I could see that its belly didn't have scales, though; it looked sort of leathery.The newly hatched creature suddenly let out a toothless yawn, toppling on its back after losing balance.And in response, I was flushed with the overwhelming urge to embrace this creature."Kyu?" It locked its sharp eyes on me with intelligence that didn't match its appearance."H-hi there little fella, I'm Arthur." I stretched my hand out towards it as if it were a dog that needed to know my scent."KYU!" It jumped off of the chair and onto my lap, gazing up at me.I could feel my hands twitch as I suppressed the urge to squeeze it. Unlike the majesty and fearsomeness that Sylvia had, this creature was dangerous in a different sense.Unable to hold in the urge, I carefully petted the adorable menace. The scales were surprisingly soft and the red spikes that ran down its back felt like rubber. I guess young animals, whether humans or monsters were all squishy and soft. It started purring, closing its eyes.I could feel the tension on my face melt as I let out a soft laugh. "Hehe..."It rolled onto its back, asking for a more thorough rub. The belly felt like a very soft leather, making it very smooth to rub. I took a closer look at its claws and found it interesting that it looked closer to paws than actual claws. The only hard thing was its horns, which were surprisingly sharp as well. I couldn't help but compare it to the beak a bird would use to crack itself out of its shell."Aren't you just a cute little fella?" My smile widened while petting this adorable newborn, to the point where it seemed intoxicating.After a little bit, I couldn't help but think of what to name it, which made me realize I didn't even know the gender of this mysterious creature."Kyu~!" Suddenly the newborn shot its tongue out and licked the underside of my left forearm."Ah!" I reflexively tried to move my arm back from the scorching sensation, but before I could, a glowing black light began enveloping my arm.The prickling pain subsided fairly quickly so I just waited. The creature pulled its tongue back, revealing a black marking on my forearm.It looked a lot like the tribal markings that covered Sylvia before she passed on her will to me but the shape of this pattern was that of a wing. Just one open wing, but it was made up of several dashes and sharp curves that branched out, making it look very intricate and mysterious.I was only eight but I already had a tattoo. I'm such a rebel.'...Mama~?'The creature was looking up at me with its mouth closed.What? I obviously heard a voice just now.'Mama?' This time I heard it clearly in my head.Was this...telepathy?Shaking my head helplessly, I responded vocally, "I guess I'm your mother. But I'm a boy so you should call me Papa."'Papa!' It suddenly jumped up and licked my nose.I'm a rebel with a tattoo and a child.After communicating with the creature for a bit, I had come to realize a few things. I guess after the mark had appeared on my forearm, a sort of telepathic connection was established. The voice I heard in my head from the creature sounded like a girl's so I decided to name her Sylvie after her real mother."Syeevy?" she responded with her head tilted.Picking her up and bringing her close to my face, I smiled at her, "That's right! Your name is Sylvie."She nuzzled her nose to mine while closing her sharp eyes.Another thing I realized was that Sylvie had a pretty high intelligence for a newborn. She already seemed to have the mental capacity of a 2-3 year-old child. While we were communicating telepathically, I knew she was not necessarily talking to me in English but I just understood it as that. It was a very odd feeling, not knowing the words she was actually saying but knowing what she meant. Besides simple words like "papa", most of the thoughts she communicated with me came through as emotions. I was able to get the gist of what she meant by how she felt."Okay, Sylvie! I need to wash now. Do you want to come with me?" I said while setting her down."Kyu?" She tilted her head again while she looked up at me. I felt like she was asking me what "wash" was so I just laughed and took her with me.Getting into the shower, she seemed to cry out 'NOOOOOOO' as she wailed a shrill "KYUU!""I guess you don't like water that much, do you Sylvie?" I chuckled, setting her down out of the shower.Sylvia shook herself off like a wet dog and plopped down on the floor next to the shower, her tail wagging, observing me as I finished washing up.Her behavior sort of reminded me of a mix between a dog and a cat. Never would I imagine her lineage to be that of a mighty dragon. Of course, this was assuming that she actually Sylvia's child.That got me thinking though.Was Sylvie really a dragon? She sure looked kind of like a baby dragon...Why was she completely black when Sylvia was pure white? What baffled me the most was the fact that Sylvie had horns eerily similar to that horned, demon king illusion that Sylvia was at first and also to the demon that confronted her.I got out of the shower and dried myself off. No use thinking about all of this now; how was I going to explain this to Gramps and Tess, though?As I got out of the bathroom, Sylvie toddled behind me, 'kyu'ing me to not leave her behind.I gathered up the pieces of the shell that Sylvie came out from and set it aside. Then I wrapped the feather that was encasing the stone around my forearm to cover the marking that little had Sylvie left.Four months. In four months, I would be able to see my parents. I wonder if they'd still recognize me.Sylvie must've felt the longing emotion of my parents because she cuddled in close to my face and licked my cheeks."Thanks, little Sylv." Petting her horned head, I fell asleep.The days went by quickly for me as I was completely immersed in training. I was able to access my first phase but I wouldn't be able to use it in an actual fight until I gained more control over it. Virion also taught me how to conceal my beast will so other mages can't notice. After the assimilation, the speed of my mana cultivation went through leaps and bounds.During this time, there didn't seem to be any changes in Sylvie except that she had gotten a little more intelligent. Her vocabulary was still limited but it was a lot easier for us to understand each other. I went out together with Tess a lot. She had dragged me out with her every free time we had, trying to make as many memories as possible before I left. Like that, the four months that seemed so far away had now passed.Dressed in a simple olive-green long-sleeve and black pants with a feather wrapped around my forearm, I came out of my room."Arthur! Remember to take care! We'll find some way to contact you somehow and update you. Take this with you so you can navigate through the Forest of Elshire if you're ever in the area. Or maybe you can just find another princess to lead you back." He winked while handing me a small silver oval compass."Uuu... Grandpa!!!""OUCH! Little one! It was a joke!" Grandpa Virion yelped while rubbing his side."While Alduin and Merial will be going in a separate carriage as the heads of this kingdom, Tess and I won't be going. This will be the last time we'll see each other for now. Until next time, Arthur!" He grabbed me in a strong hug, almost knocking Sylvie off of my head."I'll miss you, Art! Remember to come visit again! Uu~ don't go chasing after human girls okay? Promise me, okay?" She sniffled, tears lining her eyes.I hugged my dear friend and patted her head as well. "We'll see each other again! You better be stronger than me the next time we meet Tess! With Gramps teaching you, you have no excuse!"She gave me a feeble nod, unable to form words because of her constant sniffling.I waved goodbye to both of them and followed behind Merial and Alduin after they gave me a sympathetic smile. I hadn't really gotten the chance to spend much time with the King and Queen but we were more comfortable with each other now. I hoped that next time, I would be able to grow closer to them.I got into the carriage that the elf representatives were taking, while the king and queen were escorted into a separate carriage."Well look who it is! If it isn't the human brat! Did the royal family finally kick you out of the Kingdom?" An elf boy dressed in a very decorated purple robe smirked."Uh... I'm sorry but do I know you?" I felt like I knew who this elf was, but I couldn't quite place my finger on where we had met. Meanwhile, Sylvie was growling, pointing her horns in his direction."I'm the noble you mercilessly attacked while defying the customs of the duel!" He bolted up angrily, pointing an accusing finger at me.It suddenly clicked. "You're the bug I sent tumbling!" I yelled out in realization, a bit louder than I had meant to."Y-you dare...!?" His face turned bright pink as his ears twitched profusely in anger while a few elves behind desperately tried to cover their snickering."Aha sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to say that. I never did learn your name though," I chuckled, extending a hand to him.Face still red, trying to preserve as much of the little dignity he had left, he rejected my handshake and declared in a pompous tone, "My name is Feyrith Ivsaar III, descendent of the noble Ivsaar family! You may have won while we were both children, but were we to duel again, I would win easily."A young elf girl who looked a few years older than Feyrith piped in, saying, "You can just call him Feyfey as we do.""D-don't tell him that!" Face turning an even darker shade of red, Feyfey turned his head away from me and took a seat.I sat down next to Feyfey and gave him a sympathetic pat on his shoulders that were slumped in defeat.As our carriage went into the teleportation gate we were greeted by the now-familiar sensation of being in the middle of a fast-forwarding film."We have arrived in Xyrus!" The driver announced.Taking a quick peek out, I noticed we were surrounded by a parade of people all politely clapping at our entrance. This tournament was supposed to be one of the biggest turning points throughout the continent. It wasn't just gathering all of the gifted youths together, but also building a future where they could also learn under one roof. It was an exciting venture that the leaders of the continent were taking, but also a scary one that would also, in no doubt, be filled with dispute and hostility.The driver pulled the carriage close to a small gap between two buildings after passing through the crowd and signaled to me in the back that this would be the best time to leave without being noticed.I say bye to Feyfey and the rest of the representatives and wish them luck. Feyfey merely whipped his head away but also made a slight waving gesture. Jumping off the carriage with Sylvie still on my head, I made my way through the alleyway as I tried remembering the home my parents were staying in.After around an hour of making my way around going around, I finally managed to find the huge manor that my parents were supposed to be residing in."We're home Sylv. We're finally home," I muttered shakily under my breath."Kyu?" she said as if saying, 'I thought we were at home before.'I took careful steps walking up the flight of stairs and took one deep breath. Dusting off my shirt and pants I knocked on the giant double doors.It was a strange feeling being more nervous now, meeting my family, more than when I first appointed a king while in the midst of the most powerful people in the world."Whew~ let's do this Sylvie.""Kyu" She responded, my excitement spreading to her.The dull sound of metal clanging on metal rang surprisingly loudly.Unexpectedly, I could hear the faint pitter-patter sounds followed by a childish voice. "Coming~!"A maid opened the door together with a little girl. Immediately upon seeing me, she hid behind the maid.The maid looks at me curiously, evidently surprised to see an eight-year-old knocking on the door of a noble's estate."Ahem, nice to meet you. My name is Arthur Leywin. I was informed that my family is currently residing in this manor. Do you mind if I speak to them?" I give a slight bow, Sylvie rocking on my head.Before the confused maid could even respond, I heard an all too familiar sound in the background."Eleanor Leywin! There you are! You have got to stop running to the front door every time someone..." My mother stopped mid-sentence and dropped a small bowl of what looked to be food for... my sister.I look down to see the girl with dazzling brown eyes, looking at me with innocent curiosity. Her light ash brown hair shimmered with a much prettier quality than Father's but I knew who she had gotten the color from. Her hair was tied into two pigtails on the side of her head above her ears.I struggled to peel my eyes away from my little sister and turned to face my mother. My vision went blurry as tears filled my eyes, I said one thing I knew she was waiting to hear."H-hi Mom. I'm home." I gestured a small, awkward wave, not knowing what to do if she couldn't recognize me.Fortunately, my fear didn't come true and she raced towards me at a speed I swear was faster than Grandpa Virion's, but that might've just been because of my blurry vision."Oh, my baby! Arthur!!" She arrived in front of me and collapsed on her knees, her arms around my waist, gripping with all her strength, afraid that I might disappear again if she let go."You are alive! The Voice... I knew it was you! *sniff* You're back now! Yes, you're home now. Arthur, my baby!" That was all she managed to sputter out before breaking down into a bawl.I couldn't even manage a complete sentence before shutting my lips tightly in order to hold back my sobs.I couldn't help but think while my head was buried in my mother's shoulder: you could be an all-powerful, immortal tyrant but when you were in front of your loved ones, the ability to control emotions betray you.I kept repeating in half-gurgled sentences that I was alive and that I was home, that I wasn't leaving. My mother was a flurry of emotions. She was happy that I was back and alive, she was mad that I couldn't come back sooner, she was sad that I had to be away from them and how hard it must have been for me all at the same time.At one point, Eleanor walked to us and started patting Mother's back. "Mama. There, there. Don't cry." But after unsuccessfully comforting her, she began crying as well."Arthur!" I turned my head, face still wet with tears to see outside the sprinting figure of my father drenched in sweat. I guess the maid had told him I was back.He didn't stop as he reached us and simply slid on his knee, hugging all of us as we all almost toppled over."Arthur! My son! Look how big you are. Oh my God! You're back, you're back!" My father was cupping my head in his hands to get a better look at my face. He broke down while placing his large hand on the back of my head, bringing my forehead to touch his.Our little family reunion continued on. My mother sobbed uncontrollably, embracing me, and my oblivious little sister crying with her, as my father and I just looked at each other with tears in our eyes, all of us glad that we were finally together.Eventually, we all managed to settle down.We were sitting on a couch, my mother right beside me with Eleanor on her lap. Father was sitting on a chair he pulled up, facing me, his elbows on his knee as he leaned forward. Mother was holding my hands and still tearing up every time she got a look at my face."Are you okay now? Did you at least eat three meals a day? You slept while dressing warmly every day right? Oh, my baby. Look how big you are now." Tears escaped her eyes as she squinted and smiled.She was stroking my hair as she planted a soft kiss on the crown of my head. "Thank God you're back. I'm so happy," she whispered, her voice still trembling.Eleanor was looking curiously at both Sylvie and me while the baby dragon was sitting up next to me attentively observing the three unfamiliar humans.My father was looking at Sylvie with a curious expression but he didn't mention her. Turning his gaze to me, his eyes softened and he kept shaking his head, repeating how big I was now. It must be a pretty fulfilling yet miserable feeling for a parent to see how big his son had gotten but not be there with him the whole time to witness it."Ellie, say hi to your big brother. He was away for a while but he'll live together with us from now on. Come on, say 'hello'." My mother gently urged my sister."Brother?" She tilted her head, reminding me of a confused Sylvie.She cupped her hands over my mother's ear and whispered something inaudible."Haha yes, that big brother. The one I always told stories about. He's the one."My sister's eyes started sparkling as she looked back at me. I couldn't help but now wonder what stories Mother had told her."Hai Brother~!" She beamed, waving both of her little hands at me."Hello, Eleanor. It's nice to meet you... sister." I laughed, patting her head in response.Father spoke up now. "Arthur, we were devastated after that incident, and we barely believed it when you communicated to us through our heads. Tell me, how'd you survive the fall?"It took a while for me to explain everything from the beginning. I withheld some information that I thought might not be good to tell them just yet. I explained to them that I subconsciously wrapped myself in a protective layer of mana and I was lucky enough to hit a bunch of branches on the cliff before landing in a stream. From there on, I told them about meeting Tess and how she was almost kidnapped. After saving her, she led me to her Kingdom and I stayed there."You said something about an illness that kept you from coming back sooner. What was all that about? Are you cured now?" My mother chimes in, a look of concern on her face.Shaking my head, I explain, "You don't need to worry about that anymore. I guess there was a sort of instability in my mana core that made it so I had episodes of pain. It was really bad at first but luckily there was an elder that knew how to cure it. The process was slow but he assured me it wasn't threatening if treated consistently."Relief replaced the prior look of worry and she silently patted my head again."So what's the story with this little friend of yours?" My dad just chuckled, finally bringing Sylvie up."Haha, while I was traveling, I stumbled into a mana beast's den. It was only the mother and she was badly injured. A little bit after I was there, she died. While I was looking around, it seemed like she was guarding something so I picked it up thinking it was something valuable but I didn't know it was an egg. She hatched only a couple of months ago so she's still a baby. Say hi to Sylvie."I picked her up, holding her body so her limbs dangled like a kitten's."Kyu~!" She purred as if saying hi to everyone.I didn't exactly tell my family a lie when I said this but I had already promised myself to tell them everything only when I was older and more capable.I then asked them to update me on everything that happened to them after we had separated. The only thing I was able to tell from seeing them through the water divination the first time was that they lived here in Xyrus, but nothing more so I was exceptionally curious.After Father explained what happened since then, my mother chimed in. "That's right! The Helstea family had gone on a trip but they should be arriving back today. They're going to be so surprised when they see you, Art!"I turned to face my mother. She hadn't changed much since I last saw her. The only thing that I did notice was that she's lost a bit of weight and was slightly paler in complexion. My heart ached since I knew this was caused by stress and depression after losing me. Father's body was actually much more built now. Coupled with his beard, he looked a lot more rustic than he had before. I guess working as an instructor for the Helstea Auction House guards had gotten him in shape as well."Dad. What color is your mana core now?" I asked while Sylvie made her place back on the top of my head, tail swishing in content.A confident grin emerged from his face as my father proudly replied, "Your old man broke through from the light red stage a couple of years back and is a dark orange mage."I raised my eyebrows in surprise. At the age of early thirties, my father was doing pretty well for himself. The average mage that didn't attend school usually stagnated at the light red stage, maybe dark orange if they were lucky. Of course, it was different for the elites who had a much purer lineage and had access to better resources, but for a standard mage, my father was doing well.He then asked me, leaning closer, "I bet you only asked me so you could brag yourself. Let's hear it, what stage are you at now?"I didn't want to conceal my core stage, so I scratched my cheek and mumbled, "...light red." Although saying light red would be somewhat inaccurate, since the amount of mana I had would likely surpass that of any orange stage mage, since I have six more light red cores.My father had already been leaning forward on his chair, but after hearing that, he stumbled completely out of his chair. Even my mother let out a gasp in surprise."Holy shit!" my father exclaimed."Shet!" Eleanor echoed, laughing at my father falling."Honey! What did I say about cursing in front of Ellie?" My mother reprimanded while blocking my sister's ears."Haha Sorry. Sorry! Ellie don't listen to what your father just said." He then turned back to me."My son is still the same genius he used to be. Come on. Have a quick spar with your old man." My father grinned menacingly while clasping my shoulders."Dear! He just got home! Let him rest." Mother pulled me back."It's fine Mom." I gently placed my hand on top of hers, giving her a reassuring smile."Men! Always trying to fight! Isn't that right, Ellie?" My mother shook her head helplessly."Papa and Brother are men!" Echoed Ellie, trying to mimic our mother's expression.Both father and I laughed this time. It was really good to be back.We all get up to move to the backyard when I hear the door open."Rey! I just heard your son was alive. What the hell is going on?" I see a thin proper man with glasses and parted hair in a suit sweating, with what I assumed to be his wife and daughter running behind him."Vincent, everyone! I would like you to meet my son, Arthur! He's back Vince, Haha!"My father wrapped his arm around the man's shoulder."Arthur, this is Vincent, my old friend and the person I now work for. This is his house so introduce yourself before we start wrecking it," he grinned broadly.Bowing to a ninety-degree angle, I introduced myself. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Arthur Leywin. I'm not sure what my family has told you about me, but I was in contact with them for a while back. I was also the one who told them to not tell anyone until I get back, so I apologize for the confusion. Thank you for taking care of my family all of this time." This man was the one that housed my family in their toughest time. As far as I was concerned, I owed him and his family dearly."Y-yeah, It's really no problem. I'm glad that you're alive and safe." He adjusted his glasses as if making sure he was really speaking to an eight-year-old. "Meet my wife, Tabitha, and my daughter, Lilia," he continued, pushing them forward so they were in front of him."It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am, Lilia" I bowed again, Sylvie introducing herself too with a "Kyu!"Tabitha gave a kind smile in response. "Great to have you in our home, Arthur. Say hi, Lilia! Arthur is your age so don't be shy."The girl named Lilia spoke up, pointing hesitantly at the creature on my head. "W-what's that! It's so cute.""This is an infant mana beast that I'm bonded with. Her name is Sylvie. Sylvie, get down and say hello."Sylvie leaped off my head and mewed at Lilia."Oh my gosh!" Lilia squealed."Rey, what did you mean by wrecking my house?" Vincent asked after peeling his eyes off of Sylvie."We were just on our way to the backyard. Arthur and I are going to have a little spar. Want to come?" He chuckles.Vincent sputters incredulously, "W-what? Are you serious? Your son just got home and you want to fight him? Besides, your son can't be older than eight. What are you going to spar with him for?""Don't let my son's age fool you! He's already a light red stage augmenter!" my father harrumphed proudly, puffing his chest.Vincent just shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Rey. Your eight-year-old son has already awakened, and he's gotten past three stages? Even the snobby genius brats that get admitted into Xyrus academy are barely at the dark red stage, and that's when they're eleven or twelve!"My father just laughed louder in response before he added while leading us to the backyard, "You'll see. Besides, I have a little surprise as well."We put proper distance between each other on the large grass lot outside."Ready when you are," I smiled, setting Sylvie off to the side next to the audience, which consisted of the rest of my family and the Helstea family."Be careful, Art! You may be at a light red stage but your old man is still at a higher stage than you!" He pounded his two fists together, giving me a confident smirk.I spotted Vince, who was still shaking his head in disbelief."Come!" My father taunted, getting in an offensive stance.Let's see how much my training with Grandpa Virion had paid off.My body, already strengthened through assimilation, responded to mana much more acutely than it had before. Before my father had the time to prepare, my fist was already in range of his body.Even my hearing was more sensitive now as I could hear Vincent mutter faintly, "What in the..." along with several gasps by the others.My father responded immediately as I could sense mana spreading throughout his body.Feigning a punch, I twisted my torso and went for a high kick, but was promptly blocked by my father's left arm.It was obvious he didn't expect my kick to be so powerful because his arm flung back from the blow, opening his guard. However, before I was able to make use of that opening, he used the momentum to chop his right hand at my body.It was obvious that I was now in a disadvantageous position, but a full previous lifetime of fighting had already prepared me on how to counter him.I took his chop with my left forearm and right palm to soften the blow, and also to create enough space for me to slip inside.My body wasn't big enough for me to shoulder-toss him so instead, I grabbed his right arm and kicked the back side of his right knee.Losing balance, he fell forward as I used my mana-imbued body to throw him. Unfortunately, he regained balance too quickly and I had no choice but to put some distance between us before he got a hold of me."Well, I'd have to say you're better than all of the mages I've trained! Your old man's going to get serious now, though! Be careful." He put on a more serious face. It was apparent to both of us that we had both been holding back.His two fists ignited, bursting into fiery gloves of scarlet. This control over his fire element was a novice, apparent from the steam coming from his body. This meant that there was unnecessary mana being spread out throughout his body.I had learned early on that my father was a fire attribute mage, but after reaching a bottleneck for years while being busy as a father, he was able to reach the orange stage and, more impressively, was able to break through in his comprehension in fire. He could now be considered an official elemental augmenter, or elemental for short.I shot him a proud grin, before readying myself as well."Impressive, Dad... but now it's my turn."In the world I had come from, elemental augmenters were merely practitioners of different sects. The Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind Sects consisted of their own techniques that utilized their element.What had allowed me to become King in my old world was by knowing how to fight in all four different practices of the elements. Translate that here and I'd be a sort of quadra-elemental mage, if that even existed. Of course, I did have my preferences. My weakest was earth and wind while my strongest was fire and water. I hardly used wind and even less of earth except for slight support. No. I was feared in battle because of my mastery of the two completely opposite elements of Water and Fire.While I was training with Gramps, I tested out numerous theories that I had kept in my mind. One thing I learned very quickly during that time was that I had absolutely no talent for conjuring. Grandpa brought over an elven conjurer one day when I had asked him to get someone to teach me the basics and I ended up nearly killing myself.augmenting and conjuring were very different in one sense, and very similar in another. An augmenter could potentially have the ability to do what conjurers were capable of and vice versa. However, this only came with advanced breakthroughs in the top mana core stages as well as a much higher form of comprehension in the respective element.I had thought that maybe I could bypass that fundamental rule and become both a conjurer and augmenter. I just regretted that I had to learn the hard way how that wasn't possible. Another theory I had tested was my potential ability as a deviant. Grandpa Virion and Tess had both been shocked and speechless after they found out I could manipulate all four elements, but after four months of trying to see if I could control any of the higher elements, I received mixed results."Try not to be too surprised!"Crackling sounds popped in the air around me as my hair stood on its end by the electric current coursing through me. There were currents of yellow lightning enveloping me as I prepared to attack."What the..." My father had almost stopped his attack after the shock had left him unfocused. Before giving him the chance to recover, I dashed towards him, leaving a trail of charred grass and earth behind me. I blinked behind him, concentrating lightning into my fist as I went in for a hook.A frightening explosion occurred as my fist collided with his. While my father had managed to block my attack the recoil pushed him into a nearby tree.Getting back to his feet, my father imbued his arm in fire before looking at me. We both stayed silent, our gaze enough to tell each other our intent. As he lunged towards me with a speed fearsome for his size, I readied myself as well. As soon as my father got in range, he let out a flurry of precise jabs as my assimilated body, coupled with the nerve-enhancing effect of the lightning coursing through me, was able to dodge each one with minimal movement. Lightning and fire intertwined as I parried and dodged his fists, each of his jabs growing faster and sharper; he truly was my father.I was at a severe disadvantage because of my height and reach and my father wasn't one who'd let that opportunity go wasted. He kept his optimal distance instead of carelessly getting close as I did all I could to get in range. As I parried each of his fists, I fired small bursts of lightning, slowly whittling down the feelings in his arms. My father didn't notice until it was too late, though; his swings and jabs were becoming dull and sloppy. Seizing the opportunity, I ducked under his swing and prepared for an uppercut and just when my fist was about to make contact, my father's knee was positioned just below my jaw.It was a stalemate.The tension from the spar immediately dissipated as my father clasped my shoulders. "Ow!" he let out a surprised yelp.I still had electric currents surrounding me, giving him a little shock. I smiled back as I dispersed my mana, allowing my father to pick me up. While I was able to finally break through into the world of deviants, I was still a beginner. I had a lot to work on for my lightning attribute magic since this was something completely new to me as well. As for ice attribute magic, it was even harder for me at the moment. Using either of them required an excessive amount of mana, most of which was wasted on inept utilization. I was also bound by a strict limit on the duration of use, with lightning magic for about three minutes, and for ice, even less.While, right now, using lightning attribute magic was more of a liability on myself than an asset, in the future, this definitely wouldn't be the case.The reason why only very few mages were able to transcend the basic element that they were adept in and into its higher form was that the higher form was completely different and incomparably more difficult. Of course, while me being able to learn both lightning and ice within four months probably didn't back up this point, need I remind you again that I was a complete beginner in these higher forms of elements. While my old world helped me gain knowledge and understanding to transcend into the higher forms of the elements, my old world experiences didn't prepare me for after I had become a deviant.As for sound and gravity, I had yet to produce any favorable results. In order to even take the first step, a mage needed to understand the link between the basic elements into their higher form. After that, the mage's body needed to be able to naturally understand this link and harmonize the structure of the mana from the basic element to its higher form. For wind and earth, even if I had somehow become able to grasp the link between the basic to its higher form, my body wouldn't be able to change the structure of the mana particles.The energy from my body was drained and as soon as my father puts me back down, I collapsed on my butt. Although I could restore my mana I chose not to. It was then that I had the chance to finally notice the dead silence surrounding my father and me.My father had always been the type to easily accept facts and he knew I was already some sort of monstrous genius so me being a deviant didn't really surprise him all too much. However, this hardly applied to everyone else here. The only one who seemed fascinated was my sister, but that was simply because she didn't really get what had happened. She was probably used to seeing Father fight so nothing outside of that really registered as odd. Vincent and Tabitha's faces are all in sync: faces pale, jaws slack, eyes wide. My mother had her hands covering her mouth in shock, while even Lilia knew that what I did wasn't normal.Compared to my father's excited yet unsurprised acceptance, this reaction was more so within my expectations."Haha... Surprise!" I threw up my arms, laughing weakly."Kuu~!" Sylvie scampered towards me, giving me a concerned gaze, as if asking, 'are you okay Papa?'Vincent was the first to speak up."D-deviant!" he managed to spew out."My god..." Tabitha just sighed in astonishment."So, Art. When exactly did you learn that new trick?" My father asked, more in a curious tone than one of shocked bewilderment. Shaking his head while ruffling my hair."Not too long ago Dad. I can barely control it, though," I replied sheepishly.We all made our way back into the living room where we all situated ourselves around the dining table."Rey... your son. Do you realize the kind of future he has? He's only eight but he's already stronger than a veteran B-rank Adventurer," Vincent said, hardly able to contain his excitement.My father scratched his head. "This is crazy. I thought that his awakening at the age of three was already terrifying but to think he would become a deviant as well.""What? He awakened at the age of three?!" Tabitha cried out, bolting up from her seat.My mother just nodded at this. "Arthur managed to blow up most of our house in the process."Both my father and Vincent leaned back, sinking in their chair as they let out a synced sigh.."Papa? Are you okay?" Eleanor poked Father in the cheek.Laughing, Father picked her up off of Mother's lap, "Haha, yeah I'm okay princess."Vincent got up from his chair now and looked seriously at us, arms stretched out on the table."Rey, how about enrolling your son in Xyrus Academy?""What? You can't be serious, right? He's only eight!" my father refuted, sitting up on his chair.Tabitha chimed in. "Rey, Alice, I think your child is more than capable of exceeding at Xyrus.""I thought that only noble geniuses were allowed to attend Xyrus Academy?" Mother responded concern etched on her face.Excitedly, Vincent voiced out, "I can handle that! I do a lot of business with the Director of Xyrus Academy so she'll be lenient in the enrollment process.""B-but the school fees are much too extravagant for us to handle," Mother argued, still doubtful of the idea of sending me."Alice, that should be the least of your worries. We will be glad to pay for the fees. Arthur's talent is immeasurable. Who knows what he can accomplish? Even if we don't pay, I'm sure he'd find nobles that would beg to sponsor him." Tabitha held Alice's hands in her own for reassurance."Ahem! Do you mind if I have a say in this?" People seemed to forget that the person's future they were trying to decide was right here with them."I have just arrived back home today. Can I spend a bit of time with my family before I decide whether to go to school or not?" I gave a meaningful gaze to Vincent."O-of course. I apologize. Haha. I guess I was too excited there for a moment."He just laughed weakly before sitting back down."Thank you." I gave the Helstea family a smile.I turned my head to face my mother. "Mom, where do I sleep?""Oh yes! I almost forgot! You'll have your room next to Eleanor's in the left wing. Come on, let's all go up now, it's getting late."Sylvie had already fallen asleep on my head and my baby sister was nodding in and out of her dream world while we were discussing my future.Today had been a long day.Mother and Father led me to the room I'd be living in from today onwards. It was a lot larger than my room in Ashber but still decorated in a homey fashion. While the furnishings did leave a lot of open space, it worked perfectly for me since I needed some space to train.As I settled Sylvie down on the bed, Mother and Father sat down next to me."We'll go shopping together tomorrow. We need to get you some clothes." My mother ran her fingers through my hair.My father squatted down in front of me, grabbing my arm. "Arthur, whether you're a genius or not, you're still my son and I'll be proud of you and love you regardless of circumstances." His face was unusually serious. It was comforting knowing that they would always treat me as their son instead of their "little genius".I quietly nodded in return. I thought of revealing the full extent of my abilities but I decided that it might be safer to do it in baby steps.Before he stood back up, he pinched my cheek and gave me an evil smile. "Besides, I know you held back on me with your lightning magic today. Don't think that you fooled me! We'll do a rematch soon.My mother just chortled at this, "I swear, all you guys think about is fighting."She looked at me with a comforting smile in her eyes. "Your father is right, though. No matter what kind of genius you are, you'll still be my baby boy.""Haha. Can't I be your adolescent boy now? I'm eight and a half now Mom!" I grinned back at her."Nope! You can't!" She just retorted before the both of them left my room."Get some rest now. Let's go shopping with your sister tomorrow. It'll be a great chance for you guys to bond." My mother said before closing the door behind her.I don't even have the energy to wash up. I just plop into bed, bouncing the slumbering Sylvie, who whines at me before nodding off to sleep.Today was a long day. It was a good, long day.With a smile plastered on my face, I followed Sylvie into a comforting sleep.~~