Ch 54 : Home Sweet Home

In the cold winter night, three men were strung upside down, grimacing in pain as their legs were reduced to mush by Auron's fire infused Ripple Palm technique.

"I'll ask you one more time, who is your so-called young master?" Auron's voice was cold and commanding. He'd tried a few times, but they stubbornly refused to answer.

Still unwilling to speak, Auron sighed. "Looks like you want to suffer more." He sent another blast of fire celestial aura, this time targeting their private part. Their cries of agony were muffled as Auron had already gagged them.

Ignoring their suffering, Auron rummaged through their belongings, finding some copper and silver coins, but nothing of significance. Then something caught his eye—a token that fell from one of the men's trousers.

"Hmm, what do we have here?" Auron picked up the token, inspecting the emblem. "The Stoneforge crest, huh? So it's true—Edmund Stoneforge sent you."

The men's faces twisted in shock, though they still tried to hide it. Auron noticed but didn't care. He had all the confirmation he needed.

"Don't bother denying it. I've got my answer." His voice turned icy as he conjured an Inferno Lance of Ruin, a small, deadly spear of flame. With a flick of his wrist, it shot forward, reducing the men to ashes.

"Edmund Stoneforge," Auron muttered. "I'll deal with him next year. By then, I'll be strong enough to kill him instantly—and maybe his Tier 3 magus father too." He was confident, knowing that his breakthrough to the Foundation Nurturing stage was imminent.

Returning to his friends, Auron quietly resumed his place at the front of the carriage.

"Are you alright, Auron? You took a while," Alice asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, not even a scratch," Auron replied casually. "It was just a pack of Shadow Wolves. They were a bit stubborn, but nothing too serious."

"That's a relief," Thyra said, both she and Alice visibly relaxing. They didn't sense anything amiss and trusted Auron's explanation.

The trio continued their journey, arriving at their campsite on the second night. After setting up their tent, Auron prepared dinner—a hearty beef stew with the meat they'd brought from the academy cafeteria. The warmth of the stew was a perfect remedy against the biting winter cold.

"This is so good, Auron! You have to teach me how to make it," Thyra said, savoring each bite.

"Yeah, I want to learn too!" Alice chimed in, her mouth full of stew.

"This is my mom's recipe," Auron smiled. "I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you both if you visit us sometime."

Later that night, while his friends slept soundly in the tent, Auron sat quietly on a nearby tree, preparing for his breakthrough. After the events of the previous day, he realized he could no longer delay it.

Auron closed his eyes, focusing on the Celestial Aura Cultivation Art. A vortex of mana swirled around him, drawn into his body as the barrier between the Celestial Awakening stage and Foundation Nurturing stage weakened.

Crack!

The barrier shattered. A powerful wave of celestial aura surged through him, filling his meridians with scorching energy. Though the sensation of burning was intense, he knew it was merely an illusion. Two orbs of energy formed—one at his solar plexus and the other at his baihui point, marking the formation of both his middle and upper dantians.

"Finally," Auron thought, a smirk crossing his face. "With these dantians unlocked, my celestial aura reserves have multiplied. I'll be able to sustain longer battles and empower my spells even further."

As thoughts of the enhanced Inferno Lance of Ruin filled his mind, Auron couldn't help but feel elated. But the excitement quickly gave way to the weight of his responsibilities.

"So much to do, but so little time," he sighed. "I need to meditate on the 'Order' and 'Omniscient' fire heavenly runes to carve them into my dantians. I need to master my marksmanship with the new bow, and I still need to create a unique spell based on these runes. One thing at a time"

He paused, reconsidering his plan for the hunting trip. "Maybe I should cancel that. I need to stabilize my dantians first."

With that decision made, Auron quietly continued his cultivation through the night, focusing on stabilizing his newfound strength.

Later that morning, Auron was awakened by Alice's cheerful voice.

"Hey Auron, come down and have breakfast with us!" she called from the campsite.

Auron stretched, feeling a surge of energy ripple through him. I feel powerful, he thought, testing his newfound strength with a few quick punches. My strength has stabilized, and I can control it perfectly.

As he approached the campfire, the aroma of food filled the air. "What are you two cooking? Smells great," he said, his mouth watering.

"We made sunny-side-up eggs and bacon," Alice grinned. "There are some buns left too. Want one?"

"Sure, I'll toast it first," Auron replied, placing the buns on the pan. Soon, he plated his breakfast alongside the eggs and bacon.

An English breakfast, he mused while digging in. Just missing the beans, black pudding, and sausages.

As they ate together, Alice noticed something unusual. "Did something happen to you? Your skin looks... smoother, almost glowing," she remarked, staring at him in disbelief. Thyra glanced at Auron as well, her eyes wide with surprise.

"A small breakthrough last night," Auron said casually, leaving it at that.

After breakfast, they cleaned up the campsite and continued their journey toward Noble Walnut Town, riding through the Gloom Wood Forest. By the time the sun began to set, they reached their destination.

"Auron, look! That's my house!" Alice exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in the carriage.

Her home was a modest, cozy place near the guard training grounds in the center of town.

"You live here? My father's the head instructor of the town guards. Maybe your parents know him," Auron said with interest.

"Really? I'll ask them later!" Alice said, waving goodbye. "Thanks for bringing me home, Auron, Thyra!" she shouted before dashing inside.

After dropping off Alice, Auron and Thyra continued toward their homes.

"See you later, Thyra. Send my regards to your parents," Auron said with a smile.

"You too, Auron," Thyra replied, waving as they parted ways.

Auron finally arrived at his own doorstep. "Mother! Father! I'm home!" he called out, but he stopped short when he heard a baby crying from inside. His eyes widened in shock.

I have a sibling? Auron thought, standing frozen at the door.

---

Meanwhile, at the Stoneforge mansion, the atmosphere was anything but pleasant.

"What do you mean you've lost contact with them?" Edmund Stoneforge's voice thundered through the room. He paced angrily, seething with frustration. "I only asked them to deal with a couple of kids! How hard can that be? Three Tier 2 magi can't even handle that?"

His butler stood before him, bowing deeply, trembling as he feared for his life. "I-I'm sorry, Young Master. I've sent more men to investigate."

"Get it done immediately!" Edmund barked, his eyes blazing with fury. "If you fail again, I'll deal with you myself."

The butler hastily scurried out of the room, eager to escape his master's wrath.

Left alone, Edmund clenched his fists, his thoughts darkening as he muttered to himself. "Thyra… you think you can escape what you did to me? I haven't forgotten what happened in the Underground Fighting Stage." His rage intensified as the memory replayed in his mind.