That’s some improvement (1)

Third Person POV

Alaric sat by the window, the pale winter light filtering in as the chill seeped through the glass. Despite the heating artifact humming softly in the corner, the cold still managed to snake its way into the room.

Wrapped in layers of sweaters, he shivered, his breath misting faintly in the air. "Alright," he muttered, rubbing his hands together before extending one out. "Let's see if I've got this…"

For the first time in over a year, he tried casting [Fireball].

A spark ignited in his palm, quickly blooming into flames. The fire swirled at first, flickering and lashing out like a wild animal. But as Alaric focused, the unruly blaze began to settle, the chaotic energy smoothing into a contained sphere.

[Just a few more loops,] Boon said, its androgynous voice laced with excitement.

Fifteen loops.

Alaric's brows furrowed as he pushed his mana, guiding the swirling flame to obey his will. With each loop, the sphere became more stable, and its surface became smooth and compact.

He exhaled deeply, and the ball of fire seemed to exude a quiet, lethal precision. It was nothing like the massive, unruly infernos he used to create a year ago.

[Great.]

A small smile tugged at Alaric's lips as he began to release the flow of mana sustaining the spell.

[Not bad, considering the pitiful mana reserve you've got right now. Though I have to admit, it would've been much more entertaining if it had blown up in your face.] 

Alaric rolled his eyes, unsure whether to feel proud of the praise or irritated by the blatant desire for his suffering.

[Ding! Task Completed!]

[10,000 Aurel points have been added to [Balance].]

[Ding! [Fireball] has been added to [Tome].]

Alaric glanced at the panel in front of him and then frowned at Boon. "Didn't you say there were three stages?"

[The third stage is just adding more loops but with your not-so-huge mana reserves that is not possible right now. What you need to do in the third stage is repeat the process of creating loops, but with a twist—literally. You create layers of loops with opposite spins over each other, all while making sure they don't collide. Right now, the [Fireball] you're making looks identical to the basic one—mostly. A few people might notice it but it is not easily discernible. But if you complete the third stage? Oh, then it'll be obvious to anyone that can blink.]

Alaric listened to Boon's explanation attentively.

[Anyway, that mana problem will sort itself out soon. They're bound to tell you to start cultivating any day now.]

'Right, cultivating,' Alaric thought, leaning back in his chair. 'Well, I did finish everything else…'

He stood, stretching before closing the window.

Peeling off his sweater, he tossed it onto a nearby chair before flinging himself onto his bed. Grabbing his blanket, he rolled over and over until he'd wrapped himself into a snug burrito of warmth.

Now cocooned like a dorito ready to snack on dreams, he murmured, "Let's check my stats," and a glassy panel appeared in front of him.

[Host's Stats]

[Name: Alaric Athran]

[Age: 9]

[Title: The Doted Child of Athran household]

[Core: Black]

[Level: 5 —> 7]

[Mana: 10 —> 12]

[Talent: —]

[Vitality: 10 —> 14] 

[Strength: 11 —> 16]

[Defence: 9 —> 13] 

[Speed: 12 —> 15] 

[Intelligence: 19 —> 25]

[Stamina: 20 —> 26]

[Balance]

Aurel Points: 100,000 —> 510,000

Astral Shards: 0

"Damn…" Alaric muttered, staring at the glowing stats on his panel. His eyes widened slightly as he took it all in. "It improved more than I thought. And I leveled up twice."

He blinked, his brows furrowing. "Wait a minute… I don't get level-up rewards?" His eyes turned wide and imploring, the perfect imitation of a puppy begging for treats.

Boon didn't need any special insight to know that look—it was the universal symbol of give me goodies.

[You will,] Boon said, its tone deliberately flat. [But not yet. Levels under ten are just… pointless. Training wheels. You'll get Astral Shards for every level-up after that.]

Alaric perked up, hope sparking. "How many shards per level?"

[No idea,] Boon replied with an audible shrug.

"Stingy," Alaric huffed, crossing his arms and sticking his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. "HMPH."

Boon made an exasperated sound, and with a faint flicker, the panel disappeared.

"Boon? Boon!" Alaric called out, his voice echoing in the quiet room. No reply.

"Great. Even my helper's done with me." He sighed dramatically, and soon, the room's stillness lulled him into sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, warming Alaric's face as he stirred beneath the covers. He groaned, the weight of sleep clinging to him, before reluctantly cracking one eye open.

Multiple familiar glowing panels hovered in his line of sight.

[Ding! New Task.]

[Task: Master the Rank-1 skill [Waterball]]

[Reward: 10,000 Aurel points]

[Ding! New Task.]

[Task: Master the Rank-1 skill [Blow]]

[Reward: 10,000 Aurel points]

[Ding! New Task.]

[Task: Master the Rank-1 skill [Earthrise]]

[Reward: 10,000 Aurel points]

Alaric sat on his bed, his face frozen in a deadpan expression as he stared at the glowing panels floating before him. The words of the new quest seemed to mock him in their pristine clarity.

"First thing in the morning, and I'm already being bullied," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

Just as he was about to dismiss the panel, a sharp knock at the door startled him.

He groaned, throwing off the blanket and trudging toward the door. Before he even had it fully open, a familiar voice greeted him.

"Young master!"

Alaric blinked. He knew that voice all too well. "Yes, Lily—?"

Before he could finish, Lily seized the opportunity. The door swung wide, and she pounced, grabbing both of his cheeks in her hands.

"Young master," she said sweetly, her tone at odds with the mild torture she was inflicting, "breakfast is ready. Come to the dining hall."

"Lihlyyyy…" Alaric mumbled, his words distorted by the way his cheeks were being pulled and stretched.

Lily tilted her head, smiling like the picture of innocence, while her fingers mercilessly worked his face like dough. "Hmm? Did you say something, young master?"

Alaric gave her a flat stare, his hands half-heartedly swatting at hers. He knew resistance was futile.

Satisfied at last, Lily let go with a playful pat on his now-reddened cheeks. "There we go," she said, nodding in approval. "You look much more awake now. Don't keep everyone waiting."

Alaric sighed, watching as she turned and strode off, her footsteps fading down the hallway. He rubbed his sore cheeks, muttering, "I was already awake..."

Still grumbling, he shuffled off to freshen up, wondering if he'd ever have a normal morning again.

In the dining hall, Alaric devoured his breakfast like a starving beast unleashed at a feast. His hands worked with mechanical precision, shoveling food into his mouth at a pace that should've been physically impossible.

To some, his eating habits might have been a bit… unrefined. But the maids? They adored it.

Every bite Alaric took was a silent testament to their cooking. His willingness to scarf down anything they presented without hesitation didn't just say he trusted them—it showed he loved their food. And what could make a chef happier than watching their dishes be devoured with such enthusiasm?

Nessa, in particular, wore a glowing smile as she peeked from the kitchen door. She adored cooking for Alaric. It wasn't just his appetite—it was the way he gave her work purpose.

Of course, they all knew to steer clear of tomatoes. That was the one line even Alaric's stomach wouldn't cross.

"Alaric," Aurelia said, her voice cutting through the clatter of utensils and plates. She sat directly across from him, arms crossed and her gaze sharp. "How do you eat like that and not make a mess of the entire table?"

"It takes skills. Something you might have never heard of," Alaric replied around a mouthful of food, his tone completely unbothered.

Aurelia blinked at him, her expression as deadpan as it could get. "Skills to roleplay a stray animal starving for a few days? Yeah, I haven't heard of that."

"Whatever," Alaric said, waving her off like a king dismissing a subject. "I need food to function. I'm a growing child."

Aurelia raised a single eyebrow, unimpressed, "Growing into a bottomless pit it seems."

Xironia, seated nearby, chuckled softly as she watched the exchange. Her son's antics were as entertaining as ever, even if his logic was questionable at best.

The lively hum of the dining hall continued, with Alaric's plate clearing at an astonishing speed. And though Novius wasn't present, the rest of the family seemed perfectly content with their morning routine of chaos and camaraderie.

"When is Granny visiting us again?" Alaric asked, his voice slightly muffled as he glanced up at his mother.

Xironia, already suspicious of the restless expression on his face, said with a smile, "Probably in two or three months."

Alaric groaned dramatically, but Xironia wasn't finished. "Don't worry," she added with a knowing smile. "Granny's left a new task for you."

"Hmmm?" Alaric tilted his head but couldn't manage a coherent response with his mouth stuffed full of food.

Xironia sighed, shaking her head. "Alaric, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't talk with your mouth full."

With an exaggerated gulp, Alaric swallowed his food and blinked expectantly, clearly waiting for the details.

"Since you learned [Fireball] just by reading about it, your next task is to learn the other Rank-1 skills before you start cultivating."

Alaric gave her a wry smile, one that almost seemed to say, Oh, if only you knew. While everyone assumed he'd mastered [Fireball] with ease, only Alaric knew how much effort it had truly taken—and how much Boon had not helped with its snarky remarks. Still, he appreciated how convenient the timing was. Learning those skills lined up perfectly with completing his [Tasks]. And now, cultivating to the next stage? That was something he had to do no matter what.

"Got it," Alaric said, flashing a thumbs-up before immediately redirecting his attention to the mountain of food on his plate.

Xironia chuckled, leaning over to ruffle his already messy hair. "You know," she teased, "you could take a break once in a while. Cultivating takes a long time for most people," Xironia stopped for a moment and looked into Alaric's eyes both staring at one another before her lips curled up, "I wonder how long it would take you."

Alaric was mid-chew and clearly gearing up for speaking when a familiar voice interrupted.

"Miss Xironia."

Both turned to see Caelum standing in the doorway. "A few letters have arrived. Since Master Novius isn't here—"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, Caelum. I will start working, you don't have to remind me every chance you get."

"But Miss Xironia you said the same thing an hou—"

"Fine!" Xironia cut him off with an exaggerated groan, pushing her chair back. "Spending time with piles of paper. Clearly the best use of my time."

With a dramatic flair, she stomped out of the dining hall, grumbling something unintelligible under her breath.

Alaric snickered at the sight, his gaze following Xironia's retreat. When she was out of sight, he turned to the person seated across from him.

"If you are done eating, mister. Shall we head to the library?"