Tyler didn't care that he was left as nothing but a slave for the clan. He was beaten nearly to death every day, but none of it bothered him. Even David stealing away the heavenly Divine Elixir, the one that should have been rightfully his, was something he tried not to dwell on.
But his little sister, Jessica, was his only true weakness—he could never allow any harm to come to her.
Jessica was Silverdale's only real hope. Even more talented than Tyler, she'd been admitted as an inner disciple at Seven Rivers Abbey at just twelve years old, quickly leaving Silverdale behind. This helped her escape the brewing family chaos—had she stayed a few more days, she might have been subject to the same horrific abuse that Tyler was now enduring.
It was only a handful of days after Jessica left that Tyler's father was murdered, and Tyler was condemned to live as a slave. For the past three years, he'd heard nothing about his sister and comforted himself with the idea that she was at least safe at Seven Rivers Abbey. But hearing David's taunts today made worry for Jessica take hold in his heart.
He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Jessica that he lost focus when the other trainees attacked him. He forgot to defend himself and took a severe beating. At night, he limped back to the cellar, groaning in pain.
Just then, he heard a gruff voice.
"Here's your medicine!"
The prison warden, Briggs, tossed a pouch of medicine carelessly on the floor and turned around to leave.
Training assistants weren't made of metal—if their wounds weren't treated, they would die from internal injuries in a few days. That's why the royal family supplied them with medicine.
But because these were low-grade potions, they rarely brought any real relief. Tyler, exhaustion etched across his face, opened the medicine pouch and found only a single pill inside.
He shouted, "Warden Briggs! Why is there only one pill today?"
Briggs replied without looking back, "Take it as a blessing! Just be grateful for what little you get!"
Tyler glared at Briggs, shouting, "The royal family distributes three pills every day, but there's only one here. Looks like you're lining your own pockets now! Stealing in Silverdale is a crime. Aren't you afraid of death?"
Warden Briggs snapped back, "Of course I'm afraid. But not of a pathetic slave like you. Are you trying to start a rebellion? I won't tolerate this behavior."
Tyler, moments before fuming, was calmed by Briggs' indifference. Still, Tyler stared at him with piercing eyes, barely hidden, murderous intent sending shivers up Briggs' spine.
Briggs hesitated, then jabbed a finger at Tyler, "What are you looking at? You want to try hurting me?"
Tyler suddenly shoved him, knocking the warden to the ground.
"You... you're just a slave of the clan. How dare you lay a hand on me?" Briggs scrambled to his feet, fear evident on his face.
Tyler stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You're not a member of the royal family, yet you act this despicably. You really believe I won't dare hurt you?"
Briggs, unnerved, lost the courage to stay. He ran out of the cellar, slamming the iron door behind him.
Tyler sneered after him, "Coward! These petty tricks are all you know!"
He shook his head, sitting down and quietly lighting a lamp. Tyler pulled out his book and tried to read, but worry for Jessica gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus.
'I can't stay trapped in this Silverdale dungeon any longer! The problem is, I've only awakened my Root Core. With this little power, forget Seven Rivers Abbey—I can't even escape Silverdale.'
He paced back and forth in the tiny cellar, desperate to find a way out of this hell, but saw no path forward.
'I'm weak. Still too weak. That's the only reason I'm stuck in this miserable hole.'
'The real issue is that I'm a slave, forced to serve as a training assistant every day, leaving no time to cultivate. If this keeps up, I'll get beaten to death soon enough…'
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he felt. His eyes landed on the old, battered "Secrets of Life" book, still lying on the table.
"This book is filled with countless so-called teachings, but they're all useless to me. What good does it do to keep reading?"
Gazing at the book, old tales flooded to mind. Silverdale had not always been so weak. Twelve hundred years ago, it ruled all the northern kingdoms—until, one day, an overwhelming force of demons invaded. The battle was so brutal that bodies covered the land.
The demons slaughtered all the great warriors, even swallowing many promising youths alive. Just the thought of that catastrophe was enough to make anyone's blood run cold—but then, a divine figure appeared, known as Sage Brigham. With the holy White Flame, Sage Brigham incinerated all the monsters.
Afterward, Sage Brigham gave two Divine Elixir pills and the "Secrets of Life" book to the royal family, declaring that the book contained the keys to awakening miraculous powers, and whoever did so would bring salvation to all of humanity.
Since then, many had read the book, but none could uncover a single secret or divine formula. Tyler had pored over its pages again and again, searching for any trace of miraculous power, but found nothing.
In frustration, he snatched up the book, tore it in half, and tossed it over the lamp's flame. The book instantly began to burn, and in moments was reduced to ashes.
Watching the book burn, Tyler felt a pang of regret. He cried inwardly, 'Tyler, why take out your anger on a book? What did it do to deserve this? The real problem is your own weakness. You live off others' pity and serve as a sacrificial lamb…'
Sadly, the fire had already destroyed the book.
Desperate, Tyler sifted through the pile of ashes, searching for any surviving scrap. "Huh? What's this?"
Sorting through the ashes, he uncovered something golden—a thin golden slip, like a strip of parchment.
'When I read the book, I never noticed this golden slip. It must've been hidden inside. But why would someone hide this in the book?'
Curious, Tyler focussed his gaze on the golden parchment—and suddenly his eyes went wide.
Strange, delicate markings were etched across the slip—bizarre symbols he could not recognize. He tried and failed to decipher even one.
But when Tyler traced the markings with his finger, the golden slip shattered into thousands of fragments, each fragment carrying its own mysterious symbol, resembling some ancient forgotten language.
Suddenly, the fragments moved—clinging to Tyler's skin, one by one. From his face to his neck, arms, chest, and legs, every inch of him was covered in glowing symbols.
The last piece fused with his mind, stabbing straight into his consciousness like a hammer blow. His body shook violently, and the golden markings began to shine, brighter and brighter.
Suddenly, Tyler felt as if he were burning up from within, his body blazing like a furnace.
What is happening to Tyler? What is the true secret of the book, and what powers lie hidden within? Find out in the next chapters…