"Son, how was class today?" she asked softly, her voice laced with warmth and affection that had only deepened over the years.
To his mother's question, Modret just flashed her a reassuring smile. At the same time, his mind couldn't help but wander, marveling at his mother's strength.
Over the years, he had never seen her battle. Though he suspected she was an Awakened, he had never witnessed her fight.
'It seems her strength is far from ordinary, to be able to chase away a dragon,' Modret muttered in his heart. His fist clenched slightly—he had never felt so powerless before. Now, more than ever, he felt the urge to grow stronger.
Restraining his thoughts, he sighed lightly and glanced at his mother. "It was wonderful as always. Pretty basic, nonetheless. When are we going to delve into the topic of awakening and all those cool fighting scenes?"
Modret portrayed the image of a child eager to learn about a real-life magical fantasy world.
Anna glanced at her son's eager eyes, then reached out to gently pinch his nose. "Don't worry about that for now, your body isn't suitable to wield mana. Do you want to explode and go boom?"
Anna joked lightly, lifting Modret into her arms. Despite his weight, she carried him effortlessly, as though he weighed nothing. Modret only shrugged; it was the same answer he'd gotten for years.
He smiled faintly, but then his gaze subconsciously drifted toward the boy from before. The boy was waving at Modret, though his expression held a hint of nervousness.
"This youth…" Modret had a strange feeling about him.
"Uh… Mother, I… I want to take him as my life guard," Modret said after a brief hesitation, pointing at the boy not too far away.
At his words, Anna paused mid-step, a stupefied look spreading across her face.
"Son, do you know what a life guard means?" she asked to confirm.
Modret nodded. He had read about it in one of the books from their room.
"As your life guard, he will be bound to you, and you can freely share any kind of knowledge with him. His presence will basically become an extension of yours," Anna explained bluntly.
Modret nodded again. He had thought it through before making the decision, and deep down, he felt accepting this kid as his life guard might be the best choice he'd ever make.
The boy looked between the two, stunned. He didn't understand what a life guard was, nor could he follow their conversation. He fidgeted nervously, glancing at them both.
Anna thought for a moment, then finally nodded after a stretch of silence. She had contemplated it carefully and felt that getting a life guard this young was best—this way, they could grow up together and form a bond.
"Kid, what's your name?" she asked curiously.
The boy was startled, then quickly bowed his head and replied politely, "This servant's name is Axel, from the House of Devon."
"Devon?" Anna whispered under her breath and nodded, marking the name in her mind. Then she raised a brow and asked, "Are you willing to be my son's life guard?"
Although Axel didn't know what being a life guard meant, his father had taught him never to reject a noble's order. So he quickly nodded and bowed again.
Anna looked pleased. "You have potential. You'll undergo physical training in preparation for your duties as a life guard." After saying this, she turned to Modret. "Do you have anything you want to say to him?"
She gently set Modret down.
Modret thought for a moment, then walked toward the little boy. Meeting Axel's eyes squarely, he said evenly, "Get stronger quickly…"
Saying that, he walked away, leaving the young Axel stunned. He never imagined that this single decision would change his fate forever.
…
After dinner, Modret sat in his room, glancing at the panel hovering faintly before him.
[Name: Modret Axarel]
[Status: Injured. While unborn, you were poisoned. Though you survived, the effects crippled you, leaving you unable to awaken an ability. It may seem as though you've grown healthy, but it's all a façade.]
[Ability: Unawakened]
[Bloodline: ???]
[Shadow Fragments: 557/1000]
[Remark: A pitiful soul cast into a terrifying world filled with deception and schemes. The world has abandoned you completely, but the shadows embrace you without question.]
[Monthly Remark: After surviving peaceful years in this new world, you've gradually let down your guard—unaware the worst is yet to come.]
After years of effort, Modret had managed to raise his shadow fragments to 557 over the past five years. It hadn't been easy—he had to kill all sorts of creatures to reach that number.
As a child, he wasn't allowed near anything bloody, so his mentality hadn't hardened yet. That meant he couldn't bring himself to kill larger animals like rabbits and the like.
He sighed faintly. 'Roughly five hundred more,' Modret thought with a hopeful smile. As long as he kept working hard, he would soon complete the shadow fragments and awaken his ability—finally becoming somewhat safe in this dangerous world.
Just then, a knock echoed at his door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Along with it came the voice of a maid. "Young master, dinner is served." She spoke softly, waiting in silence for him to emerge.
Modret frowned slightly. "I don't recognize you. Where's the maid responsible for the meals?"
As far as he knew, only one maid—his mother's most trusted—was ever allowed to handle their food. No other servants dared approach the kitchen. And this girl… wasn't one of their staff.
The maid laughed faintly and spoke in a low, respectful tone. "Erga had an errand to run, sent by the master and mistress, so she asked me to take over for her. Please forgive me, young master, for the intrusion." She bowed politely.
Modret thought for a moment. Feeling her words plausible, he headed toward the dining area, where an array of steaming dishes awaited him. He smiled faintly, a bit of drool forming at the corner of his lips. Enhanced by mana, food in this world was vastly different—richer, more intoxicating, impossible to resist.
It was said that some people had grown addicted to eating. Modret shrugged off the thought, turning to the maid. "How about Mother and Father? They aren't coming?"
He noticed only one serving—his—and frowned slightly.
"Yes, young master," the maid replied with another bow.
Modret shrugged again. It wasn't the first time they'd done this. Without much thought, he began eating.
The meal was exceedingly delicious—more than usual. Modret was stunned and kept eating, savoring every bite. But soon, he began to hear strange voices.
He froze, glancing sideways as his vision started to blur. The world around him distorted; darkness crept into his sight. Through the haze, he caught a glint of silver—the maid was pulling something from beneath her uniform.
A gleaming dagger.
Modret's mind screamed danger. He never expected another assassination attempt.
'I was poisoned too?' This one was nothing like the crude attempts before—this time, it was perfectly planned.
Modret was going to die.