As the evening settled in, Lumine returned with a bag of honey bread, her face glowing with satisfaction. However, the moment she stepped inside, Yuna's stern voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Lumine! Where have you been? You can't just sneak off without telling me!" Yuna scolded, her arms crossed tightly as frustration flickered in her sharp black eyes.
Zegion, sensing the brewing storm, intervened. "Calm down, Yuna. She's back, safe and sound." His voice, steady and firm, managed to soothe Yuna's anger, though her lips remained pressed into a thin line of discontent.
After a brief silence, Zegion's expression grew serious. The shift was so abrupt that all four children straightened instinctively.
"From tomorrow onwards, I will be teaching you the secrets of the human body-knowledge that will allow you to surpass normal human limits and reach the realm of superhumans," he declared.
Jin asked, "Wait, brother, superhumans are those who have gone beyond level 200 right?". Zegion nodded.
His gaze swept over them, his tone grave. "However, what I teach you must not be revealed to anyone without my permission. If you break this rule…" He paused, his eyes narrowing. "You will regret it."
With that, Zegion unleashed a torrent of mana, a suffocating wave of pressure that crashed down upon them. The air thickened, their lungs struggled to draw breath, and their knees buckled under the weight of his overwhelming presence. The sheer vastness of his power was terrifying, an ocean pressing down upon their fragile forms.
Jin gritted his teeth, his body trembling under the invisible force. Ludwig, the most sensitive to mana, could barely keep his footing. His breath hitched as he realized that even this might not be Zegion's full strength.
Then, as suddenly as it came, Zegion withdrew his mana. The crushing force dissipated, leaving the children gasping for air. Their legs wobbled beneath them, and one by one, they collapsed to their knees, their bodies still reeling from the experience. Yet, even as the others slowly regained their composure, Ludwig continued to shake, his breath uneven.
Lumine noticed his distress and immediately placed a hand on his shoulder, her golden mana slowly wrapping around him in a calming embrace. His trembling subsided, but his mind still reeled from the realization—Zegion was an enigma, and they had barely scratched the surface of his true capabilities.
Seeing their reactions, Zegion's expression softened for a brief moment, but he steeled himself. They needed to understand the gravity of what he was about to teach them.
"Rest now," he said. "Starting tomorrow, I will teach you in the morning, and in the evening, you will practice what you've learned. But heed this warning—use what I teach you only when absolutely necessary. Do not wield it recklessly."
His gaze then landed on Jin, who was still catching his breath. "Especially you."
Jin blinked. "Huh? Me? But I—" He cut himself off, realizing he had, in fact, been reckless before. He sighed, defeated. "Alright, alright. I get it."
Zegion exhaled, knowing Jin's nature, but he trusted him. Despite their troubles, these kids were earnest and reliable.
Before the tension could settle, Lumine broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I only have one honey bread left now..." she muttered, drawing immediate attention. The moment of seriousness was short-lived, as Yuna suddenly brandished a broom and began chasing Lumine. "You're not getting away with sneaking off!"
Lumine squealed, ducking behind Jin, who laughed and dodged away. Ludwig simply watched the chaos unfold with a blank expression. The peaceful sounds of their laughter filled the house, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere just moments ago.
That night, they feasted on meat soup and bread. Exhausted from the day's events, they quickly fell into a deep sleep.
_______________
The first light of morning crept over the horizon, casting an amber glow over the land. The children, still half-asleep, trudged toward the river to wash their faces. Lumine, eyes barely open, grumbled as Yuna dragged her along. Jin and Ludwig, equally groggy, followed behind.
The cold splash of river water against their faces finally shook the sleep from their minds. The morning air was crisp, and the mist above the water shimmered under the golden light.
After refreshing themselves, they followed Zegion to a secluded cave—his personal research lab. He brushed aside a thick layer of leafy growth that acted as a natural concealment, revealing the entrance. Inside, the dim interior was illuminated by magic lanterns, revealing a workspace cluttered with books, ink-stained papers, and scattered mana cores.
Zegion moved deeper inside, pulling out a life-sized clay doll before dragging it outside.
"Alright," he began, standing beside the doll. "Do you all know what mana points and mana pathways are?"
Yuna answered first. "Mana pathways are strings of mana that allow us to use magic. The more pathways we open, the closer we get to becoming superhuman."
Zegion shook his head. "Close, but not quite. Anyone else?"
Ludwig spoke up. "Mana points are the origin of mana pathways, and mana pathways act like nerves that circulate mana and enhance regeneration."
Zegion nodded approvingly. "Correct. But there's more. Mana points are not just sources of energy—they are also weaknesses. To reach the superhuman level, you must not only open more pathways but also overcome the body's natural vulnerabilities."
He gestured to the doll. "The human body contains thirty-six vital mana points. Ten on the head, twelve on the torso, seven on each arm, and seventeen on the lower body."
One by one, he pointed to each location, ensuring they memorized them.
"I don't expect you to remember all of them immediately," he admitted. "Some points, if struck correctly, can kill instantly. Others can cause excruciating pain. You must practice on clay models until you know them by heart."
The weight of his words settled heavily on the group. Yuna, Ludwig, and Lumine were visibly disturbed by the idea of lethal precision, but Jin simply nodded. He understood—survival was not kind, and ignorance was a death sentence.
After setting up more practice models for them, Zegion turned toward the cave, gathering a sack filled with items: spider silk for lyre strings, animal blubber for drum crafting, and wooden sticks for flute-making. Slinging it over his shoulder, he said, "I have business with Uncle Menora. Head back home, and don't forget to practice. Also, Jin—did Frank say he was free today?"
"No, brother," Jin replied. "He's out hunting."
Zegion nodded. "Alright then. Close up the cave and head home. I'll be back by evening." With that, he disappeared into the forest.
The moment he was gone, the children exchanged glances. The cave was filled with all kinds of strange artifacts. Curiosity gnawed at them.
"I don't think we should," Jin muttered. "Brother trusts us."
"But there's no harm in just looking, right?" Lumine grinned, stepping inside. The others hesitated before following.
Inside, they found shelves stacked with monster claws, fangs, hair, labeled mana cores, and vials containing slime remnants. But Ludwig's attention was drawn to a golden-brown stone at the bottom shelf, its faint mana fluctuations intriguing him.
"Is that an echo stone?" Yuna asked. "Try infusing mana into it!"
Ludwig did. Instantly, a sharp pain pierced his mind. A vision unfolded before him—
A being with bluish-purple skin and black eyes with red pupils, a Demon was fighting against many opponents. Some of them had golden pupils, and their magic didn't require magic circles; their spells seemed to appear out of thin air, accompanied by resonating sound waves.
Another barrage of attacks came from a different group, elves with long ears and piercings. Glowing tattoos adorned their faces and hands, lighting up whenever they wove a spell. Fireballs, water spears, ice shards, invisible wind cutters, and stone lances flew toward the demon. But with just a flick of his hand, the demon dispelled them effortlessly.
Ludwig observed the battle intently. He could tell the demon had simply waved his hand, releasing mana, and that alone had shattered the spells, even though they didn't rely on magic circles. The sight terrified him. This was a level of battle far beyond his understanding.
Suddenly, the demon took a step back, his earlier calm demeanor vanishing as he glared towards something. From that direction, another elf appeared. This one had a strikingly handsome face, and the tattoos on his cheek and forehead only enhanced his eerie allure. But before Ludwig could process what was happening, he woke up, coughing violently.
Ludwig's vision cleared, and he saw Lumine, Jin, and Yuna looking at him with deep concern. Lumine was on the verge of tears, Yuna looked pale, and even Jin seemed shaken.
"Wha… what happened?" Ludwig asked weakly.
Jin answered, his voice serious. "It's been about five minutes, Lud. You didn't respond and were stiff as a rock. You were sweating like crazy, and your mana was going haywire. Yuna had to douse you in cold water to snap you out of it. What did you see in there?"
Ludwig shuddered, the memory of the demon's red pupils still haunting him. That battle… it was something beyond his comprehension.
Seeing that Ludwig was still too shaken to speak, Jin turned to Yuna. "Yuna, cast a gust of hot wind and dry him off. We need to talk to Brother about this."
Yuna nodded silently. She was the one who had asked Ludwig to imbue mana into the stone, and guilt weighed heavily on her. No one had warned them it would be this dangerous.
After drying Ludwig, they covered up the cave and quietly made their way home, walking in solemn silence.