Chapter 5: Progress

Chapter 5: Progress September 23. It had been about two months since Kael had returned to the past. He spent all those months adjusting to his younger body and strengthening it. He also became acquainted with the residents of the mansion. Those who used to mock him behind his back now lowered their heads in fear every time they saw him. Everything had changed a lot compared to his past life. In addition to his daily training, which grew more and more each day, Kael had history, dance, and etiquette classes, which were mandatory. He had also devised various methods of escaping from the mansion and claiming the inheritance in the mountain. His mother kept in touch with Agnes Blossom, sharing information about what was going on in the kingdom, and they started a business between them, although Kael only gave her a few ideas. Alessia had great business acumen, which surprised him a bit; if he hadn’t gone back in time, he wouldn’t have known his mother had that talent. His growth had been quite rapid, and thanks to the daily missions, the time he had planned to strengthen his body had been cut by more than half. Now he was ready to claim that inheritance. He could wait no longer. Kael looked at the mission window that had popped up after completing the daily mission. [Daily Mission #60] · Push-ups 250: Complete (250/250) · Sit-ups 250: Complete (250/250) · Squats 250: Complete (250/250) · Pull-ups 250: Complete (250/250) · Burpees 100: Complete (100/100) · 30 km run: Complete (30/30) Kael walked out of the training camp while inspecting his profile. Kael Medici Title: Strayed Demon. Talent: SSS. Mana Core: No awakening. Traits: Refinement (A), Swordsmanship (A) Melee (S), Tamer (C)... Strength: 18 + Endurance: 16 + Agility: 17 + Vitality: 20 + Mana: No awakening Stat points: 59 He had already accumulated 59 stat points. He intended to use them, but not now, not with so many people watching him. "Oh, young master Kael, you seem to be done with your routine. Why don’t you join us to practice the basic sword technique of the Medici Clan?" they proposed. "Seventh young master, join us at least once. You could have a spar with one of our rookies," insisted another. However, Kael ignored them. He saw no benefit in fighting them. As for the basic sword technique, he already knew it by heart, every move etched in his mind. "Young master, why don’t you learn the sword technique with them? They are warriors who have passed the Clan trials; they are very capable," commented Lydia, who was walking beside him. There was a certain curiosity in her voice. In the last two months, Kael had changed drastically: he had killed a servant who tried to poison him and kept up constant training without missing a single day. Lydia suspected that he had been hiding his true personality. Moreover, she remembered clearly how, with just a few words, he had calmed Lady Agnes’ discomfort. That was not normal. "I don’t learn from them because, for now, I’m not interested in mastering the sword technique. Without strength and mana core, mastering that technique is useless. I don’t plan to waste energy on empty moves," Kael replied calmly, though his words hid only a part of the truth. "But, young master, wouldn’t it be better to start practicing now instead of waiting until the Awakening Ceremony?" insisted Lydia. "As I said, I’m not interested. Strengthening my body is enough," Kael replied firmly, his eyes glittering dangerously. As he entered the hallway of the mansion, the servants moved frantically, cleaning every nook and cranny as if they were receiving an honored guest. But unlike when his fiancée arrived, their faces reflected anxiety and even fear. Kael frowned slightly, not understanding the reason for such behavior. "What’s going on?" One of the servants, hearing him, paused for a moment and answered quickly: "The head of the clan will arrive the day after tomorrow, my lord. Lady Alessia has just been informed and has ordered us to prepare everything before her father’s arrival." Kael’s eyes widened slightly, and a sense of urgency welled up in his chest. I must leave today. If my father arrives before I find the inheritance, I will be under constant surveillance and won’t have another chance. He glanced sideways at Lydia, who also seemed surprised by the news, and ordered: "Lydia, go help my mother. I will be in my room, as usual. Don’t disturb me until dinner time." Lydia recovered quickly, curtsied, and took her leave. Servants came and went like queenless ants, tripping over each other, carrying candlesticks and new curtains. One dropped a tray at the sight of Kael. Another awkwardly avoided his gaze. It was a nervous frenzy he hadn’t seen since he was a child, and now it seemed to scream at him only one thing: "You don’t have time." Kael hurried to his room. Once inside, he closed the door with a soft click and changed his clothes. From the closet, he pulled out a black Taoist robe, which he had had made by one of the servants a month ago. He sat down in front of the desk, resting his chin on his clasped hands. His mind did not stop working. My father arrives the day after tomorrow... and I have hardly any clues as to the whereabouts of the Demon Wolf’s inheritance. He frowned. My original plan was to start within a week. Now, I have no choice but to bring everything forward. Although... this chaos could be the perfect excuse to get out of the mansion without attracting attention. He tapped the desk lightly with his index finger, as if the rhythm might quicken his thoughts. "I can’t afford mistakes. Every minute counts." Kael sighed, calming himself and centering his mind. Haste is the worst enemy of success. Now, with his mind clear and calm as an ancient pond, he opened his profile and his gaze focused on the (+) in front of each statistic. He thought, for a moment, how he would distribute his stat points. After thinking it through and doing some quick math, he decided to spend all the points evenly and started clicking on the "+". [+ 15 in Strength] [+ 15 in Endurance] [+ 14 in Agility] [+ 15 in Vitality] Notification windows appeared, stats started to increase, while the stat points were reduced to 0. After assigning the points, he began to feel a slight itch in his body. Without delay, he took off his black Taoist robe and sat down on the ground in the form of a lotus. The room was in darkness, with Kael sitting in the middle of it. His expression was indifferent, and his eyes, dark as the abyss. Within a second, an intense pain began to run through his entire body. Every fiber, every tendon, every fragment of bone seemed to scream in a symphony of pure agony. Each vertebra moved, slowly and forcibly, as if the skeleton decided to change of its own volition. The muscles were not tearing, they were stretched to the limit, fibers pulled in opposite directions. Cold sweat ran down Kael’s forehead, and he maintained an indifferent expression, despite all the pain. His eyes did not reflect agony; not a sound came out of his mouth. The veins in his body looked like snakes moving slowly. Time passed, and the pain gradually subsided until it disappeared completely. Kael continued to sit in lotus form, with an indifferent expression, but his eyes shone with determination. After a few minutes, Kael got up and dressed again in the black Taoist robe and checked his status window. Kael Medici Title: Strayed Demon. Talent: SSS. Mana Core: No awakening. Traits: Refinement (A), Swordsmanship (A) Melee (S), Tamer (C)... Strength: 18 → 33 + Endurance: 16 → 31+ Agility: 17 → 31 + Vitality: 20 → 35 + Mana: No awakening Stat points: 0 "My strength now is like that of a full-grown common man well into adulthood." Kael adjusted the belt of the black robe as he checked the change in his body. The mansion was still in chaos, and night was falling like a curtain over the perfect setting. It was now or never. "That inheritance from that Demonic Wolf awaits me..." With a silent step, he disappeared into the darkness.