Jayden's voice echoed through the ancient trees, a venomous mix of anger and determination. The "HeartGuard" skill had ignited a firestorm within him, fueling his defiance against the wizened old man who stood before him.
"Come on then, old bastard!" Jayden spat, his youthful bravado failing to mask the tremor in his legs. "Maybe I can at least manage a decent kick to your fragile old balls!"
The old man's face contorted in a mask of fury and cut him off. "Elio, you wretched excuse for a father! How dare you allow your insolent offspring to speak to me in such a manner? Our forefathers would spin in their graves if they witnessed the depths to which this family has fallen!"
Despite the inferno blazing in his own eyes, Elio couldn't help but acknowledge the sliver of truth in the old man's words, Jayden's behavior was very disrespectful. Yet, his loyalty to his son burned brighter.
"It seems my dim-witted son has failed miserably in teaching you basic respect for others. I thought after all these years, I made it clear that I never wanted to lay eyes on your pathetic faces again. But clearly, you think I'm playing some sort of game."
The old man's long, silvery hair whipped around his face like an enraged spirit, mirroring the churning storm within him. His once vibrant blue eyes, now clouded with shadows, sparked with a dangerous energy. Miniature tornadoes materialized around him, twisting and contorting with chaotic power. Even the usually serene forest trembled as if responding to his uncontrollable rage.
The tension crackled in the air, thicker than the ancient trees surrounding them. Fiery auras, like red cocoons, materialized around Elio and his grandfather but neither man dared to make the first move, both were aware of the devastating consequences that could erupt.
Jayden, overwhelmed by the raw power on display, felt his mind spin. 'How did things escalate so quickly?' he thought frantically. 'Wasn't I supposed to start training today?'
A heavy sigh escaped Elio's lips, breaking the tense silence. "There's no point," he said, his voice heavy with resignation. "After all these years, I foolishly believed you might have changed. Seems I was wrong."
A hint of hope ignited in Jayden's chest. Maybe, just maybe, this ancient animosity could finally be laid to rest. But that hope was quickly extinguished as the old man continued.
"Honestly, you're truly stupid, aren't you? Are you even capable of using your brain? Do you want me to train your son? Even if he were the most prodigious prodigy ever born, the answer is no. Now, get lost!" With that final dismissal, the old man turned his back on them and began shuffling towards his hut.
But before he could take more than a few steps, Elio's voice stopped him cold. "What if I told you he is?" he challenged, a smug smirk playing on his lips.
The old man whirled around, his gaze locking onto Elio's face for a brief moment. Ignoring his grandson, his eyes narrowed as they fell upon Jayden and the young boy suddenly felt like a fly trapped under a magnifying glass, every secret laid bare for scrutiny.
He tried to resist, his entire body tightening in anticipation. Engaging in a mental battle with this powerful being could have disastrous consequences.
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Utilizing his overwhelming mana, the old man delved into Jayden's very soul, focusing on his mana core. Years of experience had taught him that everyone possessed a similar structure – a big sphere pulsating with light, surrounded by smaller spheres representing individual skills and abilities.
The size of the mana core held important significance when it came to the overall power that an awakener could generate but it was the size of the surrounding spheres that held significance when activating any ability or skill. The bigger the sphere, the more potent and developed the skill.
He had never encountered a sphere as large as the core itself, but what he witnessed in Jayden defied even that observation. Several spheres shimmered around the core, each nearly rivaling its size in magnitude. The sheer power these skills promised to unleash boggled the old man's mind.
As he gazed upon this exceptional child, a thought flickered across his mind. 'Remarkable,' he mused, the tension momentarily forgotten. But then, a discordant note disrupted his newfound wonder. Unlike any mana core he had ever seen, Jayden's core was rotating and moving. Usually, the mana core was static and the ones revolving around it represented certain abilities.
A frantic question consumed him: How and why was this happening?
'Wait a minute! What if…?' His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst. With a jolt, he withdrew from Jayden's core, seeking answers in the surrounding void in his soul.
Focusing all his energy on unraveling the mystery, he stared into the black expanse. A mana core couldn't rotate, yet there it was, defying all logic.
Then, with a jolt of comprehension, realization struck him. A gasp escaped his lips, barely audible over the crackling tension in the clearing.
"This is...impossible!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "What in the seven hells is going on here?"
He squinted, focusing his gaze on the tiny white speck, which was Jayden's supposed core in the vastness of space. As he peered closer, a gasp escaped his lips once more. The white sphere wasn't what it seemed. It was merely a smaller sphere, orbiting a humongous, pulsating dark violet object. This immense sphere pulsed with an otherworldly energy, radiating power and an unfathomable mystery.
The old man's mind reeled. "Is that… his mana core?" he whispered with his voice laced with disbelief. The concept of such a colossal force residing within a single human being was almost unfathomable. His entire life's experience and vast knowledge paled in comparison to this anomaly.
Curiosity battled with fear within him. This discovery could rewrite everything he thought he knew about mana core and its potential. It could be the key to unlocking unimaginable power, or a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
He cautiously reached out with his consciousness, a tendril of his mental energy brushing against the dark violet sphere but a jolt of pain shot through him, forcing him to recoil as if he had touched a live wire. The sphere pulsed in response, emanating a wave of pure, unadulterated mana that threatened to overwhelm him.
He staggered back, panting. Never in his life had he encountered such a potent force. Fear momentarily gripped him, but it was quickly replaced by a renewed sense of stubbornness. He had to understand what this was, what it meant for Jayden, and what potential dangers it might pose.
Meanwhile, the clearing remained frozen in time. Elio and Jayden watched, bewildered, as the old man swayed and gasped, his face contorted in a mixture of pain and awe. The tornadoes around him had dissipated, replaced by an aura of intense concentration.
"Grandpa? What's wrong?" Elio finally called out, concern lacing his voice. He had never seen him so shaken.
The old man ignored him, his focus solely on the anomaly before him. He needed to choose his next step carefully. If he probed further, he risked injuring the boy or triggering an unknown reaction from the dark violet sphere. Yet, the potential benefits of this discovery were too enticing to simply ignore.
He glanced from Jayden who had his face like an innocent mask hiding the extraordinary power within, at Elio, his grandson who had never possessed such potential. A decision began to form in his mind, a decision that could alter the course of their family's history for generations to come.
"Boy!" he finally spoke. "We need to talk..."