Alaric age 9

Alaric had turned 9 the week before. After the incident with the masked intruders, nothing significant happened. The count remained surprisingly calm about the whole incident, almost as if he had predicted that something like that might occur during his absence.

In fact, he commended the guard captain and the guards since no lives were lost.

According to the rumors he gathered from Rowan, the intruders were allegedly tied to a criminal organization whose name remained unknown. Whatever documents they attempted to steal from the count’s study stayed a mystery, as expected.

It was likely that only the butler was privy to that information, given how close he was with the count.

There was one detail Rowan overheard from his father, though. The guard captain had cursed a noble — Count Valeran de Clairmont. Apparently, the noble harbored some grudge against Count Eustace, but there was no conclusive evidence to act on the matter.

Well, whatever. Not my problem. I just have to get stronger.

He pulled out his training journal and recorded the progress he had achieved over the past year. A smile spread across his face. He was progressing, albeit slowly.

Push-ups - 75

Sit-ups - 100

Squats - 120

Pull-ups - 20

Plank time - 5 min

400-meter timed lap - 1:20 min

Running - 10 laps

Rope climbing - Can climb easily.

Alaric settled down and began concentrating on the chakras of his body. His root chakra brimmed with subtle energy, and his sacral chakra had been completely purified.

All that remained was to awaken it. The sacral chakra granted him superior control over his emotions and willpower. As a result, he became even more focused during his training sessions and could persevere through fatigue without succumbing to stress.

He had succeeded in cleansing the impurities from his solar plexus chakra as well. However, to awaken it, he needed to wield mana — something impossible in this world unless one gained access to the system, which usually happened at the age of 12. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate.

When a kid gained access to the system, the very first skill they acquired was called [Mana Sense]. This skill made it easier for them to perceive mana and begin manipulating it.

Alaric could already detect mana in his surroundings, but there was a disconnect between his will and the mana. He could sense it but couldn’t grasp it with his intent, and therefore couldn’t manipulate it.

It felt as if the system actively prevented him from molding mana to his whim. Well, whatever, I’ll figure it out later. The solar plexus chakra governed all forms of energy manipulation — mana, aura, prana, dao, and even cosmic energy.

Without a properly purified and awakened solar plexus chakra, one’s ability to manipulate any type of energy would remain stunted.

Currently, Alaric was focused on purifying his heart chakra. Refining the heart chakra offered numerous benefits. The most obvious was an enhanced healing factor and heightened resistance to poisons and diseases. A cultivator with a strong heart chakra rarely fell ill and responded more effectively to healing abilities.

However, that was just the surface-level advantage. The true benefit was that purifying the heart chakra also refined one’s bloodline. This, in turn, amplified all bloodline abilities, skills, techniques, and more.

The purer the bloodline, the greater one’s potential to awaken formidable bloodline powers.

There was one thing that was bothering him, though. An experienced chakra cultivator such as Alaric could detect faint traces of bloodline powers when channeling the heart chakra.

So far, he could distinctly sense the same resonance from his heart chakra that he felt in the presence of his father — the count — and his half-siblings. Essentially, it served as proof that he was of noble blood and shared their bloodline.

However, he could also perceive another bloodline resonance within his chakra. This was perplexing because it implied that his mother was of noble descent as well — or at least someone with bloodline powers.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

So, what could be the reason for the count to refuse to acknowledge him as an official heir despite such a pure bloodline? He was not the son of a commoner.

What’s more, the other bloodline power radiated a stronger resonance. This suggested that the second bloodline power was purer and, therefore, more potent. Alaric resolved to wait a few more years before directly confronting the count about this matter.

For now, his goal was to cleanse the impurities of his heart chakra so that he could unlock the bloodline powers of the de Vermond family.

His throat chakra, third eye chakra, and crown chakra were still not as purified as he desired. But he didn’t concern himself with that because it wasn’t his immediate priority. He would purify all of the chakras before he turned 12.

The throat chakra governed one’s ability to assert their willpower and influence the world through the power of their voice. Essentially, it managed contracts, pacts, and oaths. Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made to attain greater power.

And if someone made a promise — to others or themselves — and upheld it no matter the cost, they could gain extraordinary power.

However, violating these sacred oaths could lead to disastrous consequences. Typically, people with tainted throat chakras couldn’t uphold their promises and oaths. At best, they wouldn’t experience any power boosts, and at worst, they would suffer a severe backlash.

In this world, there were various ways for a cultivator to attain immediate power aside from mastering pure cultivation techniques or awakening bloodline abilities. One of these methods involved forming a bond with an entity.

If one were talented enough to earn the system’s recognition, they could enter the ‘Tower of Trials’ to forge a pact with a powerful entity or creature.

Alaric shook his head. This isn’t the time to dwell on that. I’ll start preparing for the Tower of Trials in a few years.

The third eye chakra was Alaric’s favorite chakra. After all, it governed everything related to the mind and the ‘truth of things.’ It allowed cultivators to distinguish knowledge from raw information with exceptional clarity.

Thus, it was vital for comprehending Daos and evolving them into higher forms. A cultivator with an impure third eye chakra would struggle immensely to grasp new Daos or integrate them into their techniques.

However, Alaric cherished the third eye chakra because he used it to fuel his signature ability — True Vision. And he was determined to reclaim this ability in his new life, no matter what.

The [True Vision] ability allowed chakra cultivators to perceive beyond the physical realm and penetrate the deepest layers of truth.

It enabled chakra cultivators to perceive the different forms of energy, and the chakra systems in individuals, detect hidden traps, counter stealth techniques, heighten their awareness of their surroundings, and so much more.

Alaric practically felt blind without his signature ability. And that was just the surface-level benefit of awakening the third eye chakra. A deeper advantage was that it granted access to the realm of dreams and allowed connection with your subtle body.

The crown chakra governed everything related to the soul. It is one of the most challenging chakras to purify, but performing the proper karmic actions is one way to cleanse it.

However, the main benefit is that it enables cultivators to merge with ‘True Divinity’ or ‘One Consciousness’ — to bask in their true self.

But Alaric wasn’t particularly interested in achieving immortality. No, he wanted to experience the joys and hurdles of life. Maybe that was one of the reasons it had taken him so long to prepare the ritual to bloom his crown chakra.

So much to accomplish before I turn twelve. A smile tugged at his face. I’m enjoying this new life. Let’s see how far I can go this time.

***

A few months later

How did I find myself in this mess? Alaric couldn’t help but sigh internally. Currently, he stood in the dueling ring on the guard’s training ground, facing Lucien, a proud smirk etched onto his face.

“You can do it, Lucien,” a kid — probably his friend — yelled from the ring of spectators. “Teach that bastard a lesson he won’t forget.” Yep, definitely one of his noble friends.

On one side of the ring, Alaric spotted a few guards and Rowan with a smug expression. He even noticed Captain Farrow stopping by briefly, nodding at Alaric with a faint smile, as if signaling him to teach that noble brat the difference between real fighting techniques and party tricks.

Both of them understand my skill and strength. Alaric mused. As do the guards. They’re just here for the show.

On the other side of the ring, he noticed Edwin scowling with his arms crossed, flanked by a few noble kids whom Alaric assumed were friends of his half-brothers. However, what truly caught his attention was the immaculately dressed man with a saber strapped to his hip.

He was the combat instructor of both Lucien and Edwin — Instructor Gauvain. His sharp eyes scanned Alaric from head to toe before his expression settled into something nasty. Clearly, he wasn’t impressed.

“Take positions…” the guard acting as the referee barked. Both boys assumed a fighting stance. Alaric really didn’t want to fight a kid like Lucien. Defeating him wouldn't give him any joy.

Lucien wouldn’t pose a challenge at all.

“And…start.” Alaric hesitated for a moment, allowing Lucien to take the initiative. He had no desire to humiliate the kid in front of his friends and wanted to give him a fair chance.

However, watching Lucien’s sluggish movements and the way he flailed his wooden sword grated on Alaric’s patience. It was wrong of him to expect more from a child — not everyone was Rowan.

However, there was a limit to his patience. He casually sidestepped a clumsy sword strike and lightly prodded Lucien in the chest, right over his heart. Lucien stumbled backward and hit the ground.

“Halt…Alaric wins!” The referee declared.

Alaric turned away, shaking his head. What a complete waste of time. Some of the guards cheered and applauded him. Rowan simply gave a thumbs-up, his expression neutral. The outcome had been obvious.

Lucien trudged back to his side of the ring, his head bowed in shame. His friends huddled around him, offering words of encouragement. Instructor Gauvain’s brows knitted together, his sharp gaze narrowing.

Before Edwin stepped into the ring, Gauvain gripped his shoulder and murmured something into his ear. Edwin glanced briefly at Alaric, then back at his instructor, and smirked.

Why do I have a bad feeling about this?