Things felt different after the "First Wetting" test. This trial, a brutal rite of passage for the youngest members of House de Blaise, had proven Danarre's worth. He would not be cast aside easily now.
Faint bruises still marked his body from the ordeal. The de Blaise family never coddled their children. But he had survived and shown enough potential that servants whispered, and tutors began appearing at his door with scrolls and slate boards.
They never said it openly, but their sudden interest in teaching him letters and numbers meant something. Danarre had earned the right to education, a sign that he might be more than another disposable branch of the family tree.
At nearly six years old, he could walk steadily and speak clearly when he wanted. More importantly, he understood how people's attitudes toward him were changing.
Hendric de Blaise, the patriarch, rarely gave praise. Compliments were as rare as warmth in these halls.
Instead, Hendric showed approval through subtle gestures: a slight nod, giving certain resources, or letting someone attend lessons meant for older children. In this world, a silent nod could mean more than any spoken praise.
A week after the First Wetting, a courier came to Danarre's small suite. This was unusual, since couriers usually worked with household stewards, not small children.
Aveline, his nanny, opened the wooden box carefully. Inside lay a single piece of fruit shaped like a pear. Its skin was dull gold with faint lightning patterns across its surface.
Aveline gasped softly, her eyes wide.
"This is the Lightningseed Fruit," she said quietly, placing it before Danarre on folded silk. "Your father sends it only to children he thinks are worthy at a young age. It helps form the first aura ring, which starts the family's thunder arts."
The fruit's meaning hit Danarre hard. He remembered the Gatekeeper of Souls and the choices that shaped his rebirth.
He had chosen to stand out in this world, to take every advantage. Now this Lightningseed Fruit would push him ahead of schedule, giving him early access to the thunder aura that made the de Blaise clan's sword skills special.
Aveline knelt beside him and whispered, "Your siblings usually get theirs around eight or nine. You're not even six yet." She smiled, looking proud but also worried.
"This is a great honor. The aura ring will help you channel lightning through your sword when you start real training."
Danarre nodded, his heart beating fast. If he formed his aura ring now, he could move ahead of older, stronger siblings.
Such progress would get noticed. Lord Hendric wanted results and never gave second chances.
Surviving the First Wetting had put Danarre on the map. This fruit would help him do more than just survive.
[System Notification]
Item Acquired: Lightningseed Fruit
Effect: Consuming this fruit will help form your first Aura Ring, improving aura flow and granting stable growth in thunder techniques.
Warning: The process may hurt. Best consumed before sleep.
He thanked Aveline with a quiet nod. No one said he had to eat it right away. But he knew better than to wait.
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Any hesitation might look like weakness. That evening, after washing and putting on simple linen clothes, he sat on his bed.
He held the Lightningseed Fruit in both hands, smelling something like the air after a storm. Carefully, he took a bite.
The flesh tasted sour, making his teeth and gums tingle. He forced himself to eat all of it.
The taste almost made him sick, but he kept going. He had felt worse pain as a mercenary in his past life, and now he had bigger goals.
As soon as he finished, heat spread through his chest. Not painful, but strong and steady.
He lay down under a thin blanket and closed his eyes. His mind drifted as the system chimed:
[System Notification]
Consuming Lightningseed Fruit...
Starting Aura Formation Sequence...
Time Needed: 6 to 8 hours (during sleep)
Expected Result: Formation of 1st Aura Ring (Thunder Affinity)
He relaxed, breathing slowly, letting the warmth flow through him. Sleep came easily.
Outside, the estate lay quiet under moonlight. Guards with halberds walked the halls.
Servants slept or kept watch silently. Everything seemed peaceful, but danger often moved quietly.
And so it came tonight.
A dark figure crept along the roof and slipped through an open shutter. The killer wore black and carried a thin, poisoned blade.
Maybe a jealous cousin had sent them, worried about Danarre's rise. Or perhaps an older sibling who saw Danarre as a future threat.
The boy had gained favor too quickly. In the de Blaise household, success always bred hatred somewhere.
Inside Danarre's room, one candle burned. The killer moved silently, calm and determined.
Killing a sleeping child should be easy. The blade rose.
Danarre's eyes opened, but his body felt heavy. Perhaps the [Guiding Light] trait warned him, or maybe the aura formation made his senses sharper.
He tried to move away but could barely shift. He was caught between being awake and strangely sluggish.
The blade struck down.
[System Notification]
HP: 150 → 0 Fatal blow detected...
Using [Soulshield Fragment] (Once per day)!
Unseen magic wrapped around Danarre. He had picked the Soulshield Fragment before being reborn, a gift that stopped one killing blow each day, leaving him at 1 HP instead of dead.
The killer's blade hit true, but Danarre lived. The killer's eyes showed confusion.
[System Notification]
[Soulshield Fragment] worked!
Deadly damage blocked. HP set to 1.
Danarre gasped in pain. He was alive, but barely.
The killer pulled back for another strike. This time Danarre had no protection.
Fear and anger rose in him. He refused to die again, not after everything.
His aura wasn't formed but still existed inside him. His skills were limited.
But he had illusions: [Arcane Glimmer Lv.5]. Enough to blind or distract.
He used it, creating bright light. The killer hissed and covered his eyes.
Danarre fell off the bed, chest burning, blood soaking his clothes. Everything hurt, but he crawled forward.
He grabbed the closest weapon he could find: a decorative letter opener from a table. More toy than weapon, but it had a point.
He jumped at the killer's legs, stabbing the calf. The killer stumbled, cursing quietly.
Danarre pressed on, pushing the dull blade up into groin and thigh. It was rough and desperate.
Blood loss made Danarre's vision blur. He could barely hold the letter opener.
The killer tried to steady himself, kicking Danarre away. But Danarre wouldn't give up.
In his old life, he had died trapped, never achieving anything great. Not this time.
He stabbed upward at the killer's throat. The man blocked once, twice, but Danarre kept slashing, driven by wild desperation.
Finally, he felt warm blood as the blade found flesh.
The killer's eyes went wide. He tried to scream but only gurgled.
Danarre twisted the makeshift knife, making sure the wound would kill.
[System Notification]
Enemy Killed! Gained 500 EXP.
Level Up! Current Level: 6 → 7, 7 → 8 Multiple level ups for beating a stronger opponent while injured!
With 1 HP left, Danarre fell beside the dying man. He struggled to breathe, feeling warm liquid on his skin.
The world spun. He needed help fast.
He moaned softly, accidentally calling attention.
Footsteps thundered in the hall. A guard burst in with sword ready, followed by Aveline and a senior servant.
They stopped at the bloody scene: the young master covered in blood, a dead killer at his feet, the room smelling of iron and fear.
Aveline screamed for the healer. The guard picked Danarre up carefully.
He saw Emiline looking from a doorway, shocked, and Alberic pushing through the crowd, looking grim. Marleine stayed at the hall's end, her face blank.
No one else came closer, not wanting to disturb the scene.
Hendric arrived last, calm and quiet. His eyes moved from the corpse to the child, understanding what happened.
He nodded once to the guard, who carried Danarre away. Danarre tried to speak, but blackness took his mind.
He passed out, knowing he had survived against impossible odds.