Rylan opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. For a few seconds, he merely stared at it and breathed. The most important thing was to confirm his body’s state. Pain came from several different places, but it was much more bearable than during the fight against Evenon. Slowly, he circulated his mana to get a better feel for his body.
Someone healed me.
His condition was much better than when he passed out. He had only used his mana to analyze his body, but he could tell that several burns and injuries had disappeared. He tried to raise his body and sit up, even though it hurt. Finally, after two tries, he managed to do it. He looked at his arms and shirtless torso.
I’ve gained new scars.
Whoever the Healer was, they were remarkable, but Rylan’s injuries had simply been too severe. He should be glad that the scars could be hidden by a shirt. He let out a sigh. To think that he had struggled so much against a mere crime boss in an ordinary town. No, that wasn’t quite right. Evenon had revealed himself to be a powerful Mage and foe. He had hidden his true power, likely to catch an assassin off-guard. It had almost worked. In the end, however, the man’s head had flown through the air all the same.
Cautiously, Rylan allowed his mana to empower his body as he circulated it. A few spots which had been covered by more severe burns still hurt, but overall, he was fine. The healing had been effective.
At the same time, his curiosity grew. As Roland, he had been capable of using Aura to heal himself, but it was an advanced application. Magic, on the other hand, had a variety of healing spells that did not require nearly as much skill. Of course, Aura had abilities that mana didn’t, but so far, it seemed that mana could change the world more easily. He was glad he had the opportunity to try and unite both into something new.
Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear the footsteps, but they were captured by his awareness, which never faltered. Someone was coming. He looked at the door as it opened. A handsome man with black hair and piercing blue eyes walked into the room. Rylan smiled at Gerard. Once the man’s gaze reached him, he froze, before almost running to the bed.
“Rylan!”
Gerard stopped in place a second before pulling Rylan into a hug. Rylan kept his smile.
“I’m fine, Father. Don’t worry about hurting me,” he said.
Barely a second after his words ended, Gerard pulled him into an embrace. He hugged his father back. It was only after almost ten seconds that they parted, allowing Rylan to look at Gerard in the eye. They were filled with worry, but also relief. Warmth filled his chest.
“Wait here. I’m going to call the Healer,” Gerard said and turned around.
“Wait!” Rylan replied, making his father stop in place. As the man looked at him, he continued with a smile. “I don’t need more healing right now. I’m sure the Healer already did their best. I want to talk to you before you call them.”
Gerard let out a breath, his eyes still filled with the same emotions. Slowly, he sat on the chair next to the bed and stared at Rylan.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you wake up. It’s been two days!” Gerard said, then let out a sigh.
Rylan smiled. Even after all the pain he had caused his father and the rest of his family, Gerard still loved and cared for him. It was the kind of affection that Rylan would always be thankful for. His chest felt warm as he realized the depth of a father’s love once more. It was something that his past self in this life had never cared about and would have likely never seen again.
Two days? Better than I thought.
Given the severity of his injuries and how much he had spent himself, he expected to be out cold for at least another day. He scoffed in his mind. Roland would never have ended up like this.
“Thank you for not interfering with the battle, Father.”
Gerard’s face immediately contorted into a heavy frown. He hesitated.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Thank you for casting Magic Shield on me at the end as well,” Rylan continued.
Gerard scoffed.
“If I had stepped in, your injuries wouldn’t have been so serious. But you said you would call out if you needed me, and you didn’t. Still, my promise didn’t matter when you were about to die.”
Rylan blinked. Initially, he had assumed that Gerard had only arrived just before the fight ended, which was why he had only managed to cast a Shield. But now, it seemed that his father had been watching the battle for some time. He smiled widely.
“Thank you. Really. You’re right, I would’ve died. I would’ve brought him down with me, though.”
Gerard kept his frown.
“Your death shouldn’t be like that,” he grumbled. “Let me be clear. I was on the brink of joining the fight. Seeing you in pain and struggling was… fucking terrible. Why did you ask me not to interfere? You better have a good reason, or something like this won’t happen ever again.”
Rylan nodded.
“There’s a reason. Of course, I wanted to be the one to finish this because of my relationship with Evenon, but there was something else.”
“And that is?”
“Awakening Aura.”
Gerard raised an eyebrow. Rylan continued.
“I still don’t know if Aura exists in this world, but since the System so far is still the same, there’s a good chance that it’s possible to awaken it. However, Aura isn’t as simple as mana. Awakening it is a difficult process, unlike mana absorption.”
It was part of the reason why he believed magic was so widespread in this world. Anyone could absorb mana with the System’s help and create a Mana Core, then form Circles.
“And how exactly do you get Aura?” his father asked.
Rylan raised two fingers.
“There are two methods, but they’re just two sides of the same coin. The best way is to use them together. The first is training. By challenging and overcoming your limits with hard work and determination over and over again, Aura can naturally awaken. The second method is to be pushed to your limits in dangerous situations.”
Gerard frowned.
“Simply put, both methods rely on pushing yourself to the brink, face to face with your very limitations,” Rylan continued.
“So you’ll have to continue throwing yourself in dangerous battles.”
Rylan nodded.
“I won’t stop doing my best in training, but yes. Combining both methods is the fastest way to acquire Aura.”
“And how long does it take?”
“It depends on too many factors. Even I don’t know when I’ll awaken it.”
It was only natural. Roland had had the Prodigy Trait from the start, which also affected the speed at which he acquired Aura. This head start only became more obvious as his Trait evolved into Complete Prodigy. His ability to develop his Aura and increase its power had been unparalleled. However, Rylan didn’t enjoy the same perks.
I’ll have to work harder than Roland.
Roland hadn’t reached the peak by relying on his natural talents. Naturally, he had undergone a hellish amount of training; surpassing this would be more than difficult, bordering on impossible. But what choice did he have? He needed to become stronger, no matter how long it took. He grinned. In a way, it was refreshing. He would experience a path that Roland hadn’t. There was also one thing that allowed him to be hopeful for his future, even without Roland’s Trait.
Magic.
That was how he would bridge the gap between his two lives. Until his Trait evolved into a good one, he needed to rely on magic. Since he didn’t need to study swordsmanship for decades, he could fully focus on this new power.
“…I can’t let you go through so much suffering again and again,” Gerard suddenly said. Rylan gave him a bitter smile.
“I’m sure you know that it’s the only path I have. Didn’t you also go through many dangerous fights?”
“That’s different. I didn’t intentionally throw myself into danger.”
“Maybe. But it’s the best and fastest way for me to grow. Besides, the best way to become more experienced with an ability is to use it in battle. I’m sure that also goes for magic.”
Gerard frowned, then sighed.
“Before we continue this conversation, I’ll go call the Healer and ask her to take one last look at you. After that, if you’re alright, we’ll go home. There are a few things you need to know.”
After making a few hand signs, his father’s eyes glowed red. While he used Whisper, Rylan willed his Status Window to appear.
Status Window
Name: Rylan Flameheart
Level: 25
Race: Human (F)
Class: Mage
Profession: none.
Trait: Weak-willed
Stats
Strength: 35
Agility: 37
Endurance: 35
Body: 34
Intelligence: 63
Wisdom: 47
Free Points: 20
Active Skills
Magic Missile (F); Stormcaller Sword Style (S), Mountainpeak Swordsmanship (A), Second Imperial Swordsmanship (B), Falling Snow Steps (A).
Passive Skills
Mana Core (First Circle), Sword Handling (E), Stamina (E), Precision (E).
Hybrid Skills
Sword Mastery (Master).
Titles
Novice Mage; Wastrel; Good-for-Nothing; Reincarnator, Swordmaster, Novice Monster Slayer, Hard-working, Duelist.
He scratched his chin, willing for the information about his new Title to appear in front of him.
[Title
Duelist: you have proven yourself capable of facing a single foe with mastery. You thrive in one-on-one battles. May your enemies never overcome you.
Effects: increases all stats by 5% when facing a single enemy.]
Not bad.
As his stats continued to increase and as he acquired more Titles, this would become more effective. It was a good boost that he had sort of expected to get after the fight against Evenon. It paled in comparison to some of the Titles he was planning to get in the near future, but the more Titles he had, the better.
Gerard’s eyes stopped glowing. Barely a few moments later, the door opened.