Rydel woke up and inhaled the scent of floral candles. He touched his pendant and checked that it was still there. He looked around, he was in his room.
It was afternoon and he was alone in his home. At this time Thalia must be painting with a couple of friends while Edyrm should be doing archery with his squad at the training camp.
Rydel took advantage of his solitude and revised his status.
Name: Rydel Elphyra
Age: 7 years
Race: Forest Elf
Class: ---
Daodrops: Dao of the Moonlight (Middle)
Traits: Moontouched
Vitality: 4
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 6
Endurance: 6
Perception: 32
Spirit: 50
He was finally able to take the last step and raise the proficiency of the Dao of Moonlight to middle. He felt like he had reached a cap with his spirit.
He would be able to raise it a bit more with rare resources or having a higher comprehension of the Dao, but it was unlikely. Resources that raised the spirit were incredibly rare and he wouldn’t be able to take the next step on his Dao before turning 15.
He had reached a point where he couldn’t do much without gaining his first class. Now, he would refine his technique.
***
Rydel went to the school to meet Galather and see how they would proceed from there.
“You are in good condition. Do you want to continue today?” Galather asked.
“Yes, I’m ready.” Rydel said.
They sparred until night-time. Then, they went to the forest to practice his Gate of Lunacy. Rydel sensed that everyone's lunacy was behind a dam that was ready to explode, and he just opened the gates, so it was a fitting name.
They went to the border of the wild zone. Galather looked out for beasts meanwhile Ryder activated his transformation.
He willed strength to the Moon until something snapped. His black sclera dominated his eyes. It was a success. He needed 8 minutes in total from the moment that he was seated until his transformation stabilized.
They first tested how long he could maintain this form. They sat together, and after 45 minutes his sclera started to slowly revert. At the hour mark, the transformation was over.
He heard some whispers in the back of his mind while he was transformed, he had to be careful. For now, the voices were alien and indecipherable.
He tried to transform again and it didn’t work. The thin fog of moonlight that always accompanied him in this process didn’t gather. They kept trying for the rest of the night without success.
They reunited again the next night and Rydel was able to transform this time.
“You can transform once per night. It is not a bad cooldown for a technique. You could try to force it in exchange of injuries if you have the need.” Galather said.
This was his real trump card, an enemy induced in madness can be as dangerous as it can be an opportunity. He had to know in advance that he would use it though. Problems for the Rydel of the future.
They advanced in the wild zone of the forest until they encountered a suitable beast. It was a meter long snake. It was lying still on a tree branch, unaware of the two intruders.
“Try your technique with this beast, its level is lower than 10.” Galather said.
Rydel fixed his gaze on the snake. He couldn’t activate it until he was directly looking at the snake’s eyes. Another disadvantage that he took note of.
Behind its vertical pupil, there was a red cloud ending in tentacles that were trying to pull themselves out. Rydel obliged its desire and used his Gate of Lunacy. The effect was immediate.
The snake’s eyes turned red, it hissed and thrashed. It looked everywhere for an enemy, when it didn’t find anything it destroyed everything in his proximity. The snake bit the tree, injecting it with venom. It used its tail to crush rocks and bushes. Its movements became more and more frantic with time.
Lunacy turned to desperation, which increased the madness even more. Its hiss grew in volume and its throat swelled. It shot a poison cloud that melted the ground in a 5m radius. It repeated the same movements until it formed a viscous pool around it. It didn’t relax in the sightless but the snake looked tired now.
Its eyes were still red but now they were unfocused, with a few last hisses, the snake dropped unconscious.
Galather and Rydel approached.
“It is still alive. Just exhausted and drained of spiritual energy, killing it now will be easy.” Galather said.
Rydel hadn’t killed anything yet. Even when he went hunting with his father he just observed on the sidelines. He took a deep breath and unsheathed his sword. He made a spiritual slash at the snake’s head and beheaded it.
Rydel breathed slowly and calmed down. His right hand was shaking a little. He has done it, it was a big step in his future progression. Powerhouses can’t be born without a mountain of corpses, rivers of blood, and clouds of wails tailing them. Of course, if it didn’t happen to him then it was even better.
They keep repeating the process with a couple of beasts more and reach some conclusions. Low-level beasts didn’t have the willpower to stop the Gate of Lunacy, they would keep destroying their surroundings until exhaustion. If there were another beast nearby, they would fight to the death, even if they were weaker.
He could repeat this process twenty more times until his transformation wore off. He killed all the beasts and Galather was responsible for gathering the corpses. Today, they will have a feast. Rydel planned to invite his parents along with Roshia and Galather to celebrate his first successful hunt.
Rydel also tested his Mantle of Night, the name of the ability that covered himself in moonlight. He only got detected when he was within five meters of a beast, a little less if the beast specialized in perception.
All things considered, it was a good outing for him and something that he was lacking, real combat experience.
***
“I’m very proud of you little firefly.” Thalia happily said. They were reunited in their home’s dining room. The duo of father and son already had a strategy in mind and they were prepared to ruthlessly implement it.
“Grandma, can I ask you for a gift?” Rydel pleaded with puppy eyes to Roshia.
“Ohoo, why do you think that you deserve a gift?” Roshia teasingly asked.
“I’ve lost my entire childhood training and struggling with my entire being. Sigh, I’d never have a happy future just because Grandma didn’t want to spoil me a little bit. The only good memories of my infancy will be tainted because of greed.” Rydel looked like he was trying to hide his dejection.
“Son, I’ll never let you continue on that path!” Edyrm righteously replied and stood up, he reached Rydel and put a hand on his shoulder to show him his support.
“Please grandma, whatever the brat needs, it’s imperative to give it to him. For his future and his mental state.” Edyrm said with full seriousness.
Thalia didn’t know what the two evildoers were trying to accomplish so she just stood looking with interest at the play being held.
“A mind free of concerns equals a heart free of demons.” Galather added. It seemed that the strict teacher was in the father-son team.
“Sweetheart, just say what you want. I am your caring and understanding grandma. Just say and I’ll provide.” Roshia said with pride. She fell for it hook, line and sinker.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you.” Rydel said with some conflicts.
“Don’t worry, what this old woman can’t have in this Clan, no one else can.” Roshia replied with even more pride.
“You had heard the Elder, son. She has promised that she will gift you anything that you ask. Her entire honor is in play. This is not something that she can back off easily.” Edyrm rapidly added.
Roshia glared at Edyrm and smelled something fishy. It was too late.
“Just a barrel or two of firehoney wine is enough.” Rydel said with expectation in his eyes.
“Are you crazy, brat? Do you want me to ruin myself? Do you even have an idea of how expensive a cup of firehoney wine is?” Roshia protested without hesitation.
“Grandma, you can’t be like that. You had already given your words? How can you be a reference to the young generations if you are acting like this? Sigh, a myth has fallen in front of my eyes today.” Edyrm said with incredulity.
“Are you going back on this little request of mine?” Ryder said while tears threatened to fall.
“Sigh, grandma…” Even Thalia joined the boys of the house in a three-way attack!
Roshia looked for allies and gazed at Galather. He didn’t bat an eye, he didn’t join the open struggle. In fact, he had already prepared an empty cup for the wine.
“Fine, fine, you can each have a cup. I’ll admit my loss today.” Roshia said with regret.
“10 bottles!” Edyrm demanded.
And thus begin the first war for the sacred elixir. It was bloody, cruel, and vicious. Words were exchanged from each side. Threats and insults, even entire family trees were questioned. Spit flew with passionate speeches and glorious spiel. It was a tiring battle that lasted for an hour, the final prize being whittled down to three bottles.
“Brat, you can't drink until you are of age.” Roshia was exhausted but didn’t forget to throw the last jab.
“My endurance is above 5, so it won’t be a problem.” Rydel dismissed Roshia and opened one of the bottles. He filled with reverence each cup.
“We thank Mother Earth for the wine that we are about to consume.” They looked strangely at Rydel but didn’t comment. They sipped the wine.
Everyone had moved expressions, even Roshia didn’t mind so much sharing her stash anymore. Rydel was the exception.
The name was bullshit. It was like gulping sweet magma. The flavor was incredible, he took another sip. His stomach rumbled. Rydel had a face full of despair but didn’t give up. He has gone too far to get this delicacy, a stupid stomachache won’t stop him. He swallowed the rest in one gulp. Wrong decision.
“H-help ple-“ Rydel tried to plead but his stomach disagreed and he was forced to bend over.
His parents and Roshia were laughing out loud, his father was even rolling on the floor. It wasn’t funny! He was suffering!
“Pl-“ Rydel didn’t finish, his stomach gave him a moment of respite and he took advantage of the moment like a drowning man fighting for air. He ran like his life depended on it, which was true at that moment. He even infused his legs with spiritual energy to add impulse. He reached the bathroom in under a second, it was a new record.
Moments later the house shook.
“AAAAAAAHHH.” A shout filled with vigor and a hint of relief was heard next.
Thalia and Edyrm looked at each other with despair. They both used spiritual energy to plug up their noses and ran out of the house. This incident was never mentioned again.