When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark room. Feeling around his bed, he discovered a nightstand. Groping on the nightstand, he found a lamp and turned it on, the sudden light hurting his eyes. After a moment, he adjusted to the brightness and realised he was in the suite Lucia had arranged.
He winced in pain as he sat up straight at the edge of the bed, his back feeling like a carriage had run over it. “What the hell happened?” he thought to himself.
Clutching his head, he began to shiver as slivers of memories of the attack entered his mind. Sweat started forming on his forehead as the pain subsided. After a moment, he decided to get to the bathroom and grab some water.
After he turned the lights on, he let the tap run and started splashing water on his face, washing away the last remnants of sleep. “Ahh, now where did I put that glass?” He turned around and began scanning the bathroom for the glass he previously had used to rinse his mouth after brushing his teeth. As he looked around, something in the reflection of the mirror caught his eye. “What the…” He frantically turned his back to the mirror and glanced over his shoulder, noticing two scars, one on the lower right side and one right above where his heart was.
He fell to the floor in shock. After a moment to gather his thoughts, he stood up and checked the scars out again. He slowly started feeling the lower scar. “Doesn't hurt that much,” he thought, just as he was about to try and feel the other one, he heard the door open in the bedroom.
He walked out of the bathroom and noticed a maid standing there with a tray containing a bowl of water and a few rags on it. When she noticed Daniel standing in the doorway, she was shocked. “By Surya’s blessing, you’re awake! Please, go sit down. The healers advised that you should rest until they advise otherwise!”
“Sure, but can you please tell me if Lucia is okay? What happened? The last thing I can remember is me and her running away,” Daniel asked as he walked over to a chair.
“Please rest assured, Mister von Mios, Lucia is in perfect health. I'll go get her now; she ordered to be notified as soon as you awoke.” Before Daniel could even sit down, the maid had left.
….
Daniel had just finished his glass of water when he heard voices outside the room. “Miss, please change into more appropriate attire,” one of them urged.
“I don’t care, stop nagging at me, Annie! I have to see him!” The door swung open wildly, revealing Lucia followed by the maid from earlier and Ethan.
Lucia, wearing a nightgown and soft bunny slippers, rushed over to Daniel. Meanwhile, he had traded his shorts for more comfortable pyjama pants and slipped on a sweater.
He rose from his chair, and Lucia flew into his arms, tightly embracing him. He hugged her back and could feel her start to sob softly.
“I thought you were dead!” she managed to choke out between tears.
Daniel guided her to the couch, and they settled down. "So what happened? I remember us fleeing, but everything after that is a bit blurry."
Daniel was shocked to learn it had been nearly two days since they got ambushed. She began recounting the events, her voice slightly trembling as she spoke. “Thankfully, Tristan managed to hold off the third-tier knight long enough for my uncle's personal guards to arrive,” she explained, “The rest managed to hold on until backup arrived, although not unscathed. Roland lost four fingers when he parried a sword, but the healers managed to reattach them. It'll take some time for him to fully recover, though, as the nerves need time to heal. the others are in better condition.”
“So when the Bishop arrived, he used his divine power to save you, but something strange happened. Towards the end, it seemed as if it failed, but then you suddenly started glowing and floating, and when you dropped, your heart was beating again,” While talking she stared Daniel in the eyes seemingly to see if anything had changed about him.
“Strange…” Daniel muttered.
“My uncle said it was your ring that caused it! Your parents left you something powerful,” she added, her voice tinged with awe.
Daniel noticed Lucia's voice quivering, and he swiftly changed the topic, hoping to distract her. “Remember the time we snuck into the teacher's lounge and stole the cheesecake they had?” he reminisced with a smile on his face.
a bright smile formed on her face as she began chuckling “Yeah it was some of the best cheesecake I ever had, too bad the attendant of Professor Rosenstream caught us, I have never cleaned as many dishes as I did then”
As they bantered back and forth, Lucia gradually grew quiet, her head finding solace on Daniel's shoulder as she drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, sleep eluded Daniel, replaced by a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions. He clenched his fists, feeling a seething anger boiling within him at his failure to protect himself and his friend. “What if Alex was there instead of me?” he thought bitterly, his mind plagued by doubts and insecurities. “Would he have almost died? Of course not.”
In the stillness of the night, Daniel's resolve hardened. “I will never let anything like this happen again,” he vowed silently to himself. “I must become powerful enough to protect not only myself but also those close around me.”
After sitting in silence for a while he remembered that a pop-up appeared before he passed out and decided to open the system.
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest]
[Calculating rewards]
[Exeeded expectation! receiving additional rewards!]
[You have received:]
[30 Credits]
[Unlocked page: Abyssal Whisps]
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
[Book: Basic Ignisian Fire Spells Vol 1.]
[1 Low-grade soul]
Daniel's focus remained fixed on the glowing screen before him. Suddenly, a book materialized in his lap. Its cover was made out of rich crimson leather adorned with crisp white letters. Running his fingers over its smooth surface, he marvelled at its thickness, it was easily as thick as his thumb was long.
As he flipped through its pages, familiarity washed over him, he recognised snippets of text from past lectures. Yet, he couldn't comprehend the text. With a sigh, he stowed the book away in his ring and decided to ask Shadewood when he returned to the academy.
Returning his attention to the screen, a prompt appeared:
[You have acquired 1 Low-grade soul. Would you like to use it? Yes/No]
Daniel's curiosity got the better of him as he stared at the prompt. “What does this even mean?” he muttered to himself, his brow furrowing in confusion. The idea of using it sparked a flurry of questions in his mind. “Is it the soul of the attacker that I killed? Surely not?”
Despite his uncertainty, he couldn't resist the temptation to explore further. With a hesitant breath, he pressed Yes
[How would you like to use it?]
[Trade in for 5 credits]
[Trade for the soul of a ???]
Intrigued by the option to trade, he selected it. But was greeted with disappointment as a red screen materialized before him.
[Requirements not met. Requirements: Rank Knight and 1 High-grade soul.]
Disappointed, he closed the screen. He felt that he didn't need five extra credits and would rather keep the souls. He felt drowsiness creep in and shut the menu. He figured he'd hold onto the credits for now and wait until he had a decent stash before using them to see if he could get a bigger reward. He looked for the page he had unlocked, whatever that even meant, at a later time.
...
“Hey! Hurry up. I'm starving,” Lucia tugged at Daniel's arm, leading him briskly through the lobby.
After shutting down the system, Daniel also fell asleep on the couch only for them to be awoken by Lucia's maid in the morning. Before she left they made plans to meet for breakfast after freshening up.
As they strolled through the bustling lobby, fragments of conversation floated to Daniel's ears.
“Oh, darling, did you hear the scandal? It's positively ghastly! The sewer rats have been purged, and their leader is currently on public display, caged in front of the church. They're whispering that they were aiding those dreadful cultists. Oh, my word, one can scarcely imagine such a heinous attack occurring in Ravenholme!” remarked a lady, her attire a flamboyant display of extravagance, drawing Daniel's attention amidst the crowd.
“Tsk, that lady is always dressing up like she's noble but in reality, she's a poor commoner and got a huge debt with us,” whispered Lucia in an annoyed tone.
“The Astral Academy finally captured that fire-gaze tiger. You know, the one that kicked up such a fuss all the other beasts had to skedaddle after a territory dispute?” mentioned a fat man in a simple suit, waiting in line for the medicine attendant.
….
After their morning meal, the pair ventured towards Lucas the beast tamer's treatment room. Stepping inside, their attention was immediately drawn to Lucas, who was engrossed in tending to a young owl. Its vibrant blue feathers evoked memories of the ocean Daniel once beheld during a Brownstone family excursion. With practised finesse, Lucas delicately wrapped a bandage around the injured creature's wing. They stood at the threshold, hesitant to interrupt, silently observing his tender care.
Upon finishing, Lucas glanced up and spotted the pair lingering by the door. “Come in, come in!” he beckoned warmly while carefully securing the young owl in a cage.
Meanwhile, approaching the steel table at the room's centre, Lucas carried the cage and placed it on a nearby table against the wall. The young avian peered curiously at the newcomers.
As Daniel and Lucia waited, Lucas excused himself with a brief, 'One moment, please. I need to retrieve the egg from a stasis chamber,' before disappearing through a door on the other side of the room. Daniel raised an eyebrow at the beast tamer's words, exchanging a puzzled glance with Lucia, who simply shrugged in response. After a brief pause, Lucas reappeared, this time cradling the large egg in his arms.
“Since you had an accident and weren't able to supply the egg, I placed it in a stasis chamber,” Lucas explained, noting Daniel's curious gaze. “This prevents the egg from further hatching and won't stunt its potential growth due to a lack of mana supplied by its owner, for the egg time effectively stopped.”
“I'll skip the intricacies of the process, time's ticking. I've got a meeting with a count’s son later to instruct him on raising a Windhound,” Lucas briskly explained as he delicately positioned the egg on the table. Daniel's brow furrowed slightly, absorbing the gravity of Lucas's words.
“After conducting tests, I'm fairly confident it's draconic, but pinning down the exact species is a waiting game,” Lucas continued, glancing at Daniel for any sign of comprehension.
Daniel nodded slowly, his mind racing with questions. “So, we're just waiting for it to hatch then?”
Turning his attention to Daniel, Lucas reached for a hefty book hidden beneath the table and placed it gently beside the egg.
“Consider this a gift,” Lucas implored, his eyes carrying a hint of urgency. “It's my specialist care manual tailored for reptiles and draconic species. Ordinarily, it'd set you back a pretty penny, but I'll waive the fee.”
Daniel's expression softened, gratitude mingling with curiosity as he listened intently. “Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate it.”
“Just promise me you'll bring the creature back once it hatches," Lucas added, his tone growing earnest. “I'll provide every service I can, free of charge, as long as I'm permitted to study it.”
“Sure, that's a deal!” Lucia interjected eagerly, shooting a meaningful glance at Daniel. She leaned in and whispered urgently, “You have to take this deal. Normally, just an inspection from Lucas would cost as much as the yearly budget from a commoner family!”
Daniel nodded in agreement, acknowledging Lucia's point with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Lucas. I accept your offer.”
Lucas returned the smile, a sense of relief evident in his expression. “Excellent. Now, before we conclude, could you do me a favour, Daniel?” he asked, turning to face him directly.
Daniel nodded, curious about what Lucas had in mind.
“Inject some mana into the egg for me, will you?” Lucas requested, gesturing towards the egg resting on the table. “I want to see if we can gauge when it might hatch.”
Daniel nodded, focusing his energy as he placed both hands on the egg and began channelling his mana into it. The egg began to emit a faint glow. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lucas's glasses shimmering with a blue hue as he stared at him and the egg.
After a few moments, Lucas interrupted, “You can stop now, Daniel.” Daniel ceased his efforts and turned to face Lucas, awaiting his assessment.
“According to my estimations,” Lucas began, adjusting his glasses, “the egg will hatch between 12 and 8 weeks.”
The beast tamer proceeded to share a few tips with Daniel on how to properly feed mana to the egg and offered additional care advice before the duo prepared to depart.
As they made their way through the halls, they were greeted by Berth, Adrien's butler. “Miss Lucia,” he began with a respectful bow, then turned to Daniel with a nod of acknowledgement. “My master wishes to meet with Daniel in private.”