System Ascension: The Vermillion Legacy

CHAPTER SIX

As Aiden uncovered the truth about his abilities, he felt a surge of emotions—shock, wonder, and even anger. His mana, locked away the night his family was slaughtered, was now returning to him in waves, accompanied by memories of the night his life had shattered. 

The seal, his family's last effort to protect him, had kept his powers hidden for years. But now, his mana was reawakening, sparking a new sense of purpose within him. 

He knew that with his abilities restored, he finally had the means to change his fate and take back the honor that had been ripped away from him.

Under the system's guidance, Aiden progressed at an astonishing rate. He could feel his core strengthening, his mana pathways widening, and his reflexes becoming faster and more precise.

Each level reached felt like peeling back another layer of him, revealing the warrior he was meant to be. After weeks of relentless cultivation, he finally crossed a significant threshold. He was now an intermediate warrior, far beyond the level he had once thought he could attain.

With his newfound strength, Aiden knew he could no longer remain in the shadows. The people of Bjundra still saw him as the weakling they had dismissed, but he would soon prove them wrong. He couldn't afford to let anyone recognize him, especially not the Lurande family, particularly Elizabeth, his ex-wife, and her father, Phillip Lurande.

They had humiliated him, mocked his family's name, and played a hand in his ruin. He intended to repay them in full, but for that, he needed a new face, a new identity that could move through Bjundra unseen until the moment was right.

He took his father's name, Draken, a name that once inspired admiration. To him, this was more than just an alias; it was a tribute to his family, a way of honoring their memory. 

With the name Draken, he would remind himself of who he truly was and why he could not fail. He also decided to change his appearance by dyeing his hair white to mask his original look. 

His reflection in the mirror revealed someone different, a strange yet familiar warrior, not a weakling. This new look gave him a sense of power and determination, embodying his rebirth from the ashes of his old life, as though everyone thought he was dead, including Finral and Elizabeth, who all believed Aiden had died in the fire.

As he refined his skills and cultivated his mana, his thoughts turned to Elizabeth, Finral, and Phillip. They had cast him aside, deeming him worthless, and taken the opportunity to end him—but he had survived without them knowing. 

Elizabeth, once his wife, had ridiculed his weaknesses, dismissed his ambitions, and made him feel like a failure. But now, with power surging through him, he was no longer the same man. He was stronger, smarter, and capable of vengeance.

Aiden's memories of Elizabeth were tainted with bitterness—the way she scorned him, her cruel words, and the way her family had looked down upon him. 

He knew they wouldn't recognize him now, not as Draken. He would use this to his advantage, coming back into their lives as a stranger, hiding his intentions until the moment he was ready to strike.

Under his new identity, Aiden trained harder than ever, committing himself fully to the system's instructions. Every morning, he would meditate for hours, using his focus to expand his mana reserves. 

The system guided him through advanced techniques, teaching him not only to enhance his strength but to control it with precision.

Aiden, now known as Draken, made his way to the market to get something to eat when suddenly, people whispered about a man named Lloyd and his crimes—the terror he had spread and how he used people for slave trade.

Aiden walked in silence, still feeling uneasy about what was about to happen. The city buildings stood tall as the shadow of the buildings cast down on the streets.

As they neared the edge of the city, the crowd squeezed themselves through a narrow alley, which made them slow down. Aiden glanced around, feeling a strange unease, sure that something was off, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Then suddenly, the murmurs of the crowd were interrupted by a loud carriage.

Aiden froze as he turned his head toward the sound coming from the other street, blocking the narrow path ahead. He noticed people who looked strange and dangerous among the rest of the crowd.

He saw a huge carriage carrying a large load of people, with Lloyd and his gang leading the carriage—it was his slave trade.

"I can't let this man get away with this, holding people hostage for his slave trade," Aiden said to himself.

Aiden could feel the system within him, and suddenly, the system screen displayed beside his eye, but he was the only one who could see it.

ALERT: DANGER DETECTED, PROTECT HOST  

ENEMY STRENGTH: HIGH  

RECOMMENDATION ACTION: ENGAGE OR FALL BACK.

Aiden was finding it hard to breathe as he was feeling scared. The system was responding to the threat and offering him the use of abilities he had barely begun to understand.

His fist clenched tightly, and without thinking, Aiden stepped forward with his voice louder and more confident than he felt.