The Return of the Betrayed Heir

6

Alex pondered Osiris's words for a moment, but quickly maintained his composure and puffed out his chest confidently. "So you know a little something about my past."

Osiris placed his hands on the table, and mana began to shimmer between his palms, projecting a hazy vision: a soaring dragon falling from the sky, and a boy fighting desperately on the ground, until both met their ultimate demise together.

As the projection vanished, Alex raised an eyebrow. "What is the meaning of this?"

"This was your destined death," Osiris answered calmly.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Your knowledge is flawed; I did not die in that manner."

"You are correct," Osiris replied. "The entity that killed you did not belong to this world. Because of that interference, the future shifted. This vision was how your death was originally meant to unfold. Princess Laena was sent to distract you, with the Elven Prince Elrond following right behind her. They were supposed to catch you off guard and eliminate you. However, their plans strayed: after you defeated Princess Laena, she was meant to lure you into a trap, but she hesitated for some reason. Before Prince Elrond could step in, your older brother and that foreign entity acted faster, bypassing them both to destroy you."

Alex absorbed the revelation with sharp focus. 'What? Laena was meant to lure me into an ambush, but backed out at the last moment?'

Osiris nodded in confirmation. Alex searched his mind for a reason behind Laena's hesitation, but found none. Despite their past friendship, she had never shown a shred of reluctance to cut him down during the war. Why would she hesitate then?

Crossing his legs, Alex shifted the topic. "Let us set that aside for now. The entity from another world you mentioned—does the lance that killed Tessarion and stripped my mana originate from there as well?"

Osiris nodded. "That metal is highly anomalous. It does not operate on mana; rather, it possesses the property to negate and absorb mana entirely. Whoever this entity is, they have been targeting you for a long time—seeking your utter destruction, perhaps using your brother as a mere pawn."

Alex let out a long sigh. "I know nothing of this entity, nor do I care at the moment. But when we cross paths next time, I will ensure their complete annihilation."

"I hope so," Osiris remarked.

Alex fixed his gaze on him. "There is one more thing I must ask... Do you know how I was reincarnated back into the past?"

Silence fell over the room as Osiris's three eyes stared back. After a prolonged pause, he replied softly, "No."

They exchanged an unreadable look for several minutes until Alex stood up, surrendering to the lack of answers. "Very well, I suppose I will have to uncover that mystery myself."

As Osiris stood up, a pungent, unsettling odor suddenly hit Alex's senses. It was an unmistakable scent, though Alex chose not to reveal his recognition outwardly. At that same moment, Tessarion retreated seamlessly into Alex's shadow.

"How do I return to my home?" Alex asked.

"Follow me," Osiris instructed.

Tessarion transmitted a mental message to Alex: 'Did you catch that scent as well?'

'Yes,' Alex replied mentally. 'A thick, vile stench of blood. We felt nothing while sitting beside him, so why did it suddenly manifest?'

'I have no idea,' Tessarion replied, 'and I have no intention of sticking around to find out.'

Osiris paused for a fraction of a second before resuming his pace. Alex's eyes widened momentarily in subtle shock before he regained his neutral expression.

"The scent disappeared," Alex noted mentally.

"There is something deeply wrong here," Tessarion warned. "Let's leave immediately; we shouldn't linger any longer."

Reaching the end of the cavern, they arrived at a heavy stone door. Osiris turned to face Alex. "Beyond this door lies your path back to the forest. Our ways part here. Should you wish to return, you know the way."

Alex offered a faint smirk. "And why would I ever want to return?"

Osiris met his gaze with a face as rigid as marble. "Our paths will inevitably cross again. I look forward to that day."

Without another word, Alex stepped through the doorway and found himself back in the forest. The surrounding woods possessed an eerie atmosphere, yet it was undeniably his home domain.

"That dense blood scent was utterly sickening..." Tessarion muttered, emerging from Alex's shadow.

"Indeed," Alex agreed. "Curious how it flared up and vanished in an instant. Regardless, the important thing is that he holds no immediate hostility toward us. We currently lack the strength to fight someone of his caliber."

Placing his hands in his pockets, Alex began walking.

"I wish we could have uncovered the identity of the mysterious figure who killed me in our past life," Tessarion sighed.

"Those matters can wait," Alex replied coldly. "Right now, our sole focus must be gaining power. We must become vastly stronger than before the war erupts."

In his previous life, Alex was a sixteen-year-old 5-star warrior during the war. In this life, he was determined to shatter those limits completely.

Alex eventually reached a dilapidated wooden cabin situated in the heart of the forest—the designated sanctuary for ancestral mana cultivation. As he approached the entrance, a sudden gust of wind swept past. Alex turned around to find nothing, but when he turned back, his father, Aenys, was standing directly before him.

Alex recoiled slightly. "Father!!"

"What are you doing here?" Aenys asked, his sharp eyes narrowing.

Alex stammered, "I... I was just exploring the forest and stumbled upon this place."

Aenys observed him closely. He knew his youngest son possessed boundless curiosity and had always differed from other children. While peers his age spent their time playing, Alex had spent his early years intently watching sword drills, combat training, and even Aenys's private mana sessions. Though Aenys never broke his stoic, marble-like expression, he felt a quiet pride in his son's dedication.

Opening the heavy cabin door, Aenys instructed, "Step inside."

Alex followed him into the interior. Though the cabin appeared ancient and small from the outside, the inside opened into a vast, magnificent hall featuring white marble floors, massive stone pillars, and intricate, ancient runes etched into the walls. At the center lay a series of concentric circles narrowing toward the core.

"It is high time you began your mana training," Aenys declared. "Our family's ancestral 'Crimson Blood Formula' is an extraordinary mana technique inherited from our forefathers. It allows us to gather mana around the heart and condense it into stars, granting refined control while drastically reducing mana consumption."

Alex was already intimately familiar with these principles. The Crimson Blood Formula was among the most potent mana techniques in existence, offering unmatched sensitivity over raw mana. Furthermore, mastering it unlocked the ability to manifest the legendary "Blood Flame"—an unextinguishable dragon fire that consumed everything it touched until the user severed their mana or willed it to stop.

"What truly sets our formula apart," Alex added, "is our absolute manipulation over blood—an ability unique to us across the continent of Edeya—bolstered by our pure dragon bloodline."

Alex then met his father's gaze and stated with absolute conviction: "And above all, what truly elevates us is the 'Authority of the Dragon King'."

Aenys blinked in mild surprise, nodding slowly. "Yes... the Authority of the Dragon King. Other noble families resort to various oaths to control their kin, but the Dragonblood family requires none. The authority granted to the Dragon King commands absolute obedience across the entire bloodline. None can resist it, not even the grandest dragon."

"And becoming the Dragon King grants superior advantages, including a vastly expanded mana reservoir and heightened control," Alex supplemented.

Aenys narrowed his eyes slightly. "It seems someone has been spending his spare time devouring the family archives."

"I read our history at every available opportunity," Alex replied smoothly.

Aenys approached and knelt down until he was at eye level with his six-year-old son. "You seem remarkably intent on claiming the title of Dragon King, aren't you?"

Alex clasped his hands behind his back, squared his shoulders, and met his father's gaze with unwavering seriousness. "As long as I draw breath, I am in this race. I will do whatever it takes to become the King."

Aenys released a fraction of his suffocating aura. "That path carries severe consequences. Your brother may attempt to assassinate you, or you may be forced to eliminate him."

Alex did not flinch. "Neither will happen. My brother will bow and acknowledge my sovereignty himself."

"Do not speak with such arrogance; you are still merely a six-year-old child."

"I have never been more certain," Alex stated firmly. "And it is you who will personally crown me as the Dragon King."

Despite the pressure of Aenys's intensifying aura, Alex did not take a single step back. In his son's eyes, Aenys saw an unyielding, burning flame.

"Very well," Aenys said, standing up and stepping into the center of the array. "If you truly intend to become King, you must first master mana."

A vibrant crimson aura flared around Aenys, generating a shockwave that ruffled his short black hair.

"Are you ready for this?"