The Return of the Betrayed Heir

9

Alex continued his mana training lessons as usual. He ventured deep into the forest, searching for places where he could achieve absolute concentration. Moreover, hidden within the forest behind the Dragon Manor lay a secret known only to the dragon lineage.

When Alex reached the center of the forest, he lowered the backpack from his shoulders. He looked around as the sounds of chirping birds began to echo through the trees. The sun was directly overhead, and leaves drifted gently in the soft breeze.

"We've arrived."

"Is this the place?" Tessarion asked.

"Yes, it is," Alex replied. "The artificial mana vein left behind by Izaya, the ancestor of dragons."

Mana veins exist everywhere; all of nature draws nourishment from them to sustain life. They usually form naturally in the deepest corners of the world, and because they consist of vast concentrations of mana, discovering one is extremely difficult. Two hundred and fifty years ago, Izaya Dragonblood used his own mana to construct an artificial mana vein, allowing this forest to remain exceptionally vibrant and powerful.

Alex knew this history well, which was why he intended to draw mana directly from this vein to purify his newly formed star to its absolute limit.

Alex assumed a meditation posture, closed his eyes, and focused entirely on his star. The star glowed brilliantly, and the surrounding mana particles began to manifest in the air. Taking a deep breath, Alex started drawing them toward himself, channeling all the mana particles directly into his body.

The mana particles streamed toward him like a swirling galaxy. With every wave that entered him, Alex's star shone brighter and grew increasingly pure. He wanted to clear all of his clogged mana channels, allowing him to use mana with maximum efficiency while drastically reducing its consumption. 

He refused to repeat the mistakes of his past; he was determined to utilize every advantage available to him. This life would not be like his former one—he was no longer the weak, exiled child of the Dragon family.

Mana began to surge violently from Alex's body, leaving him drenched in sweat. He stood up, looked at his palms, and clenched them tightly. He jumped a few times and took a deep breath.

"I feel lighter than before. My physical condition has improved significantly."

"You're right," Tessarion agreed. "Thanks to you, I'm growing stronger as well."

Alex looked at a tree standing ahead of him and took another deep breath. Gathering mana into his right fist, he sprinted forward and struck the trunk. The moment his mana collided with the tree, it shattered into pieces, scattering debris everywhere.

Alex grinned with satisfaction. Although he was only six years old, his body was rapidly approaching the condition he desired. Setting aside his past, he was determined to make the most of this second chance at life.

He attempted to form a sword out of pure mana in his hand, but he couldn't yet make it durable enough. Spreading his feet wide into a firm stance, he swung the fragile mana blade, executing several sharp, fluid motions that showcased his exceptional sword mastery. 

Taking another deep breath, he pulled the sword back and thrust it violently forward, piercing through the air with incredible speed. Despite being only six years old, his execution was something even a Three-Star Knight would find difficult to achieve.

Alex dissipated the mana sword, picked up his bag from the ground, and began walking. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His next destination was clear—he wanted to visit Osiris's hiding place.

"Why do you want to go to him?" Tessarion asked.

"We might be able to learn something from him," Alex explained. "It's obvious he's a veteran warrior. Even if my swordsmanship is high-level, he is a warrior from another realm entirely. We can definitely learn a thing or two."

As Alex went deeper into the forest, the surroundings began to shift, signaling that he had reached his destination. He stopped in front of the ancient tree that had drawn him in before and slowly extended his hand toward it.

The tree suddenly opened up and pulled Alex inside, placing him once again within Osiris's cave. Looking around, he saw no sign of Osiris. Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder, making Alex shudder in shock.

"Young dragon," a voice called out.

Alex let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the voice. Turning around, he saw Osiris, the three-eyed Asura, standing before him.

"Was that you...?" Alex asked, his voice still trembling slightly.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Osiris asked.

Alex exhaled sharply. "No, but appearing out of nowhere like that almost scared me to death."

"Ah... I forgot that your kind cannot sense our presence. My apologies, I will be more careful next time."

"Thank you," Alex said.

"May I ask why you've come here?"

Alex straightened his posture and cleared his throat. "I want you to train me in swordsmanship."

Osiris remained silent for a moment. "Is that why you came here?"

Alex nodded slowly. Osiris continued, "You are already a powerful swordsman. What could you possibly learn from me?"

"I want to learn everything I can from you."

Osiris closed his two main eyes and opened the third eye in the center of his forehead, staring down at Alex. He then turned around and stepped into a dark navy-blue pool filled with glowing particles, which he referred to as "Asura Water."

Alex didn't understand what he was trying to do. Osiris stopped in the middle of the water and turned back to Alex.

"My training is not easy. You had better be prepared, as you will come face to face with death hundreds of times. Now tell me, are you truly ready for this?"

Alex's expression turned dead serious. "I was ready the moment I set foot in this place."

Alex stepped into the Asura Water and stood face to face with Osiris. The water began to swirl into a violent whirlpool, yet neither of them moved. Finally, the Asura Water rose up and swallowed them both.

When Alex opened his eyes, he found himself in a vast mountainous landscape with birds flying through the sky. The mana here was far denser than on the Edeya continent, a fact Alex noticed immediately. Tessarion emerged from his shadow and looked around, feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment.

"Is something wrong?" Alex asked.

"Well... for some reason, this place feels incredibly peaceful to me. It's almost like I'm home..."

"Now that you mention it, I feel the same way..." Alex murmured.

Every corner of the landscape looked breathtakingly beautiful, but further ahead, the horizon was filled with ancient ruins, collapsed mountain passes, and massive craters—clear evidence that an apocalyptic war had raged here.

Alex scanned the area carefully. "What on earth happened here...?"

"A war," a voice spoke from behind. "A war that erased an entire era and its civilizations."

Alex turned to see Osiris standing there.

"Is this your homeland?" Alex asked.

"No, this place is very far from my home," Osiris replied. "I brought you here merely to relax your mind and prepare you."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Osiris smiled gently. "You will learn in time. It is far too early for everything."

Suddenly, a long blade began to emerge from Osiris's right wrist. The sword emitted a sinister energy and was fused directly to his wrist. Its hilt bore three glowing red eyes, and a dark black aura radiated outward.

(What is this weapon...?) Alex thought in awe.

"Are you ready?" Osiris asked.

The moment Osiris released his killing intent, Alex's legs froze in absolute terror. With every step Osiris took toward him, a sharp pain shot up Alex's spine. He was experiencing a primitive, bone-chilling fear he had never felt before in his life.

When Osiris arrived right in front of him, he slowly raised his arm. The sun glinted off the blade, momentarily blinding Alex. Osiris swung his sword down, slamming it into the ground.

Osiris smiled and looked back. Alex was gasping heavily for air, blood dripping from his right leg.

"Well done," Osiris praised. "You deliberately injured yourself to force your body to move, causing your brain to recognize an emergency and react automatically. A clever way to break free from my killing intent."

Cold sweat continued to pour off Alex. He slowly picked himself up, fully aware that he was facing an opponent far beyond anyone he had ever encountered in his past life. He had to find a solution immediately, or Osiris would show him no mercy.

Alex created a fragile mana sword in his hand, straightened his posture, and released his own combat intent.

"Lesson one," Osiris declared. "No matter how powerful the opponent standing before you is, never lose your composure."

Osiris launched an attack. Alex took a step back and bent backward at a ninety-degree angle to dodge the incoming blade. He then slid rapidly between Osiris's legs, swinging his sword toward Osiris's exposed back.

Osiris noticed the maneuver instantly and caught Alex's blade with his bare hand. Seconds after making contact, the mana blade couldn't withstand the force and shattered into nothingness. Alex tumbled backward; he had anticipated this outcome, knowing Osiris hadn't even shown a fraction of his true power yet.

"That was actually quite good," Osiris said. "Now show me something better!"

Osiris amplified his killing intent even further, and the moment he did, the ground beneath them began to rumble and shake violently.

Alex swallowed hard, staring in utter shock. (What kind of monstrous power is this...?!)