Chapter 3

"Madam. I've brought it."

Housekeeper Helen handed a steaming white bowl to Sylvia.

"Thank you."

Sylvia, while cooling the contents of the bowl, looked at Raon, who was fast asleep.

"It'll be hard to feed him, won't it?"

"Children don't like bitter things. Even when you were young, Madam Sylvia, you didn't like bitter medicine."

"Even me?"

"You might not remember, but you even ran away when you had to take medicine."

"Oh, Raon will hear that."

"Hehe."

The two of them smiled faintly as they looked at Raon, who was making soft snoring sounds.

"Well, no child likes medicine. And since Raon is so young, he'll probably dislike it even more."

"Madam Sylvia, but…."

"I know. We have to feed it to him."

Sylvia nodded as if making a decision.

'This is the elixir given by Uncle. Not a single drop should be left.'

Perhaps feeling guilty about the day she begged her father, Frederick visited the annex again and handed over three high-quality fire-attribute elixirs.

Since the elixirs are diluted for use, they should last for quite a while, and during that time, we can find other elixirs. It was fortunate that he came.

"Raon."

Sylvia gently stroked Raon's head so as not to upset him.

"Umm…."

Raon stirred, moving his hands and opening his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Auuuung."

"Starting today, Raon has something to do. You have to eat all of this."

Sylvia scooped up some of the medicine with a small wooden spoon and brought it to Raon's mouth.

'He'll eat it, but he'll probably cry right away.'

By instinct, he would eat the medicine, but he would surely get annoyed by the bitterness and spit it out.

"Come on, let's eat."

Sylvia, tense to prevent the elixir from spilling, carefully fed it to Raon.

"Uu…."

Raon's face contorted. She braced herself, waiting for the inevitable cry.

But no cry came.

"Huh?"

When she opened her eyes, Raon was waving his tiny hands, as if asking for more.

"Helen, this…."

"It, it seems Young Master wants more?"

"Really? Is that so?"

Sylvia, eyes wide, picked up the spoon again. She scooped up a little more elixir and let it flow into Raon's mouth.

"Uu!"

Raon's eyebrows formed a八字 (W). But he didn't cry this time either. He waved his hands even faster than before.

"Ah…."

Sylvia's mouth dropped open.

"Does Raon understand my feelings?"

"Definitely! It seems Young Master understands Madam Sylvia's intentions and is trying to endure."

Judging by the frown, it was clearly bitter. But the way he was asking for more clearly showed that he understood and was trying to endure.

"Raon!"

Sylvia, unable to contain herself, hugged Raon tightly.

* * *

'Forget it, just give me more medicine quickly.'

Raon patted Sylvia's shoulder and waved his hand.

'The bitterness is nothing. I can't miss this opportunity.'

If it were just any medicine, it might be different. But this is the most needed fire-attribute elixir. It's so bitter that his tongue can't function properly, and he has to swallow it all, no matter how hot.

"Look at Raon! Isn't he eating it so beautifully?"

"Of course!"

Raon, ignoring whatever Sylvia and Helen said, swallowed the elixir given to him.

'Whatever it is, the effect is incredible.'

As soon as he took the elixir, a warm sensation, like a furnace igniting in his stomach, spread. The hot heat flowed through his mana circuits, driving away the cold.

'The potency and concentration are just right.'

A strong elixir could be toxic to a fragile child's body.

But the concentration of the elixir, thanks to Sylvia and Helen's attention, was just right for him to absorb.

"Kuk."

After sucking the remaining elixir from the spoon, Raon burped softly and closed his eyes.

"Madam."

"Yes. Let him sleep for a while."

Sylvia and Helen looked at him with grateful eyes for a long time before leaving the room.

"Au."

As soon as the two left, Raon's eyes snapped open.

'They won't come for a while.'

Even if they did, they wouldn't disturb him.

Since he had eaten and taken his medicine, there was no reason for Sylvia or Helen to wake him up. It was the perfect time to practice.

Raon drew in the warm energy that had built up in his body and began the Fire Ring cultivation.

'Thanks to the elixir, I can create the Fire Ring and melt the cold faster.'

A smile appeared on his face without him realizing it.

* * *

Time flowed like a stream, and it had been two and a half years since Raon started the Fire Ring cultivation.

His daily routine was simple.

In the morning, he played with Sylvia and Helen until lunch, then pretended to take a nap while cultivating the Fire Ring.

After dinner, he went to bed a little early and woke up around midnight to start his second cultivation session while everyone was asleep.

He could confidently say that he was the most diligent three-year-old in the entire continent.

'If I do well, the Fire Ring might reach the first level today.'

Thanks to the elixir, his cultivation time was short, but his progress was steady.

If he could secure the right amount of time and focus, it seemed possible to cultivate the Fire Ring today.

'But he really doesn't care.'

Glen Zighart, who named him, never showed his face, not just to him but also to his daughter Sylvia.

'Well, it doesn't matter.'

If he doesn't care, then neither will he. As he thought before, he would get what he needed and leave the family.

'But just a little bit…'

He was concerned about Sylvia and Helen, the maids who would remain here. After three years together, a small sprout of affection had grown.

"Raon, call me Mommy!"

While thinking about the future and fidgeting with his fingers, Sylvia picked him up and laughed.

"Ah!"

"Auuu! One more time!"

"Ah!"

"Kyaah!"

Forcing the pronunciation, he called her "Mommy," and Sylvia's face lit up with happiness.

"Raon, just one more time!"

"Ah!"

"Madam Sylvia, I've brought the medicine."

After playing with Sylvia a little, looking a bit tired, Helen came in with the warmed elixir.

"Ah, thank you."

Sylvia took the bowl of elixir from Helen.

"Come on, Raon."

She cooled the warm elixir a bit and offered it to him.

"Auup!"

Raon's small mouth met the spoon filled with medicine.

"You're eating it so well!"

Even after two and a half years, Sylvia and Helen still smiled fondly as they watched him swallow the elixir.

"I'm sleepy…."

After finishing the elixir, Raon blinked his eyes as if he were sleepy.

"Since you've finished your medicine, why don't you take a nap?"

"Okay."

"Alright, go to sleep."

Sylvia laid him down on the bed by the window and patted his back.

"Uuung…."

Raon closed his eyes, pretending to sleep. A moment later, he heard Sylvia and Helen leave the room. This was their break time while he pretended to sleep.

'Now I can start.'

With his eyes closed, Raon recited the Fire Ring cultivation mantra and took a deep breath.

Whoosh.

He circulated the natural mana he inhaled through his entire body.

'The flow of mana is smooth.'

Even though he breathed as usual, the mana flowed smoothly. It felt like he was about to achieve something.

'Remain calm.'

He exhaled calmly, connecting the lines of mana flowing through his mana circuits. His lungs were small, and he was short of breath, making his fingertips tremble, but he held on.

Goo!

Using the hot energy from the elixir and the natural mana, he chipped away at the cold inside his mana circuits and circulated it throughout his body.

Crunch.

He could feel the energy from the elixir and the mana seeping into his bones, muscles, and skin.

Maintaining his sharp focus, like sharpening a blade, he continued to cultivate the Fire Ring.

How much time had passed?

Flash!

A scorching sensation, as if a ball of fire had crossed his heart, resonated in his chest.

The hot energy was swirling around his heart in a hoop. Finally, the Fire Ring was complete.

'Finally…'

Just as he was about to open his eyes and cheer, a golden light flashed.

Ding!

[The first <Fire Ring> has been cultivated.]

[The first achievement has been created.]

[The trait <Fire Ring (1-star)> has been created.]

'What is this?'

A light, like a magic circle that appears when mages cast spells, floated in front of his eyes.

[The effect of <Fire Ring (1-star)> strengthens the body.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (1-star)> increases strength.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (1-star)> increases agility.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (1-star)> increases stamina.]

[The trait <Water Resistance (1-star)> has been created.]

After the message about acquiring the <Fire Ring>, more messages appeared.

'Huh?'

Raon's mouth formed a perfect circle.

'What are these messages?'

As the messages appeared, he felt his body become lighter.

While not a drastic difference for a child's body, the change was definite.

'And the pain has decreased.'

The pain from the cold blocking his mana circuits had also lessened.

'Does the Fire Ring have these abilities?'

The Fire Ring is indeed a legendary cultivation method, but it doesn't have significant effects until the third ring is formed, and its full power is only realized with the fourth ring.

It was unprecedented for the first level to bring about such changes.

'Is it because of the elixir or the child's body?'

He thought about it from various angles but couldn't come up with an answer.

'Or is it because of these messages?'

Raon read the messages that appeared in front of his eyes again.

While there were many differences between his past life and the present, the most significant seemed to be these messages.

"Master, you're already awake."

Helen's voice came from above. She must have entered the room again while he was cultivating.

"Helen! Look at this!"

Raon pointed to the message with his finger.

"What? The bed?"

Helen, unable to see the messages, just smiled and looked at the bed.

'Can only I see this?'

It seemed the messages were visible only to him, as Helen couldn't see them.

[To check the changes, please check the <Status Window>.]

'Status Window? Huh?'

Not understanding what it meant, he repeated the words "Status Window," and a window of light, similar to the messages, appeared in front of his eyes.

<Status Window>

Name: Raon Zighart.

Title: None.

Condition: Frost Curse (Nine Strands), Poor Constitution, Full-Body Cold, Reduced Mobility, Reduced Mana Sensitivity.

Traits: ???, Fire Ring (1-star), Water Resistance (1-star)

*Additional abilities are not unlocked.

He slowly examined the Status Window that appeared in front of him.

'Frost Curse, poor constitution, full-body cold, reduced mobility, and reduced mana sensitivity…'

The conditions listed seemed to describe his current state.

'Sure enough, my body is in a sorry state.'

While the Frost Curse was understandable, he also had a poor constitution and full-body cold. This explained why he got tired easily with even a little movement.

'But it doesn't matter.'

Raon closed his lips. Despite the numerous poor physical conditions, he felt no anxiety.

In his past life, he was known as the greatest assassin, and he knew the ancient cultivation method, the Fire Ring.

Based on his past life's experience, completing the Fire Ring would make these disadvantages negligible.

'Besides, this is the Zighart family.'

If he mastered the secret sword techniques of the Zighart family, it would be entirely possible to cut off Darius Robert's head.

However, he shouldn't focus only on revenge.

'I'm only three years old.'

Darius is one of the strongest on the continent. If he were to start seeking revenge now, his mind wouldn't be able to handle it.

After all, there are almost no people who can kill him. He needs to build his strength steadily and strike decisively when the opportunity arises.

Raon clenched his fist as if making a vow and looked at the Status Window again.

'But what are these messages?'

He couldn't understand why these messages and the Status Window suddenly appeared. His assassin's instincts only told him that they wouldn't harm him.

'They must be related to my reincarnation.'

He vaguely guessed that the reason for his reincarnation with the memories of his past life and these messages were connected.

He would need to investigate this slowly, just like he planned to target Darius Robert's head.

'No need to rush, let's take it calmly.'

* * *

[The second Fire Ring has been created.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (2-star)> increases the soul's rank.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (2-star)> increases mana sensitivity.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (2-star)> increases mental strength.]

[The effect of <Fire Ring (2-star)> increases vitality.]

Raon smiled as he read the message window.

'Finally.'

Thanks to consistent practice for two and a half years after the first ring was formed, the second Fire Ring had appeared.

The first Fire Ring circled his heart horizontally, and the newly formed second Fire Ring circled it vertically.

Perhaps because of the message about increased sensitivity, his perception of the mana floating in the room became more acute.

Indeed, these messages seemed to grant special benefits.

'To create two Fire Rings at the age of five.'

Creating the legendary cultivation method, the Fire Ring, at the young age of five was likely a first in the history of the continent. Pride filled his chest.

'But I shouldn't be satisfied.'

He shouldn't become complacent just because things were going according to plan. He needed to always be prepared, as he never knew when or what kind of interference might come.

'I don't want to cause harm.'

Sylvia, Helen, and the other maids had only been kind to him.

Even though he would eventually leave and couldn't help them, he didn't want to take advantage of their kindness.

"Huh."

Just as Raon was about to start his cultivation again, the door burst open.

"Son!"

Sylvia entered. She was smiling, but her expression was a bit dark.

"Mom?"

Since he was over five, he now had to call Sylvia "Mom." He couldn't help but let a little of the pronunciation slip.

"Mom said we have somewhere to go today, remember?"

She said this while placing a dark red formal suit on the bed and taking off her nightgown.

'Now that I think about it…'

A while ago, she mentioned gathering the young direct and collateral descendants to check something.

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

Sylvia smiled, as if trying to reassure herself.

"Okay."

"Our son is so well-behaved and cute."

Sylvia, in the middle of changing his clothes, rubbed her face against his cheek.

'Ugh, please…'

Raon, unable to do anything, just trembled his hands.

Even after changing his clothes, Sylvia held him for a long time. Helen finally stopped her.

"Madam, you don't have time for this. The 'Judgment Ceremony' is about to start!"