~BANG!~

The sound of a wind gust echoed throughout the private training room that had been reserved. The air was thick with the scent of sweat.

“GASP~GASP~Fuck this is hard.” Albedo said as he dropped to one knee, constantly gasping for breath, steam rising off of his skin like smoke rising off of smoldering steel.

His muscles spasmed and twitched, and his vision was blurred from the constant strain he had put on his entire body across the past hours.

Every breath he took was like dragging knives across his lungs, and every heartbeat seemed to ripple throughout every inch of his body.

His entire frame was trembling, not from weakness, but from the insane regeneration and restructuring currently taking place under his flesh. The Humanoid Dragon Training Technique was even more brutal than expected.

Even with his optimized diet of high-mana monster meat, herbs, nutrient catalysts, and mana recovery potions, the strain it inflicted on his body was ridiculous.

Every day he’d return home like a corpse, dragging his legs and barely able to think, his body feeling like it was made out of glass at the end and he often needed Gwen to make him dinner.

His veins were constantly pulsing with unstable mana, rapidly thickening and reforming, growing more and more every single day that passed.

Today was no exception, he had been training since dawn, and now the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and he felt his body’s limit actually reaching, knowing he couldn’t train anymore.

Still, it was 10 minutes more than the day before, which meant he was going in the right direction.

“Ugh.” Albedo groaned as he fell onto his back, panting, arms spread out in the middle of the scorched training room.

“Elara…” he muttered, “Potion…”

“I’ve got it,” came her voice, sharp but concerned.

A moment later, her silhouette leaned over him, the evening light catching strands of her auburn hair as she uncorked a bright golden vial and brought it to his lips.

“Drink, before your organs start doing failing,” she muttered.

He drank greedily, the warm rush of recovery mana surging through his body. His vision cleared just enough to see Elara crouched beside him, holding another potion in her other hand and a crate of salves behind her.

“You’re insane, you know that?” she said, shaking her head, “You’ve been at it for over twelve straight hours. You’re barely alive.”

“That’s… the point…” Albedo managed, coughing once and then letting out a dry chuckle, “Push… the limit…”

“The Entrance Ceremony is literally tomorrow,” she snapped, standing up and putting her hands on her hips, “You’re not going to get stronger by killing yourself now. You’ll just show up looking like a dying scarecrow.”

Albedo groaned, rolling onto his side and sitting up slowly, muscles still twitching under his skin.

He looked up at her and gave a nod of thanks, “Seriously. I owe you. The potions, the salves, the buff glyphs… it made a difference.”

Elara’s expression softened, and she reached into her satchel, pulling out a chilled flask of mana-restored cider and handing it to him.

“You don’t owe me anything,” she said, “You paid for everything and then some. My family’s shop is thriving thanks to you. My mom’s been smiling again.”

She paused, then glanced down at her wristband.

“And… I hit Peak Bronze,” she added shyly.

That got a raised brow from Albedo, “Not bad.”

She beamed, “I’m not catching up to you anytime soon with that freakish schedule of yours. I’ll still need at least a month to try and hit the Silver Rank, but I’m proud of it. I’ve been working hard for months now. Finally made it.”

He stood slowly, cracking his neck, muscles visibly flexing as light shimmered along his skin, veins glowing faintly beneath the surface. The mana circuits in his body had expanded drastically, more than even he anticipated.

Elara stared a second too long before looking away quickly, cheeks flushing.

“Well, um… thanks for helping me hit it,” she said quickly, fumbling a bit with her satchel, “Your training schedule made me push harder than ever. I probably would’ve taken another month just to reach this rank without your help.”

Albedo wiped the sweat from his brow and gave her a rare half-smile.

“Glad I could return the favor.”

She took a breath, then stepped forward. And before he could react, she leaned in, wrapping her arms around him in a quick but earnest hug.

“Thanks for everything, Albedo,” she said softly.

He stood frozen for a second, before raising his arms and returning it, gently but firmly. His body still radiated heat from the intense training, muscles like coiled cables beneath her arms. The scent of sweat and steel filled her senses.

Her face turned red instantly.

“I, ” she stepped back suddenly, fidgeting, “W-We should both go shower before we get sick or something. Yep. That.”

Albedo watched her as she nearly tripped on the salve crate, then darted out of the training room.

He blinked once.

“…She’s weird,” he muttered.

Still, he quickly shook it out of his head. He clenched his fists, feeling the pulsing mana flowing through his newly-forged body. His instincts sharpened. His strength surged.

“Let’s check my progress this month.” He said, calling up his status.

[ Name: Albedo Neverwinter ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Mana Rank: Early-Silver ]

[ Mana Technique: Crimson Moon Primordial Technique, Humanoid Dragon Training Technique. ]

[ Gift: Echo of Death ]

[ Mana Physique: Crimson Moon Primordial Physique ]

[ Inventory: 5 Mana-Recovery Potions, 3 Healing Points ]

“I finally broke through to Silver early this week. I should be a bit ahead of the protagonist at this point.” Albedo said as he remembered the plot of the Novel.

Whilst the protagonist was already really strong at the start when he enrolled in the Academy, he only really hit the gas pedal once he begun to experience all the trials and tribulations of Academy life and being pushed by the villains.

Albedo wondered how his appearance would affect the protagonist. Would his growth slow down, or speed up by Albedo pushing him?

Albedo shook his head and got rid of those thoughts, quickly heading to the showers and cleaning himself off.

By the time all of that was done, the 3 moons had already rose into the sky, and the stars were already shining brightly.

The air had cooled, and with his mana finally settling in his veins, his breathing was even again. His coat hung across his back, fluttering slightly in the gentle breeze as he walked through Pantheon’s quiet upper sectors.

But instead of heading home, he took a detour. A long, familiar path, one he rarely traveled, only going here for special moments.

Not because it was hard to find.

But because of what waited at the end of it.

Ten minutes later, he passed through the silent gates of the Everlight Cemetery.

It was a vast, meticulously maintained expanse on a high, terraced hill overlooking the city.

Rows upon rows of graves stretched out in every direction, some old and faded, others new and polished.

Statues of angels, warriors, and spirit animals lined the cobbled pathways. Spirit lamps glowed with soft ethereal light, illuminating the rows in a solemn serenity.

Albedo walked in silence as if he was afraid to disturb the peace and eventually he reached a small, secluded area near the western ridge.

It was a part of the cemetery reserved for families who had no bodies to bury, only names to remember.

There, under a willow tree with silver leaves, were two polished black marble headstones.

Alaric Neverwinter – Loving Father, Noble Swordsman

“Even in death, we rise.”

Selene Neverwinter – Beloved Mother, Noble Healer

“Her warmth lingers still.”

There were no remains beneath the stones.

Only names and memories. The incident that had killed them had left nothing behind. Not a single body had been found in the village, not even a shred of flesh either.

Just the blood of the dead, and their soul signatures dying out as proof of all of their deaths.

Albedo knelt before the gravestones, his hand resting on the base of his father’s marker.

He didn’t speak right away.

For a while, he simply stayed there, head lowered, fists clenched, heart heavy.

Then he whispered, “It’s been a year.”

His voice was quiet. Barely audible. Yet it echoed louder in the silence than any shout ever could.

“I don’t know why they attacked us,” he said. “I don’t know where they went after us But I’m getting stronger. I’m already stronger. And I’ll keep going until I find them.”

A breeze rustled the branches of the willow tree, its silver leaves shimmering like tears.

“I enrolled in Zephyr Academy. I passed the Entrance Exam. I’m ahead of schedule.”

He looked down at his hands, calloused, his will forced through pain and determination.

He took in a breath, and exhaled slowly.

“I’m going to climb to the very top,” he said firmly, “And when I get there, I’ll pull them down. One by one. Every last Abyss Worshipper. I don’t care if it takes years or costs everything I have. I’ll make them pay for what they did to you.”

A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye, trailing down his cheek and falling to the grass below.

“I promise.”

He remained kneeling for a while longer, letting the silence embrace him, letting the ache in his chest settle like a storm giving way to stillness.

Eventually, he stood.

“Gwen’s waiting for me,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “Tomorrow’s the start of something new. I’ll carry your names with me, every step of the way.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small, locket, opening it to find a picture of him, his mom, his dad and a baby Gwen in his arms, staring at it as another tear landed on the image.

His mind focused on the future/

Tomorrow, it would all begin.

The games.

The factions.

Everything!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep