Leon's room was filled with a wave of mana that tingled like electricity. A soft buzzing filled the air. Laguna, Lina, and Leon felt their hair rise as energy swept through.
Laguna rushed to close the small bottle. "Father, this... this isn't unicorn blood. This is Kirin blood!"
Leon stared at the blue aura still dancing in the air, his eyes wide with awe. "I guess you're right, Laguna. Quick, we have to absorb this mana before it evaporates!"
Leon and Lina sat down in a cross-legged position without delay. Their eyes closed, and their bodies emitted a gentle glow as they absorbed the mana.
Laguna could only sit on the sidelines, watching her father and sister.
[Lina Ashford]
Race: Human
Skills: Phoenix Flame SS, Pyrokinesis SS, Overdrive S, more...
Str: 15 -> 17
Vit: 20 -> 23
Agi: 15 -> 27
Int: ??? -> ???
Wis: ??? -> ???
Luk: 50 -> 51
[Leon Ashford]
Race: Human
Skill: Enchanted Magic SS, Quick-Cast S, Multi-Cast S, more...
Str: 50 -> 60
Vit: 50 -> 60
Agi: 40 -> 70
Int: 75 -> 90
Wis: 75 -> 87
Luk: 10 -> 13
"Wow, Dad's increase is much more compared to Sis Lina. Is it because Dad's muscle mass is bigger so he can absorb more mana? 'I can't see Sis's INT and WIS grow because they're too high," Laguna said, holding her chin. He stared at his palms and let out a quiet sigh. "I can't do it yet... but why does my body feel warm...?"
A soft sensation wrapped around her body over time. "Is this mana entering me... by itself? I can check it later."
Time passed. When the light in the room began to fade and the air returned to normal, Leon and Lina opened their eyes at the same time.
Leon clasped his hands, his grip tightening with enthusiasm. "Amazing... my body feels ten years younger!"
On the other side, light began to radiate from behind Lina's robe. A bright blue light shone from the orb she had stored earlier.
Leon narrowed his eyes. "What is that?"
"Ah, I forgot to tell you, Father... This is the orb of the demon I defeated." The one taken from Harvey, Lina answered while holding up the orb in a relaxed manner.
Leon raised an eyebrow, his tone rising. "Demon!? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I told you, I forgot!" Lina shouted back, annoyed.
"Enough, enough... please don't make a fuss..." Laguna tried to interrupt, raising her hand in reassurance.
"SHUT UP!"
Leon and Lina's voices boomed together. Laguna jumped in surprise and stepped back.
Then, the mood eased as they started to share the story from Veredale. It was about Harvey and his transformation.
Leon twirled the blue orb in his hand. "So, this orb is what made Harvey become a demon after he swallowed it?"
Laguna nodded. "Yes. But at that time, it was pitch black... dark and creepy."
Leon sighed. "Then... should we hand it over to the church for research?"
"Whatever," Lina answered in a tone that lacked emotion, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.
Leon looked at Laguna. "What do you think, Laguna?"
Laguna fixed her gaze on the orb, then shifted her attention to her father. "If Father allows, can I keep it? I want to research this orb. It feels like... there's great potential in it, and it might be useful in the future."
Leon looked at her with a serious expression. "This is very dangerous, Laguna. What if the demonic power inside it awakens again? Aren't you afraid... of turning into a demon?"
Laguna straightened up. "I think the fire from Big Sis's Phoenix Wrath is the natural enemy of demons. It burns them to the ground. But this orb survived, and even changed color when the fire hit it. That means... this orb isn't just a source of demonic power, but something more complex."
Leon looked thoughtful, then looked at Lina. "What do you think?"
Lina stared at Laguna for a moment, then shrugged. "If he turns into a demon, I'll burn him myself. Until nothing remains."
Leon sighed while a faint smile appeared on his face. "That's a pretty honest and brutal answer... Alright. You can keep it, Laguna. But promise me, if anything happens... you'll destroy it."
Laguna took the orb with great care. "I promise, Father."
Leon leaned back in his chair, looking at Laguna, who was still holding the blue orb in his hand. "Then what about making the magic scroll?"
Laguna turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Is it okay, Father? Using Kirin's blood as the material?"
Leon smiled with a relaxed expression, but his eyes remained serious. "No problem. It's much better than letting it rot in the storage room. Besides, its mana concentration has also decreased since you opened it earlier."
Laguna nodded with hesitation. "Very well, then." He began to fold his sleeves, his eyes sparkling.
He reopened the bottle of Kirin's blood with great caution. This time, the mana didn't explode. It flowed like a silvery-blue mist, gliding through the air.
Laguna took a small brush, dipped it into the blood, and began to paint a magic circle on the old parchment. His movements were calm, but each stroke contained his full concentration.
"Because I used the blood of Kirin..." Laguna whispered, "...I will make a lightning-type magic scroll, Tundaga."
Stroke by stroke, symbol by symbol, the magic circle was completed. As the last drop of blood touched the pattern, the parchment emitted a strong glow. The light was almost too much to bear.
"What...?" Laguna's eyes widened. The light from the parchment penetrated the room and formed a storm-like flash in the night sky. "Impossible! This... this isn't Tundaga... It's turned into a thunderstorm!"
Lina stood up instinctively, her eyes fixed. Leon even froze for a moment before finally bursting out in awe-inspiring laughter. "Hahaha! Young man! You surprise me again and again!"
Leon patted Laguna's shoulder with a sense of pride. "You're amazing, son. With abilities like this... you can mass-produce magic scrolls and become the richest man on this continent!"
But Laguna only sighed and narrowed his eyes. "No, Father. My goal is not just wealth; I want to create something that can change the world."
Leon stared at him in silence for a moment, then chuckled. "That's my son."
The three of them exchanged glances. The conversation left a warmth in the room that was starting to become quiet again.
Leon found the parchment. It had turned into a sparkling magic scroll. He put it in a safe spot. "I will keep this safe. This is the beginning of something big."
Lina remained silent, but there was a slight smile of pride on her face.
The small meeting ended. They went back to their rooms. Still, that day felt like a big step in their journey.
Laguna returned to his room and opened the door with a relaxed gesture.
Julia bent down to clean the corner of the room. She swept away invisible dust from the white marble floor.
Laguna approached and patted Julia's butt without a moment's hesitation.
"Kyaa! Master, what are you doing?!" Julia jumped in surprise, her cheeks flushed red. She turned around and hit Laguna's arm with her broom.
Laguna chuckled as he parried the blow. "Hehe, morning reflex. I was just checking if you were still alive."
"What kind of reflex is that?!" Julia snorted in annoyance, but her lips curled up in embarrassment. "If you have more energy, why don't you help clean?"
"My energy is only for big things, like saving the world or... teasing my favorite maid."
"You're crazy!" Julia threw a pillow at Laguna, and he caught it with little effort.
After a few seconds of staring at each other and laughing a little, Julia lowered her head slightly, "But... I'm glad you returned without harm."
Laguna offered a warm smile. "Thank you, Julia."
Julia finished tidying up the room and came out with her cheeks still showing a faint redness.
Laguna looked at the mirror in the corner of the room, and a virtual status screen appeared in front of her.
[Name: Laguna Ashford]
Race: Human
Skills: Magic Engineering EX, Invention Mastery S, Alchemy A, and more...
Attributes:
Str: 9
Vit: 7
Agi: 8
Int: 30
Wis: 40
Luk: 25
"As I thought..." he muttered in a low voice. "The warm feeling earlier, the mana from the kirin blood, was completely absorbed into my body."
He laid her back on the bed, took a deep breath, then took a blue orb from her pocket.
"This orb... the absorption rate of mana is much higher than that of my own body."
An idea flashed into her mind. He jumped up with excitement. Then, he opened his subspatial inventory and grabbed different pieces of equipment.
His hands began to draw a design on the paper, forming a pattern like an elegant bracelet.
"If I combine this orb into a tool... I can use its absorption power to strengthen my body."
Laguna looked at the sketch of his work with a confident smile.
"It's time to create something that will change the game... forever."
A confident smile spread across his face, full of determination and ambition.