Attic
Luke sat cross-legged on the floor.
A faint red glow radiated from his body as his skin gradually turned crimson.
The temperature in the attic steadily rose, and anyone standing nearby would feel a wave of heat.
Suddenly, Luke opened his eyes.
A flash of crimson light flickered within them.
With the medicinal power replenishing his essence and refining it into spiritual energy, Luke successfully stepped into the Qi Refining Realm.
A layer of black impurities covered his skin.
This was the body-tempering effect of the Vermilion Bird Burning Technique.
[Congratulations! The host has advanced to the Qi Refining Realm.]
[Reward: Two Lottery Draws.]
[Would you like to begin the lottery?]
“Start the lottery.”
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Fire Phoenix (Infant).]
[You have obtained: Foundation Establishment Pill Recipe.]
[Spirit Beast Space unlocked.]
[Spirit Beast Space: Because this world lacks spiritual energy, the host may only contract one spirit beast.]
Luke had begun to notice a pattern.
Whenever the notification began with “Congratulations!”, the reward was usually something exceptional.
The others were generally less impressive.
“System, do spirit beasts need to recognize a master? And what happens if I obtain another spirit beast in the future?”
[The host may establish a master-servant contract by placing a drop of blood on the spirit beast’s forehead.]
[Spirit beasts may be transferred to another owner. However, each person may only contract one spirit beast.]
“That’s simple enough.”
Luke smiled.
“I have the Vermilion Bird Bloodline, and this little guy is a Fire Phoenix.”
“I guess we’re meant to be together.”
“They’re both fire-attributed.”
He summoned the Fire Phoenix.
To his surprise, it looked more like a fluffy little chick than the majestic phoenix he had imagined.
After establishing the contract, Luke opened his status panel.
Host: Luke Kirk
Realm: Qi Refining (Next Realm: Foundation Establishment)
Spiritual Root: Holy Spirit Root
Bloodline: Vermilion Bird Bloodline (Bound, Unique)
Cultivation Technique: Vermilion Bird Burning Technique (Bound, Unique)
Abilities: Intermediate Mental Training Method, Natural Affinity, Perfect Image Recall, Beginner Flame Spell (Upgradeable), Alchemy
Equipment: None
Magic Artifact: Shennong Cauldron
Spirit Beast: Fire Phoenix (Infant)
Item: Green Satchel Book of Alchemy
Current Mission: [Become Famous Early]
[Series Mission (III): Publish an Outstanding Work. Reward: One Lottery Draw.]
Luke looked at the tiny Fire Phoenix.
“I hope you grow up quickly.”
“Then I’ll give you a proper name.”
He glanced at the mission panel again.
“The ‘Become Famous Early’ mission…”
“It’s still going.”
Luke could only smile helplessly.
“Sigh…”
“This is only the first major realm.”
“I’ve still got a long way to go.”
After calming himself down, Luke looked around the attic.
Only then did he notice the faint scorch marks on the floor beneath him.
James had specifically reinforced the attic with fire-resistant materials, yet they had still been slightly burned.
“It looks like I won’t be able to make future breakthroughs at home.”
“If this happened after I became stronger, I might accidentally burn the entire house down.”
“I should also keep a few spare sets of clothes in my storage space.”
After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, Luke returned to his bedroom.
His physique had improved once again.
He clenched his fist and felt the strength flowing through his body.
For some reason, an amusing image appeared in his mind.
A sword in one hand.
A wand in the other.
His entire body engulfed in flames as he charged straight into battle.
“…”
Luke quickly shook his head.
“What am I even thinking?”
Before long, he fell asleep.
James and Helen had planned a family Christmas trip to Abisko, Sweden.
Ever since she had seen pictures of the Northern Lights, Anna had dreamed of seeing them in person.
After discussing it as a family, they came up with two travel plans.
The first option was to fly from London to Stockholm, transfer to a flight bound for Kiruna, and then take a train to Abisko.
It was the fastest route.
The second option was to fly to Stockholm and then take the train all the way to Kiruna, enjoying the scenery along the journey before continuing to Abisko.
After several discussions, they finally decided to travel there by train and return by plane.
…
December 24
The day Anna had been waiting for had finally arrived.
It was her first time traveling so far from home.
She was so excited that she chatted nonstop from the moment they left the house.
“Luke, have you ever seen the Northern Lights?”
“No.”
“Luke, it’s Christmas Eve today. Do you think we’ll see Santa Claus?”
“I don’t know.”
“Luke, if we’re not at home, how will Santa Claus find me?”
“I… don’t know.”
Anna had been asking questions the entire journey.
By the time the family arrived at Stockholm Central Station to wait for their train to Kiruna, she was still as energetic as ever despite the long trip.
I need to find a way to keep this little one quiet for a while, Luke thought.
Looking around, he noticed a piano in the station.
Many large train stations provided public pianos for travelers to play.
“Anna, how about I tell you a story?”
“Okay! Tell me a story!” Anna cheered.
Luke took her little hand and walked toward the piano.
“Luke, don’t wander off with Anna,” James called after them.
“Dad, we’re just going to the piano,” Luke replied, pointing toward it.
“All right, go have some fun, but don’t stay too long.”
Seeing that Luke only wanted to play the piano, James didn’t object.
According to Chang Hong, Luke’s piano skills had already surpassed even Helen’s.
The piano was unoccupied.
Luke sat down on the bench while Anna climbed onto the seat beside him, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at him expectantly.
Several travelers noticed the two children approaching the piano and assumed they were about to perform.
However, when they realized the little boy seemed to be telling a story instead, most of them quickly lost interest.
“Anna,” Luke began, “do you believe in Santa Claus?”
Anna thought seriously for a moment.
“Mmm… I do.”
“Because every year, Santa leaves presents in my stocking.”
Those presents are actually from Mom, Dad, and me, Luke thought with amusement.
“The little boy in this story believes in Santa Claus too.”
“According to legend, Santa Claus rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer on Christmas Eve, delivering presents to children all over the world.”
“But as time passed, fewer and fewer people believed the legend was real.”
“Almost no one believed Santa Claus truly existed anymore.”
“Except for one little boy…”
“His name was Klaus.”
As Luke continued telling the story, more and more children gradually gathered around.
Seeing the growing crowd, curious travelers also stopped to listen.
Everyone was completely absorbed in the story.
Then, Luke’s fingers gently touched the piano keys.
A soft melody filled the station.
He began to sing.
“I’m wishing on a star…”
“And trying to believe…”
“That even though it’s far…”
…
(When Christmas Comes to Town — The Polar Express)
When the final note faded, silence filled the station.
Everyone remained immersed in the beautiful melody for several seconds.
Then—
Applause erupted.
No one knew who started it, but soon nearly everyone nearby was clapping.
“Thank you.”
Luke stood up and gave the crowd a slight bow before taking Anna’s hand and returning to his family.
“Mom! Mom!”
“Did you hear Luke playing the piano?”
Anna excitedly bounced around Helen, enthusiastically recounting the story Luke had just told her.
James looked at Luke.
“Is that another new story and song you came up with?”
“Yes.”
“It just came to me.”
After “creating” so many works from his previous life, Luke felt his conscience had become almost immune.
“It’s a beautiful melody,” Helen praised proudly.
James looked equally excited.
“I’ll register the copyright as soon as possible.”
“The day before yesterday, someone from Wards Entertainment contacted me.”
“They said The Lion King is very likely to receive a nomination for Best Original Song at next year’s Academy Awards.”
“I think this song has great potential too.”
He couldn’t hide his excitement.
“The Academy Awards are the most influential film awards in the world.”
Then he laughed.
“With so many people here today, I wouldn’t be surprised if people from Wards Entertainment are already waiting outside our house by the time we get back.”
Luke smiled.
“I don’t think this song is quite as strong as the last one.”
He remembered that The Polar Express had received several Academy Award nominations but ultimately hadn’t won.
Just then, an announcement echoed through the station.
“Passengers traveling on the train from Stockholm to Kiruna, please proceed to the platform for boarding.”
Helen stood up.
“Come on, everyone.”
“It’s time to board.”
Not far away, a brown-haired man wearing a face mask turned to the woman beside him.
“I feel like I’ve seen that boy somewhere before.”
“You think he’s a child actor?” the woman asked.
“I’m not sure.”
The man frowned thoughtfully.
“I’ll ask around when we get back.”