With a gentle touch, Selena held young Mia close and interacted with the projection of the pagoda.
Their bodies dissolved into shimmering particles of light, being safely drawn into the artifact’s interior space.
Ethan would have loved to inspect the inner dimensions of the pagoda himself, but time was of the essence.
He needed to teleport back to his town immediately. He had already been away for quite a while; although his nominal father didn’t care much about his whereabouts, staying out for entire days would eventually raise suspicions.
Suddenly, a blue-colored formation began to materialize right in front of Ethan’s right eye.
This was his Eagle Eye spell, allowing him to perceive distant objects with absolute clarity. Directing his gaze toward Keal’s house, which was just a short distance away, he saw that the structure had been completely ruined and left in shambles.
Amidst the debris, Keal had finally stirred and was now standing on his feet, his consciousness fully returned.
Frowning slightly, Ethan questioned the system mentally, "If I simply kill Keal right now, will all the fated opportunities he is supposed to receive in the future be permanently destroyed?"
The system replied promptly: [Yes, Host. If a Heavenly Chosen One dies prematurely, all of their designated future opportunities will be completely extinguished and lost.]
Thinking further, Ethan asked, "What if I don’t kill him, but instead subject him to brutal torture and break him physically and mentally? Will that negatively impact his future opportunities?"
The system’s synthesized voice chimed in: [No, Host. Even if you severely mutilate or break him, the celestial laws will find a way to heal and restore him. However, if you attempt to deal a fatal blow or inflict lethal damage right now, Heaven’s absolute will will intervene to protect its chosen one, potentially dispatching external forces to stop you.]
Hearing this, Ethan muttered to himself, "So I can torture him, but I just have to stop short of killing him."
[Correct, Host,] the system confirmed.
Although Ethan understood the rules, time was slipping away. He was still quite far from his home, and his father would likely have noticed his prolonged absence by now. For the moment, he had no choice but to put Keal out of his mind.
Channeling his mana into the surrounding stones, Ethan carved temporary runes to activate a spatial formation, instantly teleporting himself back.
When Ethan completed his teleportation, night had already fallen over the town.
He deliberately chose to reappear in the neglected backyard garden behind his house rather than the old ruins. He knew all too well that ruffians and drunkards frequented the ruins at night—a harsh memory from his past life lingered, recalling a night when one of those vagrants had brutally ambushed him there.
He certainly didn’t want anyone else seeing him emerge from such a place.
Standing in the overgrown backyard, he looked around at the scenery.
Every single plant and flower was withered and dead. This had once been his mother’s pride and joy, her cherished garden.
But after her passing, his father had completely abandoned it, and since Ethan himself had never cared for gardening, it had withered into a desolate wasteland. Because of its grim, dead appearance, nobody from the household ever stepped foot out here anymore.
Stealthily navigating past the withered bushes, Ethan made his way around to the main entrance and stepped inside the house.
Sitting at the dining table in the dimly lit living room was his father. Spread out before him was a simple, hurriedly prepared meal consisting of a bowl of heavy, lumpy grain porridge, a plate of salted dried meat, and a small pot of cheap, bitter table wine.
Hearing the door creak, his father looked up and grunted, "Ethan, you’re finally back. Just where on earth have you been gallivanting off to?"
Putting on a harmless, innocent smile, Ethan replied smoothly, "I was just playing out with my friends, Dad."
A proud, boisterous laugh echoed through the room as his father stood up and heavy-handedly slapped Ethan on the back, patting his shoulders.
"Hah! Congratulations, boy! I always knew both of my sons were fierce tigers. Both of you managed to awaken high-grade flame elements! While other kids in the city barely manage to spark mid-level elements, my boy awakened a high-level one. You have no idea how immensely proud and happy I am right now!"
Listening to his father’s boastful praise, a cold, mocking sneer formed deep within Ethan’s heart.
You’re so overcome with joy right now that you barely even cared to check if I was safe or how dangerous my awakening process actually was, Ethan thought, his blue eyes glinting with frozen malice.
And in due time, when I am thrown into a dark prison for a hundred years after reaching my eighties, you won’t even bother to visit me more then once—all because by then, you will be completely wrapped around Kyle’s finger, blindly serving as his loyal lapdog just like in the past.
Even When they finally came to see him a few years later, they said, "Ethan, Arthur is doing all of this to protect us from the Demon Emperor. Please don’t think badly of him. After all, he’s doing all of this for our sake."
But don’t worry. Arthur won’t become an Emperor in this life, nor will you live any longer than a normal mage in this life. But for however long you do live, I promise you, it will be filled with hardships.
Ethan smiles and sits down at the table to eat. His father sits across from him, watching him as they eat. He has no idea what thoughts are running through Ethan’s mind.
And don’t forget to leave a Comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.]