In this world, children were born with innate mana energy. From early childhood up to the age of five, they continuously cultivated this mana within their bodies.
Those who could perceive and attune to mana the most profoundly were hailed as geniuses.
Initially, his younger brother Arthur had been exceptionally gifted at sensing mana.
But a few months ago, right after their mother passed away, Arthur’s ability to feel the flow of mana had abruptly deteriorated, leaving him struggling to even articulate simple magic words or spells.
Today was the day of their Element Awakening Ceremony—the crucial moment when one or multiple elements would awaken within them.
Isn’t this the ultimate opportunity for me? Ethan’s eyes flashed with a calculating light. I need to make all my moves and execute my plans before Arthur got any opportunity.
Looking straight at his younger brother, Ethan asked, "Are you still unable to feel the flow of mana?"
Arthur nodded gloomily, his voice heavy with distress. "You already know brother, Ever since Mother died, I haven’t been able to feel even one percent of the mana. Big Brother".
"I don’t understand what’s happening to me. If this keeps up, I won’t be able to awaken any elements during today’s Awakening Ceremony."
Ethan let out a soft chuckle, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Don’t worry about it. I’ve already figured out why you haven’t been able to awaken any elements... and why you can’t feel the mana anymore."
Arthur stared at him in utter shock. "Big Brother... how could you possibly know that? Even the most famous doctor in our town couldn’t figure it out!"
Ethan chuckled lightly. "It was simple, really.come sit here on the bed with me."
Obeying without hesitation, Arthur walked over and sat down beside his older brother on the edge of the bed.
However, throughout all of this, Ethan’s gaze remained laser-focused on a single object: the gemstone hanging tightly around Arthur’s neck.
It was a glowing blue jewel, secured in place with a dark, knotted thread, pulsing with a faint, chilling aura right against his chest.
Mother... you really are a bitch, Ethan thought bitterly inside his mind.
You possessed such an important, legendary treasure, yet instead of giving it to your eldest son, you thought it was more important to hand it over to your youngest.
A cold wave of resentment washed over him. You never gave me a single thing while you were alive, nor did you leave me anything after your death. I’ve never seen a worse mother than you.
He sat down right beside Arthur, though his sharp eyes remained locked onto the gemstone swinging gently against his brother’s chest.
In his past life’s memories and secret knowledge, Ethan knew the true origin of this artifact. This stone had actually come into their mother’s possession when she was just eight years old.
Trapped deep inside the crystal was a Fire Fairy, which had been grievously wounded at the time, forcing it to take refuge within the stone to heal.
When their mother had touched the gemstone at that young age, the fairy had awakened and made a dark deal with her: if the mother fed the Fire Fairy a steady stream of her own mana over the course of the next several years, the fairy would reward her with an making a contract with her.
At that time, their mother had indeed accepted the deal with the Fire Fairy.
But years later, when she gave birth to her second son, Arthur, things changed. By the time Arthur was born, she decided to break the arrangement with the fairy.
She struck a new condition: instead of continuing the pact herself, she would pass the blue stone down to her youngest son, Arthur, and demanded that after five years, the fairy forge a contract with Arthur to act as his guardian fairy.
The Fire Fairy had accepted her condition because, either way, it needed a host body and a steady supply of mana for those five years to recover its strength.
But cruel fate had other plans. Just as Arthur turned five—the exact age when he was meant to receive the locket and begin his destiny—a sudden, devastating beast tide attacked their settlement.
During the chaos, their mother was fatally poisoned by a venomous beast. Before she breathed her last, she managed to put the blue stone around Arthur’s neck, but in her dying delirium, she completely forgot to tell him about the powerful Fire Fairy hidden inside or the glorious future awaiting him.
Unaware of its true power, Arthur simply wore the locket continuously for five years, slowly fulfilling the fairy’s condition, which eventually led to their contract.
That fateful bond had become the very first stepping stone on his path to becoming the strongest Flame Mage in the world.
How do I know all of this so clearly?
A cold, venomous sneer twisted Ethan’s face.
Because back when that bastard Arthur locked me away in the Sapphire Tower, he used to visit me almost every single day—just to mock me and rub it in. He would gloat about how he became a Flame Mage, and he’d laugh right in my face, saying things like,
"See? Mother never loved you. That’s why she gave the Fire Fairy locket to me and left you with nothing!"
Without this blue stone, Arthur would have had to cultivate mana the ordinary way and become a standard mage like everyone else.
Instead of starting his true mage training at the age of five, he would have been delayed until he was ten. Even then, his power would have grown drastically only once the Fire Fairy finally awakened.
A dark, covetous hunger flared deep within Ethan’s eyes.
I need to get my hands on this blue stone, no matter what! The five-year period has only just begun. If I wear this blue stone myself and let the fairy absorb my mana, then five years from now, I will be the one to form a contract with the Fire Fairy!
Pure greed was written all over Ethan’s face.