I was still resting on the bed, trying to recover from all the exhaustion from flying.
The new flying technique didn't require much physical effort—no need to flap my wings or strain my muscles. But what it consumed was far worse than simple exhaustion. It drained my energy at an alarming rate. And without any properly formed energy cores yet, the drain was overwhelming. My mental energy was another issue entirely.
Jaipa was watching me with eyes full of surprise.
"What kind of nine-year-old kid has this much mental energy?" he thought. "After seeing all of this, can I even call him a kid anymore?"
And then there was my unnatural learning speed. He had seen and heard of countless geniuses throughout history, but even the greatest among them needed time to adapt to new skills. Yet, I had learned the technique just by looking at it. Right from the start of my flight, I had adapted perfectly. What I did for hours afterward wasn't merely practicing—it was refining. Every second, I had improved upon the technique, evolving it beyond its original form.
Jaipa had no choice but to admit it. What I created wasn't just an improvement—it was something entirely new. And if he dared compare it to his own, it would only be an insult to what I had developed.
He was still lost in thought when a sudden knock on the door interrupted him.
A moment of silence followed. Then, two more knocks in quick succession.
A voice floated through the air after the knocks.
"It's Ray…"
As the door creaked open, Ray stepped inside, his sharp gaze sweeping across the dimly lit room. The moment his eyes landed on me, his breath hitched.
I was still panting heavily, my chest rising and falling in ragged bursts. My clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging to my body as if I had just escaped the jaws of death itself.
Ray's body tensed. He stood frozen near the doorway, just two or three steps inside. Then, as if something snapped inside him, a wave of dread crashed over him. His pupils shrank.
"RUDRAAAAAAAA!"
A raw, desperate scream tore from his throat as he bolted forward.
Ray closed the distance in an instant.
Jaipa, watching from the side, couldn't hide his surprise. His eyes widened slightly as he muttered, "Wow…"
"Kids these days… They're practically monsters in themselves." He mused. "This one isn't normal either. Covering that much distance… It was nearly thirty meters, and he crossed it in seconds. But what makes him truly stand out isn't just his speed or strength. He's completely different from Rudra. He holds emotions, a caring nature for others, yet he also has strong fundamentals and outstanding talent. An ideal warrior in the making."
Ray dropped to his knees beside me, his voice filled with urgency.
"Brother, are you alright?! What happened to you?! Do you feel any pain? Your cheeks—do they hurt?! I'll get the healers!"
I looked at Ray's face and immediately saw the genuine concern in his eyes. It had been years since I last saw that expression—the same one from before. Other than my grandfather, Ray was the first person who had ever looked at me like that.
Yet, despite everything, I felt nothing like i was meant to not feel it
But something inside me… was changing.
It was subtle. Like a distant whisper in my mind. But I couldn't quite grasp what it was.
Pushing aside my thoughts, I quickly put on my usual mask—the controlled expression of a normal kid.
"Brother… Brother, look at me!" Ray's voice was shaking, his words tumbling out in a mess of panic.
I needed to be firm. My voice need to cut through his panic or its just a headache
"Brother, look at me."
I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer. "Do I look sick to you? I'm fine," I said steadily. "There's no need to panic." I forced a small, teasing smile. "I'm standing. I'm talking.....see? I'm alright. Just take a deep breath."
But Ray was still crying silently, his shoulders trembling.
"Come on, stop crying," I said, my voice softer now. "Look, I'm fine. You can stop now."
With a sobbing voice, Ray gasped between shaky breaths. "Hff… hff… what happened to you?" Still crying heavily, he stammered, "W-why were you breathing like that? And why were you just lying there like you were dead? I-I thought something had happened to you!"
I stared at him. Mimicking emotions came naturally to me, but truly feeling them was an entirely different matter. I had no idea how to comfort someone in this situation.
So, after a brief pause, I simply said, "Did you want to see me dead?"
The room fell into complete silence.
Ray's tears stopped for a second as his brain processed my words. Then
"WAAAAAAH!"
A loud, heart-wrenching cry teared from Ray, shaking the entire room.
I.....
Oh no. This is worse. This is way worse.
I watched him sob uncontrollably, my practiced mask do i need to put it down
What do I do now? Did I say something wrong? No, this was definitely bad move . Ah, this is a exhausting
Just as I was about to panic, a familiar voice rang in my mind, dripping with amusement.
"Now you did it, kid."
And then—loud, mocking laughter burst out.
"Hahaaa—khh—hahaha!"
I sighed. Great. Just great.
"What were you thinking when you said those words?"
I took a moment before answering. "I was just trying to comfort him with my words."
A loud guffaw exploded in my mind.
"What did you just say? I think I heard you wrong."
"You were what?"
I stayed silent, my gaze shifting between Ray and Jaipa.
"I was just trying to comfort him. So what?" I repeated, a little annoyed.
Jaipa snickered. "With those words? That's what you call comforting? Hah! You really are one of a kind, you know that?"
"Stop laughing and just give me some advice if you have one ."
Jaipa saw an opportunity and smirked. "Say please, Jaipa."
I narrowed my eyes at him before sighing. "Please, Jaipa."
Jaipa burst into laughter again before finally speaking. "Now, make him pay attention to your words."
I frowned. "And how exactly do I do that?"
"Do I have to spell everything out for you? Just do whatever feels natural!"
I exhaled sharply, then placed a firm hand on Ray's shoulder. "Ray."
The single word carried weight different from before. My voice was smooth, steady, almost soothing.
Ray's sobbing slowed, his teary eyes lifting to meet mine.
For the first time, I didn't hesitate. The words came naturally.
"Brother, look at me. I'm right here with you."
Ray stared at me in silence.
I continued, "I won't die at the hands of others."
Jaipa groaned in my mind. "What the hell are you saying? That's not what I told you to say!"
"If you're not going to listen to me, why even ask?"
But despite Jaipa's complaints, it worked. Ray's crying quieted, now he was paying attention to my words
After a long pause, I met his gaze. "I, Rudra, swear upon my name I will repay you for saving my life."
It weren't just hollow words I was spelling i ment it on my name
Ray sniffled, wiping his face. "We're family. You don't repay a family member for anything."
Silence filled the room, but this time, it wasn't heavy. It felt… different.
After a while, Ray hesitated before asking, "What happened to you earlier?"
I rose from the bed And took a step back, creating some distance between us. With a calm voice, I said, "Look, brother, I learned a new technique. I haven't named it yet, but it's quite useful."
Ray's eyes flickered with confusion, but he stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.
Spreading my wings, I stood still. For the first second, nothing happened. Then, just as the next second was about to pass, I slowly ascended into the air. Higher and higher, until I reached ten meters above the ground.
That was when I demonstrated the real essence of the technique.
Suspended in midair without a single flap of my wings, I let out a soft breath before flicking them once. A glowing, ten meter wide square formed in the air beneath me. The moment I stepped into it
I vanished.
In an instant, I reappeared at another point within the square. Then again. And again. My body flickered from one position to another as if I were teleporting.
Ray stood frozen, his wide eyes locked onto me a disbelief on his face
Is this really the same boy from just a few days ago? The same boy who didn't even know the existence of the keys? Who had no knowledge about the world around him? And now… now he was handling a technique like this.
At first, I could tell he was simply amazed by how I was floating without even flapping my wings. But what came next had shattered all of his expectations.
He watched as realization dawned upon him,
It's not that he ever underestimated me, he thought. He just never expected rudra to develop this quickly. No… this isn't just fast. It's too much.
Then, a single thought took over his mind, so loud it was as if I could hear it myself.
"What kind of talent does he possess?"
But Ray wasn't the only one in shock.
Jaipa was right there with him maybe even more stunned than Ray.
"That brat… did he just turn my technique into something completely new?" Jaipa muttered in disbelief. "And when the hell did he learn that?"
The next moment, he shot toward me like an arrow.
"Brat! When did you learn to do something like that?!"
I glanced down at him and replied in a flat tone, "Oh, I learned it earlier."
Jaipa's voice rose. "Earlier?! When?!"
I gave a small nod, sparing a glance at Ray before answering again. "Earlier."
Jaipa looked like he was about to lose his mind. "When?! I never even saw you practicing it!"
I finally looked down at him and, without hesitation, said, "This is the first time I've actually used this technique in the physical world."
Jaipa blinked. "What…?"
I let the words sink in for a moment before casually adding, "Actually, I learned it from an old man while I was resting in bed."
Jaipa's frown deepened. "An old man? What old man?"
Tilting my head slightly, I recall his name "What was his name again…? Oh, right."
"The First Heaven."