After channeling sufficient magical energy into his Mystical-Sword, the Soul-Devourer Blade - an ancient weapon that had forged an inseparable bond with Raiden's soul - unexpectedly entered its long slumber. The sensation of emptiness flowed like a halted river current, painfully real through the spiritual connection that had grown so deep between them.
Amidst the bustling activities of his elder sisters, mother, and aunts who seemed to know no rest in carrying out their clan duties, Raiden found himself surrounded by an endless sea of free time. This stark contrast in activity left him restless, as if something vital was missing from his life's rhythm. As the young heir of a clan harboring countless latent talents, he felt a powerful urge to forge his own path - a way to develop his potential while creating wealth through his personal endeavors.
"With all the abilities I possess now, what heights can I reach?" Raiden murmured softly, his fingers tapping his chin in a steady rhythm while his mind raced for answers. He delved into every corner of his memory, searching for opportunities he could seize. Suddenly, like light piercing through darkness, his eyes brightened as a brilliant idea crossed his mind.
"Ethereal Sight!" he exclaimed with explosive enthusiasm, springing up from his seated position. "How could I have forgotten this innate skill of mine? An ability that can penetrate the very essence of life - I can use it to analyze and read everyone's hidden talents and potential!"
Ethereal Sight - an exceptionally rare innate skill. Not merely an ordinary ability, but a legendary gift capable of penetrating all layers of reality, seeing through to the deepest core of every living being's existence. This power enabled him to unveil not just dormant talents, but hidden potential that even their possessors had never imagined.
The aroma of double espresso permeated Raiden's private chamber. Sylvia, the exclusive maid with silvery-gray hair, gracefully stepped into the room. Her black maid dress with white lace swayed gently, following her well-trained movements.
"Young Master, it's coffee time."
With refined elegance, she placed the white porcelain cup filled with dark liquid on the mahogany table. Raiden, the young master seated in a plush red velvet chair, nodded in satisfaction. A subtle smile graced his handsome features.
"Thank you, Sylvia." His gentle baritone voice resonated. His long fingers reached for the cup with elegant poise.
Sylvia's light brown eyes caught a different aura from her master this afternoon. Rays of happiness radiated clearly from Raiden's pair of sapphire blue irises.
"Pardon my impudence, Young Master. But you seem exceptionally spirited today?"
Raiden raised an eyebrow, impressed by the maid's perceptiveness. "You've always been observant, Sylvia." He set down his coffee cup. "I've just devised a brilliant plan. A strategy that will lead me to build power and wealth in my own way."
Sylvia's eyes sparkled at his words. Finally, after the long wait, she would witness the young master's rise to the pinnacle of glory he had always dreamed of.
Raiden savored his coffee with delight. Several minutes passed in light conversation and soft laughter with Sylvia before he finally invited the maid to tour the city. Their mission: to seek out talented individuals with extraordinary potential.
Behind the wheel of a gleaming black muscle truck, Raiden traversed the increasingly busy city streets. Beside him, Sylvia wore casual attire while maintaining freedom of movement - a black blazer paired with trousers and low-cut boots.
"Young Master," Sylvia broke the comfortable silence between them, "may I know our destination today?".
With graceful movements, Raiden turned his gaze toward Sylvia. "Our destination is the slums in the eastern sector," he explained, his voice flowing calm yet filled with determination.
In his mind, he had mapped out the perfect strategy. This poverty-stricken area harbored hidden potential - talented women untouched by any power. The desperation and harsh life they faced would become the foundation of unshakeable loyalty.
Ten minutes passed as their vehicle entered the outskirts of the slum district. A suffocating sight unfolded before them - mountains of garbage and addicts lying helpless in street corners. Sylvia couldn't suppress the disgust etched across her face.
Meanwhile, Raiden had activated his Ethereal Sight - an innate ability he took pride in. His sapphire irises glowed with mystical light, adorned with a silver octagram symbol shimmering at their center. His gaze swept across every passing figure, assessing their hidden potential.
Yet the results were disappointing. Each individual caught within the range of his Ethereal Sight showed only low-class talent without meaningful prospects. Until an anomaly shocked his spiritual senses.
A frail girl caught his attention. Her hair was dark purple, matching her violet irises dimmed by life's burdens. However, the data displayed in his vision made Raiden's breath catch.
"Impossible! Talent and potential of this magnitude...!" he exclaimed spontaneously, making Sylvia start in the passenger seat.
"What is it, Young Master?" Sylvia asked, confused by the drastic change in her master's expression.
Raiden drew a deep breath, trying to control the surge of enthusiasm bubbling within. "Sylvia," he stated with absolute conviction, "I have found the first pillar for my grand plan." His hands skillfully turned the wheel, heading toward the location of the girl who wore an empty expression while collecting used plastic bottles.
Descending from his imposingly parked muscle truck, Raiden strode calmly toward the distant figure of a girl. However, his movement suddenly halted when a muscular thug with greasy, unkempt black hair brutally kicked the girl, sending her flying like a withered leaf toward a towering pile of garbage.
"Urghh..." A painful groan escaped the poor girl's pale lips, her trembling fingers clutching her throbbing stomach that felt like thousands of needles were piercing it from within.
"You worthless bitch! How many times do I have to tell you to pay up all your debt interest?!" The thug barked with a harsh tone that grated on the ears, before spitting disgustingly at the dark purple-haired girl who was still writhing in pain among the rotting garbage.
Flames of rage blazed in Raiden's chest as he witnessed the revolting scene before him. How dare this lowlife raise a hand against someone he had chosen? His emotions ran wild, burning through every corner of his consciousness to the boiling point.
Though he hadn't officially recruited the girl into his circle yet, to Raiden, anyone he considered his was sacred - not to be treated carelessly, let alone injured and humiliated like an animal.
With deadly precision, his right index finger rose, targeting the thug's arm like a bloodthirsty gun barrel. A thin but lethal layer of ice coated his fingertip before releasing an ice projectile sharper than a .45 ACP bullet, streaking at a speed the naked eye couldn't follow.
Just as the thug was about to launch his brutal punch, the ice projectile pierced through flesh and bone without the slightest resistance. In an instant, half his arm was cleanly severed, while the remaining attached limb froze in a crystalline ice coating - a deadly secondary effect of the supernatural ice projectile.
It took several eternal-feeling seconds for the thug to process the tragedy that had befallen him. When awareness finally hit like a sledgehammer, a hysterical scream split the air as his horror-struck eyes witnessed his severed arm lying helplessly on the sidewalk, fresh blood pooling into a deep red puddle.
"M-my arm!" His voice shook violently, his eyeballs nearly popping from their sockets from the extreme shock. "T-this must be a nightmare... Yeah, just a dream..."
His muscular legs suddenly lost all strength, making him crash to his knees with a painful thud. "Arrghhh! God, this is real!" His hysterical screams echoed again through the silence, this time accompanied by the bitter realization of the horrific reality that had struck him mercilessly.
Even the purple-haired girl flinched as if struck by lightning, absolute terror radiating from her wide eyes as they accidentally met Raiden's ice-cold gaze that hinted at hidden savagery.
Witnessing the fear reflected in the girl's expression, Raiden felt a momentary twinge of weakness in his heart. His attention shifted to the still-howling thug. "Hmph, foolish creature," he muttered in a deep tone that betrayed anger still burning like embers.
Yet for the sake of his noble purpose, he had to control the storm of emotions raging within. Taking a long, deep breath, Raiden struggled to calm the fury still blazing in his chest. "Sylvia," he called out in a more controlled voice, "perform time reversal on the girl. Heal all her wounds until nothing remains."
Sylvia bowed with graceful reverence. "As you command, Young Master." Without wasting a moment, she hurried toward the poor girl who still sat trembling among the mountain of garbage.
Seeing Sylvia approach with elegant yet purposeful steps, the girl instinctively curled up in fear, her body shaking violently, believing these were the final moments of her miserable life. Tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks, lamenting the unfairness of fate that seemed to never side with her.
But unexpectedly, Sylvia extended her gentle hand, wiping away those flowing tears with the tenderness of a loving mother. "Don't be afraid, little one. We're not here to harm you," she said with a genuine smile that could melt winter's ice.
Pure warmth radiated from every gesture and attitude of Sylvia, making the girl gradually feel a glimmer of comfort and security she hadn't experienced in a long time. Something in her intuition whispered that she could trust this beautiful woman now kneeling before her.
"Close your eyes for a moment, sweet girl. Big sister will heal all your wounds," Sylvia instructed in a voice soft as velvet, stroking the girl's dark purple hair with motherly affection.
The girl nodded weakly, slowly closing her tear-stained eyes, surrendering herself completely to Sylvia's healing touch. There was something in this woman's aura that made her feel safe, as if protected by an invisible blanket of warmth.
Pure mana energy flowed like a crystal-clear river from Sylvia's body, radiating in controlled waves as she read and traced the flow of time with high precision. Her sharp eyes searched for the perfect point in the timeline to perform the time reversal ritual, observing each passing second with absolute precision.
After finding the right moment - the point where the girl's body was still in prime condition - Sylvia's softly glowing palm directed toward the poor girl's forehead. The air around them seemed to vibrate, responding to the supernatural power beginning to manifest.
In an instant, a magnificent magic circle as blue as a summer sky appeared beneath the girl's body. Ancient symbols and mystic runes rotated in intricate formation, forming a giant clock replica pulsing with pure energy. Bluish light radiated upward, creating a transparent energy dome that enveloped them both like a protective cocoon.
The clock hands in the magic circle began spinning counterclockwise, defying natural law with power capable of tearing the fabric of reality itself. Time inside the dome began moving backward, reversing every wound and bruise to their original state.
This supernatural healing process occurred with amazing speed. External wounds visible to the eye began fading like erased paint - bruises vanished, cuts closed, and swelling deflated as if they never existed. Even internal injuries hidden from view healed perfectly, body cells returning to their optimal condition.
Within seconds that felt like witnessing a miracle, every trace of violence inflicted upon the girl vanished without a trace. Her body returned to its prime condition, as if the horrific incident moments ago had been nothing but a forgotten nightmare.
"This is... incredible..." The girl whispered in awe after opening her eyes, amazed to find all her pain and injuries gone without a trace. Her now-bright eyes gazed at Sylvia with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief.
Sylvia smiled warmly at the girl's astonished expression. "You're safe now," she said softly, carefully helping the girl to her feet. "Young Master won't let anyone hurt you again."
Raiden, who had been watching with sharp eyes, finally stepped forward. The intimidating aura that had been emanating from his body had diminished, replaced by a more controlled presence that still radiated absolute authority.
"What's your name?" he asked in a softer tone, though still maintaining the firmness of a leader in every syllable.
The girl, still mesmerized by the supernatural events she had just witnessed, needed several seconds to gather her courage before answering in a trembling voice. "I... I'm Lisa," she managed to whisper, her voice barely audible as she struggled to maintain eye contact with Raiden's intense gaze.
The corner of Raiden's mouth twitched slightly, almost forming what could be interpreted as a gentle smile. "Lisa," he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. "Tell me, what brought you to owe money to such... trash?" His last word dripped with contempt as he cast a sideways glance at the still-whimpering thug.
Lisa's fingers nervously intertwined with the hem of her worn dress. "My younger sister," she began, her voice growing stronger as she spoke of her sibling. "She needed urgent surgery, but we couldn't afford it. This man... he offered to lend us money, but the interest..." Her voice trailed off, tears threatening to spill again.
"Predatory lending," Sylvia commented with disgust, her usually gentle features hardening. "A common practice in these parts, Young Master."
Raiden's eyes narrowed dangerously, ice crystals beginning to form in the air around him. "How much do you owe?"
"Five... five million," Lisa admitted, hanging her head in shame. "With the interest, it's now..."
"Irrelevant," Raiden cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Sylvia, transfer ten million to her account. Ensure her sister receives the best medical care available."
Lisa's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. "But... but why would you...?"
"Because I've chosen you," Raiden stated simply, as if it explained everything. "Your potential is wasted in this cesspool. Join my organization, Lisa. Your sister will be taken care of, and you'll never have to bow to vermin like him again." He jerked his head toward the incapacitated thug.
A mix of emotions crossed Lisa's face - disbelief, hope, fear, and finally, determination. She straightened her back, and for the first time, Raiden saw the steel core hidden beneath her fragile exterior.
"I accept," she said firmly, her voice no longer trembling. "I pledge my loyalty to you, Young Master."
A genuine smile finally graced Raiden's features, transforming his cold demeanor into something almost warm. "Welcome to the family, Lisa. Now," his expression darkened as he turned toward the thug, "let's deal with this loose end, shall we?"
The night air grew colder as Raiden advanced toward the cowering man, ice crystals dancing around his fingertips like deadly diamonds catching the moonlight...