Chapter 6: Restoring the First Circle (Patreon)

True to my word to Leroy, I spent the next month at Sturm Hill Hall. Well, most of the month. Three weeks and one day to be exact.

During that time, I didn’t leave Sturm Hill Hall at all, and focused most of my efforts on repairing my First Circle and restoring my mana veins. That didn’t mean I neglected my body cultivation. I still trained in the mornings, exercising my body and practicing my martial arts, but most of my attention was focused on fixing my mana veins.

The sooner the better.

Since Leroy agreed to wait for a month before reporting back to my parents, I didn’t even bother hiding my efforts to repair my First Circle. That didn’t mean I announced it for everyone to see, but I didn’t hide away in my rooms all afternoon. Instead, I spent my time meditating on the roof of Sturm Hill Hall.

My elemental affinities were Water, Air, and Lightning due to my storm dragon ancestry. The closer I was to the sky, the better. While it had no practical effect on my efforts, it made me feel better. If nothing else, it put me in a better mood. Once I began cultivating, that would be another story.

The servants all freaked the fuck out the first time I climbed onto the roof, but there was little they could do to stop me. I was the young master of House Sturm. The only one who could call me to task for being reckless was Leroy, since he served my father directly, and he already knew what I was capable of. Climbing the roof of a two story manor wasn’t a challenge for me, and I was in very little danger. Even if I fell off the roof, I would be all right thanks to my body cultivation.

That didn’t stop the servants from worrying. I tried to reassure them, but my efforts only made things worse. It was something of a trend, I noticed. The more I tried to reassure people, the more worried they got. Perhaps I was doing something wrong.

On the plus side, after my duel with Loudmouth at the Adventurers Guild, Leroy and I started sparring on a regular basis, with the front yard as our training ground. He must have realized that I was a decent sparring partner, or at least I was the best he was going to get without leaving Sturm Hill Hall. While the servants there had some martial training, the Icefall region had its dangers after all, they weren’t warriors.

Unlike Loudmouth, Leroy was actually a challenge to fight. He was more powerful, had better training, and had much more experience. Even when he didn’t use his Earth magic, he proved himself a capable warrior. When he used his Earth magic, he was downright devastating.

Of course, he had to hold back when we sparred. Leroy was a Second Circle wizard, and whenever he used his Earth internal magic, his strength far exceeded mine. Once I reached the Second Rank of body cultivation that would change, but that would take time. While it had only taken me a week to reach the First Rank of body cultivation, reaching the Second Rank was another story altogether.

These sparring sessions benefited me greatly. They conditioned my body, further speeding up my body cultivation, and allowed me to practice skills I hadn’t used in two lifetimes. It was nice to get back into form.

With some of the little free time I had, I worked on a surprise for Leroy. He had been a loyal retainer of House Sturm for years now, and that sort of dedication deserved a reward. Besides, as far as I could tell, he kept his word to me and hadn’t reported my activities back to my parents. I had to give him some kind of gift for that.

It was late afternoon, a few days before the deadline I gave Leroy, when I finished repairing my First Circle. I sat on the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. When I began, the weather was nice and calm. The skies above me were free of clouds, and nary a breeze stirred the air.

However, as I drew closer to completing my First Circle, storm clouds began brewing above me and the wind started to pick up. This was something a part of me noticed with my divine sense, while the rest of me was focused on the task at hand. It was as if the heavens had noticed my efforts, and had gathered the storm to celebrate my restoration. The closer I came to repairing my First Circle, the more the wind stirred and the darker the clouds above me became.

After I put the penultimate piece in place, lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rang down from the heavens.

Another part of me noticed the servants scurrying around, worried about the sudden change in weather no doubt. Leroy climbed onto the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. Maybe he came to warn me about the weather, maybe he came to stop me from doing what I was doing. I didn’t care. What mattered was that he didn’t interfere with my efforts. The moment he saw me, he stopped and stared.

Once I was sure Leroy wouldn’t become a problem, I turned all of my attention towards the last remaining piece of my First Circle. I grabbed it with my divine energy and put it in place, completing the circle. The moment I did, it felt as if a piece of my being that had been out of alignment snapped back into place. I felt whole again, or more whole than I had been before.

My ability to sense and manipulate mana returned to me. While I could perceive mana thanks to my divine sense, it was if there was a barrier in place. It was as if I perceived the world through a film, and now that film had been removed.

I took in a deep breath, and felt the mana flow into me. I cycled it throughout my First Circle. It was a glorious feeling. The mana reinvigorated me, made me feel more alive. The world around me seemed sharper, more defined. I hadn’t realized how numb and dull I had been until that moment.

I didn’t cultivate with the mana. Instead, I breathed it in and breathed it out. I was a part of the natural cycle of the world again, as the energy of heaven and earth flowed through me. I reveled in the sensation.

The sky above me thundered and flashed with lightning. The heavens opened up and it started to rain. It was a warm, summer rain infused with mana. The storm raged all around me, as water poured down and the wind howled. A primal joy bubbled up from inside me, and I let it out. I started laughing. It was a pure and free sound.

I must have looked like a mad man, laughing while sitting on the roof of Sturm Hill Hall in the middle of a storm. I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was that I had restored my First Circle.

The storm grew in power, becoming stronger and stronger. Despite that, I never once felt like I was in danger. The thunder and lightning became more frequent, building up to a crescendo. I stood up and stared at the sky. I matched the rhythm of my mana cycling to the rhythm of the storm, resonating with it.

Faster and faster we went, until it reached the climax, and the mother of all lightning bolts flashed across the sky. For a brief moment, I thought I saw an outline in the clouds. It looked like a massive dragon, one so large that I couldn’t even see the whole of it. Not even a second later, a thunderous roar shook the world. I felt it in my bones.

I felt it in my blood.

I let out a roar of my own.

After that, the storm died down and soon disappeared altogether. The clouds dispersed, and the wind calmed down once again. Within minutes, the sky was clear once more. No traces of the storm remained, except for the water that drenched everything and the higher levels of ambient mana within the area.

I was panting and my nerves thrummed with excitement. Water dripped down my body.

I turned to find Leroy standing not too far from me, also drenched from head to toe. He stared at me with wide eyes. I grinned at him.

“It’s time we talked,” I said.

***

“Reincarnation,” Leroy said, studying me with skeptical eyes.

“Yup,” I said.

The two of us were in the sitting room of my quarters. It was a comfortable space with outdated, but luxurious, furniture and hunting related decor. Weapons hung from the walls, a bear fur rug on the floor, and various animal body parts that served as hunting trophies. A portrait of Great Grand Uncle Coleman even hung above the fireplace.

It was a bit much, but I hadn’t had time to change it to my tastes. Rather, I hadn’t spared the time to do so. I was surprised there wasn’t a stuffed animal head mounted on a wall. Then again, if there had been, I would have removed it. The thought of a glassy-eyed animal head staring at me as I tried to relax was not my idea of fun.

A fire roared in the fireplace, warming the place up. It wasn’t necessary, since the rooms of Sturm Hill Hall were enchanted to warm up or cool down as the inhabitants needed, but I liked the feeling.

After I restored my First Circle and the storm passed, Leroy and I climbed down from the roof of Sturm Hill Hall. The first thing I did was reassure the servants that everything was all right. Unlike Leroy, they hadn’t seen me as I restored my First Circle, so they had no idea that I had anything to do with the storm. To them, it came out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast. They were understandably more than a little worried.

It took some time, probably because I was dripping wet at the time, but eventually I managed to calm everyone down. After that, I ordered Leroy to get changed and meet me in my quarters. As he did that, I went to my quarters to do the same and headed to my sitting room, bringing with me my gift for Leroy.

I also had a servant bring mulled wine. While it was a winter drink, it was one of my favorites and I wanted to celebrate.

Leroy joined me soon after, and I explained to him everything. Well, not everything, but I explained the most relevant bits. I told him about my reincarnation and the unique form of magic I knew about, aka cultivation. While I didn’t tell him I had been an Immortal, my words did imply that I had been a powerful individual before my death.

I figured I could have gotten away with some bullshit explanation, maybe claiming that I had been blessed by my storm dragon ancestor, but I wanted to get Leroy on my side and on board with my plans. The best way to do that, by my estimation, was to be open and honest with him. Especially with the reward I had planned for him.

That said, the truth was just as outlandish and fantastical. A young lord with the soul of a powerful Otherworlder, who regained his memories after a near death experience. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.

While I explained things to Leroy, I lounged in my chair drinking some of the mulled wine while he remained standing, too agitated to sit. At least he recovered enough from his shock to listen to my explanation. When I finished, he remained silent for several minutes afterwards, digesting my words.

“That is…” he started to say, before pausing. “I find all this difficult to believe.”

Thankfully, belief in reincarnation was widespread on Lumina, otherwise convincing Leroy would be impossible, not merely difficult.

“How else do you explain everything I’ve done so far?” I asked. “My superhuman physique, restoring my First Circle, my martial skills. They’re all a result of my Otherworlder memories.”

Leroy frowned as I said this, unable to come up with a reasonable alternative.

“Possession,” he said. “But you already swore an oath that you were Lord Gabriel Sturm.”

“Yes,” I said. “I did. I am Lord Gabriel. This soul is mine. This body is mine. I just unlocked the memories of two of my previous lives after my duel with the Otherworlder.” I smirked. “Who says there aren’t benefits to almost dying?”

Once again, Leroy fell silent for several minutes.

“Are you really Lord Gabriel then?” he asked. “I still find it difficult to believe you, but if you have memories from another life, doesn’t that make you someone else?”

I shook my head, before taking a sip of my mulled wine. It warmed my throat and my stomach. Ah, good stuff.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Who we are, who we really are, isn’t limited to our thoughts, memories, and experiences. We are much more than that.” I shrugged. “That said, it’s not like our memories and experiences have no effect on us. As you said, I was an arrogant ass before I regained the memories of my past lives.

“Besides, I still have my memories as Lord Gabriel. I love my family, and I am loyal to my House. While my past lives are important to me, this life is more important.”

Leroy nodded, looking lost in thought. I took another sip of my mulled wine.

“Suppose I do believe you, young master,” he said. “Why are you telling me all this? I am not a true member of House Sturm. I am a simple retainer. Why reveal your secrets like this?”

I smirked when he said this.

“I doubt you are just a simple retainer, but I digress,” I said. “I told you because you were already suspicious of me because of the way I’ve been acting. I figured it would be better to tell you the truth in order to avoid any misunderstandings, like that possession nonsense earlier. I also thought it was the best way to keep you from telling my parents anything before I am ready to reveal the truth to them.”

His eyes narrowed when I said that.

“And are you going to, young master? Tell them the truth that is.”

“Of course,” I said with a snort. “I hadn’t planned on keeping this a secret from them forever. Only for as long as it takes for them to take me seriously. You’ve seen what I can do, and you have trouble believing me. How do you think my parents would react if I told them the truth now? They would either send me to the Tower of Magic to have me examined, or worse, have the Church of the Sun’s inquisitors take me away. I can’t let either of those things happen, not if I’m going to help restore House Sturm’s glory.”

I raised my hand and summoned a little ball of wind. Water joined it, followed soon after by lightning, until it looked like a miniature storm raged in my palm. Ancestors, it felt good to use magic again.

“The first step is to convince my parents to take me seriously. To do that, I need proof to back up my words. Restoring my First Circle is a good start, but it isn’t enough. I need to show my parents that cultivation is the key to reversing our House’s decline. Having access to a form of power that no one else has will give us the edge we need. I need to show them that cultivation is just as powerful as magic, and in some ways, better. That is why I came all the way out here, so I can cultivate without interference or prying eyes.”

When I finished, Leroy didn’t respond for a long time. He watched me with steady eyes, his face difficult to read.

“Is that all you want, young master?” he asked. “Is that the only reason why you’re doing all of this?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I have my own plans and ambitions as well, but they don’t conflict with House Sturm’s interests.”

Ambitions which included achieving immortality again, which was a long ways off.

Leroy studied me for a few seconds longer, before nodding his head.

“Very well, young master,” he said. “I will aid you in this. I will keep your secrets for now.” His expression hardened. “However, if I find out that you’ve lied to me and that you plan to harm House Sturm in any way, I will not hesitate to cut you down.”

I grinned as he said this.

“Good. I expected nothing less of you. I don’t know how House Sturm ended up with a retainer like you, but I am grateful that we did.” I stood up and walked over to a nearby table where two manuals rested. These were my gifts for Leroy. “Such loyalty deserves to be rewarded.”

I picked up the manuals and held them out to Leroy. He took the manuals, though he seemed leery of them.

“What are these?” he asked.

“Primers for spiritual cultivation and body cultivation,” I said. “Think of them as the equivalent of mana formulas. They contain the techniques I think would suit you best. With their help, you should be able to reach the Energy Condensation stage of spiritual cultivation and the First Rank of body cultivation with relative ease.”

He started at this, and stared at the manuals.

The spiritual cultivation primer was for the Soul of the Mountain cultivation technique. Practitioners of this technique became like immortal mountains, strong and unyielding, whose peaks can pierce the heavens. The primer for body cultivation was for the Spirit Warrior technique. This was a simple, but powerful, technique that used spirit energy to refine the body.

I picked these two after studying Leroy body and soul with my divine sense. Everyone was different, and no cultivation technique was suitable for everyone.

“You saw how strong I was when facing Loudmouth, and that was just with body cultivation,” I said. “Imagine what I can do now that I’ve restored some of my magic. When I begin my spiritual cultivation, I will be even stronger. That same strength can be yours, if you so choose.”

Leroy stared at the manuals, before giving me a stunned look.

“You would share something like this with a mere retainer like me?” he asked in disbelief.

I could understand his disbelief. Part of the reason why minor nobles became retainers for the Houses, besides the pay, was access to special resources as well as access to higher level spells and mana formulas. Like with cultivation techniques, not every mana formula was created equal. Some, like my family’s Storm Dragon Mana Formula, were better than others.

That said, no House would share their most powerful spells and formulas with their retainers. By giving Leroy those manuals, I was giving him the same edge I intended to give to my family.

“Yes,” I said. “As I told you when we first arrived in the Icefall Region, your loyalty to my House deserves to be rewarded.” I nodded to the manuals. “While I’m glad you’re willing to help me and keep my secrets, I would have given those to you regardless. You earned them.”

Leroy looked at me for several seconds, before giving me a deep bow.

“Thank you, young master,” he said. “I will endeavor to be worthy of these gifts.”

He said those words with such sincerity and such earnestness, I felt a little embarrassed. I didn’t think my actions warranted such a response.

I coughed to cover up my embarrassment.

“Don’t thank me just yet,” I said. “I don’t know if those primers will do you any good. You might not have any talent with cultivation at all. Hell, I don’t know if anyone on Lumina besides me can cultivate. I’m using you for a test run.”

I doubted it, but it was a possibility. As for Leroy, I thought he would have at least some talent with cultivation. If nothing else, I figured he would reach the First Rank of body cultivation. He was a warrior with a focus on Earth internal magic after all. If anyone was suited to be a body cultivator, it was someone like him.

“I will make sure not to disappoint you, young master,” Leroy said, still bowing.

“Right,” I said, scratching my cheek. “Make sure to read those manuals carefully before you begin, and come to me if you have any questions.”

Leroy rose from his bow.

“Yes, young master.”

After that, I dismissed Leroy. After he was gone, I decided to retire for tonight. It had been an intense day for me, and I needed my rest for tomorrow. Now that I had restored my magic, it was time to go hunting. I needed to collect some parts for my sword after all.

***

I crouched on top of a large boulder, surveying my surroundings. The trees of Gloom Mist Forest formed a thick canopy above me, blotting out most of the sunlight. Very little made it through down here. It was noon, or close to it, but it seemed closer to evening. The air in the forest also felt chilly, despite it being the middle of summer.

The ambient mana in the environment was much higher than I expected. I wondered if the storm that occurred when I restored my First Circle had anything to do with it. Such things weren’t impossible, or even improbable.

Mist surrounded me. It coated the forest floor, reducing visibility and making it more difficult to navigate through Gloom Mist Forest. At least, it would be more difficult if I didn’t have divine sense.

My divine sense gave me a much clearer picture of my surroundings. Gloom Mist Forest teemed with life. From the trees to the undergrowth to the many animals that made the forest their home. Unfortunately, even with my divine sense, I saw neither hint nor sign of my intended quarry.

I had spent the last three days searching for Inferno Wolves in Gloom Mist Forest. At first I had wanted to wait until I formed my dantian to go hunting for magic beasts, but after spending a little over three weeks cooped up in Sturm Hill Hall, I decided that a little hunting would be good for me. I figured I’d start with Inferno Wolves, since I needed their bones for my magic sword and they were said to roam Gloom Mist Forest.

To my disappointment and frustration, they were much more difficult to find than I had realized. According to my research, while they were an uncommon magic beast, especially this far north, they weren’t particularly rare.

That said, perhaps my research was outdated. The book I used for reference was a century old.

Not counting the books I brought along with me, the library at Sturm Hill Hall was sparse and barren. Great Grand Uncle Coleman had not been an avid reader. However, what books I did find in the library contained a lot of information on the various animals and magic beasts that could be found within the Icefall Region.

One of those books included a section on Inferno Wolves. As their name suggested, they were a type of magic beast with an affinity for Fire. Thankfully, this didn’t mean they could breath fire or use Fire magic. They were too weak for that. It just meant that they had resistance to fire, emitted a lot of heat, and their body parts were useful for creating Fire enchantments.

Like all magic beasts, they were tougher and stronger than humans. Individually, however, they weren’t that powerful. They were the equivalent of a First Circle wizard with two threads at most. However, like regular wolves, they roamed in packs. This made them much more dangerous. Most adventurers hunted them down in groups of three or four to minimize the risks.

With my magic and my body cultivation, I felt confident in my ability to deal with regular Inferno Wolves. Even a pack of two or three wouldn’t be too much trouble. If I found myself in over my head, I could just run away.

Alpha Inferno Wolves were another story. They were bigger and stronger than their lesser counterparts. They could breathe magical Fire and use weaker Fire magic. They also tended to lead large packs of Inferno Wolves, which made them even more dangerous. In terms of strength, they were equal to First Circle wizards who had five threads.

If I ran into an Alpha Inferno Wolf, even one on its own as unlikely as that was, then my best option would be to run. There was no way I would be able to beat one of them, not without sustaining serious injuries.

If I brought Leroy along, I would have nothing to fear. However, Leroy wasn’t with me. I hunted alone. Since I thought hunting would be a good opportunity to stretch my figurative muscles and test my skills, I decided to go hunting for the Inferno Wolves by myself.

Leroy wasn’t happy about that of course. He was my watchdog, but he was also my bodyguard. Letting me traipse around in the woods by myself was in direct contrast to his responsibilities. It took a lot of cajoling on my part to get him to agree to it.

In the end, I told him that I didn’t want to be a greenhouse flower, spoiled and weak. If I was going to grow stronger, I needed to face some dangers and hardships on my own. It helped when I promised to stay within the outer reaches of Gloom Mist Forest. That finally convinced him, though it was clear that he had misgivings. If something happened to me on his watch, my father would punish him.

Not that Leroy had anything to worry about. During the three days I spent hunting, I found no magic beasts at all, let alone any Inferno Wolves. Despite my best efforts, which included using as much of my divine sense as my current limits allowed, I only found mundane flora and fauna. I found no magic beasts or magical plants at all. It was annoying.

Of course, I also found plenty of mist. There was no shortage of that.

Then again, I had stayed within the outer reaches of the Gloom Mist Forest. If I headed deeper in, my chances of finding Inferno Wolves were much higher. However, I was reluctant to do that, and not just because of my promise to Leroy. The deeper into the forest I went, the closer I went to the Icefall Mountains, the more dangerous it became.

While I was reckless at times, I wasn’t stupid. I knew my limitations. In my current state, heading deeper into Gloom Mist Forest carried significant risk. I didn’t know if the rewards I would get would be worth that risk. Yes, I wanted my magic sword, but I also didn’t want to seriously injure myself or die in the process.

Right now I was a First Rank body cultivator and a First Circle wizard who had one thread. I didn’t want to risk going deeper into Gloom Mist Forest until I grew stronger. Unfortunately for me, I wouldn’t be able to form any more threads for my magical cultivation. Rather, I already formed them into my Second Circle, which was still shattered.

This meant that I was stuck as a First Circle wizard with one thread until I fixed my Second Circle, which was a long term project. It would take me months to restore my Second Circle. If I wanted to get stronger in the short term, I would need to focus on spiritual cultivation and body cultivation.

Perhaps it would be better to come back later. I couldn’t keep wandering around in the woods. Plus, I had to head back to the Adventurers Guild in order to pick up a gig. It had been almost a month since I joined, and according to Guildmaster Sinclair, adventurers at my rank needed to do one gig a month in order to keep their membership. I only had a few days left.

I supposed I could pay the fine if I missed the deadline, but I didn’t want to do that. Not only was it a waste of money, but I had no doubt that some asshole would make a snide remark about spoiled House brats playing adventurer. That was something I didn’t want to deal with.

As I sat on my perch and considered heading back to Sturm Hill Hall for the day, something brushed against the edges of my divine sense. It was some kind of spirit, from the feel of it. At first I considered leaving it alone, since I wasn’t here for spirits, but then I took a closer look and saw what kind of spirit it was.

My heart rate sped up as excitement filled me. Unless I was mistaken, that spirit was a priceless treasure, one that would be a great boon to my cultivation. I needed to acquire it.

However, even as I thought that, three more forms brushed against the edge of my divine sense. They chased after the spirit. When I took a closer look at them, a smile stretched across my lips.

Inferno Wolves.

Well now, today was my lucky day. A priceless treasure, and three of the very kind of magic beast that I had been looking for. The heavens were smiling on me.

At the same time that I sensed it, the spirit sensed me as well. A thin thread of spirit sense emerged from it and brushed against my divine sense. Through that thread, it sent me a message consisting of a single word.

Help.

Through our tentative connection, I felt the spirit’s panic and fear and desperation. It was on its last legs. It begged me for help from the bottom of its heart. If I didn’t do anything, the Inferno Wolves were going to catch the spirit soon. When that happened, it would die.

I couldn’t let that happen. Even if this spirit wasn’t a priceless treasure, there was no way I could ignore such a heartfelt plea for help.

Without hesitation, I jumped down from the boulder and ran in the direction of the spirit.