After finishing my work, I left with Callia and her mother to eat. I wasn’t really hungry, but I quickly finished my al before quietly slipping away.
The training grounds were my next destination. The night had fallen, but that wasn’t an obstacle—on the contrary, darkness was my ally.
Since I belonged to the Noctarine clan, my training speed was already ten tis that of an average human. But in the dark? That number doubled again, aning I was progressing at a hundred tis the normal rate.
"But that’s still not enough... not yet."
If I could unlock my bloodline’s seal, my growth would far surpass even that...
I started running, focusing on the flow of mana around , trying to sense it. I spent four hours in deep concentration, combining running with mana absorption, allowing my body to gradually adapt to it.
For another two hours, I began circulating mana inside my body as if it were blood— a training thod yet to be discovered in this world. In fact, no one would uncover it until the realms rged in the future.
Finally, after six hours of nonstop training, let’s open my status window to review my progress.
[Status Window]
Na: Lin Drakil Noctarine
Clan: Noctarine (Partially Sealed)
Age: 13
Level: 6 → 15
Strength: 20 → 80
Agility: 25 → 60
Endurance: 28 → 70
Mana: 100 → 200
Blessing: Not Activated
[Newly Acquired Skills]
Mana Gluttony (F) → An abnormal ability to absorb mana at an extrely fast rate and convert it into internal energy.
Darkness Adaptation (F) → All stats increase by 50% when in a dark environnt.
“This is much better..."
The progress was faster than I expected, and with ti, I could push these numbers to an unreasonable level.
But still, my biggest problem remained.
Escaping This Hell
If I wanted to survive, I had to find a way to get out of here within the next few months. If I stayed in the mansion for too long, I’d beco an exposed target—sothing I absolutely needed to avoid.
Step One: Training with the Knights
These people were my best chance to escape this place, especially since they were set to leave for an exploration patrol in three months. Joining them would be the perfect opportunity compared to the mages, since the Frost family heavily focused on magic, making it dangerous if I stood out too much in that field.
Step Two: Finding a Suitable Training Spot
Fortunately, I rembered sothing from the novel. It is the Hidden Place!
According to what I knew, there was a hidden spot in the back garden. Its exact location wasn’t clear in the story, but it was described as an isolated secret chamber, one that Frosita used often in her childhood.
If I could find it, it might beco the perfect starting point for .
And since I needed a break after my intense training, I decided to walk around the garden, pretending to wander aimlessly. The darkness still lingered, making it easy to move unnoticed.
After a few minutes of searching, I spotted sothing unusual—a small crack between the stones, barely visible.
I stepped closer and cautiously touched the stone... feeling it shift slightly under my hand.
I had found the Hidden Place!
But before I could do anything...
An Unexpected Encounter
"Where do you think you’re going?" A voice asked.
I froze in my place.
The voice was calm, devoid of emotion, yet it carried sothing else... sothing that sent a cold chill down my spine.
Slowly, I turned around.
There, standing in the darkness, was Frosita.
I hadn’t heard her approach. I hadn’t even sensed her presence—almost as if she had been there all along, silently watching.
"Shit... When did she get here?"
She stared at for a mont before speaking again, her voice just as cold:
"The things I touch... no one else is allowed to take them."
A cold sweat ford on my forehead.
Her other personality wasn’t supposed to awaken for another two months... but this way of speaking... this possessiveness...
"Has her split personality already started?!"
She suddenly moved forward, walking toward instead of away. I didn’t move, but with every step she took, I felt an invisible pressure paralyze my limbs.
Then, she stopped right in front of —too close.
"Lin..."
She whispered my na, then slowly raised her hand. For a mont, I thought she was going to touch my face, but instead, her fingers stopped at my neck as if asuring sothing.
Then, she pressed lightly.
A cold sensation spread across my skin. It wasn’t a direct threat... but it wasn’t innocent either.
"You know..."
She whispered in a low voice, her tone smooth yet carrying an unsettling weight.
"There are so things... that people can’t run away from. So people..."
"So people belong to , whether they want to or not."
Then, as if it was just a passing thought, she took two steps back, completely ignoring my shocked expression.
She turned and began walking away, but before she disappeared into the darkness, she glanced back at one last ti.
She smiled— a smile that shouldn’t have existed on the face of the normal Frosita.
"Ah, by the way..."
"Don’t try to escape from my sight, Lin.
Because in the end... you belong to ."
Damn it... Her split personality has begun!
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