Several servants hurriedly helped Trum back onto his feet.
The middle-aged man's body trembled violently from pain, one hand clutching his chest while the other gripped a servant's shoulder for support. Blood still stained the corner of his lips.
His breathing was rough.
But his consciousness remained clear.
And inside that clarity, rage surged violently.
He still couldn't process what had just happened.
Ray Dafelix?
That useless young master?
That same person had slammed him into the ground like he was nothing.
The more Trum thought about it, the uglier his expression became.
Normally, Ray would never dare act like this inside the family estate. The guy only acted arrogant outside, bullying people from the lower classes who couldn't fight back.
And honestly, Trum himself was also just a lowly servant.
But the difference was... the one backing him was none other than the second child of the third wife.
Wilona Dafelix.
Jordi and Joanna's older sister.
A woman infamous within the family for being more than a little insane—someone who seemed to have her own personal agenda when it came to Ray.
She was the one who personally arranged for Trum and the other servants to work under Ray, placing them there to monitor him while quietly carrying out whatever hidden plans she had in mind.
Because of that, Ray had never once dared lay a hand on Trum before.
But tonight…
The same Ray… had suddenly gone this far.
Something was wrong with him. Very wrong.
"You alright, Mr. Trum?" one of the maids asked carefully.
Trum clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Do I look alright to you?"
The servant immediately lowered his head.
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
Their previous relaxed atmosphere had vanished completely. The gazebo that had once been filled with laughter now felt heavy and suffocating.
Some of them occasionally glanced toward the lake. Toward Ray.
The young man remained seated calmly on the chair near the water, his eyes closed as though he had completely ignored their existence.
The night breeze brushed gently across his dark hair.
Quiet.
Still.
Yet somehow… that calmness only made him feel even more unsettling.
One of the maids swallowed nervously before speaking in a low voice.
"Should we… report this to the main family?"
The servants exchanged glances for quite a while, uncertainty filling the atmosphere.
Then Trum, still feeling the intense pain spreading through his body, finally snapped.
"Of course!" he shouted angrily. "This needs to be reported!"
Without hesitation, he immediately contacted that terrifying woman.
The call didn't last long.
But by the time it ended, a grim smirk had already spread across Trum's face.
"Hehe…"
His eyes turned cold as he looked toward Ray in the distance.
"You're dead this time… brat."
---
Near the lake, Ray remained motionless.
His eyes stayed closed while the faint sounds of the night echoed quietly around the territory.
Wind. Flowing water. Rustling leaves.
And beyond all of that... mana.
Invisible streams of energy drifted naturally throughout the surroundings, spreading across the world like countless unseen particles.
Some were dense. Some thin. Some calm. Some wild.
Normally, ordinary people could never sense such things directly.
Only those who had awakened their affinity toward mana could truly perceive it.
And at this moment, Ray felt everything clearly.
The surrounding mana slowly gathered around him, drawn toward his body in subtle spirals invisible to the naked eye.
The world he lived in was one where magic had long become part of civilization itself.
For those who had awakened their magical affinity, there were two primary paths available.
Warriors or Mages.
A person's mana affinity, talent, physical constitution, and spiritual nature would determine which category they belonged to.
And from those two primordial foundations, countless class paths branched endlessly.
Warrior-types could develop into various combat-oriented classes such as Martial Artist, Assassin, Tank, Berserker, and countless other variations.
Meanwhile, mage-types evolved toward classes like Elemental Mage, Healer, Summoner, Mancer-type classes, and many more.
Some rare individuals could even possess multiple classes simultaneously depending on their compatibility and talent.
And beyond classes... there were levels.
Every class continuously evolved through repeated growth, shaped by mana quantity, physical attribute development, spiritual refinement, skill mastery, and battle experience.
That was the common understanding of cultivation within this era.
But Ray viewed things differently.
Quantity?
Levels?
Those things mattered.
But they were not absolute.
Quality was what truly determined everything.
Inside his body, mana slowly circulated through his pathways.
Carefully.
Precisely.
Every strand of energy entering his body was compressed repeatedly instead of being absorbed recklessly.
Most awakened individuals pursued larger mana reserves as quickly as possible during the early stages of cultivation.
Ray did the opposite.
He refined. Condensed. Solidified. Again and again.
The process was slow, but the mana gradually transformed into something far denser than normal.
Impurities were stripped away little by little.
The surrounding mana continued flowing toward him naturally as his breathing remained calm and steady.
Several nearby servants unknowingly began feeling slight pressure in the atmosphere.
The air itself felt heavier somehow.
One of the maids rubbed her arms nervously.
"Why does it suddenly feel cold…?"
Nobody answered her.
Because they felt it too.
Meanwhile, Ray calmly observed the condition inside his body.
His current level was still low. Far too low for someone aiming for something as massive as his goal.
His development had stagnated for years because of certain issues tied to this body.
But now…
Everything was different.
This residence area was overflowing with energy.
Even this nearly abandoned territory possessed incredibly rich magical energy, both in quality and quantity.
The mana flowing throughout the surroundings was far denser and purer than what ordinary places could offer.
And with this…
Ray was certain.
The thing he sought... the goal he intended to reach... would eventually become reality.
---
Only two minutes remained.
The atmosphere around the lakeside territory had long turned tense and heavy. None of the servants dared relax anymore, their earlier arrogance completely gone.
Then... footsteps echoed from the direction of the entrance.
A man slowly walked into the territory.
The moment he appeared, the servants instinctively straightened their backs.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered, his physique robust enough to make his expensive black suit look tight around his frame.
The pressure surrounding him carried a distinct smell of blood and violence. A dangerous man.
The servants immediately recognized him.
"Mr. Galan…"
Trum's eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, disappointment flashed across his face after realizing Wilona herself hadn't come.
But that disappointment quickly faded.
Because everyone here knew exactly who this man was.
Galan. Wilona Dafelix's personal bodyguard. And more importantly... the person she trusted the most.
If he came personally, then it meant he carried full authority as Wilona's representative.
The servants instantly became excited again.
"Mr. Galan, Young Master Ray suddenly went crazy!"
"He attacked Mr. Trum out of nowhere!"
"He even threatened to fire all of us!"
The complaints poured out rapidly.
But Galan simply raised one hand.
"Quiet."
His deep voice immediately silenced everyone.
Then his cold gaze shifted toward the figure sitting calmly near the lake. Ray Dafelix.
"Hmph…"
Galan narrowed his eyes slightly.
It had been quite a while since he personally involved himself with Ray's affairs after Trum and the others were assigned to monitor him.
To Wilona, Ray had long become one of her favorite puppets. And tonight, that puppet had suddenly started causing trouble.
The moment one of the maids sent over the recording along with the report, Wilona immediately urged Galan to step in personally.
Which only proved one thing... she was genuinely angry.
"Young Miss Wilona… she's furious," Galan said calmly.
"She ordered me to discipline Young Master Ray properly."
A faint smirk formed on his lips as his gaze lingered on Ray more deeply.
"So he remembers exactly who he belongs to."
The servants immediately looked relieved.
Ray remained seated quietly with his eyes still closed.
Galan slowly approached him.
Step. Step. Step.
But the closer he got, the stranger his expression became.
Something felt… off.
He was clearly looking directly at Ray. There was no doubt about that. And yet strangely... it felt as though he wasn't truly seeing him.
The figure sitting there was clearly Ray. But the aura around him… was different. Deep. Unsettling.
Galan frowned slightly.
But regardless of how strange the feeling was, it changed nothing.
He stopped a few meters away before speaking coldly.
"According to the orders of the Second Child of the Third Madam, Young Miss Wilona…"
"I, Galan, her personal assistant, have been tasked with disciplining the only child of the First Madam, Young Master Ray."
Then... his hand immediately reached toward Ray's shoulder.
At the exact same moment—
tick.
The ten minutes ended.
Slap.
A light sound echoed softly.
Ray casually brushed Galan's hand away without even looking at him.
His eyes slowly opened.
And instantly, the atmosphere changed.
A terrifying pressure spread across the surroundings.
Even Galan's expression shifted slightly.
"There is no such thing…" Ray spoke calmly.
His dark eyes reflected faintly beneath the moonlight.
"…as the daughter of a mistress having authority over the son of a wife."
Silence.
"…let alone the right to discipline him."
The servants froze completely.
Trum's face instantly turned pale.
Mistress.
That word…
Within noble households, it was practically taboo.
Because no matter how respected the second and third wives became, their status would never truly equal the original legal wife of the family.
And Ray… had just openly said it aloud.
Meanwhile, Ray slowly stood up from the chair.
Crack. Crack.
He lightly stretched his body while feeling the mana circulating inside him far more smoothly than before.
The improvement was obvious.
His lips curved slightly in satisfaction.
Then his gaze shifted toward Trum and the others, ignoring Galan for the moment.
"Time's up."
His voice remained calm.
"So… what's your decision?"
Trum and the other servants instinctively took a slight step back. But nobody answered.
Instead, they all looked toward Galan, as if hoping he would give them a way out of this situation.
Galan, however, didn't respond immediately.
He remained standing there silently, his eyes narrowing slightly.
The slap from earlier felt strange. Very strange.
He still believed it was possible for Ray to overpower someone weak like Trum.
But him? That should not have happened so easily. He knew exactly how weak Ray used to be.
So what changed? Did he become stronger? Or am I just imagining things?
The thought lingered quietly inside Galan's mind.
But soon, he regained his composure and walked forward once again.
"Young Master Ray," he said calmly.
"I don't care what kind of issue you have with these people… but the words you said need to be addressed. You clearly crossed the line."
His eyes sharpened.
"How dare you refer to the Third Madam as a mistress."
The servants immediately followed behind him again after seeing Galan take control.
"Exactly! You've gone too far!"
"A useless trash like you dares speak like that?! You should know your place!"
"Yeah… and how dare you try to fire us? Young Miss Wilona and the Third Madam would never allow this!"
Their confidence slowly returned.
Galan stepped forward and stopped directly in front of Ray. And instantly—
Boom.
A heavy pressure spread outward from his body.
Mana surged around him visibly this time, creating an oppressive aura strong enough to make the nearby servants struggle to breathe.
This… was the difference between ordinary people and a true awakened warrior.
"That was a major offense," Galan spoke coldly.
"You committed a taboo within the family."
His gaze darkened.
"In that case. As Young Miss Wilona's representative… I'll personally punish you."
Then... a wooden disciplinary rod suddenly appeared in his hand from nowhere.
Without wasting another second—
WOOSSHH!!
The rod swung directly toward Ray.
Fast.
Heavy.
Merciless.
But then—
"How dare a lowly servant lay his hands on a young master?"
STOP!"
The roar exploded across the entire territory.
Everything froze instantly.
The servants' expressions changed completely.
That voice…
Slowly, everyone turned toward the direction it came from.
And the moment they saw who was standing there... true horror appeared across their faces.