7th Chapter – In the End, the Body is the Asset
#1
There are those in the world who love to boast.
Perhaps people live with such a nature because they all want to stand above others.
They merely keep their mouths shut, wary of social appearances, impending crises, and the jealousy and envy that could return as calamity.
It was the same here.
<Our Venoman family, you see, can transform negative energy into power.>
<Do you know what that feels like? It’s really thrilling! But too bad. You’ll never feel that way in your life.>
Back then, Lawrence didn’t know what that boastful assassin was going on about.
He knew he didn’t have mana and had been cast out of the family, sold off to a research lab, so the man would always ramble on to him.
At least he had someone to talk to, and sometimes he got a chance to get some fresh air, so he quite liked it.
‘But who would have thought it would come back to me like this.’
Lawrence grinned as he stared at the chunk of meat filled with poison.
Listening and empathizing with the assassin’s words back then was now helping him grow.
He activated the artifact inside his body and chanted the trigger word.
[Negative Energy]
[Absorbing the poison.]
Without a mana core, he couldn’t feel the mana flowing.
However, he could see the exact route the mana was taking, so he was able to apply what he had learned from the assassin’s words.
<You have to send mana throughout your entire body, from your fingertips to your toes, and even to the crown of your head. That’s how you lay the foundation for physical growth.>
<Just like this—! Oh, sorry. You wouldn’t know because you don’t have a mana core, right?>
The assassin, who moved so fast that he left afterimages, was a confusing figure. Sometimes it felt like he was here to tease Lawrence, other times to boast.
Recalling those memories, Lawrence guided the mana within him.
[Stored Energy: 500]
[You have reached the maximum storage capacity.]
[To increase storage capacity, a better medium is required.]
As he absorbed all the poison, the meat and vegetables transformed into high-quality ingredients.
Lawrence looked at the mana gathering in his heart and then picked up the ingredients.
‘I’ll need to gradually gather better materials.’
He planned to take these ingredients to Rachel and have her prepare a meal today.
From now on, he realized, he would have to be responsible for all the food supplies here.
Nodding in satisfaction, Lawrence headed towards the kitchen with quick steps.
“Rachel, it’s time to eat.”
“Yes, Young Master. Oh my, you don’t need to instruct me. I’ll handle it myself.”
“From now on, only use the ingredients I bring. Got it?”
“But…”
Lawrence thumped the ingredients down on the table, issuing a stern warning.
No matter how skilled people were in this world, whether they wielded magic, mana, swordsmanship, or aura, poison and curses were universally feared.
And now, he was the one commanding those very poisons and curses.
How much had they been improved, and how much had they been researched?
“Sss, what would you do if there’s poison in here? Listen to me. Understood?”
“Then wouldn’t it be even more necessary for me to step in?”
“Then who’s going to cook the meal?”
“…….”
It was strange logic, but Rachel quietly nodded.
She was a maid, and her top priority was not to offend the master she served.
Although a bit worried, the Young Master had recently been full of vitality and determination, so she felt it would be alright.
‘Madam, the Young Master seems to be growing well.’
Rachel smiled bashfully as she rolled up her sleeves.
After all, she was confident in her steak-cooking skills!
“Alright. I’ll make sure to cook something nutritious so the Young Master can grow strong.”
“Good. Oh, and make another request for daily supplies. I believe… we’ll be having guests soon.”
“Guests?”
It’s human nature to want to check whether a plan is working well or if the enemy has begun to collapse, especially if you’ve devised a wicked scheme.
Medeia must feel the same way, right?
“There’s a trash bin out in the yard, isn’t there?”
“Yes…”
“That’ll be perfect.”
Rachel wore a puzzled expression, not understanding what he meant.
??~.
Lawrence hummed a tune and disappeared somewhere, leaving behind instructions to call him when the meal was ready.
***
#2
Most mages would close their eyes to feel the flow of mana, but not Lawrence.
He watched with open eyes as the mana spread through every part of his body.
The artifact was truly miraculous.
Even without a mana core, it allowed mana to permeate throughout his body.
Crack.
The human body is not perfectly symmetrical.
Muscles that are used more often, posture, habits, genetics…
Due to various factors, the human body grows twisted and unbalanced.
“Ugh, it feels like I’m getting some kind of physical therapy.”
Bones and muscles that had shifted slightly over the past 10 years were returning to their perfect positions.
As the bones twisted and made cracking sounds, they found their rightful place.
Wherever the mana flowed, such phenomena occurred, giving an oddly painful yet refreshing sensation.
[Converted Physical Ability: 500]
[As you grow and train, the converted energy will gradually decrease.]
[As you consume energy, you can store more Negative Energy.]
A kind explanation flashed before his eyes.
If he trained daily and ate well every day, he would eventually achieve the strongest body.
And then once again—replenishment, absorption, growth…
Medeia would be more than happy to send plenty of food supplies and cursed items.
‘That’s why I like this secluded annex.’
Here, I can avoid prying eyes to some extent.
And when guests arrive…
“It’ll be someone with a sharp eye, right? Hmm…”
Well, deceiving them wouldn’t be difficult.
Lawrence laid his body, now as relaxed as if he’d just had a full-body massage, down on the bed.
Now was the time to focus on the growth and training of his body.
‘Artifacts don’t necessarily have to be bound to offensive magic, right?’
A sword imbued with magic, Armor imbued with magic, weighted bags imbued with magic…
All of these are artifacts.
Since his regression, Lawrence found each day to be incredibly exciting.
“Young Master, come down for dinner.”
Just in time, Rachel’s voice called out from outside the door.
As soon as he opened the door, the smell of meat filled the air.
His mouth watered as he instinctively praised her.
“This smells amazing!”
“Doesn’t it?”
Even though it was just the two of them, it felt far more abundant and homely than living alone.
If only his mother were here, it would have been perfect…
But reminiscing about the dead would only bring sadness.
Lawrence thought this as he took a bite of the perfectly grilled steak.
‘First, I’ll get rid of the things that bother me. Then, I’ll either go on an adventure or gather information.’
At the very least, he had to keep the promises made before his regression.
The Guardians’ legacy…
It was like searching for a bottle adrift in the vast ocean.
That could wait for later. For now, I need to focus on growth.
Though I had learned exercise information back on Earth, a more efficient method came to mind.
Sometimes, brute force leads to faster growth.
“Rachel, do we have any letter paper in the house?”
“Of course!”
“When is the carrier pigeon supposed to arrive?”
“Hmm, I think it should arrive tomorrow.”
Lawrence nodded.
Being a great family, they received reports from the caretakers managing each villa, estate, or facility.
Was there a problem? Did they need any supplies? Had there been any incidents or accidents?
For places with communication crystals, they would use those. For others, the carrier pigeons would fly back and forth.
It was the same here.
Thanks to Rachel’s meticulous reporting, they had been receiving just enough support to survive.
Now, it was time to make some requests of their own to the main family.
‘Surely, they’ll accept this much.’
There was a training method Lawrence had taken note of in the past.
Even though they were a mage family, it wasn’t as if they were enemies with knight families.
There were rival families, of course, but there were also families that exchanged information.
Lawrence had heard snippets of information from a family that would later rise to prominence.
If he used that information for his training, he could build a stronger, more perfect body.
Mages had more weaknesses than one might think.
One of them being their fragile bodies.
‘Honestly, it’s because they don’t have the time to invest in other things while studying magic.’
Performing miracles with the human body required extremely precise effort.
But Lawrence didn’t need such studies.
As long as he had space in his artifact capacity, he could use magic without needing to study.
After filling himself with a hearty meal, Lawrence locked himself in his workshop.
“He’s going to stunt his growth if he stays like that…”
After all, children are supposed to be active and energetic.
Rachel worried about Lawrence, who had a smaller build compared to children his age.
***
#3
A few days later.
Crash!
A loud noise came from behind the annex.
Startled by the sound of something breaking, Rachel hurriedly ran outside.
There, Lawrence was smashing the household items he had received as supplies.
“Young Master!?”
“What?”
“Ah, no… Are you hurt?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine. I’m just throwing these out since they’re cracked and unusable.”
Rachel repeatedly told him not to get hurt and then went back inside.
In reality, the broken items were those that had absorbed all the curses.
The quickest way to get new cursed items was to throw these out and request new ones.
Medeia would gladly send them.
Who wouldn’t be pleased when their enemy willingly drinks from a poisoned cup?
After staring at the broken pieces on the ground for a moment, Lawrence headed to the backyard to begin his basic physical training.
Ten years old.
It’s the age when you need a lot of nutritious food and physical activity.
“Hah!”
Within a reasonable limit, he focused on stretching, cardio, and simple bodyweight exercises to build up his basic strength.
After running and exercising all day, a familiar message appeared.
[Dragon Body has grown.]
[Hatchling: 8.1%]
“Whew… At least I’m making steady progress.”
It felt like completing a quest every day.
Seeing visible growth brought an unexpected boost of energy into his life.
He had been fighting unseen battles for so long, and this new sensation was refreshing.
As he was about to head back inside after a day’s workout, Rachel’s voice called out again.
“Young Master! The carrier pigeon has arrived!”
“Let me see.”
“Take your time reading. I’ll go prepare your bathwater.”
After Rachel hurried away, Lawrence carefully unfolded the letter tied to the carrier pigeon.
It was a reply to the letter he had sent a few days ago, with the family head’s seal stamped on it.
[Supply request acknowledged.]
[The materials from the knight family will be sent by messenger.]
[Someone will visit soon. Report to them.]
[-Edward-]
“Good.”
Everything was going according to plan.
A smile lingered on Lawrence’s lips.
—
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