The moment of parting was almost here. Still, Leo couldn’t take his eyes off the little white cauldron.
"Father, what is that?"
"This is a Lodestar Stove. Your father’s gift to you."
Corvin began to explain.
"There are many kinds of Spiritual Stoves. Each has its own traits and its own category. But the stronger the stove, the greater the price of using it."
"Among the seventy-four kinds, this Lodestar Stove ranks sixty-eighth. But in rarity, it’s in the top ten."
---
"Everything about how to use it is in the book I gave you. Put simply, the Lodestar Stove has no power to attack and no power to defend."
"But it helps your Spiritual Energy training."
"It’s counted among the top twenty Spiritual Stoves. And it can evolve at least three times."
"For knights, its benefit is huge. While using it, you can pull your enemy’s attacks toward yourself."
"Then the enemy can only strike you, never your companions. Until you die, or until you shut your own Lodestar Stove off, the enemy’s target will only be you."
---
"Maybe you can’t understand this strange effect yet. But later you’ll realize how amazing it is."
"Its biggest strength is that using it puts no burden on your body. And it uses very little Spiritual Energy."
"Most importantly, it won’t get in the way of absorbing other Spiritual Stoves later. That’s why I chose it as your first stove."
"I only hope you like this gift."
"What other abilities it gives after it evolves, even your father doesn’t know. All I can say is, try to find out for yourself."
---
"One more thing. Always remember, Spiritual Stoves are not almighty."
"The strongest stove isn’t always the right one. Every stove in the top ten comes with a heavy price for its user. Some prices are truly hard to bear."
"With Spiritual Stoves, it’s not true that more is always better. Before you decide to take a new stove, think very carefully."
Corvin’s voice was deeply serious. Every word came from his own experience.
"Father, how many Spiritual Stoves can one person blend with?"
---
Corvin shook his head.
"I don’t know. In theory, there’s no limit. But Spiritual Stoves clash with each other easily."
"If that happens, there can be mortal danger during the blending."
"The record so far is five Spiritual Stoves blended at once. I myself have blended with three. But having more stoves isn’t always good."
"And if you want your stove to evolve, you’ll have to keep working incredibly hard."
"After a few evolutions, a single stove can be stronger than many stoves put together that never evolved."
"That’s it. I’ve told you the most important basics."
"And Leo, don’t forget what your mother said. No matter the situation, protect yourself first."
---
With that, Corvin raised his left hand and placed it on Leo’s chest.
In that moment, a hazy golden glow spread all around his body. Leo couldn’t move.
Corvin’s left hand flashed. Four lights appeared on Leo’s chest.
Leo felt like something was pushing into his body. His Spiritual Energy flared up and began circling around his father.
With his right hand, Corvin pulled Leo closer. Then he carefully cut a little skin from the tip of Leo’s finger.
A single drop of blood came out.
The fresh blood floated through Corvin’s Spiritual Energy and dropped right onto the Lodestar Stove.
---
At that moment, a soft white glow rose from the little cauldron. It grew brighter and brighter.
Then a beam of white light shot out and reached Leo’s chest.
A warm feeling raced through every pore of his body.
His swirling Spiritual Energy scattered, as if it were an intruder in his own body.
With the white glow, the little cauldron slowly floated up to the height of Leo’s chest.
And then, slowly, it sank into his body.
---
The feeling that had started as warmth suddenly turned so fierce and burning, like a hot iron rod had been pushed into him.
"Ahh!"
A cry of pain burst from Leo.
When Elena heard her son scream, she panicked. She ran out of the wooden cabin toward him.
But luckily, the burning didn’t last long.
A few breaths later, the little white Spiritual Stove had vanished.
A thin white glow rose from Leo’s body.
The surface of his skin slowly turned a smooth, jade-like color.
---
Leo could feel the power of that blazing energy spreading through his chest.
It had spread into every corner of his body. Even into his mind.
Within that warm energy were countless mysterious energies. They poured into his mind.
All his senses woke up. Leo stood as straight as a mountain peak. His body glowed with white light.
His chest shone especially bright. A small mark of the Spiritual Stove had begun to appear there.
The Lodestar Stove was blending with Leo.
Using Leo’s fresh blood and his Spiritual Energy as the link, it was becoming part of the essence of heaven and earth, part of Leo’s body.
The most basic requirement for blending with a Spiritual Stove was reaching the start of the third stage of the knight path. Two hundred Spiritual Energy.
Leo had passed that line long ago.
---
Corvin stood where he was. He watched his son in silence.
Slowly, something like sadness began to show in his eyes.
Elena quietly walked over to him. She took his hand, and her tears wouldn’t stop.
"Do we really have to leave Lolo?"
"I... I don’t feel right about this. From childhood until today, he has never been apart from me."
Corvin held her close.
"Don’t worry. I’ve made the safest plan for him."
"If he stays with us, he’ll never become a real man."
"The clash between us and the Ashmaw Horde will only get harder with time."
"With such a powerful natural gift, our son will one day be a main pillar of the Temple Alliance."
"If you truly love him, let him spread his wings. Let him fly free in the sky."
---
"That pact... do you really have to fulfill it?"
Tears spilled from Elena’s eyes.
She knew clearly that this was the biggest reason her husband had to leave their son behind.
A firm light rose in Corvin’s eyes.
"Warrior Dravek and I can’t avoid this."
"I’ve waited a long time for it. If we can be rid of it, it would be a blessing for all of humanity."
"Don’t worry. For both your sakes, I’ll do everything I can to come back alive."
---
Everything looked just as it had before.
Only now, there was no one else’s shadow there.
Leo stood for a long time, lost and confused. His heart was completely unsettled.
*Thud!*
He dropped to his knees. His tears fell fast.
They had been gone only a few moments.
But right now, he felt like he was the only one left in the whole world.
On his chest, the new mark of the Lodestar Stove pulsed once, softly, like a heartbeat.