"William's condition looks fine on the outside, but inside, his body is absorbing an abnormal amount of ambient mana from the atmosphere. This might soon reach a critical point for your child."
Aryan remained silent for a moment. "So, you are saying it will be a problem in the future?"
Alina shook her head. "No, there is a much bigger problem right now. The mana he absorbs from the atmosphere, along with the refined mana you are feeding him, is being siphoned away deep inside his body. Only a tiny fraction is actually used to sustain him. I am telling you now, even after years of diagnosing him, I am unable to trace where all this mana is vanishing."
She paused. "As you know, every living thing has a unique mana signature. Because both of you refine the mana before feeding it to him, he has been able to survive this long."
Taking a deep breath, Alina looked him in the eye. "I think you need to start physically training his body from now on. I don't know why he absorbs so much mana, but I doubt it's healthy." She didn't tell him the harsh truth 'if William didn't stop absorbing mana, he might die. She knew Aryan would only panic even more.'
Understanding the gravity of her words, Aryan agreed to train his son. He thanked her, gathered his family, and they departed the mansion together.
From the mansion's window, Alina watched Aryan's family board a waiting carriage. She turned to her maid. "I am going to the library. Prepare a bath for me."
The maid nodded and slipped out of the room.
Alina couldn't stop thinking about William's diagnosis. In the quiet of the library, she pulled out a grimoire titled Bloodline Evolution—an ancient text detailing the different bloodlines of humans and monsters, and the methods to awaken them. She suspected there was a chance William's bloodline was undergoing a rare mutation.
She flipped to a chapter titled The Four Requirements for Bloodline Evolution:
1. The body must possess no bloodline, or a very weak one.
2. The body must survive extreme, life-or-death conditions.
3, The body must absorb a massive amount of ambient mana.
Just as she was about to read the fourth condition, her maid called out from the hallway. "Madam, your bath is ready." Reluctantly, Alina closed the grimoire and left the library. After washing up, she headed to the clinic to tend to the patients waiting for her healing.
Meanwhile, Aryan's carriage arrived at his house. After paying the driver, the family went inside. Since it was still early afternoon, Aryan sent his son out to play with the other village children.
Once William was safely out of earshot, Selena turned to Aryan. "What happened? What did she say?"
Aryan recounted everything Alina had told him. After a few minutes of heavy silence, Selena asked, "So... are you going to train him?"
"Yeah. We have no other choice."
With the decision made, Selena began preparing lunch. Aryan gathered his gear and headed out to patrol the forest, keeping watch for the village's safety and any signs of an approaching beast tide.
Deep in the forest, an hour into his patrol, Aryan noticed an unnatural gathering of monsters. Slipping into the shadows, he watched from a distance.
A massive creature emerged from a dark cave. As it stepped into the light, every monster in the clearing—including a deadly Shadow-Stalker—bowed in submission. There were at least a thousand beasts gathered, all kneeling before a single Saber-Tooth Tiger.
Low, rumbling growls echoed through the clearing as the Saber-Tooth communicated with the horde in the beast tongue. Observing their coordinated movements, Aryan's worst suspicions were confirmed: they were organizing a beast tide.
He sensed the Saber-Tooth Tiger's aura; its cultivation realm was only one level below his own. Even so, Aryan didn't dare attack. Beasts always held an innate physical advantage over humans, and fighting a thousand of them alone was suicide.
Once the Saber-Tooth Tiger retreated into its cave, Aryan slipped away silently and raced back to warn the village.
Half an hour later, he dashed through the village gates and headed straight for the Village Chief's home.
Marcus, the chief, was a hundred and fifty years old, an Intermediate Realm warrior who still held immense influence over Oakhaven. When Aryan delivered the grim news, the chief immediately ordered him to gather all the villagers in the main street.
Once the crowd assembled, Marcus raised his voice. "Everyone, your attention, please! What I have to say is a matter of life and death, so listen closely. There is a high chance a beast tide will strike our village in just a few days."
A wave of panicked muttering swept through the crowd. People stepped forward to ask questions, but the chief raised a hand to silence them. "We do not have time for fear! I need everyone to prepare."
He swiftly divided the village into task forces. Some were assigned to stockpile food and cook rations, others to reinforce and guard the gates, and the healers were instructed to prepare medical supplies for the wounded.
With the preparations underway, Marcus retreated to his quarters with Aryan, Alina, and a few senior council members. The elderly chief sank into his chair, looking every bit of his hundred and fifty years.
"Is there any beast out there stronger than you, Aryan?" the chief asked quietly.
"There is none," Aryan replied.
Marcus let out a breath he had been holding, but his relief was cut short.
"However," Aryan continued, "there is a Saber-Tooth Tiger leading them. Its cultivation is only a level below mine, but it has a terrifying presence."
Marcus frowned. "Should we ask the City Lord to send cultivators?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Aryan said. "The City Lord will demand heavy compensation, which will leave Oakhaven in a massive debt we can't repay."
From the corner of the room, Alina watched Aryan, her mind still turning over a quiet mystery: Why had Aryan never once visited the city since moving to Oakhaven? Before she could voice her thoughts, another council member spoke up.
"You make a fair point, Aryan, but we can't gamble the lives of our youth just to avoid a debt. What are you proposing we do?"
"I am going to face the Saber-Tooth Tiger alone," Aryan declared, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The rest of you just need to hold the line against the horde. Ask the City Lord for twenty to thirty cultivators to bolster the gates, nothing more."
"And what about the compensation?" Marcus asked, his eyes heavy with worry. "Especially if the village is destroyed?"