Gabriel woke with a sharp intake of breath, his mind replaying the words of the prisoner he had spoken to the night before.
"If you grow into someone worthy of commanding me, then perhaps one day I will kneel."
The man's voice was still lodged in his head like a challenge. Gabriel sat up, eyes burning with intensity.
"I need strength. Now. No excuses."
The thought of weakness curdled his stomach. He refused to remain the same fragile boy mocked by siblings and ignored by his father. From this moment, there would be no distractions.
He ignored breakfast. He ignored the light filtering through the windows. He shut himself in, drawing curtains tight and locking the door. Cross-legged on his bed, he focused his breath and pulled at the streams of blue energy whispering through the air.
Hours passed. Sweat rolled down his back. His stomach growled angrily, but he refused to yield.
A knock came at the door."Gabriel?" a soft voice called. Daisy. His younger sister. "You did not come for breakfast. Are you ill?"
Another voice, gentle yet firm, followed. His mother. "My son, open the door. We are worried."
Gabriel's chest tightened, but he forced his voice into a cold edge."I am fine. Do not disturb me."
Silence. Then Daisy's soft sniffle reached him. His hand trembled for a moment—but before his resolve could crack, a new presence joined them.
Samuel. His biological elder brother.
"Gabriel." Samuel's voice was calm, carrying none of the disdain their half-siblings often laced into his name. "It is unkind to worry your mother and sister so. They care for you. Do not treat them as strangers."
Gabriel shut his eyes. He wanted to push them away, to prove he could stand alone. But Samuel's words gnawed at him. His brother had always been the rare one who showed him quiet kindness.
"I… am fine," Gabriel said again, his tone softer. "I am not hungry. Tell Mother and Daisy not to worry. I only need time."
There was a pause. Then Samuel's sigh carried faint relief."Very well. We will respect your space. But remember—strength is nothing without bonds. Do not shut us out forever."
Their footsteps faded, leaving Gabriel alone once more. He exhaled, shaking his head.
"Forgive me, Brother. But right now… I have no time for bonds. Only power."
He returned to cultivation, dragging threads of energy into his core. Hours blurred into an unbroken trance. His breathing slowed. His heartbeat thundered. The world narrowed into a single flow of mana.
Blue energy began to circle around him, swirling like a storm contained within flesh. Symbols flickered faintly in the air, unbidden, as though reality itself recognized his transformation.
The sun dipped low. Shadows stretched long.
And then—
BOOM.
His aura exploded outward, a blast of icy blue rippling across the chamber.
Gabriel gasped, his body trembling as he opened his eyes. His vision was sharper. His muscles taut. His very skin hummed with energy.
The system chimed.
[System Panel]
Name: Gabriel Ashford
Realm: Novice Rank – High Stage
Health: 120/120
Stamina: 120/120
Strength: 19 (+7)
Agility: 20 (+7)
Endurance: 18 (+7)
Spirit: 23 (+7)
Mana: 20 (+10)
Affinity: Water/Ice (Awakened)
Skills: God's Eye, Subjugate, System Inventory
Techniques: Eternal Frost Scripture, Glacial Mirror Aegis
SUBJUGATED:Dungeon Rat, Cave Lizard
(New Technique Acquired:Glacial Mirror Aegis
A defensive dome formed of crystallized mana.
Consumes mana proportionally to the force of attack.
Capable of reflecting up to 3 attacks per day back to the sender. Limit increases with mastery.
Can remain active indefinitely as long as it is fed mana.
Reflection consumes significant energy, scaling with attack strength.)
Gabriel's eyes widened.
"This… this is insane."
Most novices laboured six months—sometimes years—just to crawl from low rank to mid rank. And he had ascended to the very peak of Novice Rank in a matter of days. If anyone heard him grumbling about speed, they would cough blood in envy.
Yet what stunned him most was the technique.
Casting the Aegis
He felt it imprinted in his memory. His body knew what to do, though he had never learned. His hand twitched, eager.
"Glacial Mirror Aegis."
His voice resonated with mana, and his hand rose, glowing faintly. Like a quill dipped in liquid light, his finger wrote in the air. Lines of blue traced themselves into existence, symbols curling into a perfect glyph.
The glyph pulsed.
WHOOSH.
A dome of shimmering ice-light erupted around him, transparent yet solid as crystal. His breath caught.
Testing, he tossed a pebble at it. The dome flared, blocking the strike at the cost of only a wisp of mana. Then he hurled a surge of energy—the dome flared brighter, siphoning far more.
Finally, he willed it. The dome rippled, mirrored his energy back—and the blast slammed into his chest, sending him stumbling.
He laughed, breathless, exhilarated.
"A shield that can turn blades into their owner's doom… Heaven itself favours me."
The glyph remained burned into his mind. Others struggled decades to master even the strokes of such casting. For him, it was as natural as breathing.
Hunger's Call
But the technique's drain was merciless. His mana ran low, and soon hunger growled so fiercely he could not focus. With a grimace, Gabriel let the dome dissolve and stood.
"Fine. A meal, then cultivation again."
The Guests
Descending to the dining hall, he froze at the sight before him. His father, King Orion, sat stiff-backed at the head of the table. Beside him was Minister Harridan, a sharp-eyed man draped in silks. And next to him—his daughter, Evelyn Harridan. Gabriel's betrothed.
Evelyn's gaze flicked to him, then away with a faint curl of disgust—and something like guilt.
Gabriel ignored it. He strode to his seat and immediately began to eat, shovelling food with little grace but quiet efficiency. His family watched him, expecting the usual desperate glances at Evelyn, the awkward attempts to win her approval.
But this time… nothing.
King Orion's voice cut through the tension."Gabriel. Minister Harridan has come to discuss… your engagement."
The room hushed. Everyone leaned forward.
Gabriel did not look up from his plate. "Oh?"
Minister Harridan cleared his throat. "My daughter… wishes to annul the betrothal. We believe it is for the best."
Gabriel raised his head slightly, eyes flat. "Alright."
Shock rippled through the hall. Evelyn blinked, confused. His biological family's hearts ached with pity. His step-siblings smirked, expecting a scene.
Instead, Gabriel calmly accepted the annulment form, scrawled his signature, and returned to eating.
"Also," Minister Harridan added cautiously, "Evelyn will be betrothed instead to David Ashford, your fifth brother."
Gabriel looked up, meeting David's eyes. Handsome, talented, a genius in his own right. Gabriel smiled faintly.
"Okay," he said, almost absentmindedly, and returned to his food.
The dining table fell silent.
Gabriel finished, chuckled softly to himself, and rose. "I am full. Thank you." He bowed lightly and left the hall, his steps steady and unhurried.
Evelyn's Pursuit
Evelyn's face burned with shame and anger. How dare he? The Gabriel she knew should have been broken, begging, raging. But this… indifference?
She shot up, chasing him down the corridor."Gabriel!"
He paused, turning just enough to face her.
Her voice trembled. "How can you act like this means nothing? Do you not care?"
Gabriel's eyes were calm, distant, colder than she remembered."I am tired of chasing those who never cared for me. If you did not love me, then why should I fight for chains?"
Her breath caught. For a moment, she felt as if something precious had slipped from her grasp.
But Gabriel had already turned away."Live your life, Evelyn. I will live mine."
He walked back to his chamber, leaving her rooted in the corridor, torn between rage and an emptiness she could not name.
Alone Again
Gabriel shut his door behind him, leaning against the wood with a grin. His heart raced—not for Evelyn, not for lost love, but for the power now burning in his veins.
Let them think me broken. Let them scorn. When the time comes, all will kneel.
He sat cross-legged again, blue light gathering at his fingertips.
"Glacial Mirror Aegis," he whispered, eager to test his new weapon once more.
The chains were breaking.
His path had only begun.