“Eon. Today is the day.”

Looking straight into those serious, red eyes I replied with a small nod.

“Don’t worry, I believe in you so, I will leave it to you.”

With a slightly red face, he smiled and nodded.

“I know. It will be a bit painful as it will be your first time but, afterward… everything will be ok.”

I gave him a small smile and started to open the buttons of my shirt.

He also pulled up his sleeves, revealing an arm with perfectly sculpted mussels.

Sitting down on the floor, where a large white sheet was gently spread out, I closed my eyes.

Putting his rough hand on my small back, he reassured me once again.

“Don’t worry and just leave everything to this awesome daddy!”

A very low, cracking voice escaped my mouth.

“I-if you say so.”

He smirked and started doing his thing.

“Mm~”

A small voice escaped my tightly shut mouth as soon as the warmth entered inside me from behind.

The Mana started to make his way to the center of my body, towards my [Mana Nucleus].

‘I would be able to use (tier-1) magic… very soon.’

The first breakthrough was supposed to be a bit painful as it was the first time a magician’s body was increasing the purity of overall Mana inside the body.

Not every breakthrough increased the Mana purity as much as the first and seventh time.

The first time was to set a foundation and the seventh time was a halfway point to reach a higher realm.

As a new body adapting to foreign energy like Mana, the first breakthrough was nothing compared to the ones after that in terms of power.

But comparatively, the first breakthrough increased the purity of Mana more than the second time and afterward.

So, after the first breakthrough, the individual progress would be faster.

‘I-I… can feel it.’

The Mana inside me was expanding.

Passing throughout my body through various Mana channels.

Helping the Mana was my auxiliary skill.

[Energy Circulation] was guiding the Mana like an old guide, slow, wise and gentle.

Cleaning up some impurities in Mana.

Dad was a spearhead as he showed the path to traveling Mana.

This process silently continued for almost 60 minutes and, suddenly… I felt intense pain between my heart and abdomen where the [Mana Nucleus] was.

It felt like breaking a wall inside my body.

It was a type of pain that I haven’t felt in a long time.

But… it was bearable.

Enduring this physical pain was much easy than those… scars.

As the Mana cleaned some impurities, the purity of Mana was increasing bit by bit.

It was a good thing to have an expert to safely guide the Mana or else… the pain would have been more than this.

And… one more thing to consider that, I was still a child who wasn’t even six years old.

So, even after taking into account that I was a ‘genius’, my physical body might get internal wounds. ．𝗻𝐞𝘁

And… seeing me bleed and suffer in pain would be the last thing both of them could do.

Dad had to discuss everything with mom for two whole days, just to reassure her that he won’t let me get hurt in any way.

‘I could only imagine how much toll he is taking by himself…’

The amount of concentration and mental power required for this was VERY high.

I might be ok after this but, he will definitely have to rest for some time.

If we had let the process go normally and let the body do the work naturally… the current me would not have been able to endure it.

‘Was it a good thing that I awakened myself this early?’

The thought crossed my mind but disappeared in an instant.

I had chosen that path and… I can’t change it.

‘Well, it was a good thing anyways.’

Without it, I wouldn’t be able to do anything that I had happened this past few months.

‘This is getting more pain-‘

“Khu!”

Suddenly, as if a dam was closed, all the Mana stopped moving with a last burst of pain.

The white hue around me slowly started to disappear and the Mana flowing inside my body started feeling slightly warm.

The feeling continued until I felt the hand on my back moving away.

Drenched in sweat, I slowly opened my eyes.

Looking at my hand, I clenched them into a fist.

It was better. I could feel Mana much more clearly than before.

It was a good feeling.

Smiling happily, I turned around to look at my father.

“Dad! We di-!?”

As soon as my eyes fell on where he was supposed to be… my heart sank.

I shouted in a loud, shaking voice.

“D-dad?!”

He was laying on the floor… without a single moment.

I hurriedly tried to stand up but, there was no strength left in my legs.

Not knowing what to do, I just crawled by his side with the support of my shaking hands.

With tears falling from my eyes, I called him out again and again.

But, he didn’t say anything.

I was still in shock but… my mind was clearing up quickly.

Calming myself down after much emotional struggle, I took some deep breaths.

“Huuuu…”

Finally calming myself down, still holding his hand, I tried to check him up.

His breathing was stable, heartbeats too, just… his whole body was covered in more sweat than me.

Especially his forehead.

‘I-I didn’t know it would be this difficult.’

I had no idea how much mental strength you have to consume when doing something like this but… seeing him, it must be a LOT.

I waited for him to regain his consciousness.

I knew that even if it had been much more difficult than expected, he will definitely wake up after a bit.

‘He said to believe in him so, I will do so till the end.’

We had trained together so until he woke up, I wasn’t going to go anywhere else.

And as I knew, his eyes opened slowly after five minutes.

With blurry eyes, he looked at me. Still not properly conscious.

“Dad?”

I looked into those blurry red eyes.

They were worried even though their mind wasn’t clear fully.

“Eon?… Eon!?”

With a sudden shock, he woke up with wide eyes and a shocked face.

“Eon?! Are you okay?”

Holding my face in his large hands, he worriedly checked me from head to toes.

After confirming that everything was ok and even checking my body with some Mana to find anything with my core, he sighed in relief.

“Thank god…”

The exhausted expression returned to his face.

He looked normal from the outside but mentally, he could still be worn out.

With a slight nod, I tried to pull myself up.

And, with much difficulty, I stood up.

Holding his hand, I urged him to lay down on my bed.

He denied for a few times but gave up after seeing my determined eyes.

Even he had no idea that he would faint like that.

He had used much more mental power than expected.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he fall asleep again.

Looking at him with worried eyes, I sighed.

“Looks like he will be fine after resting for some time.”

Nothing to worry about.

Standing up, I left the room to tell mom.

She wouldn’t have heard anything as we had put a sound barrier beforehand.

***

-Click.

Opening the door of mom’s room, I passed through the wooden door.

Mom was sitting on the other side, immersed in her work.

The sunlight from the large window behind her illuminated the whole room.

“Mom…”

As soon as I called her out, she looked forward in surprise.

“Eon!”

She hurriedly stood up and the chair behind her fall backward.

She ran towards me and hugged me tightly.

With watering eyes, she smiled happily.

“Thank god… you are ok.”

She was smiling happily but, I worriedly tried to pull her back.

“Mom… dad, fainted after my successful breakthrough.”

She released and backed off.

With a very confused expression, she asked what I just said.

“Dad just fainted. But, he is ok. I put him to sleep.”

She instantly understood what I was talking about.

Happily shaking her head she reassured me.

“Don’t worry. Your dad will be ok. He’s just overreacting.”

As soon as she said that, we heard another click sound, and the door opened behind us.

“Nolen~…”

It was dad. He walked in a perfect state. As if he was never worn out.

‘Was it acting…? THIS good? From dad!?’

I was shocked and more than that I… was embarrassed.

With a rose-red face, I looked at him.

Mom had a VERY pleased expression on her face.

Now, this… this was a prank. A very VERY bad one.

Dad looked at my angry expression and hurriedly tried to explain himself.

“E-Eon… I didn’t…”

His expression was genuine.

I stopped, not looking at him anymore, I looked at my mom.

She was on the verge of laughing but, was controlling herself with much difficulty.

“Eon… baby. Potions exist for that. Well, they definitely are rare~.”

She blinked at dad with a thumbs up.

He flinched, not expecting something like this.

“E-Eon. I w-was alright. I didn’t really…”

He tried to explain himself but I didn’t even look at him.

‘You messed up the wrong dad. Wrong.’

There was no way I would let this one slide.

He really… scared the hell out of me!

“E-Eon?”

“Hump!” I turned my face the other way.

No way dad. No… fucking… way.