Panlong's Worton

Chapter 9 Return

On the morning of the third day after Linley left, Wharton woke up before dawn as usual.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of grayish-white light seeping in through the cracks in the window. He sat up and first did fifty sit-ups on the bed, then got out and began his basic training. Push-ups, squats, and wall squats—he did each movement to exhaustion, rested, and then started again.

Sweat streamed down my face, dripping onto the floor. The warmth in my chest grew stronger with each workout, like a small fire burning inside me. After three months of consistent exercise, this feeling had gone from occasional to a regular occurrence.

The data on the panel shows a slight increase every day:

[Basic physical fitness proficiency: 7.3%]

Strength Increase: +32%

Endurance increase: +28%

[Coordination: +21%]

[Dragon Bloodline Activity: Continuously Increasing]

[Current effect: Recovery speed +15%, Fatigue accumulation -12%]

The numbers weren't high, but considering he was only three years old, this progress far exceeded that of ordinary people. Walton knew that this was the result of the panel's assistance and his own perseverance, and also a sign that his dragon bloodline was beginning to slowly awaken.

After finishing his physical training, he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

The red dot of light remained active. For the past three months, he had been meditating for two hours every day, and the ball of fire magic power in his chest had grown from the size of a soybean to the size of a walnut, its color changing from pale red to a bright crimson. Although he couldn't cast spells yet, the total amount was already close to the standard of a first-level mage.

Total Fire Magic Power: 0.95 Standard Units

Purity: Medium to High

[Distance from Level 1 spell casting standard: 5%]

It'll be soon. In at most another month, he'll have enough energy to unleash a level one fire spell. However, Derinkowart said that one cannot learn specific magic before the age of six, so Walton isn't in a hurry and is only focusing on accumulating and refining his energy.

An hour later, he stopped meditating, a fine layer of sweat on his forehead. His mental energy had been significantly depleted, but it was still within his tolerance.

It was already bright outside. Wharton wiped away his sweat, changed his clothes, opened the door, and went downstairs.

Ciri was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when she saw him come down and smiled, "Young Master Wharton, you're up so early today too."

"Hmm." Walton sat down at the table. "Is my brother coming home today?"

"They should be back by now." Ciri ladled oatmeal into a bowl. "Three days in the capital, one day for testing, two days for travel, they should be here today."

Wharton nodded and quietly ate his porridge.

He knew Linley would succeed. A dual-elemental super-achiever, with eighteen times the mental strength—such talent was top-tier even across the entire Yulan Continent. Ernst Academy would definitely admit him.

The question is... what happens after you're accepted?

According to the original story, Linley will report to Ernst Academy in three months to begin his journey as a magician. As for himself, he will have to stay in Wushan Town for three and a half years until he turns six to have his bloodline concentration tested and participate in the magic test.

Three and a half years is neither a long nor a short time.

"Missing your brother?" Ciri asked, noticing him lost in thought.

"Yes," Walton said. "I also want to know the test results."

"Don't worry, young master Linley is smart and hardworking, he'll definitely succeed." Ciri said confidently. "Even if he doesn't succeed, he can come back and continue training, and he'll be a formidable warrior in the future."

Walton didn't reply. He knew it would work.

After breakfast, Hogg came out of his study and glanced at Wharton: "Don't fall behind on your studies today."

"Um."

Hogg went out to town. After two disasters, the reconstruction of Wushan Town was still ongoing, and he checked on the progress every day. Ciri finished cleaning the kitchen and began cleaning the living room.

Wharton went to the backyard.

After Bebe left, the courtyard of the old house became much quieter. He walked to the bluestone slab where Lin Lei usually fed Bebe and sat down, looking at the hole in the corner of the wall—the one Bebe had crawled out of before.

If all goes well, Lin Lei should have already entered into an equal contract with Bebe and is on his way back.

Walton reached out and touched the stone slab. The stone was cold, and there were several tiny teeth marks on its surface, made by Bebe.

He sat for about half an hour, then got up and began today's literacy lesson.

Ciri got him a new book—"A Brief History of the Magnolia Continent (Children's Edition)." The book is thick, but the print is large and it has illustrations. Today's lesson is on the "Four Great Empires."

"This is the O'Brien Empire, located in the far north. It's cold all year round, and the people are known for their fierce nature..." Ciri explained, pointing to the map.

Wharton listened intently, tracing place names on the pages with his finger. A prompt appeared on the panel:

[Geography Learning]

[Proficiency: +0.02%]

[Current Information: Distribution of Major Countries in Mainland China]

Progress is slow, but we are accumulating every day.

Hogg didn't come back for lunch; Ciri said the mayor wanted to discuss something with him. Wharton ate lunch alone, then went back to his room for a nap—actually, he continued meditating.

He went to the training ground in the afternoon.

Hillman was absent, and training was being handled by Lowry and Roger. There were fewer children on the field than before; some families had moved away during the disaster, and some children were still recovering from injuries.

Walton stood on the sidelines watching. Six- or seven-year-olds were practicing basic moves, while those over ten were starting to work with weights and stakes. Sweat, dust, and shouts rose and fell—everything was the same as always.

"Master Wharton!" Hadley ran over, covered in sweat. "Is Brother Linley back?"

"It's time to come back today."

"He can definitely become a magician!" Hadley's eyes lit up. "Then we'll have a magician in Wushan Town!"

Walton smiled and said, "Yes."

Training continued until evening. As the sun began to set, the children gradually dispersed. Just as Walton was about to go home with Ciri, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.

A carriage came from the town entrance, with Hillman sitting on the carriage shaft.

"You're back!" Ciri picked up Walton and walked quickly over.

The carriage stopped beside the training ground. The curtain was lifted, and Linley jumped down, holding a small, dark creature in his arms.

"Brother!" Walton called out.

Linley looked up, saw them, and smiled. He walked over, nodded to Ciri first, then looked at Wharton: "I'm back."

Wharton looked at him closely. Linley seemed unchanged after three days, but his eyes were brighter, with an indescribable radiance.

"How did the test go?" Ciri asked.

Lin Lei pulled a letter from his pocket: "Admission accepted, Ernst College."

Ciri gasped, "Ernst? The First Magic Academy?"

"Um."

Ciri opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just patted Linley's shoulder forcefully: "Good! That's great! The master will be so happy to know!"

The black thing in Lin Lei's arms stirred and poked out its little head—it was Bei Bei.

"It came along too?" Ciri asked in surprise.

"A contract was made on the road," Lin Lei explained simply, "an equal contract."

Ciri was stunned, and it took her a while to react: "Contracted magical beast... Young Master Linley, you've gained so much from this trip."

Lin Lei smiled but didn't say anything more.

The three walked back. Along the way, they encountered several townspeople who, upon hearing that Linley had been accepted into Ernst College, gathered around to congratulate him. Linley politely responded, but didn't stop walking.

When he got home, Hogg was already back and looking at the accounts in the living room. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

"Father." Lin Lei walked up to him and handed him the acceptance letter with both hands.

Hogg took the letter, opened it, and read it word by word. He read it very slowly, and then read it again after finishing it.

The living room was quiet, with only the crackling of the firewood burning in the fireplace.

Hogg put down the letter and looked at Linley: "Ernst Academy, the number one magic academy on the continent."

"Yes."

"School starts in three months?"

"Yes."

Hogg was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay."

It was just one word, but Wharton noticed his father's hand trembling slightly as he held the letter.

"I'm going to prepare dinner; we need to add some dishes today!" Ciri wiped her eyes and strode towards the kitchen.

Hogg carefully folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then noticed Bebe in Linley's arms: "This is..."

"Shadow Mouse, named Bebe, is my contracted magical beast," Linley said.

Hogg stared at Bebe for a while, and Bebe stared back at him with his big, dark eyes.

"An equal contract?"

"Um."

Hogg didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Treat it well. Contracted magical beasts are partners, not tools."

"I know."

Dinner was plentiful. Ciri stewed a chicken, baked a fish, and made Hogg's favorite mashed potatoes. There was even a small bottle of wine on the table—something usually only brought out on holidays.

Hogg poured himself half a glass and gave Linley a little too: "Try it, you've grown up."

Lin Lei picked up the cup, took a sip, and his face scrunched up: "It's so bitter."

Hogg laughed: "You'll get used to it."

During the meal, Linley recounted the testing process. When he mentioned the crystal ball emitting a two-colored light, Hogg stopped eating; when he mentioned the eighteenfold increase in mental strength, Hogg took a deep breath; and when he mentioned the personal invitation from the Ernst Academy representative, Hogg nodded.

"A dual-elemental super-class..." Hogg repeated in a low voice, "Our Baruch family hasn't produced a wizard in hundreds of years."

"Grandpa Delin said that two had been produced before," Lin Lei said.

"That was a long time ago," Hogg said. "In recent generations, even warriors have become rare. Your great-grandfather was the last level seven warrior."

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Ciri quickly changed the subject: "Alright, alright, today is a happy day. Master should be happy that Young Master Linley is so accomplished."

Hogg raised his glass. "Yes, I'm happy." He looked at Linley. "When you get to the academy, study hard. Don't disgrace the Baruch family."

"Won't."

"Don't push yourself too hard, take care of your health."

"Um."

After dinner, Hogg went to his study, saying he had something to take care of. Ciri cleared the dishes, while Linley and Wharton returned to their room.

As soon as the door closed, Beibei jumped out of Lin Lei's arms, bounced twice on the bed, and then lay down and didn't move.

"It was tired," Lin Lei said. "It had been hiding along the way."

Walton sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Bebe: "What does it feel like to have a contract?"

"It's like... there's an extra thread." Lin Lei thought for a moment, "You can sense its emotions, like when it's hungry, sleepy, or happy. You can even have simple conversations with it."

"What did it say?"

"Hunger and tiredness," Linley laughed. "But Grandpa Delin said that as it grows older, its intelligence will increase, and it will be able to speak more complex words."

Delinkovit then floated out: "Walton, you haven't been slacking off these past few days, have you?"

"No," Walton said. "Daily training and meditation."

"What's the progress?"

Walton gave a brief explanation. His magical power was approaching the first-level standard, his physical abilities were steadily improving, and his bloodline activity was increasing.

After listening, Delinkovt nodded: "Not bad. At this rate, he should be able to reach the physical fitness of a level two warrior by the age of six, and his magical power should be enough to unleash a level two spell."

"Level two?" Linley exclaimed in surprise. "Walton is only three years old."

"It seems like young Walton is a genius," said Drinkwater.

Linley looked at Wharton, his gaze complex: "So, will you... become a warrior or a mage?"

"Let's all go," Walton said. "Mages have strong attacks, and warriors have strong bodies; they won't conflict."

"Is there enough time?"

"That's enough," Walton said confidently. "I practice two hours more than you every day."

Lin Lei paused for a moment, then laughed: "That's true, you don't have to go to class or worry about household chores."

"So you'd better keep it up," Walton said. "Don't let me overtake you."

"No." Lin Lei's eyes became serious. "I will work very hard, extremely hard."

The two brothers looked at each other for a while, then both laughed.

Derinkowart looked at them, a sense of awe washing over him. One child possessed extraordinary talent, the other incredible perseverance; their future achievements were likely to be remarkable.

"Linley, you need to make the most of the next three months," Delinkowart said. "Ernst Academy is full of geniuses. Although you are talented, you cannot slack off."

"I will also continue to teach you more advanced magical theories," Derinkowart said. "Once you're at the academy, you can't fall behind in the theory classes."

"Um."

Wharton listened quietly. He knew that Linley would enter a period of rapid growth, reaching the fourth level of magic in his first year at Ernst Academy, and then begin to work with stone carving, triggering the second storyline.

As for myself... I still have three and a half years to accumulate experience.

"Walton," Delinkovt turned to him, "your arrangements need to be adjusted as well. Starting tomorrow, I'll dedicate one hour each day to teaching you general magic theory—although you're fire-based, many fundamental principles are the same. Once your specific talents are determined at age six, we'll find you a fire-based mentor."

"it is good."

"In addition, you can increase the intensity of your physical training," said Delinkowart. "Your body can now handle a greater load, and appropriately increasing the intensity can better stimulate blood vessel growth."

"How much?"

"Start by increasing the price by 30%, and observe for a week. If the patient adapts well, then increase the price further."

Wharton nodded and took note.

After chatting for a while longer, Linley started to yawn. He was indeed tired after three days of traveling. Delinkovt told him to go to sleep early and then returned to his ring.

Walton also went back to his room.

Lying in bed, he reflected on everything that had happened that day. Lin Lei had been accepted, and he had made a contract with Bebe; everything was proceeding as planned. Lin Lei would leave in three months, leaving him alone at home.

No, it's not just one person. There's also Hogger, Ciri, the panel, and Drinkov's occasional guidance.

He closed his eyes and brought up the control panel.

[Current stage goal: Achieve level two warrior physical fitness and accumulate enough level two mage magical power before age six]

[Estimated remaining time: 3 years and 4 months]

[Recommendation: Gradually increase training intensity, deepen theoretical knowledge learning, and observe signs of bloodline awakening]

Three years and four months.

Wharton did the math in his head. Linley should have been eleven years old by then, a fourth-level mage, and beginning to make a name for himself at Ernst Academy.

I am six years old, and I have just had my bloodline tested and am preparing to take the magic test.