Chapter 15: Gifts
The quiet corridor outside Malrik’s chamber was as still as ever.
*Click.*
The heavy wooden door swung inward. Malrik stepped inside, loosening his collar with a tired sigh. "...Finally."
Between the family treasury, the training grounds, and everything else that had thrown his way today, even he was starting to hit a wall. He took two steps into the room and froze.
"...Huh?"
Five wooden chests sat neatly in the center of the room. Each was crafted from polished blackwood that caught the warm light of the chandeliers overhead. Silver carvings traced the corners, and the proud emblem of House Vesperion was engraved on every lid. Different colored silk ribbons were tied around the handles, making them easy to tell apart.
It was entirely unexpected. Malrik blinked. "...Did I walk into the wrong room?"
"No, Young Master," Eliza’s calm voice came from behind him. "They were delivered shortly before you got back."
He glanced over his shoulder. "...What’s all this?"
"Gifts. Sent by your siblings to celebrate your Awakening."
Silence stretched over the room. Malrik looked back at the row of chests. "...All five of them?"
"Yes."
Malrik clicked his tongue, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth as he walked toward the nearest one. Up close, subtle differences in the craftsmanship showed, though they all looked identical at first glance. Even the boxes themselves cost a fortune.
"Let’s see what ridiculous things they stuffed inside," he muttered, lifting the first lid. The hinges moved in absolute silence.
Nestled in dark velvet was a suit of armor. It wasn’t the massive plate armor a heavy knight would wear, nor the useless ceremonial stuff meant for display halls. Its black surface shimmered under the light, made of countless overlapping scales no larger than a fingernail. The pieces connected so seamlessly it looked woven rather than forged, with thin emerald lines running beneath the scales to carry streams of wind mana through the suit. The pauldrons were modest, the chestplate hugged the torso for mobility, and the gauntlets had articulated joints built for flexibility rather than brute force.
Malrik reached out. The moment his fingers brushed the cold metal, a faint breeze brushed his face. *Wind attribute.*
The familiar blue screen popped up.
---
[ Swiftwind Armor ]
[ Rank: Awakened ]
[ Description: Lightweight combat armor crafted from the scales of a mature Wind Drake. Designed for mobility over raw defense, it greatly reduces movement resistance while naturally circulating wind mana around the wearer. ]
[ Skill: Windstep ]
Temporarily blankets the wearer in condensed wind mana, significantly boosting speed and agility for a short duration. (Cooldown applies).
---
Malrik stared at the text, then back at the armor, letting out a low whistle. "...Now that’s generous."
He lifted it out. It was much lighter than he expected, and the craftsmanship easily made it one of the finest Awakened-rank sets he’d ever seen. Still, his mind drifted back to the endless treasury beneath the manor. Compared to the absolute monsters sleeping down there, this armor was still a step below. Not because it lacked value, but because the Vesperion vault operated on a standard that was completely broken.
"No kidding," he muttered after Eliza agreed that the young masters rarely gave ordinary gifts.
Carefully putting the armor back, Malrik moved to the second chest. This one was considerably smaller—barely large enough to fit both of his hands. "...Either this one’s empty, or it’s stupidly expensive."
He popped the latch. A single ring rested on crimson velvet. It was plain, almost disappointing at first glance, forged from a strange black metal that swallowed the light, with a tiny silver gemstone embedded in the center. But the longer Malrik stared, the weirder it felt. The surrounding mana bent subtly around the metal, disappearing into nothingness before popping back into reality a moment later.
Spatial distortion.
His expression went serious as he picked it up. It was unnaturally cold. The second his mana flowed into it, a vast, empty dimension unfolded in his mind—shelves, darkness, and open space stretching out in every direction.
The system kicked in.
---
[ Void Storage Ring ]
[ Rank: Rare ]
[ Description: A spatial artifact containing an independent storage dimension of approximately one hundred cubic meters. Living beings cannot be stored. ]
[ Skill: Spatial Recall ]
Allows the owner to instantly retrieve or store any item within the space with a single thought.
---
Malrik stayed quiet for a few seconds. "...This thing is absurd."
One hundred cubic meters was enough to carry weapons, armor, supplies, and an entire battlefield’s worth of loot. Most storage items on the market couldn’t even compare. He rubbed his thumb against the metal. It still didn’t match the ridiculous relics sealed in the depths of the estate—that place was practically cheating—but it was exactly what he needed.
"I’m keeping this. Immediately," he said, slipping it onto his finger.
He flexed his hand. It fit perfectly. With a single thought, the storage space opened to his senses again. It didn’t feel like reaching into a bag; it felt like an extension of his own mind. Think it, retrieve it. Potions, weapons, hiding valuable loot before anyone noticed—all took a fraction of a second.
"No wonder people kill each other over these," he snorted, turning to the third chest.
This one radiated a soft, steady wave of mana, like a calm lake at night. He lifted the lid to find a staff resting on midnight-blue velvet. It was carved from a single piece of deep violet wood, polished to a mirror sheen. Silver runes spiraled up to the tip, where a fist-sized crystal hovered silently between three curved branches, tiny streams of mana circling it like fireflies.
Even without touching it, the incredible mana affinity was obvious. Any mage would lose their mind over this.
He gripped the smooth wooden shaft.
---
[ Mindspire Staff ]
[ Rank: Awakened ]
[ Description: Carved from the heartwood of an ancient Mana Oak and crowned with a refined Sapphire Core. Its high conductivity enhances spell stability, mana control, and casting efficiency. ]
[ Skill: Arcane Focus ]
Dramatically improves concentration during spellcasting, reducing mana consumption while tightening precision.
---
"Not bad," he murmured, gently setting it back in its box before moving directly to the fourth chest.
The moment his hand touched the lid, a dense pulse of energy pushed back. "...Oh?"
He opened it to find a silver bracelet. It looked surprisingly ordinary—no jewels, no flashy designs, just thousands of microscopic runes engraved across the surface. But looking closer, the complexity was staggering. The pathways intertwined beneath the silver to form a massive defensive array.
The craftsmanship bordered on insanity. As he picked it up, a gentle pulse spread outward, wrapping an invisible layer of mana around his body before vanishing.
---
[ Guardian Bracelet ]
[ Rank: Awakened ]
[ Description: A defensive artifact forged by the master craftsmen of House Vesperion. It continuously monitors the wearer and automatically deploys a barrier in response to imminent lethal danger. ]
[ Skill: Guardian Domain ]
Automatically generates a defensive barrier capable of completely blocking a single attack from an Awakened-rank threat. (Cooldown: 1 hour).
---
Complete silence.
What the hell? This isn’t just expensive, it’s a literal second life.
It wasn’t meant for fair fights; it was meant for surviving things you had no business surviving.
He slid it onto his wrist. The band automatically shrank to fit him perfectly. *Yeah, I’m never taking this off.* He shook his head with a helpless smile. He had officially lost his sense of what counted as ’valuable’ because of this family.
Only one chest remained. It was the longest one. A faint smile curled his lips. "...Now this looks promising."
It wasn’t more luxurious, just built for a long weapon. A sword, a spear, maybe a halberd. *If this turns out to be another staff, I’m throwing myself out the window.*
*Click.*
The chest opened, and a faint crimson glow bled through the crack as a sharp aura spread through the room. It wasn’t violent, but it had a heavy presence. Resting in black silk was a spear. Its shaft was forged from deep crimson bloodsteel, darker than fresh blood but brighter than normal metal. Hair-thin runes ran along its length, humming in perfect harmony as they channeled mana toward the spearhead. The blade itself looked like the fang of an ancient beast—long, elegant, and deadly.
Every single part of it existed purely to kill. His fingers wrapped around the shaft.
---
[ Crimson Gale Spear ]
[ Rank: Awakened ]
[ Description: Forged from Bloodsteel and infused with refined Wind Crystals. Flawlessly balanced for rapid thrusts and continuous close-range combat. ]
[ Skill: Crimson Wound ]
Landing five consecutive successful strikes grants each subsequent attack a 50% chance to inflict a Bleeding effect for thirty seconds.
---
"Acceptable. I’ve seen better," Malrik said aloud, keeping his tone entirely casual as he gave it a quick spin. *Whoosh.* The blade sliced cleanly through the air with a crisp whistle.
Inside, his thoughts were completely different. *What a masterpiece.* Five consecutive hits was nothing to a skilled spearman, and the bleeding effect would slowly drag armored enemies or powerful monsters down to their graves. He’d seen better only because of the freaks of nature locked in the main treasury, which just made him wonder how many absurd things this family was hiding.
He lowered the weapon. "...Who sent this?"
"The First Standard Bearer," Eliza answered immediately. "Young Master Alex."
The casual expression on Malrik’s face vanished. "...Alex?"
"Yes."
Silence dropped over the room again. Malrik’s grip tightened slightly on the spear as his mind replayed the day. When he had entered the family treasury, he walked out without picking a weapon. Later, during training, the first thing he reached for was a standard spear.
That was it. No conversation, no questions, no explanations. Just two tiny, insignificant details.
And somehow, Alex had connected them. He deduced that Malrik left the treasury empty-handed on purpose, figured out the spear was his preferred weapon, and sent a perfect, high-tier match without ever asking.
Malrik let out a slow breath through his nose.
Damn. That’s unsettling.
He looked out the window, a faint, helpless smile on his lips. Until now, he’d just seen Alex as the powerful eldest son with a big reputation. Now, that impression changed. Power could be measured, talent could be surpassed, and even monsters could be killed. But someone who could map out your entire thought process from a couple of subtle, silent actions?
Those were the truly dangerous ones.
I’d better be careful around him. People like Alex don’t overlook details... they collect them.
Comments