Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot

Chapter 31 - 30 - Disciple and Master 2.

Some hours later.

The evening sun filtered lazily through the leaves, casting mottled light across the wooden cabin's interior.

Raven sat cross-legged on a thick mat, chewing on the juiciest cut of meat he'd had in months.

The flavor was rich, the texture absurdly tender, and the aroma alone could've brought a starving tiger to tears.

"Master," Raven mumbled around a mouthful, blinking at the sizzling meat still cooking on the fire. "Where'd you get this? It tastes like it was raised in mana silk and fed golden apples."

Crisaius, seated opposite him, waved a dismissive hand, sipping from a chipped porcelain cup. "Does it matter? Eat all you want. You'll need the energy soon."

That made Raven pause mid-chew.

"Right..." he muttered, a memory resurfacing—Crisaius's cryptic words from earlier.

"I want you to survive."

That was what Crisaius had said when Raven had asked what he wanted from him.

He swallowed and glanced at the old man. "When you said I had to survive... what did you mean by that?"

Crisaius momentarily paused, his lips twitching as if trying to suppress a smirk before he replied. "You'll find out soon enough."

'Playing mysterious again...'

Deciding not to push, Raven suppressed a sigh.

He didn't need to rush. After all, he would know it soon.

He had meat, heat, and a roof over his head. So, why did he have to worry about anything for now?

Even later, when the training starts, what's the worst that could happen?

After all, no master would kill his disciple.

..........................

Half an hour later. 

Raven leaned back, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction. "Alright," he muttered, raising his palm and calling for his mana. "Let's clean up..."

"Cleanse," he whispered the cleansing incantation—a simple water spell.

It was hard to understand, but once you understood how to use it, the spell became easy.

Normally, it worked instantly.

But as he tried this time, it didn't.

His brow furrowed. He tried again.

Still nothing.

His fingers twitched. "...Huh?"

He tried calling his internal mana more forcefully. His mana in the three plates near his heart tried to move but failed. It felt like calling out to someone who'd muted the conversation.

Then, like dominoes, pieces began to fall into place.

Raven's gaze snapped to the empty plate.

Then, to the old man sitting calmly with a contented sigh.

Then back to the plate.

"You fed me something," Raven said slowly.

Crisaius looked pleased with how fast Raven caught up. "Looks like it worked."

"You fed me something." Raven's voice was deadpan now. "Something that blocked my mana."

The old man shrugged. "Not blocked. Just... paused."

Raven's frown deepened. "Is this poison?"

Crisaius gave him a cheerful nod. "Yep."

"What kind of master poisons their disciple!?" He gritted his teeth, wondering just how many screws Crisaius had loose in his head.

"The kind who doesn't like lazy disciples relying on cheat codes like mana." Crisaius leaned back with a grin. "Let me guess your next question is: 'How did it even work on me?' Seeing as the Vaise bodies are immune to most poisons."

Raven, despite himself, nodded. "...Yeah."

"Well then." Crisaius steepled his fingers. "Aside from your mana being sealed, do you feel anything else?"

Raven did a quick body check—rotated his shoulder, clenched his fists, stood up, and balanced on one leg like a confused crane.

"...My strength feels a little boosted," he admitted. "Barely, but still."

"Then congratulations." Crisaius grinned, teeth flashing. "It was poison."

"...Excuse me?"

"It is a special kind of poison that works on the Vaise. It tricks our draconic system into believing it to be a tonic while secretly pouring poison into our bodies. The result? Temporary mana seal, minor strength boost."

Raven nodded on the outside, but on the inside, he frowned.

'This... isn't supposed to exist yet. It only appears in the latter part of the story...' But then, he paused, shrugging, 'Screw it. Maybe it existed already and just hadn't been found. Or... this crazy old man found it first.'

Whatever. Didn't matter.

The plot was bound to change—no, it was already changing.

Something minor like this didn't matter.

What mattered was that he had no mana, and this suspicious grandpa was grinning again.

"Why?" Raven asked, exasperated. "Why even do this? Is the training that hardcore?"

Crisaius chuckled.

"Training?" He stood. "No, no, training hasn't started yet. Right now—"

He raised a hand.

Raven felt an invisible force grip his body like an oversized toddler grabbing a plushie.

"It's testing time."

"Wait, wh—"

Before he could finish the sentence, Raven was lifted like a sack of potatoes, his limbs dangling mid-air.

Crisaius strolled out of the cabin, carrying his disciple with the ease of someone relocating a particularly annoying cat. Raven flailed as the wind whipped past.

"Fuck! At least tell me before you do something like this!"

"Meh, you'll get used to it," Crisaius shrugged, then bent his knees—and leaped.

The speed was so fast that the world blurred.

Trees vanished beneath them. Clouds zipped by like they were running late to a meeting. Raven screamed the whole way.

Before long, they landed with a thunderous thud in a new part of the forest—dense, shadowed, thick with underbrush, and a smell that made Raven's hair stand on end.

Growls echoed from all sides.

Raven blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what had happened and where the roof had gone.

Crisaius stood in front of him now, arms folded. "Here we are."

"Where is 'here'?" Raven asked, cursing the old man inwardly as he staggered upright. "I am your disciple, so please, at least think about my consent next time."

"Relax," Crisaius said, lifting a hand casually.

From the bushes, a low and furious snarl rose before a monstrous beast was yanked up into the air by some invisible grip.

Its limbs flailed in a frenzy, eyes wide with animal panic.

It wanted to run away as it could feel Crisaius's aura. It was sure it wouldn't be able to face this old man.

Raven, however, widened his eyes. "Corrupted beast?! Why is this here? No, wait—are we in the Ashen Expanse?"

"Calm your titties." Crisaius turned to him. "Focus on the thing in front of you. You have to fight it."

Raven seemed to have paused as he stared at the old man, opening and closing his mouth before he looked at the creature.

The beast was shaking mid-air, its wild eyes darting from Crisaius to Raven.

'A stage-one corrupt,' Raven concluded before he turned back to Crisaius.

"...Master," he said slowly, taking a step back. "You remember I have no mana right now, right?"

"Yeah," the Old Man smiled, turning toward the beast, still struggling to break free. "That's what makes it interesting, right?"

'...Man, I already regret my decision,' Raven sighed in defeat, knowing he couldn't escape the situation.

Crisaius, on the other hand, stared at the beast, his red eyes sharpening. "Fight."

That was all he said, but to the beast, it seemed like the final verdict.

It knew that if it wanted to survive, it had to fight Raven, so without delay, it lunged forward.

"Survive, Raven," Crisaius said, smiling faintly. "I want to see all you can do."