Nero's expression darkened as he wrapped his head around everything his father told him. He thought back to that devastating day, six years ago, when he suddenly got news that his mother had been seriously injured and was in the hospital.
It was an incredibly tense time for their family, and it took nearly a month before his mother even woke up. The next six months were spent in her recovery and basic physical therapy, as well as grappling with the knowledge that her cultivation path had been crippled.
In spite of how difficult it was for her personally, she did not let Nero or Patrick feel that burden. Soon she went back to being normal, and made them look on the bright side, which was that she could spend more time at home with the family.
He never would have guessed that behind his seemingly peaceful childhood memories, there were so many dark secrets. But while he was reflecting on this past, he immediately noticed something unusual. If the Soren family was being targeted, why would they not outright kill them all? Why only drive them off, or pick on them one at a time?
He looked up at his fathers projection. He could not ask him any questions, so he could only wait till they actually met to ask, or hope he gets his answers in this message.
"Are you done thinking yet?" Edward asked, or rather his projection did. "I hope so, because I need your attention again. Assuming your mother is correct about why Patrick was targeted, even though I've assigned some guards to you, I am fairly confident that you will not be targeted. Can you tell me why?"
The question stumped Nero. Being exhausted so that he was not in top form was only a part of the reason. The other reason was that he just could not imagine why anyone would let their enemy live. He imagined that if he could, eliminating all his enemies should be the best practice.
Nero paused. If he could eliminate them all that's what he'd do, but what if he couldn't?
"Learning from your enemies tactics is an essential part of growing," his father instructed, much in the way he had Nero's entire life. "If the strategy worked against you, there's no reason you can't use the same tactic against others. The crux of the matter is to put pressure on your enemy, but not push them till they feel like they have nothing to lose.
This will keep them from growing, but at the same time, won't risk retaliating too fiercely."
At this point, a projection of a chair appeared behind Edward and he sat on its edge. It was only now that Nero was noticing that his father, now that he was not joking around, looked exhausted. Considering the fact that he was an Arcanist, with a body and fitness greatly superior to normal humans, the faint streaks of red in his eyes could only be born from great exertion.
"These are things I am sharing with you so that you're not caught unaware in the worst case scenario. But, as of right now, you do not need to be concerned about them. There is no proof that Patrick was targeted because of your mothers family. Even in the case that he was, my sudden disappearance will work in your favour.
After all, since I cannot be tracked, they will have to watch out for my retaliation in case someone targets you.
"You only need to focus on growing stronger, and following your own path. Being a part of the military will bring you face to face with many dangers, but it is a form of security as well. The reason I say this is because… we can't really be sure who is targeting the Soren family to begin with. But whoever it is, they are heavily restrained, and can only act in the dark.
So the higher your position in the army, the safer you will be."
"Gee thanks, you couldn't have told me this before I offended a director," Nero muttered, mostly to himself.
"There's also one more reason I told you about your mothers history. Some time ago, you asked me if we had some secret technique that helped speed up cultivation. I laughed it off. But the truth is, your mother's family really does have a way that can help speed up your cultivation. I will pass on the details to you at the end of this message.
Nero, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that no one ever finds out about this.
"In fact, you can never mention this again, even to me. The only way it is safe to talk about is through the use of Luminalink, since it cannot be spied upon. But even then, as much as possible, it is best you treat it as if it doesn't exist at all. I need you to be very clear about the fact that if anyone learns of this, you are not the only one who will be in danger. So will I, and your mother.
"This is a part of your mothers family legacy, something that would drive anyone insane with greed, and is the secret behind why your mother and I became Arcanists so quickly. It will also be a great help to you on your path. The best part is, no one can prove we're doing anything to begin with. At most, people will think we have excellent genetics."
At this point Edward smiled. Nero knew him well enough to recognise that his father was about to make an inappropriate joke, but in the last second, he only sighed instead. It was a simple act, and it should not have been a big deal, but it caused Nero to tremble.
His father was a person who only ever revealed a smiling face, even in the toughest of times, so for him to openly express even a hint of sorrow took Nero by surprise, and somewhat overwhelmed him.
"You know kid, we never really talk about your brother anymore. It's probably a little unhealthy, to be honest. Army protocol states that when a soldier dies, or goes missing for upwards of six months, they send a letter to the family stating his K.I.A. status. We never really received anything for your brother, so chances are that he's still alive.
"But when he was taken, your mother, she was heartbroken. She never let herself see any hope of his return, because hoping was too painful. Even though she says that a Kolari's death is written on the battlefield, there's no saying that can describe the pain of losing a child.
I guess, what I'm trying to say is, I know you're out there growing up and spreading your wings, but just, if it's not too inconvenient, try not to die."
A heavy silence fell between Nero and the projection as he tried to absorb all the information he had just received. With his fists clenched, Nero could only stare down at his feet, and did not even have the courage to look up at his father. This was the first time he had admitted to the pain his mother was feeling, and no doubt his own pain as well.
Hearing all this… only filled Nero's heart with a raging fire.
His anger was boiling, and his thirst for revenge was growing even greater, if that was possible. It was not this cursed world that had brought his family pain, it was that cursed Dom family. He would make them pay. He would…
"Because if you die, I'm going to have to have more kids," Edward suddenly said, his heavy voice replaced by a jovial one. "Oh yeah, did I mention that once your mother is healed she'll be able to have kids again? But I'm really trying to avoid having any more kids, I'm an old man now, nearly 38. I can't be ruining my beauty sleep 'cus a kid's diaper needs changing."
Despite how lame the joke was, Nero could not stop himself from laughing. His father was an idiot, and he loved him. Compared to people like Silas, his family was amazing. The fact that someone had ruined all that was also the source of his anger.
"Anyway kid, let's get down to business. The method of increasing your cultivation speed is twofold. The first part involves making a special card, and the other part includes absorbing vitality from external sources.
"I probably don't need to tell you this, but I'm going to anyway. Don't share the card recipe with anyone. Learn to make it yourself. The recipe will also undergo subtle changes based on your level. Make sure to memorise it carefully, this is your only chance."
Nero suddenly paused Luminalink and searched for Enhanced learning. Since he was about to receive his mothers family legacy, he did not want to carry out any half-hearted measures. This was going to change his entire life, so he absolutely could not afford to misremember anything.