New Residence at the Manor

Yulan Calendar, May 22nd, 9999.

The morning sunlight spilled in through the gaps in the curtains, casting long, thin streaks of light across the floor. Akes opened his eyes, lying on the bed and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, taking a few seconds to realize—this was his own manor, his own room.

Yesterday, he had officially moved into this residence located in the southern suburbs of Yulan City.

Pushing the window open after rising, fresh air rushed to meet him. Several trees of unknown species were planted in the courtyard, covered in small, pale pink flowers. A large expanse of grassland could be seen in the distance, and further out lay a small grove. The chirping of birds drifted from the woods, crisp and melodious.

"Young Master," the voice of old Cal came from outside the door, "breakfast is ready."

"Coming."

After a simple wash, Akes went downstairs. The dining room was on the east side of the first floor; it was not large but kept very tidy. Bread, milk, fried eggs, and a few side dishes were laid out on the table.

"Has everything been settled?" he asked as he sat down.

Cal nodded: "Mostly. The luggage brought over has been put away, the servants are staying in the backyard, and the storeroom has been inventoried."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"You are too kind, Young Master." Cal hesitated for a moment, "There is a matter I would like to request your instructions on."

"Speak."

Cal pulled a sheet of paper from his bosom, densely packed with writing: "This is the original ledger of the manor. This estate was previously the property of a certain viscount; later, when that viscount was transferred elsewhere, the manor was reclaimed by His Majesty. It has been unoccupied for these past few years, but there has been someone in charge of daily maintenance."

Akes took the ledger and looked it over—fields, tenant farmers, livestock, and building repairs were all listed quite clearly.

"Is there a problem?"

"It is not exactly a problem," Cal said, "but these tenant farmers and servants must all acknowledge a new master. According to custom, you should meet with them."

Akes thought for a moment: "Let's do it this afternoon. Have them come to the courtyard."

"Understood."

After finishing breakfast, Akes took a tour of the manor.

The main building had three floors; the first floor contained the living room, dining room, kitchen, and several servant quarters, while the second and third floors were bedrooms and studies. He chose the room at the far east of the second floor for himself—the windows faced east, allowing him to see the sunrise every morning.

Behind the building was a small garden, not large but quite exquisite. Beyond the garden was a stretch of grassland, and at the edge of the grass stood that small grove of trees.

Akes walked into the woods and discovered that there was actually a small clearing inside, paved with smooth bluestone. Faint elemental fluctuations lingered on the stone—the previous owner must have cultivated here.

"This place is not bad," he muttered to himself.

He would choose this spot for his future cultivation.

In the afternoon, Akes met the manor's tenant farmers and servants in the courtyard.

There were not many people; seven or eight tenants and seven or eight servants. The tenants were somewhat reserved, standing in the back row and not daring to look up; the servants were more composed, standing in a line in the front.

A middle-aged man who looked like a butler stepped forward and bowed: "Count, this humble one is William, the former butler of this manor. For these past few years, the estate has been managed by this humble one."

Akes sized him up—about forty years old, neatly dressed, and articulate.

"You have done well these past few years."

William bowed: "I dare not claim credit. As long as you are satisfied, My Lord."

Akes swept his gaze over the group: "I don't have many rules, only one—do your own jobs well. Do what you are supposed to do, don't ask what you shouldn't, and don't look at what you shouldn't. If you can do that, you may stay. If you cannot, you may leave now."

No one moved.

"Then that is all." Akes stood up, "Dismissed."

The crowd dispersed, with William remaining until the end.

"My Lord, there is one more thing," he said.

"Speak."

"In the small grove behind the manor, the previous owner set up a magic array for cultivation. Although it hasn't been used for a few years, the array should still be functional. If you have need of it, you may wish to inspect it."

Akes nodded: "I understand. You may go about your business."

William withdrew.

At dusk, Akes went to the grove once more.

The magic array on the bluestone was indeed still there; although somewhat dim, the core patterns were undamaged. He sat cross-legged on the bluestone and tried to circulate the Fallen Heart Flame.

The surrounding fire elements fluctuated slightly and then began to gather slowly.

"It works." He opened his eyes.

Although it could not compare to the natural gathering point at the waterfall behind the mountain, it was much better than an ordinary location. At the very least, his cultivation efficiency could be increased by twenty percent.

"I will be here from now on."

Life settled into a steady rhythm.

Every morning, Akes practiced visualization of the Nuwa Diagram in his room. The scroll unfolded slowly in his mind, the woman's back becoming increasingly clear, and the chaos surrounding her seemed to shift as well. With each visualization, his mental power grew slightly—the speed was about thirty percent faster than simple meditation.

In the morning, he went to the study to research fire-type magic. The study already contained many magic texts, and combined with those he had brought himself, there was more than enough to read. Magic above the seventh level required guidance from mental power, and he tried practicing a few, finding the success rate quite good.

In the afternoon, he went to the bluestone in the small grove to cultivate. The Fallen Heart Flame pulsed slowly, the Fire Spirit Bead glowed faintly, and the Five Spirit Wheel operated at full capacity. The surrounding fire elements poured continuously into his body, and the magic power in his middle dantian grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the evening, after dinner, he took a stroll in the courtyard. He looked at the flowers, listened to the birds, and let his mind go blank.

At night, he continued to visualize the Nuwa Diagram before falling asleep.

Day after day passed.

One day in late May, he suddenly remembered something—the daily check-in.

He had been so busy getting settled that he had nearly forgotten about it.

[Ding—detected that the host has stabilized in the new environment. Would you like to check in?]

He recited silently in his heart: Check in.

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Desolate Era Qi Refining Method—when combined with the Nuwa Diagram visualization, it can further accelerate the speed of spiritual power cultivation. Long-term practice can enhance soul strength, laying the foundation for the next stage after spiritual power liquefaction.]

A warm current surged into his mind, merging with the Nuwa Diagram. The scroll seemed to become clearer, and faint patterns appeared along the edges of the woman's silhouette—these were the pathways for refining Qi.

"Good stuff," he nodded to himself.

After spiritual power liquefies, the speed of cultivation slows down. From the seventh rank to the eighth, and from the eighth to the ninth, every step requires a long accumulation of time. With the Nuwa Diagram and the Qi Refining Method, his speed could increase by at least fifty percent.

In June, the weather gradually grew hot.

Akes's cultivation entered a steady rhythm. Every morning he studied magic, in the afternoon he cultivated magic power, and in the morning and evening, he visualized the Nuwa Diagram. The days were monotonous but fulfilling.

One day in early July, he received a letter from George.

The letter was sent from the Ernst Institute, saying that they were all doing well and asking how he was getting on in Yulan. Akes wrote back, briefly describing the situation at the manor.

At the end of the month, he checked in again. This time, he received [Azeroth Teleportation Enhanced Version]—it allowed him to mark five locations for teleportation at any time, with a cooldown of three days.

"This is quite convenient." He toyed with the rune stone in his hand, thought for a moment, and chose three spots in the manor to mark. From now on, no matter where he went, he could return directly.

In August, he touched the threshold of the mid-seventh rank during his cultivation.

The feeling was subtle—his spiritual power was growing slowly, his magic power was accumulating bit by bit; it seemed as if nothing had changed, yet it felt as if everything was changing every day. He knew that as long as he persisted like this, a breakthrough was only a matter of time.

One early morning in early September, while visualizing the Nuwa Diagram, he suddenly had a strange sensation.

The woman in the scroll seemed to have moved.

It was only for an instant, but he perceived it clearly—that rhythm of creating all things, that process of bringing something into existence from nothing, had something in common with the moment a flame is born in fire-element magic.

He remained stunned for a long time.

During that afternoon's cultivation, he tried to integrate that feeling into his magic. A ball of flame condensed in his palm; it was purer than usual, the temperature was higher, yet the consumption was lower.

"So that's how it is," he muttered to himself.

The mystery of the Nuwa Diagram was not just about accelerating cultivation; there were deeper things involved. Those things required time, insight, and slow contemplation.

One evening in late September, Akes stood in the courtyard, watching the sunset in the distance.

The evening glow dyed half the sky red, and a few clouds with golden edges drifted slowly toward the west. He remembered those evenings in Fenlai City—five youths sitting in the dormitory courtyard, watching the same sunset, chatting about all sorts of aimless topics.

Now, he was the only one left.

"Young Master," Cal's voice came from behind him, "dinner is ready."

He turned around and walked into the house.

Candles were lit in the dining room, and a few simple dishes were laid out on the table. He sat down alone and ate slowly.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly stopped and looked at the empty chair opposite him.

Back at the institute, every meal was eaten with all five of them together. Reynolds always ate the fastest, Yale always talked the most, George was always the most steady, and Linley was always the quietest.

Now, he was the only one left.

He smiled and continued eating.

After dinner, he went upstairs to visualize the Nuwa Diagram.

The scroll unfolded in his mind, and the woman's silhouette stood quietly. The chaos surrounding her swirled slowly, as if gestating something.

He immersed himself in that profound rhythm, forgetting the passage of time.

He did not know how much time had passed when he finally opened his eyes.

Outside the window, the moon had risen, large and round.