Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

What Elreth never anticipated, however, was that Nero would head to the academy, aiming to become a student. Not only did he succeed, but he also performed exceptionally well—better than her direct brother, who had been nurtured and supported, unlike Nero, who had received no resources. It was truly ironic, and Elysia was completely caught off guard.

”Elysia, do you think he might compete with you now that he’s in the spotlight?” Emily posed the question, uncertain herself but hoping to spark a conversation.

Elreth chuckled, ”Hell no. But if it does happen, it would be entertaining. Still, I doubt he has any intention of competing with me. Even though we haven’t interacted, from the information I’ve gathered and what I know about him, I can say with about 70 percent certainty that he never considered becoming the patriarch. After all, he must really dislike this family. Why would he bother becoming its patriarch? For revenge? Nah! Completely leaving the family and becoming someone great will make them regret not nurturing him. If they had, he would have remained loyal to them. That’s the greatest form of revenge—slapping them in the face and making them regret their choices. If I were in his shoes, that’s how I would approach it.”

After hearing Elreth’s explanation, Emily felt it made sense; the second option would inflict far more damage.

”Aren’t you curious about how strong he will become once he can use primordial energy? And if, by some miracle, he could wield Law?” Elreth said, amusement sparkling in her eyes; she found the whole situation quite entertaining. Imagining such a future sent a chill down Emily’s spine. Nero would become extraordinarily powerful if that were to happen. While he might never be able to use Prana or Law—there was that possibility—Emily had a sense that such a scenario was unlikely. When asked why she felt this way, she simply shrugged it off, attributing her certainty to a woman’s intuition.

”Information must have reached the family, and knowing my father, he would likely just decide to watch. If Nero continues to shine and proves to be worth recruiting, he would want him back. His previous action of leaving the family would be seen as a tantrum to raise his value. Those old fogies would come up with various reasons to make him submit, just to achieve their goals,” Elreth explained matter-of-factly.

Emily nodded, thinking it made sense, but then her curiosity piqued.

”What if he refused to comply?”

Elreth’s previously easygoing expression vanished, and the air thickened with a palpable killing intent.

”He will be eliminated.”

Emily’s body shuddered at the ruthlessness of it all. It was to be expected from the seven families; anything they couldn’t possess had to be destroyed to prevent another family from claiming it, as it was theirs to begin with.

The killing intent in Elreth’s eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Now wearing a thin smile, she asked, ”What do you think his decision would be if he ever had to make a choice?”

Emily didn’t have to think hard. Even though she didn’t know him well, she believed he would choose the most logical option, after all, life was sacred, and no one would want to throw it away unnecessarily.

”I think he will accept becoming a member of the family again.”

Elreth chuckled at her friend’s confident response. ”I wonder!”

Emily’s eyes narrowed in confusion. Why would he choose the harder path? Just because of ego? She pondered, but Elreth didn’t elaborate.

For some reason, she felt that Nero would choose the second option, which would turn them into enemies. Her instincts as a warrior warned her not to let that happen. Elreth shook her head and said to her confidently,

”Let’s observe for now; don’t do anything. We will decide as we see how things progress.”

”I understand,” Emily replied, inwardly surprised by her friend and master’s choice.

Normally, considering she expected Nero to choose the second option, she would have thought it best to suppress him now, while he wasn’t shining brightly. But Elreth chose a different approach—to simply observe. She must have her reasons, Emily thought.

Indeed, as Elreth had said, information about Nero’s accomplishments—everything he had done since entering the academy—was being reported, and the patriarch’s decision was simply to observe, not to intervene. Perhaps what had once been perceived as a worthless rock might turn out to be a dazzling gem, a diamond.

Elreth resumed her work, needing to review and sign the remaining documents tonight so she could rest and prepare for a new day tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at Nero’s location, he took out his phone and chatted with the other three. They had formed a group of four to communicate, with Adam doing most of the talking and sharing his usual weird stories. Lux was the second most talkative, while Nero occasionally chimed in. Blake, after saying hi the first time, had fallen silent, acting as if he were already asleep, but Nero knew he was just too lazy to reply. They chatted for a while before calling it a day.

For some reason, even after eating just a short while ago, Nero felt hungry again. Taking out his phone, he ordered food and paid with credits. Soon, a flying golem—a sleek drone with metallic wings and a smooth, aerodynamic body—arrived, hovering effortlessly in the air. It gently descended to deliver his meal: a pineapple pizza and a tonic drink.

The aroma of the pizza wafted through the air, a delightful mix of sweet pineapple and savory cheese that made his mouth water. The crust was perfectly golden, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. As he took his first bite, the flavors exploded in his mouth: the sweetness of the pineapple complemented the rich, melted cheese, creating a delicious harmony. The tonic drink, refreshing and slightly tangy, was the perfect accompaniment, invigorating him with its crispness.

Nero devoured the pizza eagerly, savoring each bite, and enjoyed the tonic afterward. He felt full and energized, ready to take on whatever came next.

Sitting in meditation, wearing nothing but boxers, he placed a mirror in front of him. His reflection stared back, eyes narrowed, and just as he wished, he was transported into his inner world. The familiar scenery unfolded before him: a vast universe with nine stars sealed away and a vortex in the middle, housing something unknown. Just like the nine stars, something was sealed within this vortex, which should be the final stage of his core. Because it was sealed, just like the stars, he couldn’t access Prana.

Nero’s goal tonight was both simple and complicated: to unlock his first star, which would allow him to use Prana and wield a Law. The Red star was nearly unsealed, with just one last black chain remaining, and even that chain was showing signs of multiple cracks. With just a little push, it would break. Previously, Nero had discovered a method to use the essence of slain monsters—powerful ones—to break the seal. After passing the second test, he harnessed the energy from a defeated monster to nearly shatter the first seal. Normally, he should have waited to fight and slay another powerful monster to finally break the last seal, but he couldn’t afford to wait.

The reason he described the task as simple yet complicated was the method he was about to employ. He had tried it before, managing to break only one seal at that time, but it had left him nearly crippled. The plan was to poke the vortex, provoking whatever was inside to react and strike at the last chain. Simple, right? But the cost of such an action could be significant.

The entity inside the vortex had to pay its due; after all, whatever its identity was, it had been freeloading within his body. As the proprietor, Nero felt it was only right to collect some interest—wasn’t that a normal action?

Feeling intense pressure, Nero steadied himself and sent out a whip of his consciousness, taking the form of a silver tendril to probe the vortex. As soon as the tendril touched the surface, an intense suction force enveloped it, trying to drag it to the depths of the vortex. This simple action triggered something to snap inside Nero’s mind, akin to a big bang explosion; his mind buzzed, and he temporarily lost consciousness. But his instincts flared, whispering warnings that if he allowed this to happen, he would lose his sense of self, becoming something that was no longer him. He must never let that occur. Whatever was inside was attempting to swallow his consciousness, his very soul. With a roar of willpower tempered to the extreme, he yanked himself from the jaws of certain death.

Having its meal snatched away right before its eyes enraged the beast within the vortex. It was not pleased, and its next action clearly displayed its fury.

ROARRR!

A roar that shook the heavens erupted, unleashing a powerful force aimed at the stars above—something the beast found tantalizing. The force slammed into the first star, the Red star, causing the last chain to struggle but ultimately fail.