The Ascender's Legacy [A CHAOTIC STORM LITRPG]

It was exactly ten minutes past eight in the evening when Aodhán finally arrived at Norbuik, completely drained from all the paperwork he had spent the last five hours sorting.

Turning to glance at the escort principal Zatya had forced on him, he said. "Thank you, Rahim, but I think I can make it home on my own from here."

Rahim smirked. "Trust me, I would greatly love to dump you here and go about my own business, but I can't. Not because the principal would flay me alive if she found it, which she will, but because you really need the protection. You don't seem to realize it."

"Is that so?" Aodhán frowned as he glanced around the quiet city of Norbuik. "Even here?"

"Even here." Rahim nodded. "I'll leave you when you reach your doorstep. Not a moment before. Until then, you're with me."

Aodhán sighed. He understood the necessity of safety, but he couldn't help but think that Principal Zatya was taking this a tiny bit too far. Still, he couldn't deny the peace of mind this gave him, knowing he and his family were protected from all the consequences of his rash decisions.

They continued their journey towards his home, and Aodhán finally had the chance to take in the devastation Norbuik had suffered. On his way here, he had seen the vast scale of destruction caused by the rampaging monsters, but it seemed Norbuik had only suffered the tail end of it.

They crossed the distance to Menton in minutes, the world blurring past as they soared through the sky. A moment later, they arrived above the house, and together, they observed the significant destruction, which had come to an abrupt end only a few meters away.

There were no carcasses to be found, but scars and claw marks marred the earth, and a desperate chill still hung in the air, freezing even though the battle had taken place hours ago.

Rahim didn't comment on the deathly chill, merely glancing around to assess the damage before muttering something into his chip. Aodhán knew exactly who he was speaking to, and he glanced up too, watching the empty area in the sky where core sense assured him two advanced-class guards hid—one with a glass affinity and the other with air—both above the 75th tier.

Raising his hands to his head in a salute, Aodhán greeted the invisible, and although they didn't reveal themselves or acknowledge his greeting in any way, Aodhán still felt assured that they were present.

"Well, I guess this is where I leave you." Rahim smiled a moment after and then glanced at the house. "Say hi to your mom and dad for me. Also, tell your brother that he needs to be more frugal in the use of his willpower. I'm sure he's lying somewhere right now, nearly completely drained of life."

Aodhán chuckled and nodded. "I'll tell him. Goodbye, Rahim."

Rahim nodded, and the next instant, he disappeared, leaving a small cloud of spatial energy to linger in the air for a moment before dispersing. Shaking his head in amusement, Aodhán turned his attention to the house itself, which was packed with people, most of whom were sleepers. Judging based on the voices he could hear, he estimated there were about fifty people inside.

He contemplated sneaking in through his bedroom window, but it would be terrible manners. So, he steeled himself and descended to the porch. Just as he raised his hands to knock, a thought entered his mind, and with a smile, Aodhán quickly retreated to the backyard garden to pluck flowers for Synové.

The state of the garden brought a wave of joy to his heart, and Aodhán had to resist the urge to sit among the flowers and just exist. The garden was an explosion of colors and scents, so beautiful that it nearly rivaled that of noble houses. It wasn't just beautiful; it was flourishing, and with the rainy season now in full swing, the flowers shone with life, their delicate petals glistening under the light of the golden clouds.

Running his hands through the bell-shaped petals of cosmoses, Aodhán walked through the garden, plucking roses and lilies, snapdragons and purple raziers, until he had a beautiful bouquet in his hands. To some it might have been too colorful—red, white, orange, and purple—haphazardly lumped together, but Aodhán suspected Synové would love it, what with her love for mismatched colors.

With a small flex of energy, he created a ribbon of green lightning too weak to do any harm, and after tightening it around the bouquet, he walked back to the porch and knocked.

The noise within the living room subsided, and Aodhán smiled, wondering if his parents had gotten over their trauma for reporters yet. His smile widened when a familiar core moved towards the door and opened it, revealing a man who could have passed as someone in their late twenties with very little effort.

"Hi, Unrid." Aodhán was greeted with a smile, and Unrid's eyes widened in happiness.

"My boy." He shouted, and the rest of the house practically burst into motion. Too weak to actually sweep Aodhán off his feet, Unrid hugged him tightly, and when he pulled back, Aodhán saw Synové standing at the doorway, dressed in an outfit more suited for a royal ball than catering to neighbors.

That thought barely registered as he was reminded once again just how beautiful Synové was. Her blond hair was styled into an elegant bun and adorned with jade pins, with two curled strands framing her oval face. She was absolutely stunning, and to make it even better, the jade necklace he had given her all those months ago rested elegantly on her neck.

Smiling, he stretched the bouquet towards her and said. "As beautiful as these flowers are, they pale in comparison to you."

Synové practically melted as she threw herself into his arms. "Oh, Aodhán, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Mum."

She pulled back, squeezed his cheeks, then smacked him upside the head with a scowl. "If you missed me so much, why didn't you come see me before running off with that champion of yours?"

"I'm sorry?" Aodhán chuckled and pressed the flowers into Synové's hands. "Why did you think I brought you these flowers?"

"I take it your intentions were to bribe her." Aldric came forward and shook his head. "Don't fall for it, Mum. It's the oldest trick in the book."

"But they are so beautiful, though." Synové cooed, and Aldric rolled his eyes before pulling Aodhán in for a hug.

"Great." He whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "One minute back and you've succeeded in making Daruk and me look bad."

"Don't lump me up with you." Daruk interjected as he walked out of the house. "I brought Mum flowers."

Synové smiled. "Yes, you did, honey. Thank you both so much."

"Great." Aldric rolled his eyes again and muttered something unintelligible while Daruk came up to hug Aodhán too. Aodhán smiled, noting Daruk's increased cultivation level, which was now on par with his own, but before he could congratulate his brother, Daruk pulled back and smiled. "You survived two whole weeks without me to guide your every move. I feel like a proud parent."

"Hey! I'm not a child." Aodhán protested, and they all laughed. When Daruk finally pulled back, Synové placed a hand on his shoulders and gestured towards the dozens of people now gathered by the entrance. A few of them looked vaguely familiar, but Aodhán couldn't exactly say he knew any of them except for Kieran, whose colorful outfit stood out in the crowd.

Still, these people were their neighbors, friends of Unrid and Synové who lived around the area and had rushed to their house, seeking safety, the moment news of danger spread. The least he could do was to be polite; however, before Synové could even do the introductions, one of the women rushed forward and wrapped him in a big hug, "Oh, Aodhán. We've been expecting you for weeks. Daruk said you probably won't return home for the break, but I believed, and I'm so glad to see you."

"Eh… I'm so glad to see you too." He patted the woman's back awkwardly, unsure where he knew her from. But when she didn't pull away after a few seconds, he gently pulled her back himself, careful not to break her sleeper bones.

After extricating himself from her, Aodhán leaned towards Synové and asked. "Am I supposed to know that woman?"

"Oh honey, no one is supposed to know that woman. We all just don't have a choice."

Aodhán chuckled. "I'm serious, Mom, who is she?"

Synové sighed heavily. "Our new neighbor. She and her husband moved into the house opposite us a month ago. But don't worry, we'll talk about it later." Turning to the others gathered around the entrance, she raised her voice. "Why don't we all go inside? Aodhán can tell us all about his adventures dealing with champions."

Everyone agreed, but while they all made their way back inside, Aodhán hung back with Daruk and asked. "Is it always this bad?"

Daruk chuckled. "Not usually, but every day, there's always one neighbor or two visiting. Don't worry. They are all just trying to hitch themselves to us in case we become really important in the future."

Aodhán's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And how do they intend to do that?"

"By matchmaking us, of course." Daruk replied, his voice tight with frustration. "For weeks now, they've tried to matchmake me and some of the girls together. It has been a terrible experience, truly, but now that you have arrived, I suspect Aldric and I will get some breathing space."

"What! We're still too young to marry." Aodhán hissed, but Daruk chuckled.

"Let me give you some advice; in fact, I'll give you two since I'm feeling very charitable. The first advice is to never resist the matchmaking attempts of desperate mothers. You'll only make yourself more interesting and enticing that way. The second is the most important. Don't trust Mother. She is the architect of all this. Don't tell her anything, I mean anything that can be used against you."

"What?!"

"I'm serious. I had to learn it the hard way, but she's not on our side, Aodhán. Not one bit."

They stepped into the house a moment later, and Aodhán finally got a good look at everyone. Aside from Unrid, Kieran, and two other men Aodhán didn't recognize, there were no other men in the room. The rest were women and children, about two dozen of them all seated around in the living room, which had undergone a drastic change since the last time he saw it.

The first and most prominent change was the fact that the entire house had been spatially expanded with runes, and the usual explosion of mismatched colors Aodhán expected was gone. Instead, the room had been repainted with a luxury snow-white color, emphasized with the gold curtains and silver highlights.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The furniture had also been replaced to match the room's new aesthetics, and what had formerly been a cozy but cramped living room before was now a bedecked hall of white, silver, and gold.

"It was all Kieran's idea." Daruk explained when he noticed Aodhán's expression. "He thought having the house reflect the colors of our affinities would make the place seem nobler, and it turns out he's right."

Now that Daruk mentioned it, Aodhán could totally see it. White for snow/ice, gold for lightning, and silver for Aldric empathic essence. Unrid's colors were missing, though, but before he could ask about it, Daruk whispered. "The men are already sneaking away. Act natural."

Aodhán paused, watching as the men slowly made their way to the adjacent room, their exit going completely unnoticed by the women who were either too busy dealing with their children or chatting amongst themselves.

Leaning towards him, Daruk whispered. "Okay, don't panic, but as much as I love you, brother, you're going to have to face this alone."

"Face what?" Aodhán asked, but Daruk ignored him and simply began slinking away.

"Where the fuck are you going?" Aodhán hissed.

"To join the men in the other room while you…deal with all of this. Good luck, brother. I believe in you."

"Daruk, don't—

Daruk left, leaving Aodhán to face two dozen eager-eyed women alone. The moment the door shut behind Daruk, they all turned to look at him in unison as if they'd simply been waiting for Daruk to leave, and Synové smiled. "Come on, Aodhán. Come and sit with us."

"Err…uhm…Can I not take a shower first? I've had a long day."

Synové dismissed his excuse with a wave of her hand and said. "Oh, we don't care about any horrid boy smell, Aodhán. Do we ladies?"

A chorus of chuckles echoed out from the women, each one staring at him with curiosity and an eerie sort of fascination. It was unsettling, but that wasn't the sole reason for his nervousness. Aodhán had always been awkward around women, courtesy of his upbringing in the monastery. But now, surrounded by two dozen of them, he felt like a deer caught in headlights.

"Come on, Aodhán. We've missed you terribly." Synové beckoned him closer once more, even lifting a plate of sweet-smelling biscuits toward him. But Aodhán wasn't fooled. Daruk's warning echoed in his mind like the clang of a church bell, and he immediately rejected the offer.

"No, thanks, Mom, I think I would rather just stand here."

"Don't be silly; you've been standing all morning, and you just fought a battle. You need to rest your legs."

"No, don't worry about my legs." Aodhán shook his head. "They are fine, Mum. I'm fine. I—

Before he could complete his statement, Synové's expression crumpled and her shoulders sagged. "You don't like the decorations, do you? You think it's garish. I suspected you wouldn't like it. Is that why you don't want to sit down?"

"What? No. The decorations are beautiful. I just—" Aodhán scrambled for a good excuse, but when he found none, he sighed in defeat and said. "You know what, I think I might sit after all."

Synové's expression lit up once again, and with a smile, she gestured for him to take the seat beside her. The instant he sat down, she introduced him to all the women present as well as their children, all of whom were very eager to meet him. None of the children were awakened yet, and so they gathered around him, eyes wide in fascination as they stared at his bloodline manifestation and asked him questions.

By some miracle, Aodhán managed to remember all of their names. However, just as he began enjoying himself, laughing at the numerous questions the children asked, Synové cut in. "Tell us all about your adventure with Champion Ryntharion, Aodhán. We are all so very eager to hear it, aren't we, ladies?"

"We certainly are." Mrs. Johnson, the woman who had hugged him earlier, hummed eagerly. "We want all the gory details."

"Or steamy ones." Old Mrs. Colleen chuckled, her frail bones seemingly ready to scatter in the wind at the slightest pressure. Tapping her cane against the floor, she added conspiratorially. "After all, what's an adventure without a bit of romance? Or perhaps something even more… heated?"

A ripple of giddy laughter swept through the room, the women exchanging knowing glances. Some fanned themselves dramatically, while others leaned in with eager anticipation.

Aodhán felt his throat go dry, and with a heavy sigh, he began a filtered narration of everything that had happened during the break before Sunstone's retaliation. He left out the more disturbing details, focusing instead on the sights he had seen in the various sectors he had traveled through.

The women seemed a little disappointed that nothing steamy had happened between him and Geneva, but that didn't deter them from pressing him with questions on the matter. Yet, with every answer he gave, his confidence grew. After an hour, Aodhán found himself completely at ease.

After their initial hunger for steamy stories subsided, the women became genuinely interested in the tales he had to share. Even Aodhán found it intriguing—retelling his experiences gave him a clearer perspective on the events of the break and even helped him remember some of the things he had forgotten.

The questions soon became less of a nuisance as the topic subtly shifted to more important matters. Some of the women wanted to know more about the cultists, while others were more interested in the subtle differences in cultures between each sector.

Aodhán answered each question as best as he could, but alas, while some of the women were concerned about the war and the kingdom's struggles, others had more personal interests. One such person was Mrs. Johnson, who was completely fixated on his hobbies—and how they aligned with those of her eldest daughter, Sybil.

"Do you like the ocean, Aodhán?" She asked when the conversation reached a lull, grabbing her daughter's arm. "Sybil absolutely adores large bodies of water, don't you, Sybil?"

The girl stammered. "Uh, I'm not—"

"I think Aodhán loves nature," Mrs. Patmore, a robust woman whom Synové had introduced as Kieran's neighbor, interjected with a wide smile. Pulling her eldest daughter closer, she said, "This is Millicent, and she absolutely adores nature. She's obsessed with your mother's garden—which is absolutely stunning, by the way. I heard you had a hand in its creation."

Tamping down his irritation at the shameless matchmaking, Aodhán shrugged. "I did help with the garden's creation, but my mother has been the one tending to it all this while. I think she deserves all the credit."

Synové smiled happily at his response, but rather than return the gesture of goodwill, she patted his arm gently and added, "Nature isn't the only thing Aodhán loves. He's absolutely obsessed with runes, pictures, and decorations. He's also a very avid reader and, as you all know, a very strong fighter. He's just perfect, isn't he?"

Mrs. Patmore laughed. "Perfect indeed! A fine young man like you shouldn't be alone for long."

"Indeed." Mrs. Johnson agreed. "Passion is such an important factor in this stage of your life."

Aodhán's jaw twitched from how hard he was forcing himself to smile. He couldn't believe Synové was selling him out like this. Is this because he hadn't come home for the break earlier, or was this a new hobby she had just taken up? If it was the latter, then he had to find her a new hobby as quickly as possible because what in the shameless harassment was all this?

Unable to take it anymore, Aodhán pushed himself to his feet and let out an exaggerated yawn. When he finished, he cracked his neck tiredly and said. "I'm sorry, ladies, but I'm tired, and I relate to needing to sleep. Please forgive me for not staying longer."

The women whined, and Old Mrs. Colleen asked. "Can't you please stay a bit longer, dear? We've only just begun to know you."

Aodhán shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Colleen, but it's eleven o'clock, and my bones are tired."

The women cooed and said their goodbyes, but Synové saw through his ruse and smiled. "Oh, I'm sure we can let you go, Aodhán."

"Thank—" Aodhán began, already moving, but Synové halted him with a hand on his arm and added.

"As long as you promise to sit with us tomorrow and the day after that. Unless you don't want to spend time with me, of course."

Aodhán opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it and sighed. "Whoever is teaching you emotional manipulation is doing a great job, Mother."

"Are you trying to accuse me of something?" Synové smiled, perfectly composed as if she didn't understand what he was saying.

"Never." Aodhán grinned, grabbed the last of the biscuits, and said his goodbyes to the women. Not in the mood for any other discussion, Aodhán avoided the men's room and went straight to his room.

He wasn't really angry with Synové, but something about the whole situation didn't sit well with him. Making a mental note to discuss the matter with her as soon as he got the chance, Aodhán collapsed onto his bed and slept off immediately.

He woke up the next morning with a growling stomach and took a minute to process the events of the previous day before climbing out of bed and trudging towards the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, he was dressed in a clean cotton shirt and black trousers that made his bloodline manifestation seem a little sharper than usual. Fully dressed, Aodhán made his way downstairs, savoring the sweet scent of freshly baked bread coming from the kitchen.

It was late morning already, and all their neighbors had returned to their individual homes, making the spatially expanded living room look almost like a hall with no one occupying it. Mentally noting to study the array of spatial runes scattered around the living room whenever he got the time, Aodhán made his way to the dining area, where he found Synové setting the table for breakfast.

"When did you sleep last night?" He asked by way of greeting.

Synové chuckled. "Two hours ago, but I don't sleep quite as much as I used to before. I've got to keep busy if I'm to maintain this beauty after all."

Aodhán snorted. "You'll look beautiful whether you're trying or not."

Synové paused and then smiled. "Thank you so much, Aodhán. You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that."

"What?!" Aodhán arched back in disbelief. "Unrid never misses the opportunity to tell you. He says it like a hundred times in one day."

"Well, not anymore." Synové gave a sad chuckle. "He's too busy cultivating now. He shuts himself in for days on end meditating. Why do you think I started entertaining the ladies?"

All that he had planned to say concerning the women yesterday vanished from his mind as he processed her words. Synové noticed his silence and waved away his concern with a smile. "Oh, don't mind me. Unrid and I are fine. I know he loves me. Besides, I also love entertaining the ladies."

Letting out a deep breath, Aodhán shook. "If I never have to see Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Patmore ever again, I will be eternally grateful. And old Mrs. Coleen? Isn't she too old for all this?"

Synové laughed. "Oh, she most definitely is, but she says we make her feel young again, besides," she leaned forward and whispered. "She's awfully obsessed with my youthful look. I suspect she might come to you one of these days for help."

"Too bad." Aodhán blew out a breath. "I don't think I can recreate that event, and even if I can, I certainly won't be trying it on humans."

"Why?" Synové asked in concern. "Is something wrong with your skill?"

"Nothing is wrong with it exactly. It's just…"

Aodhán launched into a narration of how the Sylvael lightning was actually an offensive skill masking as a healing skill in small doses.

To replicate the effect the skill had on Unrid and Synové, he would have to recreate the precise conditions that led to it—a cloud of nature and life essence corrupted by Sylvael lightning, the exact combination of flowers, the exact amount of willpower and energy, and perhaps even a perfect balance between all three energies. And well, let's just say he had no clue what that perfect balance was. Looking back on that day now, Aodhán realized he might have narrowly avoided a terrible situation without even knowing it.

Their conversation continued until Unrid and Daruk arrived, both of them looking as if they had just rolled off the bed with the way their hair stuck out at odd angles.

"Where's Aldric?" Synové asked as she handed a jug of juice to Daruk to cool.

"He's meditating." Unrid responded with a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I should probably join him after breakfast."

"Right." Synové nodded, her expression perfectly neutral, but after what she had just said earlier, Aodhán suspected this was exactly the problem. He hadn't had the time to scrutinize Unrid's core yesterday, but when he focused on it now, he realized that Unrid had taken a small step forward in his cultivation, gaining a grasp of his origin plane. If he dedicated more time to meditation and study, it was only a matter of time before he gained a seal or an opening, forcefully advancing his core to the next tier.

Unrid was most likely also aware of this fact, hence his dedication to meditation, and although he had every right to be dedicated, he also had to find a balance soon to avoid ruining things with Synové.

Sliding into the seat beside Unrid, he smiled. "Congratulations, Dad. I see you've taken a step forward.".

Unrid beamed, his shoulders puffing up in pride. "You told me I could do it, and I can't believe I am actually doing it. It feels great."

"I am proud of you." Aodhán replied genuinely. "I suggest you study more than meditate for now, though. Gaining an opening or a seal requires understanding, understanding that won't come from just meditating. When you study, then you'll have a lot more ideas to meditate on."

"True." Daruk interjected as he cut into the large loaf of bread Synové had placed on the table. "You should read a book on the origin plane of fire. I think I can recommend one. I'll just have to ask Tallulah for the one she uses."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to wait till the book arrives before entering secluded meditation again." Unrid smiled and wiped fake sweat from his forehead in relief. "Oof. I'm so glad I've pushed that back a few more weeks at least. Now I can spend some time with my beautiful wife."

Synové blushed and pushed her hair behind her ears. "Your beautiful wife doesn't want to spend any time with you."

"Oh, we both know that's a lie." Unrid smirked and placed his fork down. "Shall I remind you of that time we—"

"No!" Aodhán and Daruk shouted at the same time, and even Aldric, who should have been meditating, shouted from his room. "I'm trying to meditate here, Dad. I don't need your visuals!"

Unrid raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm just trying to remind your mother about the time—"

"Heavens help me." Aodhán cursed as he quickly shut his ears, and Daruk let out a string of unintelligible expletives. A rarity for him.

Unrid finally stopped teasing them, laughing unabashedly even as Synové glared at him, her entire face nearly crimson from a mixture of amusement and embarrassment.

Glad that they had just averted a potential crisis, Aodhán proceeded to enjoy the rest of his breakfast in peace, laughing and teasing each other as they discussed a number of unimportant things.

After breakfast, Aodhán returned to his room and took out his runic practice note. He only had six days left before the academy resumed, and he needed to make the most out of it.