Chapter 3: Gifts and Blessings

"That's not all," Grandma Yuu responded this time.

"Is there more?" Sam asked.

Grandma Yuu nodded and continued her explanation: "Over the past two weeks, people have been mysteriously disappearing, not just in Eiyu but also in the neighboring towns."

She glanced at Sam and whispered, "Even in mage cities." She realized her grandson was unaware of this information, as the authorities had kept it concealed to avoid causing panic.

"Wait, mage cities too?" Sam inquired, surprised.

His grandmother looked at him. "Your father didn't mention this, did he? Do you recall anything strange happening while you were leaving Kinley?"

"I'm sorry, but I was in closed cultivation for the past six weeks before arriving here, so I wasn't aware of anything unusual," he explained. "Perhaps my father thought it wasn't necessary to tell me."

Sam mentally noted that he would have a discussion with his father about this when he returned.

His face turned solemn. "Has there been any news about the missing people?"

"No, despite forming search parties, we only found the body of one of the missing individuals," Grandma Yuu replied.

"How did that person die?" Sam asked, curious.

Grandma Yuu answered, "Similar to the others—charred and disfigured." Sam's mind raced as he contemplated what this meant. Was there a deranged murderer on the loose, or was it a sign of a greater threat to their peaceful existence?

His grandmother advised him not to overthink it and reminded him that his eighteenth birthday was only three days away. She urged him to focus on his awakening, a significant milestone for heroes.

Awakening marked the point when heroes reached adulthood and experienced a sacred enlightenment. It unlocked their true potential and bestowed upon them unique and powerful abilities. These abilities could vary, encompassing offensive, defensive, supportive, or even passive traits, similar to those demonstrated by Sam's grandfather.

The odds of gaining multiple abilities were slim, with fewer than one in ten achieving such a feat. However, for those select few who defied the odds, their lives were forever changed.

The abilities heroes obtained were random and not dependent on their personal qualities. Some believed they were influenced by the environment in which they grew up, while others attributed them to the universe or destiny. In the end, the true nature of these abilities remained speculative.

At the age of eight, heroes could embark on their cultivation journey. Sam, however, possessed qualities of both a hero and a mage, which surprised both his maternal and paternal families.

Jin, his maternal grandfather, desired to bring him into their clan and change his name from Sam Verninne to Sam Tatsuya. Anos, his paternal grandfather, disagreed, resulting in a childish dispute between the two. After much deliberation, they reached a compromise: Sam would learn magic from their clan and martial arts from the heroes.

As time passed, Sam's focus shifted more towards cultivation than magic. His exceptional potential remained known only to immediate family, royalty, and influential figures, as revealing it would bring unwanted complications.

However, rumors began to circulate, likely due to the lack of subtlety from his grandfathers. This brought about various challenges, including requests for Sam's hand in marriage from noble clans—an issue his mother and grandmother would find difficult to handle.

Sam was the heir to the Verinnne Clan, and his marriage had significant implications. As for his name, it was a topic best left untouched.

"Yes, I understand, but lives were lost. I feel sorry for them," Sam said with a small smile.

"I'm sure you do. You have a good heart, but you must accept that there are some things beyond your control," Grandma Yuu said, wearing a caring smile.

"You were raised well by my daughter," she added.

"Finally, she did something that I can be proud of," Grandma Yuu said with a wistful smile, leaving Sam speechless. He observed his aunt, Yuki, turning away, avoiding eye contact.

He debated whether to defend his mother but ultimately decided to stay quiet and see how things unfolded.

"Yuki, you need to raise your child well too, but you'll have to get married first, and I don't see that happening anytime soon," Grandma Yuu advised her daughter.

Sam briefly smiled but stopped when he noticed his aunt's disapproving gaze.

"I'm just saying, Yuki; I'm not disappointed at all," Grandma Yuu comforted her.

"You're so let down!" Yuki exclaimed with disappointment.

The sound of a door opening caught their attention, and they saw a woman with white hair and blue eyes entering the room. She appeared slightly older than Yuki and had overheard Yuki's outburst due to its volume.

"Are you disappointed in us, Mom?" she asked with an expressionless face.

"No, Yuna, I'm not disappointed in you; you completely misunderstood," Yuu responded, rolling her eyes. "Can we move on from this topic now?"

"Yes, it's getting out of control," Sam agreed.

"Aww, honey, Mom missed you so much," Yuna said, ruffling Sam's dark black hair.

Yuki wiped away tears and asked, "How did your investigation go? Did you find any clues about the killer?"

"We didn't find anything about the killer, but we did come across some disgusting goo; it seemed to belong to an animal or beast," Yuna explained.

"Anyway," she continued, ruffling Sam's hair, "your birthday is in three days, and you'll be awakening your ability.

You should focus on that. Leave these matters to the officials and let your grandfather handle them."

"What if I don't have any abilities? Wouldn't that be disappointing, Mom?" Sam asked, his face gloomy. He didn't want to feel useless among his peers who possessed unique abilities.

"Don't worry about that. Even if you don't awaken any abilities, you're already a genius in cultivation and magic. You're one of a kind. You're still a magic swordsman," Yuki reassured him.

"Dude, you're already a cultivator with mage abilities. And you're worrying about being useless? Do you want to be the protagonist or something?" Yuki thought to herself. Her nephew could be unreasonable at times.

"We love you too much to be concerned about things like that, okay?" Grandma Yuu chimed in.

Despite his brilliance, Sam knew there was still a chance he might never awaken an ability. That thought bothered him the most. In a society where everyone awakened some kind of ability, would he feel out of place if he didn't awaken one?

But deep down, he realized he was a remarkable child with a unique cultivation path. Even without awakening an ability, his possession of magic set him apart from other heroes.

...

[Author's Note: As a new writer, I appreciate your understanding and feedback.

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Reviews are welcome.

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Thank you very much!]