Cursed Physique

Anthony didn't know why. But his ears were undergoing some kind of transformation. The meridians, veins, nerves, membrane, and structure were changing slightly. This change was what suddenly elevated Anthony's hearing to a superhuman level.

'Ah.'

Anthony figured it out. His physique was developing a trait.

Since he didn't know what his physique was, Anthony couldn't be sure if it was the only trait. But he doubted it, which meant there would be more in store for him in the future. But one of his senses being enhanced was a good thing, at least if he could control it or didn't go mad from hearing his own breathing like it was a hurricane.

The changes to his ears were also slow, and Anthony didn't know when they would finish.

It was also possible that it wasn't a pure enhancement.

Anthony had suspected it when he first realized he had a special physique, but it was entirely possible that it was a cursed physique. The robed mage could have put him in a body born with a physique that put its possessor through incredible suffering.

Anthony was a little curious how the robed mage and his compatriots knew that Thomas' and Vira's baby would be born with a physique like that, but it was a matter of when he could get his hands on the robed mage and wrap them around his neck.

For now, he would have to bear the strain on his mind that the annoyingly good hearing inflicted upon him while he waited for his ears to finish changing. And if they didn't finish, and he was stuck with all the sounds in his surroundings being amplified tenfold, Anthony would have to start figuring out a way to uncurse his cursed physique. Or learn to bear with it.

After all, even if his hearing never straightened itself out, Anthony would still have his body.

'Unless the cursed physique takes that away, too.'

But for now, Anthony could only hope his hearing would adjust itself since he couldn't do anything about it when he could barely move. That was why he decided to go all out with training and sleeping, which should promote his growth and the development of his physique. He would also have to eat more.

Thankfully, it didn't look like Vira was running out any time soon.

However, Anthony had underestimated the severity of his curse.

At first, it had only been the sounds of Thomas and Vira playing around and his heartbeat that echoed inside his head like room-sized drums. That much Anthony could handle.

But his ears weren't satisfied with only picking up that much. They caught everything.

The sound of Anthony's breathing, his teeth clacking against each other, his lips smacking as he pursed them while focusing and then relaxed to practice his Natural Breathing. The sound of his toes gripping the sheets to keep his balance, the crib and its spokes creaking as he moved around. The sounds of his hair brushing against the mattress, his skin doing the same.

All sounds poured into Anthony's brain through his ears like a dam had burst.

'Yep. Definitely cursed.'

With the degree of suffering Anthony underwent due to his hearing picking up and amplifying every single soundwave in his vicinity, he had no trouble believing that the robed mage had put him in this body to suffer. And the robed mage's encouragement for him to grow stronger was just the delusion of a madman.

The cacophony of sounds made it impossible for Anthony to concentrate on anything, whether it be Natural Breathing, training, or sleeping. His ears and brains were constantly assailed by everything around and inside him. It was maddening.

Out of desperation, Anthony kept his hands locked over his ears, even if it only made it worse since he heard the blood rushing through them, and his palms pressing on and rubbing against his ears were like earthquakes inside his head.

If the robed mage wanted to torture Anthony, he had succeeded.

But he hadn't succeeded in breaking him.

Anthony only barely managed to hold back from gritting his teeth since the sound would undoubtedly be unbearable. He let go of his ears and sat down. He closed his eyes.

An ordinary person or baby experiencing the effects of Anthony's cursed physique would be unable to handle it, and their mind would collapse. He couldn't even begin to guess what would happen if an ordinary baby had been born and developed this kind of ailment.

But it didn't matter. The life of a human baby wasn't even worthy of Anthony's consideration.

And while an ordinary person would have crumbled if they experienced the same thing, Anthony was no ordinary person.

In his past life, he might have been blessed since birth and coasted to his position as the Strongest Dragon King by relying on his lineage and innate strength and talent. He hadn't needed to do much to be stronger than his peers. Simply existing already made him more powerful than others of his kin who spent their countless years honing themselves.

His unique draconic attribute of Knowledge also made him perfectly suited to learning magic. What the other dragons needed to learn and comprehend, he understood at a single glance.

The power of Dragon Tongue, which dragons had to develop through their connection with the world and mana, also came as naturally as breathing to Anastrus. After all, it was, in essence, a language, no matter how powerful it was. He just needed to remember it.

With his blessed gifts bestowed upon him for being born, Anastrus hadn't struggled or fought tooth and nail like his brethren. He didn't have experience enduring suffering the same way others did.

However, he had been exceptionally solitary. He had spent an absolute majority of his life alone since no other dragon could equal him. He didn't want to engage with them, and they definitely didn't want to interact with him.

Anastrus hadn't minded it. He had nothing to gain from cavorting with lesser beings who gave him a bad reputation anyway. Besides, dragons were solitary creatures to begin with.

But all those years in solitude occasionally left Anastrus bored, which was when he either searched for new knowledge, slept, or found something to distract himself with.

One thing he sometimes did to entertain himself was find ways to challenge himself. He hadn't needed to train like the other dragons. He claimed the throne of a Dragon King as soon as he was of age.

But, and he didn't want to admit it to himself, Anastrus wanted to know what it felt like to struggle. After all, there had to be a reason why the other dragons, humans, beasts, and all living beings on Atar did it ceaselessly, generation after generation, era through era.

Anastrus hadn't gotten much from his attempts at fitting in. After all, he only struggled with the same or similar things once, with a few exceptions.

But one thing that wasn't an exception was learning how to control his senses.