Chapter 28

Upon reaching the imposing wooden gates of the Chief's manor, Jasper was met with the respectful nods of the guards who quickly opened the doors for him. As he stepped into the grand entrance hall, he was greeted by the head maid. Her formal attire and neat bun were as crisp as ever, her stern face softening into a warm smile as she saw him.

"Master Cline is waiting for you in his study, Young Master Jasper," she informed him, leading him through the familiar hallways of the manor.

Upon reaching the sturdy oak door of Cline's study, the head maid knocked gently. "Young Master Jasper is here to see you, Master," she announced. A stern voice from inside called, "Come in."

Pushing the door open, Jasper was immediately enveloped by the familiar scent of old parchment and ink. The room was filled with stacks of scrolls and documents, all meticulously organized. Behind a large, antique desk sat a man diligently working, his focus unwavering. This man was Cline, his father and the Chief of the Spring Village.

Without lifting his gaze from his work, Cline gestured for Jasper to sit. Jasper quietly took a seat across from his father, waiting patiently as Cline finished up his work. His hands stilled, Cline finally looked up at Jasper, his stern face softened as he took in the sight of his son.

"Happy birthday," Cline said to Jasper, his stern face breaking into a rare, bright smile as he set aside the scroll he was reading. Out of the corner of his eye, Jasper caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a detailed map on the scroll. His curiosity piqued, he wondered why his father would be studying such a map with intense focus.

Cline cleared his throat, shifting his gaze back to his son. "I won't beat around the bush and I'll be forthright with you," he started, his voice serious. "The reason I called you back here was because of the recent rumors going around that you've been too frightened to undertake a mission."

As Jasper remained silent, simply staring at his father, Cline pressed on, "Are these rumors true?"

After a moment's thought, Jasper finally responded. "No, of course the rumors aren't true. I've been practicing diligently every day and I've grown a lot stronger! In fact, I've even condensed my Aura into Innate Aura!"

At this, Cline responded, seemingly not missing a beat, "I already knew about your breakthrough to the Practitioner Realm and your enhanced strength but-" His words hung in the air as realization dawned on him, and he stared at his son in shock. "Wait, did you say you have Innate Aura?"

Unable to contain his smirk, Jasper met his father's gaze squarely. "Yes, I did. I managed to condense it a month ago." As if to prove his point, he extended his finger, which was wrapped with Innate Aura, and poked a small, finger-sized hole through his father's wooden desk. The display served to validate his claim, but it also allowed him to vent some of the pent-up anger he felt towards his father, and the rumor that had been circulating about him.

Staring at the small hole in his desk, Cline could only lean back in his chair in complete shock. 'Innate Aura at the age of 8!' He had always known that his son was an immense talent, but he never expected Jasper to break through to the Innate Aura stage so soon.

He had assumed that Jasper would breakthrough the Practitioner realm at the age of 9, and then progress to the Innate Aura realm at about the age of 16 or 18. The process of gathering and then condensing aura typically took years of intensive practice. While one's natural talent could expedite the gathering of aura, the condensation process was mostly about hard work, time, and diligence, and was not something that could be significantly accelerated by talent alone.

Yet, here was his son, having broken through to the Innate Aura realm in a single year. With such strength, Jasper could already be considered a powerhouse within the village. This revelation had far-reaching implications, and Cline had to consider the next steps carefully.

After a long pause, Cline finally composed himself and looked at his son with a newfound perspective. With his son's talent it might be possible to push the Martial Hall to the next level. He cleared his throat, "Jasper, your progress.. it's truly astounding. You have greatly surpassed all my expectations and are the pride of our Spring Village." he said, his voice filled with emotion. "As for the rumors, we can discard them. I was wrong for doubting your resolve."Top of Form

Taking a deep breath, Cline continued, "Having Innate Aura at your age... it's unprecedented. This will change many things, Jasper." He fixed his stern gaze on his son, "In the past, I wanted to suppress news of your talent because the Martial Hall alone wouldn't have been enough to ward off those who might become envious of you. But now, you've reached the middle stage of the Practitioner realm and can defend yourself in this world."

Jasper silently listened to his father's words, absorbing each one with gravity. "Right now, the powers in the city don't take us seriously and we've been using this to our advantage, quietly growing stronger. However, with your talent, it won't be long before you reach the Body Refinement realm or even higher. When that happens, the city's powers will no longer sit idly by and watch. They'll come after us," Cline said, emphasizing the severity of the situation.

His gaze softened a bit, "This is why, Jasper, from now on, I'll be entrusting you with certain responsibilities and will begin to push more significant tasks towards you. We need to prepare you for what's to come."

With a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Cline regarded his son. After the death of Jasper's mother, he had made every effort to shield Jasper from the harsh realities of the world while balancing his dual roles as a father and the Village Chief. Until today, he had kept these roles separate as much as possible, not wanting to burden his young son prematurely.

The situation in their region was still too unstable, filled with dangers that could easily overwhelm someone as young as Jasper. Cline had hoped to allow things to settle down, to allow Jasper to grow a little more before merging these two aspects of their lives; but Jasper's explosive growth had accelerated that timeline.

Jasper was only eight years old, still a child by any measure. As his father, Cline felt a profound duty to support him through this transition. His heart was filled with a mixture of pride and trepidation, unsure of what the future might hold.

Jasper shifted uneasily in his chair, the atmosphere making him feel somewhat uneasy. He had never seen his father wear such a worried expression before. Unsure of how to alleviate the tension, Jasper decided to simply agree to his father's words.

"I... understand, father," Jasper said quietly, nodding as he attempted to swallow his fears of this leadership role. He knew there was no other option.

In the silence that followed, Jasper thought of the system. Suddenly, a light blue panel flickered into existence before him. This panel, invisible to even his father's eyes, was the interface of the system. As he looked upon the interface, a sense of hope washed over him. As long as he had this system, he knew he could grow much stronger.

After a while, Cline instructed, "Jasper, I want you to return to the Martial Hall." He paused for a moment, contemplating, before continuing, "I'll send Grant along with you this time. You are ready for the test, you need to graduate. With your current strength, it should be an immediate process. No need for a mission, just showcase your Innate Aura. Once this is done, I'll announce the news officially and assign you a new position within the Martial Hall."

Jasper nodded silently, absorbing the words. "What position, father?" He asked, curiosity filling his eyes.

Cline looked at his son, a smile stretching across his face, "I'm making you the Vice Head Master of the Martial Hall. You would directly be the Head Master, but you're still young and lack the necessary experience. So for now, you'll be Vice Head and observe the operations of the Martial Hall."

Jasper was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't expected to be granted such a significant role!

Jasper simply stared at his father for a moment, struggling to process the enormity of the situation. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He was being given a position of great responsibility within the Martial Hall, an opportunity he never thought he would be given at such a young age.

"I... I'm to be the Vice Head Master?" Jasper stuttered out, his surprise clear in his voice. It was a position of great responsibility, second only to the Head Master of the Martial Hall.

Cline nodded, his face serious. "Yes, Jasper. I understand that this is a big responsibility, but I have faith in you. I believe you can handle this, and it will be a valuable experience for you."

Jasper swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "I... I will do my best, father. I won't let you down," he said, determination flashing in his eyes.

"Good," Cline said, offering Jasper a reassuring smile. "I know you will do well, Jasper. Now, go and prepare yourself for the test. Remember, show everyone your Innate Aura. Once that is done, I will make the announcement."

Jasper nodded, rising to his feet and was guided to his original room by the head maid who waited outside of the office room. Tomorrow would be the day he would set off for the Martial Hall again, just this time with Grant at his side.