Eren's Ascension

"What?"

" Did you not hear me?"

" No I did but what do you mean by 'build me a mansion'." Eren doubtfully eyed Alena.

" Exactly as it sounds, build a mansion big enough for two of us. We are isolated but we should live as best as possible.

Possibly on a big house, eating cooked food and sleeping on comfy bed. That's more than enough luxury." Alena said with straight face, she had no intention to compromise in this regard.

" I don't know how and I am too weak."

" I wish you had eyes, that way you could've read the book yourself." Alena sighed.

" I have a doubt."

" Ask away."

" During that fight, my hand regenerated but my eyes didn't. Why?" Asked eren in confusion.

" were you born blind?" Asked Alena.

" No."

" Then you should've regenerated it as well but didn't, my guess nine tail purposely avoided healing yours eyes. What could be more efficient to break your soul then isolation in darkness." Eren found it strange how such strong creature used cheap tricks and what happened to him still remained mystery.

Putting those questions in back he focused his mana sense ahead.

" It's okay, that regeneration power will be yours and you'll have your eyes back. But that asks for difficult procedure. But that's beside the point for now." Alena brought back earlier debate, hardly debate but one sided order.

A mansion please.

" let me think." She wondered for a bit, trying to find the solution when suddenly a bulb lit up over her head.

On her will, a book emerged from nothing. It greatly surprised eren and as curious child he wanted to know what and how? But remained silent.

Book remained afloat before her, she gently touched it with her red nail.

Eren saw black mass of book connected with green figure and then fluctuation of violet mana surrounded that book.

It was simple, like a just a light flashing and eren found the book in his hand, not knowing when he catched that.

" Read." Eren despite having his doubt opened the book on Alena's command, his eyes widened when the book showed black pages.

But instead of ink written words they were faintly glowing green letters.

"I can read this, how did you do that?" Asked eren curiously and amazed by her performance.

" It's nothing compare to knowing that you can read." Alena joked, but there was truth to it. This area where monster lived and human population was ever in danger, it was hard to find educated among adults much less in children.

But her doubt vanished, as her uncaring side reappeared. She found this fascinating but more than that, relieving. Knowing that she won't have to teach every little thing to him.

" My Aunt taught me to read." Aunt sera's smiling face emerged in his mind, but what followed was her dead. Painful to forget.

" What happened?" Alena asked, sensing his grief to relieve some of his burden but eren didn't answer and Alena didn't pursue further.

They barely knew each other to share such topics.

" So where was I again?, Yes read that and learn. If you have any doubts, don't ask me." her arrogance had no boundaries and tongue no reins. She spoke her heart and she wasn't done yet.

" And You said you're weak, if you are weak enough to massacre 13 people then I say that much weakness should be enough for this." she didn't mind her words, She knew how he did and had no doubt about his body being weak but she had her reason.

" That was the fox."

" It doesn't matter, This is also an opportunity for you to get more stronger. Stronger than others." When she put it that way, eren didn't care where that power came from but he needed them.

He was ready to drop sweat and blood if needed.

Eren was determine to learn in any way, as if he had found some revelation in his heart to never give up, his mind steady but body weak and soon it showed effect, his head hurt from overuse of mana.

Mana sense was forcefully shut down and light vanished.

" Ofcourse there is limit to it, Rest for now and try again later, You hungry eren?" she didn't explain why?, but Eren guessed it to be his weak body and lack of mana core.

In order to get that he needed more info but Alena didn't give anything, as if listening his thoughts she sighed.

" Eat this." few fruits fell in Eren's hand, he ate them without questions.

" Want more?"

" Yes please." Another few fell, this time one on the head to which Alena laughed. Guess she was a prankster but Eren's focus was on the food.

" let's start your first cultivation session." She didn't wanted to burden the child on first day but it couldn't be helped with how precarious situation was.

She sighed again, organised her thoughts, closed her eyes to open next and spoke.

" These world has magical power called mana, fine energy circulating all around us. Those who have physical constitution capable of controlling this powers efficiently are called cultivators." Eren listened closely, biting onto fruits carefully to not get chocked.

" We cultivators develop mana core in the chest, it grows along with you. What it truly does is to concentrate the mana, increase it's density and acts as storage tank to use for later.

And we have mana veins to circulate it around the body as well as absorb and expell out." Alena continued her explanation.

A moment as she observed eren profoundly and spoke again.

" Remember the night I met you and what happened then?" She asked Eren.

" How could I forget?" Of course, that night was the doom and strat of this horror.

First his family was killed, then whole village massacred and then someone who supposedly was passing by, ended up helping him burn the bodies.

That was fine untill something insurmountable amount of pain caused him to faint. Cause still unknown.

" That was my doing ofcourse but not without reason." Alena expected him to react explosively, which he didn't. Shocking.

" You are not angry?"

" So much has happened that I nearly forgot about that, besides you said there was reason." Alena found it bewildering how easily eren accepted his situation, not even showing some hostility.

But as she ran thought the part where she found him, she found it acceptable of his behaviour. Too much pain will eventually numb every single emotion.

She just felt slight irritated by the fact that a child had to endure such harsh fate, but as experienced lone fox, she had developed sense of negligence to other's pain and suffering.

Her pity merely lasted a second and next it was gone, only thing remained on her face was stoic ignorance toward the world.

" As I was saying, I felt mana fluctuations from you. It's a sign of awakening but you were weak and didn't had enough mana to sustain your life even if you had awakened.

So I shared very small amount, a single drop, no even smaller. hundredth of single drop to insure your safety but I am just too damn strong and you, so weak." Alena didn't meant in a bad way but eren slightly felt the arrogance when her strength came into conversation.

" So I awakened?"

" No, you failed which is weird. Either you awaken or die but neither happened.

Weird right?" She sounded genuinely intrigued by the fact that something really unexpected, out of scope of her imagination occured.

" Now what?" Asked eren in slight defeat and fear of not having that power any time.

" That's tough question and only you can answer." Alena said, her eyes closed in deep thought.

" ....."

" You can give up or I'll help you form a core manually."

" What's the catch?" Asked eren sensing some hesitation in her words.

" Wow, you catch on quick boy."

" All the times I've heard you, I have never felt even slighest of hesitation. But this time it's different.

And If i have to guess, This could be dangerous." Eren's intelligence for his small age surely made Alena happy.

" Yes, As I was saying. Awakening is natural process occuring between age of 12 to 15. Which you failed but I'll supplement mana on daily basis for another-"

" Two to five years, I am ten" Eren intercepted.

" 10 years, too young but as long as you're fine.

As for time till you awaken, it's still unsure but first we'll try for a month and if nothing then...nothing more." She said, sounding genuine on how such thing could happen.

" And you said mana supplement, how do you intend to do that?" Asked eren in bit of worry as he felt his back sweat with terrifying thought.

Alena smiled, staring at him with no words. Questioning his answer in silence.

" Do I have to absorb mana for that long with that much pain everytime?" Asked eren as memory of pain resurface when he met this fox for first time.

"Another lesson for you eren, every cultivator have their own core and mana. Their mana is like poison for other cultivators.

But it could be given to unawakened as they do not repel it. How much is dependent on the individual who needs to endure." Alena explained, simple thing was he still had chance but anticipation of pain frightened him greatly.

Strangely, his brother's image appeared in his brain. Overwhelming his thoughts in simple manner and what followed was shining calmness.

" Guess there's no choice."

" That was quick." Eren stopped for a moment, simple thought as he expressed it out in calm voice.

" Weakness in more frightening than pain."