When Fainyx opened his eyes, the sky outside his window was still painted in the deep, inky blues of early dawn.
He lay in bed for a moment, letting out a slow, quiet breath.
He had woken up from another dream but this time, it wasn't the suffocating nightmare of his old life as it was just an old, fading memory of his life on Earth, walking down a crowded street, feeling completely invisible.
It left a hollow ache in his chest, but it didn't trigger the paralyzing terror.
He sat up knowing Estrella wouldn't arrive to wake him for another hour, Fainyx channeled his mana and a complex magic circle briefly illuminated the dark room, and his perfect replica, the golem "Fain," materialized beside the bed.
Fainyx guided the golem under the covers, setting it to simulate a deep sleep, and then silently pulled open the spatial rift to the Aetherium.
Stepping into the sunlit, magical dimension, Fainyx was immediately greeted by a joyful screech
"Kyuu!"
Lumi darted across the glowing grass and scrambled right up his leg, settling happily onto his shoulder to begin playing with the tips of his silver hair.
Fainyx smiled, reaching up to gently scratch the weasel under its chin. "You did a good job not wandering outside the Aetherium while I was asleep."
Fainyx murmured softly.
He had realized recently that Lumi actually possessed the innate ability to force open small cracks in the spatial boundary between the Aetherium and the real world.
'Is it because Lumi was born from the dense mana of this space?'
Fainyx wondered. Whatever the reason, he was just glad the spirit hadn't caused a panic in the mansion overnight.
With Lumi perched on his shoulder, Fainyx walked toward the edge of the forest to check on the mysterious cave that had formed yesterday.
Standing at the entrance, Fainyx extended his mana senses.
"It's definitely longer now," he noted, feeling the tunnel stretching deeper into the rock than it had before.
He still had absolutely no idea where it led or what was causing it to form, but since it didn't feel dangerous, he decided to leave it alone for now.
He walked back to his wooden villa beside the waterfall and went straight to the small kitchen. Using the coffee beans he had grown and the fresh milk he had stored, he brewed himself a warm, rich cup of coffee.
He sat on the porch, sipping the nostalgic drink, completely at peace.
He truly loved this space. Unfortunately, because he had to maintain his cover as the frail, bedridden young master in the real world, he rarely got to spend more than a few hours here.
'That is exactly why I need to perfect using Fain...'
Fainyx thought, setting his cup down.
Over the past few weeks, he had massively upgraded the golem's autonomous functions. He no longer had to manually order Fain to do basic tasks. It could now automatically follow his daily routine, eating, sleeping, and reading books without any active input.
If his brothers or the maids entered the room, the golem would instantly send a silent magical alarm to Fainyx's mind, allowing him to immediately take direct control.
One bizarre mystery still remained, though...
Whenever the golem ate food during family breakfasts, the food simply vanished the second it entered Fain's body.
Fainyx hadn't built a digestive system, so the food was essentially being erased by raw mana.
But since it kept his family from getting suspicious, Fainyx didn't care.
'I haven't shown the upgraded Fain to Master Yong or Ruth yet,'
Fainyx realized.
'I will reveal it to them tonight.'
Finished with his coffee, Fainyx walked out into the open grass field to conduct an experiment.
Yesterday, Ruth had mentioned that Fainyx's illusion spell was remarkably similar to the Draconic Polymorph spell.
That comment had sparked a dangerous level of curiosity in Fainyx's genius mind. He wanted to test true physical transmutation, but he wasn't about to risk altering his own body just yet.
He sat down cross-legged in front of a simple, white daisy growing in the grass. Fainyx closed his eyes and extended his hands, focusing a dense thread of pure mana into the flower.
He didn't want to cast an illusion over it, he wanted to forcefully rewrite its genetic and physical structure.
He envisioned a completely different flower.
Under the pressure of his magic, the daisy began to rapidly mutate. The white petals shifted to a bright yellow, then a deep green, and finally a vibrant, velvety red.
The structure of the flower began to twist and expand and then delicate stem grew thicker, sprouting sharp thorns, and the flat petals curled inward, forming a tight, complex bloom.
In a matter of seconds, the simple daisy had completely transformed into a perfect, blooming red rose.
Fainyx opened his eyes, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "I actually did it."
But the victory was short-lived. A few seconds later, the mana structure destabilized. The red petals dissolved into glowing dust, and the flower rapidly reverted back into the simple, white daisy.
Fainyx let out a disappointed sigh, dropping his hands.
'It takes too much active concentration to maintain the altered state of a living thing.'
Still, for his very first attempt at true physical transmutation, it was an incredible success.
Lumi, sensing its master's shifting mood, scrambled down his arm and gently licked Fainyx's cheek. Fainyx laughed softly, pulling the weasel into a gentle hug. "Thank you, Lumi. You always know how to cheer me up."
A few hours later, a sharp pulse of mana alerted him. Through his magical connection to the golem, Fainyx "saw" Estrella entering his bedroom in the real world. He immediately sat down in the grass, closed his eyes, and shifted his consciousness directly into Fain.
In the real world, "Fain" slowly sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes exactly as a sleepy six-year-old would.
He let Estrella draw his bath, and later sat at the table to eat his breakfast. The food tasted like absolutely nothing to him, but Fain flawlessly mimicked the motions of chewing and swallowing.
Fainyx had managed to get the golem's operational limit up to a full twenty-four hours, with only a thirty-minute cooldown required to recharge its mana core.
It was incredibly overpowered for infiltration. The only major flaw was its physical durability. If Fainyx tried to make the golem run or exert any real physical force, the internal mana structure would shatter, turning the golem to dust instantly. It couldn't fight, but it could walk, talk, and act as a perfect decoy.
Later that morning, a maid arrived with a summons from the Duke. Fainyx controlled the golem to walk slowly down the long corridors, escorted by Estrella. When they reached the Duke's private office, Estrella bowed and remained stationed outside the heavy doors.
Fain stepped inside. Through the golem's eyes, Fainyx saw that Adam and Liam were already sitting together on a plush leather couch.
The Duke was seated behind his massive mahogany desk, rubbing his temples, looking incredibly stressed.
"Fainyx, please sit beside your brothers" the Duke ordered gently.
Fain flawlessly walked over and sat down beside his brothers.
"I have called you all here because we have a situation," the Duke began, letting out a heavy sigh.
"For the next three days... Fainyx, you are to remain strictly inside your bedroom. You are not to wander the halls under any circumstances."
Adam frowned, looking at his father. "Who is coming, Father? If you called all of us here, the visitor must be important."
"It is your Uncle and Aunt from the main Nocte branch," the Duke replied, his tone tight with annoyance.
"They are arriving today for a sudden visit."
Adam and Liam both stiffened. Their faces immediately shifted into complicated, deeply worried expressions.
They glanced at Fainyx, clearly realizing exactly why this was a problem.
"I repeat, Fainyx," the Duke said, his silver eyes locking onto the golem. "Do not go out, no matter what happens."
"Father is right," Adam said, turning to look at his younger brother with deadly seriousness.
"You cannot be seen when they are here. It is too dangerous."
Liam nodded frantically. "We won't be able to come see you in two days either, Fainyx... The Emperor has summoned our family to the Capital for a massive royal banquet over the next three days. Uncle and Aunt will be attending alongside Father, Adam, and me to represent the House of Nocte."
"Since the rumors of your severe illness have already spread across the high society." the Duke added, "I have officially excluded you from the royal summons. You will stay here, where it is safe."
Back in the Aetherium, Fainyx let out a massive, internal sigh of relief.
'I don't have to go to a stuffy royal banquet? Thank god...'
However, he was incredibly confused by his brothers' reactions. He had never met his Uncle and Aunt from his father's side of the family. Why were Adam and Liam acting as if these relatives were a physical threat to him?
Regardless of the family drama, Fainyx simply made the golem nod obediently.
'Since I am completely free for the next three or four days while they are at the Capital, I can finally go to the Adventurer's Guild and claim my reward.' Fainyx planned.
'It has been nearly three days. I just hope my money hasn't been taken by someone else.'
With the meeting concluded, Fain was escorted back to the bedroom. Fainyx immediately broke the connection, leaving the golem to read a book on the bed, while he prepared himself mentally.
***
A few moments later, Ambrosia entered the room for his scheduled light circuit training.
Fainyx severed the golem spell, letting Fain dissolve into mana, and physically took its place just before the door opened.
Ambrosia looked at him, her usually emotionless face softening slightly. "I heard the news from His Grace," she said, her voice unusually quiet.
Before Fainyx could react, the strict former adventurer stepped forward and pulled his small frame into a gentle hug.
"I heard you will be receiving a cure next week."
Fainyx blinked, surprised by the sudden affection.
Ambrosia pulled back, adjusting her uniform. As she turned to prepare his training mat, Fainyx heard her whisper softly to herself.
"I'm sorry for suddenly hugging you young master. I... I am just relieved..."
Fainyx watched her back. Her voice had carried a heavy mix of profound relief and a deep, lingering sadness. He knew, from piecing together the past, that Ambrosia was thinking about her late husband, the man she couldn't save from this same disease.
Fainyx didn't say anything, simply following her instructions perfectly through the light workout, taking a shower, and eating his afternoon meal in peace.
By the time the afternoon sun began to set, the familiar sound of Master Yong's boots echoed in the hallway.
Yong entered the room carrying his usual stack of heavy history books, locking the door behind him. The moment the latch clicked, the air shimmered in the corner of the room, and Ruth dropped his invisibility spell, crossing his massive arms.
"Alright, kiddo," Yong grinned, tossing the useless history books onto the desk.
"No more history lessons today. You already know more about this world's history than half the scholars in the academy. From now on, I am officially teaching you about the monsters and also the dangers of every terrains, since you signed up as an adventurr you should at least know this basic knowledge."
"And I shall begin your instruction in advanced mana manipulation"
Ruth added, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Fainyx held up a hand, stopping them both. He reached for his notebook and quickly scribbled a line.
[ Before we start, can I show you something? ]
Yong and Ruth exchanged a confused, highly interested glance. "Sure," Yong said, leaning against the desk. "What do you have?"
Fainyx closed his eyes and channeled his mana and a glowing circle appeared on the carpet, and Fain instantly materialized. The golem stood perfectly still, looking exactly like a mirror reflection of Fainyx.
Fainyx wrote on his paper and held it up.
[ I made this a few years ago. Its name is Fain. ]
Before Yong or Ruth could react to the perfect physical replica, the golem Fain bowed politely to the two masters.
"For now," Fain said, its voice perfectly mimicking Fainyx's unused, quiet tone.
"I can speak to you using this body."
Yong choked on his own spit, stumbling backward into the desk. Ruth's jaw physically dropped, his golden eyes bulging out of his head.
"Are you serious?!" Yong gasped, clutching his chest. "Kid, how many times are you going to completely shock us?! I am going to have a literal heart attack at this rate!"
Ruth stepped forward, absolutely bewildered, circling the golem with intense scrutiny.
"You... you constructed a perfect physical replica of yourself three years ago? When you were merely three years old?!"
Fainyx nodded from his chair, letting out a quiet sigh. He was incredibly tired of writing in that notebook. He let his consciousness slip fully into the golem.
"Master Ruth is correct," Fain spoke smoothly, turning its head to look at the ancient dragon.
"I constructed this using the foundational theories you taught me when you created the dirt golem. However, I upgraded it and now I can actively control what it does, or I can set it to operate autonomously without my direct control."
"Like an autopilot?" Yong asked, his eyes wide.
Fainyx nodded, and Fain spoke again. "Indeed. Well, unfortunately, the physical durability is severely flawed as I cannot make it overexert itself, such as running or exercising, otherwise the mana matrix shatters. But it can walk, eat, sleep, and speak perfectly."
Ruth and Yong stared at the boy and his identical clone. They were shocked, but having already witnessed Fainyx rip open a hole in reality to a private dimension, their capacity for surprise was wearing thin.
"Fascinating," Ruth murmured, poking the golem's arm.
"But you said it can eat. How does the food process if you did not construct internal organs?"
Fain tilted its head, mimicking Fainyx's exact thoughtful expression. "I do not really know. It just magically disappears when it enters the body... The only functional organs I actively constructed with mana were the eyes, the ears, and the vocal cords."
Yong rubbed his arms, shivering slightly.
"I'm not gonna lie, kiddo. It is a little bit scary seeing two of you in the same room, especially when one of you is talking. It doesn't suit your mysterious, silent vibe at all."
"I agree," Ruth nodded solemnly.
"It is deeply unsettling."
Fain laughed, a clear, verbal sound. "Is it really?"
"Yes!" Yong pointed an accusatory finger at the golem. "It is actually far more terrifying when the fake body smiles and laughs, while your real body is just sitting in the chair staring blankly at us!"
"I apologize," Fain said, bowing again. "But this body is what I will be using as a decoy so that I can safely hide inside the Aetherium for longer periods."
Ruth crossed his arms, instantly shifting into his scholarly mindset. "How far is your operational range? How many meters does it take before you lose the active connection to the golem?"
Fain smiled, closing its eyes to think. "I actually do not know the exact limit. But I did went to an adverturers guild while fain was still in my room."
While the golem was speaking, Fainyx's true body leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, transferring his full focus to maintaining the complex connection.
Yong walked up to the golem and boldly poked it right in the cheek.
"Whoa," Yong muttered. "It's a bit softer, but your real body is much more softer. And it's also cold."
"Do not touch it so casually," Fain's eyes glared at Yong, his face annoyed.
Yong burst out laughing, completely unrepentant.
"How many times am I going to get rejected from pinching your cheeks, kiddo? The fake one is just not so soft, though!"
Ruth slapped Yong's hand away from the golem, stopping the childish behavior.
"Focus, human," Ruth scolded, before turning his golden eyes to Fainyx.
"Since you have already mastered the creation and vocal mechanics of a golem, there are advanced draconic spells that can reinforce the internal structure, allowing your golem to run and fight without shattering."
Fainyx's eyes widened slightly in genuine interest. He immediately nodded.
"Excellent," Ruth said, a terrifying, prideful smirk crossing his face. "The complexity requires weaving your mana like strings on a marionette. You must practice using your mana purely as kinetic force so that the construct can move freely under physical stress."
After an intense hour of magical theory, they then finished talking about complex stuff.
"Finally it's my turn to teach you, Ruth has been teaching hard stuff I almost can't keep up with your teachings..."
" Tsk... What a weak human you are, I really wonder how you really defeat me in a fight..."
" Kukuku~ I guess you're just weak as hell"
" Why you!!"
"Hehehe you can't catch me~"
Ruth screamed while running at Yong who keep teleporting while Ruth was throwing fireballs at yong but was clearly deflected.
Fainyx sighed but still laughed. He really can't help but look towards his two masters,