Lionel [2]
"I should be heading back now before Father starts looking for me."
Lionel calculated the time he had been away from home and figured it was barely above two hours.
He left just after lunch, so if he started on his way now, he should be home before evening or slightly later if he didn't come across any unexpected obstacles again.
Though Lionel had the memories of another person from Earth, he was still very much the Lionel of this world.
There was a sense of imbalance, but it wasn't to the extent that an identity crisis would arise again.
Lionel stood up from the ground where he had been lying and dusted the dirt off himself.
"What amazing recovery. I don't even feel the pain anymore!" Lionel exclaimed, still very much taken aback by the recovery the system had provided him.
With an advantage as powerful as this, Lionel couldn't help but fantasise about the future.
Of course, he still had to get out of this dangerous forest first, or he wouldn't even be able to learn more about the system.
"What was I thinking?" Lionel couldn't help but question his past actions.
Perhaps it was due to his memories on Earth, but the original Lionel's arrogance and narrow-mindedness were less visible.
It could be subtly felt but not easily noticeable.
Right now, Lionel couldn't help but question his previous decision to enter this dangerous forest because of something stupid.
Perhaps if he hadn't, he wouldn't have gotten the mysterious system and memory whose origin was still veiled in mystery, but his current situation wasn't exactly good.
The system did not currently increase his strength, so if he were to encounter a monster again like the last time, he was pretty much doomed.
He was also not ready to experiment with his body if the system would heal him again.
However, even with his considerations, he knew he still had to get out of the forest. Aside from the troubles that would come to him if he spent too long away from home, staying here in such a dangerous location wasn't good either.
"Fuck it. I'll just bite the bullet then." In the end, after a brief internal struggle, Lionel resolved to head back home regardless of the potential danger ahead.
Given the already hazardous conditions in the forest, he preferred to take his chances outside in a safer environment.
Although Lionel was arrogant and believed himself to be a divine talent, he was undeniably hardworking.
To some extent, it was indeed true the lack of resources provided by his family hindered his progress.
Talent was important, but having adequate resources was equally crucial.
An excess of one could be beneficial, but a deficiency in both was detrimental, which was Lionel's previous situation.
Realising there wasn't much he could do about his slow progress before his rash decision, Lionel focused on improving other aspects of himself.
It was perplexing how someone intelligent enough to make smart decisions could also be so foolish at times.
Fortunately, thanks to Lionel's diligent efforts over the years, his sprint through the forest was nearly silent—a technique passed down through his family's lineage.
[Feather Step]
A mortal-ranked non-magical technique that increases agility while significantly reducing the noise made from one's steps.
So even though Lionel was rushing at a speed that appeared blurry to a normal human, barely any sound was made.
As he ran through the forest, Lionel also made sure to pay attention to his surroundings lest he attract attention from some dangerous beast or get sneak attacked by one.
This significantly reduced his speed, but it was necessary.
After a few dozen minutes, Lionel finally made his way out of the forest.
"Phew. Thankfully nothing happened," After his bad luck of encountering a monster which almost got him killed, as he made his way out of the forest, Lionel has been in a high state of tension.
Thankfully nothing bad happened, but even though he had already gotten out of the forest, Lionel still did not stop running until he had made a significant distance away from the forest.
Soon, a wide road appeared in front of Lionel.
At a slightly far distance from his current location stood a large manor.
This was Lionel's family residence.
Taking a look around, Lionel observed the town he grew up in.
Black Iron Town, his father's immediate territory.
The town derived its name from the unique resource found there, black iron, which was significantly stronger and rarer than regular iron.
Used in the creation of armour and weapons, it formed the foundation of the Blaze family's wealth, alongside taxes, trade, and agricultural products.
This resource also contributed to their reputation, akin to some low-ranking counts.
Despite the family's wealth, Lionel still lacked resources.
Unlike other viscounties with only a few mortal rank official knights, the Blaze family boasted over a dozen, along with several more apprentice knights like Lionel, not including guest extraordinaries.
Had they amassed enough merits and another earth rank extraordinary, they could have ascended to the status of a count family.
In fact, if not for Lionel's hunger for strength, combined with the family's resources, he could have become an official knight before turning 20 which was already not bad.
If his father, the Viscount, prioritised strengthening their lineage over other matters, the process would have been faster.
As Lionel continued down the road leading to his family manor, he noticed several people subtly pointing at him.
Lionel frowned, wondering what the issue was, until he realised the state of his clothes—dirty, torn, and bloodstained.
"I can't enter the manor like this. Someone will definitely notice something's wrong."
Before Lionel could decide on his next move, a familiar voice sounded behind him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone