Chapter 19: The Letter

Neo returned to his room after finishing dinner. Tomorrow was the day his parents had promised him — a family picnic, or so they called it, though he still couldn’t figure out why they were suddenly finding time for a trip when they’d been buried in paperwork for weeks.

"Well, all my packing is already done," he muttered, flopping onto his bed. "I just have to wake up tomorrow, get ready, and we leave early in the morning."

He walked over to his desk and pulled out his notepad, the same one he used to jot down everything he’d done during the day. First, he had spent the morning cultivating his core. Then he’d helped his mother in her private garden, the little patch of flowers she insisted on tending with her own two hands instead of letting the gardeners touch it.

After that, he had also stolen a few cookies and pastries from the kitchen. Naturally, he got caught. The maids wasted absolutely no time running straight to his mother, which earned him a solid ten minutes of scolding.

Then he’d spent the rest of the afternoon running laps around the estate. Not because he suddenly felt like a energetic toddler, but because it was part of his training. Building stamina mattered just as much as cultivating his core. Lazing around all day wasn’t going to make him stronger.

"By the way," he grumbled to himself, tapping his pen against the desk, "I feel like this system is completely useless. It’s been almost a month since I got it, and I still haven’t received a single reward. Well... I guess that’s fair. I haven’t really done anything that could count as making an impact."

Still curious, he decided to check his status window again.

"Status window, open."

[Ding!]

-----

[STATUS WINDOW]

>Name: Neo Draven

>Titles: Final Hope

>Talent: Paragon

>Race: Half-Human

>Core: 1st Circle

>Rank: Initiate (IV)

>Bloodline: Unawakened

>Affinity: None

[ATTRIBUTES]

[STR: 25/100] [AGI: 23/100]

[DEF: 26/100] [STA: 28/100]

[INT: 39/100]

[HP: 75/75] [MP: 150/150]

[TECHNIQUES]

>Basic Cultivation Scripture

[SKILLS & ABILITIES]

>None

-----

[Karma Exchange]

>None

-----

[Failure Compensation]

>None

-----

[Inventory]

>Basic items and clothes

>Dagger

>Mana potions

>Healing potions

-----

He stared at the glowing text for a moment, then let out a long sigh. Aside from his climbing stats and rank, nothing had really changed. What held him back the most was the complete lack of techniques, skills, and abilities. If he wanted to actually grow strong, that was exactly what he needed to chase down.

Neo leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head, lost in thought.

’I’m already sitting at the very peak of the Initiate rank. I just have to close the last bit of distance and form my second circle. That’s going to be a real pain, though. Forming the next circle needs a massive amount of concentration during cultivation. One wrong step, and it could get dangerous fast.’

Just as he was mentally preparing himself for the trouble ahead, he heard footsteps approaching outside his door. He turned to look just as the door burst open, not bothering to wait for his permission.

His mother strode in, her eyes sweeping the room until they landed on him. She practically glided over, a small dimple carved into her cheek from the size of her grin.

"My baby, guess what? I just got something for you. You need to check it right now."

Neo felt a flicker of nervous confusion at that particular look on her face. The last time she’d worn that exact expression, she had ended up stuffing him into a series of costumes — a cat, a dog, a dragon, and, worst of all, a princess dress. He still hadn’t recovered from that trauma. If she was planning something similar again, he was fully prepared to fight for his dignity this time.

"What is it, Mama? Did you bring new clothes for me to wear?"

Sylvia patted his head lovingly, completely ignoring the suspicion in his voice.

"Oh, no, not that. I got a letter today. Guess who it’s from."

Neo pursed his lips. He couldn’t think of anyone who would send him mail, since he technically had zero friends outside the estate.

"Grandpa, maybe?"

"Nope, not him. This one’s addressed specifically to you, Neo."

That caught him off guard. He didn’t exchange letters with anyone. So who in the world—

"Then who is it, Mama?"

"Hehe... you really want to know?" Sylvia fanned herself lazily with the envelope, clearly enjoying every second of dragging this out.

Neo nodded eagerly, waiting for her to spill it.

"Well, guess what — your little crush sent you a letter."

Neo’s expression went completely blank. He didn’t need even a second to guess exactly who she meant.

’Wait. Is she talking about Nora? Why would that quiet girl suddenly decide to write me a letter? How is that even possible?’

Sylvia’s smile widened at the sight of his frozen face. She slapped the envelope into his hand with a flourish.

"Well then, open it. I’ll wait right here."

Neo clutched the envelope and looked up at his mother with a stubborn glare.

"No, Mother. Nora sent this letter specifically to me. That means it’s private. I can’t let you read it."

"Ugh, Neo, I’m your mother! It’s fine to show me, just this once. Please? Pretty please, baby?"

She pulled out her signature innocent pout, the exact one that always turned his father into a puddle. But Neo had built up a strong resistance to that particular weapon over the years. He turned his face away and crossed his arms, refusing to budge an inch.

Sylvia’s shoulders drooped in defeat. She let out a dramatic, wounded sigh.

"...Fine. You can read it in private. But you’d better write her a reply, or she’ll be disappointed."

Neo nodded firmly. Satisfied, Sylvia turned to leave, her hand already on the doorknob — before she suddenly paused and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Oh, and by the way. You are not allowed to eat a single cookie or pastry during our entire trip. I’ve already arranged for the guards to keep you out of the kitchen, and I’m going to personally warn every maid that anyone who takes a bribe from you gets fired on the spot."

Before he could even open his mouth to protest, she was already gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

Neo sat there in stunned silence, staring blankly at the space where she’d just been standing.

"...Well. It seems my own mother is getting her revenge on her child." He let out a long breath, shaking his head. "Though, honestly, if I were in her position, I probably would have been just as curious. Whatever."

He turned his attention back to the envelope resting on his desk, still not entirely sure what could possibly be written inside it, or why Nora had bothered writing it at all.

"Alright. Let’s see what this is about before I confuse myself any further."

He grabbed the small letter opener from his drawer, sliced neatly through the wax seal, and pulled the folded paper free.

It wasn’t long. Just half a page, written in short, careful strokes, beautiful handwriting without a single wasted word.

---

[Neo,

Mother said I should write a letter for you. I don’t know what to write.

I am currently sitting near the pond in the garden, looking at the fish—similar to the ones at your home. I just fed them earlier.

I can still see several sparkling bubbles floating. They keep being absorbed into me, for some reason. It feels strange.

Just earlier, I asked Mother what to do when someone is trying to annoy others, and she taught me what to do.

Mother keeps saying that you’re my friend. What does "friend" actually mean? Does it mean someone who talks to you?

Thank you.

Don’t squeeze my cheeks next time. I will bite you.

—Nora]

---

Neo stared at the letter and couldn’t help but laugh, not knowing what to say anymore. He hadn’t known that the quiet girl, who barely said a word in front of him, could talk this much in a letter.

"Hahaha, it’s so sweet of you to write a letter for me. What did her mother actually teach her—biting? It seems I have to be careful next time, or she might really come and bite me."

After a while, he finally calmed down and looked over the beautiful handwriting once more. He felt shocked to see that she was able to read and write so well at such a young age. If he had been in her place—or even if he hadn’t been the reincarnated one—there would have been barely a chance for him to learn that fast.

"Well... it seems she is starting to absorb mana, which means she might awaken in a year, according to the anime’s story..."

Just as he was thinking about her and her unique personality, he suddenly heard rapid chimes ringing through his mind.

[Ding!]

-----

[Due to your intervention in the Nora, the Future calamity’s life, she has achieved awakening faster than the original timeline.]

[The action has generated a significant amount of Karma.]

[Karma is being evaluating...]

[Karma Evaluation has been completed.]

[The value of the accumulated Karma is being calculated...]

[Based on the value of the Karma, three suitable rewards have been generated.]

[Reward Options:]

[1: Minor Stat Boost Pill — Consuming this pill instantly grants +10 to a single attribute of your choice. One-time use.]

[2: Skill Scroll — "Basic Body Reinforcement" — A passive technique that gradually strengthens the user’s physical body over time. Effects compound with continued cultivation.]

[3: Mystery Box (Grade: Unknown) — Contents cannot be identified until opened. Warning: contents may range from Common to Legendary grade. Risk is proportional to potential reward.]