Isaac had silently watched the entire exchange between Ian and Vincent from his spot on the bench, not saying a single word until the heavy iron doors finally closed behind the departing Head Guard.

​He looked over at Ian, who was left standing alone on the shattered stone platform, staring blankly at the dented steel sword in his hands.

​"You know, it was kind of obvious from the start that you wouldn’t be able to beat him," Isaac said, completely relaxed as he leaned back on the bench.

​"I knew that much. But I thought I would at least be able to pressure him or land a single scratch," Ian sighed, dropping down to sit on the cracked floor of the training ground. "Haaaa... If I could do that, I assumed I wouldn’t be far off from a Fifth-Stage Aura Master’s level."

​"A Fifth-Stage, huh?" Isaac tilted his head, genuinely confused. "Do you really not know that he is at the Sixth Stage?"

​"What?! Sixth Stage?!" Ian yelled, his golden eyes going wide. "When the hell did he reach that?!"

​"Well... I kind of read about it in a small black diary my mother keeps hidden in her study. I just assumed it was public knowledge among the family," Isaac said, casually tapping his chin. "I see now that it isn’t."

​’A black diary? That has to be where Aunty Martha keeps her intelligence network’s classified information! And this kid just casually snoops through it?!’ Ian thought, completely dumbfounded.

​"But still... even if he is a Sixth-Stage, with my current physical strength, I should have been able to put some serious pressure on him while his Aura was deactivated," Ian muttered, looking down at his calloused hands.

​"Pressure a Sixth-Stage? That’s actually kind of funny," Isaac said with a rare, faint smirk. "You do know that the moment an Aura User enters the Fourth Stage is when they truly shine, right? And you know that they gain the ability to flood their muscles with Aura, drastically strengthening themselves for short periods during a fight."

​"Right, I know that much," Ian nodded.

​"But that’s not the whole story," Isaac corrected. "Starting from the Fourth Stage, Aura Users also passively strengthen their bodies through continuous Aura circulation techniques and these techniques constantly refines their flesh, muscles, and bones over time so their mortal bodies don’t tear apart when they actually activate their Aura in battle."

​"Meaning, a Sixth-Stage Aura Master already possesses an incredibly tough base physical body even when their Aura is ’turned off’. That is why he was able to easily clash against your monstrous physical strength," Isaac concluded.

​"Mmm... I see," Ian murmured, absorbing the intricate power-scaling details. "But I’m honestly kind of surprised you know all these things."

​"I did just come from an academy after all. So don’t be surprised that I picked up a few things from there," Isaac said.

​"I also went to the same academy, and I don’t think they showed that," Ian said.

​"Maybe it’s because at that time you were fighting for your survival and didn’t even think to visit a library of a school that is less than a century old,"Isaac replied dryly. He stood up from the bench, brushing the dust off his coat.

​’Of course, the library...’ Ian sweatdropped. ’This kid really is way too smart for his age and has strong willpower because while being constantly bullied he even found time to go to the library and study.’

​"Where are you going now?" Ian asked. "Aren’t you going to ask me how I suddenly got this strong to face off against Uncle Vincent?"

​"Well, you see... when I arrived at the estate today, there was no one around to welcome me. I went to mother, and she practically shoved me out the door and directed me straight to you," Isaac explained smoothly. "Then I arrive here, and I see you getting your ass whooped by Vincent, yet exhibiting completely unnatural physical strength. So I would assume that, the people in our family who locked themselves in their rooms are also practicing. So they can get strong like you"

"So, to answer your question: I don’t really need to ask you about it. I can just go back to mother, tell her you said it was okay, and she will teach me whatever secret technique you’ve given the family. You are clearly the ringleader behind all of this afterall. " Isaac added.

​"..." Ian just stared at his cousin, completely speechless and unable to formulate a reply.

​"Well, Cousin, since there is nothing else to add, I should get going too," Isaac said with a faint wave. He turned and walked out through the heavy iron doors, leaving Ian completely alone in the training hall.

​’A Sixth-Stage Aura Master, huh...’ Ian thought, slowly standing back up. ’I need to work much harder on my sword swings and not rely on the system to much because if I have points I can buy any martial art and even instantly learning it.... but where is the fun in just having absolutely everything handed to me?’ With a renewed fire in his eyes, Ian gripped his steel sword and began fiercely swinging it through the air, practicing basic forms.

​After a grueling hour of hundreds of heavy swings, Ian finally stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and headed back upstairs toward the main estate.

​’I completely forgot to ask Uncle Vincent where I could secretly find 16 trustworthy people to fill my External Member slots. Maybe recruiting orphans would be the best route? If I take them in, feed them, and give them a home, they would be completely loyal to me and grateful from a young age,’ Ian pondered as he walked down the carpeted hallway.

​As he turned the corner toward his room, he spotted a very nervous Tracy pacing outside his door. She kept raising her fist, trying to muster the courage to knock, but then dropping it and backing away. She repeated this anxious cycle, looking like she was terrified of whatever monster was waiting on the other side of the wood.

​"Tracy?" Ian called out gently.

​"Eek! Yes, Young Master!" Tracy shrieked, jumping a foot in the air out of sheer fright just from hearing his voice behind her.