At the gym of the Rothsmith Estate, a sound of wood hacking against a punching bag echoed throughout the artistic hallways that were filled with ornate paintings and murals.
“Ngh!”
Inside the gym, behind the closed doors, a sweat-soaked figure danced around the punching bag with a thick wooden stick in hand, delivering swift and powerful strikes.
As the punching bag rocked powerfully backwards, it came swinging back towards the sweat-soaked figure with a vengeance.
Jesse, with lightning-fast reflexes, gracefully sidestepped the incoming bag and slammed the side of the stick into the bag.
Pow—the impact rocked the bag, sending it hurtling towards the ceiling.
However, then the chains holding the punching bag caught it and brought it to a sudden stop, leaving it dangling in mid-air.
And then, instantly afterward, it came swinging back to Jesse with even greater ferocity and strength.
“Mortal Style, Nachbilder!”
As soon as Jesse’s feet left the ground, he vanished from the way of the punching bag.
The punching bag missed its target and rocked back and forth for a short while before coming to a halt.
The room was eerily silent until an echo of rapid footsteps reverberated throughout the gym.
Tap, tap, tap—figures appeared all around the gym, their bodies illusionary and transparent.
The sweat continued to fall to the gym floor, creating a slick and treacherous surface.
Then, a sound of heavy breathing filled the air as the afterimages formed into a singular figure—Jesse.
“Whoo… whoo… whoo…” He gasped for air and slouched down in an attempt to catch his breath after the intense workout.
After catching his breath, he sat down on the weight bench and took his water bottle from the ground, which he used to quench his thirst.
‘I feel like I am on the edge of increasing my swordsmanship even further. During the train trip to Seafare, I managed to learn over half of Mortal Style skills, around twenty-five skills.
‘However, I have been unable to create my own skill, and I am not even close to opening the Second Gate, I think.
‘I still have a long way ahead.’
Jesse then wiped his sweat, grabbed the water bottle, and left the gym with a sweat-soaked shirt on.
After a while of walking, Jesse stepped out of the hallway and arrived at the main lounge of the mansion.
The front doors were swung open, and he saw Jack and Anna welcoming a bunch of guests.
‘A party? I haven’t heard such things happening, well, not like they see much lately as I have been completely occupied by Martial Online.’
“Oh, hello there~”
“Eh?” Hearing a familiar noise, Jesse turned to see a familiar face near the stairs.
She wore a black dress and had her hair tied up in a sleek bun, revealing her elegant neck and soft features.
There was also black eyeliner, making her look very goth-like.
“Nyx.” Jesse said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Haven’t you heard?” Nyx smiled while tapping her slender finger against the railing. “Your parents are hosting a large family gathering today.”
“They are?” Jesse looked at his sweat-soaked shit and sighed. “I’ll go change.”
“I’ll come with you~” Nyx winked with a mischievous smile, and to Jesse’s displeasure, she followed behind him up the stairs.
After reaching the elevator, Jesse pressed the floor button and waited for the doors to close.
“How is your condition?” Nyx asked while standing beside him, but she couldn’t help but notice his appearance. “You seem to have exercised. How are your legs?”
“They are fine,” Jesse replied.
He had been way better than ever before.
He wasn’t sure whether it was because he spent most of the time resting on the bed while he was playing Martial Online, but his legs rarely ached anymore.
Therefore, he could even use Nachbilder, which took a great toll on his legs.
“That’s good.” Nyx said and saw that Jesse was still quite uncomfortable in her presence, making her pranking instincts fire up.
However, before she could do anything, the doors opened, and Jesse walked off. 𝑜𝔳𝑳xt.𝗇𝓔t
As she followed right behind, they soon arrived at his room.
However, before she could walk in, Jesse stopped her and looked at her with some annoyance.
“Stay outside while I change.”
Nyx pouted and said, “But that’s not fun~”
“If you peek, I will expose you for sexual harassment.” Jesse smiled and closed the door in front of her face.
Nyx stuck her tongue out and unwillingly stayed outside the room, and opened a window, enjoying the cool air and listened the distinct bird chirping.
As her impatience grew by every second, the door soon opened, showing Jesse in his new outfit that looked both stylish and confident.
“Any idea where the party is at?” Jesse asked while closing the door behind him.
“In the dinner hall~” Nyx said and linked arms with Jesse. “Let’s go, shall we?”
Jesse rolled his eyes but followed Nyx’s lead and headed towards the dinner hall.
She knew her way around the mansion as it wasn’t her first time here, and shortly afterward, they arrived at the bustling dining hall.
The members of the main family and several dozen relatives were all gathered around the long, ornate table, enjoying the feast that had been prepared for the occasion.
It included a variety of dishes, from savory meats to delectable desserts.
Nyx and Jesse looked around at the smiling faces of their many relatives, and then the goth girl noticed a certain someone talking with an elderly woman near the ornate window.
“Do you know who that is?” Nyx pointed her chin towards the elderly man. “The one speaking with Matilda.”
“Hmm?” Jesse looked over at the skinny, elderly man donning an interesting robe covered in intricate patterns and symbols.
He looked very wise, but also like he had suffered a great deal in his life based on the wrinkles on his face.
“No, who is that?”
“That’s Mark Rothsmith, the patriarch of this family.” Nyx said. “My father, Percy, would be the next one to follow in his footsteps, but since he doesn’t want to, your father, Jack, will be the next patriarch.
“I expect it to happen since the old fart might die soon.”
“I heard that!” Near the window, Mark turned to Nyx, whose face turned paler than a ghost.
“Hahaha, I was just joking, grandpa~” Nyx showed her tongue playfully, but then Mark walked over and chopped her in the head.
“When do you grow up?” Mark asked with a frustrated tone, but then noticed a person beside his granddaughter—a face he was not familiar with.
“Who might you be?” He squinted his eyes. “I don’t think I am suffering from Alzheimer’s, so please enlighten me.”
“Jesse, it’s nice to meet you, sir.” Jesse smiled awkwardly, as he didn’t expect to meet the famous head of the Rothsmith family so soon.
Mark Rothsmith was a name that every soul in the country knew.
He was a renowned businessman and philanthropist, but Jesse’s knowledge of him was limited to what he had heard in the news.
He remembered seeing his face a few times while his parents watched the news, but had forgotten about him until now.
It was always up to the debate who was more powerful in the country, the president or Mark Rothsmith; most leaned towards Mark because of his unparalleled influence and wealth.
“Ah, Jesse…” Mark squinted his eyes and scanned the young man standing in front of him. “So, you are the one… Very interesting.”