Then he continued further.
Since he was born with a somewhat rare 3-coloured essence seed, it allowed him to manipulate and absorb the essence in the air so he followed the instructions from the time to officially step into the Essence Cultivation path.
After learning the requirements and methods of the beginning phase, as time passed, he successfully entered Stage 1 - Mortal Flesh which improved his body to a certain degree, giving him a minor increase in regeneration and slightly extended lifespan.
This not only further reduced his hunger, it was very beneficial in his advancement towards the so called Stage 2 - Tempered Muscles and Tendons in Body Tempering path.
The 1st stage was called Tempered Skin and was quite easily reached after a few weeks of consistent training.
Moreover, in his isolation and with hunger being resolved, Vincent had nothing else to do rather than completely indulging himself into self-improvement with the limited tools he had on hand.
After he felt that he reached a certain limit in Essence and Body paths, he moved to the last path.
Soul Refinement
It was probably the hardest of the three paths, yet simple on paper.
To reach Stage 1 - Soul Awareness he had to enter meditation for 2 days and it wasn't as easy as it sounds. The main issue was completely freeing the mind from thoughts while not making even a single break or it'll disrupt the meditation and can lead to severe or even irreversible backlashes.
The ancient humans that made this system discovered that 1-2 days in such immersed meditation was enough to sense its own soul which in result exposes the person to a new type of force which they then called as soul force.
This force doesn't affect the physical world, but instead, can interfere with souls of other living beings and significantly help with their own mental state and other related to it matters.
Each of the first stages of those 3 paths were relatively easy to reach, so Vincent spent years in a constant circle of self-mutilations, essence absorptions and meditation.
After 6 years in complete isolation, Vincent became so immersed in his routine that for several months he completely forgot to check if the invisible wall was still there.
He became somewhat obsessed with training.
Only after his meditation was disrupted did he regain clarity of mind and recognised how much time had passed.
On that day, he went to check the invisible wall and was overjoyed to find that it weakened significantly.
By his assumption, this invisible wall should disappear within the next several months.
"I guess this is all. I hope I didn't bore you too much," Vincent slightly chuckled to himself.
Vanessa was utterly flabbergasted by the amount of input of this strange information upon her and was unable to speak for several minutes, absorbing everything her son told her.
She can't help but look at her son in a new way.
'He changed so much… From now on, Vincent will live a completely different life from before.'
"So our ancestor was one of those people?" she suddenly asked.
"Yes and no. Our ancestor was… different and also walked on a different path than those three I mentioned," Vincent casually responded.
"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked in confusion.
"Well, before I'll answer, I have a straight question. Did you notice something unusual in our lineage in comparison to other villagers or people in general?" he didn't answer her question but instead asked his own question with a mysterious smile on his face.
Vanessa didn't reply.
She leaned back on the chair and started thinking.
After some time had passed her brows suddenly narrowed.
Seeing this, Vincent inwardly smiled. He knew that there was no way his mother wouldn't notice those differences.
Vanessa's heartbeat slightly increased as she finally spoke, "Now that you mentioned it, I'll recall how my father once said that several of his grandparents had managed to live till 130 years of age."
Vincent didn't interrupt her and calmly sipped the tea as his mother continued.
"There were also some defects with our ears. Even yours and mine were somewhat unusual. I remember in my youth I was often mocked because of it."
Vanessa's eyes suddenly moved towards Vincent's face and she immediately thought about another oddity if someone can even call it that way.
"I also recall that almost all my family were taller than average and more… attractive?"
A weird look appeared at Vanessa's face as she looked at her son who was casually sipping the fragrant tea with a slight smile as if waiting for her to come to final conclusion.
She had also read some books in the past, though not so much as her son.
But since this topic was brought up, some old memories began to resurface in my mind from a certain book.
Vanessa's eyes widened and she hastily stood up and left the kitchen.
Vincent didn't interrupted her as he inwardly nodded with satisfaction.
'Looks like she guessed.'
Shortly after, Vanessa came back and took a seat. She placed a certain book that had the word Races on the cover.
After she flipped several pages, she finally found the one she was searching for and began to read in a quiet voice.
"... They are widely regarded as the most beautiful race in the world, a reputation earned not through ornament or illusion, but through their natural form. Their bodies are tall and slender, slightly taller than humans, with distinctive pointed ears and flawless skin. From birth to death, their appearance changes very little; time leaves only the faintest mark upon them.
They possess an extraordinarily long lifespan. Aging was so slow that centuries may pass with only subtle changes to their features. The oldest of them may appear no older than middle-aged humans, despite having lived hundreds or even thousands of years.
Disease is almost unknown among them. Their bodies are naturally resistant to illness and corruption.
But despite their ageless bodies and long lives, they suffer from several severe inherent weaknesses. Their minds are gentle and yielding by nature, making them vulnerable to intimidation, domination, and threats of violence. Fear of pain is deeply ingrained in their instincts, often overwhelming reason or pride.
Their metabolism is slow, and while their bodies endure for ages, they heal poorly—wounds take an unusually long time to close without external aid, and severe injuries may linger for decades.
Among many non-human races, this race was seen as aloof, enigmatic, and difficult to negotiate with, yet their territories are universally recognized as places best left undisturbed…"
Vincent quietly listened as he remembered those exact words since he himself read this book several times in the past.
"...They are a peace-seeking people, avoiding conflict whenever possible, yet they possess sufficient collective power, terrain mastery, and ancient techniques to resist domination by other races when truly threatened. What outsiders often envy as a blessing, many of this race consider a quiet curse."
At this point, Vanessa stopped reading.
There was no reason to continue since her assumption was proven right.
She closed the book and looked at her son with astonishment in her eyes.
"We are descendants of… elves."
Vincent sipped the tea before slowly placing it on the table. He didn't reply, but the small smile on his face was louder than words.
Seeing this, Vanessa's heart skipped a beat as she leaned back on the chair and took a deep breath.
After a brief silence, she quietly whispered to herself.
"No wonder I look like I was in my twenties when I'm actually almost 40 years old already. And this ear defect with body height… It is all due to elven blood flowing within our bodies. And since only male ancestor was carrying the elven blood, it wasn't pure. And the passage of time only further diluted it."
"I was also shocked upon this discovery. The ancestor didn't mention much about his origins, but he left an additional letter on the last page of the book, telling me to deliver this wooden stick to a certain forest located on the west side of North Star city.
He didn't state what this stick was, the only thing he mentioned was that it was a very important relic for his race that was once stolen by the enemies.
He accidentally spotted it in possession of someone and managed to get it back, but he paid a very heavy price for it which in result forced him to escape into that underwater cave where he met his quiet end in solitude," Vincent spoke as he calmly looked at the wooden stick in his hand.
"Was there any information that explains how we carry an elven bloodline?" Vanessa suddenly asked. She was curious about her new origins.
"Yes, but there wasn't much. He just briefly mentioned that he met a human woman from one of the nearby villages that took care of him when he was heavily injured. That's all," Vincent responded after placing the stick to the side.
"Mmm," Vanessa calmly nodded with understanding.
"Okay, I guess that's all for my story. Now is your turn though I don't expect such a long speech as I spoke, I really am curious about that man from before," Vincent slightly chucked.
Vanessa gave a weak smile.
Taking a deep breath, she began.
There wasn't a lot to talk about.
After his sudden disappearance, she kept coming to the lake month after month after month in a blind hope that a miracle would happen and her son would come back.
But time passed and nothing changed, yet, she still continued to visit the lake, and even began to bring new clothes.
Some of the villagers were also often visiting the lake wanting to provide some help.
Especially Alisia.
She was like glue. Whenever Vanessa goes to the lake, she'll immediately follow after.
Like this, time went ok.
After several years had passed since Vincent disappeared, a tragic news spread through the village.
Mister Jacob had suddenly passed away due to old age and excessive exposure to sun and heat.
The most affected by it was Alisia as she refused to leave her room for several days.
In those years, Alisia grew up into a fine young girl. Many village boys began to pursue her but they were all inevitably rejected without any hesitation by Alisia.
She told everyone who pursued that her heart was already given away and she has no desire to befriend any of them.
"But when she turned 16, something unexcused to everyone had happened.
When envoys arrived to collect manual monthly tribute from the North Star city, it was discovered that our village was not able to reach the promised quota in silver."
At this point of the story, Vanessa can't help but grit her teeth, "And as per usual, when something like this happens, the envoys take the missing payment through different ways."
Vincent calmly listened, but inwardly his heart somewhat squeezed.
Vanessa looked at her son before continuing, "Back then you were too young so I didn't mention this part of our village, but now it's a different story. You need to know it."
"When the quota is not reached, the envoys pick one person which they took with them to North Star city.
I don't know the specifics, but I've heard rumours that if a man is picked, he'll be sent to work in a mine for several months until he earns enough money to cover the missed quota.
But what was concerning is that those men that were sent into mines… they never came back.
And in case a girl is picked…" At this moment, Vanessa glanced at Vincent who was sipping tea, "... she is sent into a pleasure house or to serve as a personal servant to one of the city authorities.
You know what that means, right?"
*Crush*
Vanessa suddenly jumped in fright as the ceramic cup in Vincent's had abruptly exploded, spilling tea onto his upper body.
She looked in shock while Vincent calmly wiped his face.
"Please, continue," he casually spoke as if nothing had happened.
"..." Vanessa didn't speak right away as she looked at her son in concern.
'Though I'm able to see the physical changes in him, I have no idea what mental transformation he underwent in those 7 years of complete isolation in that cave. Especially after he mentioned that so-called Soul Refinement and its effects on a person's psyche.'
Vanessa took a deep breath and tried to get rid of some of her worries before continuing.
But before she spoke, Vincent suddenly said something that made her heart jump.
"Does North Star city have anything to do with my father's disappearance 15 years ago?"
"..." Vanessa's silence was enough for an answer for Vincent.
"Now tell me about that guy from before. I'm curious. Judging by how arrogant he was talking with you, he should be somehow related to village authorities."
Vanessa was stunned by his spot on guesses, "He's a village chief's son."
Hearing her, Vincent slightly nodded. He wasn't surprised.
As far as he knows, the village chief is directly appointed by North Star city.
Though he might be just a nobody in the city, meanwhile, here he has a complete and undisputed authority.
Good people are almost never appointed to such positions. Only those that are loyal.
Such people will inevitably start to abuse their power to their benefit, so there's no wonder that his son wasn't too different from the father.
"We will be leaving the village in 2 days time and relocate to North Star for some time. You don't need to worry about money and a leaving permission. Just prepare the most important stuff. Tomorrow I will visit Mister Jacob's grave and the day after tomorrow we'll move out," As he said it, he gathered the remains of the broken cup from the floor and left the kitchen, leaving his mother alone and speechless.
…
As night arrived, both of them went into their rooms, but neither of them were able to fall asleep due to various thoughts in their heads.
When early morning arrived, Vincent used his soul force to check his mother's room without entering.
Sensing that she was still sleeping, he left the house and went towards where Alisia had lived.
Her house wasn't faraway at all, so after a few minutes, he was there.
Activating his soul force, he sensed only 1 person inside the kitchen.
'It should be Aunty Patricia.'
*Knock-Knock*
Vincent knocked on the door.
"Who is it so early?" A pleasant woman's voice rang out from within the house.
Vincent calmly replied, "Alisia's friend."
Vincent sensed how Aunty Patricia stopped in her tracks briefly before the door cracked.
"I don't remember Alisia having a male friend," spoke Patricia with slight confusion and curiosity before she opened the door.
Seeing this tall young man with long black hair, she was surprised.
"Who are you?"
Vincent slightly smiled dejectedly, "Though not so many years had passed, you already forgot me, Aunty Patricia."
Patricia narrowed her brows.
She intensely looked at this young man, but still couldn't recognise him.
When she was about to say something, she recalled something.
'Aunty Patricia? No one called me like that for several years, except for…' she thought before her heart jumped as an image of a young boy appeared in her mind.
Patricia's eyes widened as she unconsciously took a step back, "V-Vincent!?"
Vincent replied to her with silent approval and a small smile.
"Can I enter? I want to talk about something."
"Of course, silly me, come in, come in!" Patricia hastily replied and left the way for him to enter and so he did.
The both of them soon entered the kitchen and Patricia invited him to sit down while she took the opposite side of the table.
Looking at the young man, she still can't believe her eyes, "We all thought you were dead."
"Well, I was almost and several times," Vincent slightly chuckled which somewhat surprised Patricia.
"Even though I believed you had died, after years had passed, Alisia still refused to believe this. If only she was here right now, she'd be so happy…" Patricia's voice somewhat changed upon mentioning her daughter as small tears appeared in her eyes.
She will never be able to forget the day her only child was forcibly taken away from here.
Vincent calmly observed Patricia and her reaction with the help of soul force that allowed him to slightly peek into other people's emotions.
Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, "I know how much you love your daughter so I will be bland and direct. Do you want to see and reunite with her again? If yes then I need names of all the people that took her and those that were directly involved. You don't need to worry about anything," Vincent calmly spoke while looking into her eyes.
"..." Patricia became truly shocked by his directness and confidence. But also calmness upon mentioning those people.
'Does he not know who they are?'
"Vincent, I don't know what happened to you but you can't involve yourself with thos-" she decided to spoke n her concerns, but before she could finish, she was interrupted.
"Just answer the question. Do you want to see your daughter again or not?"
Patricia was speechless and somewhat angry by his unusual demeanor. He doesn't remind her of that young boy from the past anymore at all.
"Of course I want to see my daughter! When those envoys chose Alisia as the payment, I tried to use myself in her stead, but they insisted on taking her and then disallowed me from leaving the village. What can I do? Even if I escape the village, how far will I manage to go before they find me?" Patricia suddenly outburst with emotions of anger and frustration before descending into desperation, "It is h-hopeless *sob*. At least, if I stay here, maybe, just maybe one day something will change and I'll be able to leave and search for her."
Vincent wasn't affected by her emotional outburst. This was probably the first time she was able to let out those emotions.
"I need names. Though I can find them myself, it'll be faster with your help."
Patricia somewhat calmed down.
"Sorry about what you just saw," she wiped her tears before speaking again, "But do you truly want to mess with those people? They're dangerous."
"Don't worry. Though I'm not fully relieved from arrogance, I know my limits very well," he calmly spoke with confidence.
Patricia can also sense it, but she can't understand where it came from. Though she can clearly see his strong body, she doubted it would be nearly enough. After all, Vincent was only 17 years old.
Upon seeing his refusal to back dawn, she exhaled and began to mention several names which involved some of vilagers that he remembers, village chief, the guard and a few yet to know people that are supposed to be the envoys.
Vincent calmly listened before nodding while standing up.
"Pack everything and go to my house and say to my mother that I've sent you. Tomorrow we're leaving the village."
"What?" Patricia exclaimed.
"Of course, if you don't want to find your daughter then just stay here. Who knows, maybe your wishes will come true one day. But I strongly doubt it," as he casually said, he left the room and the house leaving Patricia once again speechless.
…
After Vincent left the house, he visited the local graveyard.
He was standing in front of a small wooden cross with 'Jacob' carved on it.
It was very common for peasants to not have a second name.
Vincent himself was the same.
Well, not entirely anymore.
He looked at the grave as memories of a warm old man appeared in his mind.
"You've never listened to others' concerns. If you had, you'd probably lived a few more years at the least.
But what happened has happened and can't be changed.
I only hope you'll find happiness in your next life, Mister Jacob.
And don't worry about your granddaughter.
Everything will be fine as it should be."
After he spoke, Vincent left the graveyard and went in a certain direction within the village.