The next morning, Kael didn't wake up with a mission or a plan. He just wanted to stretch his legs.
And maybe punch a monster in the face.
Base City was a crowded place—noisy streets, flashing signs, pedestrians rushing to jobs or training centers. But Kael wasn't interested in the human hustle. He slipped out quietly, blending into the crowds, then ducked down a quiet alley and climbed a fire escape to reach the top of the wall that marked the city's edge.
He leapt over it with ease.
The wilderness outside was quiet at first, but Kael could feel the difference. The air was sharper, heavier. Even without being a warrior, a normal person would sense danger here. But Kael? He was grinning.
"Let's see what the big deal is," he said, cracking his neck.
It didn't take long before he was surrounded.
Three horned wolves padded from the undergrowth, muscles coiled, eyes glowing. One growled low and pounced.
Kael didn't move. Not at first.
When the wolf was inches from his face, he flicked his wrist.
A silver arc flashed—faster than sight. The monster split cleanly in two, no blood, no sound. Just a clean line, then stillness.
The other wolves hesitated. Then they lunged.
Kael danced between them like he was moving through water. Every step, every motion, smooth and casual. His hand sliced sideways—another wolf fell. He turned, ducked, raised one finger.
Another clean line. Another monster gone.
He wasn't even serious.
"I forgot how fun this could be," Kael said, stretching again. "I used to fight for survival. Now? It's like slicing tofu."
The System chimed softly in his mind.
[Note: Engaging in recreational combat is not an optimized path to power.]
"Neither is being boring," Kael muttered.
He wandered deeper into the forest, following no path, just going where the wind led him. The grass crunched underfoot. Trees rustled. Monsters watched him from the shadows, but most stayed hidden.
They sensed it too. Something was off about this boy.
Kael spotted a boulder ahead and walked over to sit on it. He stared at the horizon, where the red sun hovered like a low ember.
Then the resonance triggered again.
[Target Luo Feng has completed: Thunder Blade, Form Two.]
Choose Multiplier:
● Quantity: 1 trillion variations
● Quality: Perfected Form
"Let's keep it clean. Quality again."
A breath. And then—clarity. A second form slipped into his mind like water pouring into a mold. Kael stood up and tried it.
Form Two: Blinding Edge.
This one was faster. So fast the air around him popped, a shockwave pulsing from his feet.
"Damn," Kael said, blinking. "That'll leave a mark."
More monsters had gathered now. Curious. Hungry. Maybe desperate.
Kael didn't mind.
He grinned, lowered himself into a stance, and whispered, "Come on, then. Let's play."
And they did.
He didn't kill everything. Some he spared. Some he used to test combos, speed, movement. Each swing of his hand was casual—but if someone were watching, they'd think he was performing a choreographed masterpiece.
His body moved with the grace of a master. His strikes carried the weight of perfection.
He wasn't training.
He was just having fun.
Back in Base City, Luo Feng sat cross-legged in his small apartment, breathing heavily from his latest practice session.
He didn't know that far away, someone else was smiling thanks to his effort.
And that someone had barely begun to show what he could do.
That night, Kael returned to the city, leaping silently over the wall. No one saw him. No one knew he had ever left.
He found a quiet rooftop again, the stars above twinkling in lazy silence.
Lying there, arms behind his head, Kael let out a slow breath.
"Yeah," he murmured. "This is the life."
The wind whispered around him, and the System chimed softly.
[Awaiting next synchronization.]