A man lay unconscious on the ground, clad in a dark robe. His pale, smooth face contrasted sharply with the devastation around him: uprooted trees, cracked earth, and scattered stones bore silent witness to a violent battle.
Slowly, Amon's eyelids trembled before opening. The first thing he saw was the blinding light of the sun flooding into his vision, forcing him to squint. Groaning softly, he pushed himself upright, sitting on the cold, uneven ground. His eyes swept over the ruin around him.
Rexurnok was nowhere to be seen. He had expected as much. The sheer power of the earlier explosion must have driven it away or destroyed it completely. All that remained was destruction: splintered trunks, deep fissures running across the earth, and the faint smell of scorched wood and dust.
After a few moments of silent observation, Amon rose to his feet. Not far from where he stood, a strange sight caught his attention: a faint swirl of grey-red smoke rising into the air.
"Is that the beast's soul?" he murmured to himself.
He approached cautiously, each step crunching against broken debris. When he was close enough, he raised one hand. As if drawn by an invisible force, the grey-red smoke shot toward him, coiling around his arm. In the blink of an eye, it seeped into his skin, vanishing entirely as it was absorbed into his body.
A strange, lingering heat pulsed through him. His breathing steadied, and without looking back, he turned and began walking away from the scarred battlefield.
Two hours passed.
As Amon made his way through the forest, the dense trees gave way to an open clearing. Here, the air felt calmer, untouched by the chaos he had left behind. There was no tall grass to obstruct his view, no tangled roots to trip over; only a pristine lake lying at the center, its waters glinting under the sunlight.
Drawn to it, he knelt at the shore, cupping his hands to scoop the cool water. He took a long drink, savoring the crisp taste that washed the dryness from his throat. But before he could take another sip, a strange notification echoed in his mind.
[THE XENTARI DEMONIC SWORD HAS ACCEPTED YOU DUE TO YOUR COURAGE.]
Amon froze. His eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief. He blinked twice and splashed his face with the cold water, making sure he wasn't imagining it.
"It worked? It worked! Where's the sword?!" he exclaimed.
A grin spread across his face. The night before, he had thought the attempt to bind the weapon had failed, but now he could feel it: an unshakable connection, a presence within him.
[WARNING: THE XENTARI DEMONIC SWORD IS NOW FUSED WITH THE HOST'S BODY. YOU MAY SUMMON IT AT WILL, BUT RELEASING ITS EVIL AURA RECKLESSLY CAN DEVASTATE A LARGE AREA. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO ONLY USE IT IN LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATIONS.]
[WARNING: THE HOST MAY LOSE CONTROL WHEN USING THE SWORD, AS YOUR CURRENT STRENGTH IS INSUFFICIENT TO WIELD ITS POWER SAFELY.]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEST IT NOW? YES / NO]
The excitement in Amon's expression faded instantly. His gaze turned cold, devoid of emotion, and he pressed No.
"If it weren't for the system… I'd probably be dead again by now," he muttered under his breath.
His earlier arrogance burned in his thoughts. He had charged at Rexurnok recklessly, thinking the system and his current power made him unstoppable. He would not make that mistake again.
Turning his attention back to the lake, Amon studied the surroundings more carefully. This place was quiet, and the presence of small fish in the water reminded him of his previous world. It could serve as a good temporary home.
He made up his mind; he would not leave the forest until he was strong enough to face any threat without relying solely on luck.
"System, can you tell me everything I don't yet know about this world?"
There were still too many mysteries: what the Rexurnok truly was, the meaning of Rank 4 Awakener, and why his robe could block a full-powered attack from one.
[THE SYSTEM CANNOT REVEAL ALL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORLD. SOME MUST BE DISCOVERED BY THE HOST. ONLY A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED.]
[THE PROCESS OF TRANSFERRING THIS INFORMATION INTO THE HOST'S MIND WILL TAKE TWO DAYS.]
Amon frowned. Two days felt like an eternity, but he also knew that even a small amount of knowledge could mean the difference between life and death.
"What happens while you're transferring the information?"
[THE HOST WILL REMAIN ASLEEP FOR TWO FULL DAYS.]
If he was going to be unconscious for that long, he would need shelter. Even in a sturdy house, the forest's dangers remained; creatures like Rexurnok could be lurking anywhere.
[DURING THE PROCESS, THE SYSTEM WILL DEPLOY A PROTECTIVE BARRIER AROUND THE HOST TO ENSURE NO INTERRUPTIONS OCCUR.]
That was all he needed to hear. Without wasting another second, Amon left the lakeside and ventured deeper into the woods to gather materials.
Nine hours later, dusk began to settle over the forest. Amon stood before the small hut he had built. It wasn't perfect, but it was sturdy enough to fit two or three people. The walls were bound with thick vines, the structure made from older trees that were easier for him to cut down using his strength.
He stepped inside, inspecting the modest space. "Not bad," he said to himself before sitting on the hard bedding he had prepared.
as he sat there, memories of the soft bed from his past life stirred in his mind.
"System, begin the transfer."
[PREPARING TO TRANSFER INFORMATION TO THE HOST'S MIND.]
[ACTIVATING PROTECTIVE BARRIER.]
[TRANSFER COMMENCING.]
His eyes grew heavier with each passing second until they finally closed, and he drifted into deep, dreamless sleep.
Far away in Green Valley Town, a large estate stood guarded by men in black, each carrying a sword. Inside, a young woman trained with a blade. Her snow-white hair gleamed under the light, and her sharp blue eyes reflected unwavering focus. Sweat rolled down her flawless face, falling to the polished floor.
"Lady Rue, your bath is ready," an elderly butler announced from the doorway.
"Understood," she replied, her voice calm.
As the butler left, Rue sheathed her weapon and wiped her brow. Her gaze shifted toward a different sword resting nearby: a white blade emanating a faint, icy aura.
"Just a little longer, and I'll be able to use you," she whispered to herself before leaving the training hall and heading toward the bathhouse.
Not far from her mansion, in a small, unlit house, four men stood together. Three wore black, while the fourth was dressed in a silver-yellow robe. His brown hair was unkempt, his face marked with scratches and bruises.
"Lord Cael, when do you plan to kill Rue?" one of the black-clad men asked. The other two nodded, sharing the same question.
"The second night from now. We'll do it in Elandor Forest," Cael answered, his voice raspy.
The three exchanged uneasy looks.
"That's dangerous. They say the legendary beast Rexurnok roams there at night, hunting for prey," one said.
"We'd be no match for it. Only Rank 5 Elders could stand against something like that. And how do you plan to lure Rue there?" another pressed.
A smirk formed on Cael's lips. "Don't worry about the Rexurnok. I have a Stellar Artifact. As for Rue, I already have a plan."
The mention of the artifact instantly changed their expressions. Doubt gave way to surprise, and then excitement.
"A Stellar Artifact? The kind that can seal even Rank 5 Awakeners? But only Rank 3 Awakeners can use it. Don't tell me—"
Realization struck. If Cael could wield such an artifact, it meant he had already advanced to Rank 3.
"So? Will you join me on the second night?"
The three men nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Cael began explaining the details of his plan, confident in his eventual victory.
Meanwhile, back at Rue's mansion, she sat quietly by a window, bathed in the silver glow of the moon. Her white-blue robe matched her pale skin and silver hair, but her expression carried no warmth; only quiet thought.
"What's on your mind?" came a voice from behind her.
Without turning, Rue replied softly, though her words held an edge of coldness. "I didn't expect you to reach Rank 3 so soon, Cael."
"Even so, I can't compare to the top genius of the Elandor Kingdom. At twenty-six, you're already at late-stage Rank 3, while I've only reached the early stage," Cael said, his tone dripping with false humility.
"Drop the flattery. That's not why you came here."
A faint smile creased his lips.
"We've found the source of the tremor from a few days ago," he said.
Her expression shifted almost imperceptibly. Since that day, she had felt something strange, something she couldn't explain.
"Interested?"even though he hadn't seen the slight movement in Rue's expression. He was certain she would be interested, because this was the first time something had blocked her Astral Insight, even Rank 5 elders and below could not detect.
"Continue," she replied.
"In the heart of Elandor Forest lies a massive crater from an explosion. I haven't investigated it yet. I thought we should go together," he explained.
Rue remained silent for a long moment, and for a second, Cael feared she had seen through him.
"When do we leave?" she finally asked.
When he heard this, he let out a quiet sigh of relief and told her the exact time they would depart. After saying it, he left right away so Rue wouldn't notice that he still had ulterior motives.