The forge burned deep into the night — a heartbeat of fire echoing across Korvan Village.
Inside, Hunnt worked alone, his hammer rising and falling in perfect rhythm. Sparks flared from the anvil like tiny stars before dying in the soot.
He wasn't reforging a blade this time — he was crafting training weights.
"Ten kilograms each bracer," Hunnt muttered under his breath, flipping the glowing metal with his tongs.
"Ten each leg plate… ten for the chest…"
He quenched the final piece in cold water. Steam roared upward, covering him in mist.
"That's fifty kilos total," he whispered, smirking faintly. "Enough to break their limits."
He looked at the three cooling sets — each marked with a single carved name: Alder. Kael. Seren.
His eyes softened. "They'll curse me for this later," he said quietly. "But they'll thank me when they're stronger."
---
The next morning, the training fields outside Korvan rang with shouts and movement.
Dust flew beneath the boots of Kael, Alder, and Seren as they sparred under the rising sun.
Sweat dripped. Steel clashed.
Kael blinked out of sight using Soru, appearing behind Seren with a faint gust of wind. Seren reacted instantly — her instincts sharp — her lance swung in a horizontal arc. The shaft sliced through the air where Kael had been a heartbeat earlier.
"Good," Kael called, landing lightly a few meters away. "But still too predictable."
Seren frowned, shoulders heaving. "You're impossible to track. It's like fighting smoke."
Kael grinned faintly. "Then learn to see what smoke hides."
She tightened her grip on the lance, inhaled slowly, and closed her eyes. The sounds around her sharpened — her senses stretching outward. The rustle of grass, the grit shifting under Kael's boots, the heartbeat pulsing through the ground.
Observation Haki — faint and flickering — flared within her.
She moved the instant she felt Kael step.
Her lance struck, perfectly intercepting him mid-motion.
Kael's eyes widened slightly — impressed. "That's it—"
But the moment ended just as quickly. The world around Seren twisted; her breath hitched, her vision dimmed. She dropped to one knee, gasping.
Kael was beside her in an instant. "Hey—hey! Easy. You pushed it too long."
Seren blinked rapidly, clutching her chest. "Everything… drained so fast…"
Kael nodded, steadying her shoulder. "That's Haki. It eats stamina faster than muscle ever could."
Alder, who was nearby testing his Tekkai stance, turned at the sound. "She used Observation already?"
Kael nodded again. "And nearly passed out."
Alder laughed. "Welcome to the fun part of training."
Seren shot him a tired glare. "So it's normal?"
"Completely," Alder said, resting his great sword on his shoulder. "But if you ever felt Hunnt's Conqueror's Haki—you'd know what real pressure feels like."
Seren blinked, confused. "Conqueror's… what?"
Kael froze. His expression flickered, caught off guard.
Seren tilted her head. "You didn't explain that one to me, Kael."
Kael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's because it's not something you can learn."
Seren frowned, still catching her breath. "Then what is it?"
Alder's tone shifted, his usual grin fading. "It's… different. Conqueror's Haki isn't taught or trained. You're born with it. It's a will so strong it forces everything around you to bow. When Hunnt used it back in Emberfall, it felt like the world itself stopped breathing."
Kael nodded slowly. "Even I couldn't stay standing the first time I felt it. It's not just power — it's dominance. A pressure that makes monsters freeze and men doubt their worth."
Seren's eyes widened, stunned. "Hunnt has that kind of power?"
Alder smirked faintly. "You're surprised?"
Seren shook her head, still trying to process. "I mean—he's strong, sure—but that? That's unreal."
Kael chuckled lightly. "That's what separates him from the rest of us."
Seren exhaled softly. "No wonder you two follow him so naturally."
Alder snorted. "Follow? More like survive around him."
Kael grinned. "Speak for yourself."
Seren smiled slightly — then paused. Her expression changed, realization hitting her like a hammer.
"Wait." She turned to both of them. "Did you just say follow him? As in—he's your leader?"
Kael and Alder went quiet at the same time.
Seren blinked. "Hey! Wait a second… did you say Hunnt was the founder of the Eternal Wanderer!?"
The two men exchanged a look — the kind of look that screamed we shouldn't have said that.
Alder groaned under his breath. "Ah, crap."
Kael rubbed his temples. "...I might've said that out loud, huh?"
Seren stood up, incredulous. "Might've!? That's huge! You mean all this time, the person who founded the group—the one you both talk about with such reverence—is Hunnt? The same guy who acts like he hates attention?"
Kael let out a long sigh. "Yes… but technically, you're not supposed to know that."
Seren blinked, confused. "What do you mean not supposed to know?"
Alder crossed his arms. "Hunnt's the hidden founder. Only members of the Eternal Wanderer know his identity—and even then, we don't talk about it. The outside world can't know. If the Guild finds out, they'll hunt him down, or worse—use him."
Kael nodded gravely. "He doesn't want recognition. The group was built to protect people quietly, not to be worshiped. That's why the founder's name is always kept secret."
Seren's jaw dropped. "But you two just told me!"
Kael looked away, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward smile. "I… slipped."
Alder laughed, shaking his head. "Ha! You slipped. Some secret keeper you are."
Kael pointed at him. "Oh, don't act innocent—you confirmed it!"
Alder chuckled harder. "Couldn't help it, you froze up!"
Seren crossed her arms, staring at both of them with mock disappointment. "You two are terrible at keeping secrets."
Kael sighed. "Yeah, well, now that you know—keep it that way. Hunnt's title stays between us. No one outside the Eternal Wanderer must ever know."
Seren nodded seriously, though her lips twitched with a grin. "Alright, fine. Your secret's safe… for now."
Kael exhaled in relief. "Good."
Alder chuckled again. "Man, Hunnt's gonna kill us when he finds out."
Kael groaned, muttering under his breath. "Let's just hope he doesn't use Conqueror's Haki when he does."
Seren smirked. "If he does, you're both standing in front of me."
They all laughed — the tension breaking under the sound of fading daylight.
---
Meanwhile, in the forge, Hunnt quenched the final piece of training weight, unaware of the commotion outside.
He lifted the finished bracer and set it beside the others, his reflection flickering in the molten glow.
Three sets.
Three Wanderers.
And a test that would soon push them past every limit they knew.