Chapter 30 – Before the Novice rank.
Thud. Thud.
Seth's footsteps rang as he walked out of the building.
He stepped into the rain with the lizard's core in his hand, the night sky split by low rumbles of thunder. Droplets pattered against his skin, cool and sharp, sliding down the lines of his face. Weeks of grime loosened under the water's touch, streaking down to reveal the faint pallor of his true complexion.
A rusty car sat abandoned in the far side of the cracked street, its doors long gone, its body mottled with rust. Seth settled cross-legged on its hood, the core resting in his palms, pulsing faintly with light.
He studied it for a moment, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Would it be different from the initiate cores I've been absorbing?
He wondered. But speculation was pointless he could just absorb it and find out for himself.
He pressed his will forward.
The core's shell cracked silently, and energy streamed out in smooth rivers, slipping into him, then into the depths of his core. His saturation began to climb, steadily, smoothly, without resistance.
The volume wasn't much greater than a level nine initiate core. No… what set it apart was its purity. The energy felt refined—so clean, so precise—that Seth half-expected his body to reject it. He had a feeling that he was not supposed to absorb it so easily at his rank.
But it flowed through him without hesitation. Effortless.
And he wasn't about to complain.
At first, Seth thought the energy wouldn't be enough. That the flawless streams were too little to reach 100%. But then—suddenly, impossibly—the purity fractured. The flow thickened, coarsened, and the volume surged. What had been delicate became overwhelming, crashing through his core until his saturation struck full in an instant.
He let out a slow breath, senses diving inward.
The energy of his saturated core slammed against the inner walls of his core, raging like a storm. Each collision pounded at the invisible barrier that kept him bound to the initiate level, demanding to break through.
Seth exhaled again, steadied himself, and summoned the system screen. Golden sparks shimmered before his iris.
NAME: Seth
TRAIT(S): Weapon Mastery [+]
CORE: Initiate — Level nine
SATURATION: 100%
STATS—
Physique: 20.0 [+]
Spirit: 14.0 [+]
ITEMS—
Soul Weapon: Sword
SP: 154.0
Seth's lips curled into a smile. The number of soul points made his chest stir with satisfaction. Two weeks of quiet hunting had filled his reserves, but today's battle haul alone—sixty-nine points—had tipped him over one hundred fifty.
A soft chuckle escaped him. The sound was raspy, unpracticed. It struck him that he hadn't spoken aloud in days.
"First… to equalize," he murmured.
He tapped the plus sign beside Spirit.
At once, a sharp clarity erupted in his mind. His consciousness seemed to rise above his body, expanding outward, as though he had stepped into a vast sky with no end. The world dulled around him, yet his awareness sharpened, every detail crystalline. His thoughts untangled, free and light.
For a fleeting moment, Seth felt…...
Crack.
The sky split with thunder, dragging him back.
Rain poured harder now, sheets of water drumming on metal, streets, and rooftops. The sensation brought him back, and he gave a low, embarrassed chuckle. For a while he simply sat there, laughing freely, letting the rain soak through his bloodstained clothes.
When he turned back to the screen, his stats had shifted. Spirit now stood equal with physique, both at twenty. And even after that, ninety-four SP remained.
And he wasn't done yet.
With practiced calm, he invested further—five points into Physique, four into Spirit.
The screen shifted again.
Physique: 25.0 [+]
Spirit: 24.0 [+]
The rush hit him instantly. Muscles thrummed with vitality, his very breath seemed heavier with power, and his thoughts cut cleaner than ever. The corner of his mouth pulled into a satisfied smile.
Addictive. That was the only word for it. The surge of growth, the sensation of becoming more—it hooked at something deep in his chest.
He dismissed the screen and leaned back on the rusty hood, letting the rain wash over him.
For a long moment, he simply thought.
He could break through now. The novice rank was within reach. The barrier in his core waited, ready to shatter if he pressed.
But his instincts—and his memories of countless novels and manga—urged otherwise. Better to press this realm to its absolute limit before stepping beyond.
It always worked out that way in the stories. And for once, he was in no rush. Even if he faced a novice now he believed he could hold his own. As for something stronger he believed not even reaching the novice rank would help him.
The storm raged overhead, but Seth only closed his eyes, listening, a faint grin still on his lips.