The forest was quiet after the battle, almost unnaturally so. The charred patch of ground where the Harrier had fallen still smoked faintly, and the sharp scent of scorched feathers and blood hung heavy on the night wind. Kai stood over the ashes, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his jaw. He had fought, bled, and somehow, survived. Against all odds, he had won.
But the victory didn't feel like a triumph. It felt like a temporary truce in a war he was destined to lose.
Elara crouched near the remains, running her hand lightly through the blackened ash. "Harriers aren't natural this far south," she murmured, more to herself than to him. Her silver eyes narrowed, scanning the dark forest as if expecting more monsters to crawl from the shadows. "Someone pushed it here. Controlled it."
Kai swallowed, his throat dry. "Like the Pyre Hound?"
"Yes." Her voice was flat, certain, leaving no room for doubt. "And like the wolves before it. This isn't random, Kai. Someone is testing you, seeing what you're made of."
That thought sent a cold, sharp chill down his spine. He wanted so badly to believe he was just unlucky, that he had stumbled into danger by chance. But the way Elara said it—firm, cold, and matter-of-fact—made him wonder if he had been marked for something larger from the moment he arrived in this world.
"We need to burn it," she said suddenly, standing up.
"What? It's already ash."
"Not all of it," she corrected. "Fallen beasts must be returned to mana. If you leave them to rot, their corrupted energy lingers in the land. It calls other, darker things. Fire purifies." She flicked her hand, and a shard of shimmering frost bloomed in her palm. It shattered with a soft chime, sparking into brilliant blue flames that spread across the Harrier's remains. The fire hissed and crackled, devouring what was left—feathers, flesh, and bone—until absolutely nothing remained.
Kai watched, uneasy, but also fascinated. Even in death, beasts in this world weren't just animals. They were tied to the flow of mana itself. Every step reminded him he was playing by a set of rules he didn't fully understand.
When the blue flames finally died down, a soft chime echoed in his mind, and a familiar, welcome warmth washed over him.
[Corrupted Mana Purified: +150 EXP]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 5]
[All Stats Increased]
He felt a surge of new power flood his system, the deep ache in his muscles melting away as his mana pool felt deeper and fuller than ever before.
[Health: 6000/6000] [Stamina: 2400/2400] [Mana: 2000/2000]
Kai blinked, stunned. He hadn't expected another level so soon, especially not from just cleaning up the mess. "Elara," he said, mentally pulling up his panel in disbelief, "I… I leveled up again."
She barely glanced at him, her expression unreadable in the moonlight. "Good. But don't get arrogant. Strength means nothing if you don't know how to use it."
Still, he couldn't help but smile. Level 5. In just a few short, brutal days, he had gone from a powerless boy destined to die to someone who could stand his ground, even if just barely. It was real, tangible progress.
The next two days blurred into a grueling rhythm of travel, training, and utter exhaustion. Elara pushed him harder than ever before. At night, she drilled him on mana control, forcing him to maintain a Mana Coating on his arms and legs for hours, until his stamina ran dry and his vision swam. By day, she had him practice Mana Binding, throwing stones infused with his energy until his arm felt like it would fall off. He ran sprints while trying to keep his coating stable, often tripping and eating dirt, only to be met with Elara's cold command: "Get up. Do it again."
The forest grew thinner as they moved closer to the capital, the oppressive, dark shadows giving way to open fields dotted with colorful wildflowers and scattered, humble farmsteads. The sight should have been comforting, a sign of civilization. But Kai couldn't shake the chilling feeling of being watched.
Sometimes, he swore he saw movement at the edge of his vision—a dark silhouette flitting between a distant copse of trees, too far to make out. When he mentioned it, Elara only frowned.
"You're not wrong," she said quietly one evening as they set up a small, smokeless camp. "Someone has been trailing us for the last day. But they're watching me, not you."
Kai blinked, his blood running cold. "You're sure?"
Her gaze was like chips of ice. "Positive."
She speaks the truth, Iris's voice stirred faintly in his head. The shadow's focus is on her. But beware, Kai… such watchers are never harmless.
The words made his skin crawl. If Elara was being followed by someone she was wary of, what did that mean for him? Was he just a bystander caught in her storm—or was their hunter somehow tied to both of them?
The night grew colder, a biting wind sweeping across the open plains. Kai sat near their small campfire, trying to coax some warmth from the flames. His Mana Coating still flickered uncertainly, a faint blue glow across his hands that kept sputtering out.
Elara sat across from him, her figure bathed in the silver light of the twin moons. She wore her mana like a second skin, her own glow steady and perfect.
Kai let out a frustrated groan. "Why does yours look so easy? Mine keeps flickering out the second I lose focus on it."
A faint smile curved her lips. "Because I've been training since I was younger than you. And because I don't panic every time it falters."
He scowled, throwing another twig into the fire. "You're supposed to be my teacher. A little encouragement would be nice once in a while."
Her silver eyes lifted, locking onto his. "You don't need my encouragement. You need discipline."
He opened his mouth to argue back, but then he noticed the faintest twitch of her lips. It was a real smile. Rare, fleeting, but undeniably there. Despite his frustration, he found himself laughing. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"Good," she replied, closing her eyes again.
For a while, the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the whisper of the wind. And for the first time since he'd arrived in this terrifying new world, Kai felt a little less alone.
On the dawn of the fourth day of their journey together, the capital came into view.
Kai's jaw dropped. As they crested a large hill, the city of Arcanis stretched across the horizon. It wasn't just a city; it was a monument. Massive stone walls, easily hundreds of feet high, were etched with glowing blue runes that pulsed faintly with a powerful, protective mana. Tall, elegant spires and towers pierced the sky, their rooftops gilded with the morning sunlight. Smoke curled from thousands of chimneys, colorful banners fluttered above the main gates, and beyond the walls he could see endless rooftops, bustling markets, and the faint, shimmering forms of airships drifting slowly through the air.
"Whoa…" Kai breathed, pure awe washing over him. "It's… huge."
Elara didn't slow her pace. "This is the heart of the Kingdom. The capital of Arcanis. Wealth, knowledge, corruption, and power—it all gathers here."
As they drew closer, Kai saw long lines of people waiting to enter the city gates. There were merchants with large caravans pulled by strange, six-legged beasts, armored adventurers with swords strapped to their backs, and peasants carrying sacks of grain. Guards in polished steel armor checked each group, their spears tipped with glowing mana crystals. For Kai, who had spent days fighting for his life in the wilderness, the sight of civilization was completely overwhelming. It was loud, chaotic, and vibrantly alive.
They stopped just before joining the line at the gates. Elara turned to him, her silver hair catching the sunlight.
"This is where we part ways," she said.
Kai froze, his mind going blank for a second. "Wait—what? Part ways? You're just… leaving me here?"
"I have duties to attend to in the city. And you…" she gave him a long, assessing look, "…you need to learn to grow on your own now."
Panic, cold and sharp, stirred in his chest. After everything—the fights, the training, the cold nights by the fire—he couldn't imagine facing this overwhelming world without her. "But… where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? I don't have any money, I don't know anyone…"
Her expression softened, just slightly. "There's an Academy here. They take in those with potential and train them in magic, combat, and survival. If you want strength, if you want to live past the next month, you'll go there."
Kai blinked. "The Academy? You… you think they'll actually take me?"
"They will," she said simply. Then, after a pause, she added, "I'll be there, too."
His heart skipped a beat. A wave of relief washed over him. "Wait—you're a student there, too?"
A faint, mischievous smirk touched her lips. "Hardly. I teach there."
Kai's jaw dropped again, this time in complete disbelief. "You—you're a teacher?! You've been acting like some mysterious, wandering warrior this whole time, and you're just… a teacher?"
"Not 'just' a teacher," she corrected coolly. "You'll understand soon enough."
He stared at her, stunned. Somehow, the idea of the cold, deadly Elara as a teacher both fit her perfectly and made no sense at all.
She stepped closer, her hand brushing his shoulder briefly. It was the first time she had initiated any kind of friendly contact. "I'll be waiting inside. Go to the main plaza and ask for directions to the Academy's entrance exams. Don't mention my name. Earn your place. This is your path now. Don't rely on me. Prove you can stand on your own."
And with that, she turned and slipped into the bustling crowd, vanishing as easily and as silently as a shadow in the forest.
Kai stood frozen for a long moment, the warmth from her touch still lingering on his shoulder. His heart was pounding. The world suddenly felt bigger and heavier without her at his side. But he forced himself to take a deep breath.
This was it. This was why he was here. To survive. To grow stronger. To find the answers to why he was being hunted.
He clenched his fists and stepped into the line with the others, his eyes drifting up to the towering walls and the massive gates that promised both opportunity and danger.
Your path begins here, Kai, Iris's voice whispered faintly in his mind. But beware. The true hunters are not in the forests. They are waiting inside these walls.
Far behind him, unseen in the jostling crowd, a dark figure in a hooded cloak watched him silently before slipping away from the main gate and entering the city through a smaller, unguarded path.
Kai didn't know it yet, but his real journey was only just beginning.