The dim light flickered once, then steadied.
In a rundown building on the third level of York City Star Base, the air was thick with dust, rust, and exhaustion. Cracked walls absorbed sound like they had absorbed years of despair, and the faint hum of the base's energy barrier leaked through broken windows like a distant heartbeat.
David Wilson sat cross-legged on the cold concrete floor.
His breathing was slow. Controlled. Careful—just like the cultivation manual etched into his memory. With every inhale, he guided the thin strands of Heaven and Earth energy into his body, circulating them through his meridians, compressing them again and again.
He was close.
So close.
The energy gathered at his dantian, swirling gently, forming the outline of something solid. One more push—just one—and he would step into Qi Refining First Stage. The first realm. The line that separated ordinary people from cultivators.
His fingers trembled.
Just a little more…
Then—
The pressure vanished.
The gathered energy collapsed inward, then burst outward like a punctured balloon. The warmth inside his body drained away in an instant, dispersing into the surrounding air as if it had never existed.
David's shoulders slumped.
He opened his eyes slowly, staring at the cracked floor beneath him. A long, silent sigh escaped his lips.
Another failure.
Outside the broken doorway, a woman straightened.
David's mother had been standing guard the entire time, spear in hand, back straight despite the fatigue etched into every line of her body. Her clothes were worn, patched more times than David could count, and faint scars traced her arms—marks left by claws and fangs that had come too close.
When she sensed the energy dissipate, her grip tightened for just a moment.
Then she relaxed.
She turned and walked toward him, footsteps soft despite the hard floor.
"Did it scatter again?" she asked gently.
David nodded. "I almost had it this time. I could feel it… but then it just slipped away."
He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. "Maybe I really don't have the talent."
His mother crouched in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder—calloused, warm, steady.
"Don't say that," she said firmly. "Talent isn't everything."
David looked up at her, eyes filled with frustration and guilt. "I've been stuck here for two years. Everyone my age has already broken through. Some are already in the fourth stage. And you're still risking your life for me."
She smiled.
Not a bright smile—but a stubborn one.
"You think I protect you because you're weak?" she said. "I protect you because you're still standing."
She tapped his chest lightly. "You feel that? That means you haven't given up. And that alone already makes you stronger than many people in this base."
David swallowed.
She stood and slung her spear across her back. "We rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll get you what you need."
"You mean—" David's eyes widened.
She nodded. "A Tier Two core."
David froze. "Mom, that's Tier Two. They are stronger than Tier One Stage nine beast by great margin. We barely survived the Tier Ones last time."
"I know." Her gaze hardened. "But I also know this—without a breakthrough, you won't survive much longer. The world doesn't wait for anyone."
She reached into her pouch and tossed him a water flask. "Drink. Recover your strength. At dawn, we head northeast."
"The Night Wolf Peak…" David whispered.
That region lay near the edge of the base's controlled territory. The terrain was jagged, visibility poor, and Star Wolves prowled freely after sunset. Many hunters never returned from there.
Yet his mother spoke of it as if it were already decided.
David looked at her back as she turned away, pretending to check their supplies. He clenched his teeth.
I can't stay weak.
I won't let her fight alone forever.
---
By the time the base lights dimmed to their night cycle, they were ready.
David adjusted the worn blade at his waist. It wasn't sharp enough for real combat, but it was all they had. His mother carried her spear, its metal tip dulled from repeated repairs yet still deadly in skilled hands.
They moved through the third-level corridors, past other rundown buildings where people slept restlessly, dreaming of strength they might never obtain.
At the northeastern exit gate, a dull metal terminal stood embedded in the wall.
His mother swiped their Third-Level Identity Cards.
Beep.
Authorization confirmed.
The heavy gate slid open with a low grind, revealing the dark wilderness beyond the energy barrier. Cold wind rushed in, carrying the scent of soil… and blood.
David paused at the threshold.
Once they stepped outside, there would be no protection. No guards. No alarms.
Only them—and the beasts.
His mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay close. Watch my signals. If I tell you to run, you don't hesitate."
David nodded. "I won't."
They stepped through.
The gate closed behind them with a final metallic thud.
Under the faint starlight, they moved silently across broken terrain, careful not to disturb loose stones. Trees twisted toward the sky like skeletal fingers, and somewhere in the distance, a low howl echoed across the land.
David's heart pounded.
Night Wolf Peak loomed ahead—a dark silhouette against the stars.
Somewhere within it roamed a Tier Two Star Wolf.
And inside that beast lay the core that might change everything.
David tightened his grip on his blade.
This time, he wouldn't let the energy slip away.
No matter the cost.