The eyes did not move.
They watched.
Kael's breathing slowed as he stared into the darkness. The forest was silent—too silent. Even insects had stopped making noise.
"This isn't a beast," Kael thought.
He shifted his weight carefully, testing his injured leg. Pain flared, but his body held.
The eyes blinked once.
Then vanished.
Kael's heart skipped.
The next instant—
Something struck from the side.
Kael barely rolled away as a sharp object slammed into the tree behind him, sinking deep into the bark.
A blade.
Kael's pupils shrank.
"A human?"
A shadow stepped out from between the trees.
A young man, dressed in dark leather, a scar running across his cheek. His aura was weak—but stable.
Body Tempering.
Not crippled.
"So you're the cripple everyone talked about," the man said, voice low. "Didn't expect you to survive the wolves."
Kael kept his stance low. "Who are you?"
The man smirked. "Name's Reth. Clan auxiliary disciple. I was told to enter the Trial Grounds early."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Told.
"So Kael Yuan sent you," Kael said calmly.
Reth laughed softly. "Does it matter? A cripple dying to beasts is boring. Dying to a blade is cleaner."
He lunged.
Kael raised his arm just in time. Steel sliced into flesh. Pain burned, but Kael didn't retreat.
He crashed his forehead into Reth's face.
Crack.
Reth stumbled back, swearing.
"You're insane!"
Kael didn't answer.
He rushed forward.
They clashed again and again—stone against blade, flesh against steel. Kael took more wounds, but each exchange honed his movements.
[Combat Type Detected: Human Opponent]
[Learning Rate Increased]
Reth's breathing grew uneven.
"Why won't you fall?" he snarled.
Kael's eyes were cold. "Because I already died once."
He feinted left, then drove the stone into Reth's thigh.
Reth screamed and collapsed.
Kael stood over him, chest heaving.
Reth looked up in fear. "Wait—"
Kael brought the stone down.
[Kill Confirmed.]
[First Human Kill Achieved.]
[Rewards:]
— Body Tempering +7%
— Combat Instinct Enhanced
— Minor Qi Flow Activated
Warmth surged violently through Kael's body.
His wounds burned, then stabilized.
He staggered back, breathing hard.
Human enemies.
Stronger rewards.
Kael looked at the dark forest around him.
"So this place doesn't just test strength," he whispered. "It tests resolve."
He dragged Reth's body into the shadows and took the blade.
Cold steel felt heavy in his hand.
Kael sat beneath a tree, finally allowing himself to rest.
Tomorrow—
would be worse.
And he welcomed it.
Kael did not sleep deeply.
The forest never truly rested, and neither could he.
Cold mist crept between the trees as the night dragged on. Kael leaned against the trunk, the stolen blade resting across his knees. Every shallow breath pulled pain from his wounds, but beneath the pain, warmth continued to circulate.
Qi.
Thin. Unstable.
But real.
Kael closed his eyes and focused.
Slow inhale.
Slow exhale.
He followed the warmth inside his body, guiding it the way the system instinctively taught him—along broken paths, through damaged meridians.
Pain flared sharply.
Kael's jaw tightened.
[Qi Flow Detected: Unstable]
[Meridian Stress Increasing]
[Warning: Excess circulation may cause collapse]
Kael stopped immediately.
"Not yet," he whispered. "I'm not ready."
He opened his eyes.
In the darkness, faint lights moved—fireflies, or something else. Somewhere far away, a beast roared, deep and heavy, far stronger than the wolves from before.
Kael's instincts screamed danger.
At dawn, Kael moved again.
He cleaned his blade using leaves and dirt, then tied it securely at his side. His movements were slower now, but more controlled.
He was no longer flailing.
He was adapting.
As he advanced deeper into the Trial Grounds, the trees grew thicker, their roots twisting like living things. The air felt heavier.
Oppressive.
Kael crouched suddenly.
Fresh tracks.
Large.
Too large for wolves.
[Beast Trace Detected.]
[Threat Level: High]
Kael swallowed.
"Good," he muttered, though his heart pounded. "That means growth."
The ground trembled.
A massive shape pushed through the trees.
A Stonehide Boar emerged, its body covered in rough, gray plates like natural armor. Its tusks were long, stained dark with old blood.
Kael's breath caught.
This was not prey.
This was a predator.
The boar snorted, locking onto him instantly.
Then it charged.
Kael sprinted sideways as the beast smashed into the ground where he stood moments earlier. The impact shook the earth.
He rolled, barely regaining balance.
Too fast.
Too strong.
Kael gritted his teeth.
"I can't fight it head-on."
He ran.
The boar chased relentlessly, crashing through trees, snapping trunks like twigs. Kael's lungs burned as he led it deeper into uneven terrain.
Cliff.
Kael skidded to a stop near a rocky slope.
The boar lowered its head.
One more charge—
Kael turned at the last moment and leaped aside.
The boar's hooves slipped.
Its massive body slammed into the rock wall with a thunderous crash.
Before it could recover, Kael jumped onto its back.
The blade came down.
Clang.
The blade barely pierced the armor.
Kael was thrown off violently, smashing into the ground. His vision blurred.
[Critical Injury Detected.]
[Survival Threshold Reached]
Kael spat blood and forced himself up.
"No choice," he rasped.
He focused everything.
Fear.
Pain.
Resolve.
He guided the unstable Qi toward his arms.
[Emergency Qi Circulation Approved.]
[Risk Level: Extreme]
Kael roared and charged.
As the boar raised its head, Kael plunged the blade into its eye.
The beast screamed and thrashed violently.
Kael held on.
The blade twisted.
The boar collapsed, shaking the forest.
Silence followed.
Kael fell beside it, unmoving.
[Kill Confirmed.]
[High-Risk Target Eliminated.]
[Rewards:]
— Body Tempering +12%
— Qi Flow Stabilized (Temporary)
— Meridian Reinforcement (Moderate)
— Strength Increased Significantly
Kael lay on his back, staring at the sky filtering through the leaves.
His body felt heavy.
Broken.
But inside—
something had crossed a line.
Kael slowly clenched his fist.
Qi responded.
Not much.
But enough.
He smiled faintly.
"One day," he whispered, "they'll be the ones running."
The Trial Grounds answered with distant roars.
And Kael welcomed them all.