The moon hung low in the sky, its silver light filtering through the dense canopy of the Starfall Forest. Ancient trees towered like silent guardians, their trunks etched with faint glowing runes that pulsed once every few breaths, remnants of fallen star fragments buried deep in the earth long ago.
Lin Xingchen moved carefully between the shadows, his steps near-silent from years of hauling firewood and water without complaint. The small dagger was clutched tightly in his right hand, while his left palm — bearing the gray broken-star mark — tingled with that strange cool energy.
He had walked for nearly two hours, far deeper than any village child was allowed to go alone.
Low-level Astral Beasts roamed here — creatures that had absorbed stray starlight over centuries, growing stronger than ordinary animals. A single white-ring beast could kill an untrained adult easily.
But Xingchen had no choice.
If he stayed in the village, he would remain a spectator forever.
If he wanted even the smallest chance to absorb a seal ring… he had to hunt one himself.
A faint rustle ahead made him freeze.
He crouched behind a moss-covered boulder and peered into a small clearing.
There, bathed in moonlight, stood a lone Astral Beast.
It resembled a wolf, but larger — shoulders reaching Xingchen's chest — with fur that shimmered like scattered star dust. Two short crystalline horns curved from its forehead, and around its foreleg spun a faint white seal ring, slowly rotating.
Starlight Horned Wolf — early first-ring stage.
Perfect for a newcomer… and deadly for someone with Level 0 innate power.
Xingchen's breathing steadied. He observed quietly, just as he had watched countless training sessions from the sidelines.
The wolf was drinking from a small stream, alert but not alarmed.
He could try to leave and search for a weaker beast… or he could take the risk now.
The ancient voice in his soul whispered again, softer than the wind:
"The first ring determines the foundation. Choose wisely… or seize boldly."
Xingchen's lips curved into a faint, determined smile.
He picked up a fist-sized stone and threw it far to the left.
The stone crashed into bushes.
The wolf's head snapped toward the sound, ears pricked, body tensing. It growled low and stalked toward the noise, leaving the stream — and its back exposed.
Xingchen moved.
Like a shadow, he darted forward, dagger raised.
Ten steps… five… three…
The wolf sensed something and began to turn.
Too late.
Xingchen leaped, channeling every bit of strength in his young body into a downward stab aimed at the base of the beast's neck.
The dagger bit deep.
Hot blood sprayed across his hand.
The wolf roared in pain, twisting violently. Its tail whipped like a steel whip, catching Xingchen in the ribs and sending him flying into a tree trunk.
Air exploded from his lungs. Pain flared white-hot.
But he held onto the dagger — it was still lodged in the wolf's flesh.
The beast charged, eyes glowing with starlight fury, crystalline horns aimed to gore.
Xingchen rolled aside just in time. The horns smashed into the tree, splintering bark.
He scrambled up, ribs screaming, and yanked the dagger free as the wolf turned for another pass.
This time, he didn't wait.
He rushed forward, dodging a claw swipe by inches, and drove the blade straight into the wolf's left eye.
The beast howled — a sound that shook leaves from branches — and thrashed wildly.
Xingchen was thrown off again, tumbling across the ground.
Blood poured from the wolf's ruined eye. Its movements slowed, strength fading fast.
It tried one last lunge, jaws wide.
Xingchen, on his knees, met it head-on.
He plunged the dagger upward under the jaw, into the soft throat.
The Starlight Horned Wolf convulsed once… twice… then collapsed, body going still.
The white seal ring around its foreleg flickered brightly, then detached, floating in the air as a pure ring of starlight.
It hovered toward Xingchen, drawn by the faint pull of his Astral Seal.
Xingchen sat panting in the grass, covered in blood — some his, most the wolf's.
He extended his trembling left hand.
The white seal ring touched the gray broken-star mark…
…and began to merge.
Intense pain shot through his arm, like liquid starfire burning through veins.
He gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.
Inside his soul, the Broken Star Shard spun slowly, absorbing the ring's energy.
Cracks of light appeared across its fragmented surface — tiny, but real.
The ancient voice rang clear for the first time, deep and resonant:
"First ring absorbed. Eternal Soul Throne… the first step has been taken."
Far deeper in the forest, the enormous scaled creature opened its crimson eyes once more.
A low, approving rumble echoed through the earth.
"The heir has drawn first blood. Good."
It rose slowly, wings of shadow unfurling silently.
"Soon… it will be time."