The next morning, Kane woke up with the first light of dawn.
His body was stiff, his muscles sore from hours of training the day before, but he didn't let that slow him down. He stamped out his small campfire, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and started walking again, his eyes fixed on the distant shape of Grey Mist City.
It was bigger than he'd ever imagined.
Tall stone walls rose high into the sky, surrounding the entire city like an impenetrable cage. Towers jutted from the walls at every corner, patrolled by guards wearing polished armor and glowing spirit contracts. The gates themselves were made of thick iron, reinforced with spirit energy, so large they looked like they could hold back an army.
This wasn't a mining camp. It wasn't a cluster of wooden shacks and dirty tunnels.
This was real civilization. Power. Wealth. Order.
And for someone like Kane—a penniless, hunted Contract Breaker with no papers, no allies, and no status—it was also the most dangerous place he could possibly be.
"Nervous?" Kael teased.
"Maybe a little," Kane admitted. He'd never been outside the mine before. He didn't know the rules. He didn't know the people. He didn't know how to survive somewhere where strength and status meant everything.
"Don't be," Kael said. "Remember who you are. You're not some scared miner kid anymore. You're a Contract Breaker. People in there will try to use you, trick you, rob you, or turn you in to the Church for a reward. But none of them are stronger than you—not if you use your power right."
Kane nodded. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and kept walking toward the main gate.
As he got closer, he noticed the line.
Dozens of people waited to be let inside—merchants with carts full of goods, farmers carrying baskets of food, travelers wrapped in warm cloaks, and laborers looking for work. All of them were being stopped by the guards, who checked their papers, searched their bags, and examined their spirit contracts carefully.
Kane's heart sank.
He didn't have any papers. No identification. No travel permit. No proof that he belonged anywhere.
Worse, he didn't have a normal spirit contract. His had been shattered years ago, replaced by the forbidden power of a Contract Breaker. If the guards looked closely enough, they'd see the difference instantly.
And then they'd arrest him. Or kill him.
"Relax," Kael said, sensing his panic. "We're not getting in through the front door like law-abiding citizens. That's suicide."
"Then how?" Kane asked quietly.
"See that side path over there?" Kael said. "The one hidden by trees, leading toward the back of the walls? That's an old smuggler's route. The guards don't patrol there as often. We'll climb over the wall when no one's looking."
Kane glanced in the direction Kael described. Sure enough, a narrow, overgrown path led away from the main road, toward a quieter section of the city's outer wall.
It was risky. But it was his only chance.
He waited until the guards were distracted by a loud group of merchants, then slipped away from the line, ducking into the trees before anyone could notice him. The path was rough, full of roots and rocks, but he moved quickly, staying low to avoid being seen.
When he finally reached the wall, he looked up. It was tall, made of smooth stone, with no handholds or ladders. Climbing it wouldn't be easy.
But he didn't have a choice.
"Wait here," Kael said suddenly. "I sense someone coming."
Kane froze. He pressed his back against the wall, holding his breath, and peeked around the corner.
Two figures were walking toward him—young men, around his age, wearing dark, practical clothes and carrying small swords at their waists. Their faces were sharp, their eyes alert, and their bodies glowed with faint blue spirit contract threads.
Mercenaries, Kane realized. Or maybe thieves. Either way, they weren't here to help him.
"Hey!" one of them called out, noticing him. "You there! What are you doing skulking around the wall?"
Kane's mind raced. He couldn't run. He couldn't hide. He had to fight.
But these two weren't weak goons from the mine. They were trained fighters.
"Stay calm," Kael whispered. "Let me see their contracts."
Kane focused, activating his power.
The two mercenaries' contracts blazed into view—bright blue, well-maintained, stronger than any he'd faced so far. But they weren't perfect.
Every contract had a weak spot.
"Left one's weak point is on his wrist," Kael said instantly. "Right one's is on his shoulder. Quick, clean cuts. Don't give them time to attack."
The two young men closed in, their hands resting on their sword hilts. They didn't look friendly. They looked like they were planning to rob him, or beat him, or both.
"You lost, kid?" the first one sneered. "This isn't a place for miners. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of."
"I'm not leaving," Kane said, his voice steady.
The two mercenaries laughed.
"Oh, you hear that?" the second one said. "He's tough. Let's see how tough he is without his spirit power."
He drew his sword. The blade glowed faintly, charged with his contract's energy.
Kane didn't wait for them to make the first move.
He charged.
The first mercenary's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected the scrawny miner boy to attack first. He raised his sword, ready to strike, but Kane was faster.
Kane's glowing hand shot forward, touching the man's wrist exactly where Kael had told him.
Snap.
The blue contract vanished.
The mercenary's sword lost its glow. His arm went limp, and he stumbled backward, stunned.
Before the second man could react, Kane spun around, his golden light flaring, and sliced through the weak spot on his shoulder.
Snap.
His contract broke too.
In less than five seconds, both trained fighters were completely powerless.
They stared at Kane in absolute terror, their faces pale.
"You're… you're a Contract Breaker," the first one whispered, his voice shaking.
Kane stood over them, his hand still glowing, his eyes cold.
"Get out of here," he said quietly. "And don't come back. If I ever see you again… I won't just cut your contracts."
The two men didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet, dropped their swords, and ran away as fast as they could, not looking back even once.
Kane exhaled, the tension leaving his body. His power faded away, and he leaned against the wall for a second, catching his breath.
"See?" Kael said proudly. "Told you. No one can stand against you once you know their weakness."
Kane smiled faintly. He was starting to believe it.
Once he was rested, he found a small crack in the stone wall and began to climb. It was difficult, his fingers and feet slipping several times, but he refused to give up. Slowly, painstakingly, he pulled himself upward, until finally, he hauled himself over the top and dropped down onto the other side.
He was inside Grey Mist City.
The noise hit him immediately.
Hundreds of people walked through the crowded streets, talking, laughing, shouting. Merchants called out to customers from wooden stalls, selling food, clothes, weapons, and strange spirit artifacts. Horses pulled carriages down the main road, their hooves clattering against the stone. The air smelled of bread, meat, spices, and smoke.
It was overwhelming.
But Kane didn't have time to admire the view.
He had three months to train. To grow strong enough to defeat Victor in the arena. To uncover the truth about his parents' death. To avoid the Church and every enemy that wanted him dead.
He looked ahead, at the endless streets of Grey Mist City, and clenched his fist.
The real journey had just begun.