Ethan woke with a start, gasping for breath as a sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through his skull. It felt like his head had been hammered relentlessly. He winced, clutching his temples, trying to steady his breathing. As the pain began to dull, memories of the previous day rushed back—Xenos, the war hammer, and the Pathfinder, which had unlocked something mysterious within him.
He summoned his system to check his status. He needed to understand what had changed in him, especially the mysterious "Path" Zark had mentioned. Although the brief explanation had intrigued him, Zark hadn't divulged much more than the basics. Ethan figured the system would shed more light.
Name: Ethan Smith Junior
Current Form: [Mixed Human]
As he skimmed over his stats, he noted only a few minor improvements—a couple of decimal point increases across most attributes and a noticeable +2 boost in Intelligence. It made sense, though; leveling up and cultivating power wasn't instantaneous. Progress came from consistent hard work, practice, and—unfortunately for him—patience. At least he now had a slight advantage over his peers, who hadn't undergone evolution or transformation like he had.
Still pondering his path forward, his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar series of notifications that blinked into existence before him:
Daily Quests Initiated:
- Focus. Stop Being A Pervert.
Penalty: Beast Plane for 3 Days
Before Ethan could react to the outrageous daily demands, another notification followed:
Changes in host's body have been detected. Would the host like to perform a scan?
Without hesitation, Ethan selected "Yes." A soft, green grid of light enveloped his body, scanning every inch of him. After a few seconds, the light disappeared, and a new screen appeared, showing the results of the scan.
- Evolution/Base Upgrade: 5%
- Path Unlocked: 100%
- Path Name: Contrasting Path (Path of Mysticism)
Host's path has been sealed due to host's weak power and the immense strength of the Path. Please grow stronger to unseal your Path. The Path will be unlocked once the host meets the necessary requirements. Good luck!
- Unlock Seal on Path.
Ethan stared blankly at the notifications, his face twitching with frustration. The system was seriously messing with him. First, it gave him a powerful path, only to lock it away and withhold the details. Now, he had a mission to fight a Tyrant within a month. It was as if the system enjoyed torturing him with impossible tasks, all while dangling the carrot of unknown rewards. Worst of all, he had no idea what requirements he needed to meet to unlock his Path.
Shaking his head, Ethan sighed. "This is insane."
Determined not to let the frustration get the better of him, Ethan got out of bed and splashed cold water on his face. He dressed in a blue tracksuit, which was now a little tight due to his recent growth spurt. He sighed again, glancing at the snug fit of his clothes. "I need new clothes."
With that thought, he headed downstairs, bid his family farewell, and set out for his daily training routine.
Three hours later, Ethan stumbled back home, drenched in sweat, his muscles screaming in protest. He had pushed himself harder than ever before, barely allowing himself more than a few minutes of rest between sets. The system hadn't even bothered to dry his sweat this time, leaving him soaked and exhausted.
Harley, noticing his bedraggled state, immediately used her affinity to ease his stress and fatigue. The relief was immediate, but Ethan could still feel the strain in his body. He devoured brunch like a man starved, before retreating to his room for a quick wash-up. As he cleaned himself, his mind was already formulating plans.
Aside from his daily workout, Ethan realized he needed a solid training regimen for his other abilities. He had Telekinesis to master, his Spirit Beast to strengthen, aura control to refine, and weapon arts to learn. And then there was the looming Beast Plane—an unavoidable challenge. He might as well use the beasts there as training dummies, despite the ever-present risk of death. He needed to be strong enough to survive, or at least hold his own against a Tyrant.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Ethan joined his family for their Sunday routine of backyard games. It was a fun, light-hearted affair, but Harley seemed to take things up a notch. Noticing that the adults weren't paying attention, she began openly flirting with Ethan, much to his surprise.
Later, they received money from Madeleine to go shopping for new clothes for Ethan, which quickly turned into an unexpected date. Ethan could no longer ignore how much Harley adored him, and though it was new to him, he didn't shy away from her affection.
Meanwhile, far away in another part of the city, Clara paced nervously in her room, her face etched with worry. Thoughts of Ethan consumed her mind, especially the fact that she hadn't given him her contact information after all these years. Her heart ached at the thought of Harley making her move on him in her absence.
I must give him a gift, she thought suddenly. "Yes! He doesn't have a guidebook on Telekinesis yet. I'll get him one. It'll help him train his affinity more easily."
A small, dangerous smile crept onto her face as she imagined how she would make sure Ethan remained hers. Clara, the gentle, holy figure that people knew, had a darker, obsessive side that few had seen. Her devotion to Ethan was unwavering, and no one—not even his sister—would take him away from her. Clara's quiet demeanor masked the storm brewing inside, and she was more than willing to strike with precision when the time came.