The deep, echoing toll of a bell rang across the valley, startling both Kael and Selena.
Selena stared toward the cliffs above. Between jagged stones and glowing crystals, a faint silhouette could be seen.
"From what I know... there must be a monk on the cliff that rang the bell," Selena whispered..
Kael frowned. "A monk? There?"
(What does this place have to do with monks?) Kael thought to himself, unsettled by the unknown.
Turning to Selena, he said. "Stay here until I clear all the demons in this valley."
"I... I’m scared," she said.
He placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Fear is normal. But if you trust me, just stay back and don’t move. I’ll handle the rest."
Selena nodded reluctantly.
Then Kael stepped forward.
The growls echoed from every direction, circling like wolves ready to pounce.
Selena pressed her back against the tree. The faint light from the crystals shimmered across the clearing, reflecting off Kael’s reforged sword.
The black lines on its blade pulsed faintly, and with each movement of Kael’s arm, the steel gave off an unsettling hum.
The first demon lunged.
Kael didn’t hesitate. With a single step forward, he brought the heavy blade down in a clean arc.
The steel split the air with a sharp whistle before it connected.
The demon’s body was cut in two, vanishing into a burst of black smoke as its corrupted essence scattered into the air.
Selena gasped. "So fast..."
Another demon shrieked from the side, its long claws stretching out to rake Kael’s shoulder.
He pivoted, his sword flashing across its chest, cleaving the beast in half.
Kael’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t use any of his special techniques, nor did he draw on hidden abilities.
Every movement was basic—clean slashes rhythm honed through endless practice.
Yet, despite the simplicity, his strikes carried overwhelming force.
One by one, demons rushed at him from the darkness.
Kael planted his foot firmly, swung upward, and cut through three in a single motion.
Dark smoke exploded around him, curling in the air and clinging faintly to his blade like a sinister aura.
Selena could only stare, her lips parted in shock. Her fingers trembled as she held her notebook, but she couldn’t bring herself to jot anything down. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵
(He’s too strong... Even the second-year elites wouldn’t cut through demons without skills. Even the third-years would need magic or group coordination. But him... he’s fighting alone, with nothing but pure combat training!)
Kael moved steadily, thrusting, blocking, always precise, never wasted.
Each strike fell with crushing weight, and each demon collapsed before it could fully display its power.
At one point, four demons leapt at him together, jaws gaping and claws flashing.
Kael’s eyes sharpened.
He slid low, spinning the sword in a sweeping circle.
The blade whirled around, its black lines glowing faintly, and all four demons exploded into smoke at once.
The ground beneath him was littered with fading traces of demonic essence.
A suffocating dark mist hung low, rising slowly from the corpses like smoke from a fire.
His sword seemed to drink it in, the black veins along the blade glowing more vividly with each kill.
Selena took a step forward. "K-Kael... your sword..."
Kael glanced at it briefly. Sure enough, the weapon was giving off a faint dark smoke.
He tightened his grip but said nothing.
The last demon lunged from the rear.
Kael didn’t even look. He spun sharply, his sword flashing upward. The demon shrieked before vanishing into mist.
He exhaled slowly, lowering the sword to his side.
Selena stepped forward cautiously, her eyes wide with awe. "...You didn’t use a single skill."
Kael sheathed the sword. " I didn’t need to."
"But—" Selena struggled to find words.
"Even the academy’s senior students couldn’t do what you just did. Not without techniques, not without magic... You’re not normal, Kael. You can’t be."
Kael glanced at her but said nothing.
Inside, he knew she was right. His strength had grown far faster than it should have.
His endless training, the Ashen Core inside him, the unexpected changes from the novel—it
was all pulling him far from what was "normal."
Instead of answering her, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a small vial.
The liquid shimmered faintly with blue light.
"A mana-regaining potion," he muttered, uncorking it.
He tipped it back, the cool liquid running down his throat, instantly refreshing his energy.
Selena watched, still stunned. "You’re unbelievable... You make fighting look like breathing."
Kael crouched down, ignoring her words. With steady hands, he began gathering the demon cores left behind by the slain monsters.
Each core glowed faintly with dark energy.
"These will be useful," Kael murmured.
Selena tilted her head, stepping closer. "You... collect those?"
"Every demon has one. They’re valuable for forging, trading, or... other things."
Selena frowned, hugging her notebook tighter. "But they’re dangerous too, aren’t they? That kind of energy isn’t meant for humans."
Kael didn’t answer immediately. He slipped the cores into his pouch.
As he reached for the last one, Selena suddenly screamed.
Kael’s instincts flared instantly. His body twisted as he whirled around, sword already halfway drawn from its sheath.
The shadows behind him shifted—and from them stepped a figure unlike the others.
Its body was tall, cloaked in black smoke that swirled like a living shroud.
Unlike the lesser demons, its features were more defined.
"Dakin..." Kael muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.
The demon’s voice slithered.
"So... the child who dares wander where even heroes fear to tread. You’ve made quite a mess of my friends."
Selena stumbled back. "That... that thing... does not look like the others!"
Dakin’s eyes slid toward her, and his grin widened. "Ah, and he brought a little lamb with him. How charming."
Kael stepped forward, shielding Selena behind him.
"Stay back, Selena," he said firmly.
Her hands shook as she gripped his cloak. "Kael, this one... it feels different. I can’t even breathe around it. Are you sure you—"
"I’ll handle it," Kael cut her off. "Just like I handled the others."
(he is strong but i know every move and skills he uses) Kael thought.
(Dakin... in the novel, he doesn’t appear until much later. He’s supposed to be one of the early bosses... Why is he here now?)
"Interesting sword you carry, boy. It reeks of hunger. Perhaps... you’re not so different from us." Dakin said.
Selena swallowed hard. "Kael... please... I don’t want to die here."
Kael exhaled, steadying his mind.