Two days later, Aelric left the manor grounds before dawn.
The old hunting path behind Vaelion Hill was barely wide enough for a horse, but Aelric walked it alone, dressed in light traveling leathers and a dark cloak. A short sword hung at his waist. His fingers brushed the hilt every few steps—not out of fear, but readiness.
Above, the stars were fading. Birds called from deep in the forest. Somewhere far ahead, a beast growled low and guttural.
> [Quest Objective: 0/3 Wild Monsters Defeated]
[Mana Collected: 21 / 100]
[Bladeborn Form Mastery: 26%]
The System's soft glow hovered in the edge of his mind, unseen by any but him. Since the funeral, he had trained each day—drawing mana from weapons, stones, even the air. The points came slowly. His progress, even slower.
He needed more.
He needed danger.
The forests beyond Thalorion's border were untamed, especially near the foothills of the Gharnwood Range, where old beasts still roamed. Aelric had heard the guards speak of minor monsters that hunted there—Direfang boars, Sootclaws, even the occasional Mana-warped hound.
Nothing beyond a 2nd or 3rd Grade threat.
Nothing a future knight shouldn't face.
He traveled for an hour, senses sharp, until he reached a clearing surrounded by boulders. Mist clung to the grass. A broken tree lay across the edge, claw marks still fresh on its bark.
Then he heard it—a low, chuffing snarl.
From the underbrush, a creature stepped forward.
It looked like a panther, but its fur shimmered like oil, and its eyes glowed faint green. Its paws left trails of frost in the grass.
> [Monster Identified: Frostshade Cat – 2nd Grade]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Mana Core: Intact]
Aelric drew his blade.
The cat hissed, muscles tensing.
He waited—counting the breaths.
One. Two. Now.
The beast lunged.
Aelric dodged to the right, blade flashing. He activated the Bladeborn Form. His body responded—pivoting, slashing, twisting—his movements clean and fast.
But the cat was faster.
Its claws caught his shoulder, tearing through leather. Blood splashed across the moss.
He rolled, gritted his teeth, and lashed out.
> [Bladeborn Form – Strike: Rippling Edge]
The sword met flesh.
The cat shrieked as the blade opened a gash across its side. Mana burst from the wound like steam. It staggered, turned, hissed—and fled into the woods, bleeding blue.
Aelric stood panting, pain roaring in his arm.
> [Target Escaped – Partial Mana Absorbed]
[+6 Points]
[Mana Collection: 27 / 100]
[Cultivation Grade: 1st, 52%]
He dropped to one knee.
The blood was real. The pain, sharp. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
But so was the growth.
This is the cost, he thought. This is how I climb.
He tore a strip from his cloak and wrapped the wound. It wasn't deep. He could still move. Still fight.
The forest around him remained deadly silent.
He pressed forward.
By nightfall, he had encountered two more monsters—both lesser than the cat. A Sootclaw, dispatched quickly with a swift slash to the throat. A Stoneback Mole, tough but slow, whose core he shattered with a heavy overhead strike.
> [Quest Objective: 3/3 Wild Monsters Defeated]
[Mana Collected: 64 / 100]
[Bladeborn Form Mastery: 81%]
He collapsed beside a tree, body bruised, clothes torn, but eyes bright.
> [Quest Complete: "Path of the Bladeborn"]
[Reward: Bladeborn Form – Tier II Unlocked]
[New Martial Technique: Crescent Fang Slash]
He laughed, breathless.
Then, like a whisper in his mind, the System spoke once more.
> [New Quest: "The Academy Beckons"]
[Objective: Arrive at the Royal Academy of Blades]
[Optional: Arrive with Cultivation at 2nd Grade]
Aelric looked up at the moon.
He had just taken his first steps down the path.
Soon, he would step into the world of nobles, warriors, prodigies—and enemies.