[21st June]
The morning sun rose above the Kingdom Capital, bathing the city in golden light.
Today was different.
Today was the day the tournament would finally reach its conclusion.
Across the Capital, people hurried through their morning routines. Shops opened early, streets became crowded, and countless carriages and vehicles began moving toward the grand stadium where the final battle would soon take place.
Even the forests beyond the Capital walls awakened with the dawn.
Birds chirped among the branches.
Hunters entered the woods in search of prey.
Yet among them was one figure moving in the opposite direction.
A black-cloaked silhouette darted through the treetops.
Branch after branch blurred beneath his feet.
His movements were smooth and practiced, almost as if he had spent his entire life living within the forest.
The wind whipped against his cloak while a dark mask concealed his face completely.
It was Rey.
After spending the entire night searching the forest, he was finally returning to the city.
The night had been anything but peaceful.
Not long after entering the deeper regions, he had encountered multiple Stage 1 beasts. Individually they posed little threat, but dealing with them repeatedly had slowed his search considerably.
And despite searching throughout the night...
He still hadn't found the mysterious source Victor had sensed.
Now only a few kilometers remained before he reached the Capital.
Rey had considered staying longer.
The temptation was strong.
But today was the tournament finale.
There was almost no chance Hosric wouldn't come looking for him.
If his uncle arrived and discovered he was missing, explaining himself afterward would become a nightmare.
So returning was the only sensible option.
After another half hour of travel, the Capital walls finally came into view.
Rey slowed slightly.
His eyes swept across the massive fortifications.
Compared to the night patrols, the daytime defenses were noticeably lighter.
Only about half the guards remained stationed along the walls.
It made sense.
During daylight, beast activity was significantly lower, reducing the pressure on the defenders.
For Rey, however, it was excellent news.
His chances of slipping through unnoticed had increased dramatically.
Without hesitation, he scaled the wall.
A few moments later, he crossed the top and jumped down.
Landing atop one of the military barracks built near the inner side of the wall, he immediately vanished from sight.
He wasn't interested in lingering here.
Not even for a second.
Who knew when the Wall Commander might decide to appear?
The memory of that terrifying slash was still fresh in his mind.
'Ouch...'
Rey winced slightly as he landed on another rooftop.
'It still hurts doing these jumps.'
'But staying near the inner wall is even worse. If that commander catches me, he'll probably cut me in half before asking questions.'
The thought alone made him increase his speed.
He continued leaping across rooftops toward home.
Below him, the city was already bustling.
People filled the roads.
Cars and transport vehicles headed toward the stadium one after another.
Today's final match was expected to attract the largest audience of the entire tournament.
Everyone wanted to witness the birth of the champion.
Rey couldn't care less.
The match was scheduled to begin at ten-thirty.
It wasn't even seven yet.
People were already rushing to secure their seats.
He simply shook his head.
'They're way too excited.'
With another leap, he crossed an entire street.
At the same time, he noticed something else.
His movement felt smoother.
Faster.
More natural.
A quick glance at his status confirmed it.
His movement skill had advanced again.
After being used almost constantly over the last several days, its proficiency had finally broken into the D+ Rank.
A grin appeared beneath his mask.
Unlike many of his stronger abilities, this skill consumed very little mana.
Combined with his growing physical stats, the improvement was becoming increasingly noticeable.
And it wasn't the only skill progressing.
Many of his active and passive abilities were steadily advancing through repeated use.
The stronger they became, the more he used them.
And the more he used them, the stronger they became.
It was a cycle he was more than happy to maintain.
Soon, his residence appeared ahead.
To his relief, no vehicle was parked outside the gate.
Good.
That meant Hosric hadn't arrived yet.
Rey quietly approached his window and slipped inside.
The moment his feet touched the floor—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
His entire body stiffened.
"Wha—"
He nearly stumbled in panic.
Another knock came from the door.
Rey quickly composed himself.
Then forced his voice into the groggy tone of someone who had just woken up.
"W-Who is it?"
A familiar voice answered from outside.
"Young Master, Master Hosric will be arriving in about half an hour. He asked us to wake you so you can prepare beforehand."
The young butler sounded as polite as always.
"If you're awake, please get ready."
Rey silently released a breath.
"Okay... I'll be down soon. You can go."
"Understood, Young Master."
The footsteps retreated.
Only then did Rey finally relax.
That had been far too close.
Without wasting time, he entered the bathroom and thoroughly cleaned himself.
Dirt.
Sweat.
Blood.
Every trace of his nighttime adventure disappeared beneath hot water.
After changing into fresh clothes, he headed downstairs.
The mansion was peaceful as usual.
The head butler was busy preparing breakfast while the servants handled their morning duties.
Rey casually sat on the sofa and turned on the television.
The news channels were already broadcasting live footage from the stadium.
Even though the event wouldn't begin for hours, spectators were already pouring into the venue.
The atmosphere was electric.
Everyone wanted to witness the final battle between the kingdom's greatest young talents.
As Rey switched channels lazily, breakfast was finally finished.
The head butler arranged the dishes neatly on the table before calling him over.
Rey immediately abandoned the television.
Food came first.
He sat down and began eating.
Then—
A vehicle stopped outside the front gate.
The maid quickly moved to check.
Rey didn't even need to guess who had arrived.
Moments later, she returned.
Following behind her was a familiar figure.
Hosric.
As stern-looking as ever.
The moment his eyes landed on the table filled with food, he frowned.
"Hmm."
"So you're already back to eating like this."
"Didn't I tell you to take it easy for a few more days?"
Rey froze briefly.
Then smiled awkwardly while continuing to eat.
His hands never stopped moving.
Hosric sighed.
"You really don't know how to make people worry less."
He sat across from Rey.
The butler served him his usual tea.
By the time Hosric finished his cup, Rey was still working through the mountain of food before him.
Only after clearing the final plate did the servants clean everything away.
Now the two were left alone.
Hosric placed his cup down.
"If you're finished..."
He looked directly at Rey.
"Are you coming to the stadium today?"
"Your grandfather specifically asked me to bring you if you're feeling well enough. Fenlor is already there."
"So tell me."
"Are you coming?"
Rey already knew his answer.
"No, Uncle."
"I don't really feel like going out right now."
"I'd rather stay home."
The refusal came without hesitation.
He had no interest in watching the match in person.
His role in the tournament was already over.
The only event he planned to attend was the award ceremony.
Hosric studied him for several seconds.
As if trying to uncover the real reason.
Eventually, he gave up.
"Hmm."
"Exactly the answer I expected."
A strange look crossed his face.
"Just like she said."
Rey blinked but didn't ask who he meant.
Hosric stood up.
"Fine."
"You can skip the tournament."
"But listen carefully."
His tone left no room for argument.
"Tonight's celebration party is mandatory."
"A vehicle will be sent to pick you up."
"We've already prepared everything."
"So don't even think about refusing."
He pointed directly at Rey.
"Be ready."
And this time, Rey knew there wasn't going to be any escape.
Rey fell into silence after hearing about the party.
Today was supposed to be another search day.
Another chance to follow the mysterious traces hidden deep within the forest.
Yet that chance was slowly slipping away.
Every hour that passed reduced the possibility of finding anything.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
After Hosric left, Rey returned to his room and threw himself onto the bed.
"What should I do..."
He stared at the ceiling.
"If I don't find that clue now, it's just going to stay stuck in my head... Should I leave right now and come back before evening? Maybe that could work... but what if something happens?"
The more possibilities he considered, the messier his thoughts became.
Unable to settle down, he began absentmindedly rotating small objects above his head using his abilities.
A pen.
A coin.
A small metal ornament.
One after another floated through the air.
He was testing himself.
Checking whether his control had declined.
But it hadn't.
Everything moved as smoothly as before.
The techniques he had trained seemed permanently engraved into his instincts.
Minutes turned into hours.
The final match's starting time eventually arrived.
Ten o'clock.
Then ten-thirty.
Yet Rey never once opened the live broadcast.
Compared to some tournament final, his attention was focused elsewhere.
On his new weapons.
One after another, he summoned the newly upgraded arsenal pieces and carefully examined them.
The promoted Stage 3 weapons felt completely different from before.
He could already tell that using them properly would require practice.
A weapon wasn't something that became stronger simply because its rank increased.
The wielder needed to keep up as well.
So he only studied their balance and weight.
He didn't dare swing them around.
The destroyed shelf from yesterday was already enough proof of what could happen.
Before he realized it, more than an hour had passed.
His focus had become completely absorbed by the new arsenal.
Like a child receiving new toys for the first time.
Only then did something strike him as odd.
The Capital should have exploded with excitement by now.
The final match should already be over.
People should be celebrating.
News should be flooding every screen.
Yet somehow...
Everything felt strangely quiet.
Rey's brows furrowed.
Just as he reached for his phone—
His body suddenly froze.
A familiar sensation brushed against his mind.
A pull.
A faint pull coming from somewhere far away.
His pupils contracted.
He had felt it before.
Inside the stadium.
That brief, impossible sensation.
The feeling vanished almost immediately.
As if whatever had awakened only did so for a single second.
Rey shot to his feet.
"Aiden!"
Darkness stirred.
Aiden appeared beside him, his expression unusually serious.
"What was that?" Rey asked immediately.
"Was it the signal again? Where's Victor?"
Aiden crossed his arms.
"Relax."
"Victor is already tracking it."
His gaze sharpened.
"Prepare yourself."
"This may be the last opportunity you'll ever get."
Rey's expression changed instantly.
The tournament.
The final.
The winner.
All of it became irrelevant.
Several tense minutes passed.
Then space distorted.
Victor appeared.
For once, even he wasn't joking.
His face was grim.
Aiden immediately stepped forward.
"Well?"
Victor exhaled slowly.
"I managed to narrow it down."
Rey's heartbeat quickened.
Victor continued.
"Approximately a ten-kilometer search radius."
"The location is somewhere within a forest region roughly one hundred to one hundred twenty kilometers beyond the city walls."
Rey's face twitched.
Victor ignored him.
"The signal was weak."
"Far weaker than before."
"Almost invisible."
His eyes narrowed.
"It felt like something intentionally hiding itself."
A dangerous glint flashed through his gaze.
"If it's alive, then after making me search this much..."
"I'll personally break its head."
Silence followed.
Rey wasn't sure whether to trust him.
The last estimate had been much broader.
Now suddenly the location had become more precise.
Still...
The pull he felt today was different.
Stronger.
More urgent.
Like a final call.
A final chance.
Without hesitation, Rey stood up.
"I'll go."
He immediately equipped his armor.
His black cloak settled around his shoulders.
Minutes later, he slipped from the house unnoticed.
Daylight reduced the effectiveness of his stealth.
But it remained more than enough.
He crossed rooftops.
Scaled walls.
Leapt through shadows.
Until finally—
He arrived atop the Capital's outer wall.
The endless forest stretched beyond the horizon.
Waiting.
Calling.
Rey looked back one last time.
Far behind him, fireworks suddenly exploded above the stadium.
Bright colors painted the sky.
The winner had been decided.
The tournament was over.
Yet Rey didn't even spare it a second glance.
"I don't care who won."
A faint smile appeared beneath his mask.
"Someone's celebrating."
"Someone's crying."
"That's how these things always end."
His eyes shifted toward the distant forest.
"But hopefully..."
"This ends differently."
The next second, he vanished.
A black silhouette diving into the endless sea of trees.
Unaware that events inside the Capital were already spiraling out of control.
Meanwhile.
Inside the stadium.
Thousands of spectators remained seated.
The final match had ended several minutes ago.
The victor had already been declared.
Yet not a single celebration had begun.
Because of one simple problem.
The winner...
Was gone.
Completely gone.
No one could find them.
Not the officials.
Not the nobles.
Not even the high-ranking powerhouses overseeing the tournament.
It was as if the champion had vanished into thin air.
Confusion spread.
Then concern.
Then panic.
And while the entire Capital searched for the missing victor...
Far beyond the city walls.
Deep within the forest.
Something ancient slowly opened its eyes.
As if responding to the arrival of a certain someone.
And for the first time in countless years—
It waited.
And what this wait will bring out can't be foreseen yet.
__
A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you've been enjoying the chapters so far! We'll be taking a little break so I can work on my other story as well, and I'd love for you to check it out—it's sure to be a real treat for fans of the fantasy genre.
I hope my creativity in writing novels has been up to your liking. I'll be back with more exciting adventures of Rey soon. There's so much to share, but I don't want the chapters to drag on, so a little patience will make it all the more worth it.
Until then, bye for now! (～￣▽￣)～