The morning sun had barely risen, casting a pale orange glow over the rooftops. Noah stood in the small kitchen, adjusting the strap of the satchel slung across his shoulder. Paul, already dressed for work, handed him a tightly wrapped bundle of dried food.
"Are you sure about this?" Marie asked, arms crossed, her face betraying the worry she tried to mask. "You'll be staying out there? Alone?"
"I won't be alone," Noah replied with a small, reassuring smile. "It's a proper establishment. They've got people working there, and I'll have a bed and meals. I just figured it's better to get used to being away… before Arkesia."
Marie's eyes softened but didn't lose their tension. "Still. It's sudden."
"I'll write every day if you want," he offered.
She shook her head with a sigh, then stepped forward and adjusted the collar of his coat like she used to when he was little. "Just stay warm. And eat properly. And—"
Paul chuckled from behind. "Let the boy breathe, Marie. He's growing up. And he's got your stubbornness."
"Lucky me," Noah muttered under his breath, earning a soft smack on the shoulder.
"I packed you some dried fruit and bread," Marie said, slipping the parcel into his satchel. "In case you skip meals working too hard."
Noah's gaze lingered on her hands for a second longer than usual. He wasn't used to this kind of warmth.
"I'll be back before the month ends," he said.
"And then off to the academy," Paul added proudly.
Noah nodded. "Exactly."
As he stepped out the door, his little brothers waved groggily from the hallway, still in their sleepwear. The sky outside was clear, the breeze light. Noah paused at the threshold, took one last glance at the home behind him, then pulled up his hood and walked into the new day.
The dirt path stretched ahead, winding through soft hills and patches of wildflowers swaying in the morning breeze. Noah's boots kicked up small puffs of dust with each step. His satchel bounced gently against his side, the weight of the food, canteen, and hunting knife inside barely noticeable.
He checked the old bronze pocket watch again — a gift from his father. 6:52 AM.
'If I follow the eastern trail, I'll hit the old guild path by noon. Should have time to take a few low-rank requests on the way,' he thought, adjusting the hood to shield his face from the sun.
The city was already behind him. The sounds of people, carts, and bells faded into silence, replaced by birdsong and the occasional rustle of something small scurrying through the brush.
Noah took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Alright," he murmured to himself. "Time to earn some coin… and find her."
He glanced down at his right hand, flexing his fingers slowly.
Kagetsume.
Just thinking the name brought a certain chill to his spine.
That blade had been with him through hell — through dungeons and betrayals, victories and losses. And now, it was somewhere out here, buried where only he could find it.
His pace quickened.
'Before I reclaim her, I should warm up. Something light. Wolves, maybe. Just enough to stretch the body and keep the blade sharp.'
A signpost appeared at the fork in the road — one arrow pointing toward the merchant route, another toward the "Whispering Trail." Noah took the latter without hesitation.
'Two hours from here…'
The trail narrowed as the trees thickened, roots curling across the ground like veins. Noah moved with ease, stepping over roots and ducking under branches, his movements practiced and silent.
As he walked, his thoughts drifted. He raised his right hand, then clenched it into a fist, feeling the familiar sensation of mana pulsing faintly through his veins.
'I'm an Augmentator,' he reminded himself.
'No elemental affinity. No flashy fireballs or lightning strikes. Just raw enhancements — speed, strength, focus… survival.'
That had always been his style — direct, efficient, brutal when necessary.
But he had more than that now. More than what most beginners could even comprehend.
'Special Techniques... I still have them. Carved into muscle memory, etched into my soul. They shouldn't even exist at this stage.'
A rustle caught his attention.
Noah paused.
From the underbrush ahead, a low growl echoed — guttural and wet, like a throat full of phlegm. His eyes narrowed.
"Perfect," he muttered, rolling his shoulders once. "Let's warm up."
Two creatures emerged from the shadows. Wolves. But not normal ones. Their fur was a deep violet, their eyes glowing faintly with residual mana, and they stood larger than average — maybe a head taller than a normal wolf, with thicker claws and jagged teeth.
Noah didn't flinch.
'Just local predators… mutated by nature.'
He rolled his shoulders once, exhaled slowly, and let the mana flow into his legs. A subtle vibration ran through his body as the augmentation kicked in — speed and precision sharpening like a blade being honed mid-sprint.
"No weapons. Let's see how my body handles this," he muttered.
The wolves growled and pounced.
Noah moved.
Noah's silhouette blurred as he weaved between the two lunging wolves. One snapped its jaws an inch from his face, but he ducked under the fangs and drove his elbow into its ribcage with augmented strength. A dull crack echoed through the clearing.
The second wolf turned sharply, leaping toward his back.
Noah twisted mid-step and caught it mid-air by the jaws, both hands clamping down on the upper and lower muzzle.
His arms tensed, muscles flaring with a surge of raw magical reinforcement. The wolf thrashed violently, claws raking at his chest — but Noah didn't flinch.
"I said stay still," he muttered.
With a grunt, he forced the beast's jaws apart farther than they were meant to go. A sickening pop followed by a sharp snap signaled the breaking of its jaw and spine in one brutal motion. The wolf spasmed once, then went limp in his grip.
Breathing heavily, Noah lowered the body and looked down at the two fallen monsters. Blood seeped into the dirt beneath them.
'Still got it. Slower than I used to be, but I'm adapting fast.'
He crouched beside the corpses, pulled a hooked knife from his belt, and carved open the chest of each with practiced ease. From within, he retrieved two faintly glowing violet shards nestled close to the heart — monster cores.
'Low-tier, but usable. The guild pays decently for these. Between both… should cover food and a bed for two days.'
He wrapped the cores in cloth and tucked them into his satchel, then glanced at the trail ahead — faint pawprints weaving through the foliage and upward toward the hills.
'The entrance should be just past the ridge. Hidden by illusion magic. Can't miss it.'
Noah rose and resumed his path without another word, vanishing once more into the woods, silent and determined.
The sun dipped lower as Noah followed the winding path up the slope. The air grew cooler, the terrain rougher, but his pace remained steady. Trees thinned near the top, giving way to jagged rocks and a wall of tangled vines that seemed too perfectly placed.
He stopped in front of the ivy-covered cliff and reached out.
His fingers brushed against something that wasn't quite there — a shimmer, like heat on stone. Illusion magic.
With a slow breath, he pushed forward.
The illusion dispersed like mist, revealing a narrow tunnel entrance carved into the rock, almost entirely hidden. Inside was darkness — deep, ancient, and familiar.
Noah stepped in without hesitation.
His voice echoed softly, just for himself.
"It was his last words to me... 'Find Kagetsune.'"
He ran his fingers along the rough stone walls as he walked, steps slow, almost reverent.
"I didn't even know what it meant at the time. But when I finally found her, I understood."
He stopped walking. Silence surrounded him, broken only by the faint sound of dripping water deeper in the tunnel.
"That blade carried me through hell. And now, I need her again."
Noah clenched his fist, jaw tight.
"I'm here, old friend. Let's see if you're still waiting for me."
And then he continued forward — toward the depths, toward the memory of his master's voice, and the weapon left behind as his final gift.
The tunnel widened after a sharp turn, opening into a hidden chamber that took Noah's breath away.
It was a dojo — old, sacred, and untouched by time.
The floor was polished obsidian, smooth like glass, yet silent under his steps. Blue-black beams stretched across the ceiling, framing the space in shades of night. The walls shimmered faintly with magical contour lines, pulsing with a calming rhythm, like the heartbeat of the place itself.
And at the far end... the illusion of a full moon.
It hovered in the background, massive and radiant, suspended behind the altar. Its light poured across the room in soft, silver hues, giving everything a dreamlike glow. It wasn't real — just magic — but it felt more divine than anything Noah had seen in years.
His eyes locked on the center of the dojo.
There, resting upon a stone pedestal, was the katana.
The blade was unlike any other. Its edge was pure black, forged with a faint, wavelike pattern that seemed to shift as one stared too long. The tsuka was wrapped in deep navy blue cloth, elegant and tightly bound, as if untouched by time.
Noah stepped closer.
Every step echoed with memory.
Every breath drew closer the weight of the past.
He stopped just before the altar, staring down at the weapon.
"Kagetsume…"
The name left his lips like a whisper, reverent and raw.
His master's voice returned in his mind — distant, but clear.
"Find Kagetsume."
Noah reached out, fingertips brushing the hilt.
A pulse.
Not of mana, not of life — but of recognition.
The dojo seemed to inhale.
And then — silence.
He gripped the blade and lifted it free from its resting place.
And the weight of legacy returned to its rightful bearer.