The forest was still.
Not with peace, but with the hush that came after something powerful had stirred its depths. Birds had fallen silent, even the rustle of wind through the branches paused—as if the forest itself watched Kazuki rise from the steaming corpse of the Mistvine Serpent.
His breathing was calm, but each inhalation carried weight. His muscles, temporarily stiff from the intense soul ring absorption, slowly loosened as energy settled into his meridians. The light glow from his eye flickered before dimming to its usual silver sheen, though now a faint halo of green circled the iris—proof of the serpent's power etched into his core.
[Soul Ring Absorption: Complete] [Integration: 1st Layer – Fog Field Potential Detected] [System Status: Dormant Martial Soul – Influence Detected During Assimilation] [Note: Secondary martial soul has passively adjusted host's spiritual vessel to stabilize external soul force spike]
Kazuki blinked as this final line registered in his mind. His second martial soul—still dormant, its form still a mystery—had responded to the strain during absorption. It had reinforced his body subtly, like an unconscious guardian reacting to danger.
"So... it's awake, in some way."
There was no voice, no image, no manifestation. But he could feel it now—lurking in the depths of his being. Dormant, slumbering, but aware.
He clenched his fist, green vapor trailing from his fingers before dispersing. His first soul skill, Verdant veil ensare, activated briefly before he let it fade.
He could feel it now—how a wisp of fog could anchor movement, how space could be bent ever so slightly when his eye guided his will.
Kazuki turned, silently disappearing into the woods once more. He traced his path back, footfalls silent, aura contained. To anyone watching, he would seem like a drifting shadow within the trees.
Yet someone had been watching.
High above, nestled within the branches of an ancient tree, a presence lingered—hidden from the senses of all but the most attuned. Eyes, like molten silver tinged with violet, followed Kazuki's every movement. A faint ripple of divine energy shimmered briefly before vanishing into the leaves, as though nature itself bent around her presence.
She had seen everything—how he faced the Mistvine Serpent without fear, how his body endured a soul ring just shy of a thousand years, and how something ancient stirred within him during the process.
A small, curious smile played at her lips.
"So… you're the one."
And then she was gone, the air returning to stillness as if she had never been there.
Back on the main path, Yu Xiaogang paced near a stream. The Steelback Boar and Wind Hornet incident had delayed them significantly. Tang San sat nearby, cross-legged, meditating to calm his disrupted breathing.
"Kazuki's been gone too long," Yu Xiaogang said with a frown.
Tang San looked up. "Do you think something happened?"
Yu Xiaogang snorted. "If he ignored my guidance and wandered off to hunt something absurd, then yes—he may be injured or dead. That's the risk of arrogance."
Tang San's brows furrowed. "But he's not reckless."
"No," Yu Xiaogang muttered, arms folded. "Just too confident. He reminds me of… no, never mind. Let's give it another half-hour. If he doesn't return, we search."
Just as the words left his mouth, Kazuki emerged from the foliage—calm, unharmed, and utterly composed. Not a scratch marked his robes, though faint mist trailed from his steps.
"I'm back," he said plainly.
Yu Xiaogang narrowed his eyes. "Where were you?"
"Scouting the perimeter. I found and eliminated a soul beast that matched my criteria."
"You… absorbed a ring?" the Master asked, eyes sharp.
Kazuki nodded. "Yes. A Mistvine Serpent. It was at the verge of a thousand years."
Yu Xiaogang visibly stiffened. Tang San stood abruptly. "You absorbed a 990-year soul ring?"
Kazuki nodded again, as if it were a routine accomplishment. "Correct. It had camouflage, mist, and plant-based control. It aligned with my martial soul perfectly."
"You're lying," Yu Xiaogang said bluntly. "You'd be dead. No one under Rank 30 can absorb a thousand-year ring. Even 800 is pushing the limits."
Kazuki tilted his head, unbothered. "Then perhaps my limit is higher."
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward. "This isn't a joke. What you've done is—if true—bordering on a miracle. You should be unconscious from the rejection alone!"
But Kazuki merely looked at him, his silver-green eye faintly glowing. For a brief second, Yu Xiaogang felt a strange pressure—a sensation that his thoughts were being… weighed.
Tang San glanced between them. "Master… could it be that his martial soul provides exceptional resistance to backlash?"
Yu Xiaogang's scowl deepened, though he didn't answer.
Kazuki offered a respectful nod. "Let's not waste time. We still have Tang San's ring to secure, yes?"
Yu Xiaogang grunted and turned away. "You're reckless. If you die from spirit backlash later, don't say I didn't warn you."
Tang San stepped up, watching Kazuki with more curiosity than before. "You really fought something nearly a thousand years old?"
"I did," Kazuki replied simply.
"...Was it hard?"
"Yes," Kazuki answered, but then added, "but not impossible."
He said no more, moving past them as if the matter were closed.
That night, they set up camp in a small clearing under a thick canopy. The moonlight barely touched the forest floor. Yu Xiaogang kept a watchful eye on Kazuki, but made no further comments.
Kazuki sat with his back against a tree, mist idly coiling from his fingers.
[New Function Unlocked: Mistweaver Field – Passive Control Enhancement During Fog or Concealment Conditions] [Unlocked Due to First Soul Skill Synergy and Martial Soul Compatibility]
Kazuki smiled faintly. "Good. I'll need this."
He looked up at the branches above, where owls stared down in silence.
This was only the beginning.
Let Tang San cling to his master's words. Let Shrek build their legends.
He would forge something far greater—born of blood, silence, and the laws of the world itself.