If I had rented that mana-beast carriage, I would've reached Hally Forest in five days, cocooned in comfort and bored out of my mind. But no—genius me chose to walk. Fifteen long, grueling days later, I finally stood at the edge of the dark green abyss they called a forest, my body aching but my spirit forged in a way I hadn't expected.
Was it a terrible decision?
Absolutely not.
Those fifteen days on the road were a crucible. In the solitude of the wilderness, far from the prying eyes of nobles and queens, I trained like a lunatic. I pushed this new body to its absolute limits, forcing it to adapt to the monstrous well of mana churning within it. At first, it was agony. The shadow element, the very core of Ashen Crimson's potential, felt alien to me. Trying to draw it out was like trying to breathe water—unnatural, painful, and suffocating.
And yet… thanks to the System's reward, the synchronization had begun. Slowly, painfully, my mana core started to merge with the shadow element. Each day, I could feel the connection strengthening, the shadows responding more readily to my will.
Now? Now I could cast spells like a proper mid-boss villain, albeit one who still had to sit down and catch his breath afterward.
'System, show my stats.'
A familiar, translucent blue screen materialized before my eyes, its ethereal glow a stark contrast to the dimming twilight.
[
─── STATUS WINDOW ───
Name: Ashen Crimson (Soul: Kai)
Level: 1
Race: Human (???)
Title: The Exiled
➤ ATTRIBUTES:
▸ Physical Strength: D
▸ Mana Capacity: SS
▸ Agility & Speed: E
▸ Charm: S
▸ Luck: E
➤ ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES:
▸ Shadow (Synchronization: 23%)
▸ ???
▸ ???
▸ ???
▸ ???
➤ SKILLS:
▸ [Shadow Bind (Active)] – Conjure ethereal chains of shadow to bind a target. Effective for immobilization. Cost: Moderate Mana.
▸ [Shadow Bomb (Active)] – Create a volatile orb of shadow mana that explodes on impact. Cost: High Mana.
▸ [Shadow Creation (Active)] – Materialize basic weapons or tools from ambient shadows (e.g., sword, spear, shield). Complexity affects mana cost.
▸ [Shadow Veil (Passive)] – Constant aura that dampens presence. Reduces nighttime detection by 30%.
▸ [Cold Composure (Passive)] – Resistance to fear, panic, and intimidation enhanced by 40%.
]
'SS mana capacity, and I still puke like a dying frog every time I cast two spells in a row. Why's that, huh?' I grumbled internally, glaring at my abysmal physical stats.
The System's disembodied voice echoed in my mind, dripping with its usual brand of unhelpful sarcasm.
[Because your mana core is like a high-capacity power plant… but your body is the equivalent of a paper straw trying to channel a tidal wave. It can store and generate immense power, but it lacks the physical fortitude to regulate it without tearing itself apart. Look at your physical stats, you walking glass noodle.]
'This MF system…'
Honestly, if I didn't have this cheat-tier mana pool and a villain's lifetime of memories to draw from, I'd be curled up in a corner somewhere, doubting my life choices and waiting for the world to swallow me whole.
But I couldn't afford to fail. Not now.
The Ashborn Academy entrance exam was looming, less than three months away. The written portion? Easy. My predecessor's eidetic memory and years of noble education made that part a joke. I could probably write the exam answers backward while sleeping. But the physical trial… a damn battle royale in a monster-infested zone designed to weed out the weak?
No shot.
With my current stats, I'd be dead before I could even say, "I'm not the Ashen you're looking for, I swear." I needed to get stronger, faster. I needed to grind.
Lost in thought, I took my first step into Hally Forest. The air immediately grew colder, the light dimmer. The gnarled branches of ancient trees clawed at the sky, their leaves a deep, almost black green that seemed to swallow the light. The forest floor was a thick carpet of damp moss and decaying leaves, muffling my footsteps. Shadows danced in my peripheral vision, twisting into monstrous shapes that vanished when I turned to look. The place felt alive, ancient, and deeply hostile.
Just then, a guttural snarl followed by a high-pitched shriek cut through the oppressive silence. I dropped into a crouch, my hand instinctively reaching for a dagger that wasn't there before remembering I could just make one. Peeking through a thicket of thorny bushes, I saw them.
In a small, muddy clearing, a goblin and a kobold were locked in a sloppy, desperate death match. The goblin was a classic of the species—small, green-skinned, with beady black eyes and a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. The kobold was a reptilian creature, its scaly hide the color of rust, a short spear clutched in its clawed hands.
Both were injured, bleeding from multiple wounds, and completely ignoring the third party who had just entered the chat: Me.
'Time to test my new toy.'
I raised my hand, focusing my will. The shadow under my feet twisted unnaturally, darkening from a faint grey to a pool of liquid obsidian.
'Shadow Creation. Spear.'
From the dark puddle beneath me, a black spear emerged, coalescing from raw shadow into a solid, lethal form. It was sleek, jagged, and hummed with a faint, deadly intent. It felt solid, real, an extension of my own will.
I gripped the spectral weapon, aimed, and hurled it with a precision that felt instinctual, a muscle memory from a life that wasn't mine.
THUNK!
The spear struck the goblin square in the chest, pinning it to a nearby tree. It didn't even have time to scream. Its beady eyes went wide with shock before its body went limp, dissolving into particles of light.
A new screen flickered into existence before me, this one pulsing with a triumphant energy.
[
─ SYSTEM ALERT ─
You have defeated your first enemy. [Ranking System] Unlocked!
──────────────────────
Current Level: 1
Kill Progress to Lvl 2: ▓░░░░░░░░░ (1/10)
──────────────────────
Stat Gains:
➤ Physical Strength: +1
➤ Mana: +1
➤ Speed: +1
➤ Charm: +1
➤ Luck: +1
──────────────────────
]
'Oh? A leveling system too? Don't mind if I do.'
A slow, predatory grin spread across my face. Maybe walking here was the best choice I'd made in this new life. Because if this forest was filled with low-level XP dispensers like that, then your boy was about to level up faster than a main character on a triple XP weekend.
Now… where's that kobold?