Imperial Martial Academy – Daybreak
Ashen limped back to his quarters, his body screaming in protest. His shoulder still throbbed from the dagger wound, though the bleeding had stopped thanks to Stone Pulse Breathing. His vision blurred, but he was awake — alive.
And more importantly…
He had survived his first assassination attempt.
No guards had arrived. No bells rang. The Empire didn't care what happened to garbage like him.
That was fine.
Let the world keep sleeping.
Ashen's world was wide awake.
Elder's Pavilion – Hidden Inner Garden
Hours later, a letter arrived at his door. No name. No seal. Only a single symbol scorched into the paper — an ancient sigil of the Virelion line: the crowned lion, broken in half.
Ashen's heart pounded.
He followed the instructions on the paper to a place no outer division student was allowed: the Inner Garden of Fallen Roots.
There, beneath a gnarled crimson tree, sat a man cloaked in gray. His beard was long, white, and braided. His eyes were closed. But Ashen could feel something… old about him.
"Kneel, boy," the elder said without looking.
"You carry the scent of blood, stone, and fire."
Ashen stepped forward. "You know who I am."
"I know what you are." The elder's eyes opened — pupils like slits of molten gold. "You walk the path of the Worldbreaker. The last heir of Virelion."
Ashen flinched. "How do you—?"
"Because I once stood at your father's side," the elder whispered. "And because I was the one who sealed the first pages of the manual… with my own blood."
Elder Kaien, Last Guardian of the Virelion Warpath
"That scroll will give you power, yes — but only through agony. And there are trials you must pass before it gives you more."
"You've unlocked three techniques. That is no small feat. But strength drawn without consequence is a house built on sand."
"You want the next page?"
Ashen nodded.
Kaien pointed toward a black stone gate half-buried in roots nearby.
"Enter the Cavern of Silent Roars. Stay for three days. No food. No light. No weapons. Only pain."
"Survive — and the fourth page shall open."
Cavern of Silent Roars – That Night
The gate slammed behind him.
Ashen stood in complete darkness. The air was cold, moist, and filled with something primal. Something… watching.
He took a step.
SCREEEECH!
The sound of bone against stone echoed. Something large skittered across the wall.
Then came the whisper from the scroll:
"Pain is the key. Let your nerves remember. Let your will overwrite the fear."
The first blow came from behind.
Ashen dropped, rolled, and slammed his back against a jagged rock. His ribs cracked. His breath escaped.
He laughed.
Not out of joy — but because he finally understood.
Flesh-Grinder Endurance – UNLOCKED
"To master the world, you must first master your suffering. Let your muscles rot and rebuild."
Effect: Increases pain tolerance, activates healing reflexes during combat, boosts muscle regrowth
Ashen grinned into the dark.
"Come on, then."
He tore off his bloodstained shirt and walked deeper into the pitch-black abyss — bare fists raised.
The world may have thrown him away…
But stone can bleed.
And when it does?
It breaks everything in its path.