The cave smelled of scorched stone and iron. Dust still lingered in the air, swirling faintly in the light of Jorin's crackling lightning aura as he lowered his guard. The body of the type-4 lion beast lay collapsed in the center, its once-burning mane now reduced to embers, its massive chest rising no more.
Kael knelt just a few feet away, his shadow-fire still flickering across his arms in ragged bursts. Each pulse drained him further. His breaths were shallow, his chest rising and falling as though every inhale weighed a hundred pounds.
"Enough," Jorin muttered, striding forward. He reached down and gripped Kael by the shoulder. "That's enough."
Kael tried to speak, but only a hoarse whisper came out. His blade, still wreathed in shadow fire, cracked and shattered back into mist as he collapsed forward. Jorin caught him before he struck the stone.
"You're burning yourself out," Jorin said, voice low but sharp. He glanced at the corpse of the beast again, then down at the boy in his arms. "You shouldn't even be alive after that."
Kael's eyes fluttered open. "I… won."
Jorin gave a quiet, disbelieving laugh. "You didn't just win, boy. You did the impossible." He carried Kael to a rocky alcove at the far side of the cavern where the air was calmer, setting him down against the wall. "Rest here."
Kael leaned back, head lolling against the stone. His vision still spun. "What… what was that thing?"
Jorin crouched beside him, his expression unreadable for a long moment. Finally, he spoke.
"A type-4," he said. "Stronger, faster, and smarter than anything you've fought before. Beasts are classified for a reason." His voice carried the weight of memory, the tone of a man who had seen too many battlefields. "Type-1 are weaklings, training fodder. Type-2, dangerous in packs. Type-3… that's when abilities emerge. They can crush entire squads if underestimated. Type-4?" He shook his head. "Type-4s are killers. They match the strength of seasoned elites, sometimes entire teams. Taking one down usually requires coordination, preparation… and sacrifice."
Kael listened, barely able to keep his eyes open. His body trembled, his energy reserves nearly empty.
"And you," Jorin continued, studying him carefully, "you are a child. A blank… at least, that's what everyone believes. Yet you just did what I've never seen even a seasoned soldier accomplish alone."
Kael turned his face away. His voice cracked when he spoke. "It wasn't me. I… I lost control."
Jorin's gaze sharpened. "Doesn't matter. You held the line. You killed it. That thing should have ended you." His hand clenched into a fist. "If the families ever learn what happened here, they will come for you. And they will not ask politely."
Kael swallowed, throat dry. "Then what do I do?"
"You train," Jorin said flatly. "You grow. You learn to master whatever that power is before anyone else sees it. And you hide it. Do you understand me, Kael? Hide it."
Kael nodded weakly.
The cave fell quiet, broken only by the crackle of Jorin's fading lightning. Then Kael's vision blurred again—this time not from exhaustion.
The HUD flickered across his sight.
---
[System Update]
– Challenge Complete: Type-4 Beast Defeated
– Reward: +3 Levels
– Current Level: 13
– Matter Capacity Increased
– Health Capacity Increased
– New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Overdrive (Tier-1) – temporarily amplifies strength and speed at the cost of accelerated matter drain.
---
Kael's lips parted in shock, but no words came. Jorin was still there, close, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.
"You'll rest now," the instructor said firmly. "We move when you can stand again."
Kael closed his eyes, the system's words still echoing inside him. Level 13. A new skill. More power… but more danger too.
In the quiet, Nathan's voice finally broke through the silence.
"You've stepped beyond what most will ever reach, Kael. But don't mistake this for victory. This is only the beginning."