The letter was short.
"Something urgent came up. I had to leave immediately.
Follow the map — it will guide you safely to your destination."
— Rauen
Aeren folded the note silently, tucking it into his cloak.
He stood alone on the forest path, the night sky overhead painted in dull hues of blue and black. The carriage was gone. So were the days he'd wasted trying to find something — anything — worth experimenting on. The monsters here were nothing but weak, mindless creatures that acted solely on instinct. He'd already dissected and tested on them in the past. There was nothing left to learn.
"Tch. What a waste."
He stepped out of the forest and onto the main path, heading in the direction the map indicated. With every step, his thoughts sharpened.
---
His Knowledge of Nobility
He recalled every book he'd ever read between the ages of 1 and 7 — books that described the world, the structure of nobility, and how it all worked. Despite being born into the House of Drevin, a lowly baron family, he had made it his goal to understand the larger world beyond his status.
The hierarchy was crystal clear in his mind:
Baron (his house)
Viscount
Count
Marquis
Duke
Grand Duke
Royalty
The higher nobles were respected like gods by the people. Even low-ranking nobles could exert power over commoners with nothing but a glance. And yet, none of that impressed him. Titles meant nothing if power wasn't real. Real power… was knowledge. Control. Strength that couldn't be taken.
He had met a few nobles in the past — most were around his age, born into similar baron families, but clearly more gifted than him in talent. They relied on inherited mana. He had to create his own path. That was the difference.
But to continue down that path, he needed something essential:
A hidden place.
Somewhere no one would question his absence or notice his actions.
---
As the road curved near the edge of a wooded ridge, a distant sound cut through the quiet night.
A scream.
His steps stopped.
Eyes narrowed.
"Finally…"
For a moment, hope flickered behind his emotionless expression. Could it be a bandit? A wounded victim? Perhaps even a perfect test subject?
He quickly veered off the path, sliding through bushes and dense trees until he reached a hill. From there, he could see a clearing below, dimly lit by torches.
The scene made his chest tighten — not with excitement, but frustration.
It was bandits.
But they were already being slaughtered.
Knights in silver-plated armor — flying a banner he didn't recognize — moved through the battlefield like a flood, leaving behind only blood and broken bodies. It was a one-sided massacre.
The noble family behind this was clearly stronger, more organized. Their knights executed the bandits with swift and trained motions. It wasn't even a fight.
Aeren stood still, unmoved.
"This is just annoying…"
For a moment, he considered whether he could sneak away with one of the dying bandits. But even from this distance, he could tell — none were worth the effort. Their bodies were torn, too broken for any proper experimentation.
With a quiet sigh, he turned away and walked back toward the road.
Another wasted opportunity.
---
As he resumed his journey, disappointment lingered like a dull ache in his chest.
He had hoped to uncover something new in this forest. A scrap of knowledge. A different angle. But nothing had changed. His body, though hardened through five years of relentless experimentation, still bled like any other. His F-rank regeneration only healed internal organs — a single deep wound on the outside, and he could die like any normal man.
He needed a way to cover that flaw. A method to make himself uninjurable.
For that, more experiments were needed — stronger subjects, newer variables, and above all else, a hidden location no one could trace.
And that would begin… in the next territory.
He didn't know what he would find there. But whatever it was — he'd bend it to his will.
He would carve his path through the dark.