The dense forest of Kalioth seemed to stretch on forever, its towering trees casting long shadows in the fading light of day. Kael, a 14-year-old boy, struggled to carry a backpack full of equipment, his small frame straining under the weight. A young man, likely in his early twenties, laughed as he approached Kael. "Hey, boy, lift this too, or you're going hungry," he said with a smirk, holding out a large crate. Kael's eyes narrowed, but he knew better than to argue. He gritted his teeth and lifted the crate, his muscles trembling with effort.
Despite the hardships, Kael's determination remained unwavering. His little brother was the reason he endured this life, the reason he kept going even when the road ahead seemed impossible. Kael's gaze drifted to the ground, his thoughts consumed by the weight of his responsibilities. He didn't want to live this life, but he was holding on for his brother's sake. The young man's laughter echoed through the forest once more, but Kael tuned it out, his focus solely on the task at hand.
As they approached the shelter, Stale sneered at Kael. "Hey, brat, you're standing guard tonight. Got it?" His tone was laced with malice, and Kael's eyes flashed with resentment. Garry, however, seemed slightly more sympathetic. "Hey, Stale, ease up on him," he said with a chuckle. "If he kicks the bucket, who's gonna pay off the debt?" Both men laughed, their mocking gazes lingering on Kael.
Kael's glare deepened, his mind consumed by a burning hatred. If he somehow managed to awaken, he'd make sure those two paid for their cruelty. The thought was a fleeting comfort, a small spark of hope in a world that seemed determined to crush him. At 14, Kael had all but given up on awakening, a phenomenon that typically occurred at the age of 12. The odds were against him; no one in recorded history had ever awakened after 12. The realization was a constant weight on his shoulders, a reminder of his limitations in a world where power was everything.
As Kael pushed aside his brooding thoughts, he took in his surroundings. The shelter, a sturdy structure nestled among the trees, came into view. The forest's towering canopy above seemed to form a natural stronghold, the trees' gnarled branches like sentinels guarding the woods. The air was alive with the sweet scent of blooming wildflowers and the earthy smell of decaying leaves. Yet, despite the forest's serene beauty, Kael knew better than to be fooled. This was a realm of hidden dangers, a place where even Awakened individuals tread with caution. For someone like him, unawakened and vulnerable, the forest was a death trap, best avoided at all cost.
As they walked, the wooden bridge creaked beneath their feet, its weathered planks worn smooth by time and the elements. The river below glinted in the fading light, its gentle current rippling over rounded stones. Night was beginning to fall, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape, the sky ablaze with hues of pink and gold.
As they approached the shelter, a man and woman emerged, their faces stern and purposeful. "Our duty here is done," the woman said, her voice firm and authoritative. "Just make sure those academy students don't wander into the forest after dark." Kael's ears perked up at the mention of the academy, an institution he had once dreamed of joining. It was a place where Awakened individuals honed their skills, learning the intricacies of their powers and how to survive in a world fraught with danger. Now, it seemed like a distant fantasy, a reminder of the life he would never have.
Garry and Stale exchanged a carefree glance, their laughter echoing through the forest as they joked about the improbability of anyone venturing into the woods at night. "Don't worry, who's crazy enough to wander in here?" they chimed in unison, their amusement lingering in the air.
The man and woman's expressions remained inscrutable, their gazes lingering on the pair before shifting to Kael. "You're putting in a lot of effort, Kael," the man said, his tone unexpectedly kind. "You've got about two years of work left, give or take. I should discuss your progress with my superior – maybe we can revisit your debt arrangement." He offered a disarming smile, one that seemed genuine, before turning to walk toward his horse, the animal's saddle creaking softly as he prepared to depart.
Kael watched the man's departure, a shiver running down his spine as he sensed the man's calculating nature. "This guy's a master manipulator," Kael thought to himself. "The way he smiles is unnerving – definitely not someone to be underestimated." Kael's thoughts turned to the academy, where students were pushed to their limits. The lure of advanced techniques and powerful Origin Cores was a siren's call, tempting some students to take reckless risks. The academy's policy was stark: prove yourself by taking down monsters, or face the consequences. Survival was the ultimate prerequisite for success, and those who couldn't hack it were left behind.
As Kael turned to face the town, the soft glow of twinkling lights spilled across the landscape, casting a serene ambiance that calmed his frazzled nerves. But suddenly, a vision of a deer flashed in his mind's eye, and a cold sweat broke out on his skin. He summoned all his strength to turn back around, feeling an oppressive weight settle upon him, like a crushing burden that made every movement laborious. The wind whispered through the trees, and the weight vanished as abruptly as it appeared. The pressure lifted, leaving Kael feeling bewildered and disoriented. "What just happened?" Kael wondered. "Was it a high-level beast? Something else entirely? Or just my imagination playing tricks on me?" He glanced over at Garry and Stale, who seemed oblivious to the strange occurrence, their expressions unruffled. Kael thought to himself, "These two guards have awakened Teron-level Origin Cores – even the weakest would grant sharper senses than normal humans. Maybe it was just my imagination running wild."
As the night wore on, Garry ordered Kael to take up his post as guard at the shelter, his tone dripping with disdain. "Don't even think about slacking off," he sneered, his eyes glinting in the dim light. Kael seethed silently, but nodded in compliance, his resentment simmering just below the surface. As the hours dragged on, two figures emerged from the darkness, their footsteps echoing across the bridge.
They were boys around Kael's age, and as they drew closer, Kael took in their appearance. One of them, with an air of quiet confidence, caught Kael's eye - there was something about him that seemed different. "Hey, no entry into the forest at night," Kael called out, his voice firm but wary. "And I think you two are Academy students, aren't you? Don't go in there - it's not safe." But before he could finish, one of the boys, Kris, cut him off, his tone sharp and dismissive.
"Shut your mouth and call the guards," Kris snapped, his tone dripping with disdain. Kael's thoughts turned sarcastic – "Great, just what I care about" – but he reluctantly called out for Garry and Stale, his voice carrying through the night air.
When the two guards arrived, their expressions transformed from indifference to shock, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and trepidation. It was clear that the two boys were not only influential but also wielded significant power, far surpassing that of the guards.
The guards exclaimed in unison, "Soul Awakened!" Kael's eyes widened in shock as he heard the term, his mind racing with the implications. He had heard whispers of it before – a Soul Awakened was rumored to possess abilities far surpassing those with a Teron Origin Core. A normal Teron Origin Core could grant a person ten times the strength of a regular human, without the need for any techniques. But a dormant soul, once awakened, was said to be ten times more powerful than even a Teron Origin Core, granting the individual unimaginable strength and potential.
As Kael's gaze fell upon Kris and his companion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and curiosity. What did it mean to be Soul Awakened? What kind of abilities did they possess?
Kael knew the odds of awakening were stacked against most people. Only about 30% of individuals could awaken a Origin Core, and of those, a mere 5% could continue walking the path of soul evolution. The rarity and power of a Soul Awakened made Kael's mind reel with questions and wonder.
A dormant soul, once awakened, could grant its wielder a multitude of extraordinary abilities that ordinary people couldn't even fathom. The soul rank of these two students was particularly remarkable, as they had awakened at the Teron level. Both guards and Kael couldn't help but think that these students must be top-tier, likely 4th-level students with exceptional abilities.
The guards' eyes gleamed with a mix of respect and caution as they gazed at the two students, their body language screaming deference. Kael's own gaze lingered on Kris and his companion, his mind whirling with the implications of their abilities and the potential consequences of being in their presence.
As the guards snapped out of their stupor, Garry spoke up, his voice tinged with caution. "What can we help you with, sir?" Kris's tone turned polite, but with a hint of amusement, like he was enjoying a private joke. "We'd like to head into the forest," he said, his eyes glinting in the dim light. Garry and Stale exchanged a nervous glance, their thoughts transparent: "Sir, please understand, we can't let you go into the forest at night. If you do, we'll have to report to our superiors."
Kris chuckled, seemingly unfazed, and turned to his companion. "Remove some of the Teron-level techniques and Origin Cores," he said with a smile, his voice dripping with confidence. The guards exchanged worried glances, their faces pale in the moonlight. It was clear that Kris was about to demonstrate his power, and they didn't know if they were ready for what was coming.
As the guards beheld the five Origin Crystals for each of them, their incredulity was palpable. The rarity and value of such crystals made their generosity seem almost unbelievable. The guards' eyes widened as they gazed at the crystals, their minds reeling with the possibilities. When they saw the accompanying Teron-level technique, "Flaming Circle," a middle-tier scripture, their faces lit up with unbridled joy. Garry and Stale exchanged a look of stunned excitement, their eyes gleaming with gratitude. "Thank you, sir," they exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with genuine appreciation. The value of the gifts was staggering, and the guards knew that their lives would be forever changed by this unexpected windfall.
However, as they turned to Kael, their smiles seemed to take on a calculated quality, like they were hiding something beneath the surface. "Sir, we accept your generous offer," they said, their voices dripping with gratitude. "But, if rumors spread about your excursion into the forest, it might...complicate matters. Perhaps, sir, you could take this boy with you? If questioned, we can claim you were merely gathering rare herbs, and a guard always accompanies you." The guards' words hung in the air, laced with an unspoken implication that Kael couldn't quite decipher. Kris nodded, his expression unreadable. "We'll take this boy with us, but boy, be warned: I don't think you'll like the forest." Kael's thoughts turned sarcastic upon hearing Kris's words.
"So, everyone's telling me to go commit suicide, but where's my benefit?" he thought to himself. Out loud, Kael said, his voice laced with a mix of desperation and calculation, "If I'm going to die, don't you think you should give me an Origin Core too?"
Kris's expression shifted, amusement and annoyance warring on his face like two sides of a coin. Despite this, he tossed three Origin Cores to Kael, the crystals glinting in the moonlight like a promise of power.
Kael caught the cores and grinned, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. "Now all my debts are cleared," he said, his voice laced with a mix of determination and sarcasm. "All I want is to return alive." His words hung in the air, a challenge to the unknown dangers that lay ahead. Kris's expression was unreadable, but a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes, as if he was sizing Kael up. The young man's audacity was either impressive or infuriating, and Kris wasn't quite sure which.
As they ventured into the dark forest, the air grew thick with an eerie, unsettling energy that seemed to seep into their bones. Kris and Carlie led the way, their senses on high alert, their eyes scanning the surroundings with a practiced intensity. Kael trailed behind, his mind racing with a mix of fear and determination. He didn't want to die, not now that his debt was almost cleared, and the thought of returning home with the Origin Cores was all that kept him going. The trees loomed above, their branches creaking ominously in the wind, casting long shadows that stretched and twisted in the faint moonlight.
Suddenly, the leaves rustled, and Kris and Carlie sprang into fighting stances, their movements swift and precise. "Hey, kid, get behind me," Kris ordered, his voice low and even, as a silver sword materialized in his hand out of thin air. Kael's eyes widened in shock – how was this possible? The sudden appearance of the sword seemed like magic, and Kael's mind struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation.
Before he could process what was happening, a monstrous spider emerged, its 36 eyes gleaming in the dark like tiny, malevolent stars. The Steel Spider's black, shining legs seemed to move with an unnatural speed, its body glistening with a metallic sheen that reflected the moonlight. Kael's knowledge of monsters told him that this creature was an Awakened-ranked beast, far beyond his own league. The realization sent a chill down his spine, and he hastily obeyed Kris's order, retreating behind him with a mix of fear and awe.
Kris charged forward, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision, its silver blade glinting in the moonlight. The spider lunged at him, its fangs snapping wildly, but Kris dodged and weaved with ease, his movements fluid and calculated. He landed a series of swift strikes, each one aimed at the spider's vulnerable spots, his sword slicing through the air with a soft whooshing sound.
The spider retaliated with a stream of acidic venom, but Kris leapt out of the way just in time, his agility saving him from the deadly spray. Carlie, meanwhile, had taken aim with his bow, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As the spider lunged at Kris again, Carlie released an arrow that shot towards the spider's eye, its trajectory true and deadly. The arrow struck the spider's eye, but its agility allowed it to dodge the full impact. Instead, the arrow glanced off its eye, causing the spider to recoil in pain, its legs thrashing wildly. Kris seized the opportunity, striking the spider from behind with a swift, lethal blow. His sword sliced through the spider's exoskeleton, causing it to release a wave of acidic fluid that splattered onto the forest floor. The spider stumbled, its legs faltering, but it refused to fall, its body still driven by a fierce, primal urge to survive.
Carlie fired another arrow, striking the spider's weakened side with unerring accuracy. The spider spun around, its eyes fixed on Carlie with a malevolent glare, and charged towards him with a speed that belied its size. Kris intercepted the spider, his sword flashing in the dim light like a shard of moonlight. He landed a series of precise strikes, each one aimed at the spider's vital spots, his movements economical and deadly.
The battle raged on, with Kris and Carlie working in perfect sync, their movements a testament to their training and experience. Kris's sword sliced through the spider's defenses, while Carlie's arrows found their mark, weakening the spider further with each hit. Despite its formidable strength and agility, the spider was slowly being worn down, its movements becoming more labored and erratic as the fight wore on. The air was filled with the sound of clashing steel and the spider's pained hisses, a symphony of violence and chaos.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the spider collapsed, its legs twitching feebly as it let out a defeated hiss. Kris stood over it, his sword raised high, ready to deliver the final blow. But before he could strike, Carlie fired another arrow, striking the spider's head with precision and ending its suffering.
Kris turned to Carlie, his expression stern, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This was my kill," he growled. "If you do that again, I'll really want to kill you." Carlie apologized profusely, his voice laced with a hint of sheepishness. "Sorry, sorry, I just didn't want it to suffer... or come back to life," he added, trying to lighten the mood. Kris's expression softened slightly, and he asked, "What did you get?" Carlie held out his hand, revealing a single Origin Core and a low-tier poison bottle. Kris nodded in approval, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's good. It's like your luck has been increasing." Carlie grinned, relieved that Kris wasn't too angry, and tucked the Origin Core and poison bottle into his pouch.
Kael watched the exchange, his mind reeling with shock and awe. The fight had been intense, and the monsters' strength was unlike anything he'd ever seen. His knowledge of monsters and Origin Cores told him that the Steel Spider was a formidable foe, and the rewards for defeating it were meager compared to its power.
As Kris gazed at the lifeless spider, its massive body sprawled across the forest floor, he noticed Kael's stoic demeanor and was intrigued. Most people would be shaken to their core after witnessing such a formidable creature, its 36 eyes frozen in a permanent stare, but Kael seemed unfazed. His expression remained calm, his eyes fixed on some point beyond the spider's corpse, his emotions locked away behind a mask of serenity. Kris didn't know that Kael had honed his emotional control over the years, learning to mask his true feelings behind a calm exterior. The countless struggles he'd faced, the endless debts he'd accumulated, and the constant threat of violence had all taken their toll, teaching him to keep his emotions in check. Kael's calm exterior was a testament to his resilience, a shield he'd built to protect himself from the harsh realities of his world.
Kael's gaze drifted to the sword and arrow that had materialized and vanished into thin air, a faint glimmer of curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Where did the weapons go?" he asked, his voice low and even, betraying a hint of fascination. Kris chuckled, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, as if he'd expected this question.
"Ah, I forgot you don't know," Kris said, a smile playing on his lips. "Let me enlighten you. When one's soul reaches a certain level of awakening, they can receive special types of equipment and items, often tied to specific monsters or realms. These items can be stored within their soul, allowing them to summon them at will." Kris's eyes seemed to gleam with a mixture of excitement and nostalgia as he continued, "It's a unique ability, one that requires a deep connection to one's soul and the world around them. The items are imbued with our energy, and we can call upon them whenever we need them." Kael's eyes widened slightly, his mind racing with the implications of such a power.
Kris's expression turned thoughtful, his eyes squinting slightly as he thought about it. "Man, reaching the next soul level is gonna be super tough," he said, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "I don't know if I'll ever get there... it's like, I've been training for ages, but I still have so far to go." He chuckled, a bit of a grin on his face. "Maybe in a few hundred years, I'll finally make it. Who knows, right?"
Kael's eyes widened as he processed the implications, his mind reeling with the sheer scale of time that the awakened operated on. A century was a lifetime for a mortal like himself, a span of years that seemed both finite and infinite at the same time. Awakened individuals, however, seemed to defy the conventional constraints of time, their lifespans extended based on their rank, their existence a slow-burning flame that burned bright and long. The weight of this realization settled upon him, a sobering reminder of the vast chasm between his own existence and the world of the awakened, a gulf that seemed both exhilarating and terrifying to contemplate.
Kael's thoughts turned wistful as he sighed inwardly, his mind drifting to the simple life he longed for. "I just want to live a peaceful life and die without any regrets," he thought to himself, the words echoing in his mind like a gentle mantra. "That's my only desire." His gaze drifted off, lost in thought, as he pondered the fragility of his own existence and the unforgiving world that lay beyond the forest's tranquil boundaries. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken understanding, a poignant reminder of the vastly different realities they inhabited. The contrast between their worlds hung in the air, a silent testament to the divergent paths they walked.