5 months later
Two figures moved through the clearing like a storm given human form. The boy's twin short swords gleamed with each arc, severing claws and snapping bone before the beasts could even close the distance. A girl flowed beside him, her twin daggers flashing like silver lightning, each thrust and slash leaving a monster crumpling to the ground.
They shared the same striking black hair, tied back just enough to keep it from their violet eyes, eyes that burned with focus and unshakable resolve. Around them, a horde of F-rank monsters closed in, growling and snapping, but it was like throwing waves against stone. Every movement was clean, precise, and almost effortless.
In less than a minute, the forest floor was littered with corpses, steam rising from the still-warm bodies. The fight hadn't even left them breathing hard.
Zane flicked the blood from his blades and grinned at his twin. "You know, three months ago we were scrubbing tables for pocket change. Now we're making more in a week than we used to in a month."
Lyra smirked, kneeling to carve the mana cores from the fallen beasts. "Selling monster parts and corpses has its perks. No boss breathing down our necks, no customers yelling about cold soup… just a few claws and teeth trying to kill us."
"Yeah," Zane said, sheathing his swords, "I'll take claws over cold soup complaints any day."
Lyra dropped the last mana core into the pouch at her hip and stood, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Speaking of perks… you do know our awakening is in two days, right?"
Zane's grin widened. "Hard to forget. Kinda hard to focus on anything else when you know you're about to officially get magic."
"Exactly," Lyra said, sliding her daggers back into their sheaths. "Once it happens, we'll have to head straight to the Awakened Association so they can shove mana up our ass."
Zane rolled his eyes. "Like we've got a choice. The Empire made it law, you turn 17, you report in and get raw mana injected in you. End of story."
"Yeah, but the sooner we know, the sooner we can plan," Lyra replied. "If either of us has a high enough rank, Ironwill becomes more than just a dream."
He smirked, glancing at the monster corpses around them. "If they judge us on killing F-rank beasts, we're already at SSS."
Lyra snorted. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
---
I kicked the last beast's body over with my boot, watching its empty eyes glaze over. "Not bad for a morning warm-up," I said, slinging my swords across my back.
The truth? The last few months had been… busy. Every day was either fighting, skinning, or hauling monster corpses to the market. Turns out, selling mana beast parts paid way better than waiting tables. Three months ago, Lyra and I quit the restaurant for good, and I hadn't looked back once. Stable income, better hours, and fewer cranky customers, the only downside was that sometimes our "coworkers" tried to bite our heads off.
Still, it worked. We got stronger. Faster. Sharper.
I flexed my fingers, feeling the faint pulse of the Oath sigil on my collarbone.
"Let's see the numbers," I muttered, and with a thought, the glowing panel unfolded before me
[Status Window]
Name: Zane Blessborne
Age: 16
Rank: F (Novice)(100%)
Soul Integrity: 64% --> 71%
Oath Capacity: Two Lesser Oaths
Active Oaths: Oath of the Watchful Circle
Passive Oaths: Equilibrium Eternal
Soul Forge Access: [Unlocked]
Attributes
Strength: 100
Agility: 100
Endurance: 100
Perception: 100
Willpower: 100
Luck: changes from time to time
—
Unique Skill:Oathsmith's Authority
Titles:
-Anomaly
Oaths
-Equilibrium Eternal
-Oath of the Watchful Circle
Blessing: Sense all movement, mana, and life within a 10-meter radius centered on the user.
Burden: Never turn your back on someone you've sworn to protect.
---
My stats had hit the pre-awakening wall months ago, and my Soul Integrity was healing slower than a drunk tortoise. Still, the Oath of the Watchful Circle had saved my ass more times than I could count.
Oh, the trail for this new Oath?
Well… you wouldn't believe me even if I told you.
It started with me waking up in some kind of floating arena, picture a massive platform just hanging in the sky, no rails, no safety net, just miles of open air on every side. And then… the rules popped into my head, clear as day: "Catch the seven silver orbs before they fall off the edge." Sounds easy, right?
Yeah, except the orbs could teleport. And split into illusions. And every time I missed one, the wind picked up until I was fighting to stay upright. Oh, and there were these floating constructs, imagine armored mannequins with too many arms, constantly trying to knock me over.
By the time I caught the last orb, my lungs were on fire, my legs felt like lead, and I was about two seconds away from tumbling into the clouds. But I did it… and the Oath branded itself into me right there.
---
Two days slipped by faster than I expected.
Monster hunting, light training, last-minute chores, it all blurred together until suddenly, the day was here. The day we'd been counting down to for years.
Lyra walked beside me, daggers strapped at her hips, her usual calm hiding the way her fingers kept twitching. I wasn't much better; my heart was beating just a little faster than normal, though I'd rather die than admit it.
The streets were buzzing with activity. Every seventeen-year-old in Solara's central district seemed to be heading in the same direction, all of us drawn to the tall, obsidian tower of the Awakeners' Association. Its spire cut into the sky like a blade, a symbol of power and possibility.
Six months of constant training had brought us here. Now, it was time to find out exactly how high we could climb.
---
The glass doors slid open without a sound, letting us step into the cool, polished interior of the Awakeneds' Association. Mana lights lined the walls, and the faint hum of power in the air made my skin tingle.
Behind the front desk sat a woman in a sharp navy uniform, hair pulled into a sleek bun. Her gaze flicked to us, scanning us up and down in a single practiced sweep.
"Name and age?" she asked, voice crisp but not unfriendly.
"Zane Blessborne, sixteen," I said.
"Lyra Blessborne, sixteen," Lyra added right after me.
The woman tapped something into the floating holo-screen in front of her.
"Welcome. Your awakening will be in the testing hall on the third floor. Follow the blue path on the floor, it'll guide you."
She gave us a brief nod before turning to the next person in line.
We exchanged a glance. This was it. No more waiting.
---
The testing hall was brighter than I expected, its white walls gleaming under cold mana-lamps. Dozens of other sixteen-year-olds stood in evenly spaced circles carved into the polished floor, each one connected to the massive crystal at the center of the room. The air buzzed with mana, like the whole place was alive.
I swallowed hard, my palms wet with sweat. Zane stood in the circle next to mine, completely relaxed, like we weren't about to have raw mana forcibly shoved through our bodies. He caught me looking and gave me that infuriating half-smile.
"Candidates, prepare yourselves," a voice boomed from the crystal. "The awakening process will now begin."
The floor under my feet flared bright blue.
At first, it was just warmth. Then the warmth turned to fire. Mana poured into me, searing through my veins, clawing into places I didn't even know existed. My knees trembled. My lungs burned. Every heartbeat felt like it might split me in two. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.
I risked a glance at Zane and nearly swore out loud.
He wasn't even flinching. Just standing there, watching the crystal like he was mildly curious about what it might do next.
Is he serious right now?
I wanted to yell at him, but the pain made it impossible. So I just forced myself to stay upright, telling myself I wouldn't collapse before he did.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the agony was gone. The air felt sharper. My heartbeat sounded louder.
The crystal pulsed, and a floating screen appeared in front of me, my elemental affinity and my future.