Zen launched himself forward.
The moment he pushed off, the ground cracked beneath his feet.
The fireballs loomed in the air—aligned, all rushing in the same direction.
Zen twisted mid-motion and dodged the first one by a hair's breadth.
Heat brushed past his face.
He could feel it rising—scorching, suffocating.
Zen wanted to cut the fireballs in half—
But he wasn't proficient enough for that.
Not yet.
So he had no choice.
Brace… or dodge.
Three fireballs rushed toward him at once.
He thought of jumping over them—
But the moment they came close—
BOOM—!
They detonated mid-air.
The blast hit him head-on and sent him flying backward.
Zen gritted his teeth as he skidded across the ground.
"…Tch."
It was only because of his physique that he didn't take serious damage.
Even so—his skin burned. The heat clung to him like it wanted to peel him apart.
He exhaled sharply.
This wasn't something he could handle with just a sword.
Not like this.
Not with his left hand.
Frustration rose in his chest.
He hadn't even landed a single proper hit.
"…Enough."
The next moment—
Shadow twisted beneath him.
A spike shot forward—fast, silent—
And pierced straight through the rabbit's head.
Clean. Instant.
The creature froze—
Then collapsed.
The fireballs scattered in the air… and vanished.
Silence returned.
Zen stood there, breathing heavily.
"…Haa…"
He let out a slow breath.
He still had a long way to go.
But… it had only been a week since he started using his left hand.
"…Not bad."
Zen and the others were relaxing on the cart.
In the distance, rising above the horizon—
They could finally see it.
Massive gates. Towering walls.
The capital city of the Duchy of Eredwyn.
It stood like an unbreakable fortress, its presence alone enough to silence the road around them.
Zen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…So that's the capital."
The walls were massive—nothing like the towns they had passed before.
This… was on a completely different scale.
Gigantic.
The moment they passed through the gates and entered inside, Zen couldn't stop himself from feeling a quiet sense of awe.
The city stretched endlessly before him. Wide streets. Endless movement.
Alive.
It was the first time Zen had seen a proper city since coming to this world.
But this wasn't just any city.
It was the capital of the Duchy of Eredwyn.
Larger. Busier. More imposing than anything he had imagined.
Zen didn't know much about the duchy itself—
But one thing was clear.
They were powerful.
One of the strongest duchies in the empire.
Suddenly, Zen was jolted out of his thoughts.
Zaki was calling him.
"This is where we part ways," she said. "Thank you for letting us accompany you on this journey."
Zen looked at her for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"I enjoyed your company too."
From there, they parted ways.
Zaki walked a few steps ahead… then stopped.
She turned back.
"I hope I'll see you at the academy," she called out, waving lightly.
Zen met her gaze for a brief second.
Then he nodded.
Without another word, he turned—
And began to walk.
Now Zen was alone.
Everyone had gone their separate ways.
The noise of the capital surrounded him—but none of it felt familiar.
For now… it was just him.
Zen found an inn and booked a room. It was modest—nothing special—but clean enough. Good enough to rest.
He dropped his belongings and sat for a moment, thinking.
There were things he needed before moving forward.
A storage ring.
Potions—healing… and poison.
Zen exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
Looks like he had some shopping to do.
For now, though… he just wanted to rest.
The noise outside faded as he lay back.
For the first time in days—
Zen closed his eyes.
The next day, Zen woke early and finished everything he needed.
Supplies. Equipment. No loose ends.
By the time he stepped out, the city was already alive—but Zen didn't linger.
He made his way straight to the teleportation center.
His destination was clear.
The Swamp of Beasts—one of the empire's known beast zones.
A place where only strength mattered.
Zen stepped forward without hesitation.
Zen got teleported to a town near the beast zones.
The air here felt different—heavier, wilder. Even the streets carried a faint tension, like everyone knew what lay beyond the borders.
Without wasting time, Zen booked a room at an inn.
He already had his adventurer license, so entering the beast zones wouldn't be a problem. No checks. No restrictions.
Just him… and whatever waited inside.
As for the information he had gathered, there were three main zones.
The outer region—where mostly E and F rank beasts resided.
The middle region—home to D, C, and even B rank beasts.
And the innermost area—where A rank beasts ruled.
Beyond that…
There were areas that weren't even recorded.
Unmapped zones.
Places no one had returned from.
No one knew what lurked there.
And because of that—
No one dared to guess.
Zen could feel a pressure in the air.
It was quiet—too quiet.
You wouldn't even guess that thousands of beasts were lurking inside… waiting.
Watching.
As far as Zen could see, it was all trees.
Endless.
Some areas were dry and cracked, while others sank into dark swamps.
The terrain shifted without warning.
The trees themselves were massive—ancient.
Their roots dug deep into the earth, twisting beneath the ground like something alive.
He could feel his heart beating faster.
Not from fear—but anticipation.
A fight. Growth. Evolution.
He needed to level up—quickly.
Maybe B-rank would be enough.
Only then would he be ready to step into the dungeon he already held the key for.
He had never opened it before.
He knew what it meant to rush into the unknown.
Danger wasn't something to underestimate here.
So he chose restraint over impulse.
Build his strength first…
And only then, would he step inside.
His first objective was simple—clear as much of the outer region as possible before pushing deeper.
Only then would he move forward.
Out here, beasts almost never lived alone.
They moved in packs, relying on numbers as their shield.
Not strength… but coordination. Survival. Instinct.
In this place, isolation meant death.
A lone beast was easy prey.
But together—they became something far more dangerous.
Zen exhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady his breathing.
Before anything else… he needed to check it.
His status.
Just a glimpse—enough to understand how far he had come… and how much further he still had to go.
Excitement surged through him, sharp and uncontrollable, like it wanted to make him jump in place.
But he didn't.
He couldn't.
"…I have pride to hold, don't I?"
Zen tightened his grip slightly, grounding himself.
Then, with a focused thought, he called it up.
SYSTEM UPDATE
USER PROFILE
Name: Zen Lawkey
Age: 15
Rank: D
Element: Shadow
Shadow: You can will shadow to move and take any form you desire. You can extend your will into the shadows of others and claim them as your own. There are no fixed boundaries—only imagination and willpower.
CORE SKILL
Moonblade
A sword art that mirrors a mystical dance beneath the moon. Each movement flows in silent elegance—graceful, smooth, and uninterrupted—as though the blade itself is guided by moonlight.
Under moonlight, its true nature awakens. Perception sharpens dramatically, granting heightened focus where the world appears to slow under the user's will. Strikes become more precise and fluid, and damage is significantly amplified.
Moonblade Techniques
Falling Crescent
A downward sword strike that manifests a short-range moonlight domain within a few meters. Inside this space, the enemy's movement is slightly restricted and their perception feels slowed.
The strike does not travel in a straight line—it "locks" onto the target and continues to chase until it lands.
This technique consumes a significant amount of mana to activate and sustain.
SHADOW ABILITIES
Shadow Manipulation — Novice
Ability to shape, extend, and control shadows through will. Can be used for offense, defense, and binding techniques.
Shadow Step — Novice
A movement technique that allows the user to merge with their shadow and reappear at another connected shadow within range. Enables instant repositioning, silent movement, and evasive escape.
PHYSICAL SKILLS
Sword Mastery — Novice
Martial Arts — Novice
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 41
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 14
Mana: 1400
Stamina: 38
Endurance: 34
Seeing the status, Zen couldn't stop himself from smiling.
He had grown stronger.
When he first arrived, he was weak—so weak that anyone could have taken him down without effort.
But that was no longer the case.
And yet…
This was not the end of his journey.
It hadn't even truly begun.
He closed the system interface slowly.
His gaze sharpened.
It would continue to climb.
Zen turned toward the forest.
"Time to begin."