Vlad woke Ridgebrook before sunrise with a single word that hit the village like a hammer.
"UP."
Doors flew open. Chickens panicked. A child screamed, convinced the sky was falling. I stumbled into the square rubbing sleep from my eyes, still unsure whether I was awake or having some kind of medical episode.
"Vlad," I groaned, "normal people are asleep at this hour."
"Normal people die at this hour," he replied without even turning.
Villagers gathered slowly, shivering in the cold dawn air. Mothers clutched babies. Old men shuffled forward with walking sticks. Young men tried—and failed—to look brave.
No one succeeded.
As they formed a crooked line, a familiar pulse flickered behind my eyes. The Summoner's Ledger quietly reminded me of what had unlocked last night:
Qi Ranks: 1–9
Significant power gaps
Base world orientation provided
It wasn't much—but it was more knowledge than most people here would ever receive in their entire lives. Vlad had been given similar information when he arrived. Minimal. Practical. Just enough to function. He didn't know about the system, but he understood qi, combat terms, and the language instinctively.
I had to act like that was normal.
Vlad paced in front of the villagers, hands clasped behind his back, studying them like raw material.
"You are weak," he said calmly. "Too weak to survive beyond these fields. Today, that begins to change."
A kid whispered loudly, "Can we not?"
Vlad ignored him and gestured toward me.
"Explain the ranks."
Of course he did.
I stepped forward, forcing confidence into my voice, like someone who hadn't crammed this information five minutes ago.
"Everyone listen. The world is divided into nine qi ranks. These ranks measure physical strength, endurance, and how well your body can handle qi."
Murmurs spread through the group. Most commoners never heard this explained so plainly.
"Rank 0 is where we all start," I continued. "Ordinary people with no qi."
Someone groaned. "That tracks."
"Rank 1 is when you first sense qi. You'll feel warmth in your core. Like a gentle heat."
Lira straightened slightly. "I… felt that yesterday."
Everyone turned to stare at her.
"Oh, wonderful," a man muttered. "The healer's ahead of us."
I nodded. "Ranks 2 and 3 belong to trained fighters and hunters. At Rank 3, you can kill smaller beasts and survive real combat."
"Rank 3 is already that strong?" a farmer asked nervously.
"Yes," I said. "And the gap between ranks is huge. A Rank 1 cannot overpower a Rank 3. Ever. You win only with planning, terrain, and teamwork."
Several villagers glanced uneasily at Vlad.
Borrik scratched his beard. "Chief… how do you know all this? Even guild scouts don't share this freely."
"I picked it up while traveling," I said simply.
Not a lie. Just incomplete.
Vlad spoke up. "His explanation is correct."
That alone silenced the crowd.
"Rank 9 is the peak," I finished. "Only legends ever reach it."
No one asked what came after nine. For them, nine was already unimaginable.
Vlad clapped once.
"Enough talk. Begin running."
Half the villagers stared at him.
"Run where?" someone asked.
"Yes," Vlad replied.
They ran.
Not well. Not confidently. More like startled livestock—but they ran. Vlad walked behind them, appearing beside anyone who slowed and whispering calmly, "Prey falls first."
People screamed and ran faster.
I jogged beside Lira. She wasn't fast, but she was stubborn.
"This is insane," she panted.
"This is Vlad," I said. "Different category."
Borrik wheezed nearby. "I can't feel my legs."
"Good," Vlad said behind him.
Borrik shrieked.
When the villagers were close to collapsing, Vlad ordered them to sit.
"Sensing qi requires stillness," he said. "Close your eyes. Feel your body. Imagine warmth."
They tried. Some strained so hard they looked like they were giving birth.
Most failed.
But Lira—quiet, focused Lira—exhaled slowly, her posture shifting
"There," she whispered. "I feel it again."
"That is qi," Vlad confirmed.
Borrik clenched his fists, face turning red. After a long moment, he shouted, "I felt something!"
"You felt nothing," Vlad said flatly. "Sit down."
Borrik nearly cried.
Children drifted closer to me, whispering loudly.
"Chief, how do you know all this?"
"I read," I said.
"Did you teach Vlad about qi?"
"Yes," Vlad answered. "He briefed me."
Technically true.
Old Merin limped forward. "I heard Rank 9 warriors can split mountains.
"No," I said.
"I heard they don't bleed."
"No."
"I heard Rank 9—"
"No."
He frowned. "You're very negative today."
Before I could respond, a horn sounded from the eastern ridge.
Not the monster horn.
A human one.
Borrik sprinted across the square, face pale.
"Chief! Armed men near the ridge! Scouts say they're moving fast!"
Panic erupted. Parents grabbed children. Fighters reached for weapons. Others froze, useless with fear.
Lira rushed to my side. "Liam… what do we do?"
My heart pounded. Ridgebrook wasn't ready. We were barely learning how to sense qi.
But running wasn't an option.
"Pull everyone back," I ordered. "Barricade the main road. Keep non-fighters inside. Vlad and I will see who they are."
The village burst into organized chaos.
Vlad stepped beside me, his smile faint and cold.
"Good. Human threats require discipline."
"We are not hurting anyone unless we have to."
"As you wish," he replied, in a tone that promised nothing at all.
The horn sounded again—closer.
Whoever was coming had already reached the forest's edge.
I tightened my grip on my spear and took a steady breath.
"Let's go."
Vlad stepped forward into the rising wind, eyes gleaming.
"A new hunt begins."