The man once known as Morgan had not always been a bandit.
In the western lands of the Blackwater Kingdom, he had been a promising mid-level knight apprentice, serving beneath a banner knight who swore loyalty to a territorial viscount. Morgan possessed strength, talent, and ambition — but not loyalty.
During a border skirmish years ago, when enemy cavalry broke through their formation, fear seized his heart. At the most critical moment, Morgan retreated.
His knight did not.
Abandoned on the battlefield, the banner knight died surrounded by enemies.
In knightly law, desertion was worse than death.
Dishonor followed Morgan like a shadow. Declared a traitor, he was hunted by the viscount's forces. Wounded and desperate, he vanished into mountains and forests, surviving like a beast among beasts.
Hatred slowly replaced shame.
He gathered fugitives, criminals, and desperate men. What began as survival became greed. Villages burned. Merchant caravans disappeared.
Then came his greatest mistake.
He attacked a caravan belonging to a high-ranking noble.
Elite knights were dispatched.
Morgan learned then the true difference between apprentices and real knights. He barely escaped alive, fleeing eastward across half the kingdom until he reached the barren frontier — Thornheart Territory.
There, under a new name, he became known as the Black Wolf.
And tonight, fate finally caught up with him.
The Woodstone Forest was dark and damp.
Mist clung to the ground like pale ghosts. Ancient trees blocked the moonlight, leaving the forest swallowed in shadow.
Yet within that darkness, a bonfire burned fiercely.
Bodies lay scattered around it, blood soaking into the soil.
Near the mouth of a cave, nearly thirty men fought desperately.
One side moved with discipline — similar armor, coordinated strikes.
Knight apprentices of Thornheart Territory.
The other side was chaos itself — mismatched armor, rusted blades, savage movements.
Bandits.
At the center of the battlefield, two figures clashed.
Steel screamed against steel.
Sparks illuminated their faces again and again.
One was a massive man, built like a bear. Scars covered his body, and one eye was clouded white with old injury. A finely crafted longsword rested in his hand.
Black Wolf .
Opposing him stood a youth no older than sixteen — blonde hair damp with sweat, blue eyes calm despite the chaos.
Ivan.
Their swords collided repeatedly, each strike heavy enough to numb the arms.
Black Wolf grinned viciously.
"Not bad, boy," he growled. "You fight better than most grown men I've killed."
Ivan said nothing.
His breathing remained steady, eyes fixed only on the opponent's shoulders and blade.
Clang!
Another collision forced Ivan back two steps.
Black Wolf laughed loudly.
"Silent type? Or scared to talk?"
Still no answer.
Only focus.
The duel had already lasted nearly ten minutes.
Even black wolf's expression slowly grew serious.
This kid… isn't normal.
They clashed again — this time Black wolf poured more strength into the strike.
Boom!
Ivan was thrown backward violently, boots carving through the dirt before he stabilized himself.
Pain shot through his arms.
Black Wolf rolled his shoulders.
"End it here," he muttered.
Both charged again.
But this time—
Nova's voice echoed within Ivan's mind.
[Warning: Opponent's chi circuit activity increasing.]
Ivan's pupils shrank slightly.
Black Wolf's body surged with energy. Green light faintly wrapped around his sword.
"Howling Wind," Black Wolf whispered.
Wind attribute energy burst outward.
His speed doubled.
The sword descended from above like a falling execution blade.
Ivan's instincts screamed.
[Combat assistance activated.]
Time seemed to slow.
Ivan twisted sideways and raised his sword.
CRASH!
The blow deflected — but the overwhelming force struck his shoulder.
Blood burst outward as Ivan was thrown back, crashing onto the ground.
Pain exploded through his body.
Black Wolf approached slowly, boots crunching over gravel.
Around them, fighting intensified.
Seeing Ivan injured, the knight apprentices panicked.
"The young master is hurt!"
They pushed forward desperately, but the bandits roared with renewed morale.
"Boss is winning! Kill them!"
A senior apprentice activated Burst, cutting down two bandits instantly — only to be intercepted before reaching Ivan.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Meanwhile, Black wolf stood over Ivan.
"You're talented," he said quietly. "But talent means nothing before the knight's threshold."
He raised his sword.
"You're still mortal."
Inside Ivan's mind—
Nova's voice sharpened.
[Permission requested: Combat Mode — elimination protocol.]
Ivan's lips moved faintly.
"…No."
Nova paused.
"I can feel it," Ivan whispered internally. "The barrier… it's loosening."
Silence followed.
Then—
[Healing system activated.]
Warm energy spread through his shoulder. Bleeding slowed; torn flesh began knitting together.
Black Wolf frowned.
"…Still conscious?"
He lifted his sword higher.
"Then die properly."
At that moment—
Ivan's heartbeat thundered.
Heart's Overclock Mode — Activated.
His heart began pumping far beyond normal limits. Blood surged violently through his body, delivering energy to every muscle fiber. Pain followed immediately, but so did strength.
His aura rose sharply.
Black Wolf's eyes widened.
Ivan's sword rose from below—
A rising slash.
Clang—
The blade tore across the bandit leader's armor, carving a deep gash from waist to chest.
Blood burst outward.
The Black Wolf staggered back with a snarl, clutching the wound.
"You—!"
Ivan did not stop.
He pressed forward instantly, seizing the opening.
Another strike descended.
Injured and off balance, the Black Wolf barely raised his sword in time. The impact forced him backward several steps, boots digging into the soil.
Rage filled his remaining eye.
Chi surged violently through his body.
The bandit leader raised his shoulder intentionally, accepting the blow to create an opening.
His eyes turned savage.
"Got you."
Killing intent exploded.
Howling Wind surged again as black wolf launched a fatal counterattack aimed directly at Ivan's neck.
Ivan sensed it instantly.
If this strike landed—
He would die.
Time slowed.
Fear, pressure, and instinct collided inside him.
Something deep within his body trembled.
A limit long restraining him cracked.
Nova's voice rang urgently.
[Life Seed formation detected!]
[Preliminary chi circuit forming… synchronization beginning.]
Energy ignited within Ivan's core.
The Life Seed formed like a burning star.
Warmth spread through newly forming pathways—the embryonic chi circuit awakening for the first time.
Strength surged.
Vision sharpened.
The world became clearer.
Black wolf's blade approached—
Ivan moved.
Not forced.
Not desperate.
Natural.
He stepped aside effortlessly.
Black wolf's eyes filled with disbelief.
"You—broke through?!"
Ivan's sword flashed.
A clean arc of steel crossed the air.
The Black Wolf's head separated from his body, expression frozen in shock.
Silence fell for a heartbeat.
Then—
The bandits' morale collapsed instantly.
"The boss is dead!"
Panic spread.
Knight apprentices roared and counterattacked with renewed fury.
Within minutes, the remaining bandits were slain or cut down while fleeing.
The forest returned to quiet, broken only by heavy breathing and crackling fire.
The apprentices rushed toward Ivan.
"Young master! Are you injured?"
"Are you alright?"
Ivan stood still, sword lowered.
A faint but powerful aura now surrounded him.
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm fine," he said calmly.
Nova reported softly inside his mind:
[Confirmation: Master has advanced.]
[Status updated — Lower Knight.]
Ivan closed his eyes briefly.
Near death.
And reborn stronger.
Behind him, dawn's first light began to break through the trees.