Several days passed after Kieran's meeting with the ancient guardians.
Life within the Hidden Valley returned to its peaceful rhythm.
Or so it seemed.
Unknown to Kieran...
Crystal had subtly changed his training.
No longer was every lesson focused on combat.
From now on...
He would learn how to live in the world beyond the valley.
---
The following morning...
Crystal placed several objects on a wooden table.
A crimson herb.
A dull grey stone.
A beast fang.
A small blue flower.
And a dried fruit.
Kieran looked at them curiously.
"Mama?"
"Are we making medicine today?"
Crystal shook her head.
"No."
"We're learning something far more important."
She pointed toward the objects.
"Tell me what you see."
Kieran looked carefully.
"A flower."
"A herb."
"A rock."
"A fang."
"And a fruit."
Crystal smiled.
"Wrong."
Kieran blinked.
"...Wrong?"
Kael chuckled from nearby.
"Good luck."
"I failed this lesson five times."
Crystal ignored him.
"What you named..."
"...are only their appearances."
She picked up the crimson herb.
"This is Crimson Flame Grass."
"To an ordinary person..."
"It is merely a medicinal herb."
"To an alchemist..."
"It is an ingredient."
"To a poison master..."
"It is one component among many."
"To a fire beast..."
"It is food."
"To a merchant..."
"It is profit."
"To a desperate traveler..."
"It is hope."
She placed it back down.
"The object never changed."
"The observer did."
---
Kieran stared thoughtfully at the herb.
"So..."
"The world changes depending on who is looking?"
Crystal nodded.
"And if you wish to understand the world..."
"You must first understand those who live in it."
---
Over the following weeks...
Crystal introduced him to dozens of professions.
Alchemists.
Blacksmiths.
Rune Masters.
Formation Masters.
Beast Tamers.
Merchants.
Healers.
Hunters.
Scouts.
Scholars.
"Never look down on a profession."
She said while handing him another book.
"A Kingdom can survive without a great swordsman."
"But not without farmers."
Kieran quietly nodded.
He remembered every word.
---
One afternoon...
Kael returned carrying a large leather bag.
He emptied its contents onto the table.
Hundreds of coins spilled across the wood.
Copper.
Silver.
Gold.
Even several shining Platinum Mel Coins.
Kieran's eyes widened.
"So many!"
Kael grinned.
"Lesson time."
---
He picked up a Copper Mel Coin.
"This feeds a hungry child."
Then a Silver Mel Coin.
"This buys a craftsman's work."
Then a Gold Mel Coin.
"This purchases quality."
Finally...
He lifted a Platinum Mel Coin.
"This buys opportunity."
Crystal added,
"But remember..."
"Wealth is merely another form of responsibility."
"If gold controls your heart..."
"You are poorer than the beggar."
---
Kael then reached into the bag once more.
This time...
He removed a crystal no larger than a thumb.
Soft white light pulsed within it.
Kieran immediately felt the Magna contained inside.
"This..."
"...is a Low Magna Stone."
Crystal explained.
"Unlike coins..."
"It possesses value anywhere."
"It is both currency..."
"...and a cultivation resource."
She handed it to Kieran.
The moment he touched it...
He frowned.
"Mama..."
She looked at him.
"What is it?"
He tilted the crystal slightly.
"It feels..."
"...lonely."
Crystal froze.
"...Lonely?"
He nodded.
"It has Magna."
"But..."
"It also has memories."
Silence.
Kael slowly looked toward Crystal.
She met his gaze.
Neither spoke.
---
That evening...
Crystal sat outside the cottage alone.
The Low Magna Stone rested in her hand.
For centuries...
She had viewed them as condensed Magna.
Nothing more.
Yet...
Kieran had sensed something else.
Could Magna truly retain echoes of its past?
Or...
Was he hearing something no one else could?
---
The next morning...
Crystal led Kieran to the edge of the valley.
Before them stood a weathered stone marker.
Beyond it...
The forest stretched endlessly.
"This..."
She said quietly.
"...is as far as you have ever gone."
Kieran looked beyond the marker.
The trees seemed darker.
The air felt different.
"What lies beyond?"
Crystal smiled.
"The world."
She knelt before him.
"Kieran."
"You will soon be twelve."
"The time is approaching."
He looked at her curiously.
"For what?"
Crystal's expression softened.
"For the day..."
"...you must leave this valley."
Kieran's smile slowly disappeared.
Leave?
The Hidden Valley had always been his entire world.
He looked back at the cottage.
At the waterfall.
At the great oak.
At the mountains surrounding the valley.
For the first time...
He realized they would not remain his home forever.
Crystal gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
"You were never meant to stay hidden."
"The world is vast."
"It is beautiful."
"It is cruel."
"It is filled with wonders..."
"...and dangers."
"You must see it with your own eyes."
Kieran lowered his head.
"I..."
"...don't know if I'm ready."
Crystal smiled warmly.
"No one ever is."
---
High above the valley...
The three ancient guardians silently watched.
The white stag spoke first.
"The fledgling prepares to leave the nest."
The silver eagle spread its immense wings.
"May the skies judge him kindly."
The ancient tortoise slowly closed its eyes once more.
"Every journey begins with a single step."
**"His..."
"...is almost upon him."**
Far away...
Within the Grand Academy...
An ancient bronze bell rang once.
Then a second time.
Then a third.
The sound echoed across the vast campus.
Students.
Elders.
Even the Headmaster himself looked toward the Hall of Admissions.
After nearly a decade...
The Grand Academy had officially announced the opening of its next Entrance Examination.
Across the Melika Realm...
Ancient invitation tokens hidden within homes, sects, clans, sanctuaries, and forgotten places began to glow faintly.
A new generation...
Was about to answer the Academy's call.
End of Chapter 45