The corrupted spirit core rested on the worn wooden table inside the old mill like a poisonous jewel. Its surface swirled with sickly violet threads that pulsed faintly, as if still alive. Even in the dim lantern light, it gave off an unsettling chill that made the air feel heavier.
Kai sat across from Zen, both of them staring at the small orb. The metal medallion around Kai's neck hummed softly, suppressing the faint shadow leakage that always accompanied moments of tension.
"Touch it," Zen instructed quietly. "Not with your hand—with the shadow. Carefully. Let it taste the corruption, but do not let it swallow everything at once."
Kai extended his will. A single, hair-thin tendril of darkness rose from his fingertip and brushed the core's surface.
Instantly, the violet energy reacted.
The core flared, sending a spike of foreign power straight into Kai's spirit veins. Pain lanced through his chest—cold, sharp, and wrong. Images flashed behind his eyes: towering spires cracked and burning, a woman with silver-streaked hair shielding a child, a man's voice shouting a single word—"Run!"
Kai gasped and pulled back. The tendril recoiled, but not before it had devoured a tiny fragment of the violet essence. The corrupted core dimmed slightly, its color shifting toward a deeper, purer black.
Zen's remaining hand steadied Kai's shoulder. "Breathe. What did you see?"
"Flashes," Kai whispered, sweat beading on his forehead. "A city… or something taller than any building in Valoria. Someone was fighting. My… parents?"
Zen's expression remained carefully neutral, but his grip tightened for a moment. "The corruption carries echoes from the place we fled. Your shadow affinity is drawn to it because it recognizes the same source that birthed your power. But consuming too much too quickly could corrupt you in turn."
Kai steadied his breathing and tried again. This time he fed the shadow in measured pulses, using the suppression techniques Vell had taught him. The corrupted core resisted at first, then began to break apart. Strand by strand, the violet energy was stripped away and converted. What remained was a small, perfectly black spirit core—denser and heavier than any low-tier core he had seen.
When the process finished, Kai felt a powerful surge roll through his body. The second Essence Vein thickened noticeably, and the shadow inside him grew more responsive, almost eager. A new technique flickered at the edge of his mind: Shadow Weave: Devouring Thread — a refined version of the binding tendrils, capable of draining energy from living targets while leaving the user strengthened.
He opened his eyes. "It worked. But… it hurts every time."
"That pain is the price of rapid growth," Zen said. "In the upper realm, children with your potential are trained from birth under far harsher conditions. Here, you have the luxury of time—but that luxury is running out."
Kai pocketed the purified core. "The beast that carried this… it was sent for me, wasn't it?"
Zen nodded once. "The scout grows impatient. We must accelerate your training. Tomorrow night, after academy classes, we begin the Third Form of Void Step. And you will start practicing with the new core in secret."
The next two days passed in a blur of academy life and hidden effort.
During daytime classes, Kai maintained the image of a talented but still-learning student. He sparred carefully in group sessions, never revealing the full extent of his improved control. Garrick continued to glare from across the yard, but after Vell's intervention he kept his provocations verbal rather than physical. Assistant Instructor Kael watched Kai with open suspicion, occasionally assigning him extra theory work that felt more like punishment than education.
Mira, however, grew bolder in her quiet support. During one afternoon break she slipped Kai a small pouch of spirit herbs she had gathered herself. "These help with vein stabilization," she said without looking at him. "Don't ask how I know. Just use them."
Kai accepted the gift with a small nod of thanks. The fragile bridge of trust between them was strengthening.
At night, the real progress happened.
On the flat rocks behind the mill, under the cover of the medallion and the rushing river, Zen pushed Kai harder than ever. The Third Form of Void Step—Silent Eclipse—allowed the user to merge with existing shadows for short bursts, becoming nearly undetectable even to sharp senses. Kai practiced until his legs shook and his vision blurred.
On the second night, he successfully held the form for nearly thirty seconds while moving through a complex sequence of strikes. The purified corrupted core in his palm fed him steady power, turning exhaustion into renewed strength.
But the most important change was internal.
The shadow no longer felt like a separate hungry entity. It felt like part of him—dangerous, yes, but loyal when guided properly. For the first time, Kai began to truly believe he could wield it without being swallowed in return.
On the third evening, as Kai returned from a long training session, he found the academy in a state of quiet excitement.
A new announcement had been posted on the main board:
Group Beast Subjugation Exercise – Three Days Hence
Selected first- and second-year students will accompany senior instructors to the outer river valleys. Real mid-tier spirit beasts have been sighted in unusual numbers. Successful subjugation will earn high academy points, additional spirit cores, and recommendation letters for the upcoming Provincial Trial.
Kai's name was on the selected list.
So were Garrick's and Mira's.
That night, as Kai prepared for bed, Zen stood by the window, staring toward the distant tree line.
"The scout will not let this opportunity pass," the old butler said softly. "Be ready, young master. The next attack may come in broad daylight, surrounded by witnesses."
Kai clenched his fist, feeling the new Devouring Thread technique waiting just beneath his skin.
"Then I'll be ready too."
Far upstream, hidden in a shaded ravine, the mysterious scout knelt beside a larger rift tear. More violet-eyed beasts waited obediently at his feet—stronger than the last.
He smiled thinly, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Soon, Rift Child. Soon you will reveal yourself… and when you do, the masters will claim what is theirs."
End of Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Preview: The group beast subjugation exercise begins with high stakes and unexpected alliances. Kai faces his first mid-tier beasts in open combat while hiding the full extent of his power. The scout makes his boldest move yet by corrupting one of the targeted spirit beasts during the exercise—leading to chaos that forces Kai to push his limits. Meanwhile, rumors spread about a powerful visiting delegation from the provincial capital, including whispers of a silver-haired prodigy named Lirael Kane.