It had been three months since Liana left the fortress, and the days had blended into a routine so unchanging it felt suffocating. Eat, train, sleep—rinse and repeat. There was no thrill, no danger, no sense of accomplishment. I'd even asked Commander Arvell Dyne for permission to leave the fortress to hunt monsters, desperate for a change of pace. Predictably, he refused.
"You're too weak to survive out there, boy," he said dismissively, and Nochtaris, surprisingly, agreed with him.
"He's right," Nochtaris added, his voice a deep rumble in my mind. "Killing is not just about strength. It's about knowing when, where, and how to strike. Right now, you're not ready."
I was annoyed, but I couldn't deny the truth in their words. Instead of sulking, I threw myself into my training with a single-minded focus. My swordsmanship had improved to the point where I could execute the basic techniques—the horizontal slash, vertical slash, and piercing thrust—with near-perfect precision. Each move was honed to eliminate unnecessary movements, making them fluid and deadly.
Despite this, my Intermediate Swordsmanship skill hadn't advanced at all. It stayed at 45/100, refusing to budge. At first, I was frustrated. Why wasn't I improving?
Nochtaris and I eventually worked out an answer.
"It's because you're refining what you already know, not learning something new," he explained, leaning against the wall of my consciousness like a smug philosopher. "The system, or whatever that strange thing is, seems to measure mastery differently. You're not progressing because you're not pushing into uncharted territory—yet."
It made sense, even if it was a little disheartening. My Intermediate Mana Control skill hadn't improved either, hovering stubbornly at 20/100. But after discussing it with Nochtaris, we deduced that it likely wouldn't increase unless I pushed my limits—trying to sense and manipulate greater quantities of mana rather than just refining my precision.
"Think of it like this," Nochtaris said, "if some advanced swordsman were to challenge you to a duel focused solely on piercing or slashing, your technique would likely surpass theirs. You've refined these basics to the point of perfection, and they're the foundation of everything else."
It was a comforting thought. Even if my stats and skills hadn't visibly improved, I knew I was laying the groundwork for something greater.
---
After another grueling day of training, I opened my system interface to review my progress, half out of habit and half out of hope.
---
[System Interface]
Name: Kael Thorne
Race: Human (???)
Titles:
Fallen Noble
Exiled Scion
Dignity of the Noble (Passive)
Dragon Pactbearer (NEW: Grants a boost to mana capacity, resistance to fire and darkness, and increased charisma when interacting with magical creatures. Enhances potential.)
Potential: S+ Rank (Previously B+)
Current Rank: D (Progress: D+)
Traits:
Affinity with Darkness
Attributes:
Strength: 85>90 (D+)
Agility: 78>90 (D+)
Endurance: 92 (C-)
Intelligence: 105>115 (C+)
Mana Capacity: 140>155 (A-)
Luck: 205 S
Skills:
Intermediate Swordsmanship: 45/100 (No Change)
Intermediate Mana Control: 20/100 (No Change)
Perfect Insight (Passive): MAX
Stoic Resolve (Passive): MAX
Rapid Recovery (Passive): Enhances stamina, mana, and wound recovery rates by 2x.
Dragon's Fear (Active): Emits an aura of fear, lowering the morale and combat effectiveness of enemies.
---
No changes. As expected. But I wasn't discouraged anymore. I knew what I was doing. The foundation I was building now would pay off later.
"Still, it's fascinating," Nochtaris mused, staring at the status screen. "This… interface of yours. It's like peering into your very soul. The way it quantifies you—strength, intelligence, even your potential. I've lived for thousands of years, yet I've never seen anything like it."
I avoided his questioning gaze. I couldn't explain it to him even if I wanted to. The system wasn't something I fully understood myself. In the novel, there had been no mention of anything like this, and I had no idea why it existed for me.
"You don't have to keep dodging my questions, boy," he added with a hint of irritation. "I'll figure it out eventually."
I ignored him, shutting the interface and sitting cross-legged on the floor. Training wasn't over yet.
I had been working hard to extend my mana sensing radius to fifty meters. I was close now, the shimmering threads of mana within the fortress walls just barely brushing the edge of my awareness. Once I reached that milestone, Nochtaris had promised to teach me how to draw on elemental mana from the environment—a critical step toward mastering my trait: Affinity with Darkness.
The thought of it sent a shiver of excitement down my spine.
"Once you can wield darkness," Nochtaris had said, "I'll show you how to mask your presence entirely. With it, you'll be able to slip past even the sharpest watchman unnoticed."
Just imagining the possibilities made my heart race. I could finally leave this fortress without Commander Dyne or anyone else realizing. No more confinement. No more waiting.
But that was still a ways off. For now, I closed my eyes and focused, stretching my senses outward. The mana was elusive, whispering through the air like a distant breeze.
"One step at a time," I muttered to myself.
Because this was only the beginning.
------
Kael sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor of his chamber, the room silent except for the faint rustle of wind slipping through the cracks in the fortress walls. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady but strained, his body drenched in sweat. Around him, mana swirled in an invisible current, a force that couldn't be seen but could be felt—raw, untamed, and relentless.
It was transparent, weightless, yet carried a power that pressed down on him like a mountain. Kael was trying to sense its essence in the air, to expand his awareness beyond the limits of his body. It was a grueling task. The mana was elusive, like trying to spot a single thread in an endless tapestry.
"Focus," he murmured to himself, though his voice was barely audible over the strain of his thoughts.
For weeks, he had been working toward this milestone. Nochtaris had set the goal—a fifty-meter range of mana perception—and had pushed him mercilessly to achieve it. At first, it seemed impossible. Sensing mana itself was hard enough, but to expand that awareness, to maintain it consistently, was an entirely different challenge. It demanded not just physical endurance but unrelenting mental discipline, the kind that made Kael's mind feel like it was being wrung dry.
"Let it come to you, mortal," Nochtaris' voice echoed in his mind, calm and steady. "Do not force it. Feel it. Let it flow. The mana is not yours to control yet. You must earn its cooperation, not demand it."
Kael exhaled sharply, releasing the frustration that had been building within him. He loosened his grip on the mana, no longer trying to bend it to his will. Slowly, the chaotic, erratic energy swirling around him began to calm. It softened, as if responding to his change in approach.
The air around him grew still, the mana coiling gently around his body like a protective veil. It moved without resistance now, brushing against his skin in an almost comforting way. Kael felt a small spark of triumph. He wasn't forcing it anymore; he was guiding it, and it was responding.
"Good," Nochtaris' voice came again, filled with approval. "Now, expand."
Kael gave a silent command, his focus intensifying. "Go," he thought, his mental voice steady but firm.
The mana obeyed. It moved outward from his body in a steady wave, flowing smoothly without breaking its connection to him. Ten meters. Twenty. Forty. The distance increased steadily, surpassing his previous record of forty-five meters. Kael's heart pounded in his chest, but he didn't lose focus.
He pressed onward, even as the strain began to take its toll. Sweat dripped from his brow, his muscles tensing under the invisible pressure. Fifty meters came and went.
But Kael wasn't satisfied.
"More," he urged silently, his jaw tightening in determination.
The mana surged further, responding to his will. Sixty meters. Seventy. The effort was excruciating now, every additional meter feeling like it would tear his mind apart. Pain lanced through his temples, his vision darkening behind his closed eyelids.
Nochtaris, watching from within, was silent. His crimson eyes observed the phenomenon with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"This mortal…" he muttered to himself. "To achieve this level of control in such a short time… It took me centuries to master this, yet he is doing it within months."
The ancient being couldn't help but feel a flicker of suspicion. Kael was no ordinary human, that much was clear. The presence of the mysterious system and his rapid growth hinted at secrets the mortal wasn't sharing.
Still, Nochtaris remained silent, his gaze fixed on Kael as the young man continued to push his limits.
Eighty meters. Ninety. The mana field expanded like a growing sphere, encompassing everything in its reach. Kael's body trembled, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth and eyes, but he ignored it.
Finally, the mana reached one hundred meters. The air around him grew deathly still as the energy settled, forming a vast, invisible domain under Kael's complete control.
He opened his eyes, his vision blurry and tinged with red. The blood flowing from his face blurred the edges of his sight, but the exhilaration in his chest drowned out the pain. For the first time, he could feel the world in a way he never had before. The mana within one hundred meters was his. Not just something he could sense—it was his to command.
"I did it…" he whispered, his voice hoarse and weak. A small, bloodstained smile tugged at his lips. "In this space, I'm the master of the mana."
Nochtaris' voice broke through his daze, filled with both amazement and curiosity. "Remarkable. I didn't expect you to reach this level so quickly, and certainly not to this extent. Whatever secrets you're keeping from me, mortal, I will uncover them eventually. But for now…"
Kael didn't hear the rest. The strain of his achievement finally caught up to him, and his body gave out. He slumped forward slightly, unconscious, his breathing shallow but steady.
Nochtaris observed him in silence, his expression unreadable. The faint hum of residual mana filled the room, lingering evidence of the remarkable feat Kael had just accomplished.
"Rest, Kael Thorne," Nochtaris murmured. "The path ahead of you is long, and the burdens you carry will only grow heavier."
The room fell silent once more, the only sound the steady rhythm of Kael's breath, a reminder that even in his unconscious state, he was still fighting, still growing.