In the heart of a raging blizzard, a lone figure emerged from the dense woods. The boy, clad in black leather armor, moved with calm purpose.
His fur-lined hood obscured much of his face, revealing only fleeting glimpses of pale skin and striking crimson hair.
He walked steadily, his figure a shadow against the swirling white snow, until he came to a halt before a radiant female warrior. She stood tall, her presence almost luminous in the storm. Midnight-black hair framed her face, and her piercing green eyes seemed to cut through the blizzard itself.
"Roro, you're quite daring, venturing out in weather like this."
"I thought it would make for better training,"
Hiro replied, his tone calm but tinged with determination.
Zenith sighed, shaking her head slightly.
"Get inside before you catch your death out here."
Hiro obeyed, stepping into the familiar warmth of the cabin. The crackling fire greeted him, filling the space with light and comfort. The interior was as inviting as ever, now with the addition of a small room Zenith had built just for him.
"Welcome home, Roro,"
Zenith said softly, her voice carrying a rare tenderness.
"Thank you,"
pulling back his hood as the frost melted from his hair. The weight of the storm was left outside, but the warmth of the cabin—of home—filled his heart.
It had been five months since Hiro began his training, and today marked his completion day. Despite the relentless blizzard outside, Hiro had pushed himself through 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, and a 10-kilometer run. This was the culmination of two weeks per addition to his training regimen, and he had every reason to be proud.
At first, even a single sit-up had been a daunting challenge. Now, 100 were effortless, and running long distances had become second nature. The progress he'd made in such a short time was remarkable.
Hiro knew he was far stronger than any other eight-year-old could hope to be, yet he kept his pride in check. Zenith had taught him the importance of humility and the dangers of overindulgence.
Shaking away his thoughts, Hiro sat across from Zenith, eager for her next instructions.
"So, you finally finished,"
Zenith said, her tone calm but tinged with approval.
"I'm glad, but remember, you need to keep doing them every day. It's the only way to maintain your body's fluidity."
"I know,"
"Good. Now, what comes next…"
Zenith leaned back slightly, her green eyes gleaming.
"It's time for your second ritual."
"Really?!"
Hiro's face lit up with excitement.
"Yes,"
Hiro had been anticipating this moment for weeks, and now it was finally here.
"But first, go wash up."
Without hesitation, Hiro jumped up and rushed to the restroom. He wanted to be ready, clean, and focused for what was to come. After all, this wasn't just another day
Hiro hurried through his bath, eager to get to the next step in his journey. Fresh clothes now on, he quickly sat down at the dinner table, his anticipation practically bubbling over. Zenith had prepared a monster steak, the rich scent of it filling the room and making his stomach growl in appreciation. It looked magnificent, the meat tender and perfectly seared.
Zenith, as always, sat across from him with her own plate, her calm demeanor in stark contrast to Hiro's excitement.
They both dug in, the silence comfortable yet full of unspoken understanding.
Hiro's mind wandered, thinking about the future—about how much more there was to learn, how much stronger he could become. His desire for strength, for knowledge, burned within him.
Every moment, every lesson, brought him closer to what he needed to be.
"Are you ready for your second ritual or at least to learn the information?" Zenith asked.
"Of course!"
Hiro replied eagerly.
"Let's begin."
Hiro sat up straight, his focus unwavering, determined not to miss a word of what Zenith would say.
"The second ritual is about understanding the ranking system of the world."
she began, her voice steady and deliberate.
"a system established by fate since the very beginning of the universe."
Hiro nodded, hanging on to every word.
"All creatures have souls, these souls can grow stronger. The strength and development of your soul determine your rank and your class."
Hiro's mind flashed back to the soldiers in his clan. He had often heard them boast about the ranks of monsters they had slain.
"There are four main classes, Beast, Fallen, and then two branches that depend on your choices: Saint or Herald."
"Are Heralds the bad ones?"
Hiro asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes,"
Zenith replied, her tone somber.
"Heralds are those who succumb to corruption or willingly follow it. They are dangerous beings. Among humans, only four Heralds have ever been reported."
Hiro's eyes widened.
"Four? That's not many."
"Exactly. For someone to become a Saint or a Herald is incredibly rare. Aside from the four Heralds, there are only thirteen Saints in the entire world."
Hiro tilted his head slightly.
"Are you a Saint?"
"Of course not!"
Zenith said with a light laugh.
"Though I am strong, Saints are on a completely different level. They are the 13 who defeated the Moon Dragon—a battle so intense it destroyed an entire moon. That happened long before I was even born!"
"Wow,"
Hiro breathed, awestruck he didn't know there was a sixth moon before
"Then how strong are you?"
"I'll explain the ranks first,"
Zenith replied, settling into a more serious tone.
"Every class has six ranks: Lesser, Greater, Lord, King, Ancient, and Archaic. Saints and Heralds have an additional rank—Saints gain 'Divine,' while Heralds achieve 'Defiled'."
Hiro nodded, absorbing the information.
"When you reach the Fallen class, each rank is further divided into six tiers. The higher the tier, the closer you are to advancing to the next rank. Divine and defiled have no tiers"
"I am a 5th Tier Lord Fallen,"
Zenith declared with a smirk.
"Quite a strong one at that."
Hiro was impressed, but Zenith wasn't finished.
"But there's more to learn from the second ritual," she continued. "The Will of the World—formed alongside Fate—governs the world's very functions. It's the force that informs people when they rank up and bestows gifts upon those who defeat powerful monsters."
"You'll hear its voice when you rank up,"
Zenith added, watching Hiro's expression shift to curiosity.
Hiro couldn't help but wonder.
'What would the Will of the World's voice sound like?'
"And one more thing,"
Zenith said, drawing his attention back.
"The Will of the World also allows you to do something extraordinary: bind weapons to your very soul."
Hiro's eyes widened in surprise. Bind weapons to your soul? What does that mean?