August woke up to the usual morning light, feeling slightly restless. He decided to head down to the quiet land outside the mansion, where he faced the winds and continued his training. His recent battle had not gone as expected—it had felt underwhelming. He blamed himself only slightly for not putting much effort into it. In truth, it was Young who had actually defeated the corrupted soul.
Young and Carla had gone for a morning run down the lane and had been gone for about thirty minutes. They planned to run 3 kilometres—a bit shorter than what they usually did back home. It was quiet here, although the birds chirped continuously every morning until midday.
The scenery was beautiful in summer, creating a calming atmosphere. The three of them planned to head into the city again in the evening to explore, and Young was curious to see what he could actually buy with the money he had.
Realistically, quite a lot. He could even rent a studio flat and cover five months' rent, perhaps.
While training, August confronted one of his biggest issues—he realised some of his movements appeared rusty. In response, he turned towards a nearby tree and delivered nine precise strikes—quick, calculated, and controlled. Each blow left a deep gash where his fists and feet had connected.
Then, he resumed his combat stance, facing into the wind. He trained continuously for another three hours. It was around this time that Young and Carla returned from their run. They had pushed themselves hard during their morning exercise. Young immediately went to take a bath, followed by Carla, while August chose to continue training for an additional hour, stopping only when the clock struck noon. After that, he finally went to bathe and joined the others for breakfast—though it was quite late, it was still a welcome improvement from yesterday's offering. This time, it was real food—not just snacks.
Afterwards, the three gathered in the main parlour of the mansion. Young was setting up his phone, Carla was browsing through social media and searching for interesting spots around London, and August was seated quietly, meditating—mentally rehearsing new combat techniques and internalising potential improvements.
His mind focused solely on one thing: battle. The goal was simple—become the strongest.
[Meditation Completed]
[Timer]: Thirty Minutes – Ended
[Gains]: Mental Focus(+)
The system played a crucial role in their mental conditioning. During meditation, it would automatically set a timer, allowing users to remain fully immersed without distraction. Once the time was up, the system would assess the quality of the session and award a mental enhancement—either Mental Focus or Mental Intelligence.
August seemed to be gaining Focus, enhancing his clarity and control in combat. Carla, too, regularly received Focus, which helped her remain calm and composed, especially in stressful situations. Young, however, was often fortunate enough to receive Mental Intelligence, a far rarer outcome. It sharpened his mind significantly, allowing him to better handle the darkness within him—the same darkness that fuelled his ritual-based abilities. Without that boost, managing his powers safely would have been nearly impossible.
'Stats…' August muttered inwardly.
[Name]: August Eirson
[Render Level]: 497
[Soul Core Type]: Mended Soul Core – Hell Core
[Path]: Unchosen
[Soul Forge State]: Dormant
[Stability]: 78%
[Corruption Index]: 3%
[Soul Heat]: 27°C (Safe)
His soul heat had risen a little—perhaps due to the lingering summer warmth pressing against his body. Still, it remained within the safe zone. August grinned faintly. He was genuinely pleased—just three more RLs remained before he reached the next level. Very soon now.
***
Later that day, the trio returned to Camden, this time heading straight to an electronics store—Carla's suggestion. She was keen on picking up a new headset, the latest model she'd seen advertised online.
While Carla made her way through the aisles, Young and August roamed the shop casually, inspecting everything from high-end sound systems to wall-mounted TVs.
When Carla waved them over to the checkout counter, August caught sight of the headset she was purchasing. He decided he wanted the same one—but in a different colour. The pink wasn't for him; he preferred something deeper. Grim. Dark.
Luckily, that exact colour was in stock. He purchased it.
The headset cost around £190, and none of them were sure whether it was overpriced or not. In a way, ignorance worked in their favour. Had they known the actual retail price, the salesman would've had some serious explaining to do.
From there, they made their way to a nearby coffee shop—again, Carla took the lead.
As they walked, August kept his [Soul Scan] active, keeping an eye out for any corrupted souls in the vicinity. But after a while, his vision began to blur slightly—too much time with the scan engaged. He sighed and deactivated it, giving his eyes a break.
By the time they reached the coffee shop, the sky had fully darkened. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the night buzzed with more life than the day had.
They sat at a table near the window. Soft music played in the background. The place was quiet, cosy—only about nine other people inside, most absorbed in their laptops or quiet conversations.
One girl sat alone, off to the side. Her face was turned away, her back to them. Still, something about her stood out.
Grey hair. Tied up. High bubble style.
That detail alone twisted something in Young's memory.
High bubble? That was oddly specific. And familiar.
Yesterday.
Young's eyes widened slightly.
'That's her. That's the Exalted who interfered in our battle yesterday. I knew I'd seen that hair somewhere before.'
Without a word, he stood up and left the table, walking directly towards her.
August and Carla didn't even ask why—truthfully, they didn't care who it was or why Young had suddenly decided to sit with someone else. They were preoccupied, testing out their new headsets and comparing features.
"Hey," Young greeted as he pulled out a chair and sat opposite the young woman. She raised her head slowly, her expression calm but slightly puzzled, then leaned back in her seat.
"If this is about a relationship—or any nonsense trying to lead into one—I'm not interested," she said flatly. "I've already got a boyfriend: my phone, thanks." Her eyes returned to the screen.
Young blinked, momentarily caught off guard. That wasn't his reason at all. She clearly didn't recognise him.
"Erm… no. I think you've misunderstood," he said, tone sharpening. "I'm not here for that. I just wanted to ask—weren't you the dumbass who infiltrated our little playground yesterday?"
His voice had a bite to it, and he shot her a cold look.
She froze, then slowly looked up with a tight grimace.
"…Dumbass? Who the f*ck are—oh."