A week passed in silence.
Every day, Kael repeated the same motions sword swings drawn from the Shadow Arts, footwork drills etched into his memory, and breathwork that let him feel the thrum of mana in the air.
His muscles ached. His body throbbed with dull pain.
But beneath it all he was changing.
Faster. Smoother. Sharper.
His sword no longer felt like a foreign tool it responded to him like a limb, dancing through the air with a grace born from obsession.
The Shadow Arts emphasized flowing movement and overwhelming speed, channeling mana not just into attacks but into motion itself.
Kael smiled.
At least I've got the mana. Just need to unlock it…
That night, as he sat by the crackling fire outside his tent, chewing on roasted mana fruits, he felt it a strange pulse in his mind.
A message. A change.
He opened his System.
It looked… different.
---
Name: Kael Vernier
Age: 16
Level: 1
Sword Art: Shadow Arts
Core: Unawakened
Class: Swordsman
Title: The Anomaly
HP: 100/100
Stamina: 92/120
EXP: 5/100
Strength: E+
Agility: D
Endurance: F-
Intelligence: D+
Perception: F
Willpower: D
Mana: ??? (Locked)
---
Skills↓
Story↓
---
Mission Tab: Unlocked
> Daily Quest:
• 50 push-ups
• 50 sit-ups
• 50 squats
• 1km run
Rewards: +5 EXP, +2 System Points
---
> Special Mission:
Learn one form of the Shadow Arts Swordsmanship Technique
Reward: +100 EXP
Kael's eyes widened.
A system that encouraged consistent growth… and gave points?
He tapped on the small [i] icon beside the System Points, and a tooltip appeared:
> System Points are used to boost skill proficiency, unlock system features, or modify skill effects temporarily.
He sat back and whistled.
That was huge.
With this, he could start sharpening his existing skills maybe even push them beyond their current limitations.
He leaned back against the log and looked up at the stars, thoughts swirling.
This world has a "main character." A central force. Someone blessed by fate.
Kael closed his eyes.
So the question is… are my skills enough to challenge someone like that?
The idea thrilled him.
Not to avoid the main story.
But to intertwine with it.
To collide with it.
His eyes snapped open, crimson irises glowing faintly in the dark.
"I'm going to level up," he whispered. "I'm going to catch up. And then…"
He grinned.
Let's see who the real anomaly is.