By late afternoon, Kaelion was back in the desolate training grounds outside the capital, away from the prying eyes of his family. The wind picked up again, carrying with it the scent of wet earth and distant rain, but the air was still as the sun dipped low.
His breath was labored, the taste of metal still thick on his tongue. His legs felt like they were made of stone, muscles sore from hours of training. But none of that mattered. Not here. Not now.
He wasn't done.
---
Training Mode: Void Pulse Step - Echo Trace.
Progress: 83%.
Time remaining until optimal proficiency: 4 hours.
The System's voice hummed quietly in his mind as Kaelion drew in a deep breath. The faint glow at the center of his chest flared with heat. His palms were covered in sweat, and his chest burned as if someone had lit a flame inside him.
There was no going back now. He had taken the first step, and he would see it through.
Kael pushed himself to his feet, forcing his limbs to cooperate. He adjusted his stance and closed his eyes for a brief moment, clearing his thoughts. The world around him faded.
> [Commence Execution: Echo Trace – Level 1]
He surged forward, the wind whipping past him like a heavy gust. This time, he wasn't just moving. He was bending the space around him, pushing his own body to its limits.
A blur of motion. A breath caught. The next step was smoother, faster.
He didn't stop.
With every flicker, he moved farther, the energy of the Void flowing around him. Each step was an echo of the last, a ripple through the air, a trail left behind that only the sharpest eyes could follow.
Kaelion's senses expanded.
He could feel the world shift, the space bending with his movement. There was a rhythm in the chaos, something primal. Something raw. But he could also feel the strain. His muscles screamed for rest, but he fought against it.
> [Training Complete: Void Pulse Step – Echo Trace Variant Unlocked.]
The System's voice snapped him back to reality. Kaelion stood in the center of the broken arena, his breath heavy but steady, sweat dripping down his face. He wiped it away, his eyes narrowing as he looked around. His surroundings were still—and yet not.
There was something new in the air, something Kaelion hadn't sensed before.
Presence.
He wasn't alone.
Kael's instincts flared, his body shifting to a combat-ready stance in an instant, his silver eyes darting over the arena. For a brief moment, he swore he saw a shadow move at the edge of his vision.
But then—nothing.
Nothing but the wind. Nothing but the rustling of dead leaves. Nothing but the silence.
But Kaelion knew better than to ignore his instincts. Slowly, he lowered his guard, but kept his senses sharp.
---
His body still ached from the previous trials, but there was no time for weakness. The System had given him a new path—Echo Trace, a skill that could propel him even further into the unknown. The next battle would be harder, and his power would need to grow exponentially.
His next test loomed ahead. He couldn't afford hesitation.
---
The following days were a blur of grueling training. Kaelion spent every waking hour in the fields, in the broken courts, and sometimes in the deeper wilderness, pushing his body to the brink of collapse. He was no longer just training; he was surpassing every limit he had ever known.
---
By the time the sun rose on the fifth day, Kaelion felt different—more alive than ever. His Core had grown stronger, pulsating with a steady, vibrant rhythm in his chest.
It was no longer just a faint glow. The power inside him was now undeniable, slowly churning into something greater. Something more than just a system. Something more than the empty promises of his family.
And then, in the quiet moments before dawn, the voice of the System spoke again:
> [New Trial Available: Defeat the Guardian of the Wastes.]
[Tier-4 Beast Detected. Proximity: 3.2 kilometers.]
Kaelion's lips twisted into a thin, determined smile. He was ready.
---
The Guardian of the Wastes was known as one of the fiercest creatures in the realm, a beast that haunted the deepest parts of the land. It was said to be an ancient, massive being, covered in stone-like scales, with claws as sharp as daggers and eyes that glowed like the sun.
A Tier-4 creature.
But it didn't matter. To Kaelion, power wasn't about status or rank. It was about how far he could push himself—how far he could go before he broke. He wasn't fighting for a title. He wasn't fighting for glory. He was fighting for something far more personal.
The battle wasn't just about proving his strength to the world.
It was about proving his strength to himself.