The air at Duskriver Gorge had grown colder over the past nights, the humidity replaced with crisp wind. Serena stood in the clearing again, her scythe slung across her back, hair loosely tied, breathing steady.
This was no longer training. It was preparation for war.
Her robe was already nicked at the edges—burn marks, slashes, and dirt. She had been fighting.
---
It began a few nights ago.
The first beast had caught her while she was practicing the first form of Scythe of the Windless Moon—a technique designed not to overwhelm but to disappear, to leave no trace. She was mid-spin when she heard the grass shift, barely a whisper behind her.
She ducked.
Slash! A massive claw missed her head by inches.
A Grayhide Stalker, low-tier forest beast, but fast. Its front paw carved into the tree behind her, and she wasted no time. Her foot pivoted on instinct, and the scythe cut through the air.
> "Crescent Arc—First Path."
Her blade curved low and silent. The momentum was smooth, nearly soundless. She aimed not for the head—but the ankle.
She clipped it, forcing the beast to stumble.
The pain made it furious.
It lunged. She jumped back, barely managing to flip and reposition, but the scythe's length was tricky. She wasn't used to close-quarters with such a wide weapon.
The beast scratched her forearm—nothing deep, but it burned.
Blood welled up.
She clenched her teeth.
> "You're not a sword. You're not a spear," she whispered to the weapon, more to herself.
"You're a dance partner. We kill together."
This time, she let the beast come to her. When it lunged again, she stepped aside and pivoted. The base of the scythe shaft rammed into its ribcage—a blunt impact, shocking it.
She didn't stop.
> "Second Path—Moonfall Sweep!"
She spun low, one leg extended. Her scythe traced a shallow crescent on the earth—an arc of wind forming behind it.
It struck the beast across the jaw, slicing open flesh and bone.
The beast howled.
It collapsed a few moments later.
She stood panting, blood sliding down her cheek. But her fingers… weren't shaking.
---
The fights didn't stop.
Each night, more beasts came. A pack of forest hounds one day. A winged serpent the next.
Serena learned to adjust her footwork, read timing, and manipulate reach. The scythe was awkward at first—it forced her to move more than any weapon she'd trained with. But soon, her body began to follow the blade.
She knew when to let go of control—and when to dominate.
> "I'm not swinging it… I'm channeling it."
Each battle taught her when to block with the shaft, when to parry with the edge, and when to strike like a ghost.
By the seventh night, she could down a charging beast in under six moves.
By the ninth, she could kill silently.
---
Then came the true test.
The Duskwraith Lynx.
It stalked her first. She could sense it watching from the treetops—a presence unlike the others. When it finally leapt, it didn't roar.
It descended.
Claws reached for her neck.
Serena spun left. Her scythe rose in a blur—metal clashing with bone. Sparks flared.
Too slow.
The beast vanished and reappeared behind her.
Shadow step?
Its tail wrapped around her wrist, yanking her off-balance. She barely rolled away before it pounced again.
She gritted her teeth.
> "Third Path—Ghost Moon Rend!"
Her body surged with a Wind-Darkness fusion. She vanished briefly—then reappeared behind the beast. Her scythe traced a wide black arc—slicing through its shadow-cloaked fur.
The beast bled—but only a little.
Then it… stepped back.
It licked its wound.
And lowered its head.
> ❖ [System Notification: Taming Candidate – Compatible Aura Detected]
❖ Beast Name: Umbren, the Night-Treader
❖ Status: Sentient. Autonomous Will. Submission through Respect Achieved.
❖ Proceed with Pact? Y/N
"Yes."
The beast blinked once. Then it approached, lowered its body to the ground, and touched her palm with its forehead.
> ❖ Taming Successful. Pact Formed.
---
For the next few days, they trained together.
Umbren helped her refine the movements of Crescent Path, especially her timing. It could mimic her techniques with its tails, acting as a sparring partner.
She began mixing in real combat techniques with the scythe art—grapples, parries, kicks, and body checks.
Serena was no longer just performing forms.
She was fighting.
---
The system chimed one morning while she rested, back against a rock, Umbren curled beside her.
> ❖ [System Notification: Skill Mastery Updated]
– Scythe of the Windless Moon – Entry Level → Master Level
– Basic Combat Awareness – Gained
– Wind Affinity Integration (Weapon Flow) – Initiated
> ❖ Academy enrollment ends in 15 days. Current disguise skill acquired.
She stared at the sky.
She was ready.
---