The butchering was finished.
For days, the sound of chisels, cooling bombs, and hammer strikes echoed through the volcanic plains — until finally, the last piece of Vulcarion Basal's remains was loaded onto the carts.
By afternoon, the villagers wiped the sweat from their brows as the final shipment departed for Korvan Village. The great basin was silent again, scarred but peaceful — no longer a battlefield, but a grave of triumph.
Hunnt watched the departing carts fade over the ridges. Beside him, Kael stood with his hands in his coat pockets, the wind tugging at his hat. Alder leaned against a boulder, eyes half closed, exhausted but content. Seren stood a few paces away, her lance planted in the earth, gazing toward the horizon with quiet determination.
Tomorrow, their focus would shift — from war to growth.
---
The next morning, the wide field south of Korvan shimmered under the dawn light. Scattered clouds drifted above like trails of smoke from unseen fires. The ground was flat and open, ringed by distant cliffs — perfect for training.
Kael stood at the edge, stretching his arms while eyeing the terrain. "Not bad," he muttered. "Enough room to fall without breaking your neck."
Seren arrived first, her armor polished, her expression bright despite the bruises still faint on her face. Alder and Hunnt followed soon after, each carrying small satchels and canteens.
Hunnt set his bag down and faced them. "Today we start a new chapter," he said, tone calm but firm. "Kael already told Seren about our techniques. The choice is hers."
Seren stepped forward confidently. "I've decided."
Hunnt nodded once. "Let's hear it."
"Soru, Tekkai, Kami-e, and Observation Haki," she said.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Skipping Armament? Most hunters go for strength first."
Seren shook her head. "Strength's useless if you can't see the hit coming. I want to sense the danger before it strikes — and move before it kills."
Hunnt crossed his arms. "And Kami-e?"
"For dodging the small hits," Seren said simply. "Observation for predicting the big ones. I already have armor and a shield — I don't need Armament to survive."
Hunnt studied her quietly for a moment before giving a small nod. "Good reasoning. You'll do fine."
Kael smirked. "Smart choice, honestly. Observation's the harder path — but once mastered, nothing escapes you."
Hunnt turned to him. "You'll be her instructor for Soru, Kami-e, and Observation. I'll handle Tekkai."
Kael tipped his hat. "Understood. I'll start her off with the basics — speed and awareness."
"Good," Hunnt said, stepping back. "Alder, you're with me. We'll continue your Geppo training. You're close, but not stable enough to chain it. We'll fix that — and you'll do it while fending off monsters."
Alder groaned. "So basically, you're trying to kill me again."
Hunnt smirked faintly. "If you die, I'll know you weren't ready."
"Encouraging," Alder muttered.
Kael chuckled. "Same lesson as before, kid — if Hunnt's smiling, it's about to hurt."
---
Day 1 – 2: Soru and Monster Trials
Kael began Seren's training at dawn. The technique of Soru — or "Shave" — wasn't about strength or speed, but timing.
Seren's armor weighed her down, so Kael made her practice by dropping pebbles from his hand — she had to move ten steps before they hit the ground.
"Faster!" Kael shouted as the morning light burned brighter. "Don't think — react!"
Seren gritted her teeth, her movements clumsy at first. But by the second day, her steps blurred faintly against the dust.
In the afternoon, Kael brought in low-tier beasts — magma hounds and ash lizards. "Monster training," he said. "Let them chase you. If you can't outpace them, you're meat."
Seren ran until her lungs burned, dodging through geysers of steam and fire bursts. Kael watched closely, smiling with approval when she learned to anticipate their charges using reflex instead of sight.
---
Day 3 – 4: Kami-e – The Feather Form
By the third morning, Kael switched her focus.
"Forget speed. Learn stillness," he said.
Kami-e — the "Feather Drawing Form" — required complete control over tension and flow. Every muscle needed to yield without collapsing.
Seren practiced by standing before Kael while he flicked small stones toward her at high speed. Her task was to let them miss — shifting just enough for them to pass by without resistance.
At first, she failed miserably.
By noon, her cheeks and shoulders bore faint red marks from near hits.
Kael folded his arms. "You're fighting the air again. You're not supposed to block the hit. Be a feather — bend, don't resist."
Seren exhaled slowly, closing her eyes. The next stone passed so close it brushed her hair — but didn't strike.
Kael smirked. "Good. That's it. Now keep doing that until you don't have to think about it."
By the fourth day, her movements flowed like ribbons in the wind.
---
Day 5 – 6: Tekkai – The Iron Body
Now it was Hunnt's turn.
The training field rumbled as he cracked his knuckles and gestured for Seren to step forward.
"Tekkai isn't about being hard," Hunnt said. "It's about control. You'll channel your entire body's willpower into one moment — every nerve, every fiber locked in harmony. Like steel forged by heat."
Seren nodded, bracing her stance.
"Ready?" Hunnt asked.
"Yes."
He punched.
The impact sent a shockwave through the air, dust rippling across the ground. Seren staggered, barely keeping her footing.
Hunnt stepped back. "Again."
She tightened her stance, focusing her breath. The next hit cracked louder — but she didn't move.
"Good," Hunnt said. "Remember that feeling. Tekkai isn't about resistance — it's conviction."
By the sixth day, she could take his strikes without flinching, her armor ringing like iron bells.
---
Day 7 – 9: Observation Haki
The final lesson was Kael's again.
He blindfolded Seren and made her walk through the field surrounded by moving monsters — each emitting faint sounds, each a threat.
"Observation Haki isn't about seeing," Kael said quietly. "It's about feeling the intent — their breath, their hunger, their movement. Close your eyes, and listen to what wants you dead."
For hours, Seren stood motionless, breathing slowly. Then, faintly, she began to move before the monsters did — stepping away from their strikes a heartbeat early.
By the ninth day, she could sense Kael's presence even when he was silent.
Kael smiled. "You're learning faster than I did."
Seren smirked under her breath. "That's because I listen."
Kael laughed. "That's new for a Drifter."
---
By the end of the ninth day, the wide field was scarred by footsteps, claw marks, and faint trails of steam.
Alder had finally mastered Geppo under Hunnt's relentless pressure, leaping briefly into the air before landing hard with a triumphant grin.
Hunnt watched both students — Alder standing tall with his blade resting across his shoulder, and Seren kneeling with her lance driven into the dirt, eyes closed in focus.
The Eternal Wanderers were growing.
Not just in number — but in strength, conviction, and heart.
Hunnt looked at the horizon, where the smoke of the old volcano faded into blue sky. "The world's still wide," he murmured. "But we're finally ready to walk it."