The forest beyond the Sanctuary Barrier wasn't alive.
It moved, yes—but with whispers instead of breath, with flickers instead of leaves.
Everything here had been twisted a thousand years ago when the Spirit Network collapsed, and the land never healed.
Stark walked through the haze with his Eclipse Soulgun raised, each step sinking into gray soil that pulsed faintly beneath his boots. Blue runes drifted in the air like lazy fireflies, carrying traces of Spirit Energy.
He glanced down at his wrist—the faint blue veins of light still moved under his skin, pulsing in rhythm with the weapon.
[Spirit Network Connection: Stable.]
Energy Flow: 43/45 SE.
So it wasn't a dream.
He'd woken the System.
He'd bound a weapon.
And now, if the mission screen was real, he needed to fight.
"Wraith," Stark whispered, eyes scanning the fog. "You can sense spirits, can't you?"
The shadowy figure flickered into view behind him, half-solid, its voice soft like a low wind.
"They are close. Feral. Unbound. Weak… but hungry."
"How many?"
"Three. Moving through the mist ahead."
Stark tightened his grip on the Soulgun. His heart was pounding, but there was excitement there too—something that felt almost like belonging.
He stepped forward until the gray parted.
In the clearing below, three Lesser Spirit Beasts crawled through the mist.
They looked like wolves made of bone and smoke, their eyes two hollow blue flames.
[Detected Entities: Lesser Spirit Beasts (Corrupted Spirits)]
Level: 3–4
Threat Level: Low
Recommended Action: Eliminate for Spirit Energy gain.
"Level three," Stark murmured. "I can handle that."
"If you survive," the Wraith replied dryly. "You have never killed before."
"I've scavenged. Fought off bandits. How different can it be?"
The Wraith's glow dimmed slightly. "These creatures do not bleed—they remember. To kill them, you must erase what they were."
That didn't make sense—but he didn't have time to ask.
The nearest spirit-beast turned, its head snapping up, and then it lunged.
Stark aimed. The Soulgun hummed.
[Mode: Soul Ammunition Active.]
[Spirit Energy Consumed: 5 SE.]
[Firing.]
A blue flash tore through the air. The spirit-beast's head burst in a flare of light, its form unraveling into glowing dust.
The shot's recoil thrummed up his arm like static.
One down.
The other two howled—high, angry, not animal but human in echo—and pounced together.
Stark rolled aside, fired again, missed. The ground split where the shot hit, blue runes burning across the dirt. He stumbled, raised the weapon, and fired point-blank.
The shot caught one beast in the chest, tearing it apart. But the third slammed into him before he could recover.
They hit the ground hard.
Cold claws dug into his shoulder. He shouted, twisting, trying to bring the gun up.
"Wraith!"
The temperature dropped. The spirit beside him blurred forward like a surge of frost. Chains of light whipped out, wrapping around the beast's neck and yanking it off Stark.
The Wraith raised a hand, and the air darkened.
[Spirit Skill: Soul Drain Lv.1 Activated.]
[Target's Spirit Core destabilized.]
[Absorbing residual energy…]
The beast's body withered, its flames flickering out as the Wraith consumed it. When it was done, only a faint crystal remained, pulsing faintly in the grass.
Stark pulled himself up, chest heaving. His shoulder burned with cold, but the System chimed in his head.
[Combat Complete!]
Defeated: 3 × Lesser Spirit Beasts
EXP Gained: +45
Spirit Energy Absorbed: +12 SE
Current Level: 1 → 2
Synchronization Rate: +3% (Total: 15%)
Blue light spiraled around his body, gentle but strong. He exhaled, feeling his limbs grow lighter, faster.
The wounds on his shoulder tingled, already knitting closed.
So this was leveling up.
It wasn't just numbers—it was rebirth.
[Mission Progress: 30% — Synchronization Achieved: 15%.]
Reward Unlocked: 1st Spirit Slot Activated.
The Wraith turned toward him, eyes burning faintly.
"Your bond strengthens. The link grows clearer."
Stark smiled slightly. "You did most of the work."
"You called. I obeyed. That is the order of things."
He bent and picked up the crystal that had dropped from the last beast. It was small, translucent, filled with faint swirling smoke.
[Spirit Core Fragment (Common)]
Function: Restores 10 SE when absorbed.
Secondary: Can be used to strengthen linked spirits.
He crushed it in his palm. The energy seeped into his body, refilling the fading glow in his veins.
Hours passed as he hunted deeper into the forest.
The fog thickened, the beasts grew bolder, but so did he.
His hands steadied with every shot. His mind sharpened.
[Level Up: 3 → 4 → 5]
[Synchronization: 18% → 22%]
[New Skill Unlocked: Soul Sense Lv.1]
By the time the pale sun began to fade, Stark had cleared a path to an old ruined outpost half-swallowed by vines. He slumped against a wall, reloading his spirit rounds—crystals clicking into the gun's chamber with a satisfying hiss.
The Wraith drifted near the doorway, its voice low.
"You are learning quickly."
"Had to." Stark exhaled. "If I want to make it to Level 16 before the Academy Test, I can't waste time."
"Academy?"
"It's the only way out of the lower settlements. Top students get access to the Inner Barrier—real food, safety, tech. Maybe even a clean sky."
The Wraith's head tilted. "And you believe this will save you?"
"No," Stark said quietly. "But it'll get me strong enough to save myself."
He opened his Status Window again, checking the glowing panels.
🧿 [STATUS WINDOW — STARK]
Attribute
Value
Level:
5
Class:
[Unique] Spirit Summoner
EXP:
28 / 300
Spirit Energy (SE):
57 / 60
Soul Power:
56
Vitality:
41
Strength:
34
Agility:
33
Perception:
44
Synchronization Rate:
22 %
Spirit Slots:
1 / 3
Weapon Bond:
Eclipse Soulgun
Trait:
Soul Link (Passive)
Skill:
Soul Sense Lv.1 — Detects spirit signatures within 20 meters
He nodded to himself. "Still a long way to go."
A faint breeze stirred the dust around him, carrying distant howls. Dozens of them.
The sound made his skin crawl.
[Alert: High Spirit Activity Detected Ahead.]
Entities: Unknown.
Level Range: 8–12
Recommendation: Retreat or prepare for engagement.
The Wraith's voice cut through the hum.
"They come for the awakened one. You called light into the dark—now the dark answers."
Stark rose slowly, the Soulgun humming in his hand.
He could see blue eyes flickering in the mist between the trees.
Too many.
Way too many.
"Run?" he asked.
"No," the Wraith whispered. "Feed."
The first beast lunged. Stark fired, the flash lighting up the night like lightning.
[Battle Mode: Continuous.]
[EXP Gain Boost: +10%.]
[Survival Priority: Active.]
He fired again. And again.
Blue energy cut through the dark in rhythmic bursts, each shot burning through another charging form.
But for every beast he killed, two more replaced it.
The forest itself seemed alive now—howling, glowing, shifting with fury.
The Wraith extended both arms, spectral chains spreading outward in every direction. The air thickened, heavy with spirit mist.
[Skill: Soul Drain Lv.2 Activated.]
[Area of Effect: 10 meters.]
[Absorbing Residual Cores…]
Dozens of beasts fell at once, their bodies unraveling into drifting light.
Stark's HUD flashed madly.
[EXP +120]
[EXP +140]
[Level Up! → 6]
[Level Up! → 7]
[Synchronization +10%]
[Mission Completed!]
Blue light exploded around him, brighter than ever before.
The ground cracked beneath his feet, runes spreading outward like ripples in water.
The System spoke again.
[Congratulations! Mission "Awakening Path" Complete.]
Reward: 1st Spirit Slot Unlocked.
New Mission Available: "Path to the Academy"
Objective: Reach Level 16 and register for the Academy Trials.
Time Limit: 7 days.
Failure Consequence: Spirit Link Decay (Permanent).
Stark lowered his weapon, breathing hard.
The beasts were gone. The air was silent again.
Only faint trails of light floated through the forest, slowly fading back into the fog.
He looked at his hand — faint blue lines glowed under his skin.
"Level seven," he whispered. "Nine more to go."
The Wraith drifted beside him, its hollow mask turning toward the horizon.
"The first step always tastes of blood. The second will taste of ambition."
Stark glanced toward the distant city lights flickering beyond the forest — the edge of the Sanctuary Barrier.
That was where the Spirit Academy Trials would begin.
He holstered his gun, letting the weapon dissolve into light and sink into his wrist.
"Then let's get stronger," he said. "Before the next sunrise."
The Wraith bowed its head slightly.
"As you command… Summoner."
The mist closed behind them as they vanished into the ruins, the faint echo of chains following their steps.
[System Notice]
New Mission Activated: Path to the Academy
Target Level: 16
World: Sanctuary Realm
World Level Cap: 250
Survive. Hunt. Ascend.