The spirit beast moved.
One moment it stood beneath the trees.
The next, it was charging.
Its enormous body exploded forward with terrifying speed, jaws wide enough to crush Emil's head in a single bite.
Instinct took over.
Golden energy surged through his legs.
Sun Step.
Whoosh!
Emil disappeared from where he stood.
The beast's jaws snapped shut on empty air with a thunderous crack.
It skidded across the ground before twisting around with surprising agility.
Its burning crimson eyes locked onto him once more.
A deep growl rumbled from its throat.
It had underestimated its prey.
"So have I..." Emil muttered under his breath.
His heart pounded violently against his ribs.
This was his first real battle.
One mistake...
One moment of hesitation...
Would mean death.
Yet beneath the fear, something else stirred.
Excitement.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't running.
He was fighting.
---
The beast roared and lunged again.
This time it swung a massive claw toward his chest.
Emil activated Sun Step once more.
His body blurred sideways just as the claw tore through the space where he had been standing.
The impact shattered a nearby tree trunk.
Wood splintered in every direction.
A cold sweat formed on Emil's forehead.
If that had hit me...
He forced the thought aside.
The Sun God Breathing Technique kept his mind calm despite the danger.
Each breath steadied his heartbeat.
Each exhale sharpened his focus.
He waited.
Watched.
Listened.
The beast's breathing.
Its footsteps.
The shifting of muscles before every attack.
Although blind, Emil could sense its movements through sound, vibration, and the faint traces of life energy surrounding its body.
He wasn't seeing his opponent.
He was reading it.
---
The beast charged a third time.
Emil planted his feet.
Golden spiritual energy rushed into his sword.
A warm radiance spread across the blade.
The ordinary iron sword glowed with a faint golden light.
Sun First.
As the beast entered striking range—
Emil swung.
Slash!
The blade carved across the creature's side.
A spray of warm blood splashed onto the forest floor.
The beast let out a furious howl.
It staggered several steps before regaining its footing.
The wound wasn't deep.
But it had hurt.
"It can bleed..."
Emil tightened his grip.
"That means I can kill it."
---
The battle intensified.
The beast relied on overwhelming strength.
Every swipe of its claws gouged trenches into the earth.
Every charge uprooted bushes and shattered fallen logs.
Emil relied on precision.
Each time the monster attacked, Sun Step carried him just beyond its reach.
Every dodge was followed by a quick slash.
Another cut.
Another wound.
Another burst of blood.
The beast's breathing gradually grew heavier.
Its movements became slower.
Its rage only increased.
Roaring, it charged recklessly.
Emil sidestepped.
The beast crashed headfirst into a massive tree.
The impact echoed through the forest.
For a brief instant...
It was stunned.
---
"This is my chance!"
Golden energy surged through Emil's body.
He rushed forward.
One strike.
Two strikes.
Three.
His sword danced through the air, leaving glowing arcs behind each swing.
Fresh wounds covered the beast's shoulders and flanks.
Its furious roars slowly transformed into cries of pain.
Even so...
The spirit beast refused to fall.
With desperate strength, it lashed out wildly.
Emil sensed the incoming attack too late.
Slash!
Razor-sharp claws tore across his left arm.
"Ahh!"
Pain exploded through his body.
Warm blood streamed down his sleeve.
The force threw him backward across the ground.
His sword nearly slipped from his grasp.
For a brief moment...
Fear returned.
He was injured.
The beast was still standing.
If this battle dragged on...
He would lose.
---
Emil took a deep breath.
The Sun God Breathing Technique circulated automatically.
Warm solar energy flowed through his meridians.
The pain became manageable.
His heartbeat slowed.
His mind cleared.
He remembered something from the inherited memories.
The Sun was relentless.
It never stopped rising.
Never stopped shining.
Never yielded to darkness.
Neither would he.
Slowly, Emil stood.
He raised his sword once more.
"I won't die here."
---
The beast roared and charged for the final time.
Its heavy footsteps shook the ground.
This attack carried everything it had left.
So did Emil's.
Golden light erupted from the blade.
The warmth surrounding him intensified.
Every strand of spiritual energy inside his body gathered into a single strike.
As the beast opened its jaws—
Emil moved.
Sun Step.
His body flashed past the monster.
Time itself seemed to slow.
The glowing sword traced a brilliant arc through the darkness.
Sun First!
Slash!
Silence.
The beast froze.
A deep crimson line slowly appeared across its throat.
Its eyes widened.
It tried to roar...
But only a faint gurgle escaped.
A heartbeat later...
Its massive body collapsed with a deafening crash.
The forest trembled.
Then everything became still.
---
Emil stood motionless.
His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths.
Sweat dripped from his face.
His injured arm trembled uncontrollably.
After several long moments, he slowly lowered his sword.
"...I won."
The words barely escaped his lips.
He had survived.
Not through luck.
Not because someone saved him.
But because he had fought with his own strength.
---
Walking toward the fallen beast, Emil knelt beside it.
His fingers brushed against its coarse fur.
The creature was already growing cold.
"It only wanted to survive..."
A trace of sadness lingered in his voice.
"In another place..."
"...perhaps neither of us would have had to die."
But this world was merciless.
Strength decided who lived.
Weakness decided who died.
Today...
He had simply refused to be the weaker one.
---
Ding!
The familiar notification echoed within his mind.
---
Host has slain a First-Order Spirit Beast.
Experience gained.
Sun Contribution Points +20
Combat experience increased.
---
Another notification appeared.
New Mission Available
Objective: Survive one month in the Forbidden Forest.
Reward: 100 SCP, Beginner Sun Body Tempering Technique.
Failure: Death.
---
Emil let out a tired laugh.
"So even the system knows dying isn't an option."
The silence of the forest answered him.
---
He cleaned the blood from his sword before sheathing it.
Then he sat beneath a nearby tree and began circulating the Sun God Breathing Technique.
Golden warmth spread through his injured arm.
The bleeding gradually slowed.
His exhausted body slowly recovered beneath the gentle embrace of solar energy.
When dawn finally broke, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the dense canopy and fell upon him.
The warmth felt different now.
More welcoming.
Almost approving.
Emil stood and faced the rising sun.
Though his eyes remained blind, he could feel its brilliant light bathing the world.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Yesterday, he had been a helpless outcast cast aside by his own people.
Today...
He was a cultivator who had survived his first battle.
And this was only the beginning.