The road stretched endlessly ahead, carved deep by years of travel and conquest, its surface hardened by countless footsteps and carriage wheels. What began as a lonely forest trail had slowly transformed into something far greater something wider, busier, alive. Travelers moved in clusters now. Merchants with heavy wagons creaking under goods. Knights in polished armor riding in disciplined formations. Even cloaked figures who spoke little but carried themselves with quiet power.
And then Kyle saw it.
At first, it was just a silhouette on the horizon, a jagged line cutting into the sky. But with every step forward, it grew, expanding into something so vast it made his chest tighten.
The capital of Gilbizard ,Zoreth.One of the richest cities in the world.
Towering walls rose like mountains forged by human will, built from dark stone that seemed to drink in the sunlight. Massive gates stood open, guarded by armored guards whose presence alone radiated authority. Above the walls, the city climbed upward in layers; spires, towers, banners fluttering in the wind, each one bearing a knighted griphin emblem.
It wasn't just a city.
It was power made visible.
Kyle slowed unconsciously.
"…So this is it," he muttered under his breath.Completly awed by the view. Beside him Mira smirked. "First time seeing a real kingdom, huh?" she said her voice teasing.
If only she knew that the biy seated next to him was locked away from birth.
Kyle didn't answer immediately. His hollow blue eyes traced every detail not wanting to miss anything- the sheer scale, the organized chaos, the overwhelming presence of strength.
Ren chuckled from behind, shifting the weight on his shoulder as if it were nothing. "Careful, kid. If you stare too long, someone might think you're planning to steal the place."
Kyle blinked a little embarrassed then looked away slightly. "…I wasn't."
But deep inside, something stirred.
Not fear, not awe but something else...
Ambition.
They passed through the gates without trouble. The guards gave Ren and Mira a brief glance before stepping aside. Whatever reputation they carried, it was enough.Aaron was watching silently from the back.
Inside, Zoreth unfolded like a different world entirely.
The streets were alive, crowded, loud, vibrant. Vendors shouted over one another, advertising everything from enchanted trinkets to exotic meats. The scent of spices mixed with smoke and steel. Magic pulsed faintly in the air, subtle but undeniable.
Buildings rose high, crafted with both elegance and intimidation. Some gleamed with polished stone, while others carried scars of age and battle. Banners of noble houses hung proudly from balconies, each one marking territory, influence, power.
Kyle's gaze moved constantly.
Taking everything in.
Learning.
"This," Mira said, spreading her arms slightly as they walked, "is the heart of the Gilbizard Kingdom. Strength decides everything here. Nobles rule, the strong rise, and the weak…" she glanced at him briefly, "they either adapt or disappear."
Ren added casually, "And the academy? That's where monsters are made."
Kyle's eyes sharpened slightly.
" I look forward to it." he said with deep determination.
They didn't head to the academy immediately.
Instead, Ren suddenly stopped in front of a shop. One far more refined than the chaotic stalls outside. Its exterior was clean, elegant, with glass windows displaying neatly arranged robes and garments.
Kyle frowned slightly. "…Why are we here?"
Ren looked at him, then down at Kyle's current state dirtky looking worn clothes, rough edges, the lingering marks of survival rather than living.
"…You seriously planning to walk into the academy like that?"He said with ni mockery just facts.
Kyle hesitated.
Mira crossed her arms. "You'll get kicked out before you even speak."
Ren grinned. "Come on. My treat."
Kyle instinctively wanted to refuse. That was how he had always survived—taking nothing, needing nothing.
But…
"…Fine," he said quietly.
Inside, the air felt different, far cooler, calmer compared to the chaos of the outside world.
Kyle stood awkwardly as attendants moved around him, measuring, adjusting, bringing out options. Ren picked most of it without asking too much, clearly experienced.
"Something simple, but sharp," Ren muttered. "He's not a noble, but he shouldn't look like a stray either."
Eventually, they settled on a robe.
Dark, but not dull. It had rumes enscriited in it for self cleaning body warming and self adjustment.
A deep black base with subtle silver lining along the edges, light enough for movement but structured enough to hold presence. It wasn't flashy, but it carried a quiet authority.
When Kyle put it on, something shifted.
He didn't look like a lost boy anymore.
He looked… deliberate.They bought a few more.
Then came the haircut.
Kyle sat still as strands of his jet-black hair fell away. The messy, overgrown look was replaced with something cleaner, sharper—his hair now framing his face just enough to reveal those hollow blue eyes fully.
When he stood again, even Mira paused.
"…Not bad," she admitted.
Ren smirked. "Told you."
Kyle didn't say anything, but as he caught his reflection briefly he couldn't help but feel a slight surprise.
He barely recognized himself.
Sharp.
Composed.
Dangerous, in a quiet way.
They eventually reached the academy gates.
Unlike the city's main entrance, these gates weren't just large—they were imposing in a different way. Runes were etched into the surface, faintly glowing. The air itself felt heavier, charged with mana.
"This is where we part ways," Mira said.
Kyle looked at her.
"For now," she added with a small smile. "Survive here first."
Ren stretched lazily. "Don't die before enrollment. That'd be embarrassing."
Kyle nodded once.
"…Thank you. I'll repay you someday I promise."a slighy smike forming in his face which caught all of them off guard even the silent Aaron.
" You should smike more often," said Ren and with that they turned walking in a different direction.
After one final glance in their direction he turned and walked forward.
Because he was a foreigner, the process was… different.
After a brief inspection and questioning, he was assigned temporary lodging—dorms located just outside the main academy grounds. A place for outsiders, candidates, and those waiting for enrollment.
His room was small.
Simple.
A bed. A desk. A window.
But it was his.
For now.
That night, Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor.
The room was silent.
Slowly, he reached inward.
The katana appeared before him.
Even now, it felt… wrong.
Like something that didn't belong in the hands of the weak.
The blade remained sheathed, but its presence alone filled the room with a suffocating pressure.
"Nexus…" Kyle muttered.
'You already know what to do.'
He did.
Carefully, he placed his hand on the hilt.
The moment he did—
The world shifted.
Darkness swallowed everything.
A vast, endless void stretched before him, and within it he felt a presence.
Ancient , cold.
Watching.
Kyle's grip tightened.
"…I'm not here to beg," he said.
but what met him was a brief silence then it came. Pressure.
It crashed into him like a wave, trying to crush his will, to break him, to force him to submit.
His vision blurred, his body trembled.
But ,He didn't kneel, he refused to acknowledge he was weak. Not anymore.
"I'll wield you," he said, his voice steady despite everything. "Not the other way around."
For a moment,everything stilled. Then the pressure… eased.
Not gone.
But… acknowledged.
The katana accepted him.
Barely.
But enough.
Kyle gasped as he snapped back into reality, the blade now resting quietly in his hand.
Bound.
He didn't stop there.
The vial appeared next.
Void essence.
It swirled unnaturally, like it was alive.
"Nexus… this will work, right?"
'It will hurt.So brace yourself,' nexus said
"…I figured."
Without hesitation, he drank it.
The moment it touched his throat....the
agony began.
Pure, overwhelming pain exploded through his body. It felt like his very existence was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.
Dark energy surged wildly, colliding with his own void affinity.
His veins burned.
His mind fractured.
But he held on.
Minutes felt like hours.
Until slowly it all resided.
Silence.
Kyle collapsed forward, breathing heavily.
"…Did it… work?"
'Check.'
He did.
And felt it.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Controlled.
"I…"
'You broke through. Early Awakened… to Intermediate Tier One.'
Kyle laughed weakly.
"…That fast?"
'You almost died.'
"…Worth it."
The next morning Kyle stood outside.
The academy loomed in the distance.
But he didn't go there.
Not yet.
"Nexus… what now?"
There was a pause.
Then the voice came. This time it carried I ky seriousness in it.
'You train.' nexus said. 'You are still far behind reaching any genius level. Remember they trained long before they were marked. So you have to train harder. '
Kyle exhaled.
"Figures."
'Your body is weak. Your control is unstable. Fix that.'
"…How?"
A brief silence.
'Simple.'
Kyle listened.
And frowned.
"…You're serious?"
'Very.'
1000 push-ups.Every day 1000 sword slashes.
Horizontal.
Vertical.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Kyle stood there for a moment.He knew it would be agony but would that stop him?? NO!
"…Fine."
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Kyle didn't rush.
He didn't chase others.
He built himself.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
His body grew stronger, even if only bit by bit. His control over void energy sharpened. Each swing of the blade became cleaner, faster, more precise.
The academy provided food.He no longer had to starve.He no longer had to survive.
Now all he needed to do was train eat and train.
He would grow stronger before the academy.
At night, he would sit by the window.
Watching the academy.
Waiting.
Enrollment day was tomorrow and Kyle would step inside.
Not as the broken boy from the forest, not as the stain of Sulmire, not as the dissapointement of a son....
But as something else entirely.
Something sharper.
Something dangerous.
Something that would carve its name into the world.
And this time—
He wouldn't just survive.
He would rise.