Unlike humans, whose strength could be gauged by the realm they reached, assessing a monster's true power was much more complicated. At the time, the only truly reliable indicator was the amount of mana they radiated.
Monsters were classified by stars, on a scale ranging from half a star, creatures so weak they could be taken down by ordinary people, to six stars, beings so powerful they were considered legendary, known only through ancient, vague tales passed down over generations.
However, this classification was based solely on mana density and ignored the evolutionary stage of the monster. There were three main stages:
Normal monsters: the most common and basic form.
Elite monsters: more intelligent, with superior abilities and sometimes even primitive tactics.
Boss monsters: the final evolutionary stage, not only reaching the peak of their power but also capable of commanding weaker members of their species.
But there was one rare and dangerous category: King monsters. These were not necessarily the strongest, but they possessed a unique trait that allowed them to dominate any other monster, even those of a higher rank. It was this power of absolute dominance that made them so feared.
Another key distinction was between invader monsters and resident monsters. Invaders were beings from dimensional rifts, marked by extreme aggression and abnormal strength. Residents, on the other hand, had broken free from the rift's influence, losing some of their primal power but gaining the ability to reproduce and adapt permanently to the continent.
It was the combination of all these factors that made accurately measuring a monster's strength such a difficult task.
And for the first time in his life, Kael was preparing to face one.
****
In the calm of dawn, broken only by birdsong and the soft rustling of leaves, Kael held the hilt of his new sword with both hands. He could feel its weight and cold steel, a sharp reminder that it was a weapon meant to kill. But that unease had faded after his first hunt.
In the small camp they had set up in the heart of the forest, Ronald was packing the last supplies into his backpack. They had spent several days here, but now it was time to move. There would be no monsters nearby, the Baron Romulus' patrols regularly scouted the area, keeping it safe and clear of danger. That's why they needed to head farther north, toward the edge of the territory, where the rifts had left deeper scars and monsters still roamed free.
"Ready?" Ronald asked, glancing at Kael.
The boy nodded, though the tension in his eyes betrayed the nerves tightening in his stomach. He had fought many times in the past days, but never with a real sword, and never against a real monster.
"There's nothing to worry about," Ronald said with a half-smile, trying to reassure him. "We'll make sure you face a half-star monster. It'll be manageable for your current strength, and it'll boost your confidence."
Kael scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Yes," Ronald chuckled. "But that's a good thing. Anyone who feels nothing before facing the unknown is just a fool. Courage and tension should always stay in balance."
Kael exhaled and nodded firmly, resting his hand on the sword at his side.
The journey was long and quiet. Sunlight filtered through the increasingly dense trees as they moved beyond the patrolled zone. The air grew more humid, the soil darker, and all signs of human presence gradually vanished.
Kael didn't let the time go to waste. Even while walking, he continued circulating mana through his body, following the manual's instructions. It was an exhausting, never-ending exercise, but extremely beneficial. The more he practiced, the better his control became, and his mana density increased bit by bit.
'Moving it feels more and more natural… At this rate, I could reach the control level of a Mid-Novice within a month.'
The thought brought a small smile to his lips.
He knew it would still take a long time to truly master mana at a level suited to his grade, but he wasn't in a hurry. After all, someone with decent talent usually reached the High-Novice level around the age of nineteen. And he was only fifteen.
After more than half a day of travel, with short breaks to rest and drink, they were far from any civilized area, deep in one of the many wild regions scattered across the western part of the continent.
"We've got a few hours of daylight left. Let's see what you can do," Ronald said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.
Kael accepted the challenge and began moving cautiously, studying the terrain and environment just as Ronald had taught him during their hunts.
He crouched near a bush and ran his fingers over the ground.
"Deep footprints... three clawed toes. Looks like a biped, not too tall."
He turned to Ronald for confirmation. The older man gave him a proud smile and a thumbs-up.
"Good analysis," he said. "You didn't miss a thing."
Kael nodded proudly, then leaned down again to follow the trail. The signs continued through the bushes, with broken branches and occasional scratch marks on the trees.
"Eastward," Kael muttered to himself.
Ronald simply followed in silence, letting Kael take the lead in the hunt. He wanted to see how far the boy could manage on his own.
After about ten minutes, Kael slowed down and crouched between two rocks. The ground was becoming muddier, and just ahead stood a humanoid creature, a little over one and a half meters tall. It had a long snout, sharp teeth, and dirty, patchy fur. Its clawed hands gripped a crude club made of stone and bone.
'...Ugly as hell.'
That was the first, oddly ironic, thought that crossed Kael's mind as he laid eyes on the first monster of his life.
He couldn't tell exactly what species it was, but watching it move clumsily, tongue hanging out and eyes vacant, it didn't seem particularly smart.
Kael took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
'I have the advantage. I'm downwind and it hasn't noticed me, I can- '
Crack!
The forest's silence shattered as something snapped loudly. Kael turned stiffly toward Ronald, who stood holding a broken branch.
"W-Why?" Kael asked, stunned, a mix of panic and disbelief on his face.
"Just because," Ronald replied with a shrug. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Oh, that's a gnoll. One-star monster. And you should never turn your back on one."
Kael didn't have time to react. A guttural snarl made the hairs on his neck stand up. The gnoll had already turned toward him, nostrils flaring at the scent of the intruder. With surprising speed, it leaped forward, swinging its crude club.
Kael dodged instinctively, feeling the air shift as the weapon smashed into the spot where he'd just been standing. The thud of the impact was followed by a harsh, unsettling laugh.
Khukhukhu
'It's fast!'
Kael sprang to his feet, gripping a real sword for the first time in his life. He pushed away the trembling in his hands.
Suddenly, the gnoll shifted its gaze toward Ronald. It let out another threatening growl and prepared to lunge.
Kael opened his mouth to warn him, but it was pointless.
The gnoll froze. Its eyes widened, and a visible shudder ran through its body. It had sensed something... something its primal instincts recognized as a deadly threat.
With a strangled snarl—"Khukhukhu!"—it turned back to Kael, as if Ronald never existed, and charged at him with twice the fury.
"Ronald?!"
Kael shouted but got no reply. When he turned, the man was gone.
Kael clenched his teeth in frustration. He knew Ronald was fine, he was just waiting for him to handle the problem on his own.
"I swear! You're cleaning the whole house for the next month!"
His shout was met with silence. The gnoll was growling and closing in fast, ready to strike again.
It charged without hesitation, club raised high to smash his skull. Kael stood his ground, trying to read its movements, just like Ronald had taught him.
'Now!'
He stepped aside with a sharp motion, dodging the blow by a hair. The club struck a rock with a heavy thud, splitting it in two. The impact made the creature's arm tremble briefly.
Kael took the chance and slashed with his sword. The strike wasn't perfect, he only grazed the gnoll's side, spilling a ribbon of dark blood.
The gnoll roared in anger, more annoyed than hurt, and with another growl, smacked Kael aside with its arm. Kael rolled across the ground, the air knocked from his lungs but quickly scrambled back to his feet.
'Damn it!'
The monster prepared for another charge. But this time, Kael didn't wait, he moved first. He used his movement technique to close the distance quickly. The gnoll tried to attack, but Kael was ready.
He channeled mana into his arms and slashed fiercely, cutting through the creature's arm. The gnoll howled in pain.
'Again!'
With his body low, Kael gathered mana in his legs as well. Like a coiled spring, he launched forward and drove his sword into the creature's chest.
The gnoll let out one final, weak screech before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Kael used his foot to pull his weapon free. The sight of the bleeding corpse made his stomach turn, but the pounding in his chest and the rush of adrenaline told a different story.
"Exciting, wasn't it?"
Ronald reappeared out of nowhere, and Kael was not in the mood for a warm welcome.
"I'm planting weeds on your grave instead of flowers..."
Ronald looked momentarily surprised, then burst out laughing. His little prank hadn't been well received.