Chapter 3
First Blood
The school gates loomed behind Kael as he stepped into the cold city night. His breath fogged in the air, yet his chest burned hotter than ever. He clenched the jade token still warm in his hand—the mysterious "grace task" still blinking in faint gold across the top of his vision:
> GRACE TASK:
Objective: Defeat a hostile cultivator.
Reward: 20 Grace Points + System Hint
Failure: None
He had no idea how the words got there. No idea what Grace Points truly meant. And no time to care.
A sharp whistle sliced through the quiet night. Kael's instincts flared as he spun, dodging low. A dagger whizzed past his cheek, embedding itself in a steel pole with a solid thunk.
"Kael Sorne," a voice drawled from the shadows, smug and cruel. "Didn't expect to find you wandering alone. Expelled already? What a shame."
Three figures stepped into the streetlight. At their lead stood Dren Voss, one of the elite spellblades from Kael's former academy. Dren's amber robe shimmered with runic embroidery, and a crystalline rapier hung at his side.
"Dren," Kael muttered, fists clenching.
Dren smirked. "You've always thought you were better than the rest of us. A failed hybrid pretending to be noble blood." He flicked his fingers. A flash of silver light spun into a conjured whip. "Let's test that arrogance, shall we?"
The others flanked Kael, both drawing spiritual blades that hummed with unstable Qi.
Kael's blood surged—too fast, too hot.
Fight.
It wasn't a voice. Not exactly. It was instinct, primal and ancient, coming from deep in his veins. The second his hand tightened around his hilt, the world shifted.
A flicker of light flared in his right eye.
[Draconic Bloodline: Primordial Flame Wyrm]—Dormant State: Reactivating.
Kael's heart thundered. The Gracebound System pulsed to life.
> Emergency Combat Trigger Detected. Unlocking: Ember Vein Surge (Passive). Grace Points Required: 0. Activation granted by Bloodline Sync.
Suddenly, Kael's vision cleared, his muscles hummed with coiled power, and his breath turned molten. His sword unsheathed in a single whisper of steel.
Dren lunged—fast, elegant. A spiral of water burst from his rapier, a twisting spear of compressed spiritual essence. Kael ducked, countered with a reverse slash, and sparks flared as the blades clashed.
A normal Aura stage cultivator couldn't possibly handle this.
But Kael wasn't normal.
Flames burst from his forearm like molten veins as he twisted, ducking under a second attacker's blade. With one explosive step forward, he slammed his shoulder into the man's ribs, sending him flying into a parked hover-car.
Dren's eyes narrowed. "He's channeling elemental Qi? You're still only Aura-level—!"
"Then try me," Kael growled.
The third opponent came in high, blade swirling with gusting wind. Kael leapt, flipping through the air, channeling Qi into his soles mid-spin. In a flash of blue light, he reappeared behind the man and kicked him into the pavement.
+10 Grace Points
Partial Objective Progress: 1/3 Hostiles Subdued
Kael barely saw the alert. Dren was already in front of him, face twisted with rage. The whip lashed out, charged with spiritual electricity.
Kael didn't move back. He stepped into the strike.
The whip cracked against his shoulder—pain screamed through his nerves—but his sword was already at Dren's throat. He stopped just shy, blade glowing faintly with ember lines. The tip hummed, steady, threatening.
Dren froze.
Kael stared into his eyes. "Tell your clan I'm not the same."
He stepped back, letting the blade fall. Dren gasped for breath, hand trembling.
The other two groaned from the sidelines, barely conscious.
Kael turned his back on them. That was the last mistake they would ever make.
> GRACE TASK COMPLETE.
+20 Grace Points.
New Feature Unlocked: Gracebound Shop (Partial Access).
> SYSTEM HINT: Weapons stored in your demiplane can now be summoned freely. Power restriction lifted for 10 minutes per day.
> Total Grace Points: 30
Kael stopped in the alleyway behind the building and drew in a slow breath. The wounds on his shoulder already itched as dragon-infused Qi closed them. He could still feel the faint rhythm of the Gracebound System in his core, now pulsing stronger.
Suddenly, a doorway shimmered in the air beside him—made of golden light, carved with runes he couldn't understand. The system called to him.
Demiplane access granted.
He stepped through.
Inside, time slowed. The world turned pale and still. A vast hall stretched into nothingness, lined with ancient floating platforms, glowing relics, and a single massive statue of a dragon coiled around a crystal throne. The walls were endless, ink-dark sky swirling above.
His heart beat slower here.
This… was his sanctuary.
This was where his power would grow.