Tagatha stood outside beneath the fading sky, the wind stirring lightly through the trees that bordered the estate. The air was cool against her skin, but her thoughts burned hotter than ever.
She didn't know what she'd expected, really.
Her father had always been like this—unyielding, protective to a fault, and utterly stubborn when it came to anything involving her safety. Even with her mother backing her up, it had been a long shot to think he'd suddenly support her dreams.
She wasn't angry. Just... frustrated.
Frustrated at the same cycle repeating itself.
She understood where he was coming from. Truly, she did. Demon beasts were no joke. Their family had already lost people to them, people far stronger than her. And yet, understanding his point of view didn't make it any less suffocating. No matter how much she prepared, trained, studied… he always pulled her back just before she could take the leap.
But she had to evolve. And she couldn't do that being constantly protected by someone else's shadow. Not anymore.
She exhaled sharply and shifted her focus back to the present. She sat on a bench in the estate courtyard, surrounded by a small organized mess—books, tools, and gear laid out like pieces of a war plan.
A bestiary was open on her lap, one of many she'd read over repeatedly. She flipped to a page detailing demon beast classifications and notable weaknesses. She remembered every detail on the page, studied for a chance that one of these things attacked. Especially since it's not unheard of for one to just spawn in a populated environment. If I want to pass this evaluation… no—if I want to survive—then I need to act like I won't have any supervision at all.
She glanced at the items laid out in front of her.
That means I need to be ready for anything. Go to the Beast Glades before the others. Get real experience. Understand the terrain. Scout it. If I don't… someone else will, and they'll be better for it.
She thought as her gaze settled on her rapier. She reached for it, running a hand along the length of its silver-edged blade before sheathing it at her hip.
If I can take down smaller demon beasts—like hyper rabbits—I'll at least know what their aggression patterns are like. Some experience is better than none. I need that edge.
Even now, despite trying to focus, her mind kept spiraling back to the dining room. Just like the others. Just like the teachers who dismissed her. The cousins who pitied her. The instructors who overlooked her. Everyone who saw her lack of magic and treated her as something fragile. Less.
I'm not less, she thought bitterly. I'm just… different.
Tagatha let out another breath and turned her attention to the gear she'd gathered.
Her enchanted rapier—lightweight, high precision, reinforced for durability. Clothing embedded with passive enchantments—light resistance, minor self-cleaning. A muscle enhancement potion, for raw physical strain. Flame-resistant potion, for elemental hazards. A full set of alchemy crystals, one for each element—gifts from her mother years ago. Beast compendiums, monster physiology books, environment and terrain maps. A set of emergency potions—nutritional blends to speed up healing and delay exhaustion.
It wasn't perfect.
But it wasn't terrible either.
Great, she thought, sliding the books into her backpack and beginning to organize the rest of her tools. It's not the best kit out there… but it's enough. Barely.
She sighed, zipping up the bag and slinging it over her shoulder.
If her father had offered his help, she might've had a storage artifact. Or better weapons. Reinforced armor. Custom potions. A guide.
But he didn't and dwelling on that wouldn't change anything now.
She looked up at the sky, the sun dipping toward the horizon, setting, and squared her shoulders.
Fine, she thought. I'll just make do. Like I always have.
Tagatha pulled the strap of her bag snug across her shoulder and exhaled slowly. The bag felt heavier than usual—not because of the weight, but because this was both her first time going to fight a demon beast and the first time she ever defied her father.
She adjusted her attire, checking the seams and making sure each clasp was secure. Her combat uniform shimmered faintly under the moonlight that was starting to emerge due to the enchantments sewn into the fabric. Nothing exceptional. Basic impact resistance.excellent elemental resistance, body enhancement. Her boots, however, were special—they allowed her to hover slightly off the ground, reducing friction and adding to her overall speed.
They'd have to be enough.
This uniform wasn't her best. It was the one Lynthia had given her for her last birthday. Thoughtful. Lightweight. Sleek. Not meant for front-line combat, but it held sentimental weight. Wearing it felt right for this first step, even if she knew it wouldn't hold up to everything the Glades might throw at her.
Her best gear—the real uniform—was hanging inside a sealed case in her room. Forged by her father's own hands. Tuned to her body. Enchanted with high-level protection and layered resistance. She would wear that for the evaluation test. That would be her finest hour.
But for now?
If she couldn't prove herself here, in this?
Then wearing the other one would mean nothing.
It wasn't that she couldn't use spiritual energy. Just... not like the others. Her mother, her father, her sister—they wielded energy like a second skin. Natural. Abundant. Flowing through their bodies like rivers. Spiritual energy was something every living thing was born with and therefore should be able to use, it surrounded them, flowed through them, made up everything. The problem was, people had different pools of spiritual energy their core could contain, which is basically their soul. This is called a spirit reserves.
Tagatha's spiritual reserves were shallow. Unfairly so.
Too much exertion, and she'd faint. Pass out. Or worse. It was due to her condition, her body was born with a weak core, too much spiritual energy would shatter it, too little and she could possibly die. It was like everyone else's core were bowls of water while hers was a glass cup. Which is dangerous since running completely out of spiritual energy would make one's core no longer be stable, resulting in death.
Yeah, Tagatha's situation was… something, but she'd adapted.
Her control was exceptional—surgical, even. Bit by bit, never overexerting. It wasn't flashy, but it was hers, she could coat her body and even use signatures. Not too many, one to two at the highest. But that was still pretty good.
Not that anyone noticed, she thought bitterly. Not like they ever cared enough to.
She descended the back steps of the estate. The moonlight kissed the marble as she passed through the gardens, ducking low behind hedges and skirting the flower beds. She had to avoid Lynthia.
If her sister knew where she was going, she'd try to follow and Tagatha couldn't afford to be held back right now.
When she reached the outer gate and stepped onto the main road, she paused. Looking back once, it was surprisingly easier than she thought, hell, she didn't even need to sneak around.. No alarm. No yelling. No guards rushing after her.
Strangely enough… no one stopped her.
So... he didn't order them to.
She didn't know if it was mercy, neglect, or something in between.
She shook the thought away and tapped her toe against the stone road. Her boots lit up faintly beneath her soles, the enchantments activating with spiritual energy. Her body lifted slightly from the ground, no more than a few inches—but the sudden reduction in resistance was immediate. She could move faster, glide over the ground swiftly.
She launched forward, wind brushing against her cheeks as she raced down the moonlit path toward the Beast Glades.
Once I get there… she thought, narrowing her eyes against the night breeze. I'll scout the terrain. Set up a camp. Maybe even lay some traps. I'll learn the land, mark the best vantage points, track movement patterns… anything I can.
She raised a hand to block her hair which was whipping around to keep it out of her face.
And I'll fight. Start with something smaller. Hyper rabbits, if I'm lucky. Just enough to get real experience. Just enough to understand how they move, how they think. Bonus points if I can ally with a spirit beast or two. Not like I've ever killed one. I'd rather not start unless I have to.
The Beast Glades lay just beyond the northern edge of the city—a vast, forestland. It wasn't forbidden, not exactly. The outer edges were open to the public after military-cleared sweeps for demon beasts. Spirit beasts, by contrast, weren't much of a threat. They generally only attacked when provoked and were even known to protect humans on occasion. But the true danger lay deeper.
The Glades were divided into three known layers of increasing threat and depth. The first layer, which bordered the city, was relatively stable—frequented by adventurers, resource collectors, and the occasional curious scholar. The further in one venture, however, the more hostile the ecosystem became.
Some speculated the Glades were the size of a small island—or even larger. But only the military truly knew the extent. Their expeditions into the heart of the forest were frequent—for materials, training, and population control of monsters and demon beasts.
Tagatha glided across the dirt road leading north, her boots softly skimming the surface with magical assistance. She shot past houses and merchant stalls, cutting through the quiet evening traffic of traveling stables. Beyond the city's outermost buildings stretched a long natural divide: a shallow valley of open grass and packed earth that separated the civilized world from the Glades.
The valley, known locally as the Bridge, served a practical purpose—it offered the city's guards a clear line of sight to anything emerging from the forest. Tall watchtowers stood like sentinels along the perimeter, each at least thirty-five feet high and spaced fifty-five feet apart, wrapping around the northern border in a protective ring.
Knights were stationed on those towers day and night, though security today seemed looser than usual. Preparations for the upcoming evaluation meant movement in and out of the Glades had increased—supply teams, military trainers, and selected applicants passed through regularly. For now, the defenses were lowered to accommodate that.
Normally, there would've been reinforced barriers or defensive matrices active along the perimeter. But today, Tagatha found herself surprised at how easy it was to approach.
She slowed to a stop at the edge of the bridge, the boundary between the outer city and the unknown wild beyond. The bunkers along the valley's edge were occupied by a handful of knights—some standing, some seated with half-eaten meals. They didn't stop her. A few nodded in recognition.
Tagatha was well-known in the city, not just because of her family name, but because of her constant work and presence in the community. Helping with city logistics, support missions, defense drills. She wasn't a stranger here.
More importantly, the bridge wasn't restricted territory. It was public ground.
They only ever stopped children from crossing.
A few knights offered polite greetings as she passed. She returned their waves with a brief nod and pressed forward, floating swiftly across the sun-drenched grass and loose soil.
Once she crossed the valley, the trees loomed ahead—tall, thick, and slowly converging into the wide mouth of the Glades.
Tagatha reached into her bag, fingers brushing past her crystals and bestiaries until she pulled free a neatly folded map. Unfurling it with one hand, she hovered to a stop, scanning the detailed markings and region notations. She needed to know how far she could go before it became too dangerous.
The first layer of the Glades wasn't without risk—but with proper awareness, she could map it, maybe even survive a few encounters. Maybe even set up a small camp for future scouting trips.
The Golden Zone—the first of the three layers within the Beast Glades—was the safest territory one could enter. "Safe," of course, was relative.
Only low-level demon beasts and monsters lingered here. Most were minor threats: corrupted animals, warped creatures born from ambient spiritual negativity. Hyper Rabbits, Poison Fanged Moles, and occasionally a malformed Kobold or two. The strongest thing a solo wanderer might encounter here—if they were unlucky—was an E-rank goblin variant, maybe low D-rank at worst.
In other words, it was manageable.
The second layer, however… was anything but.
The Second Layer, often called The Danger Belt was where the danger truly began. Spirit beasts dominated this region, beasts infused with higher elemental affinity. Mid-rank demon beasts prowled here too, far more coordinated and malicious than those found in the Golden Zone. D to high C-class threats were common, many of them capable of rudimentary magic or coordinated ambushes. Some creatures weren't even catalogued yet—new mutations.
Then there was the Apollion Layer.
The deepest part of the Glades. A place few ever returned from.
The Apollion Layer was the prison and graveyard of the strongest demon beasts—creatures so dangerous that even evolved spirit beasts forced them into confinement. Ironically, it was the spirit beasts themselves who ensured balance here. Demon beasts, in their reckless bloodlust, often attacked spirit beasts, mistaking them as prey… only to be culled in return.
This layer was also where high-ranked monsters roamed—creatures powerful enough to command magic, hoard artifacts, or carve dungeons into the deepest caves. Hunters were dispatched here when the balance tipped too far, when monsters bled upward into the Spirit Belt and threatened the ecosystem.
But even in a place like the Glades, there were sanctuaries.
Scattered across all three layers were naturally protected zones called "Eyes."
Named after the eye of a storm, these were dead zones, pockets of tranquility untouched by violence. No monster or demon beast dared enter, because these places were ruled by evolved spirit beasts—beings so powerful they shaped the land around them. Known as King Beasts, they reigned in silence, enforcing a balance that even the wild obeyed.
No one entered their territory lightly.
But the Eyes were the closest thing to safety inside the Glades. Sometimes… just sometimes… King Beasts allowed humans to linger and survive.
Maybe.
Tagatha rolled up the map with a soft sigh and slipped it back into her bag. As long as she stayed in the Golden Zone, she'd be fine.
You've got this. It's a simple assignment. Go in. Gather as much knowledge as possible. Kill a demon beast or two. Get out. And when you bring back a demon beast head? Tagatha couldn't help but smirk at the thought, if he saw her bring back the head of something he thought she couldn't survive, low rank or not.
She exhaled through her nose, steadying her breath as she stood before the divide—where the valley met the outer ring of wild trees.With one final breath…
She stepped forward.
And crossed the bridge into the Golden Zone.