Mist clung to the rooftops, curling like ghostly fingers over the cobbled streets. The smell of roasted grain drifted from bakeries, and merchants were already shouting prices at sleepy travelers. Daniel adjusted the strap of his satchel, glancing one last time at the crooked sign of the herbalist's shop.
The old man stood by the doorway, arms crossed. "You're really going?"
Daniel nodded. "The north is calling."
The herbalist grunted. "Hmph. You've got that look — same one your mother had when she came through here years ago."
Daniel froze. "You… knew her?"
The old man's eyes softened for the first time. "Aye. Quiet woman. Came looking for a cure for her husband's illness. Never said much, but she smiled when she spoke of her son."
Daniel's throat tightened. "She—she didn't tell me she'd been here."
"She wouldn't. Said she didn't want her boy chasing the ghosts of her past."
The old man turned, pulling a small pouch from behind the counter. "Here. Dried stormroot — stabilizes essence flow. You'll need it where you're going."
Daniel took it with both hands, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Elder."
"Bah. Just don't die stupidly." The herbalist waved him off and went back inside.
Outside, the streets were already alive. Mira stood by the northern gate, her violet eyes sharp and unreadable, a small dagger strapped to her thigh. A new cloak hid her figure, though Daniel could still sense the quiet danger in her stance.
"You made it," she said without looking back.
Daniel fell into step beside her. "The herbalist told me about the caravan."
Mira nodded. "Leaves at sunrise. Merchants, guards, wanderers — all heading toward the Northern Valleys. From there, paths split: some go to the Twin Moons Range, others to the Ashira Mountains."
Her tone softened slightly. "That's where you're headed, isn't it?"
Daniel didn't answer, but the spark in his eyes told her enough.
---
At the northern plaza, the caravan was a sight to behold — ten wagons laden with goods, each pulled by massive spirit beasts with stone-like hides. A few mercenaries adjusted their armor while others checked spirit seals etched on the wagons. The air hummed faintly with energy; cultivators of various races mingled, bartering and boasting.
A grizzled caravan leader barked orders. "We move at first light! Anyone without coin, skill, or guts — stay behind!"
Mira handed over a small token, marked with a crescent river emblem. "We'll serve as guards."
The man glanced at Daniel skeptically. "He's barely more than a child."
Daniel's gaze met his, calm and steady. "Then let me prove I'm worth the space I take."
The man smirked. "Fine. Don't die on the first road, kid."
They climbed onto one of the middle wagons — an open carriage filled with supplies and a few other travelers. Among them was a bulky merchant with a booming laugh, a quiet scholar with ink-stained fingers, and a young beastkin boy clutching a flute.
As the caravan rolled forward, the gates of Alderon faded into the morning fog. The path stretched northward — winding through grassy plains that shimmered with dew. Birds wheeled overhead, and the wind carried the faint scent of rain.
---
For a long while, neither Mira nor Daniel spoke. The road's rhythm lulled them into silence, broken only by the creak of wheels and distant thunder. Finally, Mira glanced sideways.
"You really plan to climb Ashira Mountain?"
Daniel nodded. "It's the only lead I have."
"You're insane." She smiled faintly. "But I like that."
He looked at her curiously. "You know a lot about this world, don't you?"
"Enough to survive."
She leaned back against a sack of grain, gazing at the distant peaks. "You don't even know the basic cultivation realms, do you?"
Daniel shook his head. "I know what the Codex calls them… but I don't understand how they connect."
Mira smirked. "Then listen well, traveler."
Her voice softened, as if reciting something once whispered to her beneath the stars.
> "The first realm is Essence Refinement. It's where you learn to absorb and harmonize with the world's elemental energy. Most people spend their entire lives there."
> "Next comes Spirit Awakening — the point where your essence takes form, shaping into your spiritual signature. Some form fire sigils, others wind halos. It's where you begin to define who you are."
> "After that is Core Forging — the foundation of true cultivation. You forge your core within your dantian, a crystallization of everything you've learned. It's said that only those who've glimpsed the laws of creation can truly forge one."
She paused, watching his expression. "Legend says there are realms beyond that — stages where mortals become storms, where the heavens bend before your will. But those are just stories."
Daniel looked up at the sky, where thunderclouds drifted lazily. "Maybe stories are just memories of what used to be."
Mira chuckled softly. "You sound like someone far older than twelve."
He smiled faintly. "Sometimes I feel like it."
---
Hours passed, and the road grew rougher. The plains gave way to rocky hills, dotted with ancient stones marked by forgotten runes. The caravan slowed, cautious of hidden ravines.
Daniel felt it then — a faint prickle in his chest, like static crawling under his skin. His lightning stirred, whispering warnings.
He looked back. A shadow flickered among the rocks.
Mira noticed too. "You sense it?"
Daniel nodded slightly. "Someone's watching."
The caravan leader barked, "Keep sharp! Bandit territory ahead!"
The guards tightened formation. Daniel shifted subtly, channeling faint threads of lightning through his limbs — not enough to reveal his power, but enough to sharpen his senses.
The Codex's voice stirred faintly in his mind for the first time since Alderon.
> [Essence fluctuation detected. Host alert level: moderate.]
> [Observation: foreign life signatures nearby — hostile intent confirmed.]
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
But the attack didn't come — not yet.
Instead, the road descended toward a wide marshland. Mist rolled low over the ground, and the sound of croaking beasts echoed through the fog. Spirit lamps flickered on the wagons as the sun began to sink.
The merchant laughed nervously. "This is just a shortcut, right? Right?"
Mira's hand hovered near her dagger. "Shortcuts always come with teeth."
As they crossed a narrow wooden bridge, Daniel's senses suddenly flared. The air shifted — heavy, wet, humming with pressure.
> "Stop the wagons!" he shouted.
But it was too late.
The marsh exploded.
From the water rose a serpent the size of a house — scales glistening blue-green, eyes burning with primal hunger. A Water Python, its aura radiating early Core Forging strength.
Screams erupted. Wagons overturned. The beastkin boy dropped his flute as the serpent's tail smashed into the road, flinging mud and stone.
The caravan guards rallied, weapons glowing with essence, but their attacks barely dented the creature's hide.
Mira leapt forward, blades flashing. "Keep it busy!"
Daniel's blood roared. Lightning throbbed beneath his skin, begging to be unleashed. He clenched his fists. "Not yet… control it."
He focused — compressing the current within his body, letting it wrap around his arms like invisible armor. When the serpent's tail swung toward him, he moved — his fist meeting scale with a thunderous crack.
The shockwave rippled through the swamp. The python recoiled, hissing in fury.
Mira stared in disbelief. "You—what was that?"
Daniel didn't answer. He surged forward again, striking in rhythm — each blow laced with silent lightning that shredded through the beast's water aura.
The serpent shrieked, thrashing wildly. One final strike — Daniel's palm glowed, veins flaring white — and he drove it into the creature's skull.
The marsh fell silent.
Steam hissed from the python's body. Its core flickered faintly before dissolving into mist.
For a long moment, only the sound of rain remained.
Then the caravan erupted in cheers.
The leader stared, wide-eyed. "What… what are you?"
Daniel straightened slowly, breathing hard. "Just someone heading north."
Mira watched him, her violet eyes unreadable. "You're not ordinary, Daniel. That thing you're hiding — it's not something this world has seen in a long time."
Daniel didn't reply. He only looked toward the distant horizon, where thunder rolled once more, soft and promising.
> "Ashira Mountain," he murmured. "I'm coming.