Before he could finish, the mysterious egg mark from Jiro's waist began to vibrate. A thin crack ran along its shell as it greedily absorbed the floating essence. The light vanished in seconds.
Rein's eyes widened. "The egg… it devoured it?"
Jiro nodded, staring at it. "And my hunger's gone."
Rein crossed his arms, deep in thought. "That's… unexpected. The egg must be linked to your aether flow. Let's test something. We'll hunt a few more."
They spent hours in the forest, deeper than they had ever gone before. The air was thick with the hum of unseen creatures, and the trees seemed to breathe.
Their first target appeared near a shallow ravine — a Crystalback Boar, its hide glimmering like shattered glass. When it charged, the ground trembled. Jiro dodged, sliding beneath its tusks and stabbing upward with a jagged piece of metal Rein had given him as a blade. The strike sparked against the beast's crystal armor, but his second blow found a weak spot beneath its jaw.
As the creature fell, glowing motes of essence rose from its corpse — soft blue light that twisted through the air. Before Jiro could reach out, the egg pulsed again, drawing in the essence until none was left.
Rein crouched beside the fading corpse. "It didn't even leave residue… The egg's consuming pure aether."
Jiro looked uneasy. "It feels… alive."
"Everything that holds power is alive in some way," Rein replied. "Let's keep going."
Their second hunt led them to a marshy clearing, where a Vine Serpent slithered among the roots of dying trees. It was long, slick, and green, its scales covered in thorned tendrils that lashed out like whips. Jiro struggled against its reach, his movements guided by flashes of memory from the Ryushin chip — quick parries, shifting stances, the perfect stab angle.
With a final roar, he leapt onto its head and plunged his blade through its eye. The serpent's death cry echoed through the forest. Once again, the egg drank deeply from the dispersing essence, the cracks on its surface glowing faintly red before sealing.
By the time they found the Blazehorn Stag, night had begun to fall. Flames curled from the creature's horns, setting dry grass ablaze as it charged through the clearing. The fight was brutal — Jiro's arm was grazed by burning antlers, and his legs trembled from exhaustion.
But Rein's voice echoed behind him. "Breathe. Focus on your flow. Let the pain shape it."
He obeyed. Energy surged from his heart to his limbs, and he spun, slashing across the stag's neck. The beast stumbled, fell, and dissolved into embers.
This time, the egg didn't just absorb the essence — it glowed bright red, releasing a low hum that resonated through the forest. Jiro stared at it, feeling warmth spread through his body, soothing his pain.
Rein frowned. "It's storing power now… not just feeding."
When the final beast fell, Jiro collapsed against a tree, drenched in sweat. Rein looked satisfied, though his eyes never left the egg mark.
"That's enough for today," Rein said. "From now on, your training will include beast hunts every five days. Your body needs to adapt gradually."
Jiro nodded weakly. "Understood."
"Rest now. Tomorrow, we resume with your body drills."
•••••
Morning light seeped through the cracks in Jiro's window. His muscles ached, but he still rose early. After a brief meditation, he began his usual routine — push-ups, squats, and sprints.
His body was changing — faster recovery, sharper reflexes, even his breathing had a rhythm that matched his pulse. But something else changed too: hunger.
No matter what he ate — bread, dried meat, even Rein's strange ration packs — the hunger returned within hours. It wasn't just stomach-deep. It was deeper, gnawing at his core.
Rein noticed. "It's the side effect of absorbing raw beast essence," he explained as they trained in the workshop courtyard. "Your body's cells are demanding more energy than food can give. If you take in too much, the essence could corrode your mind or mutate your organs. The egg absorbing most of it probably saved you."
"So… I can't stop it?" Jiro asked between breaths.
Rein shook his head. "You can control it. But you'll always feel that hunger now. It's the sign of an Awakening whose balance has shifted."
Jiro frowned but said nothing.
That night, he dreamed of red light and five mythical beasts screaming beneath a burning sky.
•••••
The next morning, he began his usual run across the Ash Lane District. The streets were quiet — dew on metal roofs, smoke curling from vents, faint hums of old machines buried beneath the city's skin.
As he turned a corner near the scrapyard, three figures stepped into view — familiar faces.
Tao, the tall one with the scar across his lip.
Lei, broad and silent, carrying a short iron pipe.
Han, wiry and grinning, twirling a chain in his hand.
"Well, look who crawled back," Han sneered. "Thought you were too good for us, Awakening?"
Jiro tensed. "Move."
Tao smirked. "We were planning to, but then we remembered how you embarrassed us. That won't happen again."
Before Jiro could reply, Lei swung the pipe. Jiro dodged — barely. The air whistled as it passed his face. He retaliated with a punch to Tao's gut, but Tao caught his wrist midair and slammed him against a wall.
"Not bad," Tao said, tightening his grip. "But this time, we came prepared."
Han's chain wrapped around Jiro's leg, yanking him off balance. A kick followed — ribs cracked. Pain surged through him.
He tried to channel energy like before, but his body felt sluggish — as if something inside him was draining faster than it could refill.
They beat him until his vision blurred.
"Last time," Tao said, panting, "you surprised us because we didn't know you were Awakened. Now we do."
They left him bleeding in the alley, laughing as they walked away.
Jiro lay there, gasping for air, his vision spinning. His hand touched the egg mark at his waist — it pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
He clenched his teeth. "They think I'm weak again…"
He staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his nose, and whispered, "I'll show them… I'll show everyone."
The egg mark glowed softly in response — as if agreeing.
*****