The night after the awakening ceremony passed quietly.
Grey Hollow returned to its normal life.
Farmers went to the fields. Miners walked toward the mountains. Children ran through the dusty roads.
But Kael's life had already started to change.
Morning Training
The sun had just risen when Kael stepped outside his house.
The air was fresh and cool.
He held Astraeus in his right hand.
The black blade looked simple in the morning light, but Kael could still feel the faint warmth coming from it.
Behind him, Mara stood at the door.
"You woke up early," she said.
Kael nodded.
"I want to train."
Mara crossed her arms.
"You just awakened your weapon yesterday."
Kael gave a small smile.
"That is exactly why."
Mara looked at him for a moment, then sighed.
"Don't go too far into the forest."
"Don't worry, I won't." But Kael knew he needed to try something today.
He needed to understand Soul Devour
The forest near Grey Hollow was not very dangerous.
Hunters often entered it to catch animals.
Still, most villagers avoided going too deep.
Kael walked slowly between the trees.
Sunlight passed through the leaves above him.
The forest was quiet.
Only birds and insects made small sounds.
Kael stopped in a small clearing.
He took a deep breath.
"Show the panel," he whispered.
Light appeared in front of him.
The Soul Panel returned.
________
SOUL PANEL
Name: Kael Ardyn
Age: 16
Soul Weapon: Astraeus
Rank: Iron
Type: Growth-Type
Realm: Soul Spark
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Endurance: 9
Soul Power: 8
Soul Control: 14
Soul Pressure: 6
Abilities
Soul Devour[Unique]
Soul Reinforcement
____________
Kael studied the numbers again.
They were not impressive.
Many trained fighters would be stronger.
But he noticed something important.
His Soul Control was higher than the other stats.
Maybe that meant he could use soul power more easily.
He decided to try again.
Kael focused on the ability.
Soul Reinforcement.
Warm energy spread through his body again.
His arms felt lighter.
His legs felt stronger.
He swung Astraeus.
The sword cut the air smoothly.
Then he swung again.
And again.
After several minutes, sweat appeared on his forehead.
The energy slowly faded.
Kael rested the sword on the ground.
"So this is how it works."
He began to understand.
Soul power was like a muscle.
The more he used it, the easier it became.
Just as Kael picked up the sword again, he heard something.
Rustle....
The sound came from nearby bushes.
Kael froze.
His grip on Astraeus tightened.
The bushes moved again.
Then a small animal stepped out.
It looked like a fox.
But its fur had faint blue light flowing through it.
Kael recognized it immediately.
A Lesser Soul Beast.
Hunters sometimes talked about them.
They were animals that had absorbed soul energy from the world.
They were stronger than normal animals.
The fox-like creature looked at Kael with glowing eyes.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then the beast suddenly jumped forward.
But Kael reacted quickly.
He activated Soul Reinforcement again.
Warm energy filled his body.
The fox leaped toward him.
Kael stepped to the side.
Its claws missed him by a small distance.
The creature turned quickly and attacked again.
Kael raised Astraeus.
The sword met the beast's claws.
Clang!
Kael felt the impact in his arms.
The beast was stronger than he expected.
But he stayed calm.
The fox attacked again.
This time Kael moved forward.
He swung Astraeus.
The blade cut across the creature's side.
The beast cried out and stumbled.
Kael quickly stepped back.
His heart was beating fast.
He had never fought a soul beast before.
The fox growled and prepared to jump again.
Kael took a deep breath.
Then he moved.
One clean strike.
The black blade flashed.
The fox fell to the ground.
The forest became quiet again.
Kael stood still for a moment.
Then something strange happened.
A faint blue light rose from the body of the soul beast.
The light moved slowly toward Astraeus.
Kael watched in shock.
The light touched the blade.
Then it was absorbed into the silver lines.
The sword suddenly became warm.
At the same time, the Soul Panel appeared again.
Soul Devour activated
Soul essence absorbed
Then the numbers on the panel changed slightly.
Soul Power: 8 → 9
Kael stared at the panel.
His soul power had increased.
Just from defeating one small beast.
His breathing became slow again.
"So this is what Soul Devour does."
The sword had taken the beast's soul essence.
And part of that power had become his.
Kael looked down at Astraeus.
The blade looked the same as before.
But he could feel it.
The weapon had grown slightly stronger.
And so had he.
Kael sat down on a nearby rock.
The panel slowly disappeared again.
His thoughts were racing.
If Soul Devour worked like this…
Then every battle would make him stronger.
But Kael also understood something important.
If someone discovered this ability, it could become dangerous.
Power like this would attract attention.
He looked toward the deeper part of the forest.
For now, he would train quietly.
He had two months before the academy trials.
Two months to grow stronger.
Two months to prepare for the wider world.
Kael stood up.
He cleaned the blade of Astraeus and placed it at his side.
"Let's go home," he said softly.