The group left the Maki Kingdom after fixing the damage from the beast attack. They traveled back to the academy. It was a long trip, but everyone was ready to rest and train again.
At the academy, things felt different for Kael. Unlike the old stories where people lost their new powers after a big fight, Kael kept all his strength. His body remembered everything. The "Bullet-Speed Perception" skill was now something he could turn on or off when he wanted. He also kept the basic sword skills—simple moves like proper stance, quick parries, and strong strikes. These basics stuck with him, making him better without magic.
Kael started to enjoy getting stronger. He trained hard every day. He grew taller and more muscular, his arms and legs filling out like a warrior's. But he stayed the same inside. He still spoke in one-word answers most of the time. "Yes." "No." "Fight." Only when something important happened did he use full sentences. He didn't get smarter in books or talking. Just smarter in battles—knowing when to dodge, when to hit, how to read an enemy's move.
One day, the academy sent students on a monster hunt in the nearby woods. Kael went with Jade, Dill, and Mira. The hunt showed what kind of monster Kael was to the real monsters. He faced orcs—big, green brutes with clubs—and wolves that hunted in packs.
Kael charged first. An orc swung its club. Kael ducked low, using a basic sidestep. He slashed up with his sword, cutting deep into the orc's side. The orc fell. A wolf leaped at him. Kael twisted his body, parrying the bite with his blade's flat side, then thrust forward in a simple stab. The wolf dropped.
Jade joined in, turning it into a game. "Most kills wins!" she yelled. She spun her daggers fast. For a wolf pack, she used a basic feint—pretending to attack left, then striking right. Her blades sliced throats clean. Against an orc, she dodged a punch with a quick roll, then stabbed up under the chin—a technique from basic training.
Kael nodded. "You: three. Me: five." He did another slash and cut on two orcs at once: a wide swing to knock one back, followed by a precise downward chop on the other. Dill hid behind a tree, peeking out. "Guys, be careful!" he whispered, too scared to fight.
Far away, in a dark cave, the beast that escaped from the factory bowed before the Demon King. The king was huge, with horns and red eyes. "What happened?" the king growled.
The beast trembled. "A human... he's a monster. Killed my herd like nothing. Moved perfect, no waste. Stronger than any warrior. He's... he's death in skin."
The Demon King frowned. "Watch him. We strike soon."
Back in the woods, Mira stayed at the edge, buying fresh meat from a hunter's cart. She picked the best cuts for Kael—he ate a lot now to build muscle.
Kael and Jade kept hunting. They killed so many orcs and wolves that the woods ran low on monsters. This caused trouble for the Voss brothers, two bully students who sold monster parts for money. With no monsters left, their business failed. They tried to hunt but found empty dens. One brother slipped on orc blood Kael left behind and fell into a mud pit. The other chased a fake wolf trail Jade made, ending up lost for hours. It was funny—everyone at the academy laughed when the brothers came back dirty and mad.
The academy gave Kael and Jade five extra detentions for over-hunting. "You wrecked the balance!" the head instructor said.
But Kael and Jade liked detention—it meant more training time. They woke the instructor at midnight, banging on his door. "More detentions!" Kael said in a rare full sentence.
"Please!" Jade added. "We need to train!"
The instructor groaned. "No! Go away!"
Soon, all instructors begged to resign. "Those two are too much!" one said. "They never stop!"
They planned to quit together. Word reached the king. He thought for a moment, then sent a message: "Rogan will teach at the academy now. He can handle them."
Rogan was a tough old warrior, known for strict lessons.
While this happened, Jade and Kael dragged Dill deeper into the forest for secret training. "Adventure!" Jade said.
But Jade held the map upside down. She couldn't read it right. "This way," she pointed wrong.
They got lost. Trees looked the same. Dill panicked. "We're doomed!"
Kael looked around. "Wait." He used his fight smarts to spot tracks and tried to lead them out. But the deeper they went, the thicker the woods became. Night fell. Stars appeared above the canopy. They were still lost.
Behind them, soft footsteps followed.
Princess Lira stepped out from the shadows. She wore a simple cloak over her royal dress, a lantern in one hand and a sealed scroll in the other. Her father, the king, had given her a task: deliver the message to Kael in person. The king wanted to honor him with a grand banquet for his strength and the protection he gave the kingdom.
Lira cleared her throat. "Kael."
Kael turned. "Princess."
Jade grinned. "You followed us?"
"I had to," Lira said. "Father's orders. Kael, he wants you at the palace. A banquet. In your honor. For everything you've done."
Dill sighed with relief. "Finally, someone who knows the way out."
Lira looked at the map in Jade's hand. "You're holding it upside down."
Jade blinked. "Oh."
Kael gave a small nod. "Thank you."
Lira smiled. "Come. The palace is this way. And the banquet will have plenty of meat."
Kael's stomach growled. "Good."
They started walking, following the princess's lantern light. The lost group was no longer lost. But the woods stayed quiet, watching, as if waiting for the next hunt.