Chapter 33 – Fokay [1]
A day had passed since that meeting—a full day where Kaden did nothing but prepare himself for his entry into Fokay, because finally…
He would enter it today.
Not because he particularly wanted to go now—if it was up to him, he would've waited like a week later, then he would've trained more, honed himself sharper, carved deeper into his foundation until no one could touch him.
But according to his dear father…
"You've been slacking off enough. You'd better enter Fokay tomorrow and get stronger."
Kaden clicked his tongue at the memory of those words.
'Slacking off? Seriously?' he muttered to himself in irritation. 'I've been training non-stop for five years. Five fucking years. How is that slacking off?'
Only he truly knew how much he'd poured into mastering just two basic techniques—two foundations he had drilled into his bones until they became instinct, until they moved through his body like blood through veins.
Because let's be honest—five years of training on just basic techniques?
He had taken those techniques and sharpened them into weapons far beyond their initial purpose. He could perform them as easily as breathing.
But he also knew something else.
They were still basic techniques. Fundamentals. A stepping stone.
Soon, he would need to create something of his own.
Thankfully, he wasn't exactly disadvantaged—he had Reditha, and he had his blood skills. And as that thought passed through him, Reditha, resting silently across his lap, hummed with a soft crimson glow as if in response to his mind.
He smiled faintly at her.
Then he stood.
He slipped into his black training suit and made his way toward the Warborn training ground.
Because, before stepping into Fokay, his dear sister had decided that it would be appropriate to give him a little duel—to see if he was truly ready.
Kaden smiled wryly at that.
'This is gonna fucking hurt…'
…
Inside the main Warborn training ground, Kaden and Daela stood across from each other inside the arena. Both of them clad in eerily similar combat suits.
Not a coincidence, of course.
Daela had made sure her little brother wore gear like hers. Because that's just the kind of big sister she was.
Adorable, right?
But that wasn't the point. Because right now, Daela was trapped in a storm of inner thoughts.
'Should I go easy on him? …No, if I do that, he might get overconfident and die in Fokay.'
'So I go hard? No… that might break his confidence before he even starts.'
'So… go somewhere in the middle?'
But that was tricky. Daela wasn't known for her ability to hold back.
Still, she looked at her little brother with her stoic eyes but inside it was full of love, and in her head, she made a decision with that sweet inner voice of hers—
'I'll do it!'
It was the kind of inner declaration that, if Kaden had heard it, he would've absolutely patted her head because of how adorable she was.
But, unfortunately—or fortunately—he didn't.
"You can begin the duel," Sarena's voice echoed across the training grounds, calm but firm. She and Garros stood at the edge of the arena, watching closely.
The instant the order was given, twin silver blades materialized in Daela's hands. The moment she held them, something shifted in the air.
Goosebumps raced down Kaden's spine. His eyes widened.
Without thinking, he went to summon Reditha—
But he wasn't fast enough.
Daela was already there.
"What the—!" Kaden didn't even have time to finish as Daela struck with terrifying precision.
"Blood Wall!"
His voice rang out just in time as a thick wall of blood surged in front of him to intercept the slash.
CLANK—!
The clash echoed through the air as Kaden hurled himself back, putting distance between them, breath soft and steady.
"Huff…"
"Reditha, let's—"
Slash—!
Kaden froze mid-command.
His eyes slowly dropped to his chest where a fresh wound bled out. A clean, crimson line across his ribs.
A slash?
'When…?' he thought, eyes darting to Daela—who hadn't moved. Not since her first attack. 'So how…?'
But there was no time to think.
In a burst of movement, Daela came at him again—her twin blades glowing with silver light, cutting through the air with impossible grace. Her strikes looked like a dance. Elegant. Almost beautiful.
But deadly.
Kaden didn't fall for the illusion this time. His blood-red eyes snapped into focus as blood-forged weapons of all shapes and sizes manifested around him, forming a swirling shield.
Daela's attacks came—relentless, sharp, precise. She struck dozens of times from every angle. She was too fast. Her movements left afterimages.
But—
"Blood Explosion," Kaden's voice rang out, low and cold.
A storm of red detonated around him as the barrier turned into a violent burst of force, absorbing every hit Daela had just delivered.
BOOOM!
The shockwave shook the arena, dust clouding everything—
But Kaden didn't need to see.
With his high perception stat, he already felt where she was. And in that moment, he moved.
He took his stance.
One strike. One kill.
That was the name of the technique.
But this time, it wasn't meant to kill—and without the intention to finish, the technique lost its edge.
Which didn't matter.
Because before he could finish his move—
"Arghhh—!"
Pain exploded across his body.
Kaden stumbled back, eyes wide as dozens of thin slashes appeared all over him—blood dripping freely from his chest, arms, legs.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to retreat. Daela stood silently, expression unreadable.
I felt it, he thought, his perception catching up. The first time, he'd assumed it was some fluke. The second confirmed it.
Both hits followed the exact trajectory of her original strikes.
Only this time… delayed.
Invisible.
Just like—
"Echo…?" he muttered aloud.
And for the first time, Daela's eyes widened.
A reaction.
"Did he actually figure out Daela's origin skill after just two hits?" Sarena asked, stunned.
"HAHAHAHA! That's my son!" Garros laughed loudly, but even he was caught off guard.
What none of them realized was that Kaden's perception was abnormally high for someone at his level—and Daela, though she struck fast, had left just enough space for him to piece it together.
She let him think.
That was her mercy.
Kaden smiled as he stared into her eyes. He knew now. Every strike she made left behind an echo—an invisible delayed copy that hit with full force after a short delay.
So…
I just need to predict the timing… and parry the echo.
Kaden's grin spread wide.
"Come on, sister. Let's finish this."
It was a beautiful smile.
But to Daela, it looked just a bit too confident.
So—
BOOOOMMM!
BAAAAMMMM!
The moment she launched forward, faster than ever before, she didn't go for finesse.
She slammed the hilt of her sword straight into Kaden's forehead, hard enough to knock him out cold.
Kaden hit the ground with a solid thud.
Daela stared at him, then blinked.
"Oops…" she muttered, deadpan, as the gazes of her parents bore into her.
Sarena and Garros both shook their heads in unison.
…
Later that night, Kaden stood in front of his parents and sister.
He had regained consciousness two hours ago and had spent the time quietly preparing.
Because, like he said—
Today was the day.
"Be careful, my dear," Sarena said softly, brushing his cheek with her fingertips.
Kaden smiled and nodded. "I will, Mother."
"Kaden," Garros said next, this time with no trace of his usual playfulness—just raw seriousness.
"You won't be able to return until you complete your first Evolution Quest. So finish it fast… and come back to us."
He gripped Kaden's shoulder, firm and full of fatherly weight.
Kaden tilted his head. "Can't you just come visit me in Fokay?"
All three of them shook their heads instantly.
"We have no idea where you'll land," Sarena said, worry deep in her voice. "It's random. And there have been cases—young ones like you appearing in deep forbidden zones on their first entry."
Kaden's heart skipped.
But his face didn't change.
He didn't want to worry them.
Instead, he smiled brightly, maybe too brightly.
"Hahahah! Don't worry, Mother. Father. I'll be fine. Just take care of yourselves. And like I told you—keep your guard up around the Cerveau. Don't underestimate them. Not for one second."
Then, he turned to Daela.
He smirked.
"You better be ready, sister. Next time I see you, I'm the one knocking you out."
And before any of them could reply, before Daela could even register what he just said—
Kaden activated the transfer.
He vanished.
Leaving behind a smiling sister.
…
The moment Kaden reappeared, he was standing in darkness.
A golden interface lit up in front of him.
{Kaden Warborn, Child of Blood. Welcome to Fokay.}
{Your spawning point has been determined.}
{Spawning point: Morvul the Unmoving's Lair.}
The moment he read the words, the space around him shifted again.
And then—
He was falling.
High in the air, above a massive cave. A monstrous lair.
He looked down—
And his heart skipped a beat.
"What the fuck…?"
He muttered out loud.
Which was a mistake.
Because the beast resting far below, a titan of a creature, slowly opened its deep black eyes.
And then—
It snorted.
BOOOOOOMMMM!
The air detonated.
And Kaden's body exploded midair into a rain of blood.
'…This is fucking crazy,' he thought as the world turned black.
[You are dead.]
—End of Chapter 33—