Four days since the Flame Declaration.
The skies above Emberlands were veiled in deep crimson fog. Some called it scorch-mist—a sign that the system of the world was undergoing invisible tension.
To Kael, it felt like a message: You are not one of them.
But that morning changed everything.
He had been summoned—alone—to a forgotten chamber beneath the inner walls of the Keep: the Hall of Scars, where warriors bled truth and legacy into the stone.
There, Sir Renhald Duras waited.
"It's time, Kael."
Time for what?
"To see," Renhald said calmly, "if you are their discarded heir… or the spark of something new."
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Secret Training – Personal System Test
Hall of Scars was not a normal sparring ground. The walls remembered.
The system watched not just strength, but resolve.
Renhald attacked first, deliberately slow but sharp. Testing. Pushing. Three strikes landed on Kael—he grunted, staggered. Then…
> [Skill Activated: Ember Pulse (Lv.2)]
Fire surged along Kael's forearm and burst forward like a cannon. Renhald slid backward—but his blade spun in reply.
Kael vanished from view.
> [Skill Activated: Shadowstep (Lv.2)]
Appearing behind his opponent, Kael's fist of fire stopped inches from Renhald's back.
Silence.
Then… a smile.
> [System: Kael Virdane has exceeded Basic Combat Threshold]
[Level Up → 11]
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Level-Up Explanation:
Kael didn't gain experience by killing. His level increased because his choices during mortal pressure reflected true mastery.
The system recognized his restraint, accuracy, and dual-channel synergy—traits beyond raw combat.
---
Upgrades and Effects:
Ember Pulse (Lv.3):
Shorter cooldown. Now can be redirected mid-strike.
Shadowstep (Lv.2):
Now supports follow-up strikes in two-step radius.
New Passive Trait Unlocked:
"Willsplit Reflex" – permits dual energy stream usage under intense pressure.
---
"How does it feel?" asked Renhald.
Kael whispered, "Like ice breaking inside my chest."
"One step closer," Renhald replied.
---
Politics in Motion
In Lady Maelis' private quarters, a sealed letter was dispatched toward Umbral Dominion.
> "The boy of Elaira… has moved."
Meanwhile, within Lady Nyzara's frost mirror, her reflection shattered as she tried to trace Kael's aura.
> "Flame and shadow… in one child? That should be impossible…"
But Kael had never obeyed the rules of blood.
---
STATUS – KAEL (Post-Training)
[Level]: 11
[Skills]:
Ember Pulse (Lv.3)
Shadowstep (Lv.2)
Veiled Sigil (Lv.1)
[Traits]:
Dream-Echo Instinct (42%)
Shadow-Forged Memory
Willsplit Reflex
[Charisma]: 10 | [Luck]: 12
[Title]: Hidden Flamebearer