Clad in his leather armor, Seth ran down the dirt road with Nightmare by his side. His dark green cloak swayed slightly behind him, partially concealing the large bag packed with beaststones on his back. The morning rays cast a warm glow upon them as the forest around them buzzed with life, birds chirping and leaves rustling with each breeze.

  '' Nightmare asked, breaking the silence between them.

  '' Seth replied with a nod. ''

  The direwolf noticed Seth's expression and immediately nudged him. ''

  '' Seth smiled before pushing him back. ''

  ''

  Over the past month, bandit ambushes had been on the rise according to several Wandering Merchants that had visited the town. The new taxes and political changes of the House Faertis were suffocating not only for non-Wielders, but also non-combat Wielders—and desperation was a wonderful fuel for crime, regardless of one’s nature. One merchant had even recounted being attacked by an entire family: the father wielding a stolen sword, the mother with a makeshift spear, and the children throwing rocks.

  As Seth kept using Identify repeatedly on the trees on each side, he seemed to notice a tiny change. It had become such a routine for him that he hardly needed to think about it anymore, but now the casting felt even smoother and effortless.

  Seth sighed, staring at his spells. Warsis’ book, Introduction to the Adventurer’s Life, had taught him the basics, but it had only made things more depressing. A spell's grade was inherent and couldn't be changed, however its quality could be improved—either deepening its grooves or altering them to make their route more optimal. By doing so, the result would be faster casting speed, reduced concentration requirements, stronger effects, and lower aether consumption by minimizing waste.

  Despite understanding the theory, Seth had been trying to refine Identify for weeks without any success—which wasn’t actually surprising, considering his social status.

  According to the book’s author, the three highest qualities—Refined, Exceptional, and Flawless—were practically unreachable for commoners without spell-scrolls. Optimal grooves required knowledge and resources that only nobles possessed. And as a result, the man had recommended adventurers to focus on upgrading each spell from Crude to Decent, and eventually to Standard, or work on their evolution-paths. But even that required knowledge Seth didn’t possess—and had no way of obtaining.

  Sure, the book did include a section that contained the attributes needed for certain evolution-paths, like transforming Quick Step into Haste, but he still had to modify the spell's grooves to handle the increased amount of aether, and he had absolutely clue how to do so.

  He had been hoping that getting into Trogan Academy would solve that problem—and give him a real understanding of the Wielders’ world, attributes, aether, spellcraft, the Path, and everything else he was still stumbling through in the dark.

  The trade-off, however, was less time to hunt. And without danger that came with it, he wouldn’t progress as quickly as others.

  However… Professor Reat had said the academy had designed that selection test specifically for Primalists—to figure out if it was even worth adapting things for them. That had to mean they didn’t want all Primalist students falling too far behind.

  Hopefully.

  '' Nightmare said as the end of the forest grew closer ahead.

  Seth stopped and frowned. ''

  '' Nightmare answered, sitting down in front of Seth.

  '' Seth retorted. ''

  '' Nightmare argued. ''

  Seth rolled his eyes in resignation and cast Identify on the direwolf.

  '' Seth said, activating the teardrop and pulling the direwolf inside just as his ears began to droop in disappointment.

  Nightmare’s spells hadn't moved up in quality over the past month, and Seth knew it had been gnawing at him for days. Even though the direwolf hadn't talked about it, Seth could sense his fear: that as a beast his spells might never improve—something they still hadn't been able to confirm or deny.

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  As Seth arrived at Arthuri's gate, the sun was still high in the cloudy sky, a result of choosing to run along the trip instead of walk. He approached the watchmen, greeted them politely, and explained he was there for the selections. Without much questions, they opened the door and let him enter the city.

  '' Nightmare asked from within the necklace. ''

  '' Seth smiled, picturing Lucius wailing as his family jewels slowly dripped down to the ground. As tempting as it was, they couldn't afford to provoke the noble until they had the strength to back their actions.

  The city's streets bustled with life, filled with the shouts of merchants hawking their goods. Seth shouldered his way through the throng of vendors and customers that crowded the central market until he reached a two-story tavern with a crudely painted signboard that read 'Merchants' Ales.'

  As Seth stepped inside, he was welcomed by the smoky scent of roasted meat and the loud chatter of revelers. Sericar sat alone at a table, his tattered clothes bearing new rips, a mug brimming with beer in his hand, and the same usual enchanted sword hanging from his belt. Spotting him, the man waved Seth over, and they greeted each other with a hearty handshake.

  "You're looking great, young man!" the Wandering Merchant exclaimed, releasing his grip.

  "Thanks, you… too," Seth replied after a slight delay as he looked at the man’s tangled black hair.

  "Mind if I Identify you?" Sericar asked as Seth sat down in front of him.

  "No, go ahead."

  Seth felt absolutely nothing, but a second later Sericar's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. The man stared at him, fumbling for words before finally muttering in disbelief, "Rank 10."

  "Yeah," Seth answered with an awkward smile. "Got lucky on a few hunts, and it paid off."

  "Lucky my ass!" Sericar exclaimed, waving at the barmaid to bring a drink for Seth. "Five Ranks in a month! You must be the best Primalist in Kastal! How much danger did you throw yourself into? Try not to get yourself killed, yeah?"

  Seth chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't worry, I'm being carreful."

  'way' Nightmare said proudly through their bond. Seth had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

  "I was surprised when I got Marcus' message," the Wandering Merchant continued. "But now I understand."

  Seth slung his old, worn leather bag on the table in front of Sericar and opened it. "They’re all less than thirty days old. Those in the linen bags aren’t for sale, though. I need them for my academy's admission and the Adventurers Guild."

  Sericar leaned forward to look into the bag. He then carefully picked up each crystal one by one and examined them under the lantern light.

  "Also, since we’re meeting here, I want Arthuri’s price, not the Sunatown’s," Seth added. "I owe you a lot, but I need money."

  "Where’d you sell the other ones?" Sericar asked, still going through the bag's content as the bartender brought Seth a beer.

  Seth frowned while grabbing the mug. "The other ones?"

  "Lad, I'm not a fool," the Wandering Merchant replied, chuckling. "You're Rank 10, and every stone here is Rank 8 and lower."

  . Seth took a sip to win time, scrambling for a plausible lie to hide the existence of Nightmare.

  '' the direwolf giggled inside the necklace.

  "I, uh, traded them for potions," Seth finally mumbled, doing his best to look disappointed. "I had no coins and was injured, so I cut a deal with Marcus."

  '' Nightmare nagged him. '

  ''

  "I see," Sericar said, his mouth twisting to the side. "I'm sorry to hear that."

  Seth nodded before pointing at the few dozen beaststones between them. "So, how much are you willing to pay?"

  "Hmm, before the tax," Sericar began, rubbing his bearded chin, "normally, I'd say six copper and fifty common coins, but since it's you I can go up to seven and fifty."

  , Seth thought. ''

  '' Nightmare answered. ''

  Seth met Sericar's gaze, and his lips curled up. "Alright, that’s a deal."

  Sericar returned his smile, then reached into his coat and pulled out a fist-sized velvet pouch. Handful by handful, the merchant then started transferring the beaststones into the seemingly bottomless bag, which still looked empty after swallowing of the colorful crystals. As the man placed the last one inside, a single thought filled Seth’s mind:

  "Here," Sericar said, handing Seth three small copper coins. "I'll take care of giving the rest to the Faertis House."

  Seth's throat tightened at the mention of the name. s. He could easily build back his house with half of that money—the house had burned down.

  Swallowing his frustration, Seth took the coins. "Thanks, Sericar."

  "Oh, and Seth," the merchant added, his tone turning more serious. "It’d be best for you to stay out of Arthuri as much as possible. For some reason, the youngest of the Faertis main branch has put out an unofficial capture order for you."

  Seth’s grip tightened on his mug. "Why didn't the guards arrest me at the gate?"

  "Like I said it's not an official one," Sericar explained. "Somehow, there are rumors floating around that you’ve already been accepted into Trogan Academy. People are terrified that laying a finger on you would draw the wrath of the institution's Director and the instructors. No one in their right mind would risk that kind of heat. Especially not for the pittance Faertis is offering."

  Seth thought.

  He clenched his jaw and his core stirred in his chest as he downed his beer in three large gulps. After yanking his jacket's hood over his head, he bid farewell to Sericar. "Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be careful."

  "That’s nothing, lad," the Wandering Merchant replied with a weak smile. "Let me know when you’ve got more stones to sell."

  "Sure."

  After a firm handshake, Seth left the tavern and headed to Warsis’ outpost. Crossing the bustling market square again, he weaved between the merchant stands while keeping his face concealed like a . Common sense suggested that no one would dare try capturing him in broad daylight amidst so many witnesses, but the chances weren't zero.

  Once he broke free from the crowded streets, Seth passed in front of Renwal's favorite inn and soon arrived at the outpost. As he stepped inside, a strong musty smell assaulted his nostrils, and the soft tinkle of the doorbell announced him.

  Warsis straightened up behind his desk, bits of his sandwich falling onto his laced-up shirt and lap.

  "If you're looking for—Oh, Seth!" the man exclaimed, a wide smile lighting up his face. "Good to see you again!"

  "Good to see you too, Warsis," Seth said, moving closer. "How have you been?"

  The black-bearded man shrugged. "Could be better. And you? How was the hunt?"

  Seth dropped into the chair in front of the desk, setting his large leather bag beside him before drawing out the beast-hunting contract and handing it over. "Pretty well, except for the few times where I had to run for my life from powerful beasts."

  "All part of the job," the man answered with a chuckle, skimming through the piece of parchment. "So, how many of those bad boys did you get?"

  Seth reached into his bag, pulled out the small white linen sack, and emptied it. Three dozen beaststones clattered onto Warsis’ wooden desk.

  The administrator gasped and let out a low whistle before running his fingers over each of the glowing red crystals. "Wow, Seth, that’s impressive! Much more than I expected."

  "I got lucky," Seth answered, watching Warsis hunched over the pile of stones.

  After a few seconds, the man picked up a slightly larger, darker crystal and held it between his thumb and forefinger. "Rank-12 Red Fox. That's a tough beast you took down."

  '' Nightmare growled through their bond.

  '' Seth answered to the direwolf before looking at Warsis. "Yeah, but sadly I think it’s still worth the same ten common coins as the others."

  "True, but it’ll definitely boost your Adventurer Tier." The administrator gave Seth his three copper and sixty common coins, then crouched down and took out the goblet-like silver bowl mounted on the dark rune-covered base—the Vita Altar. "Place your Vita at the top."

  With a nod, Seth took out his violet orb and put it inside the bowl. As Warsis touched the artifact, the runes switched from the faint yellow to the dazzling white just as last time. Seth squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the brightness to fade before reopening them.

  "There you go," the man said, handing him back his Vita with a sheepish grin. "That Rank-12 Red Fox didn't really matter, huh?"

  Seth forced a smile and infused aether into the purple crystal. While he hadn't corrected the administrator earlier, he’d known all too well that the fox wasn’t the strongest beast they had slain.

  '' Nightmare chuckled, sending Seth images of him being chased by the cow-sized brown boar as the direwolf moved in and out of Illusionary Emptiness to inflict corrosive wounds onto the large beast.

  '' Seth growled, feeling a slight pinch on his left buttock. ''

  Ignoring Nightmare's laugh, Seth turned to Warsis, who was putting away the Vita Altar. "Is it okay if I go upstairs to check for a new contract?"

  "Sure, but first"—the administrator crouched down for a moment and then stood up, holding out a lapel pin with two reddish brown wings and three stars beneath the white A—"here’s your new insignia. You can give me your old one."

  Seth attached the pin to his front pocket before grabbing the old one in his bag and handing it to the man. After a slight nod, he then headed to the second floor and went straight for the beast-hunting board. Other types of contracts would be far less efficient.

  Nightmare was exceptional at tracking prey but far less useful for finding flowers hidden among dense trees and bushes. Escort missions—or similar contracts, if they ever became available—would be even worse, since the direwolf would have to remain in the necklace for the entire job. As long as Seth didn't find out how rare it was to have a beast companion, he intended to keep Nightmare's existence a secret.

  No one could see Link or its bonus attributes, but having the direwolf by his side would undoubtedly raise suspicions; people would likely assume he was using some kind of spell or artifact to achieve such a feat. Seth still had no idea why his father had warned him that Link would 'put a target on his back' or who might come after him because of it. And until he figured it out, sticking to beast-hunting was the safest option.

  '' Seth asked, eyeing the only ones with the Wicked Forest as their location.

  '' Nightmare answered, examining the contracts through Seth's eyes. '.'

  After sweeping through the board for a few minutes, Seth found one that seemed perfect. "Stone-Scaled Sloths, Rank High-Copper," he read out. "Location: Near the Black Mountain of the Wicked Forest. Reward: 30 common coins each. Amount: 5 to 40."

  '' he told Nightmare, digging into what he recalled from his father's encyclopedia. ''

  '' Nightmare said, obvious excitement rising in his voice.

  '' Seth unpinned the contract from the board. ''

  ''

  Seth rolled his eyes and made his way back downstairs. He then stopped in front of Warsis and handed him the contract, waiting as the man gave it a quick once-over.

  "Aiming for higher Ranks than you, huh?" he said, returning the piece of parchment to Seth. "Be careful. It’s a dangerous game."

  "Will do," Seth replied before thanking the man and exiting the outpost.

  It was time to tackle the next thing on his to-do list: his admission to Trogan Academy.

  January 15, 2026 (8h00PM)

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