Seth's boots crunched against the rocks of the road leading to Renwal's blacksmith as his heart still pounded in his chest. he mumbled inwardly.

  Glancing down at his hand, he cast Identify to see how much more Strength and Arcane power he needed to be able to learn Phantom Punch

  Seth froze mid-step, his eyes locking onto Haste. The spell’s quality had moved up to Exceptional, which made him immediately think back to the brutal fight with the Lancer. The sheer intensity of the battle, the extreme danger, and how far he had pushed his limits—it all had to play a role.

  Over the past month, Seth had come to the conclusion that Feral Instinct wasn’t just enhancing his reactions or senses; it was also guiding his body to refine grooves. Thanks to the core, he was now adapting as a beast, instinctively optimizing pathways for aether to amplify his spells’ power and efficiency without the need for the exclusive knowledge nobles so greedily guarded.

  He still had to risk his life for these improvements, unlike those nobles who could simply buy Exceptional and Flawless spells—or modify theirs without facing any danger. But even so, the ability was incredible. And unheard of.

  Next, Seth’s eyes then moved to his Strength and Arcane Power. He was still lacking a few points to be able to learn Phantom Punch. '' he said to Nightmare, who was following behind, invisible. '.'

  The Undead spell was supposed to be used with combat gauntlets, but Marcus didn't have any Iron ones in the box. His father had anticipated the issue, leaving behind a crafting recipe for gauntlets of each Tier, but even so, Seth would still need a lot of coins for Yline’s services and the ingredients. It would be a long time before he could finally use the spell to crush beasts in a Rift.

  '' Nightmare grumbled behind. ''

  '' Seth started before stopping abruptly, something suddenly hitting him. ''

  '' Nightmare exclaimed, moving closer. 'we'

  '' Seth sighed, spotting Renwal's smithy in the distance. ''

  ''

  Seth thought, rolling his eyes. The direwolf's jealous streak always seemed to flare up when Seth got a new spell.

  Loud clanging resonated from Renwal's forge as the orange glow of fire mingled with the pale sunlight piercing the heavy clouds. Renwal and Mael were both working at the outdoor stations: the blacksmith perched on a bench, polishing an ax while wooden splints clung to his left shirt sleeve, and his apprentice hammered a sword at the anvil, his long blond hair damp with sweat. As Mael turned to speak to Renwal, he caught sight of Seth and grinned. "Hey, Seth!"

  Seth flashed a grin in return and walked over. Renwal looked up, sweat dripping down his forehead and disappearing into his thick, red beard. "Hey, kid!" the blacksmith said, a smile on his face. "Didn’t expect you’d come back in one piece."

  "They can’t get rid of me so easily," Seth answered as the two of them stopped their work.

  Renwal chuckled, then ??wiped his hands on a rag. "We heard some rumors about you. Crazy ones."

  "Yeah," Mael added, leaning against the anvil and crossing his arms. "They say a commoner, a rat from the outskirts, is crushing people at Trogan Academy. A savage Primalist that fights like a beast." He paused and pressed his lips together in an uneasy expression. "But we also heard that he killed a noble."

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  "It was an accident," Seth answered as he rubbed his neck. "He tried to kill me first. And before you ask, it wasn't the Faertis."

  Renwal exchanged a glance with Mael. "Too bad I was hoping it was him."

  Seth smiled—he also would have preferred that. "But uh, can we go inside? I need to talk to both of you."

  Renwal frowned slightly before gesturing toward the forge's door. "Yeah, sure. Come on in."

  The moment they stepped into the dim interior of the smithy, Seth made sure to leave the door open so Nightmare could also enter. As they sat around the small table inside, the blacksmith and Mael wore serious expressions, as if sensing the gravity of the situation.

  "Alright, I've got good news and bad news," Seth said. "Which one do you want first?"

  Mael shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "Hit us with the good one."

  Seth leaned forward and pointed at Renwal's arms. "I finally have enough for the healing prism. Vandric will come by to heal your arms in the next few days."

  For a long moment, nobody moved. The smiles didn't break out. Instead, Renwal just stared at him, his face draining of color, mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

  "The... the prism?" the blacksmith whispered, his voice trembling. "Seth, that... that costs more gold than I could earn in a hundred years. How could you already have—"

  "It’s already done," Seth interrupted, gently raising his hand. "The coins are with Marcus. It’s paid for."

  Renwal looked at Mael, then back at Seth, searching for a sign of a cruel joke. Finding none, the reality of it finally crashed into him. His breath hitched, a ragged sound escaping his throat as his eyes welled up with tears.

  "That's...amazing!" The heavy atmosphere finally broke, and a broad smile split Renwal's face.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Mael squeezed the blacksmith's shoulder. "In a couple of months, you’ll be back at the anvil! Hopefully your work won't be as shitty this time around!"

  "It’ll still be better than yours, that's for damn sure," Renwal shot back with a laugh before turning back to Seth. "And, what's the bad news?"

  Seth's mouth tightened in a thin line. "Because of me, everyone in the town is in danger. You'll all need to move somewhere else."

  Mael’s face turned serious, and he clenched his fists. "Danger? Is it that noble again? Or because of the one you killed?"

  "It's the Faertis one," Seth answered. "That prick has threatened to hurt you…"

  He paused, then added, "None of you will be safe in the Faertis' territory."

  Renwal and Mael exchanged a dark, uneasy look.

  "Then forget the prism," Renwal said firmly. "Use that coin to relocate the people instead. Everyone here has been dreaming of leaving for years... especially since House Faertis started squeezing us even more dry. If we give them the means, I know they’d jump at the chance."

  "That was the plan," Seth said. "I... I already gave the extra coins to Marcus. There's enough to cover the prism a few years of rent for every family. It’ll give them time to find work or prepare new fields to sow."

  Renwal and Mael froze, their eyes widening in shock. The blacksmith immediately shook his head. "Seth, you don't have to—"

  "Yes, I do," Seth cut him off. "This is my fault. And it's the only way I can pay back everything people here have done for me when my mother was… sick."

  He then reached under his cloak, pulled out his coin pouch, and counted out eight copper coins, stacking them on the table in front of Renwal.

  "This is for some awakening stones... and the taxes. To make up for what you have gone through." Seth then looked down at Renwal's left arm. "If I hadn't brought those spare arrows that day, none of this would’ve happened to you."

  He hesitated for a beat, his mouth twisting to the side before continuing. "Marcus said that since you used so many stones in the past, the tax collector shouldn’t suspect I’m the one awakening you. But if he get suspicious... tell him it was me. I’ve paid my debt to them, and as a Wielder, I'm legally allowed to awaken one person a year. If you don't succeed, I'll give you more next time we see each other."

  "That's too much, Seth. I can't accept—" the blacksmith began before freezing as a low growl erupted from the room’s corner.

  Seth chuckled. "Seems like someone’s not thrilled about me giving away coins. Guys, meet Nightmare, my partner."

  The direwolf phased out of Illusionary Emptiness, staring at them with his large crimson eyes. Mael shot to his feet, and Renwal shoved his chair backward in shock, falling onto the floor.

  "What the hell that thing?" Renwal yelled, scrambling to his feet with the help of his table.

  "A Tenebrous Direwolf," Seth explained, gesturing at Nightmare to come closer. "A kind of arcane beasts with the potential to reach the Silver Tier. Right now he’s at Iron, just like me."

  "You're Iron?!" Mael and Renwal exclaimed together, their voices overlapping.

  "Yeah, thanks to him," Seth answered, rubbing his neck. "He makes hunting way easier, so I've been able to Rank up even faster than nobles at the academy—"

  Mael raised his hand to cut him off. "Hold on. You’re already at a higher Rank than nobles?"

  Seth allowed himself a proud grin. “Yep. I’m probably top twenty or thirty among first-year students right now.”

  "Holy crap!" Mael whooped, flashing a giant smile before turning to the direwolf. "Man, you’ve gotta help me tame a beast when I awaken! That’s so freakin’ !"

  Nightmare growled, and Seth cleared his throat before correcting his friend. "I didn't 'tame' him. We made um… some kind of contract."

  "My bad," Mael mumbled before bowing his head slightly at the direwolf. "My mistake, buddy."

  Aether started swirling around Nightmare’s neck, then flared out and disappeared in a flash. "N–ightmare, no–t bud-dy."

  "It… talks?" Renwal immediately took a few steps back, half-hiding behind Mael.

  "That's so awesome!" Mael exclaimed. "Can all beasts talk?"

  Seth shook his head. "No. Only those with good control of aether."

  "Man, I'm so jealous," Mael said. "You're living the dream."

  Seth managed a faint smile as flashes of the dead adventurers in the Rift crossed his mind. Being a Wielder was certainly great, but it also came with risk: death, torture, and worse.

  "Are you staying in town for a bit?" Renwal asked.

  "No, I just came by for your arms," Seth answered, a shadow passing through his face. "I have pressing matters in Arthuri."

  "That's a shame," the blacksmith said, scratching his bald head. "I was hoping you'd be around when I finally awaken."

  "Sorry to miss that," Seth replied. A smile then crept at the corner of his lips. "I'll come back as soon as I can. See if your ignited Well will help you shed a few pounds."

  "Hey, I got big bones," Renwal grumbled.

  "Come on, Seth," Mael said beside him. "You know aether has limits. That's far beyond the miracles it can do."

  "Oh, don't you start too," Renwal retorted, turning to his apprentice. "A small breeze could snap those twigs that serve you as arms."

  "You're just jealous. Women my slim body."

  "Yeah, right." Seth rolled his eyes, then held out his hand to the blacksmith. "I’d better get going."

  Renwal clasped Seth’s hand in a firm shake despite the wooden splints supporting his arm. "Have a safe trip, Seth. And thanks again for everything."

  "It’s no trouble at all," Seth answered before turning to Mael and also offering him a handshake. "Make sure everyone prepares to leave the town, okay?"

  "Don't worry," the blond youngster said with a smile. "We'll take care of everything. If you give them the coins, I’m sure most folks won't hesitate for a second. So go do your thing. Go kick those noble brats’ asses."

  Seth clapped his friend’s shoulder and headed for the door. "If anything comes up, any emergency at all, go see Marcus. He'll help, and he'll also find a way to contact me. Next time I'm back, I'll try bringing an artifact to stay in touch, even when I'm not around."

  "An artifact, huh? Sounds like you're the sponsor now," Renwal replied with a chuckle. "Be careful at the academy, rich boy."

  "I will," Seth promised, glancing at Nightmare, who was still watching from the room’s corner with his piercing red eyes. "Let's go, Nightmare."

  With a final wave, Seth and Nightmare left the forge, stepping into the cool embrace of the afternoon breeze. The direwolf vanished from sight, his silent footsteps trailing beside Seth as they made their way out of Sunatown. A bittersweet feeling settled in Seth’s chest as he glanced back at the wooden palisade. His father had founded the place, yet now it was about to become a ghost town in a few months.

  Seth pulled out his communication orb to verify if Elena had messaged him, and to his surprise, she had—but not for the reason he’d expected.

  '' Nightmare growled, understanding the message through his bond with Seth. ''

  '' Seth reasoned, looking at the road. ' '

  The direwolf dug his paws into the ground. ''

  January 15, 2026 (9h00PM ET)

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