Morning arrived with the sound of steel striking wood.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
I tightened my grip on the practice spear and drove it forward once more.
“Again.”
Hunter Milo’s calm voice echoed across the training ground.
I exhaled slowly.
Left foot.
Twist the waist.
Thrust.
Recover.
Repeat.
The movements were becoming familiar.
Not easy.
Just…
natural.
Sweat rolled down my forehead as I completed another series of strikes.
Hunter Milo walked around me, arms folded across his chest.
“Your shoulders are still too tense.”
“If your body is stiff, your spear will be stiff.”
He gently pushed my shoulder downward.
“Relax.”
“Power comes from the whole body.”
Not the arms.
I nodded.
“I’ll remember.”
He stepped back.
“Good.”
“Now fifty more.”
I blinked.
“Fifty?”
He smiled.
“The road to becoming strong doesn’t end because you’re tired.”
The other hunters laughed.
I sighed dramatically before raising the spear again.
“One…”
“Two…”
“Three…”
By the time the morning training ended, my arms felt like stone.
I collapsed beneath the shade of the old oak tree, breathing heavily.
Hunter Daren tossed me a water flask.
“You’ve improved.”
I caught it and drank deeply.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“A week ago you couldn’t even hold the spear correctly.”
“Now your strikes carry purpose.”
Hunter Bran grinned.
“Still wouldn’t bet on you against a wild boar.”
Everyone laughed.
Including me.
The teasing no longer bothered me.
Instead…
It felt like I truly belonged here.
After breakfast, Grandma Mira handed me a woven basket.
“We’re running low on moonleaf herbs.”
I accepted it without hesitation.
“I’ll gather some.”
She smiled warmly.
“Don’t go too deep into the forest.”
“I won’t.”
Leaving the village through the eastern gate, I followed the narrow trail that wound between towering pines.
Sunlight filtered through the branches in scattered beams.
Birds chirped overhead.
The forest looked peaceful.
Yet thanks to Origin Sense, I could feel countless living auras around me.
Small rabbits hiding beneath bushes.
Birds resting in the trees.
Even insects crawling beneath fallen leaves.
The world had become far more vivid since opening part of my First Origin Meridian.
Every living thing carried a faint trace of spiritual energy.
It didn’t take long to find the moonleaf herbs.
They grew near the base of a large boulder where the ground remained cool and damp.
As I knelt to collect them, something caught my attention.
A series of footprints.
Fresh.
They weren’t human.
Nor did they resemble wolf tracks.
Each print had four narrow toes and a faint crescent-shaped mark in the center.
I frowned.
“I’ve never seen tracks like these.”
The Origin Core responded.
Analysis Unavailable.
Recommendation:
Remain Alert.
That wasn’t exactly reassuring.
I glanced around.
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Even the birds had stopped singing.
A faint rustle came from somewhere behind me.
I stood slowly, gripping the spear that Hunter Milo insisted I carry everywhere.
The bushes shifted again.
A small silver fox stepped into the clearing.
The same Moonlight Spirit Fox I had seen the previous night.
Its blue eyes studied me carefully.
“You…”
The fox tilted its head.
Instead of running away, it took a few cautious steps closer.
Its nose twitched as it sniffed the air.
Then it looked directly at the basket of herbs in my hand.
I smiled.
“So that’s why you’re here.”
Reaching into the basket, I picked a small forest berry that Grandma Mira had packed for me.
Holding out my hand, I waited.
The fox hesitated. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
One step.
Then another.
Finally, it gently took the berry before retreating a short distance.
It ate quickly, then looked back at me.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
There was no fear between us.
Only curiosity.
The Origin Core quietly displayed another message.
Moonlight Spirit Fox
Disposition: Friendly
Current Trust: 5%
Observation:
Spirit Beasts do not always respond with hostility.
The little fox suddenly looked toward the deeper forest.
Its ears twitched.
Then it glanced back at me before taking a few quick steps away.
Stopping, it looked over its shoulder.
Almost…
As if it wanted me to follow.
I hesitated.
Grandma Mira had warned me not to go deeper.
Hunter Milo had said the same.
Common sense told me to return home.
Yet something in the fox’s eyes made me pause.
It wasn’t pleading.
It wasn’t afraid.
It was inviting me.
I tightened my grip on the spear.
“Just a little farther,” I whispered.
“If it gets dangerous…”
“I’ll turn back.”
The fox darted between the trees.
I followed at a careful pace, staying alert.
With every step, the forest grew quieter.
The ancient trees became taller.
Their trunks were covered in emerald moss, and vines hung from their branches like curtains.
After several minutes, the fox stopped before a weathered stone arch almost completely hidden by thick roots and climbing ivy.
It looked ancient.
Older than anything in Ashwood Village.
Half of its carvings had been worn away by time, but one symbol remained unmistakably clear.
A circle…
Surrounded by countless tiny stars.
The moment my eyes settled on it, the Origin Core pulsed powerfully inside my chest.
Unknown Origin Structure Detected.
Synchronization Resonance…
Beginning.
A deep vibration echoed beneath my feet.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The fox quietly sat beside the archway, watching me.
Whatever lay beyond those ancient stones…
It had been waiting a very long time.
The vibration beneath my feet lasted only a few seconds.
Then…
Silence.
The ancient stone arch stood motionless, as though nothing had happened.
I took a cautious step forward.
The Moonlight Spirit Fox remained seated beside the archway, watching me with calm blue eyes.
It didn’t seem frightened.
If anything…
It looked as though it had been waiting for me to arrive.
I slowly reached out and brushed my fingers across the weathered stone.
It was cold.
Rough.
Covered in cracks left behind by countless years.
The faded symbol—a circle surrounded by tiny stars—glowed faintly before disappearing again.
A blue window appeared before my eyes.
Origin Core
Origin Resonance Detected.
Current Synchronization: 24%
Access Requirements: Not Met
Recommendation:
Do not attempt to force entry.
I frowned.
“So I’m still too weak…”
Whatever this place was, the Origin Core clearly had some connection to it.
But it wasn’t allowing me inside.
Not yet.
I stepped back, resisting the urge to keep experimenting.
Every instinct told me that forcing something I didn’t understand was a terrible idea.
“Fine.”
“I’ll come back when I’m stronger.”
The moment those words left my mouth, the glow around the ancient symbol completely disappeared.
Almost as if the structure itself had accepted my decision.
The little fox stood and let out a soft cry.
“Kyu.”
Then it turned and began walking back toward the village.
I smiled.
“I guess that’s your way of saying we’re done.”
The journey back through the forest felt strangely peaceful.
With Origin Sense active, I noticed details I would have missed before.
Tiny streams of spirit energy flowed beneath the roots of ancient trees.
Bright flowers absorbed spiritual energy from the morning sunlight.
Even ordinary animals unconsciously gathered faint traces of spiritual qi as they breathed.
The world wasn’t empty.
It was alive.
Cultivation wasn’t about creating power.
It was about learning to move with the power that already existed everywhere.
That realization stayed with me all the way back to Ashwood.
Grandma Mira sighed in relief the moment she saw me enter the cottage.
“You’re later than usual.”
I placed the basket of moonleaf herbs on the table.
“I found a larger patch deeper in the forest.”
“You didn’t go too far…
did you?”
For a split second, I considered telling her everything.
The fox.
The stone arch.
The Origin Core.
Instead, I simply smiled.
“I was careful.”
She studied my face for another moment before nodding.
“Good.”
“Next time, tell someone before staying out so long.”
“I will.”
Although I had hidden the truth…
I silently promised myself that I wouldn’t make her worry unnecessarily.
That afternoon, Hunter Milo resumed my training.
This time he carried two wooden spears.
“We’re finished practicing against wooden posts.”
He tossed one toward me.
“Today…”
“You’ll face a real opponent.”
I caught the spear and raised an eyebrow.
“You?”
He grinned.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ll only embarrass you a little.”
The watching hunters laughed.
Hunter Daren stepped aside and crossed his arms.
“Remember your footing.”
“Don’t chase the spear.”
“Watch your opponent.”
I nodded.
“Ready?”
Milo asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Without warning—
He moved.
His spear shot forward like a striking snake.
I barely reacted in time, stumbling backward as the wooden tip stopped just inches from my chest.
“So fast…”
“Again.”
This time I managed to block.
The impact rattled my arms.
Before I could recover, another strike came from the side.
Then another.
And another.
Within moments I was completely overwhelmed.
Finally, Milo tapped my shoulder with the spear and stepped back.
“If that were a real fight…”
“You’d be dead four times already.”
I laughed breathlessly.
“I think you missed a fifth.”
The hunters burst into laughter.
Even Milo couldn’t hide his smile.
“Good.”
“You can still joke after losing.”
“That means you’ll get back up.”
For the next hour he corrected every mistake.
By sunset my body ached far worse than it had during simple drills.
But this time…
I had learned something far more valuable.
Technique alone wasn’t enough.
A real battle was unpredictable.
As dusk settled over Ashwood, the Origin Core quietly displayed another notification.
Training Complete
Basic Spear Technique:
30% → 34%
Combat Experience:
Increased
Evaluation:
Host has completed foundational weapon training.
Next Recommendation:
Enter controlled combat against low-level Spirit Beasts.
I stared at the final line.
“Spirit Beasts…”
So training with hunters would only take me so far.
Sooner or later…
I would have to face the dangers of the Azure Forest again.
That night I climbed onto the watchtower overlooking the village.
The cool wind carried the scent of pine trees across the valley.
Ashwood rested peacefully below.
Children’s laughter drifted faintly from nearby homes.
Hunters prepared for the evening patrol.
Grandma Mira’s cottage glowed warmly in the darkness.
This village had become my home.
Not because I was born here.
But because these people had accepted me without asking for anything in return.
I clenched my fist.
“I’ll become strong enough to protect this place.”
“And then…”
“I’ll uncover every secret waiting beyond these mountains.”
Far away, hidden deep within the Azure Forest, an ancient pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
A powerful spiritual pressure spread through the surrounding trees before vanishing just as quickly.
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
“The Heir has found the First Gate…”
Another unseen presence replied.
“Then the time for watching is ending.”
The forest fell silent once more.
Unaware of it, I looked toward the stars, never realizing that something ancient had just begun watching my every step.
“Readers, trying to be better, as this is my first novel so help me with you openion, I try my best to give you the best.”