The first light of dawn slowly crept over the Azure Forest, painting the sky with streaks of crimson and gold.
A cool breeze drifted through Ashwood Village, carrying the scent of damp earth, pine trees, and freshly cut timber.
For the first time in many years…
The village had survived a beast tide.
Yet victory had come at a heavy cost.
The northern gate, though standing once again, was little more than hastily assembled logs reinforced with thick iron nails.
Several homes still bore the scars of claw marks, while others had been reduced to blackened foundations.
Villagers moved quietly through the streets, repairing walls, collecting broken tools, and comforting those who had lost family during yesterday’s attack.
There were no songs.
No celebrations.
Only determination.
Life in Ashwood had always been simple.
Survive today.
Pray for tomorrow.
I stood outside Grandma Mira’s small cottage, watching Hunter Milo and several others replace the final support beams on the watchtower.
My right shoulder still carried the marks of the Alpha’s claws, but thanks to the Origin Core, the pain had become a dull ache instead of unbearable agony.
I flexed my fingers experimentally.
No stiffness.
No weakness.
The recovery was unnatural.
“Whatever the Origin Core really is…” I thought, “…it isn’t ordinary cultivation.”
A familiar warmth pulsed beneath my chest.
Thump.
Thump.
Blue light gathered before my eyes.
Origin Core
Synchronization: 20%
Physical Recovery: 71%
Mental Condition: Stable
Recommendation:
Avoid reckless combat for the next three days.
“So you do care if I stay alive.”
The window disappeared without answering.
I sighed.
“You really have no personality.”
“Talking to yourself again?”
I turned to find Grandma Mira standing in the doorway with two steaming bowls balanced carefully in her hands.
“You’ve been awake since sunrise.”
“Thinking won’t fill your stomach.”
She handed me one of the bowls.
The rich aroma of mushroom porridge mixed with wild herbs instantly reminded me of another life.
A kitchen.
Morning sunlight.
The sound of a pressure cooker.
My mother’s voice calling me before college.
The memory was so vivid that my chest tightened.
Earth.
For the first time since awakening as Kael, I truly realized I would never return.
Grandma Mira quietly sat beside me on the old wooden steps.
Neither of us spoke for a while.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
It felt…
peaceful.
Finally she asked,
“Does your shoulder still hurt?”
“A little.”
She nodded knowingly.
“Pain reminds us we’re alive.”
I smiled faintly.
“You always know what to say.”
She laughed softly.
“Only because I’ve had many years to make mistakes.”
Her expression gradually became thoughtful.
“Kael…”
“You’ve changed.”
I froze.
She continued before I could answer.
“Yesterday, when you stood in front of that wolf…”
“I saw someone different.”
Her eyes met mine.
“You weren’t afraid.”
I looked down at the bowl in my hands.
“I was terrified.”
“Then why didn’t you run?”
The question lingered between us.
Why hadn’t I?
Back on Earth…
I wasn’t particularly brave.
I avoided fights.
Avoided attention.
Lived an ordinary life.
Yet yesterday…
Something inside me refused to watch innocent people die.
“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly.
“Maybe…”
“…because someone had to stand there.”
Grandma Mira smiled warmly.
“Then your grandfather would have been proud.”
Her words struck deeper than she realized.
Kael’s grandfather.
A man I had never met.
Yet somehow…
Hearing those words made my heart feel lighter.
Before either of us could continue, three deep bell chimes echoed across the village.
Dong…
Dong…
Dong…
Villagers immediately stopped what they were doing.
Hunters laid down their tools.
Children ran toward the village square.
Grandma Mira slowly stood.
“The chief is calling everyone.”
The square was already crowded by the time we arrived.
At its center stood the ancient monument, weathered by countless seasons.
In yesterday’s golden light, it had looked like the heart of the world itself.
Today…
It appeared to be nothing more than old stone.
If I hadn’t witnessed its awakening myself, I would have believed it had always been ordinary.
Elder Rowan climbed onto the wooden platform before the monument.
His armor was dented.
His left arm remained wrapped in fresh bandages.
But despite his injuries, his voice carried clearly across the square.
“My friends…”
“We are alive.”
A quiet murmur spread through the crowd.
“Yesterday we faced destruction.” Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Yesterday we buried fathers…”
“Mothers…”
“Brothers…”
“And sisters.”
The murmuring disappeared.
Six wooden memorial tablets stood beside the platform.
Each one carried a carefully carved name.
Elder Rowan lowered his head.
“They gave everything so Ashwood could live.”
“Today…”
“We honor them.”
Every villager bowed.
No one spoke.
Only the wind moved through the trees.
I closed my eyes.
Although I had known these people for only a single day…
They had accepted me without hesitation.
They had fought beside me.
Some had died protecting me.
I silently promised myself…
I won’t let your sacrifice be meaningless.
Several minutes passed before Elder Rowan raised his head again.
His expression had changed.
The sorrow remained.
But now it was joined by resolve.
“Our grief must not blind us.”
“The beast tide is over.”
“But our greatest challenge…”
“…is only beginning.”
A wave of unease swept through the villagers.
“What do you mean, Chief?”
“Our food stores were damaged.”
“Our hunters are wounded.”
“Our walls remain weak.”
He paused.
“And winter is less than three months away.”
The square fell completely silent.
Everyone understood what those words meant.
The Shadow Fang Wolves had failed to destroy Ashwood.
But hunger…
Could finish what they started.
Just then, the Origin Core pulsed beneath my chest.
A strange feeling spread through my body.
Something…
Was about to change.
The uneasy silence lingered over the village square.
No one questioned Elder Rowan’s words.
Everyone in Ashwood understood the cruelty of winter.
The Azure Forest became far more dangerous once the snow fell.
Spirit Beasts grew desperate, hunting closer to human settlements, while food became scarcer with each passing week.
The villagers had survived the beast tide.
Now they had to survive the season.
Elder Rowan looked across the crowd before speaking again.
“We have enough grain for perhaps two months.”
A murmur spread through the villagers.
“But only if we ration every meal.”
Several mothers instinctively pulled their children closer.
Hunter Milo frowned.
“What about hunting?”
“We’ve lost too many traps,” Rowan replied.
“And nearly half of our hunters are injured.”
Hunter Daren stepped forward.
“Then we’ll rebuild the traps.”
“We will,” Rowan agreed.
“But rebuilding takes time.”
He paused, then slowly continued.
“There is another possibility.”
Every eye turned toward him.
“The Azure Sword Pavilion.”
The name alone changed the atmosphere.
Even the hunters straightened their backs.
It was a name every child in the Azure Region had heard growing up.
A place where cultivators trained.
A place where ordinary people could only dream of entering.
Farmer Bren scratched his beard.
“Would a great sect really help a tiny village like ours?”
“They never have before.”
Rowan nodded.
“That’s true.”
“But yesterday…”
“They sent someone.”
The image of the silver-haired swordswoman instantly appeared in my mind.
The calm expression on her face.
The effortless sword strike that ended the Alpha Shadow Fang Wolf.
Power like that…
It was beyond anything I could imagine.
Rowan’s gaze slowly shifted toward me.
“And before leaving…”
“She spoke to me.”
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
The villagers followed his eyes.
Suddenly…
Everyone was looking at me.
“She said the boy named Kael must not waste his talent.”
The square became completely silent.
I blinked in surprise.
She had never said that to me.
Had she spoken privately with Rowan after the battle?
The old chief continued.
“I don’t know what she saw.”
“But I trust her judgment.”
He walked toward me until we stood only a few steps apart.
“Kael.”
“The road ahead will be dangerous.”
“You may leave this village one day.”
“But before that day comes…”
“You must become strong enough to protect yourself.”
Without another word, Rowan untied a small leather pouch from his belt.
He placed it in my hands.
It was surprisingly heavy.
I opened it carefully.
Inside rested six pale blue crystals that glowed faintly beneath the morning sunlight.
My breath caught.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
Even the hunters looked surprised.
Those six stones represented years of careful savings.
Ashwood rarely obtained Spirit Stones.
When they did, they were treated like priceless treasures.
“I can’t accept these.”
I immediately tried to return the pouch.
Rowan closed my hand around it.
“You can.”
“They belong to Ashwood.”
“And right now…”
“You are Ashwood’s greatest hope.”
Hope.
The word felt heavier than the pouch itself.
I looked around.
No one objected.
Grandma Mira smiled proudly.
Hunter Milo nodded in agreement.
Even Farmer Bren gave me an encouraging smile.
For the first time…
I realized these people truly believed in me.
The Origin Core suddenly pulsed.
A familiar blue screen appeared before my eyes.
Main Quest Updated
The First Step Beyond Ashwood
Objectives:
• Begin cultivation using a Spirit Stone.
• Master the Basic Spear Technique.
• Reach Body Tempering Realm – First Stage.
Time Remaining:
29 Days
Reward:
Unlock the First Origin Meridian
Failure:
Synchronization will gradually decline.
I quietly read the final line again.
Body Tempering Realm…
So that was the first step of cultivation.
Before I could think further, Hunter Milo laughed loudly.
“Looks like there’s no escaping training anymore.”
The hunters chuckled.
Daren walked over and placed a firm hand on my shoulder.
“Meet me at the training ground after lunch.”
“If you’re really going to leave Ashwood one day…”
“I’m not letting you embarrass our village.”
Even I laughed.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
“But don’t expect mercy.”
That afternoon, the western training ground echoed with the sounds of wooden weapons colliding.
Hunter Milo handed me a practice spear.
“This isn’t about strength.”
“It’s about discipline.”
He demonstrated a simple forward thrust.
“Again.”
I copied him.
My stance was clumsy.
“No.”
“Again.”
I repeated it.
“And again.”
The hours passed beneath the afternoon sun.
Sweat soaked my clothes.
Blisters formed across my palms.
My muscles screamed in protest.
Every time I thought about stopping…
I remembered the Alpha’s claws.
I remembered the villagers standing behind me.
I remembered the Keeper’s final words.
You must grow stronger.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Hunter Milo finally nodded.
“That’s enough.”
I leaned on the wooden spear, completely exhausted.
He smiled.
“You’ve got terrible footwork.”
Hunter Daren laughed.
“And a terrible grip.”
Hunter Bran joined in.
“But…”
“You never complained.”
Milo looked directly at me.
“Talent decides where someone begins.”
“Determination decides where they finish.”
Those words stayed with me as I walked home beneath the evening sky.
That night, after Grandma Mira had fallen asleep, I quietly stepped outside.
The village was peaceful once more.
I climbed the small hill overlooking Ashwood and took the leather pouch from my pocket.
Six Spirit Stones glowed softly in the darkness.
Beyond the mountains lay the Azure Sword Pavilion.
Beyond the Pavilion…
The truth.
I tightened my grip around the pouch.
“I’ll become strong enough.”
“Not because destiny chose me…”
“But because I choose to keep moving forward.”
The Origin Core pulsed warmly.
One final notification appeared.
Preparation Complete
Cultivation Tutorial Available
Next Chapter: Opening the First Origin Meridian
At that same moment…
Hundreds of kilometers away, within the grand halls of the Azure Sword Pavilion, the silver-haired swordswoman knelt before an elderly man dressed in white robes embroidered with nine golden stars.
Without opening his eyes, the elder spoke.
“You’ve confirmed it?”
“Yes, Master.”
“And your conclusion?”
She hesitated for only a moment.
“The boy carries a presence unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.”
The elder slowly opened his eyes.
Golden light flashed within them.
“Then gather the elders.”
“The wheel of fate…”
“…has begun turning once more.”