The silence between them lasted only a moment.
Cole continued smiling, patiently waiting for Aster's answer.
Before responding, however, Aster's attention shifted to the wooden sword resting casually on her shoulder.
This is the perfect opportunity...
Without moving a muscle, he focused inward.
The familiar icon within his status panel glowed faintly.
Echo of Origin.
A subtle pulse spread from the Primal Codex hidden within his heart.
No one else seemed to notice.
Aster fixed his gaze on Cole.
Echo of Origin Activated...
Observing Target...
The world around him seemed to slow.
Countless translucent lines flowed around Cole's body. They gathered around her hands, shoulders, feet, and finally converged upon the sword she carried.
Several windows appeared one after another.
Target Identified
Name: Cole
Level: 2
Class: Novice
Skills Detected
• Basic Sword Handling
• Swift Slash
The Primal Codex analyzed each one.
The pages turned rapidly before stopping.
Compatible Skill Found
Swift Slash
Rank: Common
Weapon Requirement: Sword-compatible melee weapon
Compatibility: High
Copy Skill?
YES / NO
Aster frowned.
"...Common?"
He had hoped for another Uncommon skill to advance the Codex's first trial.
For a brief moment, he considered declining.
But then he remembered something.
He possessed only one offensive option.
Actually...
He possessed none.
Iron Body Foundation strengthened his body but offered no means of attacking.
"...It'll have to do."
He silently selected YES.
Warmth spread through his right arm.
The flow of the skill entered his mind.
Unlike Iron Body Foundation, which emphasized breathing and balance, this technique focused on a single decisive movement.
Draw.
Step.
Cut.
Everything occurred in one uninterrupted motion.
Temporary Skill Acquired
Swift Slash
Rank: Common
A quick forward slash that prioritizes speed over power.
Duration Remaining: 30 Minutes
Aster quietly exhaled.
"So this is a Common skill..."
Compared to Iron Body Foundation, the flow of knowledge felt simpler.
Less profound.
As though it emphasized execution rather than understanding.
The Primal Codex remained silent.
Apparently, Common-rank skills weren't worthy of being recorded as part of the First Truth's trial.
Still...
A temporary attack was better than none.
"You okay?"
Cole's voice pulled him back to reality.
"You zoned out for a second."
Aster smiled awkwardly.
"Just thinking."
"Happens to me too."
She laughed before resting the wooden sword on her shoulder and beginning to walk toward the northern road.
Aster followed beside her.
As they left Mistvale behind, more players appeared along the dirt road leading toward the beginner hunting grounds.
Something gradually caught Aster's attention.
"...That's strange."
Cole glanced sideways.
"What?"
"Not everyone is carrying a sword."
She looked ahead.
Indeed.
Some players held axes.
Others carried bows.
One young man walked confidently with nothing more than a pair of leather gauntlets.
Another carried a long staff nearly twice his height.
Yet both Aster and Cole carried wooden swords.
"...How did they get different weapons?"
Cole smiled.
"I wondered the same thing earlier."
"You know the answer?"
"My older brother got into the closed beta."
She casually spun her wooden sword before returning it to her shoulder.
"He told me how the early progression works."
Aster listened carefully.
"Everyone begins as a Novice."
"No exceptions."
"The weapon you receive at the start is basically random."
Aster looked down at the wooden sword hanging from his waist.
"So I wasn't specifically assigned a sword."
"Nope."
"You just happened to receive one."
She shrugged.
"The weapon doesn't really matter yet."
"What matters?"
Cole raised five fingers.
"Level Five."
Aster repeated the number.
"Level Five..."
She nodded enthusiastically.
"That's when the Class Advancement Ceremony unlocks."
"The system lets every player choose from several compatible classes."
"Depending on how you've played."
Aster became interested.
"So if someone mainly uses swords..."
"They'll receive sword-related classes."
"What about someone using bows?"
"They'll get archer-type options."
She continued.
"Same for axes."
"Spears."
"Magic."
"Daggers."
"Gauntlets."
"Even support classes."
"The game analyzes your growth."
Aster frowned thoughtfully.
"So the choices aren't identical for everyone."
"Exactly."
Cole smiled proudly.
"My brother said no two players are guaranteed to receive the same selection."
Aster looked again at the players around them.
Everything suddenly made more sense.
Then another question surfaced.
"What happens to the skills we already learned?"
Cole pointed toward the wooden sword at her waist.
"They evolve."
"Evolve?"
"The system transforms beginner skills to fit your chosen class."
"For example..."
She drew her sword halfway from its scabbard before sliding it back in.
"If I become a Sword Knight..."
"'Swift Slash' might evolve into 'Knight's Cleave.'"
"If I become a Sword Saint..."
"It could become a completely different sword art."
"The foundation stays."
"The form changes."
Aster fell silent.
His thoughts immediately turned toward the Primal Codex.
If the system transforms skills...
...what happens to permanently recorded truths.
Would the Codex adapt them as well?
Or would it preserve their original essence forever?
He couldn't know.
Not yet.
Still...
One thing had become clear.
Reaching Level Five wasn't simply about becoming stronger.
It was the moment every player's future path truly began.
Cole stretched her arms as the road gradually transitioned into open grasslands.
"So..."
She grinned confidently.
"Ready to hunt some monsters?"
Aster looked toward the distant forest.
His temporary **Swift Slash** still had twenty-eight minutes remaining.
Perhaps it wasn't the Uncommon skill he had hoped for...
But it would be enough.
Enough to take his first step into real combat.
And somewhere beyond those trees, another Truth was waiting to be discovered.