Choice

Zephyr leaned back in his chair, staring at the books laid out before him. He had gone through each pathway in detail, breaking them down piece by piece. Five choices. But only three had caught his eye—Voidbreaker, Apex Predator, and Thunderclad Berserker.

The other two, Iron Juggernaut and Adamantine Reaver, were strong, no doubt, but they didn't feel right for him.

They seem good, but I don't see myself going down those paths.

His gaze drifted back to Voidbreaker. It was, on paper, the most promising choice. A path built on endurance, ruthlessness in offense, and an iron will. He pictured himself walking that path—taking hit after hit, never backing down, shrugging off pain while dealing devastating blows in return. A warrior who simply refuses to fall.

It made sense. It felt like the most practical choice.

If I was going all-in as a knight, I would take this without hesitation.

But that wasn't all he wanted.

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. Magic.

He couldn't ignore it. Not after what he had felt—twice now. First, when he woke up in that chamber. Second, during the test. That surge of something beyond him, something he could grasp if he just had the means.

Taisora had its fair share of rumors. One, in particular, stood out now. Reaper. The king of the underworld there.

They said he was a Tier 2 Magic Knight.

That meant, somehow, he had managed to forge his own magic path or use one of those subpar magic manuals floating around the black market. Even if those magic pathways are weaker than the nobles' official paths… it's still magic.

That was enough for him. A starting point.

I need to get my hands on one of those magic manuals. Study it. Break it apart. See what makes it work.

But that's for later. For now... I need strength.

His eyes returned to the books.

What kind of fighter do I want to be?

If he wanted something that covered a mage's weaknesses, Voidbreaker was a solid pick—sheer toughness, pure brute force. But did he want to just be a tank? To take hits and trade blows?

Then there was Thunderclad Berserker. A blitz fighter. Speed and power combined, overwhelming opponents with speed and unstoppable aggression. It sounded thrilling, but was that really his best choice?

His fingers tapped against the table as his gaze slid over to Apex Predator.

Instincts. Reaction. Awareness.

A path that refined the senses, heightening everything—sight, smell, touch, even intuition itself. It wouldn't just make him stronger, it would make him sharper.

Voidbreaker would make me tough, but Apex Predator would make me untouchable.

Strength could be matched. Endurance could be broken. But instinct? If honed properly, it could let him avoid attacks before they even landed. Let him feel the shifts in battle before they happened.

Besides, every knight pathway granted a baseline of power. Even if Apex Predator didn't emphasize raw destruction like the other pathways, he would still have the physicality of a knight. Why not take that and stack it with something even more useful?

I think this is it.

He flipped through the book again, scanning for its Tier 1 concept.

Predatory Focus.

He mulled it over. How do I embody that?

According to the book, every knight had to go through a three-step process to advance to Tier 1.

Step one. The body—cultivating mana veins.

Every person had the ability to draw in mana, but knights had to reinforce their bodies with it first. Once the body reached mana saturation, the second step began.

Step two. The mind—embodying the concept.

A knight wasn't just about raw power. They had to truly become the path they chose. For example, a person on the pathway of the Adamantine Reaver had to embody the concept of "Crushing Force" to break through to tier 1. A Thunderclad Berserker had to embody the concept of "Feral Assault" at tier 1.

For Apex Predator?

Predatory Focus.

Zephyr frowned, thinking. What does that even mean? Just focusing really hard?

The book explained that there were special potions brewed for each pathway that forces the individual into a mental trance where they face a trial they must overcome by fully embodying their concept.

Then with the body at a state of mana saturation, and the mind at resonant brink, they face the third step—the world's trial.

This was the final gate. The world itself would challenge their existence.

Are you really an Apex Predator? A Voidbreaker? An Iron Juggernaut?

If the world finds them lacking at this step their progress would collapse, forcing them to start over from scratch.

It had happened before. Many knights had broken at that last step.

Zephyr's grip on the book tightened.

If potions are necessary to achieve resonance, then that means…

I can't forge my own magic path.

His jaw clenched. No. That can't be true. The first to walk these paths had done it somehow. That means it is possible...

I need more information.

Gage had experience, but Zephyr knew how that conversation would go. The man had already warned him against chasing magic on his own. He didn't want him to find out.

Yes! the shitty magic manuals sold in the public and the black market. There are people who have done this before.

If I could just find one to talk to...

He forced himself to exhale, pushing aside the endless spiral of thoughts.

One step at a time.

First—become a knight.

Apex Predator. That was his path.

Tomorrow, he'd tell Gage and start cultivating.

But wait... Can't I just start now?

I mean, the first step is to get a general manual to learn how to draw in ambient mana, cultivate, then reach mana saturation.

Let me go see if I can talk to Gage.

He stood, his stomach twisting in hunger. He hadn't realized how long he'd spent reading. He made his way downstairs, grabbing a tray of food and scanning the bustling hall.

His eyes landed on Johan.

He walked over, sitting across from him. They exchanged nods before Zephyr dug in.

"Where's Cedric?" Zephyr asked between bites.

"Out with Gage," Johan replied.

Zephyr hummed. "Oh."

They ate in relative silence. He wasn't as close to Johan as Cedric, but the quiet was comfortable enough.

After a while, Johan spoke up. "Hey, you're from Taisora, right?"

Zephyr looked up. "Yeah?"

"Then have you heard?" Johan leaned in slightly. "They say the church wiped out the ruling family there. Clean. Down to the last dog."

Zephyr froze mid-bite. His grip on his fork tightened. He forced himself to stay calm, feigning mild surprise. "What? The church? Why?"

Johan watched his face for a moment before shrugging. "Who knows, man. They didn't give a reason. Just rolled in and purged them. Word is they're doing a full sweep of the city too. Said it had succumbed to vile and evil deeds."

Zephyr set his fork down, his mind racing.

They had gotten word of what was happening in Taisora afterall.

But they've chosen not to announce what was really going on to the public... Why?

This might be way bigger than I thought.

And that Priestess too... the look she gave me. She must have definitely known.

But why did she let me go?...

Sigh... from one problem to the next.

One thing was clear though. He had no one coming for him from the Sho Clan anymore. But now, the church was a potential threat.

Strength. It all came down to strength. No matter what came his way, if he was strong enough, none of it would matter.

He turned to Johan. "When's Gage coming back?"

"Tonight," Johan said.

Zephyr nodded. Good.

Tonight, if Gage gave him a manual, he was going to start cultivating.

No more waiting.