Chapter Ten: Breakthrough and Blood

Kael's body trembled—not from exhaustion, but from the overwhelming flood of energy surging through every fiber of his being.

As the final CE unit from his last kill vanished into his system, a chime echoed in his mind like a resonating bell.

[CE Threshold Reached: 1000/1000]

[Rank Advancement: Dim Soul >> Faint Soul]

[Chaos Integration initializing…]

And then—he felt it.

A sharp, inward pull as if his very soul was being finely tuned. His chest clenched; his breath hitched. But it wasn't pain—it was clarity. The chaos energy that once surged wildly now felt refined and synchronized. His control deepened and his instincts sharpened. And most vividly…

…his weapon responded.

The once jagged folding scythe shimmered faintly as strands of chaos energy weaved into its form. The crimson edge darkened, becoming sleeker, less brutal in shape but far more ominous in aura. The spine of the weapon now pulsed with a rhythmic energy like a living bond between him and it. It no longer felt like a weapon.

It felt like an extension of himself.

This… this is what it means to evolve, Kael thought, gripping the handle tighter as a slow grin spread across his lips. And it's only the beginning.

Caught in the high of newfound power, Kael didn't realize—he was no longer invisible.

The flare of chaotic energy hadn't gone unnoticed.

Leaves rustled behind him, unnaturally.

His head snapped to the side.

A sudden pressure slammed into him. The fog shifted unnaturally. From its depths, a large silhouette emerged, its low growl rumbling through the soil beneath his feet.

Feral-ranked.

The soul beast's form broke from the haze. It was twice Kael's size, muscles layered over its bone like living armor, its four crimson eyes locked onto him with predatory intelligence. It looked like a corrupted mix between a feline and reptilian beast, sleek yet brutal in every movement. Its fangs glistened with venom; its claws tore through the earth with each stride.

No… Kael's pulse surged. It followed the tide this far out?

Before he could act, the beast lunged after him.

Kael barely rolled aside, the creature's claws slicing the tree behind him like it was made of paper. Splinters exploded into the air as he pulled his scythe into combat position, still mid-breath, mid-shock.

So soon? I just—

The beast roared again, charging.

There was no time to strategize.

There was only instinct.

He moved.

His scythe sliced in a wide arc, catching the beast along its forelimb, but the cut was shallow.

The beast countered with a sweeping tail strike that sent Kael tumbling back, crashing into underbrush.

Blood spilled from his lips. His limbs screamed. Panic clawed at his throat.

If I hesitate again… I'll die.

He gritted his teeth, his hand shaking as he forced himself up.

[Override initiated: Instinct Combat Mode – Active Chaos Channeling Enabled]

Kael's eyes widened.

The chaos energy flooded his body, not as a surge—but as a guide. It moved his limbs with uncanny precision, refined his footwork, and honed his blade. His scythe became a blur—a storm of steel and will.

He ducked, rolled, and slid under the beast's pounce, then slicing along its ribcage.

He twisted mid-air, channeling a chaotic burst to launch himself over the beast's back, bringing his scythe down in a crescent arc. The air screamed as steel met hide—and this time, the beast shrieked in pain.

The fight stretched on—raw, primal.

Every blow Kael landed carved deeper. Every second stretched his endurance.

Finally, as the beast charged for a final time, Kael spun, chaos energy spiraling along the scythe's edge. With a final roar of defiance, he drove the blade clean through the beast's throat with crimson red flooding the fog.

The creature twitched… then collapsed in a heap.

Silence.

Only his labored breath filled the air.

[System Alert]

Feral-ranked Soul Beast slain – +100 CE Units

Bonus Reward: +1000 CE Units

(First Feral-class kill – 10x CE Multiplier)

New Total: 2100/10000 CE Units

Kael dropped to his knees, body trembling, not from weakness—but from the sheer rush of adrenaline and disbelief.

He had survived.

He had won.

But this wasn't victory. Not really.

He looked at his bloodstained weapon, then at his battered body.

If that's just one feral beast… how many more are coming?

A heavy fog pressed around him again. The silence now felt ominous.

And for the first time in a long while… Kael felt small.

His mind replayed the battle in fragments—blades flashing, blood splattering, and that last desperate lunge empowered by something raw and untamed.

I didn't just fight…

I… channeled it.

The system's interface glowed softly in his mind's eye, still displaying his new total—2100/10000 CE Units. That alone was shocking enough… but something deeper clawed at his attention.

He scrolled back, examining every chime and change. Then it clicked.

My CE units didn't drop after evolving my soul weapon…

They should have. Every advancement before had required it. But this time, nothing was consumed.

So the system…

It's a catalyst.

It stores the energy and refines it until my body is ready to absorb it naturally.

And the chaos energy.. It wasn't gone. It had been integrated, permanently.

That's why my body feels different. Stronger and more… stable.

His thoughts shifted back to the fight. For a few fleeting moments, he'd become faster, sharper, and more powerful than ever before. But he hadn't meant to activate that state. It had been instinctive.

But if I can learn to control that state… summon it at will…

He exhaled, his excitement tempered by exhaustion.

His muscles still ached. His soul was tired. But there was one more thing he needed to do.

Kael reached into his satchel and pulled out the soul core of the slain feral beast—its surface still glimmering with faint, unstable light. He steadied himself and began absorbing it, guiding the flood of energy inward.

The results were immediate.

A wave of pure soul energy surged through his core like a rising tide, and this time, he could feel the depth of his capacity stretch, as though unseen walls were breaking down within him.

This… this is already pushing me toward third rank…

His eyes widened as another wave hit—and this one burst through the threshold.

[System Notification]

Soul Energy Capacity Maximized. Cultivation Rank Advanced: Second → Third Rank.]

Affinity Skill Unlocked – Umbral Shroud (Affinity Skill 2):

Project a small, localized cloud of dense shadow around a single target (or self). Temporarily obscures vision and dulls sensory perception.

Tactical Application: Disorientation, Evasion, Ambush Control.

[Current CE Units: 2100/10000]

Kael couldn't help but let out a low laugh, part disbelief, part exhilaration.

He had done it.

Third rank... in just days. Not months. Not years.

Most second-rankers with high potential wouldn't dream of advancing this fast, even with resources. But I… I'm rewriting the path.

And then there was the Umbral Shroud—a technique born from his shadow affinity. Unlike his first affinity skill, this one was for control.

Finally, something I can use tactically… to blind, to ambush, to escape or kill.

No wasted movement. No overexertion.

It was the kind of tool Kael had longed for—something that suited his style: calculated, cool-headed, and deadly.

But while Kael's thoughts danced with possibilities, the world beyond his secluded part of the forest was shifting.

The air had changed.

Something massive stirred beyond the fog. Something vast… and inevitable.

Meanwhile… Outside Greyveil Town

The thick outer fog now shimmered with faint, blood-tinted hues. Sounds echoed from within—no longer individual growls or howls, but a collective roar.

From the high walls of Greyveil, soul hunters stood poised, eyes narrowed into the mist.

And the soul energy powered shield—hummed louder, its pale glow rippling in anticipation of the siege.

The first wave of the Tide had reached them.