On the eleventh day since Kai arrived in this world, Scry awoke from his slumber and summoned them inside.

  His gaze first landed on Umbra, who had advanced to a Tier 5 Spirit Beast.

  “Good job, birdy,” Scry said with a laugh, clearly pleased. “You might actually be able to take down that wolf someday.”

  Her growth was impressive and beneficial for Kai’s future.

  Then Scry turned to the boy, scanning him closely. His eyes gleamed with joy.

  In just ten days, Kai had transformed from a mere mortal into a peak Apprentice-level fighter in terms of physical strength. His mana was dense, flowing smoothly through his channels. The results were far beyond expectations.

  To be honest, Scry hadn’t expected much. But he admired the boy’s grit and perseverance. This development gave him hope; maybe Kai was the one his master had told him to wait for. Finally.

  “Good job, Kai. You’ve done well,” Scry said, pride evident in his voice. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you’ve learned about your new strengths while I was gone?”

  Kai, encouraged by the praise, beamed with joy. His hard work had paid off, and it showed.

  He explained everything: his body-tempering training, his failed attempts at channeling mage techniques, and his discovery of a water elemental affinity.

  “When I tested for elemental affinity,” Kai said, “my mana formed a small watery snake in my palm. I stopped there; I didn’t try again. Do you know what that means?”

  Scry’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  “You manifested a water spirit during your affinity test? That’s impossible!” he exclaimed. “Only those who’ve trained for decades and possess exceptional talent can produce such phenomena. Maybe five people in a century can do it. My master was one; he summoned an ember lizard in his youth.”

  “Show me. Now.”

  Kai nodded and channeled his mana according to the diagram.

  This time, it was easier; his mana reserves had doubled. A bright blue, almost silver snake coiled in his palm. Then it darkened, shifting to deep blue, nearly black, before dissolving into a black mist.

  Scry fluttered in the air, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

  Woosh.

  A book materialized from thin air. He flipped through the pages, stopping at one and staring intently.

  Kai grew nervous. He wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad sign.

  Umbra watched silently, her eyes deep and unreadable.

  “Kai! Look at this picture. Doesn’t it match what you just produced?” Scry asked, needing confirmation even though he already knew the answer.

  “It does. What does it mean?” Kai asked.

  “When someone manifests a living elemental sign, it means their soul is deeply attuned to that element,” Scry explained. “But when that sign begins to change, mutate, it suggests the element itself may possess unique or enhanced properties. Tell me, have you noticed anything unusual about yourself lately?”

  “Yes,” Kai said. “My blood seems to be poisonous. I think the venom forging did more than we expected. I killed a Tier 2 toad by poisoning it with my blood.”

  Scry floated down and sat, stunned.

  “This is incredible. Some cultures attempt to create this through venom forging, but it’s extremely rare. You got lucky, and it seems your water mana is also poisonous. That’s why the snake turned black and vanished into smoke.”

  “Amazing,” Scry said, eyes wide. “You’ve developed a Venom Hybrid Constitution. This will be your hidden ace. But you must keep it secret. If word gets out, schools or sects might try to capture and experiment on you.”

  “When you’re strong enough, and we defeat the guardian of this jungle, we’ll leave this place and explore the world. Then you will have to be careful. Right now, you can do whatever you want.”

  “We’re going to leave? What guardian?” Kai asked.

  “Nothing you need to worry about yet,” Scry replied, his tone somber. “Even one of its generals nearly killed Umbra. We’re not ready to face it. All we can do now is grow stronger.”

  Umbra growled softly, flinching at the memory of the wound.

  Kai understood there was more to the story, but for now, he would wait. Even if he knew, there was nothing he could do. The beast had nearly killed Umbra, who was far stronger than he had been at the time. But the thought of leaving the jungle and traveling made him ecstatic.

  “Okay, you need to grow stronger,” Scry said, his tone firm. “And the best way to do that is by fighting other beasts in the jungle. But before that, you need to learn some abilities, and you need a proper weapon.”

  He vanished in a flash, reappearing moments later with a bag full of simple weapons.

  “Pick one. I’ve got every type. They’re nothing special, but they’ll serve you well until you reach the level of a Knight.”

  Kai rummaged through the bag, inspecting each weapon carefully. Eventually, he chose a standard double-edged sword; it looked balanced and sturdy.

  Scry didn’t have any specialized weapon training manuals, as his master had been a mage. But he did possess some basic techniques, which were better than nothing.

  Over the next two months, Kai trained relentlessly with the sword.

  Slashes, thrusts, swipes, he practiced them day after day.

  At first, the movements felt awkward and unnatural, but the more he trained, the more the weapon began to feel like an extension of himself.

  He had never imagined he’d be learning how to fight with a sword. Yet here he was, learning how to kill.

  Who knows how many I’ll have to kill just to survive? The thought weighed heavily on him.

  By the end of the second week, he had read the basic sword manual countless times. He no longer needed it.

  His strikes had grown fluid, instinctive. The sword still felt foreign in his grip, but he was beginning to grow into it.

  Scry began teaching him mana control. With Kai’s high water affinity, he should have been able to merge mana into his body and weapon more easily than most Apprentices.

  Kai pushed himself harder than ever, channeling mana through his limbs and into the blade as he attacked.

  At first, it was chaotic; sometimes he pushed too hard and the sword flew from his hands; other times, nothing happened at all.

  But gradually, he adapted. Faster than anyone Scry had ever seen, he claimed.

  Kai learned to coat his blade with water mana, enhancing its flexibility and durability. A faint, poisonous gleam shimmered along the edge, his unique touch.

  His slashes now glowed with water mana, sharper and more fluid than ever. Around the edges, a dark light danced, his very own poison.

  Scry explained that Kai’s poison was still weak, effective only against beasts up to Tier 4. To strengthen it, he would need to hunt poisonous creatures and absorb their cores.

  It was becoming clear: Kai was forging a new path. Not quite a fighter, not quite a beast. A hybrid, blending spirit beast traits with human techniques. Something entirely new.

  In the meantime, Umbra had learned how to properly control her darkfire and was able to kill Tier 5 beasts easily. With each kill, she grew stronger, but she knew it was not enough.

  She needed more; she craved revenge.

  ***

  One morning, Scry gathered Kai and Umbra and summoned what looked like a map of the jungle. The jungle was massive, ten thousand kilometers wide and long. If Kai had to walk the entire distance, it would take him at least a year to cross.

  “Look here,” Scry said, pointing to the northeast corner. “This is where we are. This small area around our hill is Umbra’s territory now.”

  The jungle was divided into seven zones, each ruled by a powerful Spirit Beast.

  “The ruler of the nearby zone is Thunderfire Lupus,” Scry continued. “A dual-element lightning and fire Tier 8 wolf beast. He’s the one who nearly killed Umbra when you two first met. She wandered into his territory by accident while hunting, and he attacked her to teach her a lesson. Didn’t even use much energy.”

  Umbra listened quietly, her gaze dark. Scry had read her memories of that night, searching for a way to help her heal.

  “Revenge will have to wait until you’re strong enough, birdy,” he said gently. Then he turned back to the map. “The other six rulers are all at least Tier 7. Together, they serve the Holy Tusk, a peak Tier 9 Spirit Beast on the verge of evolving into a Divine Beast. That’s what I know, they might be stronger now, though.”

  Kai leaned in. “What kind of beast is the Holy Tusk?”

  “A massive earth-element mammoth,” Scry replied. “He’s the ruler of the entire jungle. That hasn’t changed since my master died. Back then, the mammoth wouldn’t dare come near us; my master could kill it with a single spell. But now, there’s no one left to oppose him.”

  Kai frowned. “What about the Dragon King?”

  Scry shook his head. “The Dragon King doesn’t care what happens here. This jungle is beneath him. The only reason he protects it is because he is bound by an ancient contract. Not even my master knew what the dragon was guarding, but one thing is certain. He will not involve himself in little Spirit Beasts fights.”

  Umbra growled softly, her fur bristling at the memory of her defeat.

  Kai understood. There was more to this jungle than he had imagined: layers of power, politics, and danger. And he was still at the very bottom.

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  “So the plan is to get you two to at least Tier 7, preferably Tier 8 level of power,” Scry said, his voice unusually serious. “Once you're strong enough, we’ll defeat the wolf and any other generals. Then, if Tusk wants to fight, we should be able to defend ourselves and escape to the outside.”

  He sighed, wings drooping slightly. “I’ve been trapped in this jungle for countless years. And now, finally, I have a chance to leave. I’d like you two to help me. What do you say?”

  It was the first time in a long while that Scry had spoken with such sincerity.

  Kai looked at him, then at Umbra, who stood silently beside him.

  “We’ll help you,” Kai said firmly. “Umbra wants to fight the wolf, and I want to explore the world. I think we should work together to achieve our goals.”

  Scry nodded slowly, a rare glimmer of hope in his eyes.

  “You two should be able to hunt Tier 5 beasts without much trouble,” Scry said, pacing slowly. “If you hunt enough, you should be able to enhance your body to the peak of the Apprentice stage, maybe even approach Knight level.”

  He turned to Kai. “To reach Knight level and beyond, you’ll need to master your sword. It has to become part of your body. You’ll also need to strengthen your organs and sharpen your five senses, if possible.”

  Scry paused, then added, “Once you achieve those two things, you’ll be at the level of a true Knight. Even a Tier 9 Spirit Beast wouldn’t be able to kill you easily. Of course, that’s assuming your body develops normally. But with your unique constitution… who knows what changes we might see.”

  “Also,” Scry added, “you need to learn how to split your mana between pure water and poison. It’ll be a good exercise and essential for your growth. You’ll need to master different skills involving the pure water element in the future, so it’s unwise to let your core be dominated solely by poison. Balance is key.”

  He glanced at Umbra. “As for her, she just needs to eat cores. She’ll grow stronger naturally.”

  He smirked. “Life’s not fair, my friend. Some have it easier than others.”

  Kai sighed. “Truly not fair.”

  “Okay, can you tell us where we need to go to hunt?” Kai asked, and Umbra stood up, finally, something interesting.

  “Since you need to strengthen your blood poison by absorbing cores of poisonous beasts, go here,” Scry said, pointing with his small white paw to a dark-colored region on the map. “This is the swamp zone of the jungle. It’s filled with poisonous and venomous creatures. If you head further north, you’ll find a deep cavern that houses the Darkness Vampyr Bats and other lesser dark-element monsters.”

  He glanced at Umbra. “This will be a good experience for her, too. She needs to absorb as much darkness element as possible to evolve to Tier 6. And when she does…” he smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

  Scry was clearly enjoying himself. Planning, guiding, and helping again, it had been ages since his days felt this full. Not since his master had lived with him.

  “You two can go tomorrow morning. For today, rest and prepare for the trip. It will take you at least half a month to arrive at the swamp, and that’s if things go smoothly.” He added, this time seriously.

  “Since I’m still bound to this Arcanum,” Scry said, his voice quieter now, “take this amulet.”

  He handed Kai a small, glowing charm.

  “It contains a fragment of my soul. Through it, I’ll be able to see what’s happening around you, but I won’t be able to speak through it yet. I’m still too weak.”

  He sighed, wings drooping slightly.

  “Give me a few more months. The Arcanum should restore enough of my energy so I can assist you in the outside world. Until then… hang in there.”

  ***

  The next day, the sun shone brightly above the Arcanum. A man and a beast stepped out together, heading straight toward the swamps of the jungle. Umbra allowed Kai to ride on her back as she streaked across the dense terrain, her figure slicing through the humid air.

  They traveled for two weeks, stopping only to rest and eat. The jungle shifted around them, lush greenery giving way to darker, wetter terrain.

  Eventually, the air grew thick and foul. A pungent stench clung to the breeze, and the distant sound of bubbling water echoed through the trees as gases escaped from the swamp’s surface.

  Kai slid off Umbra’s back, landing softly on the damp ground.

  They scanned the area, senses sharp, but saw nothing at first.

  “Hm, weird. I don’t sense any beasts nearby. Let’s rest for a while,” Kai suggested.

  They found a small clearing a short distance from where they had landed.

  Kai built a modest fire and began roasting a few pieces of meat they had stored earlier.

  Umbra settled beside him, her tail swaying expectantly.

  “Okay, okay, calm down. It’s not done yet,” Kai chuckled.

  The scent of lightly seasoned meat drifted through the air.

  Even as he cooked, Kai kept glancing around, unwilling to let his guard down.

  Just as the food was nearly ready, something swooped overhead and landed on a dark branch of a nearby tree.

  Kai drew his sword, water mana glowing deep blue along its edge.

  Umbra roared, claws igniting with darkfire, scorching the earth beneath her.

  A two-meter-tall rainbow-colored parrot emerged from the shadows.

  “I mean you no harm,” the parrot said, its voice clear and calm. A shimmer of colorful light surrounded it.

  “You can speak?” Kai asked, surprised.

  “Ah, yes, I’ve grown strong enough over the years to speak,” the beast replied.

  “I was flying nearby when the smell of food caught my attention. Then I saw you two.”

  The parrot tilted its head. “A human and a Tigerhawk. Quite the unusual pair.”

  “You know about humans? Are there others here?” Kai asked, hope flickering in his voice.

  “Unfortunately, no. You’re the only one I’ve seen in centuries. The last human I encountered was five hundred years ago. Quite the spectacle,” the parrot chuckled.

  “I’ll give you a piece of advice in exchange for a slice of that delicious-looking meat. Deal?”

  Umbra growled and leapt between the parrot and the fire.

  The parrot laughed heartily. “I’m not asking for all of it! You’re a greedy one.”

  Seeing the beast meant no harm, Kai lowered his sword and smiled.

  “Umbra, we’ve got plenty. Relax,” he said, laughing.

  Umbra huffed and moved aside, but not before taking a bite of her portion.

  Hmph.

  Kai tossed a piece of meat to the parrot, who gulped it down instantly.

  “Now that is delicious. I’ll give you a proper reward,” the parrot said, licking its beak.

  “Head east from here. You’ll find a massive red snake guarding a rare treasure. I could steal it, but it’s useless to me. For you and this rude cat, though, it could be quite valuable.”

  Kai stared at the parrot. If it wasn’t lying, that was an incredible tip for just a piece of meat.

  “Why don’t you stay a bit longer? I can make more food. It’s the least I can do.”

  The parrot didn’t refuse.

  For the next few hours, they ate and listened to tales of the jungle and its strange inhabitants.

  The parrot loved to talk, especially gossip.

  “Well, it’s time for me to go,” it said eventually. “Be careful, and good luck, human.”

  Kai smiled and waved as the colorful beast flew off.

  Then he and Umbra turned east, stepping cautiously into the swamp.

  The ground was unstable, and the danger could be lurking anywhere.

  ***

  As they walked deeper into the swamp, Kai and Umbra encountered countless poisonous plants. Kai carefully gathered and stored them, relying on the knowledge he had studied beforehand.

  They continued for hours until a sudden sight caught their attention.

  On a rocky patch of terrain a hundred meters ahead, two massive snakes were locked in a deadly battle.

  One was dark red with a single horn protruding from its head, a Redtip Python.

  The other was dark green, with two small, scaly wings on its back, an Emerald Dragonsnake. Despite its name, it had no true connection to dragons and couldn’t fly. However, if allowed to live long enough, it could evolve its wings and gain the ability to fly.

  Kai and Umbra crouched low, watching silently from the shadows. Only the Dragonsnake was venomous, but they wouldn’t say no to two cores.

  Then a thought hit him. Could this be the red snake the parrot talked about? Maybe they are fighting over something.

  Kai extended his spirit sense, scanning their strength. Both were around Tier 4. Tired and wounded, they were vulnerable.

  Suddenly, the Dragonsnake leapt into the air, hovering briefly as it unleashed a rain of acidic droplets onto the Redtip.

  The Redtip screamed in pain, attempting to defend, but it was too late.

  Python used its last option. Its body ignited, distorting the air around it with intense heat.

  The acidic rain evaporated instantly as the Redtip burned through its remaining mana, igniting its core in a desperate final move.

  The Dragonsnake, unable to maintain its altitude, fluttered its wings uselessly as it began to fall.

  In a last-ditch effort, it spat a blast of high-pressure, poisonous water toward the Redtip, but it was useless.

  The Redtip lunged, tearing through the Dragonsnake’s body. Both crashed to the ground.

  As the Redtip lay on the floor half dead, its breath shallow and mana depleted, Umbra struck from the shadows.

  She finished the job swiftly. The last thing in the Redtip’s eyes was a flicker of unwillingness, a refusal to die.

  Kai walked over and stood behind Umbra. The idea of sacrificing one's life just to kill an enemy was foreign to him. Even if Umbra hadn’t finished the Redtip Python, it would have died regardless; its core had cracked, and for Spirit Beasts, that was the end of the road.

  Kai bowed his head in respect. The python had fought with everything it had, refusing to surrender until the very end. He didn’t want its death to be in vain, so he carefully harvested its fractured core and handed it to Umbra, who swallowed it without hesitation, absorbing what little mana it had left.

  Then he turned to the Dragonsnake. He extracted its intact core, its venom glands, and some of its meat for the journey ahead.

  As he moved a bit further, trying to find what they had been fighting over, something caught his eye.

  Behind them stood a dark red bush, its leaves curled like claws, and nestled among them were five translucent fruits glowing faintly in the dim light.

  Moonveil Soulberries.

  Kai’s breath caught. He had read about these in books. The fruit absorbed moonlight from all three moons over hundreds of years. When fully matured, it shimmered with a soft, translucent glow. Consuming one was said to enhance the user’s spirit sense and even prolong life. Some ancient texts claimed it could strengthen the core, but in what way, no one truly knew. The fruit was exceedingly rare, and its effects were largely untested.

  Kai knelt beside the bush, marveling at the treasure before him. This was no ordinary find; it was truly something anyone would kill over. He harvested them carefully and stored them inside his bracelet. He wanted to eat them as soon as possible, but they needed to find a safe space first.

  The parrot was right!

  Kai urged Umbra to move quickly from the area. He didn’t know who else might be aware of the Moonveil Soulberry’s location, and he wasn’t willing to take that risk.

  As they raced through the rocky terrain, Kai spotted a cavern tucked into the side of a small mountain, hidden, almost invisible unless you were looking for it. He sent a message through their bond, and Umbra veered toward it without hesitation.

  Inside, they found a deep tunnel leading to an underground pond. The air was damp and cool, and beside the water lay a scattering of bones and red-tinted snake scales.

  Kai recognized it immediately; this had been the Redtip Python’s lair.

  They would use it for the night, but they wouldn’t linger.

  Kai carefully took out the Moonveil Soulberries and called Umbra over. He instructed her to activate her darkfire to conceal the fruits’ aura. The flames shimmered with a shadowy glow, masking the powerful energy radiating from the berries.

  He gave two fruits to Umbra and kept two for himself. One, he set aside for Scry.

  They consumed the fruit quickly. The taste was otherworldly, ethereal, and smooth. As soon as they bit into the berries, they melted like moonlight and slid effortlessly down their throats.

  Umbra curled up and activated her darkfire again, now tinged with a silvery glow. She began digesting the fruit in silence.

  Kai sat in a meditative position, following the energy as it spread through his body. The moon-bright liquid settled around his core like a cocoon, pulsing with a calming light.

  The energy from the second fruit flowed into his soul, and something shifted. Boundaries shattered. His awareness expanded, and he could feel every cell, every nerve, every breath. It was as if his body had become transparent under a divine microscope.

  His soul sense surged, from twenty meters to a hundred. He could sense everything around the mountain, even detecting an underwater cave beneath the pond. He made a mental note to explore it later.

  Hours passed. His mind grew more stable, his core stronger, though still wrapped in the moonlight’s embrace, he couldn’t see what changes it would go through.

  The experience was transcendent. Something one could only dream of.

  Umbra’s transformation was equally remarkable. Her body shimmered faintly, and her darkfire now carried a silvery hue. Her core had changed, though not as drastically as Kai’s.

  But the most profound evolution was in her soul.

  Spirit Beasts were named for the spirit that formed within their core after reaching a certain level. Once that spirit matured, they could evolve into Divine Beasts, merging body and spirit, gaining the ability to take human form.

  Before that, they would awaken speech and be able to communicate directly with humans and other beings.

  This usually happens at Tier 7.

  But now, with the help of the Moonveil Soulberry, Umbra’s spirit had advanced significantly at only Tier 5.

  It was a shocking turn of events.

  ***

  A few hours from the cavern lay a mountain range, encircled by treacherous swampland. Sulfur hissed from rocky crevices, tainting the air with a stale, acrid stench. Deep within a large cavern, two Pythons stirred from their slumber. Both were Redtips, yet each bore distinct marks: one had a massive crimson body scarred from countless battles, while the other sported two broken horns and pale white streaks that split its red scales like lightning across a stormy sky.

  They had felt it; their brother was dead.

  He had been the weakest of the trio, tasked with guarding the Soulberry bush and alerting them through their bond when the fruit ripened. That fruit was their chance to evolve, to ascend as true rulers of this land. Though they had survived countless battles, victory had always come at a cost. Their thirst for power had driven them to madness, forcing them into hiding until the fruit was ready.

  But now, something had gone wrong. Their plans were unraveling.

  Even though their brother was the weakest of the group, there still should not have been anyone even close to their power in the area, and anyone stronger knew that three of them guarded this region. Nobody would intrude, but in the end, he had died.

  With fury in their hearts, they surged from the cavern and slithered toward the Soulberry’s location, ready to kill.