Chapter 17 — The Other Darven

Kael woke to the sound of rain.

Cold drops struck his face.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

His entire body hurt.

His shoulder throbbed.

His ribs ached from the impact with the Metallic Predator.

Even his fingers felt weak.

Kael slowly sat up.

The corpses of the wolves were gone.

Only dark stains remained on the ground.

Kael frowned.

“That wasn't there yesterday.”

He looked around.

The forest was silent again.

Too silent.

Kael reached for his katana.

The weapon was still beside him.

He picked it up.

The Darven crest on the guard had returned to normal.

Kael stared at it.

During the battle, the sword had reacted to his Metal Control.

Now it felt completely ordinary.

“Why did you recognize me?”

The sword obviously didn't answer.

Kael sighed.

“Of course.”

He stood.

His body immediately protested.

“Ah…”

He leaned against a tree.

He wasn't seriously injured.

But he had underestimated how much damage he had taken.

That was becoming a dangerous habit.

Kael opened his System.

Kael Darven

Age: 11

Level: 8

Rank: F-Rank — Initiate

Mana: 26

Strength: 15

Agility: 20

Vitality: 17

Intelligence: 19

Metal Control: 45

Skills:

• Basic Mana Manipulation — Intermediate
• Basic Swordsmanship — Intermediate
• Metal Arsenal — Beginner
• Threat Analysis
• Metal Control — Intermediate

Kael looked at the numbers.

“I need to reach Level 10.”

Not because Level 10 would suddenly make him powerful.

But because he had a feeling something would happen when his bloodline reached the next threshold.

His father had said every ten levels represented a major development.

Kael still didn't know what his next development would be.

But he intended to find out.

The Missing Nightfang

Kael gathered his weapons.

The Darven MP-01 was still functional.

The Darven SR-01 was intact after its repair.

The Darven GL-02 had suffered minor damage during the fight but could still be used.

He checked his remaining equipment.

Then he noticed something.

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang was nowhere nearby.

“Nightfang?”

No response.

Kael frowned.

The creature had never disappeared without saying anything.

He followed the tracks.

They continued toward the northern section of the forest.

Then—

They stopped.

There was no sign of a struggle.

No blood.

No footprints.

Nothing.

Kael crouched down.

Something was wrong.

He activated Threat Analysis.

Nothing appeared.

Then the System flickered.

[Warning.]

[External interference detected.]

Kael immediately stood.

“External interference?”

The System had never said that before.

A second message appeared.

[System information has been partially obstructed.]

Kael's expression became serious.

“Someone is interfering with the System?”

Silence.

Then—

A voice came from behind him.

“Not someone.”

Kael spun around.

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang stood between the trees.

Kael immediately raised the MP-01.

“Where were you?”

Nightfang looked at the weapon.

“Put that away.”

“No.”

The beast sighed.

“Fair enough.”

Kael kept his weapon aimed.

“You disappeared.”

“I was investigating something.”

“What?”

Nightfang's golden eyes moved toward the sky.

“The Fifth Gate.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“You found something?”

“I found someone.”

Kael lowered the weapon slightly.

“Who?”

Nightfang looked directly at him.

“A Darven.”

The Name

Kael didn't speak.

His mind went completely blank.

“A… Darven?”

Nightfang nodded.

“Alive?”

“I don't know.”

Kael's grip tightened.

“You said you found one.”

“I found evidence of one.”

“That isn't the same thing.”

“No.”

Nightfang's expression became serious.

“That is why you need to understand something.”

He stepped closer.

“The voice beneath the forest told you that you weren't the first Darven to awaken.”

Kael nodded.

“It wasn't lying.”

Kael's heart began beating faster.

“Then who was the first?”

Nightfang looked toward the distant mountains.

“I don't know.”

Kael frowned.

“You're hiding something.”

“Yes.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“At least you're honest.”

Nightfang continued.

“Because I don't know whether telling you would help you.”

“Why?”

“Because the last Darven who entered this forest didn't leave as the same person.”

Kael froze.

“Last Darven?”

Nightfang nodded.

“Long ago.”

“How long?”

“Thousands of years.”

Kael's expression changed.

“That can't be possible.”

“It is.”

“The Darven family isn't that old.”

Nightfang stared at him.

“Your family isn't.”

Kael understood the implication.

His bloodline might be.

His family name might not be.

The Darven family he knew could have been only one branch of something far older.

Kael looked down at his hands.

“So my father…”

“May not have known the complete history.”

Kael's eyes hardened.

“He knew more than he told me.”

“Probably.”

Kael clenched his fist.

“For once, I wish someone would just tell me the truth.”

Nightfang gave a quiet laugh.

“In this forest?”

“No one tells the truth.”

The Fifth Gate

Nightfang led Kael through the northern forest.

After nearly an hour, they reached an enormous cliff.

At first, Kael saw nothing.

Then he noticed it.

A black symbol carved into the stone.

The same crimson pattern that had appeared on the Metallic Predator.

Kael approached.

The moment his hand touched it—

[Fifth Gate resonance detected.]

The stone trembled.

A circular section of the cliff opened.

Inside was a narrow passage.

Kael stared into the darkness.

“That's the gate?”

“No.”

Nightfang shook his head.

“That is the entrance.”

“To what?”

Nightfang's expression became grim.

“The place where the first Darven failed.”

Kael took a step backward.

“Failed?”

The beast nodded.

“He reached this point.”

“And?”

“He opened the gate.”

Kael waited.

Nightfang didn't continue.

“What happened?”

“He never came back.”

Kael looked into the passage.

The darkness seemed to move.

He activated Threat Analysis.

[Analysis failed.]

Again.

[Analysis failed.]

Then—

[Threat cannot be measured.]

Kael immediately stepped away.

“No.”

Nightfang looked at him.

“You aren't going inside?”

“I'm Level 8.”

“And?”

“I have enough intelligence to know when something is trying to kill me.”

Nightfang smiled.

“Good.”

Kael looked at the entrance.

“But I want to know what's inside.”

“You will.”

“When?”

“When you're ready.”

Kael looked at his status.

“Level 10.”

Nightfang's eyes narrowed.

“You're planning to return when you reach Level 10?”

“Yes.”

“You may not survive.”

“I know.”

Kael looked at the darkness.

“But I'm not going inside yet.”

The Hunter Returns

They had barely walked away when Kael stopped.

Something was approaching.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Heavy.

Kael reached for his weapons.

Nightfang's ears lowered.

“You recognize it?”

“No.”

Kael activated Threat Analysis.

Nothing.

Then a figure emerged between the trees.

Black armor.

Silver eyes.

The same humanoid creature that had tested Kael before.

Kael immediately drew the Darven katana.

The creature stopped.

It looked at him.

Then at Nightfang.

“You found the entrance.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“You knew it was here.”

“Yes.”

“Who are you?”

The creature remained silent.

Kael raised the katana.

“Answer me.”

The creature's silver eyes moved toward the sword.

“You still carry it.”

“Carry what?”

“The last blade of the First Darven.”

Kael froze.

The creature turned away.

“I wasn't supposed to interfere yet.”

Nightfang growled.

“You're breaking the rules.”

The creature looked at him.

“Rules have already been broken.”

“What rules?”

The creature didn't answer.

Instead, it looked at Kael.

“You have reached five percent.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“How do you know?”

“I can see the mark.”

“What mark?”

The creature pointed toward Kael's chest.

Kael looked down.

Nothing was visible.

Then the System appeared.

[Warning.]

[Foreign observation detected.]

[Your status is being inspected by an external entity.]

Kael's expression changed.

The creature could see his System.

Not just his level.

His System.

Kael immediately activated Metal Arsenal.

The MP-01, GL-02 and SR-01 rose from the ground.

The creature didn't move.

“Relax.”

“Why should I?”

“Because if I wanted you dead…”

The creature looked at the three weapons.

“…you would already be dead.”

Kael didn't lower his weapons.

The creature continued.

“The Fifth Gate has awakened.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“What does it want?”

The creature finally answered.

“Not you.”

Kael paused.

“Then what?”

“The thing inside you.”

Kael's heart skipped.

His hand moved instinctively toward his chest.

“What thing?”

The creature's silver eyes glowed.

“Your bloodline.”

Then it disappeared.

No attack.

No warning.

Just—

Gone.

Kael stared at the empty forest.

Nightfang remained silent.

After several seconds, Kael spoke.

“Did you know that?”

“No.”

Kael looked at him.

“You're lying.”

Nightfang's ears lowered.

“I suspected.”

Kael sighed.

“Of course.”

Level 9

Kael decided to leave the area.

The Fifth Gate was too dangerous.

He wasn't strong enough.

Not yet.

For the next several days, he returned to controlled hunting.

He fought monsters between Levels 7 and 11.

He practiced switching between weapons.

He repaired the GL-02.

He trained his swordsmanship.

He practiced Metal Control without weapons.

And most importantly—

He learned to stop wasting mana.

Eventually—

The familiar sensation returned.

Mana surged through his body.

His muscles tightened.

His senses sharpened.

The System appeared.

[Level increased.]

[Level 9.]

[Five attribute points available.]

Kael opened his status.

Kael Darven

Level: 9

Strength: 15

Agility: 20

Vitality: 17

Intelligence: 19

Unspent Attribute Points: 5

Kael thought for several seconds.

This time, he wanted balance.

He allocated:

+1 Strength

+1 Agility

+2 Vitality

+1 Intelligence

The System responded.

[Attributes updated.]

Updated Status

Strength: 16

Agility: 21

Vitality: 19

Intelligence: 20

Kael slowly clenched his fist.

“One more level.”

He looked toward the distant mountains.

“Then I find out what the Darven bloodline really is.”

But deep underground—

Something was already waiting.

A stone chamber.

Ancient.

Forgotten.

At its center stood a man.

Or what remained of one.

He wore ancient black armor.

A Darven crest was engraved across his chest.

His eyes opened.

Crimson.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Another one…”

He looked toward the ceiling.

“After all these years.”

His hand slowly moved toward the ancient sword beside him.

“Let's see…”

“…whether this Darven is worthy of the blood.”

And behind him—

Five enormous gates stood in the darkness.

The first four were broken.

The fifth was beginning to open.

[Hidden Inheritance Progress: 5%]

[Next Threshold: 10%]

[Condition: Reach Level 10.]

The man smiled.

“Come, little Darven.”

“Let's see what you inherited.”