Chapter 3 - The beginning of training

The forest remained silent.

Kael stood alone beneath the endless darkness, the Darven katana hanging from his waist.

For several minutes, he simply stared at the System screen in front of him.

[System Awakening Successful.]

[Name: Kael Darven]

[Age: 11]

[Bloodline: Darven]

[Bloodline Ability: Metal Control]

[Bloodline Enhancement: Active]

Kael blinked.

“System…”

He had heard stories about Systems from the elders when he was younger.

Every awakened person received one.

Some received simple systems that helped them train.

Others received systems capable of displaying their attributes, skills, quests, or achievements.

Kael had never imagined that he would awaken one.

And certainly not here.

Alone.

In a forest where he didn't even know what creatures were hiding in the darkness.

“Status.”

The screen changed.

[STATUS]

Name: Kael Darven

Age: 11

Level: 1

Mana: 13

Strength: 4

Agility: 5

Vitality: 4

Intelligence: 7

Metal Control: 30

System: Awakened

Bloodline: Darven

Kael stared at the numbers.

“Level 1…”

He clenched his fist.

His body was weak.

Very weak.

Even though his bloodline had been enhanced, his physical body hadn't suddenly become stronger.

He was still an eleven-year-old boy.

Then his eyes stopped at another number.

Metal Control: 30

Kael frowned.

“My Metal Control is thirty?”

He remembered his father's words.

Your overall level won't become thirty.

Your body won't suddenly become that strong.

Your combat experience won't increase.

Only your Metal Control will be dramatically enhanced.

Kael looked around.

There were pieces of metal among the supplies that had emerged from the ring.

He picked up a small iron fragment.

He concentrated.

Nothing happened.

He tried harder.

Still nothing.

Kael frowned.

“Come on…”

He pushed his mana toward the metal.

The fragment trembled.

Kael's eyes widened.

It moved.

Only slightly.

But it moved.

He stared at it.

Then he tried again.

The iron fragment rose a few centimeters above his palm.

Kael's mouth slowly opened.

“I can actually do it.”

He moved his hand.

The fragment followed.

Left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

His control was clumsy, but the metal responded.

A smile appeared on his face.

For the first time since the destruction of his family, Kael felt something other than grief.

Possibility.

But the moment he tried to move two pieces simultaneously—

CLANG!

Both pieces crashed into the ground.

Kael rubbed his forehead.

“So that's the problem.”

His Metal Control was powerful.

But his control over it was terrible.

Having the potential of a Level 30 Metal Controller didn't mean he actually possessed the experience of one.

His father had warned him about this.

Kael sat down.

“If I want to survive…”

He looked toward the darkness.

“I need to train.”

He opened the first storage ring.

His father had left him enough basic materials to practice without wasting the rare ores.

Kael selected a pile of ordinary iron.

He placed several pieces in front of himself.

“First…”

He picked up one piece.

“I need to learn control.”

He began.

Hours passed.

Kael repeatedly lifted the pieces of metal.

At first, he could barely control one.

Then he learned to maintain it in the air.

After that, he tried moving it around his body.

Then spinning it.

Then changing its direction instantly.

Every mistake caused the metal to fall.

Sometimes it struck the ground.

Sometimes it flew in the wrong direction.

Once, Kael nearly hit himself in the face.

“Again.”

He picked it up.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The darkness never changed.

There was no sun to tell him when morning came.

So Kael trained according to exhaustion.

Whenever his mana became empty, he rested.

Whenever his body recovered, he trained again.

He quickly discovered something important.

His mana capacity was much greater than it should have been for a Level 1.

But his recovery speed was still limited.

He couldn't endlessly use Metal Control.

“Mana control first.”

Kael closed his eyes.

He stopped manipulating the metal.

Instead, he focused entirely on the energy inside his body.

He could feel it.

A faint current flowing through his body.

Mana.

He carefully moved it through his arms.

Then his shoulders.

Then his hands.

The first attempt was chaotic.

The mana scattered.

Kael felt a sharp headache.

He stopped immediately.

“Too much.”

He remembered something from one of the books.

Mana wasn't simply energy.

It was something that had to be controlled.

A person with enormous mana but terrible control could waste most of it.

Kael opened one of the books.

He began reading.

The book explained the fundamentals of mana circulation.

Kael read every page carefully.

Then he practiced.

Again.

And again.

Slowly, he began understanding the sensation.

Mana wasn't something he needed to force.

It was something he needed to guide.

Several hours later, Kael successfully circulated his mana through his body without losing control.

[Mana Control proficiency increased.]

Kael froze.

“Proficiency?”

A new screen appeared.

[Skill detected.]

[Basic Mana Manipulation]

[Proficiency: Beginner]

Kael stared at it.

“So the System records skills too…”

He smiled.

“That'll be useful.”

He continued training.

Eventually, Kael moved on to the next stage.

Weapons.

His father had left him several basic firearms.

Kael didn't immediately understand why.

Then he remembered the Darven bloodline.

Metal Control.

Weapon creation.

His family's specialty.

Kael placed several pieces of iron on the ground.

He remembered the instructions from one of the books.

Metal had to be manipulated from the inside.

He needed to understand its structure.

He closed his eyes.

Mana flowed into the metal.

At first, nothing happened.

Then—

Crack.

The iron bent.

Kael's eyes widened.

He increased his control.

The metal slowly began changing shape.

A crude barrel formed.

Then the frame.

Then the smaller components.

Kael's forehead became covered in sweat.

His control wasn't precise enough.

The pieces were uneven.

The weapon looked terrible.

But it was recognizable.

A crude firearm.

Kael stared at it.

“I made this…”

He picked it up.

It was heavy and poorly balanced.

Definitely not something a trained soldier would use.

But it worked.

Kael smiled.

Then he noticed something.

His hands were trembling.

His mana was almost empty.

His body was exhausted.

He had spent hours training.

And all he had managed to create was one crude weapon.

Kael looked at the weapon.

Instead of feeling disappointed, he smiled.

“This is only the beginning.”

He dismantled it.

Then tried again.

The next few days passed in the same way.

Train.

Rest.

Read.

Train again.

Kael divided his training into several areas.

Mana control.

Metal Control.

Physical training.

Swordsmanship.

Weapon creation.

And survival knowledge.

The last one was especially important.

He couldn't depend entirely on his bloodline.

He needed to learn how to survive in the forest.

So he began exploring only the area immediately surrounding his temporary camp.

He marked trees.

Collected edible plants.

Studied animal tracks.

Learned which creatures avoided certain areas.

And most importantly—

He learned to recognize the presence of danger.

His father had possessed a powerful Danger Sense.

Kael hadn't inherited it.

At least, not yet.

So he had to rely on his own senses.

Every mistake taught him something.

Every day made him slightly stronger.

His swordsmanship was still poor.

His body was still weak.

His Metal Control was powerful but difficult to use.

Yet his progress was undeniable.

After several days, Kael could control five pieces of iron simultaneously.

After another week, he could maintain ten.

He could shape small metal objects without completely exhausting himself.

His mana control had improved.

His physical strength had increased slightly.

And his swordsmanship had finally reached the point where he could perform basic forms without losing his balance.

But Kael wanted more.

He wanted to know his limits.

So one night, he stood in an open area of the forest.

Ten pieces of iron floated around him.

Kael took a deep breath.

“Ten…”

The pieces began rotating.

“Eleven.”

Another piece rose.

“Twelve.”

His forehead began sweating.

“Thirteen.”

The fourteenth piece trembled.

Kael gritted his teeth.

His mana began draining rapidly.

“Fourteen!”

The final piece rose.

Fourteen pieces of iron floated around him.

Kael stared at them.

Then smiled.

“I can do it.”

Suddenly—

A branch snapped behind him.

Kael's smile disappeared.

All fourteen pieces of metal dropped.

CLANG!

Kael immediately grabbed his katana.

His breathing became quiet.

He stared into the darkness.

Nothing.

Then—

Snap.

Another branch broke.

Something was moving.

Kael slowly lowered his stance.

His heart began beating faster.

The darkness between the trees seemed to move.

Two red eyes appeared.

Then another pair.

Then another.

Kael's grip tightened around his katana.

The same creatures that had watched him on his first night had returned.

Except this time…

Kael wasn't asleep.

And he wasn't helpless.

He slowly drew the Darven katana.

The blade reflected the faint green light from the distant forest.

Kael stared at the creatures.

His fear remained.

But beneath it was something else.

Determination.

His first real battle in this world was about to begin.