Chapter 58 — Why Kael Is Growing So Fast

The eastern forest waited beyond the mountain.

Kael could still see the unfamiliar guardian-class signature on his Network Sense.

Level 44.

Grade: Lord.

Potential: Overlord.

Normally, Kael would already be thinking about weapons.

Ammunition.

Terrain.

Escape routes.

Weaknesses.

But this time—

he was thinking about something else.

His own growth.

Level 31.

He had started at Level 1.

Only months ago, he had barely been able to control a handful of pieces of iron.

Now he had fought and killed multiple Territory Lords, awakened Darven Armament, restored two sections of the Fourth Path, and gained access to a network thousands of years older than his family.

It should have been impossible.

At least—

that was what Kael thought.

The Verdant Fallen Guardian was the first to speak.

“You are wondering why your growth is so abnormal.”

Kael looked at him.

“Yes.”

The Guardian nodded.

“Good.”

It stopped walking.

“Because unless you understand the reason, you may eventually make a dangerous mistake.”

Kael frowned.

“What mistake?”

“Believing your growth will continue forever at its current speed.”

Kael became serious.

The Guardian looked directly into his eyes.

“Your current growth is extraordinary.”

“But it is not mysterious.”

Kael waited.

“It is the result of several advantages stacking together.”

Kael remembered the first day.

The black forest.

The Darven katana.

The System.

Level 1.

He had been eleven.

The Guardian raised one finger.

“The first advantage was the earliest.”

Kael nodded.

“Your System awakening.”

“Yes.”

The Guardian continued.

“Most humans awaken their Systems naturally much later than you did.”

Kael already knew that.

“Usually somewhere around adolescence.”

“Correct.”

Kael understood the significance.

His growth had started years before it normally should have.

But the Guardian wasn't finished.

“You didn't simply awaken early.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“You awakened with a mature inheritance behind you.”

The Guardian raised a second finger.

“That distinction matters.”

Kael thought about it.

Someone awakening at Level 1 normally had to learn everything from the beginning.

How to train.

How to manipulate mana.

How to fight.

How to use weapons.

How to find resources.

How to understand monsters.

How to create equipment.

Kael had not started from zero.

His father had left him an entire foundation.

The Guardian continued.

“You woke at eleven.”

“And immediately received access to information that most awakened people spend years learning.”

Kael looked down.

Magic theory.

Monster records.

Material classifications.

Alchemy.

Blacksmithing.

Magical engineering.

Firearm construction.

Mana-infused weapons.

Bloodline applications.

Hundreds of books.

His father's entire research.

And every level—

five freely allocated attributes.

Kael suddenly realized how much that mattered.

Kael's father had not left him a single treasure.

He had left him an entire system of advancement.

The Guardian began listing them.

“The Space Ring.”

Kael touched it.

“Food.”

“Medical supplies.”

“Rare metals.”

“Mithril.”

“Adamantite.”

“Unknown magical materials.”

“Blueprints.”

“Books.”

“Weapons.”

“Knowledge.”

Kael nodded slowly.

The Guardian continued.

“The pocket world.”

Kael's expression became serious.

Inside the pocket world were the three imprisoned Legendary Beasts.

The Shadow Lion.

The Verdant Serpent.

The Bone Sovereign.

Kael hadn't fought them yet.

He wasn't allowed to.

But the inheritance had already given him information about them.

Their traits.

Their weaknesses.

Their imprisonment.

Their territories.

The future conditions for fighting them.

That information alone could save years of preparation.

Then there was something even more important.

“Your family inheritance was built around your bloodline.”

Kael looked at his hands.

Metal Control.

Darven Forge.

Weapon Manifestation.

Darven Armament.

The entire inheritance reinforced the same path.

Weapons.

Metal.

Mana.

Bloodline.

Engineering.

Combat.

The pieces weren't separate.

They multiplied one another.

The Guardian explained it carefully.

“Imagine two awakened people.”

“The first possesses powerful Metal Control but no knowledge of forging.”

“The second possesses excellent forging knowledge but weak Metal Control.”

“Both have limits.”

“But you possess both.”

Kael understood.

His bloodline allowed him to manipulate metal.

His inheritance taught him how to turn that metal into weapons.

His System measured his progress.

His Intelligence let him analyze the results.

His father's materials allowed him to experiment immediately.

Each advantage strengthened the others.

The Guardian looked toward Kael's weapons.

PR-02.

AR-03V.

His Darven katana.

“You also have another advantage.”

Kael waited.

“You waste very little time.”

Kael raised an eyebrow.

“I waste plenty.”

“Not compared with ordinary cultivators.”

The Guardian explained.

“Most young awakened individuals spend their early years looking for information.”

“Finding teachers.”

“Finding weapons.”

“Finding materials.”

“Learning what their abilities even do.”

“You were given all of that immediately.”

Kael thought back.

His first weeks had been brutal.

But they had been focused.

Train.

Study.

Forge.

Hunt.

Analyze.

Repeat.

He hadn't spent years discovering what Metal Control was.

He had spent those years' worth of learning inside months.

The Guardian nodded.

“You are compressing years of experimentation into a much shorter period.”

Kael stared at the ground.

That explained his growth better than simply saying he was talented.

He wasn't receiving free power.

He was removing enormous amounts of wasted time.

The Guardian continued.

“Then there is your environment.”

Kael looked toward the surrounding forest.

The answer was obvious.

He had never lived safely.

From the moment he arrived, he had fought monsters.

F-Rank creatures.

Elite monsters.

Rare monsters.

Commanders.

Lords.

Territory Lords.

He had fought enemies stronger than himself repeatedly.

That meant every mistake had immediate consequences.

And every victory provided combat experience.

“You are receiving real combat experience much earlier than ordinary people.”

Kael nodded.

Training against a practice dummy was one thing.

Fighting a creature that could kill him was another.

The System rewarded combat.

His body learned.

His mind learned.

His weapons evolved.

His tactics evolved.

His Intelligence became more valuable because the enemies kept becoming more complicated.

The Guardian pointed at him.

“You don't merely level.”

“You learn at the same time.”

That was important.

Kael's level rose.

But so did his understanding.

The Guardian looked at Kael's status.

“You also possess complete control over your level-up allocation.”

Kael understood immediately.

Every level gave him exactly five points.

He could decide where they went.

Strength.

Agility.

Vitality.

Intelligence.

There was no automatic distribution.

No fixed build.

No random growth.

Kael could adapt his statistics to his fighting style.

After one battle, he might need more Vitality.

After another, more Intelligence.

After another, more Agility.

The system allowed him to directly shape his development.

And because Kael was constantly analyzing his battles—

he could make informed allocations.

The Guardian said:

“You are not merely gaining attributes.”

“You are allocating them according to the problems your enemies create.”

Kael smiled slightly.

“That sounds useful.”

“It is.”

The Guardian paused.

“But it also creates another misconception.”

Kael looked at him.

“What misconception?”

“That your attributes alone are responsible for your growth.”

They weren't.

His attributes were only one part.

Bloodline.

Training.

Weapons.

Techniques.

Knowledge.

Experience.

Resources.

All of them interacted.

Kael looked at the Guardian.

“If all of this is true…”

He hesitated.

“Why was my father only Level 70?”

The forest went quiet.

Kael had thought about it many times.

His father had been powerful.

A Level 70 expert.

A C-Rank Expert.

A Darven.

A man strong enough to hold off an entire attacking force after losing an arm.

Yet Kael had reached Level 31 at eleven.

At this rate—

the difference between them seemed strange.

The Guardian answered immediately.

“First.”

Its voice became firm.

“Your father's Level 70 was not low.”

Kael nodded.

“I know.”

“A Level 70 C-Rank Expert was already an extremely powerful individual compared with ordinary humans.”

The Guardian looked toward the horizon.

“The mistake is comparing your current growth with his entire life as though you were following the same path.”

Kael waited.

“You weren't.”

The Guardian raised one finger.

“Your father did not receive what you received at eleven.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

The rusty sword had forced his early System awakening.

His father had not given him an identical early start.

Kael had awakened unusually early because the inheritance itself had reacted.

The Guardian continued.

“Your father grew through the normal progression of his era.”

“Training.”

“Family resources.”

“Experience.”

“Bloodline mastery.”

“Combat.”

“He became strong.”

“But he did not spend his childhood with the entire Darven inheritance unlocked around him.”

Kael understood.

His father had built the inheritance for the next generation.

He had gathered weapons.

Sold resources.

Collected rare materials.

Recorded knowledge.

Preserved the bloodline information.

Created the Space Ring.

Prepared the pocket world access.

Stored the books.

And eventually—

sent it all to Kael.

His father had accumulated the foundation.

Kael was the one receiving its full benefit.

The Guardian continued.

“Your father also had responsibilities you do not.”

Kael frowned.

“Such as?”

“Protecting the family.”

“Managing the estate.”

“Maintaining relationships.”

“Handling enemies.”

“Protecting resources.”

“Preparing for the threat he knew was coming.”

Kael remembered the message.

His father had spent the final month selling resources.

Gathering warriors.

Blacksmiths.

Mages.

Researchers.

Trying to prepare for an enormous danger.

He hadn't spent those months grinding monsters.

He had been trying to save an entire family.

Kael's expression became serious.

“There was something else.”

The Guardian nodded.

“Yes.”

“The inheritance was incomplete for him too.”

Kael looked up.

“What do you mean?”

“Your father knew the inheritance was dangerous.”

“He knew parts of it should remain hidden.”

Kael remembered his father's message.

The secrets.

The warning.

The missing information.

The ancient family history.

The pocket world.

The Legendary Beasts.

The Fifth Gate.

The deeper bloodline.

His father had deliberately kept certain knowledge away from Kael until he was prepared.

But that also meant—

his father himself had not possessed a complete understanding of everything.

He had inherited the Darven bloodline.

But not the complete explanation for its origin.

He had been discovering it gradually.

Just like Kael.

Except Kael had the advantage of the recovered books, System guidance, and the accumulated research of generations.

The Guardian explained:

“Your father had the bloodline.”

“You have the bloodline.”

“He had weapons.”

“You have weapons.”

“He had knowledge.”

“You have his knowledge plus your own discoveries.”

“But you also have something he didn't have at your age.”

Kael's eyes narrowed.

“A complete chain of progression.”

“Yes.”

Kael looked at his weapons.

He finally saw the pattern.

Metal Control allowed him to manipulate metal.

That allowed him to forge weapons.

The weapons became stronger because of his bloodline.

Stronger weapons let him hunt stronger monsters.

Stronger monsters provided more experience.

Levels gave him five attributes.

Intelligence improved his analysis.

Better analysis allowed better weapons.

Better weapons allowed more difficult battles.

Those battles increased his proficiency.

Higher proficiency improved Metal Control.

Improved Metal Control made the weapons even better.

It was a loop.

A positive feedback cycle.

And his early System awakening had allowed him to enter that cycle years ahead of schedule.

Kael whispered:

“So the real advantage isn't one thing.”

The Guardian smiled.

“Exactly.”

“It's the combination.”

Kael looked at his own status.

Level 31.

It suddenly felt less mysterious.

He had enormous advantages.

But he still had limits.

His mana was limited.

His body was still far weaker than true high-level opponents.

His bloodline progress was only 13%.

His Beast Path compatibility was only 4%.

His Darven Armament had only three active bonds.

His weapons could be damaged.

His tactics could fail.

His enemies could adapt.

He still had to retreat.

The Ironhide Tyrant had nearly overwhelmed him.

The Ashen Warforged had forced him to rethink the entire battlefield.

The Lord-class commander had nearly severed his bloodline.

Kael hadn't become strong enough to ignore his enemies.

He had become strong enough to solve problems faster.

The Guardian nodded.

“That is the important distinction.”

“You have advantages.”

“A great many.”

“But they do not remove the need for growth.”

Kael smiled.

“Good.”

The Guardian looked at him.

“Why good?”

“Because if I could simply overpower everything, I'd stop learning.”

Kael looked back toward the mountain.

His father's Level 70 no longer seemed like a contradiction.

It seemed like a benchmark.

A reminder of what ordinary progression could achieve.

His father had reached Level 70 while living in a dangerous world, managing a family, hiding from enemies, researching the Darven inheritance, and preparing for a threat powerful enough to destroy the entire estate.

And even at Level 70—

he had still been unable to survive the final attack after losing an arm and exhausting his reserves.

Kael's eyes hardened.

“My father wasn't weak.”

“No.”

“He was fighting without my advantages.”

The Guardian corrected him.

“He was fighting with different advantages.”

Kael nodded.

His father had something Kael did not.

Years of real experience.

A mature combat foundation.

Danger Sense.

A deep understanding of the outside world.

Political knowledge.

Family responsibilities.

And secrets Kael still hadn't uncovered.

Kael smiled faintly.

“So I'm not supposed to replace him.”

The Guardian looked at him.

“No.”

“You're supposed to go farther.”

“Yes.”

The Guardian's expression became serious.

“But remember something else.”

Kael waited.

“The faster you grow…”

“…the faster stronger enemies will notice.”

Kael's smile disappeared.

He understood.

The Metallic Predator had noticed him.

The Ashen Warforged had recognized the Darven bloodline.

Darian had found him.

The Severance Order was hunting him.

The unknown network entity had copied his Administrator signature.

The ancient sealed entity knew his name.

His growth was not occurring in isolation.

Every major increase in power created a larger signal.

The Guardian continued:

“Your father remained hidden for years.”

“You have already awakened ancient systems.”

“You have killed Territory Lords.”

“You have restored parts of a network that most people don't even know exists.”

“You are attracting attention much earlier than he did.”

Kael looked toward the eastern forest.

“Then I'll have to grow faster.”

The Guardian shook its head.

“No.”

Kael looked at him.

“Grow better.”

Silence.

The Guardian continued:

“Speed without understanding will eventually kill you.”

“Your advantage is not simply that you grow quickly.”

“It is that you can learn while you grow.”

Kael slowly nodded.

That was the real reason he was alive.

A System notification appeared.

[Eastern Guardian-class entity remains stationary.]

[Level: 44.]

[Grade: Lord.]

[Potential: Overlord.]

Kael opened his hand.

His katana flew from the sheath and landed in his palm.

PR-02 rose beside him.

AR-03V followed.

The three crimson bonds activated.

Kael looked toward the east.

He finally understood what made his growth different.

Not that he had been given infinite power.

Not that the System made everything easy.

Not that he was automatically stronger than people older than him.

He had simply been given an extraordinary starting structure—

and then pushed through it harder than most people ever would.

His father had built the road.

Generations had prepared the tools.

The inheritance had opened the door.

The early System awakening had given him the first several years of development early.

But every step after that—

Kael had still taken himself.

He raised PR-02.

“Let's go.”

The Guardian looked at him.

“To the eastern guardian?”

Kael nodded.

“And then the next section of the Fourth Path.”

The Basilisk's massive silhouette disappeared into the forest ahead.

Kael followed.

Behind him, the restored network pulsed once.

Two sections active.

Two remaining.

And far beneath the mountain—

the ancient sealed entity watched his progress.

Level 31.

The entity remembered the first Darven.

Then the second.

Then the third.

But Kael was different.

Not because he had inherited more power.

Because he had inherited everything they had learned—

and was adding something of his own.

The entity whispered:

“So that is what the inheritance became.”

A pause.

“Interesting.”