Her touch was gentle, hesitant.
"Hey... are you okay?"
Her eyes shone with nothing but concern.
Owen, Reese, and Kai soon followed, their expressions mirroring the same worry.
"Hey, man, is everything alright?" Owen asked cautiously.
"Did you break any bones or take a bad hit?" Reese added.
Kai, stayed quiet—watching Kei’s face closely.
They weren’t sure what exactly caused the shift in his mood this time.
Sure, he had just fought back-to-back battles.
Sure, he had been antagonized, accused, and forced to defend himself against Kaito Ren.
But… this felt different.
They hadn’t known him for long.
In fact, this was only the second time they had met him.
The first time was chaotic, but it spoke for itself.
A random stranger, thrown into a situation with them.
But instead of being cold or distant, he turned out to be genuinely kind.
A bit odd, sure. Teasing, carefree—but a good person.
Strong. Protective. Willing to help.
And now?
This second encounter?
He offered them so much.
And what did he get in return?
People trying to take from him.
People antagonizing him.
All because they saw something that wasn’t theirs and decided it should be.
Kei hadn’t answered yet.
He just stood there.
His hands—clenched into fists.
His breathing—shallow, controlled.
But his eyes...
His eyes weren’t the same.
Kei clasped his hands together, his fingers pressing lightly against each other.
His eyes lowered.
And in the quiet, he murmured a silent prayer.
"Thank you."
His voice was low, steady.
"Your abilities and friendship… really helped me."
The wind stirred around him as if listening.
As if carrying his words to the two fallen vipers.
As if they could still hear him, even in death.
Watching the scene unfold, Kaito felt guilt settle deep in his chest.
He had been so sure, so convinced he was right.
But hearing what actually happened—
He realized he had jumped to conclusions.
Slowly, he stepped forward.
Then—
He lowered himself onto one knee.
His head bowed.
His voice steady, but sincere.
"I’m sorry."
Kei glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
Kaito continued.
"I shouldn’t have been so quick to act. I let my assumptions cloud my judgment.
Thanks to Orrin, it seemed like you were the one wronged… now I see that you were only defending yourself."
His hands curled into fists.
"I’m not asking for your forgiveness. That’s for you to decide.
But I do hope we can reconcile. If not today, then maybe one day.
If you don’t want to, I’ll understand."
Kei just stared at him.
One brow slowly raising.
Then—
He glanced at Owen.
Then at Orin’s motionless body.
Then at Draggbane.
Then back at Kaito.
His lips twitched.
"Owen, Orin, Orrin—"
He counted them off on his fingers.
"Am I the only one noticing this?"
Draggbane blinked.
Kaito stayed kneeling, face blank.
The others…
Just sighed.
This man.
Moments ago, he had prayed for his lost friends.
Had been on the verge of manifesting his sadness.
And now?
Now he was fixated on a weird name pattern.
Draggbane exhaled.
"This is really the guy who just slaughtered Orin?"
Kaito, still kneeling, begged internally.
"Please. Just let this end. I just want to leave."
Draggbane mumbled under his breath, rubbing his temples.
"That’s it. I’m changing my name to Draco. Just call me Draggbane for now."
Kei’s eyes narrowed, his lips twitching.
"Draco Draggbane? Who shoots fire dragon heads? Wears dragon armor? Leads Dragon’s Maw?"
He tilted his head.
"Isn’t that a bit too much?"
Whack!
A firm slap landed on the back of Kei’s head.
"Would you be quiet for once?"
Talia’s voice held no patience.
Kei rubbed the spot, grumbling.
"Alright, alright—"
And then—
"AGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!! OOOOOHHH FUCK!!!"
His entire body jerked, his voice breaking into a sudden, agonized scream.
Everyone froze.
Talia blinked, startled.
For a brief second, she felt proud of herself.
Did she really hit him that hard?
Owen took a cautious step back.
"Uh… did she just knock a piece of your soul out?"
Kei hopped frantically on one leg, his face twisted in sheer agony.
His right foot bled profusely, crimson dripping onto the ground with each bounce.
"AGGGHHH—!! WHAT THE FUCK!?!"
His voice shook the air, but no one had a single clue what was happening.
Talia, Owen, Reese, Kai, Kaito, and Dragbane…
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
They all just stared.
"Uhhhhh… What exactly happened?" Owen asked, confusion painted all over his face.
Kei kept hopping, his right foot refusing to touch the ground.
The others watched in stunned silence as he unleashed a rainbow flurry of curses, each one more colorful than the last.
His words didn’t even make sense anymore.
"Mother of shit-stained blasphemous goatfucking bastards—!!"
No one could even react.
Even Draggbane, who had been dealing with Kei’s antics, looked completely lost.
Then—
Kei collapsed onto his ass.
He didn’t even hesitate.
Ripping out his healing salves, he slapped them onto his foot, the pain still sharp and unbearable.
The relief had barely started settling in when—
"AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH MY ASS CHEEK!!!"
Everyone flinched.
"What now!?" Kai blurted, his voice genuinely panicked.
Kei twisted around, gripping his left cheek, blood seeping through his pants.
Talia’s eye twitched.
"Did you just get… stabbed… in the ass?"
Kei shrieked.
"WHAT'S BITING ME!?!!"
Owen took a hesitant step forward.
"...Are you cursed?"
Kaito, despite everything, looked mildly disturbed.
"I— I have so many questions."
But none of them had an answer.
Because they were all too distracted by the sheer absurdity of the moment…
To notice something important.
Orin Graves and the former Black Talon members—
Had already finished resurrecting.
Kei had been bitten a few more times.
And at this point—
He was done.
His expression darkened, his patience completely gone.
A deep, foreign connection was forming through his blood. Something was trying to bond with him.
He didn’t care.
Breeze Force surged.
Aether roared to life as Kei pushed his perception to the absolute limit.
If this damn thing was in contact with the ground—
Then the wind would find it.
Every single opening.
Every crack.
Every speck of dirt.
Wind rushed through the terrain like an invasive current.
Kei stared.
Waiting.
Searching.
Nothing.
There was no presence.
Nothing in the ground.
Nothing in the air.
Nothing anywhere.
Kei mentally broke down.
He fell to his knees.
And then—
He started crying.
"I’M DONE WITH THIS!! OI!!"
His shout boomed across the area.
Everyone—
Even the newly resurrected Black Talon members—
Just stood there.
Baffled.
Reese, trying to make sense of the situation, glanced down at the ground.
And froze.
Kanji had been cut into the grass.
"Oi."
Reese blinked.
"…That’s weird."
Then—he glanced back at Kei, who was still dramatically grieving over his suffering.
"…He’s even weirder."
Orin, having just been revived, took in the scene.
Kei was on the ground, screaming at the heavens.
His former subordinates were too terrified to speak.
Kaito Ren and Orrin Draggbane were just standing there.
He had no idea what was happening.
But seeing Kaito and Draggbane present…
It at least gave him the courage to finally step forward.
He cleared his throat.
"Uh…what’s happening?"
No one had an answer.
Hearing the question, Talia and the others reacted instantly.
"GET HIM!"
Kei barely had a second to register before he was tackled to the ground.
Owen, being overly dramatic, launched himself at Kei like a human boulder, his Bastion Force surging to its maximum output.
Kai, filled with pure terror, had his Adrenaline Force working in overdrive, pushing his body past its limits as he grabbed onto Kei’s arm.
Talia’s Mirage Force and Reese’s Vector Force worked in perfect tandem, warping Kei’s perception—misdirecting his senses so completely that he couldn’t even tell up from down, left from right.
It was absolute chaos.
Kei wrestled against them, thrashing, his strength still monstrous even while bleeding.
Watching all of this unfold, Kaito and Draggbane just… stood there.
Confused.
Silent.
Staring at the dogpile that was now forming on the ground.
Kaito rubbed his temple.
"…What the hell am I looking at?"
Draggbane sighed.
"I don’t know, but it looks like they were friends—"
"And now they’re trying to kill each other."
They both turned to Orin.
But—
Orin’s soul had seemingly left his body.
His legs had given out.
He was staring into the void, numb to everything.
Kaito’s eyes suddenly caught something in Kei’s hands.
"…Were those always there?"
Draggbane followed his gaze.
"What are those?"
Kaito’s expression changed.
"I don’t know, but they had a lot of force behind them when we fought. Look like they’re made from… bones? Where the hell would he get projectiles like that?"
On the ground—
Kei snapped.
"GET OFF ME!!"
"NO!"
"YOU’RE GONNA TRY TO KILL HIM AGAIN!"
"BEHAVE YOURSELF FOR ONCE!"
"EVEN WITH BLOOD LOSS, YOU’RE STILL FREAKISHLY STRONG—!"
The struggle continued.
Kei kept thrashing.
His friends kept holding him down.
And everyone else just watched.
Completely.
Dumbfounded.
Leaving them to deal with… whatever that was, Draggbane and Kaito turned their attention to Orin.
The man sat frozen, pale, trembling, his breath shaky as he stared ahead—staring at Kei.
Or more specifically, at Kei still fighting to kill him.
Pinned to the ground by his own so-called friends, thrashing and cursing, Kei still had his bone projectiles in hand, still writhing and raging to finish what he started.
And Orin?
Orin had never felt such pure, undiluted fear in his life.
He had already died.
Felt his jaw ripped from his head.
Felt the agonizing void swallowing him whole.
And yet—he was back.
And Kei was still trying to make good on his promise.
"You… you insane monster…" Orin’s voice came out in a whisper, cracking under the weight of his horror.
Kei’s head snapped toward him, golden-orange eyes burning bright, fangs bared in sheer frustration—
And Orin screamed.
"HOLD HIM DOWN!" Talia shrieked, throwing all her Mirage Force into distorting Kei’s senses.
Owen, Reese, and Kai nearly piled on him in full force.
Still, Kei fought against them.
Still, he struggled to lunge for Orin.
Still, he clawed at the ground trying to reach him.
Orin scrambled backward on his hands and knees, practically convulsing in terror.
He didn’t even have a lower jaw a few minutes ago.
And now—now Kei was trying to take his second life, too.
This was real.
Kei wasn’t joking.
Kei wasn’t done.
And the worst part?
Orin knew—
Knew that if Talia and the others weren’t holding him back—
Kei would’ve already finished the job.
Draggbane watched the scene unfold, his expression darkening.
With a cold finality, he turned back to Orin—the same man who had been so arrogant before.
Now?
Orin was shaking.
His once-proud posture was gone.
His spirit? Crushed.
Even now, he couldn’t stop staring at Kei.
Even now, he kept flinching every time Kei so much as twitched.
Draggbane’s voice rang out, low and commanding.
"You and your people have caused enough problems."
Orin flinched violently.
But Draggbane didn’t even spare him a glance as he continued.
"You are exiled."
Orin barely reacted.
His body was too busy shaking.
His mind too busy breaking.
Draggbane continued, his words deliberate and final.
"Step foot anywhere near this settlement again—
And I will let him finish what he started."
Orin didn't need to ask who 'he' was.
His entire body convulsed at the mere thought.
Then—without a single word—
Orin turned—
And ran.
The remaining former members of Black Talon followed, scrambling after him, disappearing into the wilderness.
And for the first time…
Kei finally stopped struggling.
Finally taking a deep breath, relieved that everything seemed to have settled, Kaito Ren broke the silence.
"You know… you're really strong." He admitted, still nursing the minor burns and frostbite Kei had left on him. "How come I’ve never heard of you?"
Kei shrugged, cracking his neck. "I usually keep to my own corner, away from people."
Draggbane, arms crossed, studied him carefully before speaking. "What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?"
Kei rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Umm… rather not say. You almost blasted me apart, and he almost cut me in half." He gestured lazily between the two of them. "Not exactly the best way to start an introduction, you know?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, Kei added, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Besides… I stole from that lady’s stall while you were both asleep."
Kaito blinked. "Huh?"
"Nothing." Kei looked away, whistling as if he hadn't just confessed to theft.
Deciding to move past that, Kaito leaned in, curiosity getting the better of him. "Still, you’re really strong. I was actually struggling against you. What’s your stat allocation like?"
Kei tilted his head, confused for a moment—then snapped his fingers as if remembering something important. "Oh! I haven’t really used much. Only the five I got when I arrived. Still got three extra from a hidden reward."
Silence.
Everyone just… stared at him.
Talia, Kai, Reese, and Owen had known that Kei was still Level 0, hoarding his experience points. But even they hadn’t expected this.
He had barely touched his stats.
Draggbane’s fingers twitched slightly, processing the ridiculousness of what he just heard.
Kaito’s eye twitched. "You… only used five stat points. And you're fighting like that?"
Kei shrugged. "I mean, yeah? I don’t really see the point of spending them yet."
Reese groaned, rubbing his temples. "This is getting ridiculous."
Owen let out a tired chuckle. "He’s either a genius or an idiot. Maybe both."
Before anyone could say anything else—
[Congratulations to the first participant to reach Level 10, unlocking the ability to advance and achieve a class of their own. This participant will receive a progression reward for being the first to do so.]
Everyone turned toward the system notification.
Kei blinked. "Huh. Good for them."
The announcement continued:
[Classes will act as a means of progression, affording untold power and opportunity to everyone. Classes are ranked, and your potential will dictate how many options are afforded to you and the ranks available.]
[As the first participant to reach Level 10, the participant will be afforded 3 additional class options, and their rank will increase by one level.]
[Classes will act as a means of progression, affording untold power and opportunity to all participants. Classes are ranked based on potential and compatibility, determining the strength of the abilities granted.]
[The Class Ranks are as follows:]
- Common – Basic foundational classes available to all. Provides standard skill growth and stat improvements.
- Uncommon – Enhanced versions of Common classes with slight specialization and improved abilities.
- Rare – Stronger and more refined classes, granting unique traits and advanced skillsets.
- Epic – A significant leap in power. Epic classes are granted to those who have shown remarkable aptitude in combat or Aether control.
- Mythic – Mythic-tier classes grant immense power and specialize in force-enhanced abilities. A rare few will attain this level.
- Legendary – Reserved for those who have achieved incredible feats. These classes turn individuals into walking calamities.
- Ascendant – Beyond Legendary, this tier grants mastery over both one’s Force and Aether, elevating them into world-shaking existence.
- Mystic – A connection to the deeper mysteries of existence. Those with Mystic-tier classes command abilities beyond the normal understanding of reality.
- Ancient – A class reserved for those who wield powers lost to time. Legends of their kind are etched into history itself.
- Exalted – The pinnacle of Class Evolution. Only one of each Exalted Class can exist at any time. Those who attain this level stand at the peak of existence, shaping worlds and fates alike.
Murmurs spread through the onlookers.
Kaito and Dragbane’s expressions grew serious.
"Classes…" Draggbane muttered. "This is big. This changes everything."
Then, the final part of the announcement came through.
[The First-Class Advancement has been initiated.]
[The first participant to undergo this process has chosen their path.]
The name of the participant remained hidden.
Everyone froze.
Who was it?
The first to reach Level 10.
The first to gain access to a class.
A silent tension filled the air.
Kaito’s fists clenched. "Whoever it is… they just took the first true step toward becoming a powerhouse."
Draggbane’s expression changed. "We need to find out who it is before they get too far ahead."
Kei, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow.
As the others were distracted by the system announcement, he turned his focus inward.
A new connection.
Something unfamiliar, yet... fitting.
He flexed his fingers, rolling his wrist as if testing out the sensation of something else flowing through him.
"Interesting... really, really interesting," he murmured under his breath.
But before he could fully process it—
"AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH, FUCKING HELLL NOT AGAIN!"
Kei screamed in agony, doubling over as pain shot through his body.
His friends immediately panicked.
That drama once again unfolded.
Elsewhere...
Jin Saito grunted, struggling to carve into the massive vipers he had just killed. Their scales were tough as hell, refusing to give in even under repeated attempts.
"I really should invest in a sword or something sharp," he muttered, half-annoyed, half-amused as he kept hacking away. "These damn vipers are a headache to cut into."
As he worked, the lingering system announcement rang in his ears.
[Congratulations to the first participant to reach Level 10...]
He paused for a moment, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Level 10 and classes, huh? Congrats to whoever pulled it off first." He smirked. "I wonder what’s gonna be available to me."
With that, he resumed his dissection, completely unfazed by what was undoubtedly a world-changing moment for the rest of the participants.
Back in the Settlement...
"Hmmm?"
A lazy yawn escaped Jenny’s lips as she stretched, still half-asleep at her market stall.
"Classes?" she mumbled, barely processing the announcement. "Sounds like more work."
She shifted slightly, adjusting the cloth under her head as if she intended to sleep through the entire evolution of the system itself.
Then, as if remembering something, her eyebrows twitched.
"Wait."
Her eyes snapped open.
"Where’s that idiot?"
Her expression soured instantly, the grogginess in her voice replaced by mild irritation.
"I knew I couldn’t trust him. I’m gonna launch him into a boulder the next time I see him."
Despite the threat, she didn’t move—just let out a deep sigh, rolling over, still refusing to get up.