The eel lunged at him. He was stunned for a moment. But reacted in time and dodged left, but the eel quickly followed snapping at him with insanely sharp teeth...Kirin drew his blade and levelled it between him and the beast. He looked at the odd-looking creature. He had four legs like that of a Komodo dragon, although its belly was low to the ground but that didn't bother it because of the scales covering its skin.The eyes were a deep yellow with black pupils, the body itself was slithery like that of a snake but more adept at swimming than walking on land. And to top it off. It had a deadly set of claws and those claws with sharpened teeth were directly aimed at Kirin. He shivered visibly, thinking why hadn't it ripped off his arm when it dragged him into the water.But enough idle thoughts. The sun was setting low and it was time to kill the damnable beast. He readied himself and dashed forward.He clashed with the beast with such immense force that the ground under his feet cra

Kirin dragged the eel corpse through the Academy courtyard, his hands strained as he pulled the corpse but he was getting close already.The people watching didn’t know what to say. Some still stared like they were seeing a ghost. Others whispered from a safe distance. But Kirin didn’t care anymore.He had somewhere to be.He followed the winding stone path around the side of the Academy grounds, heading straight for the Collectors’ Ward. The building wasn’t flashy, just thick brick walls, old metal signs, and a set of iron double doors with claw marks and rust on them. This was where the beast parts went, and money came out.This would be his new favourite place and it was his first time coming here. Kirin shoved the doors open with his shoulder.“Hey, uuhhm, I've completed the mission on the electric eel.”Inside, three older students and a tall man with goggles looked up from a dissected wyvern wing on the table. The moment they saw the eel being dragged in, their jaws collectively

Kirin stood in front of Master Dan, blinking.“You’re serious?” he asked, his voice slightly shaky.Master Dan was holding a wooden training blade, but his eyes had that same look from last time, the look of someone who was about to put him through so much unreasonable pain and suffering.Kirin couldn’t help it. He shivered a little.The memory of Seth flying around and not being able to land a single attack while being made a complete fool out of was still fresh in his mind. Kirin had troubled thoughts about that spat since it had happened. And now Maater Dan wanted to train him directly?“I, uh… I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of trauma again,” Kirin said nervously, inching back.Master Dan paused, watching him closely. Then, to Kirin’s surprise, he burst into laughter.“You really are a strange one,” Master Dan said, shaking his head. “Alright, relax. I’ve changed my mind.”Kirin blinked again. “Wait… really?”Master Dan nodded. “I have a much better idea for your training.”

Just as Kirin brought his new blade down for another slice, the wind above the hill shifted subtly.A figure floated in from the sky, quiet and calm like a drifting feather.It was Master Dan.He hovered in place for a few seconds, arms crossed, his usual faint smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. He said nothing, just watched as Kirin swung the freshly crafted sword over and over again, carving through the dense Wraithstone like it was made of wet paper.Master Dan couldn't control his excitement, and perhaps he couldn't stop smiling.The rocks didn’t stand a chance against the newly forged blade.He narrowed his eyes, watching how Kirin moved. Each strike was clean, balanced. There was no wasted motion, no hesitations. The power behind the swings was there, but more than that, there was control. Not wild rage like when he had fought him on their first meeting. Just… understanding.And then Master Dan noticed the blade itself.His eyes widened slightly.That wasn’t just a chunk

Kirin leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head while Seth stared at him with wide eyes. He had just finished explaining the whole story, everything from getting the eel mission to the three-day rock punching class that Master Dan had given him, and finally waking up just this morning.Seth just blinked.“Okay,” he said slowly. “So let me get this straight.”He held up his hand and started counting fingers.“You got sent on a trash mission nobody wanted, killed a monster that’s been evading and dodging people for months, got paid in fifty energy stones and fifty gold, punched rocks until you passed out, and forged your own blade with your bare hands?”Kirin nodded.Seth stared some more."Kirin...” he finally said. “What the hell?”Kirin shrugged. “I don’t even know how it happened. One minute I’m punching the rock, next thing I know, I’m crafting a sword.”“That’s not a normal thing people do!” Seth said, throwing his hands in the air. “I leave for a few days and