The Forbidden System: Rise of the Last Martial God

The Price of a Reward

The mountain path was narrower than Kael had expected.

Loose stones shifted beneath his boots, and twisted branches scratched at his arms as he followed Lyra through the forest. Every few minutes, he had to stop and catch his breath.

The battle with the Shadowfang had left him weaker than he wanted to admit.

Lyra noticed.

“You’re injured.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re limping.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“And you’re bleeding through your sleeve.”

Kael glanced at his arm.

A dark stain had spread across the cloth.

He sighed. “Do you always ask so many questions?”

“Only when someone is about to collapse in front of me.”

“I’ll try to collapse somewhere less inconvenient.”

Lyra gave him an unimpressed look.

Despite his exhaustion, Kael almost smiled.

It was strange talking to someone who did not seem interested in humiliating him. She challenged him, questioned him, and clearly did not trust him completely, but she had not once called him worthless.

For now, that was enough.

They reached a small clearing shortly before noon.

A narrow stream ran between moss-covered stones, and sunlight filtered through the trees. Lyra crouched beside the water, filled a small flask, and handed it to Kael.

“Drink slowly.”

He accepted it.

The water was cold and tasted faintly of minerals.

After drinking, Kael leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.

A silver notification appeared before him.

[New function available: Basic Body Tempering Technique.]

[Would you like to review the technique?]

Kael opened his eyes.

“Yes.”

Lines of unfamiliar instructions appeared in his vision.

[Basic Body Tempering Technique.]

[Purpose: Strengthen muscles, bones, and physical endurance through controlled circulation.]

[Difficulty: Beginner.]

[Requirement: Stable breathing and sufficient energy.]

[Warning: Improper circulation may cause internal injury.]

Kael studied the instructions carefully.

The technique resembled the breathing exercises Master Orin had taught him, but there was an important difference. Instead of attempting to force spiritual energy through his sealed martial core, the technique directed small amounts of energy through the muscles and tissues surrounding it.

It offered a way to improve his body without immediately breaking the seal.

For three years, every cultivation method he had tried had ended in failure.

Perhaps this one would be different.

Kael sat cross-legged beneath the tree.

He straightened his back and began following the instructions.

First, he slowed his breathing.

Then he focused on the faint energy circulating through his body.

At first, he felt nothing.

He continued.

A few minutes passed.

Then a warm sensation spread through his fingers.

Kael’s eyes widened.

It was not much, but it was real.

He guided the warmth toward his forearms, following the technique’s instructions. His muscles tightened, and a faint silver glow appeared beneath his skin.

Then the pain began.

It started as a dull ache in his wrists before spreading toward his elbows.

Kael clenched his teeth.

He tried to slow the circulation, but the energy continued moving.

A warning flashed before him.

[Irregular circulation detected.]

[Current energy flow exceeds safe threshold.]

Kael immediately tried to stop.

The energy resisted.

His chest tightened.

A sharp pain pierced his ribs, and he nearly lost his balance.

“Kael!”

Lyra caught his shoulder.

“Stop whatever you’re doing!”

“I can’t!”

His breathing became ragged.

The silver glow spread across his arms, then faded and returned in irregular pulses.

Lyra pressed a hand against his back.

“Listen to me. Slow your breathing. Don’t fight the energy. Guide it toward your hands.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re circulating it backward!”

Kael followed her instructions.

He inhaled slowly.

Then he exhaled.

He stopped trying to force the energy into the sealed core and directed it toward his hands instead.

The pressure gradually eased.

A few moments later, the silver glow disappeared.

Kael collapsed forward, sweating heavily.

For several seconds, he could only breathe.

The system chimed.

[Training session interrupted.]

[Body Tempering progress: 3%.]

[Warning: Repeated overexertion may cause lasting injury.]

Kael stared at the message.

Three percent.

After all that pain, he had barely made any progress.

Lyra sat beside him.

“You could have seriously injured yourself.”

“I thought I was following the instructions.”

“You were. But the technique assumes your meridians can circulate energy normally.”

Kael looked at her.

“Can you teach me how to do it properly?”

Lyra hesitated.

“Why should I?”

He did not answer immediately.

He could have lied. He could have promised her money or offered to help with her investigation.

Instead, he told her the truth.

“Because I don’t want to remain powerless.”

For the first time since they had met, Lyra’s expression softened.

She looked down at her hands.

“My instructor used to say that power is easy to recognize but difficult to understand. Most people think stronger muscles and deeper energy reserves make a better warrior. He believed the real difference was knowing when to act and when to stop.”

She glanced at Kael.

“If you want me to teach you, you must learn to recognize your limits.”

Kael nodded.

“Agreed.”

“Good. Then we’ll start with something simple. Breathe.”

He blinked.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

For the next hour, Lyra corrected his posture and breathing. She showed him how to recognize the difference between natural energy movement and the dangerous pressure created by his sealed core.

The lesson was frustratingly slow.

Kael wanted strength.

He wanted to return to the sect, expose the people who had framed him, and discover who had interfered with his body.

But every time he tried to rush, Lyra made him begin again.

By the time they finished, his breathing had become steadier, and the aching in his arms had eased.

The system displayed another notification.

[Body Tempering progress: 7%.]

[Physical control improved.]

Kael let out a slow breath.

It was not a spectacular breakthrough.

No overwhelming power surged through him. No enemies trembled at his presence.

But for the first time in three years, he had made genuine progress.

He could work with that.

“Thank you,” he said.

Lyra rose and brushed dust from her robe.

“Don’t thank me yet. You still need to learn how to fight without relying on that strange ability of yours.”

Kael looked at her.

“What ability?”

“The one that helped you predict the Shadowfang’s attacks.”

He kept his expression neutral.

“I watched its movements.”

“You also changed direction just before it attacked.”

“Lucky guess.”

“And you knew exactly where to strike.”

“Another lucky guess.”

Lyra folded her arms.

“You must be the luckiest man alive.”

“I’m beginning to think so.”

She shook her head, but this time she was smiling.

They resumed their journey.

By late afternoon, the forest began to thin, revealing a rocky valley filled with low shrubs and scattered boulders.

Lyra stopped suddenly.

Kael nearly walked into her.

“What is it?”

She pointed toward a slope on their right.

Small plants grew between the stones. Their leaves were dark green, with thin silver veins running through the centre.

Kael recognized the shape from the system’s information.

A notification appeared.

[Medicinal plant identified: Silverleaf Root.]

[Properties: Supports recovery from minor physical injuries.]

[Rarity: Common.]

[Market value: Low.]

Kael crouched beside the plants.

“How many do you need?” Lyra asked.

“I’m not collecting them for myself.”

He thought of Mira.

She had been coughing more frequently before he left for the sect ceremony. The healer had told him that she needed a particular combination of herbs, but he could no longer remember all their names.

If Silverleaf Root could help with his own injuries, perhaps it could be useful to someone with the right knowledge.

He carefully removed three plants from the soil, preserving their roots.

The system chimed.

[Resource collected: Silverleaf Root ×3.]

[Technique Archive updated.]

Kael frowned.

“Why did collecting plants update the Technique Archive?”

[Material analysis initiated.]

[Resource properties recorded.]

[Potential applications: Basic wound treatment; medicinal preparation.]

He stared at the information.

The system was not merely identifying plants.

It was learning from them.

Could it help him identify the medicine Mira needed?

The possibility filled him with renewed determination.

He would need more information, but he finally had a reason to believe he could help her.

Then another message appeared.

[System Points: 15.]

[Exchange function remains locked.]

Kael sighed.

He had fifteen points and no way to spend them.

“System, can you explain how to unlock the Exchange function?”

[Complete three qualifying missions.]

“I’ve completed two.”

[Correct.]

“What qualifies as a mission?”

[Mission requirements vary.]

“Can I choose one?”

[No.]

“Can I request one?”

[Request acknowledged.]

Kael waited.

Nothing happened.

“That’s all?”

[Yes.]

Lyra glanced at him.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Talking to yourself.”

Kael stood and tucked the herbs into his bag.

“It’s a complicated conversation.”

“I’m sure.”

They continued toward the valley.

As evening approached, they reached an abandoned roadside shelter built from stone and rotting timber. The roof had partially collapsed, but the walls remained intact.

Lyra inspected the entrance.

“We should rest here tonight.”

Kael nodded.

He was too tired to argue.

They gathered dry branches, cleared a space near the least damaged wall, and started a small fire using Lyra’s flint.

While the flames grew, she examined the Silverleaf Root.

“You said you collected these for someone?”

“My younger sister.”

Lyra looked up.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know exactly. She’s been ill for months. The healer says she needs expensive medicine, and I haven’t been able to afford it.”

“Does she have a fever?”

“Sometimes. She also becomes weak and struggles to breathe when the weather turns cold.”

Lyra examined the plants more carefully.

“Silverleaf Root won’t cure that. It might help with minor inflammation, but you shouldn’t give it to her without knowing what is causing the illness.”

Kael’s shoulders sank.

He had hoped the discovery might solve one of his problems.

Instead, he had found another uncertainty.

“Do you know where I can find someone who could help?”

“There is a physician in Ashenfall City. Master Ren. He treats people who cannot afford the major sect healers.”

“Would he see my sister?”

“If you can reach the city and convince him to examine her.”

Kael looked into the fire.

Ashenfall City was farther away than he had hoped. He would need money, supplies, and a safe route.

But at least he now had a destination.

“I’ll take her there,” he said.

Lyra studied him.

“You speak as though everything is simple.”

“No. I speak as though giving up won’t help her.”

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Lyra reached into her travel bag and removed a small packet of dried meat.

She placed half of it beside him.

“Eat. We leave at dawn.”

Kael looked at the food.

“Why are you helping me?”

Lyra’s expression became guarded.

“Because my investigation brought me to that ruin, and you may be connected to what happened to my instructor.”

“So this is business.”

“Partly.”

“And the other part?”

She stared into the fire.

“My instructor disappeared while investigating the same forbidden symbol that appeared in that chamber. If the people responsible for his disappearance are still alive, I want to find them.”

Kael slowly nodded.

Their reasons were different, but their paths had begun to overlap.

He wanted to uncover the truth about his sealed core.

She wanted to discover what had happened to her instructor.

And somewhere between those two mysteries lay the Forbidden System.

Kael ate the dried meat and drank a little water.

For the first time since his exile, he allowed himself to imagine a future beyond survival.

He would grow stronger.

He would help Mira.

He would return to the Iron Peak Sect with evidence of what had been done to him.

But he would not let anger make his decisions for him.

Not yet.

As night deepened, Kael leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

The system remained silent for several minutes.

Then a message appeared.

[Hidden objective detected.]

Kael’s eyes opened.

[Objective: Protect the bloodline.]

[Requirement: Identify the origin of the Veyron seal.]

[Reward: Unknown.]

His heart began to pound.

The Veyron seal.

He had never heard the term before.

Yet the system had connected it to his family.

Before he could ask another question, a second message appeared.

[Warning: Unauthorized observer detected.]

Kael sat upright.

The fire crackled softly.

Lyra was asleep on the opposite side of the shelter.

Outside, the valley lay silent beneath the moonlight.

Then Kael saw it.

A small red light glowed between two distant boulders.

It vanished as soon as he looked directly at it.

He rose quietly and approached the broken doorway.

Nothing moved outside.

But on the ground near the entrance lay a thin strip of black cloth.

Kael picked it up.

A silver symbol had been stitched into the fabric.

Seven uneven lines surrounding an empty circle.

The same symbol that had appeared on the Awakening Stone.

His fingers tightened around the cloth.

Someone had followed them from the mountain.

And whoever it was had left a message.

The system displayed one final notification.

[Warning: The observer has identified you.]

[Threat assessment: Unknown.]

Kael stared into the darkness beyond the shelter.

For three years, he had believed his greatest enemy was his own weakness.

Now he understood that weakness might have been the only thing keeping him hidden.

And someone had finally noticed that he was no longer helpless.