The world outside the Academy felt wrong.
Not hostile—not yet—but unfiltered.
Kael noticed it the moment his foot crossed the final boundary marker. The air lost its artificial balance. Mana wasn't regulated here. It surged unevenly, like an ocean with hidden currents.
"This place smells dangerous," Iris muttered.
Kael nodded. "Yeah. Like freedom."
Iris stared at him. "…You need therapy."
Cinder lifted its head, eyes scanning the terrain with sharp focus. The creature's movements were slower now, deliberate, like it was mapping the environment rather than reacting to it.
The System chimed.
[Unregulated zone entered.]
[Environmental modifiers active.]
[Beast adaptation potential increased.]
Kael raised an eyebrow. "That sounds promising."
Or terrifying.
Probably both.
The road quickly vanished.
Not broken—erased.
Nature here didn't respect human infrastructure. Roots cracked stone. Moss swallowed ruins. A half-collapsed watchtower leaned at an angle that made Kael uncomfortable just looking at it.
Luna stopped abruptly.
"Down."
Kael dropped instantly.
A massive shadow passed overhead.
Something flew.
Not a dragon—but close enough to make Kael's spine go cold.
The System flared.
[High-tier aerial predator detected.]
[Classification: Sky Reaper (Juvenile).]
[Engagement strongly discouraged.]
Iris whispered, "Please tell me that thing doesn't hunt people."
Nyx replied flatly, "It hunts movement."
Kael stayed still, barely breathing.
Cinder didn't move at all.
Not fear.
Calculation.
The shadow passed.
Only when the sound faded did Kael exhale.
"…Okay," he muttered. "New rule. We don't fight everything."
Iris grinned. "Look at you. Learning."
They made camp before dusk.
No walls.
No wards.
Just a low fire and rotating watches.
Kael sat near the flames, sharpening a blade he barely knew how to use. Cinder lay behind him, tail curled loosely around Kael's ankle.
Protective.
The System chimed softly.
[Bond proximity increasing passive benefits.]
[Minor resistance to fear effects applied.]
Kael smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Luna glanced at him. "You talk to it like it's a person."
Kael shrugged. "It listens like one."
Nyx looked up. "It thinks like one."
Silence fell.
Iris broke it. "So. Independent Tamer. No rank. No backing. No official income."
Kael snorted. "When you say it like that, it sounds bad."
"It is bad."
"But?" Luna prompted.
Iris grinned. "But it's also the fastest way to break the system."
The System chimed immediately.
[Phrase detected: "break the system."]
[Clarification: metaphor acknowledged.]
Kael laughed. "Even the System's confused."
The first scream came after midnight.
Not human.
Not beast.
Something in between.
Kael was on watch.
Cinder's head snapped up instantly.
The System reacted.
[Unknown entity detected.]
[Threat classification unstable.]
[Recommendation: avoid.]
Kael swallowed.
"…We never get easy nights, do we?"
The scream came again.
Closer.
Then—
Footsteps.
Running.
A figure burst into the firelight—bloody, ragged, eyes wild.
"HELP—!"
Something burst from the darkness and dragged him back.
The scream cut off sharply.
Silence.
Iris stood slowly. "That wasn't a beast."
Nyx nodded. "That was a failed tamer."
Luna clenched her fists. "We should help."
Kael hesitated.
The System chimed.
[Intervention risk: extreme.]
[Potential reward: unknown.]
[Decision left to host.]
Kael stared into the darkness.
Then stood.
"We're not hunting it," he said. "We're observing."
Iris blinked. "That's… surprisingly mature."
Kael grimaced. "Don't get used to it."
Cinder moved beside him, scales dimming to match the shadows.
The darkness moved.
Something watched them back.
The Thing That Shouldn't Exist
It emerged slowly.
Humanoid.
But wrong.
Skin stretched too tight. Eyes glowing faintly orange. Veins pulsing like molten lines beneath its flesh.
The System went silent for half a second.
Then—
[ERROR.]
[Entity classification failed.]
[Data insufficient.]
Kael's heart pounded.
"…Even the System doesn't know what that is."
The thing sniffed the air.
Its gaze locked onto Cinder.
And froze.
Fear.
Real fear.
Cinder stepped forward.
The creature whimpered.
Then ran.
Fast.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Iris exhaled shakily. "I officially hate this place."
Kael stared at Cinder.
"…Did you scare it?"
Cinder didn't respond verbally.
But its ember-lines pulsed once.
Proud.
The System chimed softly.
[Draconic presence suppressing corrupted entities.]
[Effect unexplained.]
Kael's blood ran cold.
"…So that's what you're becoming."
No Turning Back
They didn't sleep much after that.
At dawn, Kael stood overlooking the forest, the ruined world stretching endlessly before him.
No walls.
No rules.
No mercy.
The System chimed.
[Independent progression unlocked.]
[World reaction pending.]
[Warning: once advanced, retreat will not be possible.]
Kael clenched his fists.
"Good," he whispered.
Behind him, Cinder lifted its head, eyes reflecting the rising sun like burning embers.
They stepped forward together.