Dawn broke over the horizon, spilling pale gold across the dense forest. Birds called from the treetops, and the wind whispered through the branches. For once, the world felt… quiet. Almost peaceful. Too peaceful, maybe, but I didn't complain. Peace meant time to grow. To prepare. To refine the Wayward Ascension System further.
Zion walked a step behind me, carrying our modest supplies. He looked tired but resolute, scanning the undergrowth like he expected a threat at every corner. I didn't need to look back to know he was careful. It had become instinct for him, and in a strange way, I found myself admiring it. Not too much, he'd notice and it would ruin the balance, but quietly.
> SYSTEM ALERT: ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OPTIMAL
> RECOMMENDED ACTION: PRACTICE AND TRAINING
The system thrummed inside me, a low vibration that reminded me of potential. I tested the energy again, letting Void Devouring Scripture flow through my arms, legs, and torso. Each movement felt heavier at first, resistance pressing back, then suddenly light, almost effortless. It was growing with me or perhaps I with it. Either way, we were learning each other's limits.
Zion broke the silence. "Do you think we'll be ready for the academy?"
I smirked faintly. "Ready or not, it doesn't wait for anyone. The question isn't whether we'll be ready. The question is whether we survive until then."
He sighed. "You always make everything sound so… harsh."
I shrugged. "I call it like I see it. No point sugarcoating life."
We moved toward a clearing that sloped downward into a wide valley. In the distance, the shape of a road became visible, partially overgrown but still intact. Civilization. Or what passed for it in these outer lands. A small village clung to the river, smoke rising lazily from chimneys. I noted the layout, the guard positions, and potential threats. Even settlements like this had predators, though some were more subtle: opportunistic thieves, hidden beasts, or overconfident mercenaries.
Zion frowned. "We should be careful."
"I never said we wouldn't be," I replied. "We just don't run at the first sign of trouble either."
The village was quiet as we approached, early morning bringing few people out. I scanned the streets, noting shops, stalls, and living quarters. Nothing too remarkable yet but small villages often carried information about the world beyond. Maps, rumors, travelers. Useful things. Knowledge could be more valuable than raw power, even if I would never admit it to anyone but Zion.
> SYSTEM ALERT: NEW SKILL UNLOCK AVAILABLE
> RECOMMENDED ACTION: SIMULATION TEST ENGAGED
I crouched behind a pile of crates near the village market and tested the system's new feature: **Combat Simulation Mode**. Holographic projections of human opponents appeared, training me in reflexes, timing, and anticipation. My movements flowed, energy burning through my muscles, testing the limits of Void Devouring Scripture. I pushed harder, faster, trying combinations I hadn't dared before.
Zion watched from a safe distance. "You really do enjoy this too much."
I didn't answer, only flexed my fingers as if the simulations themselves were alive and waiting to be broken down. He wasn't wrong. There was a satisfaction in feeling power grow. Control. Understanding. Everything in the system had a response. Unlike people, unlike the city, unlike most of the world. It was precise. Predictable. Safe.
> SYSTEM ALERT: SKILL ACQUISITION COMPLETE
> NEW TECHNIQUE: SHADOW VOID STEP – SHORT-RANGE TELEPORTATION DURING COMBAT
I tested the new technique immediately. A flick of motion, and I was a blur, appearing behind one of the simulation enemies. Energy coiled around me like liquid glass. Zion's mouth fell open slightly, impressed, though he quickly hid it behind a cough.
"Don't get too proud," I muttered, though it wasn't really directed at him.
By midday, we had learned the basics of local life. A traveling merchant offered some insight rumors of the Avalon Imperial Academy, the famous institution where the gifted trained and cultivated their power. Entry required not only age and aptitude but also mastery of basic techniques and a willingness to push beyond comfort. That was fine. We already had one half of that equation covered. The other… we would earn.
Zion and I left the village by afternoon, moving along the riverbank where the terrain was easier to traverse and the cover of trees provided concealment. In the distance, faint mountains marked the approximate direction of Avalon's capital, and somewhere beyond that, the academy itself. Every step felt purposeful, but we didn't speak much. Words were unnecessary when the system whispered probabilities and instincts guided our motions.
Night fell again, cold and crisp. The stars were scattered across the sky like shards of silver, and the wind carried the scent of distant forests and unknown lands. Zion unrolled our modest blankets, and I let him sit beside me. He hesitated, glancing at me with those soft, observant eyes.
"Vash… do you think we'll ever belong anywhere?"
I paused, considering the question. Belonging wasn't a concept I valued much, not yet. Survival, power, and protecting him those were real. Belonging… was a luxury. But maybe, when the academy came, when we were stronger, that might change.
"Maybe," I said finally. "But for now… we make our own place in the world. That's enough."
He nodded, curling slightly against the cold. "Yeah… that's enough."
The wilderness remained, dangerous and untamed, but we had learned its rhythms. We had survived its tests. And the academy, the first real trial of many, waited somewhere over the horizon.
The Wayward Ascendant's journey continued. The road was long, filled with shadows, dangers, and rivals yet unseen. But with Zion by my side, I knew one thing for certain: no threat would catch us unprepared. And every step forward was a step toward power that no one could question.