Chapter 4 – Gaining Trait
[Asher's POV]
The city of Greenwood shimmered faintly under the morning sun — light refracting in soft hues through the thin veil of mana that now clung to everything like mist.It had been only a day since the Awakening, yet the world already felt... reborn.
The air hummed faintly with power. Birds left faint afterimages of energy as they flew. The trees swayed in rhythm with unseen currents. Even the breeze that brushed against my skin carried a weight, a whisper of something ancient.
I could still hear echoes of the Awakening in my mind — the voice, the lights, the feeling of being seen by something far greater than humanity.The System.
And though the world rejoiced, celebrating the dawn of a new era, I couldn't shake off the unease gnawing at me. Something about the way that voice spoke... it wasn't divine. It wasn't merciful.It was clinical. Like we were data — nothing more, nothing less.
After parting ways with Darek, I walked home through the quieter streets. The city, still buzzing with excitement, was dotted with banners of the Awakener Association, their emblem — a star encircled by three rings — fluttering in the wind.
I overheard students and merchants alike whispering about their awakenings.
"Affinity: Fire. Talent: Ember Heart!"
"Wind Manipulation!"
"Tier four — can you believe it? I might qualify for the Lower Academy!"
Everyone seemed drunk on newfound possibilities. Hope. Ambition. Power.
But beneath that excitement, there was also fear — the kind no one wanted to acknowledge. Because if mana could elevate… it could also destroy.
When I reached home, I didn't even step inside. My parents were away at work, and the stillness of the courtyard pulled at me. I climbed the stairs to the terrace, where I had trained countless times before.Back when the sword was just a piece of wood and dreams of strength were nothing but fantasies.
Now, everything had changed.
The old practice sword felt different in my hands — heavier, more defined, like it was resonating faintly with the mana around it. I took a deep breath, centering myself as faint words echoed within my mind once again.
[Insight: The sword is not moved by strength, but by intent. Let the blade move where the will flows.]
[Path Guidance: Repeat until the motion becomes thoughtless — when mind and steel no longer differ, enlightenment shall bloom.]
The moment those words appeared, something inside me clicked — the strange, almost instinctive understanding that this wasn't just advice. It was truth, a fragment of the cosmic law the System had embedded within my soul when it awakened my talent.
I positioned myself in the center of the terrace.Feet apart. Knees steady. Breath calm.And then I moved.
Slash.Stab.Vertical cut.Horizontal sweep.
Movements I had drilled thousands of times before suddenly felt… alive. The air around the blade shimmered faintly, distorting with each swing. My body began to fall into rhythm — step, breath, swing, exhale. Again. Again.
The world began to fade.The sound of birds, the city's distant chatter — all of it dimmed until there was only me and the sword.
The mana responded to my intent, swirling subtly around the blade's tip. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but I could feel it — the connection between my intent and the world.
I no longer controlled the sword.It flowed with me.
Then suddenly — a resonant chime echoed within my mind, like crystal striking steel.
[You have comprehended a Path Trait — Sword Path.]
{Sword Path}
Description:The Sword Path is a foundational Martial Path that connects the user's intent to the blade.Those who walk this path do not wield the sword merely as a weapon, but as an extension of their will. Each strike refines the soul, every motion carving understanding into the body.Few attain it naturally; fewer still advance it beyond its first stage.
Unlocked Traits:
Sword Mastery Lv.0 (Unlocked)Basic comprehension of sword flow and form. Increases coordination, rhythm, and precision in sword combat. Growth occurs through repetition, reflection, and combat experience.
Sword Energy Lv.0 (Locked)The next stage of the Sword Path, where intent begins to manifest physically as Sword Qi. Requires profound unity between body and soul.
??? (Locked)Condition Unknown.
I exhaled, lowering the sword as a faint warmth spread through my body. It wasn't the kind of heat that came from exhaustion — it was deeper, resonant.Like something had awakened within my soul.
Sword Mastery... it wasn't a skill granted by the System. It was something earned — born from understanding, not numbers. Every swing, every breath had carved a trace of enlightenment into my being.
For a moment, I simply stood there, letting the realization settle.
"So this... is the feeling of a Path Trait," I murmured. "The first step."
The terrace was silent again, save for the whisper of the wind.But now, even the wind seemed to hum differently, as if acknowledging my growth.
I sheathed my wooden blade and glanced at the horizon. Beyond the city walls, I could faintly see the glowing spires of the Awakener Association Headquarters.Tomorrow, every newly awakened individual would be required to report there to receive cultivation manuals corresponding to their affinities.
The Association had announced it early this morning.
They would provide each student with a Basic Cultivation Manual, tailored to their Affinity Path — Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, or lesser hybrid branches like Metal and Wood, rare affinities like - Lightning, Shadow, Light and Darkness.
They also had Special Archives, where manuals of ancient origin were said to be kept under strict supervision.
Rumor had it that each manual contained guidance on how to sense and refine the world's mana into one's core, forming the first stage of cultivation known as Mana Resonance.
Without that, no one could advance beyond Rank 0 — a dormant state where talent was useless without understanding how to cultivate.
Of course, most people didn't know that the System only provided these manuals as fragments — rewritten and organized by the Association.The higher paths, the advanced techniques, were all hidden, accessible only to those with connections or enough merit.
It was a subtle hierarchy — one that ensured power remained in the right hands.
I tightened my grip on the sword.Tomorrow, I'd have to register my affinity and get my manual like everyone else.But unlike them, I already had something the Association couldn't give — a Path.
The Sword Path pulsed faintly within my mind, its presence warm and alive, like a quiet heartbeat.It wasn't just a technique or skill.It was a direction — a road that led deeper into understanding.
And if my hunch was correct… the deeper one walked on a Path, the closer they'd come to touching the true laws of existence.Perhaps even to the very source of the System's power itself.
I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing — slow, deliberate swings that flowed like breath.Each movement left faint traces of energy in the air, fading like ripples in still water.By the time the sun dipped behind the skyline, my body ached, but my mind felt sharper than ever.
As the first stars began to glimmer in the night sky, I sat cross-legged on the terrace, the sword resting across my knees.A faint current of mana drifted through me, aligning with the rhythm of my breathing.
For the first time since the Awakening, I felt... calm.The fear, the uncertainty — they were still there, but quieter. Manageable.In their place was something new — resolve.
The world had changed. The System had set a trial in motion five millennia ago, and every generation since had unknowingly walked toward its deadline.But this time... I wouldn't just walk the same path as everyone else.
I intended to carve my own.
As I gazed up at the stars, one last System prompt flickered across my vision — faint, almost like a whisper meant only for me.
[Path Trait Recorded.]
[Foundation Established — Sword Path Lv.1 Progress: 2%]
[Potential Synchronization Detected.]
My heart skipped a beat. "Synchronization... with what?" I whispered.
No response. Only silence. The night wind carried the soft hum of mana as the words faded into nothingness.
Somewhere far beyond the veil of the stars, I could almost feel the System watching — cold, patient, calculating.
The trial had begun.And this... was my first step forward.
End of Chapter 4 – "Gaining Trait"