Morning in Dornwald began with familiar noise.
But for Kael, this day was special.
Today's training would be harder than usual.
Father Elion stood in the middle of the training ground with his arms crossed over his chest.
His gaze was strict.
"Today, you're not just repeating movements," he said. "Today, you're learning how to survive."
Rein tensed.
Lumi swallowed.
Kael listened carefully.
"The world is becoming more dangerous," Elion continued. "And you must be ready."
He waved his hand.
"Begin."
The training was exhausting.
Running.
Strikes.
Dodging.
Falls.
Getting up.
Running again.
Rein fell several times, but stood up every time.
Lumi was out of breath, but she didn't give up.
Kael felt his muscles burning.
But he didn't stop.
He knew it was necessary.
After several hours, they collapsed onto the ground.
Sweaty.
Tired.
But satisfied.
Elion nodded.
"Not bad. If you're tired, it means there's progress."
Kael clenched his fist.
He wanted to become stronger.
Much stronger.
He stood up and continued running, forcing himself to reach his limit.
Kael wasn't worried about overexerting himself, since he could heal himself using life energy.
At the same time…
Deep beneath the palace of the Erendal Empire…
In a hidden room without windows…
Three people sat at a massive table.
Emperor Eliar Erendal III.
The Archbishop of the Church of Life.
And the wanderer, Arden.
The air was heavy.
Arden stood straight.
"I found the source of the anomaly," he said. "It's not just one portal."
The Emperor frowned.
"How many?"
"Dozens. Possibly hundreds. I investigated one of them. It resembles subspaces left behind by previous generations of kings, but they're swarming with monsters."
Arden recalled the moment he entered and continued:
"Entering that space is easy, but once I was inside, the portal closed. To escape, I had to kill every monster living there. Only after defeating their leader did a portal appear. Also, after killing the monsters, contaminated mana stones dropped from them."
As he spoke, Arden took several palm-sized stones from his bag.
"And after killing the leader, this dagger dropped from it."
He took it out.
To the Emperor and Archbishop, it looked like an ordinary dagger, but it emitted a slightly eerie aura, as if it had taken countless lives.
The Archbishop gripped his staff.
"This is impossible…"
Silence filled the room.
The Emperor slowly inhaled.
"What are the chances that those monsters could come out?"
"I can't say for sure, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility," Arden replied.
The Archbishop closed his eyes.
"This is a trial from the gods…"
The Emperor shook his head.
"This is reality. The gods have no reason to create something like this."
He looked at Arden.
"We need a plan."
Arden nodded.
"We can't use the imperial army. The Valkarion Empire and the Beastman Alliance could take advantage of this moment to seize our people and lands. That's why I propose training ordinary people. We must conduct research, gather information, and develop strategies to attack the portals. Based on everything we collect, we'll select gifted individuals and train them. Make them capable of clearing dungeons."
The Archbishop thought for a moment.
"And where do you propose we start?"
Arden paused.
"I suggest we start small…"
That evening…
Kael lay in his room.
His body ached.
His thoughts were tangled.
He stared at the ceiling.
"I'm damn tired…" he muttered.
His eyes slowly closed.
And suddenly…
He found himself in another place.
A white space.
Warm light.
Silence.
Before him stood a shining silhouette of a woman.
"How have you been, Kael?" a gentle voice sounded.
He calmly looked at her.
"What is it this time?"
She smiled.
"You still surprise me with your attitude toward a deity."
"Why did you come?" he asked without fear.
"Straight to the point… I came to warn you," she replied. "A danger is approaching."
Kael frowned.
"What kind?"
She shook her head.
"I can't tell you all the details. But I can say with certainty that the threat comes from outside this world."
"Can't you gods stop it?" he asked. "This world is being threatened, and you're shifting the responsibility onto mortals."
She looked at him carefully.
"You mortals are unique in that you are not so strongly bound by the laws of this world. Especially you, who came from another world."
"Now you're blaming the laws of the world," Kael replied. "Can't the three of you simply deal with this problem?"
The Goddess was silent for a few seconds.
"If we intervene, the balance of this world, already fragile, may collapse," she said. "That would lead to the extinction of most life."
Kael's vision slowly began to blur.
"Prepare yourself," she whispered. "Everything will change soon."
Kael suddenly opened his eyes.
Room.
Darkness.
Silence.
He sat up on the bed.
His heartbeat was steady.
There was no fear.
Only irritation.
"Damn gods…" he muttered.
He looked out the window.
The night was calm.
Too calm.
"So… something serious is coming."
He clenched his fist.
"Then I'll become stronger. No matter what."
And somewhere far away…
Beyond the borders of the world…
A quiet, gloomy voice echoed:
"It will be mine."