Gustav's eyes snapped open before the sun rose, his body already conditioned to the rhythm of his new routine. He rolled off the mat, grabbed his knife, and slipped outside, where the forest was still shrouded in mist and the air was crisp with the scent of pine and damp earth. His training began with a ten-mile run through the undergrowth—ducking under low branches, leaping over roots, his feet finding purchase on muddy paths. With each step, he focused on feeling the aura within him, letting it flow through his limbs, making his movements lighter, more precise.
After the run, he practiced knife skills: slicing through fallen branches, peeling bark with surgical accuracy, tossing the blade in the air and catching it by the handle. Bren's field guide lay open nearby, its pages marked with notes about how to align aura with movement to improve dexterity. "A knife is an extension of your senses," Bren had written. "Let the food guide your hand, not your ego." Gustav took the words to heart, imagining each slice as if he were preparing a delicate dish, not just practicing a skill.
As the sun climbed higher, he packed his pouch with moonpetal mushrooms, shadow fox meat, and roasted berry paste, and headed toward the Outer Market—a bustling hub where farmers, foragers, and vendors traded goods from the forest and city. The market was alive with sound: shouts of haggling, clatter of carts, and the chatter of people exchanging news about the Hunter Exam, criminal activity, and rare ingredient sightings. Gustav navigated the crowds, his eyes scanning the stalls for opportunities to trade and learn.
He stopped at a stall run by an elderly woman named Mara, who sold fresh herbs and root vegetables. "Got some moonpetal mushrooms," he said, laying them on the counter. "Freshly harvested, aura-intact."
Mara's eyes widened. "Moonpetal! I've been looking for these—my granddaughter's been feeling weak, and these will help with her aura balance. What do you want in return?"
"Some wild ginger and a handful of rainbow wheat," Gustav replied. "I'm experimenting with a dish that needs both."
Mara nodded, handing over the goods. "You've got a good eye, kid. Not many foragers know how to harvest moonpetals without damaging their aura." As they spoke, Gustav noticed a man in a dark cloak lingering at the edge of the stall, his eyes fixed on a small jar of crystal garlic—a rare, translucent bulb that glowed with faint blue aura, prized for its sweet, sharp flavor and healing properties.
The man crept forward, his hand reaching for the jar, but Gustav acted fast. He pulled out a piece of roasted berry paste, crushing it in his hand to release its sweet, pungent scent. The aroma drifted through the air, drawing the thief's attention. "What's that smell?" the man muttered, turning toward Gustav.
"It's sunberry paste—infused with starfall grass," Gustav said, his voice calm. "Tastes like honey and lightning. Want a bite?"
The thief hesitated, tempted, and Gustav used the opportunity to sense his aura—faint, chaotic, tinged with fear. He stepped forward, placing a hand on the counter, and let his own aura flow outward, creating a gentle barrier around the crystal garlic jar. "That crystal garlic is protected," he said quietly. "Mara's had it for years—passed down from her mother. It's not worth stealing."
The thief glared, but he could feel the strength in Gustav's aura. "Who are you, kid?"
"Just a forager," Gustav replied, holding out the sunberry paste. "Trade, don't steal. That's how we survive out here."
The man hesitated, then sighed, taking the paste. "You've got guts. I'll leave it be." He vanished into the crowd, and Mara breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Gustav," she said, handing him the jar of crystal garlic. "Take this—you've earned it. It'll add a glow to any dish."
Gustav thanked her and continued through the market, trading the remaining shadow fox meat for a piece of black iron wood to make a new knife handle. He also overheard a group of hunters talking about the next Hunter Exam preliminary rounds, which would be held in six months in the nearby town of Zaban. "Gotta be at least 14 to qualify," one hunter said. "But some kids start training years early." Gustav filed the information away—he had two and a half years left, but every bit of preparation helped.
He returned to his shelter as the afternoon wore on, his pouch full of new ingredients. He set to work making a new dish: shadow fox stew with crystal garlic, moonpetal mushrooms, and rainbow wheat. He built a fire, heated a pot of water, and added the moonpetal mushrooms first, letting their aura infuse the liquid. Then he added the diced shadow fox meat, seasoning it with wild ginger and starfall grass. Finally, he sliced the crystal garlic thinly, watching as it melted into the stew, casting a faint blue glow.
As he cooked, he focused on channeling his aura into the dish, following Bren's instructions about flavor resonance—aligning his own energy with the ingredients to enhance their taste and healing properties. He took a sip, and the flavor exploded in his mouth: sweet from the crystal garlic, savory from the fox meat, and refreshing from the moonpetal mushrooms. The aura within the dish flowed into his body, making him feel stronger, more alert.
He sat down, eating slowly, and opened Bren's field guide to a page about aura awakening. "Aura grows with use," the note read. "The more you connect it to the food you prepare and hunt, the more powerful it becomes." Gustav could feel this to be true—his aura was stronger now than it had been just three days ago, and he could sense the energy in ingredients more clearly.
As the sun set, Gustav cleaned his pot and sharpened his new black iron wood knife. He wrote in his training log: "Today: mastered aura barrier basics, traded rare ingredients, outsmarted a thief, and created a dish infused with crystal garlic. Progress is steady. Three years until the Hunter Exam—keep pushing."
He curled up on his mat, the crystal garlic jar beside him and the field guide under his pillow. The forest outside was quiet, and the city's lights glowed in the distance. He closed his eyes, feeling his aura flow through his body, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of crystal-flavored stews and the day he would stand at the gates of the Hunter Exam.