The story spread faster than any messenger could ride.
From the Kingdom of Galant, the tale crossed mountains, rivers, and borders into neighboring kingdoms.
It traveled with merchants, wandering adventurers, mercenary companies, and caravans.
Every version was slightly different.
Some claimed an army of elite hunters had defeated the monster horde.
Others insisted a mysterious saint had descended from the heavens.
Some even exaggerated the tale, saying a god had appeared in Blackwood Village and annihilated the monsters with a single swing of a radiant sword.
Yet one detail remained unchanged in every story.
A young blind swordsman had slain the Triple Head Ogre King.
---
Inside a bustling tavern in the neighboring Kingdom of Valeria, hunters gathered around a notice board.
One man snorted.
"A thirteen-year-old S-Rank?"
"Ridiculous."
His companion shrugged.
"The report bears the seal of Galant's Hunter Association."
"Then Galant must have lowered its standards."
An elderly adventurer quietly sipped his drink before speaking.
"You've never fought an S-Rank monster."
The younger hunters fell silent.
The old man continued.
"If the Guild Master himself promoted that boy..."
"...then he earned it."
---
Farther east, inside the Iron Mountain Sect, several elders discussed the same report.
"A blind swordsman..."
"...who awakened during battle?"
One elder frowned.
"Find out whether these rumors are true."
"If they are..."
"...we cannot ignore such talent."
---
Within the Crimson Merchant Alliance, wealthy traders discussed another matter entirely.
"A young S-Rank hunter?"
"Whether he's powerful or not doesn't matter."
"He'll influence the market."
"Make contact before our competitors do."
---
Even in distant frontier towns, children began pretending to be the mysterious swordsman.
"I'll be Sir Emil!"
"No, I will!"
They carved wooden swords and fought imaginary monsters beneath the afternoon sun.
Without realizing it...
The legend of Emil Myers had already begun.
---
None of this reached Emil.
Nor did he care.
Deep within a secluded mountain valley nearly a hundred kilometers from the capital, he sat cross-legged beneath a towering waterfall.
The thunderous roar of crashing water echoed endlessly.
The cold current poured over his shoulders.
Yet he remained perfectly still.
Golden sunlight descended from the sky like shimmering threads.
The surrounding spiritual energy slowly converged toward him.
It had been nearly two months since he secluded himself.
He accepted no missions.
He attended no ceremonies.
He refused every invitation from nobles, merchants, and even powerful sects.
Instead...
He devoted himself entirely to mastering the inheritance bestowed upon him after completing his First Awakening.
The inheritance had a name.
The Solar Sovereign Scripture.
It was not merely another cultivation technique.
It was the true foundational art left behind by the Sun God himself.
Unlike the beginner Sun God Breathing Technique, the Solar Sovereign Scripture refined every aspect of a cultivator.
Body.
Soul.
Mind.
Spirit.
Sword.
Every breath drew the essence of sunlight into his body.
Every heartbeat strengthened his bones.
Every circulation purified lingering impurities.
Its cultivation was painfully slow...
But every improvement was absolute.
---
The waterfall suddenly exploded outward.
Emil slowly opened his eyes.
Golden light flickered within the black cloth covering them.
His aura remained calm.
Yet the pressure surrounding him had become immeasurably denser.
He stood.
Without drawing Solaris, he raised a single finger.
Sword intent quietly gathered around it.
The air trembled.
A nearby boulder split cleanly into two pieces.
No blade had touched it.
Only sword intent.
Emil lowered his hand.
"Still not enough."
The First Awakening had changed everything.
His techniques had evolved.
His body had become vastly stronger.
His senses had sharpened beyond imagination.
Yet he felt painfully aware of his own shortcomings.
The Triple Head Ogre King had nearly killed him.
If it had possessed greater intelligence...
If it had not underestimated him...
The outcome might have been very different.
That realization kept him humble.
---
Every day followed the same routine.
Before dawn, he cultivated the Solar Sovereign Scripture.
At sunrise, he practiced swordsmanship.
At noon, he refined his control over Sun Energy.
During the afternoon, he trained his body through relentless physical conditioning.
At sunset, he meditated.
At midnight, he studied the knowledge contained within the First Awakening inheritance.
Days blended into weeks.
Weeks became months.
The mountains silently witnessed his determination.
---
One evening, while practicing beneath the stars, the system appeared.
Ding!
Training Progress Updated.
Solar Sovereign Scripture
Stage One:
Mastered.
New Passive Ability Unlocked.
Solar Heart.
Your heart continuously absorbs traces of solar essence.
Cultivation speed increases during daylight.
Recovery speed greatly increases under direct sunlight.
Emil nodded slightly.
"Good."
Even so...
He did not stop training.
---
As the second month drew to a close, dawn arrived like any other.
Emil quietly cultivated beneath the rising sun.
Suddenly...
The system chimed again.
Ding!
Current Date Confirmed.
Host Age Updated.
Fourteenth Birthday.
Emil slowly opened his eyes.
"So..."
"I'm fourteen now."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
For a brief moment, memories surfaced.
The small village where he had been born.
His parents.
The day everything changed.
The cliff.
The Forbidden Forest.
The endless struggle to survive.
It felt both distant...
And strangely close.
He had spent his thirteenth year fighting simply to live.
Now, at fourteen...
He possessed strength that his former self could never have imagined.
Yet his greatest wish remained unchanged.
To become strong enough that no innocent person would ever have to experience what he once did.
---
The system suddenly projected another notification.
Birthday Reward Activated.
As the chosen successor of the Sun God, your growth has reached another milestone.
Rewards Granted:
- 2,000 SCP
- High-Grade Solar Spirit Pill ×10
- High-Grade Vitality Elixir ×5
- Sun Crystal ×20
Special Gift:
One-Year Insight.
For the next twenty-four hours, your comprehension ability increases dramatically.
Emil chuckled softly.
"I suppose even the system remembers birthdays."
---
Using the temporary blessing immediately, Emil resumed practicing.
His understanding of the Solar Sovereign Scripture deepened with astonishing speed.
Sword intent became clearer.
Energy circulation became smoother.
Even Solaris responded more naturally to his movements.
Hours passed unnoticed.
By sunset, he had accomplished what normally would have required several months.
---
As darkness descended over the mountains, Emil climbed to the highest peak overlooking the valley.
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
Far beyond the horizon lay the Kingdom of Galant.
Beyond that...
Countless kingdoms.
Ancient empires.
Immortal sects.
Hidden clans.
Dangerous forbidden lands.
And somewhere among them...
The truth about the Sun God and the mysterious Void.
He rested a hand on the hilt of Solaris.
Rumors called him a hero.
Some even called him a legend.
But Emil quietly shook his head.
"I'm no hero."
"A real hero saves everyone."
"I couldn't even save my own parents."
His voice disappeared into the mountain wind.
Then he looked toward the rising sun on the distant horizon.
"Not yet."
"But one day..."
"I'll become someone worthy of those expectations."
Far above the clouds, the first rays of dawn illuminated the heavens.
Deep within the Sun God Fragment, an ancient divine will watched its young successor with quiet approval.
For true heroes were not born from praise.
They were forged through humility, perseverance, and the unwavering resolve to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult the path became.