Kael stared into the darkness of the ruin.
His hand was still tight around his sword.
"My parents..."
The words barely left his mouth.
Serena looked at him.
"Don't."
Kael turned.
"What?"
"Don't let him get inside your head."
"But he knows something."
"Maybe."
She glanced toward the ruin.
"Or maybe he knows exactly what to say to make you follow him."
Kael didn't answer.
She was right.
He knew that.
But after seventeen years of having no answers, hearing someone mention his parents had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
A sudden scream came from inside the ruin.
"HELP!"
Kael's head snapped toward the entrance.
"That was one of the hunters."
Serena drew her sword.
"We're going in."
Kael nodded.
They entered together.
The inside of the ruin was much larger than it appeared from outside. Old stone walls surrounded a narrow corridor, with faded symbols carved into them.
Kael kept looking around.
"Stay close."
Serena nodded.
"I wasn't planning on getting lost."
They moved deeper.
Then—
A blade suddenly came from the darkness.
Kael raised his sword.
**CLANG!**
The impact forced him backward.
A hooded man stood in front of him.
"Found you."
Kael pushed against the attack.
"You're not getting away."
The man kicked him in the chest.
Kael staggered backward.
Serena immediately attacked.
The stranger blocked her sword and twisted away.
"He moves fast," she said.
Kael recovered.
The man attacked again.
This time Kael was ready.
He stepped aside and slashed toward the man's ribs.
The stranger blocked.
Their swords collided several times.
Kael noticed something.
The man wasn't trying to kill them.
Every attack was testing them.
"Serena!"
"I know!"
She attacked from the side.
The stranger jumped backward.
Kael chased him.
Their blades struck again.
**Clang! Clang!**
Kael's arms began to ache.
The stranger was faster.
But Kael had something he had learned during the hobgoblin fight.
He watched.
The man's shoulders.
His feet.
His hips.
His breathing.
*He's favoring his right side.*
Kael suddenly changed his attack.
Instead of aiming for the body, he attacked the man's right leg.
The stranger barely blocked.
His eyes narrowed.
"You've improved."
Kael frowned.
"What?"
The stranger smiled.
"I expected less."
He kicked a loose stone toward Kael's face.
Kael raised his arm.
The stranger disappeared into the darkness.
"Dammit!"
Serena ran beside him.
"Don't chase him."
"I know."
Kael looked around.
"He's trying to separate us."
A noise came from behind.
They turned.
Three figures stepped from another corridor.
Goblins.
But these were different.
Their bodies were covered in black markings.
One carried a rusty sword.
Another had a bow.
The third held a strange curved dagger.
Serena raised her sword.
"Looks like we're not getting a quiet walk."
The goblin with the bow fired.
Kael knocked the arrow aside.
"Three."
Serena smiled.
"Two."
She rushed forward.
Kael followed.
The goblin with the sword charged him.
Their weapons collided.
The creature was stronger than an ordinary goblin.
Kael blocked a heavy strike and immediately countered.
The goblin ducked.
It tried to stab his stomach.
Kael twisted his body.
The dagger scraped his armor.
He kicked the goblin backward.
"You're getting predictable."
The goblin snarled.
It charged again.
Kael waited.
At the last second, he stepped aside.
The goblin stumbled forward.
Kael struck its back.
The creature fell.
"One."
Kael looked toward Serena.
She had already defeated the other two.
She wiped her blade against a piece of cloth.
"You took your time."
Kael laughed.
"I was enjoying myself."
"Sure."
A sudden explosion shook the ruin.
**BOOM!**
Stone fell from the ceiling.
Kael looked upward.
"That didn't sound good."
"It wasn't."
Serena grabbed his arm.
"Move!"
They ran.
The corridor behind them collapsed.
Dust filled the air.
Kael covered his mouth.
When the dust settled...
The path back was completely blocked.
Serena stared at the rubble.
"Great."
Kael sighed.
"So we're trapped."
"Not necessarily."
She looked ahead.
"There."
A faint blue light came from a doorway.
They entered.
Inside were three cages.
Two were empty.
One contained the missing hunters.
Kael rushed toward them.
"Are you alright?"
One hunter nodded weakly.
"Yeah."
"Thank the gods."
Kael broke the lock.
"Can you walk?"
"I think so."
The second hunter looked terrified.
"Where's the other?"
Kael froze.
"What other?"
"There were three of us."
"He's still with them."
Serena looked toward the blue light.
"Then we find him."
They helped the two hunters out.
But before they could leave...
A voice came from the doorway.
"You really shouldn't have come this far."
The hooded man appeared again.
This time he wasn't alone.
A large creature stood behind him.
Kael's eyes widened.
It looked like a goblin.
But it was almost twice the size of a normal one.
Its body was covered with black veins.
Its eyes glowed blue.
Serena whispered,
"What the hell is that?"
The creature roared.
Kael stepped forward.
"Get the hunters out."
Serena looked at him.
"What about you?"
"I'll hold it."
"Kael—"
"Just go!"
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Don't die."
Kael smiled.
"I'll try not to."
The monster charged.
Kael raised his sword.
**BOOM!**
The creature's fist slammed into his blade.
His feet were pushed backward.
His arms shook.
*"Strong."*
He gritted his teeth.
The monster swung again.
Kael ducked.
The fist smashed into the wall.
Stone cracked.
Kael attacked the creature's leg.
His sword cut through the skin.
Black blood spilled.
The monster roared.
It swung wildly.
Kael retreated.
He couldn't overpower it.
He couldn't block every attack.
So he did what he had done against the hobgoblin.
He watched.
The creature's left leg.
Its breathing.
Its movements.
It always lowered its shoulder before attacking with its right arm.
Kael waited.
The monster charged.
Its shoulder dropped.
*Now.*
Kael moved.
He slipped underneath the punch and struck the creature's knee.
The monster stumbled.
Kael attacked again.
This time his sword cut deeper.
The creature fell to one knee.
Kael raised his sword.
But the hooded man suddenly appeared behind him.
"Enough."
Kael spun around.
The man held a small blue crystal.
It began glowing.
Kael felt something strange.
His body suddenly became heavy.
"What..."
His knees almost gave out.
Serena shouted from the corridor.
"Kael!"
The hooded man smiled.
"You're not ready yet."
The crystal shattered.
A flash of blue light filled the room.
Kael covered his eyes.
When he looked again...
The hooded man was gone.
So was the monster.
Only the broken crystal remained.
Kael breathed heavily.
Serena ran toward him.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
She looked at the cut on his armor.
"You're bleeding."
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing."
She grabbed his arm.
"We're leaving."
Kael looked at the broken crystal.
"Who was that man?"
"I don't know."
"He knew my name."
Serena became quiet.
"Then we'll find out."
---
The party escaped the ruin through another passage.
By sunset, they finally reached the edge of Mistwood.
The rescued hunters were taken back to Greenwood.
The Guild Master listened carefully to everything they reported.
When Kael mentioned the strange symbol and the hooded man...
His expression changed.
"You saw this?"
Kael nodded.
The Guild Master stared at the drawing Kael had made.
"I've seen that symbol before."
"Where?"
"Old records."
He paused.
"But I don't know what it means."
Kael frowned.
"Can you find out?"
"I'll try."
The Guild Master looked at Serena.
"And you?"
Serena shook her head.
"Nothing else."
The Guild Master sighed.
"Then this matter is bigger than Greenwood."
Kael looked at the map.
"I want to investigate."
The Guild Master shook his head.
"No."
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
"Because you're seventeen."
"You've been an adventurer for barely two weeks."
"Whatever is happening here is beyond a normal Bronze Rank quest."
Kael lowered his eyes.
He knew the Guild Master was right.
Then the older man pointed toward the map.
"If you're serious about becoming stronger..."
"Go to Ironbrook."
Kael looked up.
"Ironbrook?"
"It's a larger town."
"More adventurers."
"Better training."
"Better quests."
"And more information."
Serena nodded.
"Ironbrook is where I started."
Kael looked at her.
"Will you be going back?"
"Eventually."
She smiled.
"But first..."
She looked toward the road.
"I'm heading there tomorrow."
Kael smiled.
"Then I'll go too."
The Guild Master sighed.
"I knew you'd say that."
He handed Kael a sealed letter.
"Give this to the guild there."
"What is it?"
"A recommendation."
Kael looked surprised.
"You earned it."
The Guild Master smiled.
"Don't waste it."
Kael nodded.
"I won't."
That night, Kael returned to the inn.
He packed his belongings.
Tomorrow he would leave Greenwood.
A place that had been his first step into the world.
He looked out the window.
For the first time since leaving the orphanage, he felt like his journey was truly beginning.
He still didn't know who his parents were.
He still didn't understand why he had no aptitude.
And he still had no idea what the strange power inside him was.
But now...
Someone else knew.
And Kael intended to find out why.
Tomorrow, he would travel to **Ironbrook**.
And whatever waited there...
He would face it.