Kael awoke to the dim glow of his cave, the faint bioluminescence of the roots above providing just enough light to make out the rocky interior. His body felt refreshed, despite the long hours of training yesterday.

His experiments with Essence shaping had been an overwhelming success. The crude constructs he had managed to create were proof of that. Even if the objects themselves had been brittle and weak, this was only the first step, and the possibilities were endless now that he had tangible proof that he could mold his Essence into things.

Sitting up, Kael rolled his shoulders, feeling the faint stiffness ease as he moved. Then pushing himself to his feet, he let out a deep breath and turned toward the cave’s exit. He had things to do today. But first, he needed something to drink.

Kael carefully made his way through the tunnel leading out of his cave, maneuvering the roots sticking out from the sides as he did so. When he made it out, he took a moment to inspect how the entrance was concealed. The intertwined roots and layers of barricade still hid the entrance well. He adjusted some of the leaves, making sure the entrance continued to remain undetected. Satisfied, he slipped out into the forest.

The early morning had fully set in when Kael set out, the air crisp and refreshing. The massive tree trunks all around stretched endlessly upwards, their tops vanishing into the canopy. Moving through the familiar terrain, Kael made his way toward the waterfall. The small clearing where the waterfall resided was peaceful, the steady rush of water was a calming contrast to the tension he had grown used to feeling in the forest.

Kael knelt down by the edge, cupping the water in his hands and drinking deeply. The liquid soothed his throat as it went down, washing away the dryness of sleep. When he had his fill, he looked up and caught sight of his reflection.

A rugged face stared back at him.

Kael examined himself, his sharp, well-defined features marked with new and old scars. One of the oldest since arriving in this new world was the now scared claw marks on his shoulder, a gift from the stalker on his first night in the forest. Others were fresher and newer, from his skirmishes with the Gloomkins, the encounter with the second stalker, the boars, and so on. His skin had also darkened slightly from constant exposure to the elements, giving him a hardened, survivalist look.

His black hair had also grown longer, it was not by much, but it was noticeable and made more of an unruly mess on his head. The beard on his face had thickened even more, giving him an almost feral appearance. He ran a hand through his hair, brushing it away from his face, then letting out a chuckle.

"I look like a fit homeless man," he muttered to himself. "Then again, I guess I’m not far off."

Kael had made sure to keep himself in shape before all of this, exercising daily not just for strength but to clear his mind. But here? Here, he had no such luxury. His survival took priority, and he couldn't justify emptying his stamina and endurance when it could be needed at any moment. Still, he was surprised at how well his body had held up despite the lack of structured training. Kael knew that every fight and every hunt had kept him moving and indirectly exercising. But considering how much stronger he felt and looked, even more than before the system, it was clear his body was changing to fit his increasing stats.

Looking at his reflection again, he studied the numerous scars covering his torso and arms one more time. They were proof of his will to survive. The battles he had fought. The wounds that he had received in exchange for nearly dying. He traced a finger over the scar on his shoulder—the first deep wound he had suffered, a reminder of the rules of this new existence. But also what he was to expect going forward.

He let out a breath before shaking his head. He had no time to dwell. He had dirt clinging to his skin, and sweat matted into his hair—it was all starting to build up. He needed to clean himself up.

Stripping off what remained of his pants, Kael unwound the strips of cloth wrapped around his forearms. They had served him well, acting both as protection, food carriers, and as makeshift bandages whenever he needed them. His shoes, once sturdy, had been stripped down into something more akin to sandals.He had adjusted them a while ago when he realized that his increasing speed, agility, and strength made the thick-soled shoes more of a hindrance than a benefit.

With that, he stepped into the water and made his way forward. The cascading water rushed over him, washing away the grime and sweat. He let the sensation ground him, feeling his muscles relax under the steady pressure. It had been a while since he had taken a proper wash, and it felt almost foreign to stand here, letting himself enjoy something so simple.

After a few minutes, Kael stepped out of the waterfall, shaking his head slightly to rid his hair of excess droplets. He picked up one of the cloth strips he had set aside and used it to dry himself before wringing the water out, then repeating until he was satisfied. Once he was done, he rewrapped the cloths around his forearms again.

Kael let out a deep breath, and straightened his back. He was ready to get started. Making his way back to the cave, Kael moved with ease through the familiar paths, his senses tuned for any sign of danger. He didn’t expect much trouble, but much did not mean any, so Kael's eyes never stopped looking for any movement.

Upon reaching the cave, he checked the surrounding area once more before slipping back inside. The dim interior welcomed him as he walked further in, and once he was in the cave proper, he settled down onto his bed.

He had a goal in mind for today.

His experiments yesterday had yielded results, but today, he needed to tackle another issue—his Body reinforcement.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Body Reinforcement – Rank 1

( Allows the user to Temporarily enhance and reinforce their body using essence. Depending on the amount of essence used. )

Bringing up the skill window, he skimmed over the description. It didn’t tell him much beyond what he already knew. Dismissing it, he exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple.

The thin blue sheen that appeared whenever he enhanced his limbs had been manageable before. It was faint, barely noticeable unless he pushed a significant amount of Essence into his body. But as he had grown stronger, that glow had become more apparent. The more Essence he used, the brighter it became.

He had first noticed the issue clearly during his night raid. If he wanted to keep attacking the Gloomkin village at night, he couldn’t afford to glow like a beacon every time he enhanced himself. He needed a way to suppress it.

Extending his right arm, Kael allowed Essence to flow into it, enhancing the limb as he always did. The familiar sensation of power rushed through his arm, but with it came the thin blue glow, spreading subtly over his skin. He clenched his fist, watching the way the light flickered.

"Where do I even start?" he murmured.

The answer wasn’t obvious, but he knew one thing—his Essence shaper skill relied on willpower. When he shaped his constructs, he had to impose his will on them and dictate their form. Could he do the same here? Will the essence not to glow?

He focused on that thought, on suppressing the light being emitted. He felt the Essence within him respond, shifting under his control—Then pain shot through his arm.

Kael barely contained a grunt as a sharp cramp seized his muscles. The discomfort was sudden, jarring, and a deep ache that spread through his limb. He immediately cut the flow of Essence, retracting it slowly back into his core, then shaking and massaging his arm as the pain faded.

He flexed his fingers experimentally, ensuring there was no lasting damage. "Shit…"

It hadn’t worked. Or, if it had, he had done something wrong. The Essence had reacted, but the pain had been a clear indication that something was off. He frowned. He would have to approach this differently.

----------------------------------------

Kael flexed his fingers once more, feeling the remnants of discomfort lingering in his muscles. He hadn’t expected pain, but it wasn’t entirely surprising either when he really took a moment to think. He had essentially forced his Essence into a conflicting state—enhancing his body while simultaneously suppressing one of its properties.

Rubbing his arm, he let out a slow breath. If simply willing the glow to disappear wasn’t the answer, then what was?

Working his head for an idea, kael just sat in his cave. Then finally one came to him like a sledgehammer to the head. Instead of forcing the glow to disappear, what if he redirected the Essence? What if, instead of spreading evenly throughout his limb, it could be concentrated inward, preventing it from reaching his skin?

He exhaled and tried again.

Essence flowed from his core, traveling down his arm in a controlled stream. This time, as it spread through his limb, Kael visualized it stopping short of his skin. He imagined it infusing his whole arm—but not the outermost layer of his body.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then as Kael looked at his arm, he noticed something.

The glow was still there, but it was significantly dimmer. Instead of coating his skin in a faint blue sheen, the light was now thin, web-like veins of Essence that ran just beneath the surface, almost imperceptible unless he squinted.

Kael narrowed his eyes. It had worked… partially.

He studied his arm, flexing his fingers, feeling the same increase in strength as before. The enhancement was still there, fully functional. But the glow had been reduced to a bare minimum.

“Well, that’s better than nothing.”

It wasn’t perfect. There were still faint traces of light, but this was a massive improvement. Even in the dim cave, he had to strain to notice the glow—meaning out in the forest, it would be nearly invisible. That was good enough for now.

Still, there was one more thing he needed to test.

Kael enhanced his left arm next, following the same principle. The veins appear on this arm as well, the Essence staying inward rather than spreading to the surface. He flexed both arms, feeling the power coursing through them, then stood and took a few test swings in the air.

No resistance. No pain. His movements were just as fluid, his strength unchanged.

He exhaled in relief. He had found a solution.

It wasn’t as straightforward as simply willing the glow away, but it was functional. And, more importantly, it was simple to do, as long as he remembered to be specific in how he enhanced his body going forward. This new method allowed him to fully reinforce his body without making himself a beacon in the dark.

His smirk widened. He could now fully utilize his reinforcement at night without worrying about being spotted from a distance. That meant he could push himself harder during his night raids on the Gloomkin village. No more holding back for the sake of stealth.

Kael let the enhancement fade, watching as the faint veins of Essence beneath his skin dissipated completely. But even as he felt satisfied with his progress, a sobering thought crossed his mind.

The new blue veins on his arms pointed out that reinforcing his body was incredibly similar to reinforcing objects. Too similar.

His body accepted Essence more easily than external objects, being similar to the way his constructs worked, that much was obvious. But the veins looked suspiciously like the cracks that formed on the wooden weapons he reinforced, but why did they fade when he stopped enhancing the limbs?

He thought back to his experiment with reinforcing sticks. The way Essence had built up inside them, creating fractures before they shattered.

His fingers unconsciously tightened.

If that same principle applied to his body, then what would happen if he went too far? If he kept pushing more and more Essence into himself without control—

Kael exhaled sharply, cutting the thought off. No. He wasn’t going to let that happen.

He had to be smart about this. Just like with the weapons, there was a limit before the pressure became dangerous. He needed to find it. Needed to make sure he never crossed it, and make sure the amount of Essence enhancing his limbs was close to the rate at which the Essence faded from his limbs to avoid too much of a build-up.

Risking blowing up his limbs, due to his own actions was not something Kael wanted.

His gaze flicked down to his arms once more. He clenched his fists, feeling the subtle hum of his Essence still lingering beneath his skin. This power was his. But if he wasn’t careful, it could also be his end. Kael let his hands relax before turning his focus to the next task.

He had planned to go hunting soon, but before that, he needed to regenerate the Essence he had used during training. Sitting back down on his bed, he closed his eyes, focusing inward.

He concentrated on his core, feeling the slow pull of Essence passively refilling itself. He then started to actively accelerate the process, refilling his core faster. Minutes passed, his reserves steadily refilling until he was back to full.

Stretching his arms overhead, Kael stood back up and cracked his neck. He still had more to refine with his skills and needed more practice. But he had made progress today.

His gaze flickered to the cave exit. Now Kael intended to hunt for food and keep pressure on the village.