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The weight of unease pressed heavily on Kaito as he worked on his weapons in the quiet of his rented room. The dim light of a candle flickered, casting shadows on the walls as he focused on the sword before him. Its blade gleamed unnaturally, as if it had been forged from something beyond steel, something far more primal. He had put his essence into this weapon—a material bond between the sword and himself—and yet, the creation felt incomplete. The sword’s glow pulsed weakly, like a heartbeat, as if the weapon, too, understood the dire consequences of what was to come.
News of the demons gathering at the border spread like wildfire. Whispers in the marketplace, rumors that flowed freely in the common room of the inn—all pointed to the same thing: the kingdom’s decision to summon another hero, an outsider who could stand against the rising darkness. The air was thick with anticipation, fragile hope hanging over the people like a veil, but Kaito knew better.
To Kaito, this was the calm before a storm—a storm he had seen many times before in his long existence. Countless lives, countless battles, and countless betrayals had etched the same pattern in his mind. Heroes would rise, others would fall, and the chaos would continue. Only this time, it would be different. This time, he wasn’t just a participant. He was a force in his own right.
His essence had grown stronger. It had reached a new threshold—10 units—and yet it felt fragile. The memory of its depletion, the near-death experience it brought, haunted him. The rawness of that power, the exhaustion that had nearly consumed him, was something he couldn’t afford to repeat.
---
The Request
That evening, after the sun dipped below the horizon, Kaito descended into the inn’s common room. The heavy wooden door creaked as he entered, his eyes scanning the room quickly. His gaze settled on Yumi, moving gracefully between tables, serving food and drinks with a quiet diligence. She had a calm about her, a serenity that contrasted with the turmoil in the world around them. It made her presence soothing, even when the world felt like it was on the edge of collapse.
He waited until she approached with his meal. She smiled faintly, a small act of kindness in the midst of a chaotic world. Kaito’s voice broke the silence.
“Yumi, can I ask you something?”
Her eyes flickered up, startled, as if she had expected him to be lost in his thoughts for a while longer. “Sure. What is it?”
Kaito didn’t mince words. “I need to learn magic.”
Yumi blinked, her expression shifting between confusion and concern. “Magic? From me?”
“You’re the only one I know who can teach me,” Kaito said plainly, his tone as practical as always. “Even if you’re not an expert, you know more than I do. I’ll also need you to introduce me to others who can teach me the remaining attributes.”
For a long moment, Yumi simply stared at him, her hands still holding the plate of food, her brow furrowed in thought. “Wait... the remaining attributes?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, as if she were trying to comprehend the meaning of his words. “You mean… you’re compatible with all types of magic?”
Kaito gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable. “Yes.”
Her jaw almost dropped. She had spent years refining her control over just three elements—water, ice, and wind—and had become well-known as a rare talent. But Kaito’s words—his casual mention of mastering all attributes—left her speechless. That was the stuff of legends.
Kaito, noticing the shift in her demeanor, activated his Appraisal skill without a second thought. A translucent screen appeared before him, displaying the details of her magical affinities, and his mind quickly processed the data.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
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Attributes: Water, Ice, Wind
Proficiency Levels: Intermediate
Potential: Above Average
---
“She’s solid,” Kaito muttered under his breath, analyzing her stats. "Not amazing, but far better than I expected."
Yumi, sensing his distant focus, furrowed her brow. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing,” Kaito replied quickly, brushing aside the topic. The moment was fleeting, but there was a certain warmth in his chest—a warmth that lingered as he looked at her. He knew he couldn’t share everything. The Appraisal skill, his essence, and the true extent of his power were secrets that had to remain hidden.
But Yumi wasn’t finished. Her curiosity had been piqued, and she couldn’t let it go. “You mentioned… essence earlier. What’s that?” she asked, her voice quiet but insistent.
Kaito’s gaze hardened slightly. Essence was something no one knew about, something that he could not afford to explain—at least not yet. “It’s nothing you’d understand,” he said, his tone dismissive. “Let’s just say it’s different from mana.”
Yumi frowned, clearly unconvinced. She took a step closer, her voice soft but filled with genuine curiosity. “But you said it before… essence. What exactly does that mean? You keep talking about it like it’s... part of you.”
Kaito hesitated for a moment, his eyes avoiding hers. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of uncertainty. For all his power, this was the one thing that still made him vulnerable—his essence. It was tied to him in ways no one could truly understand.
He gave a small sigh, as if weighing whether to say more. “Essence is... a part of my being. It’s what fuels me, what allows me to do what I do. It’s not like mana, it’s... deeper. It’s me.”
Yumi’s expression softened, but she was still clearly confused. “Deeper? How so?”
Kaito’s eyes darkened, his voice quieter now. “It’s... personal,” he said simply, looking away. “Let’s leave it at that for now.”
Yumi looked at him for a long time, her mind churning with questions, but she chose not to press him further. There was something in his eyes—something raw and untold—that made her realize this was a subject he wasn’t ready to share. For now, she would respect that.
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A Shared Lesson
Later, they made their way to the clearing behind the inn. The night air was cool, heavy with the scent of dew. Yumi stood tall, facing the sky as she raised her hand. Mana swirled around her, a faint glow in the air as she summoned a small orb of water.
“This is water magic,” Yumi explained softly. “It’s about understanding the flow, adapting to the movement of the world around you. Like this.” She moved her hand, directing the orb to spin, shaping it into a spiraling torrent before releasing it into the air, where it dissolved into nothingness.
Kaito watched intently, his sharp eyes noting every detail. He could feel the flow of her magic, the subtle intricacies of the water’s movement. But as she finished, Kaito stepped forward, his hand raised. He gathered his focus, trying to mirror her actions.
Instead of mana, however, his essence stirred—raw, unrefined, but undeniably his. A faint shimmer appeared in the air, a pulse of energy, before it sputtered and died.
“It’s not the same,” he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.
Yumi frowned, stepping closer. “What do you mean?”
“My essence doesn’t work like your mana,” Kaito explained quietly. “ I can’t just shape it like you can with mana.”
Yumi tilted her head, processing the words. “Essence? You keep talking about it. Can you explain more?”
Kaito hesitated, then shook his head. He couldn’t—he wouldn’t—reveal everything. But there was something about Yumi’s gentle nature, the trust she had shown him, that made him want to open up more. “It’s not something I can explain easily. It’s just... part of me.”
Yumi nodded slowly, though she didn’t fully understand. She smiled at him, offering the unspoken reassurance that she would be there to help, even if it meant walking through the unknown with him.
---
As they walked back to the inn, Kaito’s thoughts churned. Yumi’s kindness was disarming, her patience unexpected. It stirred something in him he hadn’t felt in centuries.
Before they parted, he stopped her. “Yumi.”
She turned, her expression curious. “Yes?”
“What do you see when you look at me?” Kaito asked suddenly, his voice quiet but firm.
Yumi blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“You heard me.”
She hesitated, her cheeks tinged with pink. “I see… a hardworking person who I don’t really understand. Someone who hides what he’s truly thinking. But…” She paused, glancing at him nervously. “Inside, I see warmth. A light, even. I don’t know why, but I feel it.”
Her thoughts raced. Should I just tell him? Will he think I’m weird? Is this too fast?
Her words lingered in the air, and for a moment, Kaito felt his carefully constructed walls begin to crack.
Warmth? he thought bitterly. Is that what she sees? He turned away, breaking the moment.
“Introduce me to the people who can teach me the other attributes,” he said, his voice flat.
Yumi frowned slightly but nodded. “Alright. But… promise me you won’t push yourself too hard.”
---
Evolving Essence
As they walked back to the inn, the conversation faded into silence, and Kaito’s mind churned with new information. Yumi’s kindness had disarmed him in ways he hadn’t expected. Her words lingered, and he felt an odd sense of warmth—something foreign, something dangerous.
But then, as he walked past his weapon rack, his gaze landed on the wooden sword he had crafted earlier. To his surprise, it now emitted a faint glow, the texture smoother than it had been before, its balance near perfect. It had evolved, responding to the training, to the essence that had infused it.
Kaito reached out, intending to examine it further, but the moment his hand hovered near the hilt, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. His essence was dangerously low—drained by the earlier attempts and training. The memory of his near-death experience surfaced, sharp and unforgiving. He quickly withdrew his hand.
“I can’t let it drain again,” he muttered, his voice grim under his breath, clenching his fists. He couldn’t afford that weakness—not yet.
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Closing Thoughts
As Kaito stood alone in the quiet of the night, Yumi’s words echoed in his mind: Warmth... Light...
Was that what she saw in him? Was that the person he had become—someone who, deep down, could still feel something? He shook his head, forcing the thoughts aside.
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End of Chapter 5