Earlier at sunrise that day.

Backyard at Dastarn’s house.

pant... pant...

gasp...

huff...

After he completed his morning training, Ryn commenced his meditation and brought his shallow breathing to normal.

“Still nothing!” Ryn worded out.

After a quick glance in his mind realm, the first thing he looked for was the Shadow entity.

Ryn did not let his guard down after that day, and he would search for the entity every time he meditated. That was the only time the entity could request for another contest, which was kind of turning into duel now.

‘Where could it be?’

Ryn questioned in his head where the Shadow entity could’ve been hiding.

‘Probably in there, right?’

He thought the only place it could hide would be the one he didn’t have access to - the enormous mirror.

“I should get going.”

Ryn sighed, glancing at the sun peeking its head in the horizon opening the door for the new day. He started the training at dawn, but now it was sunrise and he had things to do.

While brushing off the dirt and grass from his pants along the narrow path that led back to the house, he reminisced about the events of the previous night, letting out an audible sigh once more.

“Sigh”

Last night, Ryn was thrilled to have made it home before his mother, thanks to Norman, who informed him right on time.

But that happiness didn’t last long, as his mother caught him on the stairs just right after, wearing an old lady’s robe and in a tattered weary state.

“I will make sure to pay you back, Norman.”

Ryn had never seen his mother that angry before. And now he was furious with how Norman set him up.

"That snake-eyed bastard. I bet he knew Mom would be back just then and he set me up so I could be caught at the perfect time."

Ryn was imagining in his head, Norman with villain like eyes, who was smirking at him. In reality however, Norman was one of the kindest of the kids in his age group, and he was even extra friendly with Ryn.

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“I should check on Ahjussi and ask him for a better weapon this time.”

Ryn didn’t forget his promise to Gideon and delivered the technique to him the day before yesterday in the evening.

Ryn asked him for an appropriate real weapon for him then, but Gideon refused, saying it would be dangerous to give him a weapon since he was just a child, even if they got along well.

However, he ended up giving him the dagger that saved his life after Ryn promised him to bestow him with even more techniques if he chanced upon them.

CREAK!

“Son, are you leaving now?”

Right after Ryn entered inside, Enara who was in the kitchen asked if he was going now.

“Yes mom. I will leave after I wash up.”

“Don’t forget to wear your hunting armor and shoes. Okay?”

“Don’t worry mom, I will prepare properly this time.” Ryn announced with a confident smile

“.... Maybe I should go with you?”

Enara seeing his overconfident smile was worried even more. After all, the outside is a cruel world for a child to venture alone, even if it’s not a dangerous place like the Ash crown forest and just the foot of the mountain which was safe.

“Mom, I can really do this on my own, you don’t need to come. And who would look after Sia if you come with me?”

“That’s true.” Enara was silent for a moment contemplating whether to trust him or find someone to accompany him.

“I can do this on my own, mother. All i need to do is put back the eggs where they belong and then come back. That's it.”

“Alright.” Enara sighed, giving up.

“Thanks mom.”

“But if you don’t come back for lunch..”

“I know, I know. I will be back right before lunch.”

“You can go now, and don’t forget to take the eggs on your way out. I have put them in there.”

“Alright mom. I won’t forget them.” Ryn shouted, climbing the stairs to his room.

“That was close!” Ryn mumbled right after he reached his room.

Last night after he was caught and questioned by his mom on the situation of his body and ripped, barely intact clothes.

The only reason he survived from being nagged at and more anger from his mother was to downplay the danger of what really happened and so he did.

Giving the reason for his tattered clothes to the unfriendly nature of the pushes in the forest and how unprepared he was for it.

The bloody stains went to the poor rabbit he caught, but because he didn’t know how to undress it, he made his clothes a mess.

Enara didn’t buy any of his reasons at first, but after she couldn’t find any traces of injury or any scratches, she just had to believe in him.

And Ryn wasn’t one to lie to her and even if he did and he somehow healed his injuries, it would be impossible unless he was a spirit magician like her, and she couldn’t sense any spirit mana in him nor any mana or Aura since he didn’t awaken yet. So she chose to believe him.

“Just in case something similar happens, I should prepare.”

Ryn sat on the floor of his room and recalled all the books he read about the nearby fauna and flora. Even the hunting guide of the village that he would toss around every time his father brought him one.

“That’s how to skin them ha!?”

If he previously just skimmed through the books about fauna and flora of the village, he was now even learning how to dress the preys he would hunt.

“Let me see what that bastard’s name is?”

He also wanted to learn about the colossal bird that attacked him at the nest.

“Swiftbeak? A fitting name for a sneaky bird. It's lucky that I am returning its eggs.”

His mother criticized him for stealing the mother bird's eggs when he could have found eggs in the house. Even his argument that they were three times bigger than normal eggs didn’t sway his mother.

He remembered her sternly advising him not to hunt when he didn't necessarily need to, to avoid hunting the young ones or mothers with offspring.

After Ryn finished browsing and memorizing everything he needed to prepare, he changed into fresh clothes and headed downstairs to wash up.

Once all his preparations were complete, he donned his hunting attire and footwear, armed himself with training swords on his back, and secured a dagger on his waist.

"Remember what I said?" Enara asked, handing him the satchel with the eggs inside.

"To never hunt what you don't need," Ryn responded enthusiastically.

"And?" Enara prodded.

"To return before lunch," Ryn replied, his shoulders slightly drooping this time.

"Remember to always be careful and stay safe, son," Enara reminded him.

She accompanied him to the door, bidding him farewell and urging him to be cautious.

"Okay, mom. I'll be back," Ryn reassured her.

With a wave goodbye, Ryn continued to glance back at his mother standing at the door until he was further away, only then did she retreat back inside.

“There it is.” Ryn announced after he arrived at the nest tree.