Razor Ironfang starts his day early with some light workouts. Initially, he did training as means to become stronger. His father once promised him that only if he's strong enough can he be allowed to participate in the hunt. That never happened, though. His father moved the goalpost to him, Awakening his Aura. Now, he just finds the activity enjoyable and relaxing.

After his workout, he prepares a hearty breakfast, mostly made from the game he hunted the previous day. He took ingredients he was familiar with and the meat he butchered and brined yesterday from the pantry to cook himself an enjoyable meal.

There were still nine days before Razor's parents' return from the capital, and he was determined to achieve one goal: To not get caught. Thus, he does not want any traces left from his hunting trips. The ruined short sword from yesterday needs to be repaired, and the materials he got need to be sold or traded. Since he failed to do those yesterday, he decided to do them this morning. Razor set out as soon as he finished his breakfast.

His and Kent's house was on the outskirts of the village, the biggest reason he and Kent could enter or leave the barrier undetected. Nonetheless, he could reach any part of the village in a short time since Featherwood is quite a small village, and Razor finds that comforting. Razor's family once visited the capital for three months when Razor was nine. Sure the capital was lively and different, but he preferred the calm and serene atmosphere of his home village. Although apparently, his brother, who is now studying in the capital, thinks otherwise.

Razor strolled around. Multiple wooden houses are scattered in the village in a semi-organized manner. He could already see the Hunter's Guild, the largest building in Featherwood, from where he was. A group of huntsmen founded the town after all. The Hunter's Guild doubles as the town hall and a training ground. Not long, he reached the village center, where the market square is. The first destination of his walk is the blacksmith's shop.

Razor visited the local blacksmith to repair the short sword ruined by the firefox. The blacksmith was a middle-aged man named Jack Hammerstrung. He is muscular with a stern appearance, but he is surprisingly friendly once you get to know him. The Hammerstrung family has served as the only blacksmith in the village, with Jack as its current successor.

"What happened to this sword? Did you stab a firefox with this?" Jack asked as he inspected the sword.

Razor was shocked by how keen Jack was. "Uhm... No, I dropped in a hot cauldron at Kent's house," Razor said nervously. His hunting trips were secret, after all. "So, can that still be fixed?"

"Yeah, no problem," Jack said with a smile. "Leave it with me, and I'll have it fixed by tomorrow." He added.

Mentally checking a box on his to-do list, Razor proceeded to the village seamstress nearby. He asked her to make a pair of gloves using the Firefox pelt he skinned yesterday. He does not want either of his hands to be shocked or burned after yesterday's fight.

"Good morning, Ms. Ariel. How have you been?" Razor greeted the seamstress. "May I have a pair of gloves made from this fox pelt?"

"Of course. Here, I'll get right on it," Ariel said as she began to head to the back room. "The pelt wasn't treated, but I think it'll be okay. It will take a couple days to make, though. I'll be in touch." She added as she started working. After giving an appropriate payment, Razor left the shop.

Done with his errands, Razor proceeded home. He entered their weaponry room. His dad, Isaac, is one of the village huntsman, known for his skills in handling different weapons and manipulating his Aura. Hence, Razor's house has a large selection of combat equipment. Although most of them were not suited for Razor's small stature.

The weapons Razor can use are limited to daggers, knives, and the only short sword currently under repair. He has considered using a bow and arrows but decided not to after some thought. Arrows are limited. If he chooses to reuse one, its arrowhead will get dull. Furthermore, restocking them by purchasing is a telltale sign that he's out for a hunt. Most importantly, he is not very confident in his aiming.

Razor placed two daggers in the sheath attached to his belt. He prepared towels for wiping and a first aid kit in case of accidents. He also brought some dried jerky as a ration. As for his equipment, he wore the same leather armor he used yesterday.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Traditionally, Featherwood huntsmen let their children witness a hunt to learn from it. Razor's father made him observe one when he was only five. That experience sparked his interest in hunting a lot more than they intended. Then on, Razor tagged along in more hunts than he could count.

Razor knows the dangers of hunting, especially for an unawakened boy like him. So he always makes sure to be thoroughly prepared for his hunts. Picking a game he can handle is part of this. Thus, today he chose to pursue harmless games due to the absence of his sword. As usual, he plans to depart from the village at lunchtime when most are inside to evade prying eyes.

Razor and Kent's meeting place for today was the tree beside the Ironfang residence. Razor climbed the tree for a better vantage to see his friend arriving.

***

Kenneth Winterborne was expecting his Awakening this month.

Awakening is when a human manifests their latent magical abilities. People awaken with either Mana or Aura. Mana can be used to perform attribute magic, similar to how magical beasts attack. Aura can be used to enhance one's body or weapon.

People awaken anytime after they reach twelve. Most Awakening happens around six months after. It is a guarantee for a thirteen-year-old to be awakened. Kent was twelve years and seven months old already. So he expects to awaken very soon. In contrast, Razor, who is four months younger, isn't as concerned.

Kent had been joining Razor in his hunts during the last two weeks. As someone who is not a native of Featherwood, he never understood his friend's dream to become a hunter. So, Kent agreed to tag along in his hunts. At first, he was apprehensive about Razor hunting on his own, thinking it was dangerous. However, Razor proved to be quite careful and capable. He also enjoyed giving Razor some trivia about the beasts that Razor chose to hunt and sometimes watching him incorporate those into his strategy. Before long, Kent grew to enjoy watching his friend hunt as well. Although sometimes, he wishes he could do more.

Kent was no fighter. Razor had asked Kent to train with him when they were young, but he never took up the offer. Kent would become a Mage after all. If he wants to actively participate, Awakening would be his best bet.

Awakening happens during sleep when the body repairs itself. So, Kent makes sure to have a comfortable rest every night. Kent wasn't a superstitious guy. However, being a month late in Awakening than most had left him feeling impatient. Thus began his journey of trying various rumors to trigger an Awakening.

Holding an old book with methods to awaken, which he knows have already been debunked, Kent diligently follows a set of instructions:

[Early in the morning, rub a feather of a lightning attribute bird on your skin. This will stimulate the residual mana on the feather to be absorbed, increasing the likelihood of Awakening the next day.

This was tried on a twelve-years and eleven-month-old boy with great success.]

'Of course, it will. That boy was long overdue to awaken. I wouldn't be surprised if that experiment was done a day before his birthday,' Kent thought as his hands reached for a thunder rooster feather.

He rubbed the feather on his left arm, only to observe nothing. He sped up his rhythm and felt some static. 'Is working?' He thought. Excited by what he had seen, he sped up some more until he got shocked.

''Aw! That hurt!" Kent exclaimed. "So it's done now, right?"

Flipping through the pages where he placed another bookmark, it reads:

[Consume a liver of a firefox. It can be raw or processed in any way you like. Firefox liver contains ample amounts of mana that can be beneficial for Awakening.

This was tried on a twelve-years and six-month-old girl with a 30% chance of success.]

'Isn't that the time where most awaken anyway? Where did the 30% come from if it's tried only on a single girl? And how did you know that it can be processed in any way?' Kent critiqued, "I guess I'll have pureed firefox liver on my sandwich this breakfast."

***

"Thanks for the breakfast, mom!"

Kent's mother, Levy Winterborne, prepared the firefox liver this breakfast. Curious, she asked, "Where did you get the firefox liver?" His mother asked with a smile, seemingly knowing something.

"I bought one yesterday since Razor said it is delicious," Kent replied. He swore to keep their activities confidential.

"Are you sure it's Razor who said that? Not some book, perhaps?"

"It's definitely Razor," Kent affirmed with conviction. "Bye, mom! I'll go out and play," Kent said as he walked towards the door. On the way, he grabbed a couple of healing potions from their potion stash.

"Hey, what do you need those potions for?" Remembering some instructions from the book in her head, Kent's mother asked worryingly.

"Razor made a bet he could jump from one tree branch to the next. I'm afraid I will win. Okay, bye, mom!" Kent replied as he hurried. He ran in the direction of Razor's house.

Left inside the house, Levy reminisced when they moved to Featherwood. Kent right now has been more outgoing after meeting his new friend. 'Razor is a good kid. I'm sure he'll take care of Kent,' Levy thought.

Curious about what his son was doing during playtime, Levy left the door to take a look. The Winterborne and Ironfang residence are separated by an empty plot, so she can clearly see where Kent is heading. She saw a young boy jumping down a tree branch and landing perfectly, only to surprise her son. Levy let out a small chuckle before finally returning back to her lab.