The next day, Darell woke up early and made his way to the training yard of the mansion. It was a wide open space, with a dirt ground and a wooden wall with various types of targets around it. There were three large dummies made out of straw, with a circle drawn on them to mark the heart. The first two had no faces and were made to represent an average sized person, the last one however, was huge, and was made to be at least three times taller and wider than the average human.

The guards had just opened the gates to the area when Darell arrived. They had a small table set up, along with some food. He walked to the table and grabbed a biscuit and an apple before making his way over to the training grounds. There were already some people inside the arena. They were standing in the middle of the training grounds, and as he got closer he could see that they were members of the estate guards. They were practicing their forms with swords, and the training master was walking between them, barking commands and occasionally demonstrating the proper movements. There was also, a group of guards at one side who were sparring with each other. Their bodies were moving in unison. The guards had their swords drawn and were moving about in a large circle, slashing and parrying, blocking and attacking, all the while keeping their eyes on each other.

The training master turned and his eyes landed on Darell who nodded curtly and went on his way. The guards and the training master nodded back at Darell. They weren't surprised to see the Baron's son at the training ground early morning. It was common for him to practice his swordsmanship skills on the training grounds. In fact, the Baron's son would often train on the grounds more than any other guards. Every single day, without fail, the young master of the house would go down and train with the guards.

He would wake up in the wee hours of the morning and train until the sun rose, only stopping when his father or mother ordered him to. He would then go to his studies and work, before returning and practicing swordplay once more. He would not rest until his blade was sharp and his skill had improved. The guards were always left in awe by how dedicated the young master was, and they always did their best to follow his example. Even the his little sister, the young mistress - Lilith, would practice her own swordsmanship daily, and she would also train with her older brother, sometimes even besting him in sparring.

Darell continued over to the weapons rack, where several swords were displayed in neat rows, each one gleaming and polished. He looked over the rack carefully, until his eyes landed on a sword that stood out amongst the rest. It was nearly two inches longer than the next sword, and had a slight curve to the blade. He grabbed it, feeling the weight. It was well balanced, but seemed slightly heavier than the others.

He took his new sword and went over to the center of the ring. He practiced the movements, trying to keep his stance solid and his feet moving correctly. After he had practiced the form for a while, he began practicing against the straw dummies.

After about an hour, he had practiced the forms against the three straw dummies so many times that the straw was starting to look flat. He decided that he had enough practice. He went over to the water barrel and grabbed a cup, and then sat down on the bench next to the guards and took a sip of the cool liquid.

I've analyzed your body and found that you have been training diligently for 5 years. Your strength and stamina are both good, but your reflexes, speed and flexibility are lagging behind. If you train your reflexes and speed, your combat skills will improve greatly.

He was surprised to hear that and asked, 'How do I increase my reflexes?'

You need to do exercises which challenge your brain and body simultaneously.

Darell was curious. 'What do you mean?'

I mean, that if you run at full speed while performing a task, you will be able to increase your reaction time. For example, if you were to jump over a small wall while running, your body will have to react quickly and make adjustments. This will help you improve your reflexes. The faster you react to obstacles, the better your chance of survival. If you train every day, you will get stronger.

He thought about the information for a moment. He was still confused, but decided to give it a try. He did as the system told him and continued practicing new exercises and stances. The guards looked at him and wondered what their young master was doing but nobody knew and they didn't want to disturb him since he was in completely concentration. After another hour had passed, Darell had practiced enough and decided to take a break. He went back over to the table and grabbed another biscuit and an apple. He took a bite and looked around.

He asked the system, 'Hey, system?'

Yes?

'Do you know why I'm training so hard?'

I'm sorry, I don't know. Please enlighten me.

'I want to become a legendary being in this world. One who can be strong enough to take on any beast outbreak. I want to protect the weak, and I want to save the lives of others. I don't want to destroy or kill. I grew up listening to horrifying tales of beast outbreaks, and I want to be ready when it happens. It is a scary thought but it is the reality. Of course, it happens rarely but nobody can say when it would happen. The higher ranked beasts are as intelligent if not more intelligent than us. The beasts and us are fighting for the same resources, and there is no way we can share. We would have to fight if we wanted to live.

We kill them for their cores while the beasts kill us for the mana in our bodies. They can absorb mana from the air or by eating the cores of other beasts, but the mana in our bodies is concentrated. The beasts want to devour our flesh so they can get a higher quality mana source. This is why beast outbreaks are dangerous, because if the beasts get to us, they will devour us alive, and if we don't stop them, they will consume the whole world. It's peaceful right now because the people who have mastered high ranking spells are more in number than the high ranked beasts living in the forests or deserts or volcanoes or any other place in the world. That's why, we don't have any qualms killing them because if we don't, then they can kill us, and they won't hesitate to do so. It's a vicious cycle.'

Host, do you have any other goals?

'Yes, I want to become strong enough to protect my family and the people I care about. I also want to have the power to protect myself.'

Then, you should start by training harder. The more you train, the more powerful you will become. With my help, you will be able to improve your combat skills quickly.

Darell laughed and said, 'Thanks, I will.'

You can count on me.

He then started his exercises again.

Just like that, two weeks passed.

In these two weeks, Darell trained even more than ever. Since he had the system guiding him, he was able to improve his speed and reflexes by leaps and bounds. His combat skills increased rapidly. His hard work had left the complete manor in awe including his parents, Ralph and Isabella who were proud of their son. They were surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor. Darell who was an good looking boy in their eyes suddenly looked much more handsome and mature, and his confidence had also grown tremendously. His personality had also undergone a subtle change. He was more calm and composed. They were happy to see the changes and they watched with pride as he put his heart and soul in his training.

Lilith, on the other hand, was feeling opposite. She wasn't proud but concerned of her brother's actions. Her concern stemmed from the reason that although her brother had grown much stronger and more skilled in two weeks, she found him spending more and more time on the training grounds. Although, she could see his hardwork and dedication, but her intuition told her otherwise as couldn't help but feel that there was something different about him. Especially, on the day, he awakened his innate ability. He had changed ever since then. She couldn't quite put a finger on it. But, there was definitely something strange about him.

She didn't say anything though, because she trusted her brother. Besides, even if she had doubts, she didn't want to make him suspicious.

Nonetheless, she didn't want to be left behind by him so, she spent every spare moment practicing and perfecting her combat skills, determined to be the best she could be. The thought of being left behind by her brother was not an option, and she worked harder than she had ever did before. She also took the time to analyze him and observe him. She tried to understand what it was that was making him act the way he was acting.

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She spent hours watching him and studying him, but no matter how much she observed him, she couldn't find anything wrong. So, in the end, she concluded that she was merely overthinking and put her suspicions at the back of her mind.

One night, after having dinner, Darell was walking back to his room while thinking, 'I've been practicing and training for the past two weeks. I should pay a visit to the Forest of Fyn again. I have two more weeks for the test at the Varona Royal Academy.'

He entered his room and got out of his clothes, then, he went into the bathroom and took a shower. After he finished, he changed into a new set of clothes and waited.

As the clock on the wall struck twelve, Darell stepped out of the room wearing light armor and a bag around his waist. He quietly closed the door behind him and made his way through the hallway. He didn't need to stress about his weapon or potions since he had taken them from the weapons hall in the afternoon.

His weapon was a rank 02 IronBoar sword. It had a spike in the hilt, which made it double edged and gave him additional attack capability. It was as wide as an average human arm but, had a shorter reach. He had tested it and found it suitable for his needs. As for the potions, he had taken all of them. They were mostly low-grade potions and only had one or two mid-grade potions. They were not useful for him but were still better than nothing.

After making his way through the hallways, he went down the main stairs and reached the main hallway of the manor. He walked to the east entrance and opened the door. He walked outside in the garden. It was dark and silent as he moved forward. He could see a couple of servants and maids sitting near a fire pit, chatting. He sneaked around them and climbed the walls.

After getting out of the mansion, he saw the carriages standing outside which were meant to deliver tax goods from the guilds, shops, and restaurants in the town. There were three large carriages and four smaller ones. All of them had been filled with food and drinks which were now empty. He knew these carriages were meant to return to the city of Xena which was the reason he chose today to go to train in the forest.

He made his way toward the largest one and jumped on top. He quietly opened the door and saw several empty barrels and thought, 'Yes! I can hide behind these barrels and nobody would find me!'

He did as he thought and waited patiently. But, suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from the barrel beside him. His heart skipped a beat as fear gripped him, and he instinctively drew his sword. He held the blade close to the barrel and stared at it, waiting for something to emerge.

"W-Who's there?", he called out nervously.

However, nobody responded instead, the rustling sound grew. Now, it was too loud to be ignored. He gulped and cautiously lifted the lid off the barrel. What he saw made his jaw drop. Inside the barrel was a person, not just any person, but his little sister - Lilith!

She was sitting on her butt, her arms folded and she was pouting.

"Why are you here? How did you know I was coming? And, why didn't you say anything?!", he reprimanded her while helping her out of the barrel.

Lilith snorted and said, "I saw you going out of your room and followed you. I didn't say anything because, you were being weird and didn't look like yourself."

Darell looked at her incredulously and asked, "So, you decided to follow me and hide inside a barrel?"

Lilith massaged her butt and replied, "Yes! And, it wasn't easy. My body hurts so much! You could have at least brought a chair!"

"..."

Lilith narrowed her eyes and asked, "Anyway, where are you going?"

Darell didn't say anything as he knew he couldn't escape.

"Fine, keep quiet. I will follow you wherever you go.", Lilith crossed her arms.

Darell sighed and said, "It's dangerous. You can't come."

"Why? Do you have a secret lover and don't want me to know?", Lilith glared at him.

Darell shouted lightly, "What? No!"

"Then, it's settled. I'm coming."

Darell sighed. There was no use arguing with his sister. She was stubborn to the extent that he, sometimes, wondered if she was adopted.

So, he sighed and said, "I was going to practice my skills before entering the academy. But, since you are here, I'll take you with me."

Lilith curiously asked, "You mean... You're not going to a secret rendezvous?"

Darell massaged his forehead and said, "No! Why would I? I have Emma, already. I'm not cheating on her!"

Lilith nodded and said, "You have a point. Emma would have killed you. You're lucky that I'm here."

"Lucky? You're the reason why I'm taking this risk!"

"You don't have to worry. If anything happens, I will save you.", Lilith proudly raised her head high and crossed her arms.

Darell wanted to punch her. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Fine. Just, stay close to me. We're going to the Forest of Fyn."

"What?! Why are we going there? Didn't you say you were just going to practice your skills?", Lilith was shocked.

Darell nodded and replied, "I did. But, I will be practicing my skills while killing beasts. You wanted to protect me so, you will be helping. Now, be quiet and sit."

Darell pushed his little sister into a spot and both of them hid together in a corner. A moment later, they heard a carriage rolling in.

They peeked out from behind the barrel and saw two men wearing brown tunics and cloaks. They were carrying torches. The carriage was pulled by a giant boar.

"Wait a minute!", Darell remembered and took out a mask from his bag and gave it to her while explaining, "You should wear this. We should go unnoticed otherwise if Mom finds out..."

Both of them shivered at the thought. Lilith quickly took the mask from his hands and put it on.

They hid behind the barrel and waited patiently until the carriage came to a halt. They heard the sound of the city gates opening and entered Xena. Once they passed through the city gate, the carriage moved slowly, and a few minutes later, stopped again.

Darell looked at the buildings and the street signs and realized that they were in the Neward District. He turned to Lilith and said, "We need to get off before the next stop."

"How are we going to get off without being noticed?", Lilith was confused.

Darell chuckled and replied, "The same way, we got on."

Lilith's eyes widened as she understood what her brother meant.

Darell held her hand and they jumped down from the carriage.

"Come, let's run. We can't be caught by the guards.", Darell hurriedly ran with Lilith in tow.

Lilith was stunned by his actions and couldn't react for a moment, but then, she immediately ran after him.

"Wait! Where are we going?", Lilith shouted.

"We're going to the Forest of Fyn!"

"I know that! But, what about our horses? We can't go there by foot! Are you crazy?!"

Darell turned and winked, "No, I'm smart."

Lilith looked at her brother questioningly.

Darell led her to an alley and they hid in a corner. They waited until the carriage moved. When the sound of the wheels became faint, they left the alley.

"Are we going to steal horses?", Lilith asked.

"Of course not. Don't be silly. Who would want a stolen horse?", Darell chuckled.

"Then, how are we getting the horses?", Lilith asked, confused.

"Follow me."

Darell led her to a stable and entered. Inside were two horses, tied to the wall, chewing on hay.

Darell walked toward the first one and said, "Surely, you didn't forget Stomper, did you?."

Lilith looked at the horse and realized who it was, said, "Oh, it's the one I rode on when we went to the Capital. But, I thought it was mine."

"Nope, he was mine." Darell patted the horse and whispered, "Hello, old buddy. Long time, no see. Sorry for the inconvenience. You're coming with us."

The horse snorted and rubbed its head against Darell.

"Alright. Let's go."

They untied the horses and got on.

"Follow me. I know a path that will lead us to the forest without being noticed by the guards."

Darell spurred his horse and galloped forward. Lilith did the same and followed him.

* THUMP *

* THUMP *

They galloped at a steady pace until they approached an old gate. A group of commoners were standing by the gate and watched as Darell and Lilith galloped outside the city. They arrived at the main road and slowed down. The moon was high above the clouds. It was bright and clear, and the sky was filled with stars. A few hours later, they arrived at the outer area of the forest. They stopped their horses and got down.

Darell took out some hay and grass and fed them to the horses behind some trees.

"Alright, we're here. Come on, let's begin training!!", Darell turned around and headed straight towards the forest.

"Hey, wait for me!", Lilith ran after him while looking at the dark forest anxiously. They entered the woods and started walking. The ground was covered in fallen leaves and broken branches. They encountered several rank 01 beasts and fought with them. After half an hour of training, they had killed three rank 01 beasts and were ready to move further into the forest.

And, as soon as they moved further in, they stumbled upon a strange beast. The creature resembled a tiger with black and white stripes and it's face was similar to a tiger, with gleaming black horns pointed upwards on its head. It was bigger than a bear and its paws were as big as a man's head. It roared loudly and unleashed a beam of light from its horns.

* SHOOOM *

Darell jumped sideways while Lilith ducked.

* BOOM *

The ground exploded, creating a hole where the beam hit.

"Hey! What is that thing?", Lilith cried in shock.

Darell used his Inspect skill on the strange beast and found out it was a rare variant of the ShadowTiger. It was a Nihility Lynia, a rank 03 beast with the ability to manipulate space.

"How would I know?", Darell lied. He felt bad for it because he believed that any relationship filled with lies and secrets doesn't hold on for long. But, he couldn't say anything to his sister lest he put her in danger.

So, he replied, "It looks like a rare variant of the ShadowTiger!"

"Oh, well, let's kill it and take its core then. Maybe, it's worth some good money.", Lilith said.

Darell didn't answer her and looked at the beast.

"Let's attack together."Darell ran forward and slashed the beast.

* SHING *

His sword hit the beast's body, leaving a gash.

* SPLURT *

Black blood spewed out from the cut and it roared in pain, "ROOOOAAR!"

It stumbled backward.

Darell shouted, "Now, it's your turn."

"Alright, leave this one to me!", Lilith ran after the beast and leaped towards its back.

She used her sword to stab the beast's shoulder and stabbed it again.

* SPLURT *

The beast roared again and it was going to begin a spell but Darell didn't give it the chance as he drove his sword into it's skull.

* SCHICKK *

* SPLURT *

"ROOOOAAAR!!!"

The beast roared in pain as its body convulsed. It fell down and died.

Darell and Lilith were stunned.

"Hey, that was too easy. Wasn't it supposed to be stronger than a regular ShadowTiger? Why did it die so easily?", Lilith was baffled.

Darell was also confused.

"Maybe it was a weak variant.", Darell suggested.

Lilith frowned and said, "No way. This was definitely a strong one. Something is wrong."

"We'll find out once we take the core. Maybe, it was poisoned.", Darell said.

"Hmmm, maybe. Well, let's take the core and see what's inside."

They cut open the beast and dug into its stomach. Inside the beast was the core which was pitch black and covered in blood.

"Oh, wow! This core looks better than the normal ShadowTiger core. It's bigger and darker. I wonder what it's worth.", Lilith said excitedly.

Darell smiled and said, "No, let's keep this as a memento."

Lilith looked at him, confused. Seeing her like that, Darell said, "Our first variant beast core!"

Lilith realized and stuck out her tongue cutely and said, "Teehee! That's much better!"

Both of them laughed and stored the beast corpse in his bag and walked deeper into the forest.