Ka’z sat on a protruding rock not too far from the campfire, quietly watching his team laugh and move around the flames. The forest around them had grown dark hours ago, leaving the campfire as the only source of light in the small clearing they had chosen for the night.
The flames crackled as pieces of wood collapsed into glowing embers, occasionally sending sparks into the air. In his hand was a thin stick with a piece of grilled meat stabbed through the end, though he had barely taken more than a few bites since they stopped.
His attention gradually drifted toward the full moon hanging above the trees, and a tired sigh escaped his lips. They had spent the entire day walking through the forest and only stopped when the darkness became too thick to continue safely.
This was the first time Ka’z had traveled so far away from the Vaal’kor colony, and despite his confidence in his own strength, he could not completely ignore the unfamiliar anxiety sitting at the back of his mind.
His eyes eventually shifted toward the faint messages tucked away at the corner of his vision. He had noticed them earlier in the day but had deliberately ignored them because he wanted to focus on the journey. Now that the group had settled down for the night, there was no reason to continue pretending they were not there.
"I might as well read these messages," Ka’z sighed.
The moment his attention focused on them, the faint notifications immediately moved to the center of his vision.
[Quest: Uncover the Secrets of Runes][Completed]
[Sub Mission Completed: Defeat and Capture the Ashmork Battle Shaman: Boi]
[Sub Mission Completed: Interrogate Boi and Extract Every Piece of Knowledge Regarding Runes.]
[Sub Mission Completed: Interrogate Rok and Extract Every Piece of Information Regarding the Ashmork Village.]
[Sub Mission Completed: Use all the knowledge to successfully protect Vaal’kor from the Ashmork invasion.]
[Reward: 300 system points, System Assistant Module & Ritual Magic Unlocked]
Ka’z blinked several times, and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes as he reread the final line. He knew nothing about Ritual Magic and had never even heard anyone in the colony mention it before. However, that was not what bothered him the most. His real concern was the direction the system seemed to be taking him.
Ka’z stared at the words with a deep frown. The combination felt strange. He was still learning about the world, but even with his limited understanding, he knew there was something unsettling about the pattern. It almost felt as though the system was deliberately guiding him toward forms of magic that most ordinary magus would avoid.
"Why does it feel like you’re deliberately trying to turn me into some kind of dark wizard?" Ka’z muttered quietly.
The system, as usual, did not respond.
Ka’z stared at the empty air for a few seconds before releasing another tired sigh. There was no point asking questions if the system had no intention of answering them.
"System Shop."
The familiar interface immediately appeared before him.
[System Shop]
[Settlement Module I]
[Price: 150 SP]
[Description: Used to track and direct colony development.]
[Combat Module II]
[Price: 100 SP]
[Description: Unlocks the Combat Aid Function.]
Ka’z’s eyes narrowed as he examined the two options. He had just received three hundred system points, and for the first time since acquiring the system, he had enough points to make several meaningful purchases without immediately returning to zero.
The Settlement Module caught his attention first. Ka’z had already begun thinking about Vaal’kor’s future, and after everything that happened with Tu’ka and the others, he knew that if he truly wanted to change the colony, he needed something more concrete than vague dreams about building a better home.
The Combat Module was equally tempting. He had no idea what the Combat Aid Function could do, but considering how useful the previous modules had been, Ka’z had no intention of ignoring it.
"Purchase both," Ka’z said without hesitation.
The system immediately responded.
[Settlement Module I purchased.]
[Combat Module II purchased.]
[Remaining System Points: 50]
Before Ka’z could properly think about his purchase, another screen appeared.
[Settlement Level: Colony]
[Structures:]
[Look-out Towers: 5]
[Requirement For Upgrade: Colony --> Village]
[Walls]
[Residential Building: 20]
[Archer Towers: 4]
[Temple: 1]
[Infirmary: 1]
[Academy: 1]
[Chieftain’s Court: 1]
Ka’z instinctively stood up from the rock.
His eyes moved slowly across the information, and genuine shock appeared on his face. He had purchased the Settlement Module simply because it was available and useful, but he had not expected something this detailed.
"This..." he whispered.
The module had just given him something he had desperately needed.
Direction.
For the first time, Ka’z was not simply imagining what Vaal’kor could become. He had an actual path. He knew what the system considered necessary for the colony to advance into a proper village, and more importantly, most of the required structures were things he had already thought about at one point or another.
Ka’z’s breathing slowly became heavier as excitement began replacing his earlier exhaustion. This was no longer simply a dream.
He could actually build it.
His eyes eventually lowered toward his character details.
[Name: Ka’z]
[Race: Kobold]
[Aether Core: Iron] [Low]
[Elemental Affinity: Blood, Sacrificial, Earth & Fire]
[Bloodline: Draconic Lineage]
[Bloodline Tier: High]
[Bloodline Purity: Dormant] [5%]
[Soul Stage: Awakened]
[Status: Healthy]
[System Points: 50]
The excitement on Ka’z’s face slowly disappeared when his eyes settled on his Aether Core.
"Even after everything, my core hasn’t improved?" he muttered with a deep frown.
He had been stuck at the Iron Core Stage for nearly a year. During that time, he had fought monsters, trained under Lady Zira, dug tunnels, survived countless dangerous situations, awakened multiple forms of magic, fought Grash, and participated in a war.
Yet his core remained exactly where it had been. At the very least, Ka’z had expected some indication that he was approaching the next stage.
Ding!
Ka’z’s eyes widened in surprise.
The system had actually responded.
[System Assistant Analysis complete...]
[Current Available Core Refinement Methods]
Ka’z immediately sat back down and focused completely on the information appearing before him.
[Cultivation Method: This is the most common method of cultivation. A magus absorbs the aether present in the environment and guides it through their mana circuits, where it is refined into mana before being stored inside the Aether Core. The process is slow but safe. The quality of the environment greatly affects the speed of cultivation. Areas rich in aether, such as aether crystal mines, magical forests, and ancient ruins, allow a magus to cultivate much faster than ordinary locations.]
[Compression Method: Rather than increasing the amount of mana inside the core, a magus repeatedly compresses the mana already stored within it. Every successful compression makes the mana denser and purer. As the density of mana increases, the Aether Core gradually becomes stronger and more stable. This method is more difficult than simple absorption because excessive compression can damage the core. However, magi who master it usually possess greater mana output and control than others at the same core stage.]
[Core Exhaustion Method: A magus deliberately pushes their mana reserves close to depletion before beginning another refinement cycle. When the core is repeatedly emptied and refilled, it is forced to adapt to greater levels of strain. Over time, its capacity and recovery speed gradually improve. This method is commonly practiced by warriors and combat magi because battle naturally places the core under extreme pressure. However, completely exhausting the core is dangerous. A magus who damages their mana circuits or overdraws their core may suffer permanent injuries.]
[Combat Refinement Method: Combat refinement is the process of strengthening the core through repeated battles. During combat, a magus is forced to circulate mana at speeds and intensities that are difficult to reproduce during ordinary meditation. The pressure placed on the mana circuits gradually improves their durability while the repeated depletion of mana strengthens the core. This method is particularly effective for warriors who use magic to strengthen their bodies. However, combat refinement is unpredictable. A magus cannot control the intensity of a real battle, and many have permanently damaged their cores by repeatedly pushing themselves beyond their limits.]
Ka’z stared at the information with genuine shock. He had not expected the System Assistant Module to be this useful. It had not simply given him random information. It had analyzed his current condition and presented several paths based on what he was capable of doing.
His eyes slowly moved across the descriptions.
Compression sounded useful but dangerous.
Core Exhaustion sounded painful and dangerous.
Combat Refinement was something he had already been doing without realizing it, but the system had clearly warned that it could not be properly controlled.
That left only one obvious choice.
"I’ll just stick with the Cultivation Method for now," Ka’z decided in a heartbeat.
The other methods were far too risky for his liking. He had no intention of damaging his own core simply because he was impatient. He had survived enough dangerous situations to understand that power was useless if he destroyed himself while chasing it.
At least the Cultivation Method was safe.
He could slowly absorb the aether around him whenever they rested and continue doing so until he better understood his own core. If he later learned more from Kong’gong or discovered a better method, he could always change his approach.
"You shouldn’t be sitting out here alone. Come and join us. The night is still young."
Ka’z’s thoughts were interrupted by Mi’ya’s voice.
He raised his head and stared at her with a dull expression. She stood a few steps away from him, illuminated by the flickering firelight, while the rest of the team continued laughing behind her. Drak and Thrak were arguing over something near the flames, while Gruk was trying to convince Krov that he could eat more than everyone else combined.
Mi’ya smiled when she noticed Ka’z watching her.
"We could dance all night," she said playfully as she stretched one hand toward him. Her smile slowly became more suggestive. "And if you want, you and I can take the next step."
Ka’z briefly lowered his gaze toward her outstretched hand before looking back at her face.
"I have someone already... I’ll pass."
Mi’ya’s smile froze.
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