Chapter 4: The Path Forward

Arden moved again, not in a panic like before, but with quiet intent. Every step he took was deliberate, every glance around him sharper than it had been the day before. He wasn't just wandering anymore, he was tracking. He paused by a tree and ran his fingers across the bark, leaving a shallow mark. A mental note. That would point him back to the stream, just in case. The forest still smelled like smoke and damp earth, but it no longer felt overwhelming. The shift in him was clear now, he could feel it humming beneath his skin, the steady current of life energy moving with his breath. He didn't fully understand it, not yet, but it was there. In everything. A living thread that connected every beast, every tree, every step he took. He stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing. There it was again—just a whisper, like something brushing against the edge of his thoughts. Presence. Emotion. Intent. His chest tightened slightly as the feeling settled in. Another lynx. And this one wasn't prowling like the last, it was idle, unaware, maybe resting. Arden didn't wait. He gripped the closest stone he could find and sprinted forward, keeping his steps light. The trees parted just enough for him to spot the glowing tail first, and the glint of red fur barely shifting between the leaves. The lynx didn't see him coming. He crashed into it hard, catching it off guard. The beast hissed, but Arden was already moving, ducking under the swipe and striking its side. The reflex was automatic now. His muscles fired before he could even think. A burst of movement pushed him clear of a sudden claw strike as the lynx snarled in confusion. "Not this time," Arden muttered, eyes locked. With a twist and push of his legs, he closed the gap again, slamming his knee into its chin and knocking it flat. He didn't stop, one more clean strike to the head and the beast collapsed completely, limbs twitching. He stepped back, panting but calm. That was fast. Too fast. He hadn't even needed a proper strategy. His body just moved, responding to the beast like he already knew what it would do. This was what life energy gave him—strength, speed, awareness and the system's signature sealed the rest. The screen blinked into view again. Life Energy Absorbed. Gained: Ignition Reflex Fragments ×2 Arden frowned slightly. "Fragments?" he asked aloud, wiping blood off his arm. "So I don't get a whole skill again. Makes sense, I guess." He didn't know what the fragments were for, or if they'd stack into something useful. But it was still a gain, and right now that was all that mattered. His thoughts were already forming a plan. This place—the Outlands—it was dangerous, brutal, but it also held something no city could give him. Opportunity. He was sure now. Life energy was meant to be used out here, where beasts roamed and the strong survived by instinct alone. If he stayed, if he kept growing, then by the time he was ready to return to civilization, he wouldn't just walk back, he'd walk in as someone they couldn't ignore. And no, he wasn't returning to Caelum. Not the city that left this body for dead. He'd find another path, another city, somewhere that wouldn't tie him down with expectations or bloodlines. But first, he needed strength. He needed more signatures. More energy. And he was going to get it, one hunt at a time. He crouched by the lynx's body and began cutting out what could be useful—fangs, fire-glands, claws that might fetch value when the time came. His hands worked fast, not out of comfort, but out of a quiet determination. Afterward, he stood again, hoisting his light bag over his shoulder and staring into the woods ahead. No path. No map. But that had never bothered him. "Guess this is what freedom tastes like." As he continued his walk. Not too long after the last fight, Arden took down two more lynx before he made it out of their territory. His moves were sharper now, and his body adjusted faster with each battle. By the time the third one fell, it barely felt like a fight at all. Life Energy Absorbed. Gained: Ignition Reflex Fragments ×4 Total Fragments: 6 "Six, huh?" Arden muttered, crouching beside the fresh corpse. "Guess I'm building something." Like before, he stripped what was useful—fangs, claws, the heat sacs near the throat. He wasn't sure what he'd do with them yet, but instinct told him to keep anything that could help him survive or trade later. He also hunted what the body's memories called wild beasts which were regular animals without any magical essence, untouched by Aether. Their meat didn't carry the same risk as the magical ones, which could cause internal backlash if eaten raw by someone like him. He caught a few rabbit sized critters near the brush, quick and quiet, perfect for fire meat. The sky had started dimming, and shadows stretched longer. Just before the forest fell fully into night, he spotted a cave nestled behind a jagged ridge. It wasn't hidden, but it was quiet, with few tracks around it. That was enough for now. He stacked a few stones at the entrance, more for peace of mind than real defense, then grabbed a stick and sparked up a fire with some dried moss and dead bark. The flame flickered to life, and he moved into the mouth of the cave, holding the makeshift torch in front of him as he scanned the walls. The place was wide and shallow at first, with rough stone and signs of past animal movement, scratches along the wall and a few bones pushed into the corners. But something deeper inside tugged at his senses. That familiar buzz. Life energy. Faint at first, but it got stronger the further he stepped in. His brows drew together, and he lowered his steps, careful not to echo through the walls. The path narrowed, then opened again, and there it was. A faint glowing aura curled in the air ahead. At first he thought it was a flame, but as he stepped closer, he saw it. A cub. Small, barely bigger than a housecat, with silver-blue fur that shimmered in the firelight. Wind energy danced around it, so subtle it barely stirred the dust. The cub was pressed tightly against a larger body—a dead one. Same fur. Same shape. The mother, likely. Or father. Arden's hand tightened around his torch. The cub's emotions hit him like a wave—fear, grief, confusion. Its body trembled, but its eyes didn't leave the thing standing between it and the corpse. A beast. Long-limbed and low to the ground, covered in bristled fur that twitched with every breath. Its claws scraped the rock, and it was clear it had been feeding. On the parent. Arden's jaw clenched. He didn't need a reason. He didn't need time to think. He just moved. "Hey!" His voice cut through the cave like a blade. The creature turned sharply, its eyes flashing. Arden tossed the torch aside and charged, heart pounding, breath steady, legs already gathering force. This wasn't about survival. And this wasn't instinct. This was choice. He wasn't leaving that cub behind. A/N; Send powerstones, Drop comments and Review. Thanks