The sun had barely begun to peek over the treetops when Leonar left behind the improvised shelter he had used for the night. The morning breeze carried the damp scent of the forest, and every crunch beneath his boots reminded him that he was still far from any safety.
The system had given him no respite. His mission remained active:
[Active Mission – Discover the Ruins of Trenn'Kai]Reward: ???
With steady steps, he ventured deeper into the dense forest. With each step, the trees seemed taller, their roots more entangled, and the silence... heavier. At times, he felt as if something was watching him. But it wasn't beasts. It was the weight of the past, slumbering beneath that ancient land.
After an hour of walking, he stopped.
Before him stood a ruined watchtower, consumed by moss and time. Ivy climbed over the stone remains like serpents, and only fragments remained of what had once been a solid defensive structure. Yet, something at its base caught Leonar's attention.
A circular stone structure was half-buried beneath the underbrush.
Curious, he knelt and brushed the earth aside with his hand. His fingers touched symbols.
Strange. Ancient. Charged with an energy that made his skin crawl.
The system reacted instantly:
[Minor Trial Zone Activated – Ritual of the Hidden Wind]Defeat the guardians of the circle.Reward: Beast Core Fragment + 2 Celestial Points
"A trial... right here?" Leonar murmured, glancing up at the tower.
He stood and activated his energy.
"Iron Hawk Armor… summoned!"
A metallic glow enveloped him. The wind seemed to swirl around him, as if recognizing its bearer.
From the center of the circle, two figures began to emerge, formed from dense mist and fragments of solid wind. They had no faces, no defined bodies, but their shapes were humanoid, and their arms turned into blades of compressed air.
"Misty guardians... how interesting."
The battle began swiftly. One of the specters lunged, and Leonar dodged using his Wind Step, spinning and striking with the reinforced elbow of his armor. The creature burst into a gust of wind but reformed instantly.
"They're not simple illusions."
The second enemy attacked from behind. Instinctively, Leonar ducked, spun on his heel, and launched a rising spinning kick that dispersed it for a few seconds. Then, he propelled himself with his metal wings and unleashed a Hawk's Charge, crashing into both figures at once.
The impact was devastating. The circle trembled, and the figures dissolved slowly—this time, without reforming.
Silence returned.
The system confirmed his victory:
[Minor Trial Zone Completed]Rewards obtained:→ +1 Beast Core Fragment→ +2 Celestial Points
Leonar smiled."That brings me closer to ten… Not much left now."
He continued on his way. The landscape gradually changed. The dense forest gave way to more open, rocky terrain, with small hills and ravines where vegetation struggled to grow.
Hours later, he found it.
The entrance to the Ruins of Trenn'Kai.
Carved into the base of a mountain, the ruins looked like a mix of ancient mines and forgotten architecture. Broken columns, remnants of sculptures, and tunnels that led deep into darkness.
Leonar approached cautiously.
But then he noticed something...
He wasn't alone.
The footprints in the mud were recent. And they weren't from beasts.
They were human.
"Only two kinds of people come here," he thought. "Thieves with hideouts in caves… or mercenaries on illegal missions. Neither makes for good company."
Then, he heard footsteps. He quickly slid behind a rock formation and watched from the shadows.
Two men emerged from a side passage. Both wore armor… and not ordinary ones.
The system reacted as soon as it analyzed them:
[Earth Armor: Rock Wolf – Rank C]
The first was covered in stone plates fused with hardened leather. The Rock Wolf Armor had a helmet shaped like a wolf's snout and retractable claws on the boots. His back was reinforced with rocky fragments that interlocked like a second spine.
"This armor boosts defense and physical strength," Leonar thought, analyzing the warrior's low stance, ready to charge or withstand impacts.
[Deadly Armor: Crimson Raven – Rank A]
The second rose briefly as his transformation completed. Black and red plates assembled like wings over his arms. His chest bore an emblem depicting a raven with its beak open. The eyes of the helmet glowed with a piercing ruby hue.
"A deadly armor of Rank A?" Leonar whispered in surprise. "Even a Rank C like the Earth one can be overwhelming if used right…"
That set off alarm bells. These weren't common thieves.
"Mercenaries?" Leonar guessed, because acquiring armor of that caliber wasn't easy.
He didn't want trouble. He tried to slip away quietly, but at that exact moment, a small twig snapped under his foot.
Both men froze.
"Who's there? Come out of hiding!" one of them shouted with a rough voice.
Leonar knew he'd been discovered. He sighed.
"I screwed up…"
He stepped out slowly with his hands visible, showing no hostile intent.
The mercenaries eyed him warily.
"What are you doing here, kid?"
Leonar measured his words.
"Exploring. Just completing a mission. I'm not looking for trouble."
The two men exchanged glances. One of them—the one in the Crimson Raven armor—tensed his fingers.
"This kid… did he see us?" he murmured quietly.
What Leonar didn't know was that these two were on the run after a recent crime. They had assassinated a minor noble for hire, but after being betrayed by their employers, they fled and hid in the ruins. Now, someone had found them.
One of them stepped forward.
And in that moment, Leonar felt the bloodlust.
"Back off!" he shouted, instinctively activating his energy.
WHOOSH!
A figure dashed past him at absurd speed. It was a direct strike—fast as lightning. They had almost taken his head off.
Leonar smiled fiercely.
"So... you strike first. If I injure you, it's self-defense, right?"
Iron Hawk Armor, full activation!
Metal plates assembled over his body with a sharp screech. Wings unfolded, and his energy surged like a compressed storm.
The ground trembled. The air cracked.
The battle had begun.
The silence lasted only a few heartbeats. In that tense moment of calm, Leonar took a step back, and just then, he saw it: a dark figure shot forward from a blind angle. He barely managed to twist his torso as he raised his left arm to block.
Clang!
The enemy's spear struck his armored forearm directly, sending him flying several meters backward. Leonar rolled on the ground, jumped up in one swift motion, and his eyes burned with fury.
"So that's your answer…" he muttered, and with a powerful shout, his armor surged from the vortex of light. "Celestial Falcon Armor!"
The metal plates assembled over his body like a dance of living gears. The helmet descended over his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. His retractable wings folded tightly against his back, and the sharp claws of his gauntlets glimmered in the sunlight filtering through the branches.
The two mercenaries moved immediately.
"I recognize him! He's the bastard of the count!" shouted the one in earthen armor, pointing his broad axe. "He can't leave here!"
Leonar took a deep breath. Two enemies. One fast, the other strong. He would need to separate them.
"Let's go!" he shouted, propelling himself forward.
The Crimson Crow struck first. Fast, with movements sharp as blades. Leonar dodged the initial slash with a swift turn, his Taekwondo training shining through in the precision of his steps. With a sweeping kick, he tried to destabilize him, but the assassin jumped backward.
Clang!
The Rock Wolf swung down with his axe. Leonar crossed his arms to block, but the impact made his insides groan. Heavy. Strong. One more direct hit, and it would shatter his bones.
"Divide and conquer," he thought.
He activated his ability.
"Falcon Claw!"
His claws ignited with a blue glow. The tips elongated, sharpening into blades. With a wild yell, he spun around, using the force of the previous impact to launch a lateral slash. The Crimson Crow assassin was forced to leap backward. But his partner wasn't so quick.
Wham!
A deep gash crossed the torso of the Rock Wolf's armor. Sparks. Shattered metal. The mercenary growled but didn't fall. He staggered backward, leaving his partner alone for a few seconds.
"Damn you!" the Crow shouted, charging again.
This time, Leonar was ready. He ducked just as the enemy's sharp fist brushed his cheek, and counterattacked with a spinning kick to the abdomen. The impact sent the enemy crashing into a nearby tree.
Crack!
The trunk cracked.
"Who trained you?" the mercenary growled, spitting blood.
"A world you'll never reach."
But there was no time for words. The Rock Wolf returned, howling like his name. Leonar jumped sideways, but the enemy pursued. The axe came down in a brutal arc, breaking branches and earth.
Leonar rolled, got to his feet, and used the speed of his armor. He ran full speed toward a group of rocks, seeking height. He jumped onto one, then another. The Wolf followed.
And then, he launched from the top, Falcon Claw activated, aiming directly for the gap between helmet and neck.
CHAAK!
The claw dug in. A muffled groan, then silence.
The Rock Wolf's body fell to its knees before collapsing.
Only one remained.
The Crimson Crow assassin removed his helmet, revealing a young face, marked with scars. His expression was cold.
"I congratulate you. But I'm not that easy."
"Then prove it."
And they launched at each other.
What followed was a dance of death. Strikes, dodges, kicks, claw slashes. The assassin was fast, lethal… but Leonar had years of real combat experience. In his previous world, he had survived alleyways, tournaments, even gunfire. This guy… was just another enemy.
Leonar feigned a right hook. The assassin fell for the trap and spun to counterattack, opening a gap. And that's when Leonar struck: a knee to the abdomen that knocked the air out of him, followed by a cross-slash with the Falcon Claw.
CRACK!
The armor shattered in his chest. The assassin fell backward, gasping. He tried to rise, but Leonar was already on top of him. A final kick left him unconscious.
Silence.
Leonar dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. The adrenaline burned through his veins, sweat mingling with the blood on his face. His eyes, however, burned with determination.
The System flashed in front of him:
[Mission completed! "Conquer your first battle against a human warrior"]
Reward obtained: +8 Celestial Points
Total current points: 16 Celestial Points
Function unlocked: New Armor Exchange
Leonar exhaled forcefully. He had done it.
But there was no time to rest.
He stashed the bodies in the underbrush, wiped away the traces, and advanced toward the entrance of the mine.
The real challenge was just beginning.