> "The greatest danger isn't the enemy you see; it's the one that's already in your blood, waiting for the right moment."
---
Location: Blackroot Academy - Rooftop
The wind cut through the night like a blade, swirling around Kitae's form. He stood at the edge of the Blackroot Academy's rooftop, his silhouette against the night sky resembling a shadow of a man on the cusp of something dark and inevitable.
Cynthia had left him after their conversation, her footsteps echoing in the distance, but her words had stayed with him. Why do you fight alone?
The truth was heavier than he'd expected. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell anyone. Because there was a beast, clawing its way to the surface, and it wasn't something he could control. Not yet.
He looked at the city beneath him. Lights twinkled like distant stars, unaware of the storm brewing on the horizon. But it wasn't the city that held his gaze. It was the sigil.
The faint glow of the Lion's Vestige still pulsed under his skin, a reminder of the pact he'd forged. It burned at the edges of his chest, a sharp, gnawing ache that refused to fade.
> [System Alert: New Quest Unlocked – Sigil of the Lion's Heart]
[Objective: Confront the Silent Howl. Time Limit: 3 Days]
[Rewards: Unlocked Transformation - Lion's Roar - Willpower Enhancement + Combat Efficiency]
[Failure Penalty: Unknown]
Confront the Silent Howl. The words echoed in his mind, the meaning still elusive.
---
Location: Blackroot Academy - Training Grounds
The next day, the sun rose, but there was no relief. The world felt heavier, as if the very air was charged with a quiet intensity. Cynthia had been silent since last night, but that wasn't the only thing on Kitae's mind. His encounter with Jun Karasu had changed something inside him. The system had triggered a response—Apex Focus—an ability he hadn't known he was capable of. It was like stepping into another world, where time slowed, and every movement was calculated, every breath controlled.
But the pain lingered in his chest. The damage wasn't as easy to heal as he thought.
As he entered the training grounds, he was met with a familiar face. Jun Karasu, bruised and limping, leaned against the stone wall, glaring at Kitae.
"You didn't just beat me," Jun growled. "You humiliated me."
Kitae didn't flinch. His gaze remained steady, calculating.
"You're a striker. You fight to overwhelm, to break your opponent," Kitae said quietly. "But you failed to adapt."
Jun sneered. "Adapt? You think you can teach me something?"
Kitae stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "Not teach. Survive. That's what this is about. Surviving long enough to see the real fight."
---
[System Update: Threshold Upgrade Challenge Available]
Kitae's eyes flickered as the notification appeared. He felt the familiar surge of power, but it was more than that—it was a shift. He was on the edge, standing at the precipice of something unknown. The Lion's Resilience had been a shield, but the system was pushing him further.
> [Threshold Upgrade: Lion's Roar | Activation: Pending]
[Condition Met: Power Surge – Sustained Pressure]
[Next Challenge: Silent Howl]
Kitae clenched his fists. His heart raced. The Silent Howl was close. He could feel it, like a pulse in his veins, waiting for the moment to strike.
---
Location: Blackroot Academy - Hidden Passage
Kitae moved through the hidden passages beneath the academy, the walls cold and damp against his skin. This was where the legends spoke of the trials—the place where those with the Sigil of the Lion came to face their ultimate test.
The deeper he went, the louder the silence became. It was an eerie calm, the kind that felt wrong in its stillness. His footsteps echoed, loud against the vast emptiness.
Then, the sound came.
A growl. Low. Deep. From all around.
Kitae froze, instinctively slipping into a defensive stance. His body hummed with energy, his senses sharpening.
> [System Alert: Challenge Initiated – Silent Howl]
[Time Limit: 30 Minutes]
[Failure Penalty: Unknown]
[Environmental Conditions: Stress and Mental Disruption Imminent]
A figure appeared from the shadows. At first, it was just a shape—something too large to be human. Then, it took form. A man, towering and covered in scars, his eyes glowing a deep crimson. His body rippled with a strange, unsettling power—like he was part beast, part man.
> [Opponent: The Silent Howl | Threshold: Unknown | Combat Mastery: Beast Form]
[Warning: Opponent Unpredictable | Avoid Direct Confrontation]
The Silent Howl's lips curled into a smile. His voice was like gravel, rough and ragged.
"You're the one who bears the sigil," the figure said, his voice a growl. "I've been waiting for you."
Kitae's blood ran cold, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he took a step forward, his eyes narrowing.
"I don't care who you are," Kitae said, voice low and steady. "I'm here to survive."
The beast-man laughed, a sound that sent chills down Kitae's spine. "We'll see if that's true."
---
[Combat Initiated]
The Silent Howl lunged.
Kitae reacted instantly, his body moving with unnatural speed as he sidestepped the strike. The force of the attack sent debris flying, the power behind it immense. Kitae barely had time to counter before the beast struck again, this time with claws extended.
> [System Alert: Reaction Time Enhanced]
[New Ability Activated: Lion's Roar – Focused Mindset | Combat Enhancement]
The roar was a shockwave, a burst of energy that pushed the Silent Howl back. For a moment, everything stopped. Kitae's senses were heightened, every movement clear in his mind as if the world itself had slowed down.
He attacked—fast, precise.
But the Silent Howl was no ordinary opponent. With a growl, he countered, his claws raking through the air, barely missing Kitae's face.
The battle raged, both of them moving in a blur, each strike more powerful than the last.
But Kitae knew this fight wasn't just about physical strength. It was about endurance, about willpower.
And as the Lion's Roar surged within him, he realized something: He wasn't just fighting the Silent Howl. He was fighting the beast within himself.
---
[System Update: Challenge Progressing]
> [Victory Conditions: Defeat the Silent Howl in 10 Minutes]
[Time Remaining: 12 Minutes]
Kitae tightened his grip on the power surging within him. The Lion's Vestige—his power, his curse—wasn't just a tool. It was becoming a part of him. And he would not lose control.
Not again.
---