The next morning, Ethen woke beside the young lady, her body curled loosely against the sheets. Her breathing was slow and deep.

He watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

He wasn’t just an inexperienced eighteen year old. Though his body was young, his mind carried memories from another life. This kind of night was not unfamiliar to him.

To Ethen, it was routine. Familiar. Something already filed away and forgotten. Still, he could understand her reaction. For her, everything was new.

[Vlad Tepash][Tier 9][Rank: S][Evolution Ritual Progress]Blood Count: 1/3Number of Impaled: 0/15

During the night, he had summoned Vlad and taken a single drop of the young lady’s blood. Careful Enough to push the ritual one step forward.

Once it was done, he stood up and dressed quickly. He left without waking her, the door closing with barely a sound.

Further down the corridor, Lady Victoria, the mistress of the house, was already at work. She dragged a drunken man out of a room by his collar and hurled him toward the stairs.

"If you don’t have money, don’t come back next time. I’ll be keeping your wedding ring for now, you little shit," she snapped, her voice sharp with irritation.

The man was gone moments later.

Victoria exhaled, rolled her shoulders, and headed inside to pour herself a drink.

"Hmm?" She noticed Ethen approaching and raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"I’m done. She’s satisfied," Ethen said flatly, lifting one hand.

Victoria snorted. "Greedy brat. Acting like you didn’t enjoy yourself too."

She reached into her clothes and pulled out a heavy pouch, its contents clinking softly.

200 gold coins.

"Hehe, she’s quite rich," Victoria said. "The actual fee is twenty gold. The rest is for keeping your mouth shut. Half for the house, half for you."

She tossed him a hundred gold coins.

"Thank you," Ethen said, genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected such a reward for a single night. Whoever that woman was, she was far from ordinary.

After collecting the gold, Ethen cleaned himself up and left the brothel without delay. His destination was clear.

The market.

The Alger family ruled the Dark Wilderness stronghold west of the Kingdom of Bark. It wasn’t a trade hub, nor a place known for wealth.

It was a wall.

A fortress meant to hold back the endless tide of magic beasts beyond human control.

As a result, the region overflowed with weapons, tools, and techniques meant for one purpose only. Killing ungodly creatures.

At the market, Ethen stopped in front of a shop with a bold sign hanging above the entrance.

Spirit Armaments.

He stepped inside without hesitation.

Thirty minutes later, he walked out.

"Expensive," Ethen muttered under his breath.

Every coin was gone.

He had spent all hundred gold coins on a single spirit armament. A weapon meant solely for his summon.

Despite that, he felt no regret.

A faint smile crept onto his face as he turned toward the massive forest looming in the distance. Dark, dense, and alive with danger.

It was finally time to test everything he had gained over the past few days.

.....

"Jacob is so talented. Did you see how he turned that wolf into charcoal? Most summoners can’t do that even after months."

A group of young men and women walked along the forest’s outskirts. They surrounded a red haired boy whose eyes brimmed with arrogance.

After the summoning rituals, the line between the gifted and the useless had been drawn. Those with talent became popular, praised, and doted on.

Those without were discarded.

The smarter ones latched onto rising stars like Jacob. If they stayed close enough, maybe a few scraps of benefit would fall their way.

Not everyone fit that mold.

A lone figure walked past them with a bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes scanned the treeline, searching for a proper entry point.

He didn’t even glance at the group.

"Hm?" Jacob frowned, displeased at being ignored.

Still, the stranger showed no reaction.

"Hey, kid," one of Jacob’s cronies called out. "Don’t go into the forest. It’s dangerous. The handbook says we should stay on the outskirts."

It wasn’t concern. It was obedience.

Jacob’s family was not something they could afford to offend.

"I know. Thanks for the warning," Ethen said, glancing over with a forced smile.

Then he turned away and walked straight into the forest, leaving them behind.

"Hmph. He’s got a death wish," Jacob muttered.

He didn’t move to stop him. The forest would handle that.

Ethen was unaware of their thoughts. His focus was fixed on the ground ahead, where dark drops stained the soil.

A wounded beast.

"It’s this way," he murmured, activating his analysis skill.