Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 73: Ruthless

Nara stepped out of the Scar portal. The air near the entrance was still slightly distorted, and the stone ring around the dark opening quietly vibrated. Two blank-faced guards in black, who always stood there, immediately recognized him and stepped aside.

Just as Nara walked a few steps away from the opening, Brook arrived in front of him.

"You look like you won," Brook said. "What happened?"

Nara tried not to smile, but he did anyway. "I beat Ivor."

Brook looked interested. "Tell me."

They walked back silently on the path to their home. Nara spoke quietly, a noble habit. "He’s gifted," Nara said. "Unusually so. After his awakening, he controls his mana like an experienced person. He’s coating his hand in Umbra-mana as if it’s simple."

Brook listened intently.

"He moves like someone who grew up dodging danger," Nara explained. "He’s naturally sneaky, not trained. He knows where people won’t look. In a fight, he’s precise. He hits from perfect angles and doesn’t waste energy."

Brook asked, "You saw him fight?"

Nara confirmed. "We fought a skeleton. He stepped in and smashed it easily with one hit to the back and a kick to the head. He’s clearly skilled."

Brook’s controlled expression showed he understood the danger. A child with such a rare ability without training would become a target.

Nara hesitated, then added his main worry. "He also noticed I’m a bad fighter."

Brook took a small breath, maybe amused, but his expression stayed serious.

"Then he has eyes," Brook said. "You were never a fighter. Don’t let that bother you."

Nara’s jaw tightened. "It does. Not because of pride. Because if he thinks I’m dead weight."

Brook cut him off with a slight shake of the head.

"He won’t keep you because you’re a blade," Brook said. "He’ll keep you because you’re useful. You already know what that usefulness is."

They got to the house and went through the gate into the courtyard. The tree and the steady drip of the basin made things seem normal, like nothing had changed. Brook sat down first, then Nara, whose excitement had calmed.

Brook leaned forward slightly. "You told him what you can offer?"

"Yes," Nara said. "Refinement, maps, skills, knowledge. He wants manuals too. Sword manual and normal body training manual."

Brook nodded as if that was easy. "I will get them. No problem."

Nara watched Brook for a moment, then asked the question he had been carrying since Brook first reacted to "Shrouded."

"Should we really risk things this way?" Nara said.

Brook didn’t pretend to consider it. He answered immediately.

"Yes."

Nara’s eyes narrowed. "That simple?"

Brook held his gaze. "What other choice do you have?"

Nara sighed. Brook was right, despite his dislike for the idea. His family situation was complex, Lily was a problem that couldn’t wait, and he had limited time to gain an advantage. If he didn’t act now, someone else would.

Brook’s tone shifted into something more direct.

"Now you will need to make sure he grows strong and stays alive at least till he reaches Initiate," Brook said. "Not just alive in the Scar. Alive outside it too, once people begin to notice what he is."

Nara agreed, becoming serious.

"Treat him as a valuable tool. Give him what he needs, stability, and protect him from powerful enemies."

Nara’s mouth tightened in agreement. "He’s going to clash with other awakeners."

Brook’s eyes flicked up. "He already is."

Nara agreed. He knew Brook understood that in the Scar, survival was more important than morals. Brook then stood up, ending the talk calmly.

"Bring me details next time," Brook said. "What he improves, what he asks, what he avoids. That’s what matters."

Nara rose as well and nodded once, the excitement gone now, replaced by focus.

"I will," he said.

******

Alone in the Scar after Nara left, Ivor felt the forest was better without him. He didn’t miss having company.

He continued hunting but focused on controlling his shadow power, Umbra, better. He drew small amounts of mana from his core, letting the shadow darken and strengthen the flow. He could now keep the shadow coating on his hand stable for longer and move without it easily breaking. He noticed the cost immediately.

Holding the coating for too long or demanding fine control caused a noticeable strain. He found this unquantifiable cost frustrating. Then he noticed something else.

Whenever he pushed mana or Umbra under tight control for extended periods, he felt a subtle strain in his mind. That mental pressure seemed to affect his soul circuit, and each time it dipped under sustained focus, the Ember Seed responded.

The ember at its center would burn a little brighter, and he could feel it pulling more soul energy directly from the Primordial Source. The increase wasn’t dramatic, but it was consistent, as if the Seed automatically compensated whenever sustained effort drained his internal reserves.

He noticed it clearly. The flow increased and the golden energy moved faster. His body felt warmer and stronger, as if the Seed kept fueling him. He liked that.

He liked that using Umbra took more soul energy. This forced the Seed to pull more from the source, which meant he could speed up his growth by training. It was a risky but controllable and repeatable way to gain power.

He continued hunting with that thought sitting quietly behind everything.

He soon heard loud, tense voices and the sound of bone hitting metal. He moved quietly until he could see clearly. In a small clearing, two boys were struggling badly against a skeleton. Their movements were panicked and wasteful, and the skeleton’s tireless bone sword was driving them into a corner.

Ivor didn’t wait for the perfect moment. He just stepped in. He used Soul Sense. Within ten feet, the world snapped into focus. The skeleton felt empty and sharp. The boys felt panicked. Ivor was calm amidst their chaos.

One boy turned toward him, startled, and half-shouted.

"What are you doing..."

Ivor stayed silent. He punched the boy in the ribs using his shadow coated fist. The boy lost his breath and was thrown backward, hitting the ground hard and rolling before stopping.

The second boy yelled out in fear.

"Hey! He’s attacking us!"

Ivor’s eyes moved to the second boy. The boy raised his weapon, but his stance was unstable. The skeleton, sensing movement, swung toward Ivor, bone sword cutting through the air in a blunt arc.

Ivor stepped inside the skeleton’s swing, close enough that the blade’s full force couldn’t build, and he struck the skeleton’s wrist joint with his left hand. The shadow coating wasn’t as thick on that side, but it was enough. Bone cracked. The sword wobbled in the skeleton’s grip.

Thinking Ivor was distracted near the creature, the second boy charged. Ivor turned, quickly punching the boy’s shoulder and then his stomach, which instantly disabled him. Choking and shocked, the boy staggered back.

"You......why......"

Ivor didn’t answer that either. He didn’t need their understanding.

Ivor’s Soul Sense predicted the skeleton’s move. The skeleton tried to swing its sword, but its damaged wrist slowed the attack. Ivor dodged and punched its weakest spot, the rib cage, fracturing the ribs. Then he kicked the knee, snapping the joint. The skeleton fell, dropping its sword.

It jerked, trying to get up, and Ivor finished it with a precise blow to the head. The thing disappeared from his Soul Sense, leaving only bone dust and a mana crystal.

He turned back to the boys.

The first one was still on the ground, clutching his ribs, struggling to breathe. The second was on his knees, clutching his stomach, staring at Ivor, unsure whether to flee or plead. Neither looked ready to fight, which was all Ivor needed.

"What do you want?" The second boy managed, voice rough.

Ivor stepped closer and kept his tone flat. "Bag."

The scared boy shakily handed over his bag. Ivor took it without a word. He then roughly and quickly checked the other boy’s bag too.

"You can’t." the first boy rasped.

Ivor stared at him, his face unreadable."I can," he replied, then walked away.

He left the clearing calmly, using his Soul Sense briefly to ensure the boys didn’t follow. As he walked, Ember Seed pulsed, absorbing more soul energy to replace what he’d used.

He didn’t celebrate. He just adjusted his stolen bag and continued into the trees.