Chapter 4 – Gaining Trait
Asher's POV
Greenwood City shimmered under the morning sun. Light refracted in soft hues through the thin veil of mana that now clung to everything like mist.
It had been a single day since the Awakening — yet the world already felt reborn.
Mana hummed faintly in the air.
Birds left glowing afterimages as they flew.
Trees swayed in sync with unseen currents.
Even the breeze brushing my skin felt alive… ancient.
And beneath it all, I could still hear echoes of that voice — cold, mechanical, vast.
The System.
While the world celebrated, drunk on hope and power, unease gnawed at me.
That voice hadn't been divine.
It hadn't been merciful.
It had been clinical.
As if humanity were nothing more than data.
After parting with Darek, I walked through quieter streets. Banners of the Awakener Association fluttered everywhere — a star wrapped by three rings, symbolizing ascension.
People whispered excitedly:
"Affinity: Fire! Talent: Ember Heart!"
"Tier Four! I might qualify for the Lower Academy!"
"Did you hear? Someone awakened Wind Manipulation!"
Everyone was bursting with dreams.
But beneath their excitement, I sensed fear.
Because if mana could elevate… it could destroy.
The Terrace
I reached home, but instead of going inside, I felt pulled toward the terrace — the place where I'd trained countless times before, back when swords were toys and strength was only a dream.
Now everything had changed.
The old wooden practice sword felt different — heavier, more responsive, faintly resonating with the mana around it.
I inhaled deeply.
And then the System's earlier insights resurfaced:
[Insight: The sword is not moved by strength, but by intent.]
[Let the blade move where the will flows.]
[When mind and steel no longer differ, enlightenment shall bloom.]
The moment those words echoed, something clicked — as if the System had etched a fragment of cosmic law into my soul.
Feet apart.
Knees steady.
Breath calm.
I moved.
Slash.
Stab.
Vertical cut.
Horizontal sweep.
Techniques I had repeated thousands of times suddenly felt alive. The air shimmered around the blade. My body slipped into rhythm — step, breath, swing, exhale.
Again.
Again.
Everything else faded.
The city's noise blurred.
Birdsong dimmed.
There was only me… and the sword.
Mana swirled subtly at the blade's tip, responding to my intent. Not visible, but unmistakable — a bridge between my will and the world.
I no longer controlled the sword.
The sword flowed with me.
Then—
Chime.
A clear, resonant tone rang in my mind, like crystal striking steel.
[You have comprehended a Path Trait — Sword Path.]
{Sword Path}
Description:
A foundational Martial Path linking the user's intent to the blade. Those who walk this path do not wield the sword as a weapon, but as an extension of the soul. Each strike refines spirit; every motion carves understanding into the body. Few attain it naturally, fewer still advance it beyond the first stage.
Unlocked Traits:
• Sword Mastery Lv.0 (Unlocked)
Basic comprehension of sword flow and form. Enhances coordination, rhythm, and precision. Growth occurs through repetition, reflection, and combat.
Sword Energy Lv.0 (Locked)
The next stage, where intent manifests physically as Sword Qi. Requires deep unity between body and soul. ??? (Locked)
Condition unknown.
Warmth spread through my body — not heat, but resonance. Like something ancient had awakened within me.
Sword Mastery wasn't a gift from the System.
It was something earned — a reward for comprehension, not numbers.
"So this is a Path Trait," I murmured. "The first step."
The wind whispered differently now — as if acknowledging the change.
I sheathed the wooden sword and gazed toward the distant skyline.
Far beyond Greenwood, the spires of the Awakener Association rose like silver pillars.
Tomorrow, all newly awakened students would report there to register their affinities and receive Basic Cultivation Manuals.
Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Metal, Wood…
Lightning, Light, Shadow, Darkness…
And more.
Most manuals taught only the fundamentals — fragments of ancient knowledge the System had once released.
The advanced paths remained buried behind the Association's merit system… or locked in restricted archives.
A subtle hierarchy.
A quiet suppression.
Power, after all, needed to remain in the "right" hands.
I tightened my grip on the sword.
Tomorrow, I would follow protocol like everyone else.
But unlike them…
I already had something far more valuable.
A Path.
The Sword Path pulsed faintly in my mind — warm, alive, like a whisper promising greater truths.
If my hunch was right…
The deeper one walked a Path, the closer they came to touching the true laws of existence.
Perhaps even the source of the System's power.
Training
I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing.
Slow, deliberate swings.
Breaths in sync with motion.
Each cut left faint ripples of energy in the air, like distortions in still water.
My body ached as the sun dipped behind the skyline — but my mind felt clearer, sharper, aligned.
When night fell, I sat cross-legged on the terrace, the sword resting across my knees.
Mana drifted through me in soft currents, matching the rhythm of my breath.
For the first time since the Awakening, I felt… calm.
The fear was still there.
The uncertainty too.
But they no longer ruled me.
In their place grew something far stronger:
Resolve.
The world had changed.
A trial had begun five millennia ago.
Every generation walked toward an unseen deadline.
But this time…
I would not walk the same road as everyone else.
I intended to carve my own.
As starlight filled the sky, a faint prompt flickered across my vision — soft, like a whisper meant only for me.
[Path Trait Recorded.]
[Foundation Established — Sword Path Lv.1 Progress: 5%]
[Potential Synchronization Detected.]
My breath caught.
"Synchronization… with what?" I whispered.
No response.
Only silence.
A wind laden with mana swept the terrace, carrying the faint hum of a world awakening.
Somewhere beyond the stars, I could almost feel the System watching.
Cold.
Patient.
Calculating.
And the trial it spoke of… had already begun.
This was only my first step.
End of Chapter 4 – "Gaining Trait"