Chapter 13 – Unacceptable
Huff... huff... huff...
Heavy, ragged breathing echoed through the small cave.
Inside, Kaden sat slumped against the wall, his chest rising and falling in sharp, erratic bursts.
He was completely spent. His body burned. His legs ached.
He had run for... who knew how long.
"Fucking beast," he muttered under his breath.
His head leaned back against the cold stone. Slowly, he tried to calm his racing heart.
"It was close..."
Too close.
Those wolves weren't just wild animals—they were bloodthirsty predators with the strength and numbers to overwhelm him. He was lucky to be alive.
He clenched his jaw.
Back at the Warborn Estate, he'd trained harder than most. The physical torment had been brutal—but it was still training. It was still a safe zone.
No matter how difficult things got, there was always one guarantee: he wouldn't die.
And because he knew that, he'd endured. He'd pushed forward. Because the worst outcome was pain—not the end.
But this?
This was different.
Out there in the forest, surrounded by monsters who wanted to rip him apart and eat him alive?
Death was real.
And it terrified him.
Kaden sighed and ran a shaky hand through his hair.
What scared him even more, though, was the truth: in that moment... he'd almost chosen death.
Not because he was out of options.
But because he knew he'd come back.
And that kind of thinking?
That was poison.
"If I keep doing that..." he muttered bitterly, "I'll never accomplish anything."
Death can't be an escape.
It can't be the easy way out.
Then, a thought crept into his mind like a whisper.
"Then... what is Death to me?"
If he wasn't allowed to treat it as a refuge—then what purpose did it serve? Especially for someone like him—who could revive, who could return again and again.
Suddenly, the system spoke.
[Death is what you want it to be.]
The words cut through his thoughts like a knife.
[You did well refusing to choose death as a way to escape.]
[Because once you define what Death is for you, changing that perception becomes incredibly difficult.]
Kaden frowned. "So you're saying Death is... subjective?"
[Yes.]
[To go through countless deaths and remain sane, you need a clear understanding of what Death means to you.]
[Otherwise, you'll break.]
[So choose wisely, Host.]
Kaden nodded slowly, his head tilting back against the wall again.
Thanks to the fifteen points he'd allocated into Constitution, his injuries were healing at a faster rate. Still, the pain lingered.
"I can't assign points to Will yet?" he asked.
[No.]
Kaden's eye twitched.
[You'll gain that right once you discover what Death truly means to you. Until then, you won't find it—because you haven't let go.]
Typical system. Cryptic and frustrating.
Trying to make sense of it only gave him a headache.
Fine. Let it wait.
He had other things to focus on.
"I'm close to that dungeon..." he muttered, pulling out a worn, wrinkled map from his pack.
A couple of hours' travel, maybe less.
"But first—I need to recover. Fully."
He closed his eyes. Let himself breathe. Rest. Heal.
Before unconsciousness took him, he whispered, "I should start understanding my skill better... Blood Reservoir..."
His voice faded as sleep overtook him.
...
Morning came.
Soft light filtered into the cave.
Kaden stirred, feeling noticeably better. His wounds were mostly closed, and his mind was clearer.
He was nearly ready to go.
But first—something else.
"Reditha, release the blood," he said calmly.
Crimson liquid shimmered into the air.
Kaden frowned. "This is too slow..."
In a real fight, wasting breath to say commands would be dangerous. Deadly, even.
He glanced at the blade resting across his lap.
"You're my Origin. We're linked."
His eyes narrowed.
"Can't you understand me... without words?"
Reditha pulsed faintly, glowing red as if in acknowledgment.
Kaden smiled. A quiet, tired one.
"Then it's settled."
He closed his eyes again. Focused.
This time, he didn't speak.
Blood rose into the air.
Good.
He recalled the skill's description. It wasn't just for shaping weapons.
It could also recover.
His eyes flew open.
"...Recovery. Fuck. How did I forget that part?!"
He groaned in frustration. How could he miss something so essential?
Because I panicked. Because I didn't train enough. Because I don't understand my own skills.
And that was a mistake that could kill him.
He didn't waste another second.
He began training.
There was still time—one full month left to complete the task. But if he kept moving forward without mastery, he'd die again and again without even knowing why.
Blood began to swirl around him. Slowly at first. He focused on forming shapes—simple ones.
Small daggers. One after another.
The first few were easy.
The fourth? A bit of resistance.
By the sixth, sweat rolled down his face. His control wavered.
At the seventh—
SPLASH—!
The blood collapsed into liquid, splattering the floor.
Huff... huff...
Kaden panted hard, his shoulders heaving.
"This... isn't easy."
Especially considering every manipulation burned mana—and he had a limited supply.
But if this proved anything, it was just how important control was.
And how unprepared he still was.
Then—
[DING! You have received a new Quest.]
[Quest Type: Normal]
[Title: Unacceptable Incompetence]
[Description: As a Child of Blood, how can you not wield your element with precision? Unacceptable. Train your Blood Manipulation to an acceptable level.]
[Reward: 150 Death Coins, 15 Stat Points]
[Penalty: All beasts within a 1 km radius will sense your presence.]
[Time Limit: 7 Days]
Kaden read the penalty and sighed.
"...What a crazy bastard."
But he didn't argue.
He stood again. Faced the swirling blood. And resumed his training.
It was difficult. Exhausting.
But he was building something real.
And that's what truly mattered.
—End of Chapter 13—