Reforging a Broken Blade

The deeper Kael ventured into Blackveil Forest, the more he began to understand why even seasoned adventurers avoided speaking its name aloud.

The forest was wrong.

Not merely dangerous.

Wrong.

Dark mana drifted endlessly beneath the mist-covered woods like an invisible ocean current. It seeped into the soil, flowed through rivers, clung to bark, and nested itself within every living creature struggling to survive beneath the ancient black trees. Some beasts adapted to it.

Most lost themselves completely.

Kael stepped silently across damp roots while faint crimson Qi circulated beneath his skin in slow, controlled rhythms. Compared to the first days after leaving the waterfall cave, breathing no longer felt like dragging shattered glass through his lungs.

Beneath the bandages wrapped around his torso, faint golden scars occasionally surfaced whenever his Qi circulation became unstable. Thin lines resembling cracked sunlight spread briefly across his skin before disappearing once more.

Authority.

The lingering remains of divine power.

Even after an entire year, the heavens still refused to release their grip on his body.

Kael exhaled slowly before suppressing the burning sensation once again.

The forest around him remained quiet.

Too quiet.

A rotten smell drifted faintly through the air.

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Blood.

Fresh.

Without making a sound, he lowered his posture and moved carefully between the trees until the source finally entered his sight.

A corpse.

Or what remained of one.

The creature resembled a deer at first glance, though the mutation caused by Blackveil’s dark mana had twisted its body beyond recognition. Blackened bone protruded through split flesh while several extra eyes remained embedded across its neck like malformed growths.

Half of its body had already been torn apart.

Something stronger had hunted it recently.

Kael crouched beside the corpse silently.

The blood was still warm.

Which meant—

CRACK.

The ground behind him exploded.

Kael’s body reacted instantly.

Black Heaven left its sheath in a burst of crimson Qi as a massive dark figure descended from above, smashing through twisted branches with monstrous force.

BOOM.

The impact shattered the earth violently.

Kael slid backward several meters before stabilizing himself against a tree trunk, crimson eyes locking onto the creature emerging slowly from the dust.

A corrupted ape.

Nearly three meters tall.

Its body was covered in dark fur matted heavily with dried blood while distorted muscles bulged unnaturally beneath its skin. One of its arms appeared grotesquely oversized compared to the other, likely mutated further through prolonged exposure to Blackveil’s mana.

Most unsettling, however—

were its eyes.

Too intelligent.

The creature stared directly at Kael while saliva dripped slowly from elongated fangs.

Then it smiled.

Not naturally.

Not like a human.

But something close enough to trigger instinctive discomfort.

Kael tightened his grip on Black Heaven slightly.

“…Troublesome.”

The ape lunged forward instantly.

The ground cracked beneath its feet as massive claws tore violently toward Kael’s head.

Kael twisted sideways narrowly.

BOOM.

The tree behind him exploded apart from the impact.

Before the shattered wood could even hit the ground, Kael stepped forward instead of retreating. Crimson Qi surged briefly beneath his feet as Black Heaven cut horizontally toward the ape’s abdomen.

CLANG.

The blade stopped halfway.

Kael’s eyes narrowed.

Its skin was harder than steel.

The ape roared violently before swinging its oversized arm downward.

Kael crossed Black Heaven defensively—

BOOM.

Pain erupted through his entire body instantly.

The force behind the strike launched him backward across the forest floor before crashing directly into another tree trunk hard enough to crack the bark.

Golden scars spread violently beneath his bandages.

The authority reacted immediately.

Kael coughed blood.

For a brief moment, his vision blurred slightly.

The ape noticed.

And charged again.

The corrupted ape crossed the distance between them almost instantly.

Too fast.

Kael forced his body sideways barely in time as the creature’s oversized arm smashed into the ground where his head had been moments earlier.

BOOM.

The forest floor ruptured violently.

Splintered roots and shattered stone erupted outward while the ape released another distorted roar filled with maddened aggression.

Kael steadied his breathing.

Its strength was abnormal.

For something like this to exist meant the creature had survived Blackveil for years.

Enough for it to evolve.

The ape lunged again.

Kael lowered his center of gravity immediately.

This time, he did not meet the attack directly.

The moment the ape’s claws swept toward him, Kael stepped inward instead of backward. Crimson Qi burst sharply beneath his feet as his body slipped beneath the monster’s reach by mere centimeters.

Then—

SHING.

Black Heaven pierced deep into the creature’s side.

Dark blood exploded outward instantly.

The ape howled violently.

Kael twisted the blade further—

—and suddenly pain tore through his chest.

Golden cracks spread beneath his skin once more.

Authority.

His Qi circulation faltered for a fraction of a second.

Enough for the ape to react.

Its oversized arm slammed directly into Kael’s ribs before he could retreat fully.

CRACK.

Several bones fractured instantly.

Kael’s body shot across the forest before crashing violently through a cluster of twisted trees.

For a moment—

he did not move.

Blood dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth while sharp pain spread through nearly every part of his body.

The ape approached carefully this time.

Slowly.

Intelligently.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the mist-covered forest while the creature stared directly at Kael like a predator confirming whether its prey could still resist.

Kael exhaled weakly.

“…Annoying.”

His grip around Black Heaven tightened once more.

Then slowly—

he stood.

The ape roared and charged forward again.

But this time—

Kael closed his eyes briefly.

The world around him became quiet.

Breathing slowed.

Qi flowed.

Not explosively.

Not violently.

Controlled.

Focused.

The instant the ape entered striking range—

Kael moved.

A single step.

Smooth.

Silent.

The monstrous claw missed him entirely by a hair’s breadth.

Then—

SHING.

A crimson line flashed across the forest.

The ape froze.

Several steps later, its massive body collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Silence returned.

For several moments, only Kael’s uneven breathing remained audible beneath the black trees.

Then—

cough.

Blood spilled from Kael’s mouth once more.

His legs nearly gave out beneath him as burning pain spread violently across the golden scars hidden under his bandages.

That final strike had forced too much Qi through damaged pathways.

If the authority had reacted slightly more strongly—

he might have died there.

Kael lowered his gaze toward the ape’s corpse silently.

Then after several seconds—

he dragged the body away.

***

Kael dragged the ape’s corpse through the forest slowly.

Every step sent dull pain spreading through his ribs.

The authority wounds had calmed slightly after the battle, but the damage remained. Forcing Qi through unstable pathways while fighting had reopened several internal injuries that had barely begun recovering during the past months.

If he had still been the Kael from before—

that creature would not have survived even a single exchange.

The thought disappeared as quickly as it surfaced.

There was no meaning in comparing himself to the past anymore.

That weakness was now part of him.

That was reality.

The deeper parts of Blackveil did not care whether someone had once been feared across the continent.

Only whether they could survive.

Kael eventually stopped near a shallow river flowing quietly between blackened stones. Dark mana still lingered within the water, though far less concentrated compared to the stagnant swamps deeper inside the forest.

Good enough.

With a sharp motion, Black Heaven split through the ape’s thick hide.

The smell of blood spread immediately.

Kael worked silently.

Separate the usable meat.

Discard corrupted organs.

Avoid the blackened veins.

The process felt disturbingly familiar now.

Without realizing it, survival had already become routine.

Not living.

Not enduring.

Simply continuing.

Steam rose faintly from the meat roasting above a small fire several hours later while Kael sat against a nearby tree trunk with his eyes closed.

Qi circulated slowly beneath his skin.

The surrounding dark mana drifted toward him in faint currents before being forcefully refined into usable energy. Compared to ordinary mana users, Qi practitioners possessed far greater bodily resilience, allowing them to survive conditions that should normally kill humans.

But there were limits.

For the past year, Kael had sustained himself almost entirely through Qi circulation while trapped inside the waterfall cave. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion—

all of it had been suppressed forcefully.

Not erased.

Only delayed.

Now that his body had partially stabilized, the consequences began surfacing gradually.

The smell of cooked meat alone felt strangely unfamiliar.

Kael opened his eyes slowly.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the roasted meat in silence before tearing off a small piece.

The moment he swallowed—

pain twisted through his stomach instantly.

Kael frowned slightly.

“…Pathetic.”

His body had nearly forgotten how to eat properly.

The realization left an unpleasant feeling in his chest.

CRACK.

A branch snapped softly nearby.

Kael’s gaze shifted toward the darkness between the trees immediately.

Silence.

Then—

two faint golden eyes appeared briefly within the mist before disappearing again.

That persistent little creature again.

Kael looked away without reacting further.

If the creature intended to scavenge leftovers, he had no reason to care.

The forest was cruel enough already.

After finishing only half the meat, Kael extinguished the fire before standing once more.

The forest around him had already grown darker.

Night inside Blackveil was dangerous.

Even for him.

Kael adjusted the bandages around his torso silently before continuing deeper between the trees.

But after several hours—

his steps gradually slowed.

Something felt familiar.

The air.

The terrain.

The distant sound of rushing water echoing faintly through the forest.

Kael’s expression hardened slightly.

Without realizing it—

he had circled back toward the cliff region.

***

The deeper Kael moved toward the familiar terrain, the quieter the forest became.

Even the usual sounds of Blackveil seemed strangely absent here.

No distant growls.

No movement beneath the trees.

Only the faint sound of rushing water echoing somewhere ahead.

Kael slowed his steps instinctively.

The cliff region.

Or at least somewhere near it.

He had fallen far after the battle against the angels. Far enough that even surviving should have been impossible. After leaving the waterfall cave, Kael had wandered through Blackveil without direction repeatedly.

Unconsciously avoiding this place.

Now somehow—

he had returned anyway.

Kael’s eyes swept across the surrounding forest carefully.

Several trees remained shattered unnaturally.

Old scars from impact.

The ground itself still carried traces of destruction hidden beneath moss and overgrown roots. Most had already been swallowed by time and Blackveil’s relentless spread.

But not completely.

Kael continued forward silently.

Then stopped.

Something metallic reflected faintly beneath the roots of a collapsed tree.

Kael stared at it briefly before crouching down.

His fingers brushed aside damp soil and dead leaves slowly.

Cloth.

Torn apart heavily from impact and time.

Part of a travel bag.

Kael’s movements paused for the first time.

Silence filled the forest.

The bag itself was nearly destroyed. Most of its contents had long scattered or rotted away completely beneath Blackveil’s moisture. Broken herb containers, rusted tools, ruined cloth—

remnants of another life.

A quieter life.

Back before heroes.

Before betrayal.

Before Leonhart died.

Kael’s hand moved slowly through the ruined remains until his fingers touched something harder buried beneath the torn fabric.

Wood.

He pulled it free carefully.

A small insignia.

Cracked through the center.

The faded carving was uneven and rough, almost laughably amateurish.

For several seconds—

Kael simply stared at it silently.

Then quietly—

“…It still looks terrible.”

A memory surfaced instinctively.

“You’re the one with terrible taste.”

Young Leonhart sat proudly atop the wooden fence surrounding the village while holding the freshly carved insignia toward Kael with a grin far too smug for something so poorly made.

“It’s our symbol now.”

“The lines aren’t even straight.”

“That’s the artistic part.”

“You carved your finger halfway through making it.”

Leonhart immediately hid his bandaged hand behind his back.

“That’s unrelated.”

The memory vanished.

Just like that.

Silence returned once more.

Kael lowered his gaze toward the broken insignia resting in his hand.

For the first time in a long while—

something inside his chest hurt far worse than the authority wounds.

Not rage.

Not hatred.

Something quieter.

He closed his fingers around the insignia slowly before placing it carefully inside his cloak.

Then stood again.

CRACK.

The sound came from behind him.

Soft.

Small.

Kael glanced sideways.

Those same golden eyes remained hidden faintly between the trees once more.

Watching.

Persistent.

For several moments, neither side moved.

Then Kael looked away first.

“…If you keep following me,” he said quietly while resuming his steps forward, “the outside world will kill something weak like you.”

The forest remained silent.

Kael continued walking without turning around again.

Quietly.

small footsteps followed behind him once more.

Kael did not stop again after that.

The forest stretched endlessly beneath the pale moonlight while cold mist drifted silently between the ancient black trees. Occasionally, distant roars echoed far deeper within Blackveil, followed shortly by abrupt silence.

Predators.

Or prey.

Inside this forest, the difference rarely mattered for long.

Kael moved steadily despite the dull pain spreading through his body. The earlier battle against the corrupted ape had exhausted more Qi than expected. Every few minutes, faint heat flared beneath the golden scars hidden under his bandages before slowly fading once more.

The authority remained unstable.

Kael’s gaze darkened slightly.

A cold wind swept through the forest suddenly.

The small presence behind him disappeared instantly.

Kael noticed.

His hand drifted toward Black Heaven reflexively.

Then—

a low growl echoed nearby.

Not from behind.

Above.

Kael’s eyes narrowed sharply.

A massive shadow descended from the trees without warning.

SHING.

Black Heaven left its sheath instantly.

Sparks erupted as sharp claws collided directly against the black blade.

The creature hissed violently before retreating backward onto a nearby branch.

A panther-like beast.

Its body blended unnaturally with the darkness itself while thin crimson lines pulsed faintly beneath its fur like veins.

Another corrupted predator.

But smaller than the ape.

Faster.

Kael adjusted his footing silently.

The beast circled him slowly from above, searching for weakness.

Then suddenly—

its gaze shifted elsewhere.

Toward the trees behind Kael.

Toward the small hidden presence.

The beast lunged immediately.

Fast.

Far too fast.

A blur of black shot through the forest toward the smaller creature hiding between the roots.

Kael moved instinctively.

BOOM.

The ground shattered beneath his feet as crimson Qi exploded outward.

Black Heaven intercepted the beast midair violently before its claws could reach the hidden figure.

The impact sent both Kael and the creature skidding across the forest floor.

Pain surged through Kael’s ribs instantly.

Golden cracks spread briefly beneath his skin.

The beast recovered first.

It twisted midair before lunging again with frightening speed.

Kael clicked his tongue quietly.

His current condition made prolonged fights troublesome.

Especially against agile creatures.

The panther vanished into darkness again.

Then—

from the corner of his vision—

Kael saw movement rushing toward him from the side.

Too late to dodge completely.

SHING.

Black Heaven barely deflected the claws away from his throat.

A shallow cut opened across Kael’s shoulder immediately.

The beast landed several meters away silently.

Waiting.

Patient.

Intelligent.

Kael exhaled slowly.

Then his gaze shifted briefly toward the trembling bushes behind him.

Small golden eyes stared back silently.

“…You really are stupid.”

The creature remained frozen.

Kael looked away again before tightening his grip around Black Heaven.

The forest grew silent once more.

Then crimson Qi slowly began gathering around the blade’s edge.

The panther vanished again.

Only faint movement through the trees betrayed its position.

Fast.

Far faster than the corrupted ape from earlier.

Kael remained motionless while crimson Qi flowed quietly beneath his skin. His gaze tracked the surrounding darkness carefully, listening instead of searching.

The creature was intelligent.

It understood patience.

Which meant reckless attacks would only waste energy.

A faint sound echoed above him.

Left side.

Kael moved instantly.

SHING.

Black Heaven cut upward just as dark claws descended through the mist. Sparks erupted briefly before the panther twisted midair unnaturally, using the impact itself to propel its body backward onto another branch.

Its glowing crimson eyes never left Kael.

Waiting.

Searching for weakness.

Kael exhaled slowly.

Then blood dripped faintly from beneath his bandages once more.

The authority wounds were reacting again.

The panther noticed immediately.

Its body lowered.

Predatory instinct sharpened.

It realized its prey was weakening.

Then—

the creature disappeared.

Not backward.

Forward.

Kael’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Too fast.

The panther bypassed him completely and lunged toward the trembling bushes hidden behind the ruined roots.

Toward the smaller presence.

Golden eyes widened from within the darkness.

The creature could not react in time.

Kael clicked his tongue softly.

Annoying.

BOOM.

Crimson Qi erupted violently beneath his feet.

Kael intercepted the panther midair before its claws could tear through the smaller creature. Black Heaven collided against the beast’s body directly, altering its trajectory violently before both crashed across the forest floor.

The panther recovered immediately.

Kael did not give it time.

For the first time since the fight began—

his Qi circulation changed.

Sharper.

Condensed.

The surrounding dark mana trembled faintly as crimson Qi gathered tightly around Black Heaven’s edge.

The panther sensed danger instantly.

Too late.

Kael stepped forward once.

Silent.

Precise.

Then—

SHING.

A crimson line flashed briefly through the darkness.

The panther landed several meters away.

Its body remained still for several seconds.

Then slowly—

split apart.

The forest quieted once more.

Kael remained standing quietly while blood dripped slowly from Black Heaven’s blade.

Then suddenly—

cough.

Blood spilled from Kael’s mouth again.

Pain surged violently through his torso as golden cracks spread beneath the bandages wrapped around his body.

His knees nearly buckled.

That final strike had forced unstable Qi circulation beyond its limit again.

Golden cracks spread violently beneath his skin.

Kael steadied himself against a nearby tree before exhaling slowly.

Behind him, the smaller presence remained frozen beneath the roots.

Watching silently.

Kael glanced toward it briefly.

“…If you’re going to survive Blackveil,” he muttered quietly while wiping the blood from his mouth, “stop standing there waiting to die.”

The golden eyes blinked once.

Kael looked away first.

Then without another word—

he continued deeper into the forest.

***

Kael moved through Blackveil silently while suppressing the burning pain spreading beneath his bandages.

The earlier fights had exhausted more Qi than expected. Every forced circulation through damaged pathways only worsened the lingering authority scars left behind by the angels.

Several times, he considered stopping immediately to recover.

But remaining exposed in the open forest at night was even more dangerous.

Especially now that the scent of blood clung heavily to him.

So Kael continued walking.

Thin mist drifted endlessly between the trees while pale moonlight barely pierced through the dense canopy overhead. The further Kael traveled, the more unstable the surrounding mana became. Even the air itself felt heavier.

Oppressive.

Kael’s footsteps eventually slowed near the remains of ancient stone ruins buried beneath roots and moss. Judging from the architecture, the structure likely predated the war against the Demon King by centuries.

Now only fragments remained.

Collapsed pillars.

Broken walls.

Half-swallowed history.

Kael stepped over shattered stone quietly before stopping beneath what remained of a roofed corridor. Good enough for temporary shelter.

He sat down slowly against the cold wall.

Pain spread through his ribs immediately.

The earlier fight had worsened his internal injuries more than expected.

Kael clicked his tongue softly before pulling aside the bandages wrapped around his torso.

Faint golden lines surfaced beneath his skin once more.

The lingering authority left behind by the angels still resisted every unstable surge of Qi.

Kael stared at the scars silently.

Then slowly closed his eyes.

Qi circulated once more.

Steady.

Controlled.

The surrounding dark mana drifted toward him in thin currents before being refined forcefully inside his body. Compared to ordinary mana, Qi demanded absolute control. A single mistake during circulation could destroy internal pathways completely.

Especially in his current condition.

Time passed quietly.

Then—

a faint sound echoed nearby.

Kael opened his eyes immediately.

Soft footsteps.

Careful.

Hesitant.

Not a predator.

His gaze shifted toward the ruined entrance.

Several seconds later—

a small figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

Wolf-like.

Thin.

Covered in dark fur stained heavily with dirt and dried blood.

One of its ears appeared partially torn while faint crimson patterns spread subtly beneath its fur, likely signs of early mutation caused by Blackveil’s mana.

Too small to survive alone here.

The creature froze the moment Kael looked directly at it.

Golden eyes stared back cautiously.

Neither side moved.

Then slowly—

the creature’s gaze shifted toward the leftover roasted meat resting near the extinguished fire.

Hungry.

Kael stared at it briefly before looking away again.

“…Take it if you want.”

The creature remained frozen.

Suspicious.

Smart enough to fear humans.

After several moments, Kael simply closed his eyes once more.

He no longer cared.

Eventually—

faint movement echoed quietly through the ruins.

Small.

Careful.

The meat disappeared.

Several moments later—

the presence retreated back into darkness once more.

Kael remained silent throughout the entire exchange.

***

Time passed quietly after that.

The ruins remained still beneath the pale moonlight while cold wind drifted softly through the fractured corridor overhead. Somewhere far deeper within Blackveil, distant roars echoed faintly before disappearing once more into silence.

Kael sat motionless against the stone wall.

Qi circulated slowly beneath his skin while the surrounding dark mana flowed toward him in thin currents. Compared to earlier, the authority wounds had calmed slightly after stabilizing his breathing, though faint pain still lingered beneath the golden scars hidden under his bandages.

Kael opened his eyes slightly.

The small presence had returned again.

Not close.

Still cautious.

Golden eyes remained barely visible beyond the ruined entrance while the creature watched him silently from the darkness.

Persistent.

Kael lowered his gaze briefly before pulling the cracked insignia from inside his cloak once more.

The rough carving remained just as uneven as before.

Amateurish.

Ugly.

A faint memory surfaced instinctively.

“You’re staring at it like it’s some legendary treasure.”

Young Leonhart leaned lazily against the village fence while grinning shamelessly toward Kael.

“It’s because I’m trying to understand how someone managed to carve something this bad.”

“Tch. You just lack artistic sense.”

“You nearly cried after carving your own finger.”

“That happened one time.”

The memory disappeared quietly.

Just like that.

Kael stared at the insignia for several moments longer before closing his hand around it slowly.

Back then, becoming adventurers had felt simple.

Travel somewhere unknown.

Earn enough money to survive.

Become strong enough that nobody could threaten the people important to them again.

Small dreams.

Simple dreams.

Now one of them was dead.

And the other was hiding inside a cursed forest while the world beyond Blackveil continued moving forward without them.

Kael exhaled quietly.

“…I can’t stay here forever.”

The words barely rose above a whisper.

Not determination.

Not resolve.

Just acceptance.

Blackveil had become familiar to him.

But familiarity was not belonging.

Sooner or later, he would need to return.

To civilization.

And to whatever truth remained after that night.

Outside the ruins, the small creature remained silent beneath the moonlight.

Watching.

Waiting.

And for the first time since leaving the waterfall cave—

The path ahead no longer felt entirely hollow.

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