NOVEL NEXT Chapter 86 – Test
The forest swallowed them both, the air tense with the feeling that something far more dangerous than a comedic chase was about to unfold.
Genzu vaulted over a mossed trunk with ease, his movements playful yet deliberate. His eyes, beneath their lazy droop, sharpened with an old predator's focus.
"(So, this is the half-voidborn kid… the one Master Isen spoke of.)"
The memory came back, clear as firelight.
…
[Flashback]
Isen had been sitting cross-legged beneath the shade of a great oak, his golden hair touched with the wind. His eyes, as always, carried weight hidden behind warmth.
"Before you go, I want you to look after something for me."
Genzu, sprawled on the grass with a jug of rice wine, raised a brow.
"Something? Don't tell me you're giving me chores now, old friend."
Isen's smile didn't waver.
"Not chores. A kid."
The monk choked on his drink, coughing violently.
"A kid? You want me to babysit some brat? Forget it—unless she's a pretty girl, then maybe I wouldn't mind—"
Isen gave him a single sharp look, silencing him. His tone carried an edge of steel.
"It's not like that. Just… observe him for me. I promise, it'll be worth something."
..
[Present]
Genzu landed lightly, robes flaring around his wiry frame. His gaze lingered on Kaen, who tore through the branches behind him with relentless speed.
"(This brat… I can already tell he's talented. His flame affinity—he's twisted it into something new.)"
Kaen mimicked his footwork, his steps carving a rhythm across the uneven forest floor. Genzu's lips curled into a crooked grin.
"(Hah… so he even copied my steps and made his own. Not bad. A kid who wants to learn, huh? Let's see if he can handle what's waiting for him.)"
And then—he vanished. Not merely fast, but gone, like a candle snuffed out.
Kaen skid to a halt, his eyes darting wildly.
"Where… where is that perverted old man?"
The woods had gone unnaturally quiet.
A sickly hum crawled through the trees. Shadows twisted, thickened, and then breathed.
From the dark roots of the forest floor, a figure dragged itself out—a body warped and blackened, its eyes like hollow lanterns. The air reeked of despair.
Kaen's fists clenched. His Shinrei flared in instinctive defiance.
"A Voidborn… tch."
The creature hissed, its form shifting between man and nightmare.
Kaen spat on the ground, his gut tightening.
"As expected… that old pervert's dangerous. Did he… lead me here on purpose? Is he an enemy?"
The Voidborn screeched, the sound clawing straight into Kaen's chest, trying to gnaw at his flame.
The trees quivered as the Voidborn dragged itself forward, shadows curling off its body like smoke. Its eyes empty lanterns fixed on Kaen, hungering for the fire burning in his chest.
Kaen clenched his fists. His breath grew harsh, but his Shinrei ignited, flames sparking faintly across his arms. The ground beneath his feet cracked, scorched by the heat of his emotion.
From a hidden perch above, Genzu watched with narrowed eyes.
"(Now, kid… show me why Master Isen wants me to observe you.)"
The monk folded his arms, but his gaze didn't waver. To him, this wasn't just a fight—it was a crucible.
The Voidborn screeched, rushing forward with jagged limbs that flickered like broken blades of glass. Kaen's instincts screamed at him to move.
"Shinrei… don't fail me now."
His veins lit faintly one, two points glowing along his arm.
[Gate of Awakening – Opened]
A surge of flame burst from Kaen's body, his emotions spilling into the air.
His rage, his defiance, his fear of being left behind all burned together. His Shinrei flared molten red, wrapping his fists in a cloak of heat.
Kaen lunged.
"Echo Art—Flare Step!"
His foot slammed against the earth, exploding into sparks. He vanished, reappearing beside the Voidborn with a burning strike.
The creature shrieked as fire seared its corrupted flesh. But instead of dying, it twisted, splitting its body into two shadow-clones that lunged at him from both sides.
Kaen's eyes widened.
"Tch—!"
He barely ducked the swipe, but the second one carved a bloody line across his cheek. The sting fueled his fire.
Genzu raised a brow, his grin faint.
"(He's reckless… but fast. The brat's instincts are sharp. His Shinrei responds quickly—like it's alive. Hah)
Kaen steadied himself, blood dripping, heart pounding.
His Shinrei pulsed erratically, almost too wild for him to control. For a split second, the fire flickered black.
Kaen's eyes widened.
"…What the hell was that?"
The Voidborn howled, its voice like splintering bone. It sensed the instability in him and lunged, desperate to devour the boy's flame before it stabilized.
Kaen planted his feet, fury bubbling.
"No… this flame is mine!"
He thrust both palms forward, his Shinrei exploding outward in a sphere of burning heat.
Echo Art – Scorch Fang!
A blazing arc tore through the Voidborn's chest, slicing it apart in a shower of corrupted ash.
The forest fell silent, save for Kaen's ragged breaths. His knees nearly buckled.
From the shadows, Genzu exhaled slowly, expression unreadable.
"(He's raw… his Vein Gates are unstable. But that Affinity… that fire—it's not normal flame. It's evolving on its own.)"
The smoke of the burned Voidborn still lingered in the trees, curling like the last breath of something unnatural. Kaen's chest heaved, each inhale scraping against his throat as if his lungs were on fire. His knees buckled, his Shinrei dimming, flickering like a candle about to die.
That was when the monk appeared.
A shadow peeled away from the smoke, and Genzu stepped forward—his tattered cloak brushing against the dirt, eyes sharp yet carrying that lazy, mocking grin.
The grin sharpened almost feral as he muttered under his breath:
"(Interesting… this brat… but that still doesn't matter. I won't accept a disciple. Not again. I won't let that day happen again.)"
Kaen looked up, half-dazed, and flinched as the old monk loomed in front of him.
Genzu squatted down to Kaen's eye level, expression unreadable.
"Brat… why are you following me?"
Kaen's chest burned as he gasped for breath. His voice cracked, yet it carried something raw.
"My instinct… telling me to follow you…"
Genzu raised a brow. "Why?"
Kaen clenched his fist against the ground, his gaze unshaken despite his exhaustion.
"Because… you are strong."
For a moment, silence. The forest stilled. Even the ash seemed to hesitate in the air.
Then Genzu straightened, smirking.
"Of course I am. I am the Fire-Worn Monk."
Kaen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Are you an enemy?"
Genzu scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.
"What nonsense is that? I'm an upright monk. And I am not a pervert. All those things are—" he coughed into his fist, "ahem… experiments."
Kaen, still panting, shot him a glare sharp enough to cut.
"…You really are a pervert monk."
A vein popped on Genzu's forehead. "Did you hear me, you brat!!"
Kaen swayed, the last of his strength draining. His knees hit the dirt with a thud. His gaze didn't waver, though, it only hardened. He pressed his forehead to the ground, fists trembling.
"Teach me."
Genzu froze. His smirk faltered.
"…What?"
Kaen's voice rose, ragged but unwavering, echoing through the forest.
"Teach me!"
The air grew heavy. The flames Kaen had unleashed earlier still lingered faintly, licking at the bark of nearby trees, as if his very soul demanded an answer.
Genzu's grin was gone. His expression was dark, unreadable. His fingers curled slightly as if gripping something invisible.
"(Tch… just like him. Damn brat… don't make me remember that day…)"
The silence between them stretched, tense, suffocating.
Kaen's voice, hoarse but desperate, broke through it.
"If I don't grow stronger… then what am I even fighting for?"
The monk closed his eyes, the faint sound of the forest breeze brushing past them. When they opened again, his gaze was sharp, almost predatory.
"...Brat." He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing Kaen.
"Do you even know what it means… to ask me to teach you?"
To be continue