Chapter 1: The Weakest Hunter

Kael Ardyn stumbled through the crowded streets of Astria, his cloak tattered and armor dented from yet another failed training session. Whispers followed him like shadows.

“Kael the Weak… again.”

“Does he even belong in the guild?”

Kael gritted his teeth, ignoring the mocking voices. He had heard it all before. Every day, every moment, he felt their judgment pressing down on him. Today, however, he promised himself would be different. Today he would prove he was more than a laughingstock.

He tightened his grip on his old, chipped sword and made his way toward the training grounds. The sun was beginning its descent, stretching long, mocking shadows across the city streets. Every passerby seemed to look down on him, a cruel reminder of his failures. Kael’s amber eyes burned with a quiet determination. “I’ll show them,” he muttered under his breath.

At the training grounds, a group of hunters laughed openly as he approached.

“Kael, are you going to swing that thing or just stand there looking pathetic?” one sneered.

Another hunter added, “Maybe he should just quit before he embarrasses himself more.”

Kael clenched his fists, the leather of his gloves creaking. “I may be weak now… but I won’t be forever,” he whispered, more to himself than to them. The ridicule stung, but it also ignited a fire inside him. Every mocking glance was a reminder of the gap between him and the hunters he admired—or envied.

He moved to the practice dummies, swinging his sword with more focus than ever before. Each movement was deliberate, each strike a study in form and precision. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he executed another sequence, his muscles burning and protesting, yet he pushed forward.

A few curious onlookers paused, some whispering amongst themselves. Even in his weakness, there was a tenacity that caught their eyes.

Kael’s inner voice spoke louder than ever: “I will become stronger. No one will look down on me again. I will rise above, no matter what it takes.”

Hours passed. The sun disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the training grounds bathed in the soft glow of lanterns. Kael didn’t notice the time. He was lost in his own world, imagining battles, monsters, and victories that awaited him. For the first time in a long while, he felt hope flicker in his chest.

The whispers, the laughter, the jeers—they all faded into the background. There was only him, his sword, and the promise he made to himself.

And for the first time, Kael Ardyn believed he might just survive, and one day, become a hunter worth remembering.