Chapter 20: The Hunter Who Should’ve Died

The city of Astria was alive with activity as Kael Ardyn strode through its streets, each step echoing with the resolve of a hunter who had faced death and survived. His body bore the marks of countless battles—the bruises, cuts, and exhaustion—but his spirit burned brighter than ever.

Whispers followed him wherever he went. Some hunters stopped and stared, recalling the boy who had once been mocked and banished. "Is that… Kael? The one who survived the Crimson Wolf?" one whispered.

Kael’s eyes swept over the crowd, but he paid them little mind. Recognition was fleeting, and respect even more so. He had survived not for accolades, but to grow stronger, to master the power that pulsed through him and to embrace the destiny that awaited.

Reaching a quiet square, Kael stopped to catch his breath, the Blade Core glowing faintly at his side. Memories of the dungeon, the skeletal figure, the unawakened curse, and the trials with the Three-Eye Goblin flooded his mind. He had faced death multiple times, each encounter shaping him, forging him into something more than he had ever been.

“This… this is who I am now,” Kael whispered to himself, flexing his hand as the mark pulsed brightly. “I should have died countless times… but I didn’t. And now, I will rise beyond every limit, beyond every expectation.”

A group of hunters approached cautiously, their expressions a mix of awe and fear. “Kael… you’ve changed. You’re… different,” one murmured.

Kael nodded solemnly, his gaze distant yet focused. “I survived because I refused to give up. Every battle, every scar… they’ve made me stronger. The hunter who should’ve died is gone. Now, I am Kael Ardyn, and I will not falter.”

The city seemed to hold its breath, the whispers of the past fading into silence. Kael sheathed his sword, feeling the energy of the Blade Core resonate through him. His journey had just begun, but the foundation of a legend had been laid.

As the sun set over Astria, casting long shadows across the streets, Kael Ardyn walked forward with unwavering determination. He had faced death, survived, and awakened a power within himself that would carry him through the trials ahead. The hunter who should’ve died was now the hunter who would rise above all.