CHAPTER 6 – Grind
"…Pardon me?"
Kaden blinked, stunned. Surely, he hadn't just heard what he thought he heard.
'You have to die to become stronger'…?
No. Impossible.
"That… that can't be right."
He tried to convince himself. Maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe—
[You heard me correctly, Host. You must die in order to grow stronger.]
Reality hit like a slap.
Of course, the system wouldn't let him fool himself.
"…How? How can I possibly revive after dying?"
[Through Death Coins, earned by completing quests.]
[The more you spend, the farther back in time you can rewind—and the greater the Origin Fragment you can extract from your killer.]
[Fragments can be of various types: Skills, Traits, Memories, Instincts, Wills, and the rarest—Core Fragments.]
Kaden was silent.
Still.
Processing.
If the system was telling the truth…
Then that meant he could die—and come back. As long as he had the coins.
Which also meant…
"I can get stronger."
Abd with strength naturally came power.
A slow realization hardened in his mind.
Yes, he bore the name Warborn. That name alone commanded respect. No one would foolishly challenge a family whose warriors welcomed death with open arms.
They were legendary. Feared. Honored.
But that was his family's power.
Not his.
Kaden had experienced enough things—died once already—to learn something brutal and honest:
At the end of the day, you stand alone.
People won't risk their lives—or their loved ones—for you.
Granted, exceptions exist.
But you can't afford to gamble your life on exceptions.
So…
"I'll grow stronger on my own. If I have to die for it… then so be it."
He had died once from fear, cowardice, and weakness.
This time, if he was going to die—
It would be for something.
For strength.
For freedom.
For control.
His heart slowed. Steadied.
His resolve clicked into place.
[That's the spirit, Host. Do not fear death—he will soon be your closest companion.]
Kaden nodded. Then hesitated.
"…Calling you 'System' all the time feels weird. You sound like you've got a personality."
"You know what? I'll call you Death."
A beat of silence. Then—
[…It's an honor, Host.]
Kaden gave a simple nod.
[To access your profile just will it.]
"Show me my profile."
<<<<< Profile >>>>>
Name: Kaden Warborn
Age: 10
Rank: Awakened
Origin: Bloodsoaked Sword King (Legendary)
Titles: Child of Blood
STR: 6
AGL: 8
CONS: 5
MANA: 5
INT: 10
WILL: 8
Stat Points: 0
Fragments: None
Quests in Progress: None
Death Coins: 0
Skill – Awakened:
Blood Reservoir – Every successful kill adds blood to your internal reservoir. This blood can be used as fuel—form, weapon, or recovery.
Kaden studied the display closely.
Everything was clear. Logical. Efficient.
This profile would help him track his growth.
"Perfect," he muttered.
His eyes lingered on the word Awakened. It was the starting point. A new beginning.
In this world, awakening marked the first true step toward power.
It granted you one innate skill—drawn from your Origin.
After this came core saturation—absorbing cores from beasts, monsters, and other races. Only then could you start your evolution quest.
And evolution was everything.
Only the strong survive.
After Awakened came Intermediate, then Master. And beyond that…
Very few knew of the Grandmaster rank.
Kaden, as young master of the Warborn, did.
And he also knew how brutal the path became the higher you climbed.
"…Let's not think that far ahead."
He scrolled through his stats.
Strength, agility, constitution, mana, intelligence, will.
Straightforward.
Maybe intelligence and will can be a little more tricky to understand. But intelligence is just how fast your mind can understand and process different things—very useful to use effectively your skill.
Will is just how unyielding, driven and obsessed of your goal you are. Something you can only gain by experiencing different things in life.
And Kaden's gaze froze on that stat.
Will – 8.
That was too low.
Far too low for someone who had endured and lost as much as he had.
[I warned you, Host. You still haven't let go. Your will remains weak. And you cannot allocate stat points to it… until you do.]
[So don't disappoint me.]
Kaden clenched his fists.
He knew.
He knew.
Letting go meant releasing everything—good and bad.
And how was he supposed to do that?
How do I forget the faces of my family?
How can I let them go?
The question hurt.
His chest ached just thinking it.
Then—
DING!
The System interrupted his spiral.
[You've received a quest.]
[Quest: Training]
Difficulty: Easy
Description:
– Run 5 laps around the Warborn training grounds
– 100 Pushups
– 100 Sit-ups
– 100 Pull-ups
– 5-minute plank
Time Limit: 2 hours
Rewards:
– 50 Death Coins
– 5 Stat Points
Penalty:
– Body will be paralyzed for 2 hours and you will feel deep pain in your body during the process.
"…Easy?"
Kaden swallowed what he wanted to say and stood up.
Complaining wouldn't help.
He changed into a training outfit, tightened the straps, and headed for the training grounds.
Time to start the grind.
And grind he would.
…
Meanwhile — Thornspire Estate
A vast, cold manor blanketed in mist. Inside, beneath towering obsidian pillars, a girl stood before an identification crystal.
White-haired. Crimson-eyed. Silent.
In front of her stood a tall man—sharp features, with the same white hair but violet eyes. Her father, Eliot Thornspire, Patriarch of the Thornspire family.
"You know what to do," he said. His voice calm. But beneath it—nerves.
He trusted his daughter. She'd always shown brilliance. But trust didn't calm the stakes.
Because their family's future rested entirely on her.
A bitter truth.
The girl nodded with elegance and pressed her hand to the crystal.
⸻
{Origin: Thorns of Remorse}
{Type: Conceptual}
{Grade: Legendary}
{Description: You feed on fear and remorse—and they become your weapons. But beware… for the emotions of others can drown you, too.}
⸻
Eliot let out a breath. Relief washed over his face.
"Perfect," he whispered. "With this, those madmen can't ignore us anymore. Your grandfather's work won't be in vain."
His voice turned stern.
"Do your best, Rea."
The young lady, Rea, smiled softly, her demeanor flawless.
"I won't disappoint you or the family, father."
Eliot nodded, proud. She had always been obedient. Graceful. Precise.
"We'll make sure you two meet before you enter Fokay," he added softly "And… forgive me for placing this burden on you."
He turned and left—back to the office, to ensure the machinery of politics turned smoothly.
Rea stood alone.
Her smile slowly faded.
Her face became blank.
Cold.
Unfeeling.
"…Child of Blood, huh?"
She whispered with curiosity.
Then she turned away.
Back to her room.
Back to her training.
Because from this moment forward—
Things would only grow bloodier.
—End of Chapter 6—