Warrior Training System

Cassian found himself in a dire situation—one that was life-threatening for the kitten and deeply complicated for him. Complicated because if he failed to act now, it might create a crack in his journey as a Circle Warrior.

He had sworn to himself that he would never let an innocent being suffer needlessly, yet here he stood, surrounded by the ashes of those who had perished—burned alive, crushed, or devoured by the monster. And despite all his strength, he hadn't been able to save a single one. Now, with the dying kitten in front of him, he faced the bitter reality of his own helplessness.

Lumine trembled, clutching the kitten tightly, her breaths uneven. "It worked?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet the weight of her hope pressed down on him.

But nothing had changed. The kitten remained just as injured, its tiny body growing still. Even its weak mewling had faded into silence. The only sign of life was the faint rise and fall of its fragile chest.

Cassian's fists clenched. He couldn't let this be the end. Gritting his teeth, he reached out again, his hand hovering over the kitten. He had to do something.

Closing his eyes, Cassian took a deep breath, forcing his mind to clear. His domain—his will—had always been about killing, about punishing those who inflicted suffering. But what if… what if he could twist it? Reverse it? Could the very power meant to bring pain be used to take it away instead?

But how? He didn't know.

Cassian had been tortured twice in his life—brutal, relentless torture. Not the kind meant to extract a quick answer, but the kind designed to make him suffer for as long as possible without letting him die. Yet both times, he had survived. Once, by the sheer miracle of the warrior training system. The other, through his own effort and will.

But the fragile soul in Lumine's hands had none of that. It was just a newborn, barely a few days old, already thrown into this hell of suffering. It had no all-knowing, powerful system to save it, nor the unyielding will that had carried Cassian through his own torment. If a miracle was to happen, if this tiny life was to be saved, it had to come from Cassian once again.

But Cassian didn't know how. Was he supposed to chant something? Perform some kind of ritual? Was there a hidden technique to unlocking healing through a domain meant for killing? He had no idea.

But then, it hit him—Circle Warriors didn't need to understand the workings of the world like mages did. They didn't follow rigid formulas or carefully crafted spells. They forced the world to bend to their will, shaping reality to fit their desires. And Cassian had already made up his mind.

His domain flared brighter, a deep crimson glow swallowing the tiny, trembling body of the kitten. He could feel it—his will, his conviction. He refused to let another innocent life slip away. It didn't matter if his domain was meant for killing. If it could bring suffering, then it could take it away, too, like it did his.

The air around them thickened as Cassian focused, his heartbeat syncing with the faint, uneven thrum of the kitten's life. His domain was working, responding to his intent.

"It worked!"

The same words Lumine had whispered moments ago, but this time, they were filled with pure joy and loudder. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the kitten's charred fur slowly flake away, revealing newly healed skin beneath. The red glow of Cassian's domain pulsed, mending its wounds at a visible pace.

Cassian's lips curled into a bright smile, a rare expression of relief washing over him. It felt like something deep inside him had cracked open—no, not broken, but released. As if a missing piece had finally clicked into place.

As Lumine looked down at the now almost fully healed kitten, her gaze drifted to Cassian's outstretched hand. Her breath hitched as she noticed the intricate red-glowing circle on his palm. The glow had intensified, making its complex patterns stand out in stark detail. But what truly shocked her was that the patterns were shifting—not just slightly, but drastically.

She didn't know what they were changing into, but she knew one thing for certain: a Circle only shifted and evolved when its wielder had broken through to a higher rung.

"Did you break through again?" she asked, her voice laced with awe and disbelief.

Cassian, equally surprised, looked at his own hand in confusion. He hadn't even completed ten rotations of mana yet—let alone the hundred required to meet the first condition of becoming a Second Circle Warrior.

Cassian shook his head. He hadn't broken through—he was sure of it. Advancing a rank felt different, like shedding invisible chains, gaining a newfound sense of freedom both physically and metaphysically.

But right now, he felt no such change. His Circle was supposed to split into two upon advancing, its intricate runes and shapes dividing as a sign of progression. Yet, all it had done was shift and rearrange itself, leaving him more confused than before.

Shrugging off his uncertainty for now, he glanced at the kitten, now fully healed but still unconscious in Lumine's hands. "We'll figure it out later," he said. "For now, let's get moving. It'll be dark in an hour, and we need to reach the nearest defensive post before then."

Lumine nodded, still staring at Cassian's shifting Circle with curiosity and awe, but she didn't question it further. Instead, she held the kitten close to her chest, its tiny body rising and falling in steady breaths.

The village behind them was nothing but burning wreckage, its skeletal remains silhouetted against the setting sun. The air was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of charred wood and flesh. Cassian took one last glance at the devastation before turning away, his jaw tightening. They couldn't do anything for the dead—but they could still fight for the living.

"Let's move," he said, stepping ahead. Lumine followed, her steps lighter than before, as if the small life in her hands had rekindled some of her own lost hope.

As they pushed through the ruined outskirts of the village and entered the dense jungle beyond, the fading light made it harder to see. Shadows stretched long, the underbrush rustling with unseen creatures.