The cold wind brushed against Renji's face as he stepped beyond the capital's gates — alone.
No gold. No guide. No farewell.
Just the weight of rejection and the echo of his own footsteps.
The night sky stretched endlessly above him, stars blinking like distant eyes watching in silence.
Renji walked along the dirt road, his only companions the chirping of insects and the crunch of gravel beneath his boots.
"So that's how it is…"
he thought, tightening his fists.
"A single Fire Ball… and some unknown skill called Chanting Mastery."
He opened his Status Window again, eyes scanning the screen.
📜 Renji Akatsuki – Status
Level: 1 Class: None Rank: F
Skills:
[Fire Ball] (Basic): Conjures a small fire projectile.
[Chanting Mastery] (Unique Skill): ??? – Unlocked potential unknown.
"Fire Ball… weak, but it's something."
"But this 'Chanting Mastery'... what is it supposed to do?"
He had tried to activate it, but it responded to nothing. No aura. No hint. Just question marks.
"Seem like it's not gonna work..."
Renji let out a quiet breath.
"Was I really that weak…?"
The words of the king echoed in his mind.
"You have no place among heroes."
He clenched his jaw, walking faster.
No. I'm not weak. Not forever.
He glanced at the sky overhead.
"Huhhh... Now I'm alone. I have to be stronger from now."
Hours passed.
By sunrise, a town came into view — smaller than the capital, but busy and alive. Smoke curled from chimneys. Merchants set up stalls. Adventurers gathered near a stone building with a crest above the door.
A wooden sign greeted him at the gates:
[Welcome to Erandel Town]
Renji stepped forward, the morning light casting a long shadow behind him.
A new town. A new chance.
And maybe… a real beginning.
"Let see what and who will be waiting for me..!!"