Chapter 30.5 : Seeds of the Journey (Arc 1 completed)
Aspen begins his journey as a hunter hiding more than just his inexperience.
By traveling as Aren the hunter and Aspen the herb merchant, he keeps his true identity and past hidden. Though weak compared to seasoned hunters and wielders, Aspen possesses a quiet determination and an unusual kindness that sets him apart.
Along the road, he crosses paths with Ryl, his childhood friend, a loud, reckless hunter whose bravado masks fear and insecurity, and Dior, a calm, cynical fighter with deadly precision and a mysterious air. The three form an unsteady team, clashing constantly yet gradually learning to rely on one another. Their bond is not forged through trust at first, but through repeated danger and survival.
Their journey leads them into a seemingly simple mission that quickly spirals into something far darker. In a forest plagued by disappearances, they encounter Vesra, a terrifying cursed spirit who manipulates leaves, branches, and nature itself.
Vesra is merciless, cruel, and overwhelming - far beyond anything the trio is prepared to face.
The battle pushes them to their limits, both physically and emotionally.
They challenge Vesra’s hatred of humanity, declaring that although humans are weak and mortal, they fight desperately to protect those they love and that their lives are not meaningless.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Vesra, however, is not merely a monster.
Through her memories, her tragic origin is revealed. Once a kind and talented girl named Becky, she was abused by her stepmother Melinda, neglected, and ultimately betrayed. Despite becoming a spirit wielder and sacrificing her sense of smell, Becky continued to protect her family even the woman who hated her. When she discovered that her stepmother had orchestrated her father’s death for wealth, Becky broke. In her despair, she was forcibly claimed by the Lord of Cursed Spirits, stripped of her humanity, renamed Vesra, and commanded to slaughter humans. Her hatred, cruelty, and violence were born not from malice, but from unbearable abandonment and loss.
Back in the present, the trio’s battle turns desperate. Just as defeat seems inevitable, an elite spirit wielder arrives - Elucia Neilo, the Firefly Spirit Wielder. Calm, graceful, and overwhelmingly powerful, Elucia intervenes and defeats Vesra, marking the first time Aspen truly witnesses the gap between hunters and wielders.
As Vesra dies, she smiles faintly - recognizing in Aspen, Ryl, and Dior the same selflessness that once defined Becky.
The aftermath brings relief, grief, and change. The village celebrates its survival, but Aspen is left shaken and inspired. Witnessing Elucia’s strength ignites a new resolve within him: he wants to become a wielder, no matter how impossible it seems.
Soon after, Aspen’s secret identity begins to unravel within his teammates. Dior confronts him, revealing Aren is not his real name. Though tense, the truth comes out among the team, strengthening their bond while raising new questions about Aspen’s past and future.
Their paths diverge briefly - Dior leaves on his own business, while Aspen and Ryl head toward the capital, Ealdoria. There, as a merchant, Aspen learns that his low rank restricts him from traveling freely.
To advance, he accepts a dangerous quest: retrieving the rare Snowdrop flower from a frozen dungeon in a neighboring country - Rimecrypt of Nivell.
The quest marks a turning point. It is no longer a local hunt, but a journey into truly lethal territory.
As preparations begin, old teammates resurface. Ellie, furious yet concerned, confronts the group, exposing misunderstandings, clashing personalities, and unresolved tensions. Amid shouting, chaos, and humor, Aspen’s secret becomes fully known to his companions. Though angry and shaken, they do not abandon him.
Instead, they stand at the edge of something much larger.
With Aspen’s identity revealed, his ambition awakened, and a perilous journey ahead, the arc closes not with victory but with possibility.
The seeds have been planted: of strength, loss, truth, and the long road that lies before them.
The journey has only just begun.
*****
Chapter 31: The Path Begins to Shift
