Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 51: New Strength

Ivor felt like he had been reborn. His senses, which had always been sharper than those around him, now felt different in a way he could not immediately describe. Before, it had been like observing the world through water, clear enough to function, but never perfectly still. Now there was no distortion.

He stood without moving, yet the forest revealed itself to him.

The first thing he noticed was sound.

At first, it was only the wind moving through the leaves above, but beneath it he heard multiple footsteps.They were distant, but distinct. He could hear the uneven pressure of their movement, the slight shift in rhythm as they moved across roots and loose soil. He could even tell which ones carried urgency and which ones moved with control. The sounds did not blend together. Each one existed separately, clear and identifiable.

His breathing remained steady as the information entered his mind without effort.

Then his vision sharpened.

The trees around him appeared more defined, their bark no longer just rough surfaces but patterns of cracks and ridges. He could see the individual veins running through leaves several meters away. The shifting of branches above him no longer blurred into motion. He could follow each movement, each subtle sway caused by the wind.

Nothing escaped him.

Then the scent reached him.

It came quietly at first, carried on the air, but once he noticed it, it became unmistakable. Earth. Damp bark. Old soil. Beneath that, something warmer. Several human presence. The scent was faint, but clear enough that he could trace its direction instinctively.

They were coming closer, yet Ivor did not react outwardly. Inside, however, his awareness followed them clearly. He could sense their positions, their pace, and the intent carried in their movement. They were searching. They were closing in.

Luna was the first to speak.

"You awakened as a beast?"

Her voice carried both certainty and disbelief. It was not a simple question. It was an attempt to confirm what she had already seen with her own eyes.

Her words pulled Ivor out of his thoughts, and with that came a new concern.

She had witnessed everything.

He did not know much about the world beyond the Scar, but even he understood one truth clearly. Humans had mana. Beasts had soul energy. The two existed as separate systems, separate paths of existence. What he had just undergone did not belong to the natural order of either world alone.

Yet now both existed within him. He did not know what that meant. He did know it could not be allowed to become known.

Luna stepped closer when he did not respond, urgency replacing hesitation.

"We need to run," she said, her voice lower but sharper now. "They are coming."

Ivor turned his head slightly to the right, his eyes focusing through the trees toward the direction of the approaching figures. He did not need to see them. Their presence was already clear to him.

"I know they are coming."

His hand moved instinctively toward his belt, but his fingers closed on nothing. He looked down immediately and realized the dagger his father had given him was gone. The absence struck him harder than he expected. A quiet surge of anger rose within him.

He stood shirtless, his body bare except for the torn remains of his pants. He had no weapon. His eyes shifted to Luna. She carried nothing either.

"Where is Nara?" Ivor asked.

Luna blinked, clearly not expecting that question.

"He was fighting Ryker when I took you and ran," she said quickly. "We need to run now."

Ivor remained still for a moment, listening.

He could feel them clearly now. Their presence had spread through the trees, their positions no longer distant. They were already forming a loose perimeter, moving to cut off escape routes without fully revealing themselves.

"It’s too late for that," Ivor said quietly.

He turned and began walking toward his right, his pace steady at first.

"They are already here."

His steps quickened. The instinct inside him guided his movement without hesitation. He knew exactly where the gaps were, where the presence of his pursuers was weakest. He did not question it. He trusted it.

Then he broke into a sprint.

The change was immediate.

His body responded with a speed he had never experienced before. The ground moved beneath him faster, his legs driving forward with clean, effortless motion.

Suddenly, he understood why.

He had read before that when humans attuned ten nodes in their mana circuit, their physical strength increased by nearly twenty-five percent. It was a known threshold. A point where the body itself became stronger as the circuit stabilized.

He had just attuned ten soul nodes. The effect he was experiencing was likely because of that.

A presence appeared ahead through the trees. The boy stepped out from behind a trunk, sword already in hand, clearly expecting Ivor to run straight toward him. His eyes widened when he saw how fast Ivor was moving, but he still began raising his weapon, preparing to strike.

Ivor did not slow.

A thick tree trunk stood slightly to his left. He angled toward it and, at full speed, planted his foot against the bark. The impact jolted up his leg, but his body responded instantly. He pushed off it and turned mid-air, his body spinning with the momentum he had built.

His leg struck the boy square in the chest. The sound of impact was heavy and sudden.

The boy’s body lifted off the ground and crashed backward, his sword flying from his hand as he hit the dirt hard.

Ivor landed on his feet and moved forward immediately. He bent down and picked up the fallen sword, his fingers tightening around the hilt.

Behind him, Luna stood eyes wide. She had seen his speed before, but not like this. The distance he had crossed, the force behind the kick, the control he had shown mid-air, it was far beyond what it had been earlier.

Ivor stood still for a moment, the sword steady in his grip. He could feel it clearly now. His body was still changing. His muscles felt more responsive than they had a moment ago. His breathing was easier. Even the way he held himself felt more stable.

The strength was not arriving all at once. It was increasing slowly, settling into him with each passing second.

Without hesitation, Ivor stepped forward and drove the sword down through the boy’s right thigh. The blade passed cleanly through flesh and struck the ground beneath with a dull sound.

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