Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame-Chapter 65: Night Hunting

The most immediate change he noticed was the speed at which mana answered him. When he drew from his core, it no longer felt as though he had to reach inward and pull. The flow rose smoothly, almost instinctively, traveling through his channels without delay. What had once required deliberate effort now responded with eagerness.

And the improvement in speed was followed by control. The mana did not scatter or thicken unpredictably when he accelerated it. It held shape longer, obeyed pressure more precisely, and settled faster when he adjusted density. Even small shifts in intent produced measurable changes. There was less waste, less resistance.

More subtle than both was the change in his focus. He could maintain awareness of his surroundings while manipulating internal flow without either collapsing. It felt as though his mind had gained a second axis, allowing him to observe and act simultaneously with greater clarity.

Ivor exhaled slowly, bent down, and picked up the mana crystal that had fallen from the shattered skeleton. The faint glow inside it pulsed weakly against his palm before he slipped it into his pouch.

Without lingering, he moved deeper into the forest. Night was settling across the Scar, shadows stretching long between the trees, and he could already feel the advantage returning to him. With Soul Sense active, darkness was less an obstacle and more a shield. Where other awakened relied on sight, he relied on presence.

Through the faint impressions within his awareness, he tracked movement before sound followed. One skeleton fell quickly, then another.

Later, he crossed paths with a group of three boys moving cautiously through the undergrowth. They attacked first. The exchange was brief but sharp, and when it ended, Ivor stood alone among scattered leaves, collecting their crystals without hesitation before continuing his hunt.

Around midnight he was hidden high in a tree. Below him, four well-trained boys had made a quiet, careful camp. Their gear and weapons were neatly arranged and ready. They spoke quietly, always aware of their surroundings.

Ivor watched the four people closely. They often looked into the dark around the fire, their hands near their weapons. They ate carefully. Unlike Ryker’s loud group, these four moved quietly. Their bodies were tense only where needed and relaxed elsewhere. Even when joking, they kept their shoulders loose and their legs ready.

Soul Sense worked better at night. Ivor’s awareness easily spread out, as the Scar was less noisy. He could notice small things, like a change in someone’s breathing or heartbeat, or muscle tightening before a movement. The dark didn’t bother him; it made him comfortable. He also felt Umbra’s subtle, steady presence, which sharpened his patience.

As he watched, he practiced mana control subtly. He sent a thin, tight thread of blue mana from his core down his arm to his palm.

At first, the blue coating on his hand was unstable, but now it held for several seconds. He made it denser, then spread it thin, and finally drew it back into his core cleanly.

He kept repeating the movement, breathing in time, making sure mana went to his palm as fast as possible. When his mind was calm, the mana coating stayed strong. When he got distracted, it became weak and broke. He fixed it right away and tried again, patient and determined.

He had been watching this group for two hours and knew why he picked them. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Earlier, he saw them practicing structured movements, not just fighting randomly. One of them seriously read a skill scroll, showing it was important to them. They were well-coordinated, moving like people trained since childhood to fight smartly and watch for chances. Even while eating, they kept a distance from each other to be safe, positioned carefully instead of just sitting in a crowd.

Ivor confirmed their strength via mana fluctuations, noting a dense, refined output, suggesting at least seven attuned nodes. Their skill activation confirmed this; each used an active skill and practiced a second movement skill.

They were stronger than Ryker’s group, and they were disciplined enough to make mistakes rare.

The risk was high, but their supplies were valuable. They had real food, healing plants, mana tokens, and skill scrolls, a treasure trove.

The smell of cooking meat made Ivor hungry, which sharpened his thoughts. He didn’t need to fight or prove anything. He only needed to take what he wanted and leave.

He waited.

Time seemed to speed up and slow down. They grew quiet. The fire died down. Three people lay down, keeping weapons close. One stayed awake, a sword in his lap, fighting off sleep by forcing himself to look around.

From above, Ivor watched the guard’s breathing, noting when he almost fell asleep and when he woke up. Ivor’s soul sense confirmed the others were sound asleep, completely relaxed.

When the watcher’s head dipped again, just slightly longer than before, Ivor moved.

He slid down the tree quietly, controlling his movements and shallowing his breathing. The fire’s light didn’t reach him. He approached the watcher from behind, using the trees for cover.

Reaching the edge of the camp, Ivor did not hesitate. The watcher had just begun to turn his head when Ivor stepped in and swung his dagger’s hilt with full force at the base of the boy’s skull. The impact snapped the boy forward, but he did not collapse. A strained gasp escaped him as his knees buckled.

Ivor did not give him time to recover. He shifted his footing and struck again in the same spot. The second blow ended the resistance. The boy’s body went slack and dropped heavily toward the ground.

Ivor caught him before he could crash into the dirt, easing him down onto his side. He remained still for a moment, listening. None of the others stirred. Through Soul Sense, he felt no sudden spikes of awareness, no hands reaching for weapons. The camp remained asleep.

He began the theft without haste and carefully took the cooked meat and a heavy bag containing a scroll and coins. He also grabbed a pouch of medicinal herbs. He didn’t search thoroughly, only taking the obvious valuables before leaving quickly and quietly.

He moved into the trees at a slow, careful pace to avoid making noise.

Leaving the place far behind, he climbed a tall tree to a high, secure branch, giving him a good view and allowing him to sense anyone nearby. After checking his surroundings one last time, he finally began to eat.

He ate the still-warm meat quickly, controlling himself not to overeat. The food warmed him and eased his hunger. He ate just enough to feel better, then wrapped the rest of the meat. Next, he opened the pouch of healing plants. The dark, veiny leaves were Remier plants, known for their strong regenerative properties and muscle strengthening.

There were three leaves.