Chương 5: Night Cavalry Sigil

Ch 05 - Night Cavalry Sigil Zeph pushed open the storage door in front of him, the kind with a rusted metal handle that felt heavier than it looked. He forced it wider until it finally gave in, and almost instantly he stumbled back a step when a cloud of dust rushed straight into his face. He coughed lightly, blinking through the sting, then lifted the back of his hand to cover his nose.

There were several old boxes stacked along one side, some cracked plastic containers beside them, and a few piles of folded mattresses leaning against the wall, along with rolled carpets and worn blankets. Honestly, this was still better than most of the places Zeph usually ended up sleeping in. He glanced back over his shoulder at the large warehouse behind him, the space filled with towering shelves and scattered equipment.

Most of the main lights had already burned out, leaving only a few small lamps glowing faintly in certain corners. Still, there was one thing Zeph had noticed on his way here. Why were most of the CCTV cameras in this place turned off? Not just one or two, but almost all of them. Maybe it was because of last night's disaster. Maybe the system had not fully recovered yet after the damage and power issues. But at least he had a place to stay tonight.

There were also security guards outside the building, probably making his usual rounds and keeping watch over the area. Zeph turned back inside and scanned the room, searching for something he could use to clean up. He needed to make this space livable first. He walked over, dropped his backpack in the corner, grabbed a broom and a worn dustpan, and started tidying up. He had plenty of time tonight. The night was still young.

After some time of cleaning, with the occasional cough slipping out here and there, Zeph kept going without much trouble. Tidying up like this was practically part of his routine anyway, something he had done more times than he could count, so he managed to finish everything fairly quickly and efficiently. Finally… he grinned to himself when the room was ready for him to rest in tonight. A mattress had been laid neatly in the corner, the floor around it already swept clean and cleared of dust.

If what the supervisor said was true, he should be able to stay here for at least a week. He needed to start planning his next move soon. Of course, he had no intention of being stuck in this place forever.

"Alright, time to explore more about my awakening." He sat down on the floor, which still felt faintly cold beneath him, but his sweat had already dried after all the cleaning, so the cool surface actually felt quite comfortable. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, placing both hands on his knees in a controlled posture. This was something every awakener was supposed to do, a basic exercise meant to cultivate their Mana Core.

He closed his eyes tighter and began recalling all the information he had studied, even long before he awakened. He would not deny it. He had always wanted to stand in this position, and now he truly was. It was time to put all the theories he had learned into actual practice. A Mana Core normally begins to develop when someone is exposed to mana and has the right compatibility and potential within their body. In most cases, this happens around the age of ten. Still, there are always exceptions.

Some awaken much earlier, while others only begin to show signs in their late teens, even in their early twenties. So for Zeph, who awakened at fourteen, his case was actually considered fairly normal, maybe just slightly later than average, but nothing unusual. Simply put, a Mana Core is the human heart that has started to evolve, gaining an additional function beyond pumping blood. Physically, it becomes denser and stronger, adapting to handle a new kind of energy.

From this Mana Core, mana is absorbed from the surrounding environment, then circulated throughout the body, allowing magic to take form and be used. As for leveling up the Mana Core, there are three main approaches. Mind, mental, and body. The mind aspect focuses on skill training. This includes practicing spells, refining control, improving accuracy, and learning how to use mana with greater efficiency. The more a person trains their abilities, the sharper their control becomes.

The mental aspect centers on cultivating the Mana Core itself. Through meditation and focused breathing, mana is drawn in from the surroundings and compressed within the core to increase its capacity and stability. This strengthens the foundation. Without emotional control and focus, the core can become unstable, disrupting the flow of mana. The body aspect involves real combat experience. Facing danger, fighting monsters, and surviving life or death battles force the body to adapt.

Under extreme pressure, the Mana Core responds by growing stronger to support the strain. This develops endurance and raw output. All three must be trained in balance. Neglecting one will slow down the overall growth, no matter how much the others are developed.

"If mind training is high but the body is weak, control will be precise. But it won't last long in a real fight."

"If the body is strong but mental cultivation is weak, the output will be huge… but the core could collapse from overload." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"And if mental strength is high but mind control is poor, the mana pool will be large… but it'll be wasted carelessly." He let out a slow breath.

"So focusing on just one isn't enough. If one falls behind, the whole foundation becomes unstable." There was just one more thing. Zeph muttered softly to himself after that.

"I can level up my core in a way no one else can." There was another method. A brutal one. Reckless, merciless, and painfully unforgiving, yet frighteningly effective. But this path did not apply to everyone. It existed for Zeph alone. By challenging the impossible again and again, pushing himself into situations far beyond his current limits. Either he would survive and grow stronger through the normal process, or he would die trying. That was how he had climbed from level 1 to level 12 in a single night.

And the only reason he could even achieve something like that was because of his Undying Core. Zephion opened his eyes when something crossed his mind that he wanted to try immediately. He rose to his feet, then pulled off his shirt, revealing his thin, almost fragile frame.

"The way to activate a Sigil is simple. It only requires intention. A mental command," he murmured. He took a slow breath, eyes narrowing slightly.

"So… respond to me," he whispered. He focused, steadying his breathing, holding onto a single clear intention in his mind. He simply hoped the ability would respond. This would be his first time. [Epic Grade Transformation Type Sigil, Night Cavalry, has responded to the user's command.] A faint smile formed on his lips when the system answered his request. His heartbeat suddenly pounded harder against his chest, each thud heavy and violent. Without warning, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashed into his body.

At the same time, a crushing pressure slammed into his mind, striking straight through his head. Zeph grabbed his head and dropped to his knees. His skull felt unbearably heavy, as if something inside it was expanding beyond its limits. He clenched his fists tightly and let out a strained cry.

"This is insanely heavy…" He gritted his teeth when he saw a dark aura begin to seep from the pores of his skin, rising like black smoke before wrapping around his body. Something cold and solid started forming over his face. [Due to current limitations, partial activation has been initiated.] Zeph lowered his head as a solid shape took form, covering his face. His vision suddenly shifted, the colors around him felt distorted, slightly drained yet strangely sharper at the same time. He went still.

There was something new attached to him. Zeph raised a trembling hand to his face and head. A helmet-like mask now covered the front of his face, while the back remained open.

"Is this the same helmet that the dark creature was wearing?" Feeling that the transformation process was complete, Zeph slowly rose to his feet. His hand remained on the helmet mask attached to his face as he turned toward a dusty glass window that reflected just enough to act as a mirror. He looked at his reflection. A dark mask stared back at him, its eyes glowing in a deep red hue. Thin horn-like features extended slightly backward from the sides, giving it a fierce silhouette.

At a glance, it looked strikingly similar to the Night Cavalry that had killed him over and over again. Then he noticed something else. When he glanced outside through the glass, the world appeared brighter, though it was nowhere near daytime. It was not brighter because of the light. Instead, everything looked clearer. Even subtle movements in the distance became easier to follow. It felt less like the world had gained light, and more like his vision had been sharpened.

"Will I get the full armor once I increase my level and rank?" Curious, he walked back to the center of the room. A new thought crossed his mind. If the helmet could manifest… could he summon the sword instead? He clenched his fist. [Epic Grade Transformation Type Sigil, Night Cavalry, has responded to the user's command.] [Attempting partial manifestation of the Night Cavalry weapon.] The same sensation struck him again. His heartbeat pounded violently in his chest, and the crushing weight returned to his head.

It felt as if something was pressing down on his mind from the inside. A dark aura seeped from his body once more. The shadow-like energy gathered around his palm, swirling tightly before condensing downward, as if trying to form something solid. The process was heavy and draining. The dark energy trembled in place before slowly shaping itself into the outline of a blade. [Due to current limitations, partial weapon manifestation achieved.] When the formation was complete, Zeph managed to grasp the hilt.

But the sword was not fully solid like the one he remembered. The blade appeared semi transparent, as if made from compressed smoke and shadow.

"Interesting," he muttered. He tried lifting the sword with his right hand alone.

"Ugh…" He quickly brought his left hand up to support it, gripping the hilt with both hands before finally raising it fully. For some reason, a small sense of pride swelled inside him. He looked cool holding it.

"Activating this sigil really drains my stamina…" As if in response to his words, the sword suddenly dissolved into dark particles and vanished. The helmet mask, however, remained firmly in place.

"The sigil," he said softly.

"Where is the sigil itself?" Normally, a sigil appeared as a tattoo somewhere on the user's body. Its color reflected its grade. Green for Common. Blue for Rare. Purple for Epic. Gold for Legendary. Since Night Cavalry was Epic grade, he should have a purple sigil etched onto his skin. Zeph raised both of his hands, checking his palms before turning his arms over to inspect every part of them carefully.

"Nothing." He looked down at his stomach next, searching for any sign of a mark, but there was nothing there either. Where the hell was it? Frowning, he lowered his pants slightly, hoping to find the sigil somewhere on his thigh or calf. Still nothing.

"Damn it…" Could it be on his back? Or maybe his neck? He walked back toward the glass window and awkwardly twisted his body, trying to check the back of his neck and shoulders through the reflection. The angle was terrible, and no matter how much he moved around, he could not find anything.

"I actually need another person just to help me figure out where my sigil is." Was it important? Yes. Extremely important. Every sigil had its own unique symbol and design. Some looked elegant, others intimidating, and honestly, most awakened people thought they looked cool as hell when the sigils appeared in visible places. Upper arms, the back of the hand, near the collarbone, even along the face. Each sigil carried patterns and details that reflected the nature of the ability itself.

The grade of a sigil was also something many awakened people proudly showed off. Since the color revealed its grade instantly, it naturally became a source of pride and flexing among awakened users. That was exactly why this mattered so much. Of course, some unlucky people ended up with their sigils placed in absolutely ridiculous spots they could never casually show to others. Like on their butt. Or even worse. Honestly, it was incredibly stupid. For now, though, Zeph decided to stop thinking about it.

He would deal with it later once he found someone willing to help him figure out where exactly his sigil was located. And then, in that very moment, Zeph suddenly felt his entire body shift into alertness.

"What is this…?" It was like a natural warning rising straight from his core. No sound triggered it. No visible movement caught his eye. Yet the signal was clear.

"Someone is approaching. From outside." And it was not for anything good. It felt worse than that. Killing intent?