Bogodo spoke at length, “Swordsmen, through practicing swordsmanship, can unleash sword energy. Swordsmanship is not a combat skill, but a unique cultivation method for swordsmen to temper their sword energy. Knights can wield the power of holy light, which comes from the Eight Virtues: humility, honor, sacrifice, bravery, compassion, honesty, spirit, and justice. The more steadfastly one upholds a creed, the stronger the holy light drawn from the ‘knight’s will.’ Mages and wizards are both spellcasters, but their magic differs greatly. Clerics, after years of devout prayer, receive power bestowed by deities, known as divine arts. Those who master divine arts are basically priests of the church. As for warriors…”

Owen Clark slammed his fist into his palm and said confidently, “I get it! By this logic, warriors should have a power called ‘battle aura.’ No? At least there’s ‘fighting spirit,’ right? Still no? There’s got to be ‘vital energy,’ right? Not even that?! ‘True energy’? ‘Spiritual energy’? ‘Soul power’? None of those? Is it just indigestion?! What? Warriors can only rely on their bodies to fight head-on, and if they break, there’s no warranty?! Damn it, every other system has such cool powers, why are warriors so lame?”

Edgar Bennett was speechless. “For warriors, the body is the most powerful weapon.”

“This is just ridiculous. Look at my appearance, my temperament, my eloquence—do I look like the kind of brute who relies on brute strength?”

A vein bulged on Edgar Bennett’s forehead. He took a deep breath and continued, “The six foundational systems each have different cultivation methods. For warriors, the goal is to constantly break through their ‘physical limits.’ The first time a warrior breaks through, a mysterious tattoo forms on their body, called a battle mark. The battle mark is a unique power of the warrior system.”

But before awakening a battle mark, warriors are divided into apprentice, official, and elite warriors. Without breaking through the physical limit, they’re still considered ordinary people, and this ranking depends on their mastery of combat skills.

After awakening a battle mark, a warrior is considered to have entered the path, with formal ranks.

The physical limit is the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. An elite warrior might not break through the physical limit even after ten years, so the first official rank for warriors is called the “Awakening Stage.”

Every newly awakened battle mark starts as a blank slate. It can be filled with a beast soul crystal of the corresponding level, granting a random ability matching the creature’s traits. Once filled, the battle mark’s ability cannot be changed.

When a beast of a certain level dies, it condenses a special crystal—this is the soul crystal.

“The first time you break through the physical limit and become an Awakening Stage warrior, you condense your first blank battle mark, which can only absorb a bronze-level beast soul crystal. After that, the upper limit for battle mark filling increases.”

A black light suddenly glowed on Edgar Bennett’s chest, rippling like water and quickly flowing through his whole body. Edgar Bennett’s short, stocky frame suddenly changed, shooting up to about two meters tall. His muscles bulged, even more robust than a wild bull’s. The black light was rapidly absorbed by his skin, which seemed to turn the color of black iron, shimmering with a constant metallic sheen. Every slight movement produced a clanging sound.

“This is the power of the battle mark!”

Edgar Bennett pulled open his collar, revealing his muscular chest. On it, a palm-sized bull-shaped tattoo glimmered faintly. “This is the battle mark ability I gained after absorbing a bronze-level Ironback Mad Bull soul crystal at the Awakening Stage—Iron Skin.”

Owen Clark was stunned. “Damn, it can even make you taller.”

Edgar Bennett’s face twitched, the black iron glow quickly faded, and his body returned to its dwarven form.

Owen Clark looked conflicted. “But why should I learn this? I’m a civilized person.”

Anthony frowned. “The more you learn, the higher your survival rate during the coming-of-age ceremony. So you’d better not slack off.”

“When you turn sixteen, your coming-of-age ceremony will be held. You’ll be sent beyond the Cold Night Mountains through the Mohr Turbulence Teleportation Array, and you’ll have to make your way back to the Cold Valley Tribe alone, crossing tens of thousands of miles. Danger is everywhere. The more you learn now, the more ways you’ll have to survive in the future.”

“It’s that dangerous out there?” Owen Clark muttered to himself.

Edgar Bennett spoke words that didn’t match his rugged appearance, his bearded face tinged with sadness: “Power gives gods their followers, makes churches into faith, lets humans rule the continent, lets elves stand above all, makes dragons choose to hide, drives demons back to the abyss, and brings us forth from the void.”

Owen Clark’s mouth twitched. “Isn’t that just the law of the jungle? Are you being poetic just to pad your word count?”

“All right, Edgar Bennett will teach you the basics. I’ll come back for you in two years.” Anthony, having listened for a while, grew impatient, turned and left. Uncle Shadow still said nothing and left alone.

The beggar uncle didn’t seem to say what he would teach him. Was he going to teach him how to make money? A martial arts champion from another world, Isaac Carter? Owen Clark’s imagination ran wild.

Edgar Bennett took out a small iron warhammer and tossed it to Owen Clark.

Owen Clark caught the warhammer, and his arm sank under its weight, startling him. The weight was just right for him—not too light, but not too strenuous either.