Roger's method was Ethan's only hope and everything he taught him.
Time after time, the spectral Circle moved as Ethan tried to find the perfect match. Every Construct had a connection to energy, which meant it could understand whether a form was suitable.
What Ethan was trying to do was similar to how the Carriers searched for Patterns, but he wasn't looking for energy clusters that were Patterns, he was looking for a being whose Circle was half the same as his.
That didn't mean that the monster or person he found would have abilities similar to his. The Circle was made up of thousands of intertwined runes, of different shapes and variations. So, even a 1% variation in Circles made a huge difference.
'Something's wrong.'
Ethan frowned. The spectral circles tried to overlap with his to find a perfect match, but even after hundreds of attempts, he couldn't succeed.
'I've been doing this for two months, but nothing works. How is this possible?'
Time was running out. In less than a month, Ethan's energy would no longer be active. Sure, he was lucky that Roger found out about this method in the army, even a Broken Carrier who had served long enough could discover many secrets.
Unfortunately, this was impossible for Roger. He was long past the age of 18, but Ethan still had a chance.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Suddenly, the gears stopped with a crash, a cascade of sparks burst from the Construct as a spectral copy of another Circle hovered above his Broken Circle.
The runes and lines matched Ethan's perfectly — he found his donor.
The door opened, revealing Ethan's frame as he stepped into the backyard.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Sweat dripped from Roger's sculpted body as he did a one-armed push-up. Seeing Ethan's tightly clenched fists, he grinned.
"Hah, you did it after all, you little bastard."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah, it took longer than I expected."
"Good."
...
A piece of cloth lay on the table, something wrapped inside.
"Go on." Roger gestured with his beer bottle.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"Hah, my guarantee that you won't come back here and let me live in peace. You know, I'm retired, I want to relax and drink, not babysit someone like you."
A flash ran across the red blade as a dagger with a wide blade met him.
"It's yours. I got it as a gift after I left the army. It's more of a trophy than a weapon to me, but it might come in handy for you. I'm sure you spent all your money on the Ascension Crystals, right?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes. I didn't have much time, I only had enough money for the gray one."
Tap.
"Forget about it. That's in the past." Roger patted him on the shoulder and headed for the yard. "And for God's sake, don't bother me again. Good luck."
[Blood Seeker
Circle: First
Projection: ???
[Not connected. Connection to the Construct host is required to unlock its full potential.]
[A blade saturated with mana from metal soaked in the blood of monsters during prolonged smelting. A weapon thirsty for blood, capable of showing this side of itself even without a connection.]
Every Carrier, regardless of his Rank, had to possess at least one Artifact, because in order to use an Artifact to its full force, it had to be bound to a Circle, which was done through the Construct.
True, nothing prevented one from hanging dozens of artifacts on oneself if one had enough money, but if it was a First Rank Carrier, only one Artifact would have Projection available, the one was bound to.
Projection was an artifact ability that could only be learned and used after binding.
However, if Ethan wanted to, he could not bind the Blood Seeker to his Circle and use the dagger as a weapon. Since it was an Artifact, its materials were full of energy, which meant its blade was sharper and much more durable than a normal steel sword.
Ethan's face was reflected in the blade.
'Alright, I'm ready. It's good that grandpa had a friend like that. Keeping Roger's request as a trump card was the right decision.'
Without another word, Ethan left Roger's house, not noticing his intense gaze.
"Eh, Edgar, instead of letting this guy live a normal, peaceful life, you led him down this thorny path." Roger shook his head. "You were a good friend, but you weren't the best grandfather."
Gathering everything he had, Ethan quickly left the borders of the Orsire City, heading west toward the mountains, straight to the Rotten Forest.
The Rotten Forest was home to many monsters, most of whom had the Broken Rank, meaning they were Ethan's equals, but there were also stronger monsters of the First Rank who could be deadly enemies for a Broken Carrier like Ethan.
Step. Step. Step.
Ethan raised the collar of his long coat in an attempt to hide from the miasma.
"Tsk. I shouldn't complain, but why is my donor here? Who is this monster? A human? Another Carrier? Shit, I don't need to die here."
This forest got its name not from the corpses, but from the foul-smelling but beautiful flowers spreading their scent among the purple trees with bare, sharp branches.
A thread of energy showed Ethan where to go.
Suddenly, a shadow burst out from behind a rock as a beast lunged at Ethan. Long claws dug into his shoulders, knocking him to the ground.
"RGH!"
Jaws closed over Ethan's face while two crazed eyes trembled with hunger and rage.
Thrust.
The dagger pierced the neck, exiting on the other side.
The blood didn't have time to fall on Ethan as he rolled away to avoid the toxic liquid.
Roger's training had paid off, but this wasn't the first time Ethan had found himself in a dangerous situation. He was used to it since he couldn't earn enough to save up for the Ascension Crystal until he was 18 by safe means.
Moreover, even though he was quite small, his grandfather had taught Ethan how to fight and stand up for himself before he disappeared. In fact, Ethan still underestimated how much better he was in combat than his peers. Not only in terms of skills but also in regard to his mind, which was unlikely to panic in the face of danger.
"Okay, I'm close." Ethan nodded as he lunged forward.
Tap.
Ethan stopped at the tree as his eyes narrowed.
Dozens of bodies in armor were lying in their own blood, covering the lifeless field.
A monster with green skin and a long jaw licked its crooked fangs as if after a hearty meal. Its bulging belly, covered in short fur, twitched as if it had just swallowed someone.
'Crooked Growon... The First Rank, Bronze Tier. It's not Broken Rank like the beast I killed earlier, it's much worse... Shit, is it him? I don't see anyone else here!'
There was nothing to do.
The Crooked Growon was not a monster that a Broken Carrier should have faced, but...
Did Ethan have a choice?
"Gha-ha?!" the Crooked Growon chuckled, turning his gaze to Ethan.
For one of them, this battle was an opportunity to get a snack, and for the other, it was the only chance at life.
They were not equal.