With each passing minute, the fight grew more brutal. Keeping up without healing drained her faster than she had expected. The damn crows were relentless.
Emily formed another stone bullet, aiming carefully, but before she could release it, a crow struck from behind. The impact sent her tumbling across the forest floor. More of them swarmed toward her, their rapid movements making them impossible to dodge entirely. She managed to avoid the fatal strikes, but several still found their mark, sending her flying once again.
Coughing, she pushed herself onto her knees, her breaths ragged. Her entire body ached under the weight of the battle.
She glanced toward Nate, expecting some kind of guidance—some kind of encouragement. But he said nothing. Not a single word.
Damn it… so this is what it felt like to fight real monsters constantly.
---
Eden
Watching Owen struggle with his mana control, one would hardly believe he was a Holy Knight. His sword strikes carried immense power, but without proper mana shaping, they remained nothing more than brute force swings. He dodged and countered well enough, but without control, his weapon would never reach its full potential.
"Owen!" Eden called out. "Can you block these beasts with your eyes closed?"
Owen didn't hesitate. "Yeah, I should be able to." His focus remained locked on the creatures before him.
"Good. Close them."
With a slight frown, Owen obeyed, shutting his eyes.
"Now… remember the training of the Holy Knights," Eden continued. "To truly wield a sword, one must bond with it—understand its nature completely." He paused before adding, "But for now, suppress your mana. Gather it into a single point within your body."
Eden stood still, unfazed as the beasts hesitated to approach him. Even monsters could recognize when they were outmatched.
Owen took a deep breath, and Eden saw it—the slow stabilization of his aura as he moved.
Good. Just keep going like that… Maybe he really is a Holy Knight worthy of the name.
---
Athena
She had been trying to finish off the beasts in a single strike, but each time, Nate's Evil Charm stopped her.
Her ice arrows took down a few, but the dark crow-like being warned her not to rely on them too much. It insisted she should end them in one decisive blow. Yet, when she attempted to, it reprimanded her for using too much mana.
"For a princess with such high power and knowledge, I thought you would be the first to understand the nature of your element," the Evil Charm stated coldly. "But I was wrong. You're just like any other civilian who uses power for power's sake."
Athena clenched her fists as the entity continued.
"You will never grow stronger. You will never be a true adventurer—just a princess who leans on others for help. Now go ahead and finish them off… You've disappointed me."
With that, it flew away.
Its words struck deeper than any monster's claws ever could. Even as a child, she had been teased—but nothing had ever cut like this.
Saying she couldn't even understand her own power as if it were fact…
How dare he!?
---
Nate
Withdrawing his Evil Charm from Athena, Nate turned his attention back to her—only for a sudden surge of energy to erupt from where she stood.
His crow-like form turned to observe. Athena was the source.
Her eyes were closed, but the pressure she radiated was immense.
Now that's what I wanted.
But it's still not enough.
He remained still, waiting. Then, she opened her eyes—and the power around her surged even higher. Her blue irises gleamed with a brilliance he had never seen before.
That's it… Keep pushing, Athena.
Letting out a low howl in his Evil Charm form, Nate shifted his focus to Emily.
She wasn't focused on her own fight. The crows seized the opportunity, diving at her once more. She barely managed to evade before gasping for breath, struggling to stand.
"It seems Athena has found the root of her power," Nate said, his tone sharp. "And what about you?" His gaze narrowed. "Still choosing to remain weak?"
Emily clenched her staff, her grip trembling. "Give me a break! This is my first time using elemental magic!"
"So? Athena was the same. But she chose to listen to her heart, not just her head." Nate sighed. "Guess they were right. You aren't capable of defending yourself."
He landed in front of her, his crimson gaze piercing.
"Step back. I'll handle this—like always."
Emily's eyes widened, filled with unspoken emotions.
Sorry, Emily. But I can't carry weaklings. The path I'm taking is one surrounded by death.
---
Eden
Eden continued observing Owen's progress. Suppressing mana into a single point took discipline, yet Owen hadn't lost focus—not even after Athena's power surge.
So, he chose his belly button as the storage point? Makes sense. That's where knights are trained to release their energy when first testing their abilities.
"That's good," Eden said. "Now, what matters is your imagination. If it's strong, this will work perfectly."
His gaze shifted momentarily toward Nate, noting the bottled-up power nearby. Could it be… hers?
"What you're going to do now," he continued, "is imagine your sword breaking. The only thing left is your mana, but it's just enough to create a new weapon."
He watched closely.
"Now think—what kind of sword would you form? Let it take shape in your hands."
---
Emily
Her heart felt like it was shattering.
Nate said she couldn't protect herself… and maybe he was right.
What kind of adventurer was she if she couldn't even form a simple stone bullet?
But then, his words echoed in her mind.
"Listen to your heart."
If that was what it took—then she would do it. Now.
She refused to let her journey end before it had even begun.
Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands against the ground, reaching deep within herself, searching for the true source of her mana.
"Oh, great god of the land, I beg you for aid. Lend me your power."
A strange sensation washed over her.
It felt as if she were sinking—being pulled deep underground. Her mana shifted, no longer just energy but something heavier, something more primal.
Is this… the power of the earth itself?