A narrow road cut through the edge of the forest.
Ryan pulled his car onto the gravel shoulder and turned off the engine.
For a moment he simply sat there.
Tall eucalyptus trees stretched into the sky on both sides of the road, their pale trunks rising like pillars beneath the canopy. The wind rustled softly through the leaves, carrying the sharp scent of eucalyptus through the air.
Ryan stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him.
The forest stood quiet around him.
"So," he said, glancing toward the tree line.
"You found Clearleaf in there?"
Iris answered immediately.
[Yes. It's not far inside.]
Ryan nodded once and started walking toward the forest.
Dry leaves crunched beneath his shoes as he stepped beneath the canopy.
After a few moments Iris spoke again.
[You know… you don't actually have to speak out loud for me to hear you.]
Ryan stopped mid-step.
"What?"
A faint uneasiness crept into his expression.
"The way you said that makes it sound like you can read my mind."
Soft laughter echoed in his head.
Bright.
Playful.
[Why?]
[Do you have something you need to hide from me?]
Ryan stared straight ahead into the trees.
"Of course I do!"
His voice rose in protest.
"My thoughts are my own!"
Iris burst into laughter.
The sound rang through his mind like silver bells.
[Relax.]
[I can only hear thoughts directed at me.]
She paused briefly.
Still clearly amused.
[So unless you're actively thinking at me… I can't hear anything.]
Ryan exhaled slowly.
Relief washed over him.
"So you can hear this?" he thought.
[Yes.]
Ryan nodded to himself.
"That's actually pretty convenient."
Iris sounded smug.
[Of course it is.]
[I spent a lot of time designing this system, you know.]
Ryan could practically hear the pout in her voice.
He smiled faintly.
For someone who called herself a goddess, Iris sometimes sounded surprisingly childish.
The forest grew denser as he walked deeper inside.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead, casting shifting patches of gold across the forest floor.
Ryan's shoes crunched through fallen bark and dry leaves as he pushed further into the trees.
Minutes passed.
Ten.
Twenty.
Nearly thirty.
Ryan's breathing gradually grew heavier.
His chest rose and fell sharply.
Finally—
Iris spoke again.
[You're here.]
Ryan stopped.
His lungs burned.
He bent forward slightly and placed his hands on his knees.
"I really was in terrible shape," he thought irritably.
Nearly a century of battle experience… trapped inside the body of an office worker.
[Yes.]
Ryan scowled.
"Unfortunately I don't have time to fix that right now."
Iris sounded unconcerned.
[You actually don't need to.]
Ryan straightened slightly.
"What do you mean?"
He began scanning the underbrush.
Then—
He saw it.
A small plant nestled between two rocks.
Dark green leaves.
A single crimson flower blooming at its center.
A faint glow shimmered around the petals, and a thin mist drifted slowly from the leaves.
Clearleaf.
Ryan knelt down beside it.
"I know Clearleaf can purge impurities," he said while examining the plant carefully.
"But that won't magically improve my physical fitness."
[You're misunderstanding something.]
Ryan carefully grasped the stem near the ground.
With practiced precision he plucked the plant while leaving the roots intact.
That way another plant could grow later.
[The last time you used Clearleaf… you were already powerful.]
Ryan placed the plant gently into his backpack.
"So?"
[At your current level…]
[Clearleaf will cleanse every impurity inside your body.]
Ryan's brow furrowed.
"And?"
[Once your body is purified…]
[You will be able to continuously absorb mana.]
Ryan froze.
That was significant.
"Hold on."
He began searching the surrounding area for more plants.
"Doesn't my body still have a maximum mana capacity?"
[Yes.]
[But there is a technique that allows mana to circulate through the body instead of remaining stored.]
Ryan crouched again.
A second Clearleaf plant grew nearby.
He harvested it the same way as the first.
[Think of it like breathing.]
[You draw mana in… circulate it… and release it again.]
Ryan stood slowly.
"And this helps me how?"
[Circulating mana will continuously strengthen your body.]
Ryan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Meaning?"
[Your strength, agility, vitality, and mana capacity will all increase.]
Ryan walked a few more steps.
Then he spotted another plant.
This time he carefully dug around the roots with a small folding shovel from his backpack.
"So basically…"
He lifted the plant carefully, roots and all.
"Early cultivation."
[Exactly.]
Ryan placed the plant into a plastic cup filled with soil.
[The effects will slow down as you become stronger.]
[But in the early stages…]
[The improvements will be dramatic.]
Ryan smiled slightly.
That was exactly what he needed.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder and began walking back toward the road.
"Will this technique also increase my maximum mana capacity?"
[Yes.]
[Especially at your current level.]
Ryan nodded slowly.
Then another thought occurred to him.
"Would you be able to teach me the technique?"
He glanced toward the sky above the trees.
"Or would that break one of your mysterious rules?"
Iris answered calmly.
[It won't break any rules.]
[As long as I don't reveal knowledge forbidden to your realm.]
Ryan relaxed slightly.
"Good."
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Ryan's mind was already racing ahead.
Radios.
Communication.
Survival.
When the first mana wave hit tomorrow, nearly all electronics on the planet would be destroyed.
That had been one of the earliest disasters.
If he wanted to coordinate with Alice…
He needed a secure way to communicate.
Ryan finally stepped out of the forest.
His car waited beside the road.
"Iris," he said.
"You mentioned space-time abilities earlier."
[Yes.]
"What if you used them to protect a radio from the mana wave?"
A brief pause followed.
Then—
[That should be possible.]
Ryan's eyes brightened.
[I could also link two devices together.]
Ryan stopped walking.
Completely.
"Wait."
He slowly turned.
"Are you saying those radios would have a private connection?"
[Yes.]
Ryan's pulse quickened.
[However…]
[Their range would be limited by your mana capacity.]
Ryan didn't even care.
"Which means?"
[Approximately one hundred miles.]
Ryan grinned.
That was more than enough.
One of his biggest concerns had just been solved.
He climbed into the driver's seat.
"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?"
Iris sounded smug.
[Of course I am.]
Ryan laughed.
The sound filled the car as he pulled back onto the road toward the city.
But the laughter never reached his eyes.
Because tomorrow—
The world would burn.
But this time…
Ryan would be ready.