The guild hall was enveloped in complete silence.
Everyone in the room could feel the approach of something dreadful.
The yellow crystals in Elgot's hands shone like two suns.
The mana swirling within them was so powerful that even the most seasoned mages instinctively stepped back.
—"Do you feel it?"— one of the alchemists whispered so quietly that his words vanished into the heavy air.
This was pure, uncontrollable power.
Not even power – it was something more.
These crystals were made for beings of archdemon caliber.
And now, they were about to be consumed by... a mere girl.
It was suicide…
Selina gazed at the crystals.
She fully understood that this was not just "gaining power."
This was not a game. It wasn't even a trial.
—"If you can't handle it..."— Elgot's voice was heavy, cold.
—"You won't be yourself anymore."
Selina knew this. But she didn't even blink.
—"I understand."
Kano stood beside her.
He had never seen her like this.
Before, she had seemed delicate, even fragile.
But now...
Now there was a steel-like gaze in her eyes.
—"Are you really ready?"— Kano's voice trembled.
He didn't want to say it.
But...
He couldn't let her die.
Selina turned her gaze to him and... smiled.
—"Kano..."
—"Can you promise me one thing?"
—"What?"
Her eyes softened, but remained serious.
—"If I can't handle it... stop me."
His heart missed a beat.
Elgot slowly extended the crystal.
Even his hand was trembling.
—"This... is your choice."
Selina didn't look away.
She took the yellow crystal and pressed it to her chest.
A sudden flash.
Her body was wracked with pain.
Her scream echoed throughout the guild.
—"Selina!"
The air crackled from the strain of the mana.
Her body seemed to burn.
The crystal began to literally sink into her skin.
The power raged like a storm in a confined space.
Her back arched, and her hands clenched into tight fists.
No one could approach.
—"What's happening to her?!"
Her eyes snapped open – golden, blinding.
And she fell to her knees.
Inside her mind – emptiness.
Darkness and light blended together.
And then, she saw him.
The demon.
He was not a monster.
He had a human face—perfect, refined, almost divine.
But his eyes…
His eyes were black abysses.
—"Poor child..."— his voice was tender, almost gentle.
—"What are you doing? Why do you seek pain? Why do you seek fear?"
Selina shivered.
—"You have no choice, little one... You will fall, no matter what."
He began to show her illusions.
Kano, looking at her with disgust.
Elgot, whispering "puppet."
Naira, coldly turning away.
—"Do you see? They don't believe in you. They never did."
She felt her will dissolve.
They... despise me...?
No!
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
—"I will not submit!"
And she took a step forward.
The demon froze.
Selina took another step.
The illusions shattered like glass.
—"No! You can't!"
One scream—and everything exploded in light.
And she opened her eyes.
She was lying on the cold floor of the guild.
The air around her was swirling with energy.
The crystal had completely dissolved within her body.
She survived.
—"She's alive!"
But Selina didn't hear their voices.
She barely lifted her head.
—"This... is not enough..."
—"Give me another."
The guild erupted in shouts.
—"Are you crazy?!"
—"You barely survived!"
But she had already extended her hand.
—"I have to become stronger!"
Elgot clenched his fist.
—"Then take it."
The second crystal was in her hand.
And it instantly dissolved.
The guild trembled from the force that had just been born.
The guild was still shaking from the powerful surge of mana.
The wooden beams creaked, and the lanterns flickered, as if a storm were raging inside the building.
The air became heavy, literally ringing with magical tension, squeezing the chest of anyone in the hall.
And in the midst of this chaos...
Selina.
She slowly rose to her feet.
But she was no longer the girl from a few minutes ago.
Her body was wrapped in pure, white light, so bright that it cast long shadows on the walls.
But the most important thing was not this.
Her hair…
The light began to run through the strands, as if the radiance itself was flowing across them, changing their color.
Dark strands of hair began to lighten, taking on an otherworldly hue—a soft pink with golden shimmering highlights.
It seemed as though every movement of her hair emitted a faint glow, as if it were filled with pure mana.
Her eyes…
They were no longer ordinary.
They were the eyes of a goddess.
Naira unconsciously stepped back.
—"This..."— her voice almost faltered.
—"What has she done?"
Kano couldn't look away.
This was no longer just a level-up.
It was something more.
He felt it—he didn't even understand it, but he FELT it—that before him stood something new.
Elgot silently watched her.
—"You... survived."
Selina turned her gaze toward him.
She was breathing steadily.
Her body no longer twisted in pain.
She wasn't exhausted.
She... had changed.
Her eyes stopped at the tables where Lenor and Ragnar lay.
Their bodies were pale, nearly lifeless.
Dark lines of demonic poison had already crept toward Lenor's heart.
—"If we don't act now..."— Elgot's voice was muffled.
—"They'll die."
Selina knew this.
She already knew what to do.
She took a step forward.
—"Step back."
Her voice sounded… different.
Not a plea.
Not an order.
It was the certainty of someone who knew they could change the world.
She stood between Lenor and Ragnar.
Her hands rose, and a flow of light erupted from her body.
The guild literally trembled.
Mages, alchemists, and warriors froze in place.
They had never seen healing work like this.
The light didn't just wrap around the wounds.
The light penetrated the very essence, the very existence.
The dark veins of demonic poison… vanished.
Everyone held their breath.
The poison didn't evaporate.
It didn't disappear inside the body.
It crumbled like dust, turning into nothing.
This wasn't how even light magic worked.
It was something more.
Lenor and Ragnar were almost dead.
But...
Their chests rose sharply—first breath.
They snapped their eyes open.
At the same time.
Their bodies were no longer covered in poison.
Their wounds... disappeared.
They didn't even feel weakness.
They returned—not just alive.
They returned stronger.
The guild exploded with exclamations.
—"What?!"
—"They're alive!"
Naira even dropped her jaw.
Elgot just stared at Selina, unable to say anything.
This wasn't healing.
This was rebirth.
The light faded.
Selina staggered sharply... and fell.
But this time, there was no need to catch her—Naira was already there.
—"Damn..."— she held her tightly, not letting her fall.
Selina lost consciousness.
But it wasn't exhaustion.
It was simply... adaptation.
She had changed.
She was no longer the same as before.
She was... awakened.
The guild froze in deep silence.
Just a few minutes ago, a magical storm had raged here.
Mana had pierced the air like lightning in a thunderstorm.
The power of light that had just revived the two strongest warriors still hung in the air, like the residual echo of divine intervention.
And now—only silence.
Lenor and Ragnar sat on the tables, breathing heavily.
Their hearts beat too calmly.
Their hands didn't tremble.
Their eyes... had become sharper.
Lenor raised his hands, staring at his own palms.
No scars.
No weakness.
It was as if he had been reborn.
Ragnar remained silent.
But he, too, felt the change.
He slowly clenched his fists... and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Strength.
An unusually pure, light strength filled his muscles.
—"What did she do?"
Lenor and Ragnar locked eyes... and smiled.
—"Not today, my friend."
They jumped down from the tables.
Lenor's office was lit only by a few magical lamps.
Their light was soft but unnaturally even—without any flicker.
The magical symbols faintly glowing on the walls pulsed in time with the residual magical energy.
Even in this dim room, it was clear: something had changed forever.
Lenor, Ragnar, Kano, Elgot, and Naira sat around a large oak table.
Even the most talkative among them were silent.
Only heavy breathing and the quiet hum of the magical lamps filled the space.
Kano couldn't hold back first.
—"What the hell just happened?"
Elgot turned to Lenor.
—"How do you feel?"
Lenor looked at his hands.
—"Like new."
He lifted his eyes.
— "But now I'm afraid."
Kano didn't understand.
— "Why?"
Lenor slowly shifted his gaze to the door.
There, in the adjacent room, Selina was sleeping.
The silence in the room suddenly changed.
The air became… different.
Saturated, heavy.
As if the space itself sensed her presence.
— "Because if she could do this..."
Lenor ran his tongue over his dry lips.
— "Then who else will find out?"
Silence.
These words hung in the air, cold and heavy.
This tense silence lasted exactly five seconds…
And then it was broken by hysteria.
— "What the hell is going on?!"
Elgot grabbed his head, eyes wide open.
His voice was sharp, almost cracking, as if he didn't believe what he was saying.
— "What the devil's throat was all that?!"
He abruptly stood up, shifting his gaze from Kano to Naira, then to Lenor.
— "Someone, for the love of gods, tell me what's happening!"
His hands were shaking.
— "We nearly died! The barrier! The Order! The mess! And to top it off— a little girl who literally created new life!"
He waved his hand toward the adjacent room, where Selina lay sleeping.
— "Do you understand, for god's sake, what just happened?!"
The air in the office was heavy with tension.
Everyone was silent.
Until…
Lenor slowly raised his head.
And smiled.
— "Heh-heh..."
His lips stretched into a sly, barely noticeable grin.
His eyes sparked with curiosity.
— "You really want to hear the whole story, old man?"
Elgot immediately fell silent.
Everyone froze.