The fire had long since burned down to glowing embers, casting a soft orange glow over the clearing.
Cassian sat cross-legged at the edge of the campsite, his eyes closed, body still. The night was quiet, save for the distant calls of nocturnal beasts and the soft whisper of wind through leaves. Mana pulsed faintly in the air—wild, untamed, hard to grasp.
He focused, reaching out.
Every inhale drew it in. Every exhale refined it through his Second Circle. The meditation process was precise—but tonight, it was draining. His reserves were empty, and the forest's mana was scattered, like trying to drink water from mist.
His hands trembled. His limbs ached.
> Just a little more... just enough for one more fight...
But the mana resisted. There was none left nearby to gather.
His body slumped forward slightly as his breath slowed. His meditation ended—empty.
---
The soft rustling of a blanket broke the stillness behind him.
Aika stirred from her sleep, sitting up slowly and blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her silver hair fell across her shoulders in soft waves, and her expression twisted in confusion as she moved her leg—then remembered the injury from the night before.
She winced.
But then—she lifted her hand, golden energy swirling at her fingertips.
> "Four-Star Skill: Healing Grace."
A radiant light washed over her leg, sealing the gash instantly. The pain vanished, replaced with warmth. She let out a small breath of relief.
Cassian turned his head slightly, watching her through tired eyes. "You're a healer too?" he asked, voice rough from fatigue. "Impressive."
Aika blinked. "Oh... yeah. It's just a skill I picked up from a rare book... nothing special."
Cassian smiled faintly. "You healed a deep laceration in seconds. Trust me—it's special."
She looked away quickly, cheeks burning.
> Why does his compliment feel so heavy...? she thought.
---
As the sun climbed higher, the two sat around the fire, sharing the last of their breakfast.
Cassian poked at a steaming root with a stick while Aika nibbled on dried fruit she had scrounged from her bag.
"Feeling better?" he asked between bites.
She nodded. "Thanks to your help last night... yeah. You really saved me, Cassian."
"You saved yourself," he said without hesitation. "I just kept the soup warm."
She gave a soft laugh. "Modest too. Dangerous combo."
They fell into a quiet rhythm again. For the first time, the tension between them had faded—replaced by something warmer, something lighter.
Cassian turned to her. "So. How many monster cores did you collect yesterday?"
Aika thought for a moment, then held up ten fingers. "Ten. And they weren't easy kills."
"Not bad."
She tilted her head. "Your turn."
Cassian smirked and leaned back. "That's a secret."
"What?! You made me tell you mine!"
"I didn't make you. You volunteered."
"You're impossible."
"Strategic," he corrected.
"You're deceitful, Lionheart!" Aika huffed, but her smile gave her away.
---
After the meal, they packed up camp together in companionable silence. Cassian helped tie her satchel, and Aika checked her map scroll.
Their paths would diverge from here.
> "So… I guess this is goodbye for now," she said, standing at the edge of the clearing.
Cassian nodded. "Stay sharp. The deeper zones won't be as forgiving."
"You too." She hesitated, then added with a faint grin, "Don't get yourself mauled. I'm not healing your face if you lose it."
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "You're admitting you'd miss it?"
Aika flushed. "I'm leaving now. Bye."
And with that, she turned and disappeared into the trees, the sun glinting off her armor.
Cassian stood there for a moment, watching the space where she'd gone.
> Strange girl… he thought.
But strong.
---
Day Two – The Hunt Deepens
The deeper Cassian ventured into the forest, the more dangerous it became.
The creatures here were larger, smarter, and more vicious. Packs of venom wolves, lightning stags, and scale-wrapped boars hunted the trees like ghosts.
But Cassian was relentless.
Blade and body moved as one. Every dodge, every parry, every strike was honed by hours of training and quiet resolve. Where others hesitated, he adapted. Where others tired, he endured.
By nightfall, his total count had reached fifty monster cores.
And he still wasn't done.
---
Aika, meanwhile, moved with renewed strength. Her leg fully healed, she summoned Fenris again—a stronger, more stable version than before.
Together, they hunted like a synchronized unit, clearing the southern trail and collecting thirty monster cores by the end of the second day.
---
Kaito pushed himself hard in the eastern ridge, his magic blazing like wildfire. Forty monster cores marked his tally, though his mana was starting to fray at the edges.
Ren and Subaru—still working as a pair—played it safe, gathering twenty cores each and avoiding large beasts.
The competition was heating up.
---
But Unseen...
Beyond the trees, deeper than any of them had dared go, two shadowy figures stood beneath the hanging roots of an ancient tree.
One wore a bone-white mask, its eye slots glowing faintly. The other was taller, clad in a veil of shifting mana.
> "They grow stronger by the hour," said the masked one.
> "The Lionheart and the Priestess," said the other. "Both shining far too brightly."
The masked figure turned toward the forest trail.
> "Let them. Light only shows us where to strike."
The wind shifted, and they vanished.