THE NEXT DAY
Alex had trained all day with the youngsters. Now, it was time to go face the king guarding the mine.
Alex stood at the village gates, surrounded by all the dwarves, slimes, and ants who had come to wish him good luck and say goodbye. Avudar stepped forward and said:
"I hope you come back safe and sound."
The ant queen, in tears, added:
"I know you're going to crush him, boss… so come back quickly!"
Alex smiled and replied:
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Alright, I'm going!"
Suddenly, a dwarf girl ran toward him. She was holding a green outfit in her hands.
"Here, boss," she said. "I made it for you. It's made from leaves: durable and comfortable to wear, you'll see!"
Alex took it and examined the outfit:
"Incredible… it's way better than that old outfit stolen from a corpse! You even made shoes… thank you. But… sorry, I don't know your name."
"My name is Mystria," she replied timidly.
"Thank you, Mystria. I'll put it on."
A few minutes later, Alex put on the outfit: it fit him perfectly. A belt had been made for his two mini-axes.
"You're really talented," he said with a smile. "I especially love the gloves!"
"It's nothing, it's just a passion," Mystria replied modestly.
Alex spoke in a calm but firm tone:
"Never belittle work done with passion. Because someone who puts all their heart into what they do leaves a piece of themselves in it… That's admirable."
Mystria, touched, leaned forward slightly, head bowed. A small tear slid down the corner of her eye.
"Thank you… boss," she murmured emotionally.
Alex gave a sincere smile, crossed his arms, and added with determination:
"Perfect. I'm ready!"
Andris stepped forward:
"Boss, let me come, please. I want to tell of your incredible fight, I want to share this story!"
Alex laughed:
"Alright."
A slime jumped out of the group toward Alex.
"So you want to come with me too? Very well, why not!"
"Let me come too, please!" said Kiran.
Other dwarves and even Emilia spoke up.
Alex shook his head:
"Sorry, that would be too much. Kiran, you have to stay to protect the village."
Kiran lowered his head, disappointed, gripping his sword.
"Don't worry, I'll come back with everything needed to improve your sword," Alex reassured him.
Kiran raised his head, determined:
"Alright."
Alex knelt down and said to Andris and the slime:
"Hold on!"
The slime jumped onto Alex's shoulder, while Andris held on to his neck. Alex leapt violently into the sky. The jump created a shockwave that swept everyone away.
Kiran was the first to stand up and murmured:
"One day, I'll be able to do that too…"
Alex was leaping from tree to tree at an incredible speed, covering several dozen meters with each jump.
"Aaaah, boss! Can't you go slower? I'm going to fall!" shouted Andris.
Alex scanned the forest, attentive to the slightest energy flow.
"This forest is huge… It will still take us five minutes to reach the mine," he said, moving between the twisted roots.
Then, without diverting his attention, he said in a calm but confident voice:
"Hold on, Andris."
His eyes narrowed slightly, focused on detecting the energy around them.
The energy he felt was becoming more and more intense. It was surely the king's, close to the mine.
"We're almost there," he murmured.
From above, Alex finally saw the mine. In the center of a vast area surrounded by ancient trees, a dark opening appeared in a huge moss-covered rock. Daylight illuminated the entrance, revealing shining stones. Alex landed in front of the entrance and said:
"So this is the famous mine… I see the stones' reflections. I can't wait to start mining inside!"
But suddenly, the ground shook, and a huge humanoid monster burst out of the mine, sending rock shards flying everywhere. Standing two meters tall, all white, muscular, with long black hair and green eyes, it held a massive axe. The monster roared violently, releasing an aura that swept everything in its path.
Alex shielded himself from the blast, which almost carried Andris away. But he grabbed the young man by his sweater before he could fly higher.
"Alright… this is going to be tough this time."
"Hide behind a tree, Andris…" ordered Alex firmly. "And take the slime. This could get dangerous…"
Without hesitation, Andris and the slime rushed behind a tree to take cover.
[Next Evolution: ???]
Time remaining before evolution: 10 minutes.