At that moment, something jumped out of a tall tree.
Cate saw the thing moving through the air and didn't hesitate, creating a large ball of fire in her left hand that she threw toward the humanoid, lizard-like being pouncing on them. This creature was over seven feet tall and covered in green scales from head to toe. It had a single horn on its alligator-like head and its eyes were pits of darkness. It had long claws on its six limbs, and as it moved to attack, its claws were primed to rip the three humans to pieces.
The ball of fire, over twenty feet wide, eclipsed the sunlight. When it collided with the magical beast, there was an explosion of light that forced everyone to close their eyes. The force of the explosion slammed into the barrier that Cate had erected. The force was so great that the barrier was covered in cracks when everything settled down. A clearing had been created around the three humans, with all the trees having been pulverized by the powerful force. The earth was burned black, and in the distance, trees were on fire.
Cate removed the barrier and suddenly came to a stop. She stood in place for a few seconds with her eyes focused on Mary's feet. Mary had worn simple closed shoes that gave her a schoolgirl vibe, but Cate somehow found Mary's feet to be the most interesting thing in this moment. Cate looked away from the feet before her bizarre actions could be noticed. The Mage-Born moved closer to the remains of the creature and poked it with one of his swords. The body, which had at first seemed intact, suddenly fell apart and crumbled into ash.
Cate had shown no mercy in her attack. To show mercy to one's enemy was to desire suffering for oneself. This was something she had learned a long time ago. She had learned to attack to kill at all times. The moment she determined that a person was her enemy, it meant a fight to the death, and since she liked being alive, she tended to wipe out her enemies with the utmost prejudice.
"Let's move on," said Cate. She could sense a few powerful things moving toward them. The fight had attracted their attention. The three increased their speed, and at some point, they even began running through the forest. They did this for three days, and the deeper they moved into the forest, the more bizarre things became. They were attacked on several occasions, and Cate easily took care of all the problems.
One night, when the three were about to go to sleep, Cate passed on the spell she had created to the Mage-Born. This was the spell that had been inspired by the spell the Mage-Born had created for his test. The Mage Born didn't say anything, but his gratitude was clear. This was a powerful spell that had even driven one of the judges, a supreme magician, to greed and subsequent death. The Avalon Society also wanted this spell, and yet Cate gave it to the Mage Born without asking for anything in return.
After that day, the attack power of their small group increased greatly, with the Mage Born using this powerful spell to summon spells that cut apart all manner of powerful magical beasts. Mary remained calm and simply followed along.
Cate and her group had moved through the forest for days now, and yet they had still not traveled the few tens of kilometers. This forest was clearly abnormal. As they made their journey, Cate and Mary grew closer. Even though the Mage Born barely spoke, the three of them grew to trust each other after going through all kinds of life-and-death situations.
On this day, the three were attacked by a snake that spewed toxic green gas. Cate created a barrier around Mary before she joined forces with the Mage Born to deal with the snake. This thing was huge, with one of its fangs being as long as Cate's leg. It had a body that was over two hundred feet long and was covered in scales as hard as steel.
The Mage Born's swords barely left a mark on the thing, and Cate's spells proved to be useless as the creature had a high level of immunity to magic. Their fight was very destructive, with the earth trembling and cracking apart. Cate used a spell to increase her strength, speed, and agility, allowing her to fight directly with the snake. The Mage-Born channeled more magic into his swords, making them glow like miniature suns in his hands.
In this manner, the two were barely able to fight off the creature. Cate was struck by the snake's tail. She was sent flying through the forest, breaking several trees along the way. She was covered in blood. The Mage Born didn't stop to check on her, as this would be a foolish thing to do when faced by something as terrible as this snake. He instead took this chance to pierce one of the snake's huge eyes with one of his swords. The snake cried out in pain as it thrashed its body with no regard for its surroundings. It thrashed and rolled on the ground, taking the Mage-Born along for the ride. He was slammed into the earth and his body was crushed by the terrible weight of the creature.
Mary threw a potion to Cate. It was a healing potion. She opened it and poured the red liquid down her throat. The wounds on her body healed in a matter of seconds, and this included her broken bones. The pain she had to endure through all this was immense, but Cate had lived through greater, and yet she screamed out loud as though this was the most painful moment in her life.
After she was fully healed, Cate used another spell to increase her endurance and suppress her pain before she rejoined the battle. The snake was powerful, but in the end, it fell at the combined power of the two of them.
Just before they could celebrate, a small snake that resembled the giant one they had just killed managed to pass through the barrier that surrounded Mary and bit her on the thigh. Mary let out a painful scream that drew Cate's attention to what was happening. She used a simple spell that created a middle-sized arrow of fire that killed the snake instantly. Still, the snake's poison was already making its way through Mary's body.
Cate had to think of something as fast as possible. She remembered a small lake they had passed by a few days ago. The lake had a large concentration of magic, and this was exactly what Mary needed to survive this poison. Cate carried Mary in her arms before sprinting for the lake. With her enhanced strength and speed, Cate moved faster than any car and was more agile than any beast on earth. The Mage-Born followed from behind, but he could not keep up with her speed.
Cate reached the lake in a matter of minutes. She placed Mary on the side of the lake before she dove into the murky water. A few seconds later, sinister sounds began coming from the water, and the lake was soon covered by powerful waves. It was as though a terrible fight was taking place at the bottom of the lake. This went on for about three minutes before there was an underwater explosion that lifted almost all of the lake's water into the air.
Cate soon walked out of the lake with her left hand dragging a corpse behind her. This was the corpse of a beaver-like creature that had humanoid features and thick grey fur. She threw it to the side like rubbish before she carried Mary into the lake. Cate immediately began using a healing spell on Mary while channeling the magical power within the lake.
Mary regained consciousness a few hours later. Cate and the Mage-Born had set up camp by the side of the lake, and this time, they had even set a small fire. Even though they understood the risk, Mary needed the warmth.