Sleek.
Sera's blade cut across the wolf monster's neck, hot blood spraying out and drenching her from head to toe.
[Not bad at all.]
I answered him through thought alone. I want to see how she fares against beasts with mana... but they're rare outside the dungeons.
[She might struggle,] Nexar scribbled lazily. [Mana beasts are unpredictable. Their stats fluctuate mid-fight.]
I gave a small nod, watching as Sera pressed on.
Her sword, her father's keepsake, blunt but reliable, plunged deep into the wolf's stomach despite its speed.
Blood gushed out as she yanked the blade free, her sky-blue dress now half crimson, matching the blood streaks across her frost-colored hair.
She needs to work on agility, I told Nexar silently. And her awareness. Monsters like these hunt in packs. She's spending too much time on just one, leaving herself wide open.
[You're right, the smarter ones are already circling. Look at her blind spots.]
My eyes narrowed. He was right.
Two wolves lunged at once, one from her left, the other from her right.
I caught the trick instantly: the right wolf was deliberately half a beat slower. Sera, thinking she had her chance, swung hard at the one on the left.
But the beast ducked low, bowing its body like a drawn string before snapping upward, ready to tear into her sides.
Sera bent back at the last second, its claw skimming just above her chest.
She pivoted sharply on her heel, swinging her sword in a wide arc.
The blunt edge slammed into one wolf's ribs, sending it crashing into its comrade.
"Kuek!" The sound tore out of their throats as both hit the ground hard.
The one that took the full blow convulsed, blood spilling from its mouth.
Its rib must have punctured a lung. It twitched helplessly until still.
The second wolf, less unlucky, limped away with a broken leg.
Sera didn't hesitate. She ran for the limping one.
That's when I saw the shadow moving behind her.
I bolted from the bush she'd hidden me in, blade flashing as I skidded into place between her and the beast about to pounce on her back.
I feinted low, aiming for its belly, but the monster twisted midair, spinning its body away from my strike.
Too bad for it. I adjusted my grip mid-swing, left the sword to twirl in air, turned my wrist, and caught it again.
This time, my blade drove deep into its side, pinning it to the ground.
"grr..hhk.."
Before Sera could even turn around, I threw myself onto it, faking a desperate struggle to make it look like I needed her help.
Sure enough, Sera intercepted the limping wolf. She blocked its charge and shoved it back with a powerful thrust, slamming it into a tree. The creature coughed blood.
"kuek"
And clawed at the dirt, but in the end, it fled into the shadows.
Sera wasted no time. She raised her sword high and stabbed cleanly through the neck of the monster I had pinned. The twitching stopped instantly.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled me to my feet with one hand, her face filled with concern.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her puppy-like eyes soft and worried.
"Of course," I replied, watching the remaining monsters scatter into the forest.
[This dead one must be their leader.]
I gave a short nod. Makes sense. Packs usually break apart once their leader's down.
That's when I felt a tug on my shirt.
"Hey, hey. What are you doing?" I asked, clutching my blood-soaked shirt as Sera's grip tightened.
"You're running on adrenaline," she said firmly. "You wouldn't even notice if one of its claws hit you. We need to confirm if this blood is yours or the monster's."
Before she could yank it off, I stepped back quickly. "I'm fine! Look, its claws were on the other side."
"No way. I'm still checking." She caught the back of my shirt before I could slip away.
That's it. I'm using aura.
[Do it, if you'd rather deal with her endless questions instead of a gentle breeze brushing your shirtless self.]
I clicked my tongue and braced myself, trying to resist. It was pointless. Her strength was on a whole other level.
"Let. Me. Check. The. Wounds," Sera said, tugging my shirt off in one rough pull.
I quickly crossed my arms over my torso. "Hey! Look, there's no wound. Satisfied?"
"Nope," she replied, her fingers tracing lightly across my bare skin.
I jolted. "H-Hey.. that tickles!"
"It should," she murmured, leaning closer. Her breath brushed warm against me, her frost-blue eyes suddenly carrying a seductive gleam.
I yanked her back and stumbled, crouching to grab my shirt. "This is a forest!"
She pouted, then bent down to my level and whispered teasingly into my ear.
"So… it's fine if it's not a forest?"
"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked, flustered, backing away with both hands doing my feet's job.
She chuckled softly. "Checking wounds, I mean."
"Yeah… totally believable," I muttered, yanking my shirt back on.
[I'm itching to activate "Soft Touch."]
You do that, and I won't run a single quest again.
[What are you, six?].
I sighed and sheathed my sword. "Let's move."
But halfway through my step, I stopped and glanced back at Sera, who was pulling her father's blunt blade out of the monster's neck.
"Hey, Sera," I called, tossing her my own weapon. "Use this."
She caught the sheathed C-rank sword with both hands, tilting her head in confusion.
"Hm?" she muttered, then slowly drew the blade. Its sharp edge reflected the sunlight, and her eyes lit up.
"Woah…" she whispered, her smile pure and innocent.
If anyone else saw her right now, they'd never believe she was the same girl who had just butchered the monsters at her feet.
She shifted her stance, twisted her fist, and slid one foot forward.
In a single, fluid motion she covered the distance between herself and a nearby tree. Her knee-length skirt swayed with the gust her technique created, her silver hair dancing in chorus with it.
Then... shhheekk...
she sheathed the sword slowly.
Creak.
The tree groaned before tilting sideways, crashing down with a thunderous thud that sent birds scattering from every branch in the area.
I couldn't help but smile. Wonderful, I thought.
[Her foot work is beautiful, down to the fundamentals.]
No kidding, I replied. If I train her properly, she could awaken aura in as little as four years.
[Four years? Impossible. That's too short, even for her.]
If she built this kind of footwork training in a village, imagine what she could grasp from me, I answered, a grin tugging at my lips.
I walked toward her as she admired the sword, her innocent smile broad and genuine. When she turned to me, her expression softened.
"Rune… you should keep it. You can protect your—"
I raised my palm, cutting her off.
"Sera," I said, my tone suddenly serious. "Do you know the Shield King's weakness?"
She blinked, caught off guard by the shift in my voice.
"Sh-Shield King's?" she stammered. Her brows furrowed, and after a moment she shook her head.
"I don't know…"
"It's diminished mobility," I explained. "A Shield King can raise the passive defense of every ally around him. He can summon barriers that can block almost any attack in this world. Just like a guardian knight like you could someday, once you've trained your mana, but on a much larger scale."
Sera frowned. "But… if they can't move well, then what's the use?"
"Exactly. That's why the Empire pours so much money into training people with A-tier gifts and higher. A Shield King(S+) who awakens aura can boost agility and overcome that weakness."
Her lips parted. "I heard gifts with the 'King' title only appear once in a generation. And they don't show up until the previous holder dies…"
I nodded. "Sword King and Spear King have always appeared in the Human Kingdom. Spirit King and Archer King in Elven lands. Shield King and Fist King, also known as the Martial King, always appear in Beast kingdom."
She lowered her gaze, confusion still clouding her eyes.
I leaned in slightly. "So let me ask you, Sera. With just one application to an academy in the Empire, you'd be given VIP treatment. A personal trainer, unlimited resources, free accommodation. Comfort everywhere once your daily tasks are done. Your career path would be paved in gold. So… would you like to go?"
Her confusion melted away in an instant, replaced by a fiery determination.
"No!" she burst out, her voice sharp. Then, trembling, she added, "Don't you dare try to get rid of me."
A smile carved across my face. My eyes lit with a smirk that made her take a half-step back.
"Wha—" she started, but I caught her hand.
"Wonderful," I said, my grin widening. My golden eyes flared crimson as sparks of red aura spilled out of me, dancing like strings in the air.
I locked my gaze on her icy-blue eyes. "Then come with me, Sera. I'll make you stronger than anyone else in this world ever could."
She recoiled, fear flashing across her face.
[Stop it! She can't handle your aura!]
I clenched down, forcing the red strings of energy back inside.
Thankfully, she wasn't trained enough to see the faint traces I'd released.
I faked a cough to cover it up.
Sera stared at me, confused. "What… was that?" she muttered.
"Well," I said with a sheepish smile, "nothing to worry about."
She studied me for a moment before regaining her composure.
"Let's leave the town today," I suggested.
"Yes," she replied quickly.
"Let's head to the inn and rest." I said walking.
"Yes."
"We'll check out this evening."
"Yes."
"And we'll be staying the night at the fore—"
"Yes," she cut me off again.
I stopped mid-step and turned back, narrowing my eyes at her. She stood there, smiling smugly.
"…Are you mocking me?" I asked suspiciously.
"Nope," she said with a grin far too innocent. "I'm just enjoying this… reliable version of Rune."
[This dude? Reliable?]
Fuck off.