Eldrin looked at Arden closely, his calm eyes studying him from head to toe.
"How," Eldrin asked slowly, "can humans become this strong?"
The forest was quiet as he continued.
"The last time we saw humans," Eldrin said, "they were nothing like you."
Silvar's tail flicked once. "They were strong by human standards."
Eldrin nodded. "Strong enough to easily kill Second Realm beasts. Some of them could even defeat weaker Third Realm beasts."
Bastor let out a low rumble. "But they were fragile."
Varyn continued coldly, "Their bodies were weak. One direct strike was enough to break them."
Eldrin's gaze returned to Arden. "They relied too much on mana."
He lifted a claw slightly, sensing Arden again. "But you are different."
Arden felt the pressure of Eldrin's attention but did not look away.
"The mana radiating from your body," Eldrin said honestly, "is not particularly overwhelming."
Silvar added, "Compared to the humans of the past, it is actually lower."
