Rain poured steadily from the grey sky, soaking the forest in a cold, relentless drizzle. Each step squelched in the muddy ground, the scent of wet earth thick in the air. The canopy overhead offered little shelter—droplets slipped through the leaves and struck Erik's armor with quiet, constant taps.
The forest no longer felt like a place of life. It hung heavy with silence, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder and the occasional crack of a branch underfoot.
The lingering scent of blood still clung to the air, barely masked by the rain. Even the birds had gone quiet.
Erik walked ahead, eyes scanning the trees, every sense still alert despite the fatigue pulling at his limbs. Behind him, the old captain limped, breathing shallowly, his boots dragging through the muck. Neither of them spoke.
The battle had ended, but the forest didn't feel safe. It felt like it was holding its breath—like something unseen was still watching.
After some time walking through the rain, Erik reached the cave. He stopped and closed his eyes.
A mana marble always emits a trace of mana—an aura that clings to the things around it. Since the marble and the sorcerer who created it are connected, that sorcerer can sense what's happening in its vicinity. Not clearly, not like sight, but enough to form a picture.
That's what Erik was doing now—reaching out with his mana, reading the space inside the cave.
It wasn't crystal clear, but it was enough.
"Come on. Let's go in," Erik said, and stepped inside. The old man followed close behind.
It didn't take long before a warm, unexpected aroma hit Erik.
He raised a brow. "This is unexpected."
A few steps deeper, and he spotted them—Elsa and Eri peeking at him from behind a large boulder.
"Hey," Erik said casually, brushing rain from his shoulders. "I'm back."
But they didn't look at him. Not really. Their eyes were fixed on the man behind him.
Right. Of course.
"Oh—this is Old Man Val," Erik explained, motioning toward the captain. "Met him while I went to investigate the monster."
Still, Elsa and Eri looked confused, uncertain.
"Why don't we sit down? It's a long story," Erik said, gesturing toward the fire.
The four of them sat. Erik glanced around the cave and spotted signs of a recent fight—scuffed stone, the faint metallic scent of blood, claw marks.
"Wavens?" he asked.
"What?" Eri blinked, then followed his gaze. "Oh—yeah. Don't worry about them. We took care of it. Every last one." She wore a smug grin.
Erik just nodded.
"So, how'd you meet the old man?" Eri asked, tilting her head.
Erik took a breath and began explaining what had happened in the forest.
---
Erik finished explaining—how he'd found the guild, the Karken, and everything that came after.
Old Man Val stood up.
"Thanks for having me. I'll help with everything I've got to kill that monster," he said firmly.
"As you can see," Erik added, "I've already told him why we're here, and he's on board. He might not look like much, but he smashed half of the monster's face in."
Eri raised a brow. "Well, it's not surprising, considering what he carries around."
She was right. That sledgehammer wasn't just for show—it was crafted specifically for monster hunting, and forged by none other than Eskil himself.
Given that, Val likely hailed from a warrior family. His control over mana was refined, disciplined. Years of training were written into every movement. The only thing that marked him as old was the ash-grey in his beard and hair.
Elsa leaned forward. "Were you able to find the hearts?"
Erik nodded. "Yeah. I destroyed one. Judging by the size and mutations, I'd say it has at least two more. The thing's about eight feet tall, six legs, two arms. The arms are long—too long—almost like two fused together. One of its hearts is dead center in its body, but the skin there is thick, reinforced. I couldn't find the third one."
Elsa's face tightened with worry. "So what you're saying is… the monster's strong, and we still don't have a clear plan to kill it."
"Without knowing where the hearts are, it's suicide to go after that thing head-on," Val said.
"Shit," Eri muttered, slumping back. The frustration on her face said it all. They sat in silence, the fire crackling between them.
Val broke it. "On my way here, I passed another guild—twenty hunters, give or take. They're prepping for a strike. Maybe if we team up, we've got a shot."
Eri and Elsa didn't look convinced—especially Eri.
"There's another way," Erik said.
The others turned toward him.
"If I go all out, I think I can kill it—but only if my mana pool is full. I'll need time to prepare, and while I'm doing that, I need the three of you to stall it."
"Wait—are you serious?" Elsa asked, brows raised.
Erik nodded. "Yeah. With this terrain, we can't set traps. The monster's smart—it'll strike before we're ready. Facing it directly is the only real option. If you three can hold it off, I'll finish it. You've already seen I can get close to it."
He paused. "But I'll need a full day to recover my mana. Making mana marbles takes a lot out of me."
The group stared at him in silence, processing the weight of what he was asking.
Eri exhaled. "It's not like we have a better plan. Fine. We'll figure out how to buy you the time you need. But you'd better kill that thing."
Erik gave her a faint smile. "That's the plan."
Elsa looked around at the others. "Then let's eat and get some rest. We'll start working on a plan first thing in the morning."
With that, they shared a quiet dinner. There wasn't much talking, just the sounds of the fire and the distant storm still humming through the trees.
The next morning came quietly.
Erik left the cave early, heading to a secluded spot near the waterfall. Meditation was the only way to restore his mana quickly, and he'd need every drop of it.
Back in the cave, Elsa, Eri, and Val gathered around the dying embers of the fire, already deep in discussion—forming a strategy to stall the monster and give Erik the time he needed.