POV Kim Min-Jae

They're too far for me to hear exactly what they say, but I feel some mana from Lily. That warm mana she often used to heal all of us with that smile of hers.

I feel as if something got stuck in my throat and I blink my eyes multiple times to get rid of the tears.

What should I do? How can I look at her the same way as before knowing… god damn it. I shake my head and get rid of the bad memories.

There's nothing I can do now.

At that moment, I see Lily lose balance and lean on Nathaniel's chest. Her body then slowly slides down his body and ends up at his feet. He didn´t even try to catch her.

I still feel her mana but she seems to be unconscious. As if by reflex, I take a step towards the duo but immediately, I stop in the middle of taking that step.

Nathaniel's mana explodes into the surrounding and for the first time since his fight with Hadwin, his face gains some expression.

Anger.

“You STUPID girl!” he screams towards the girl at his feet and his mana reaches even me. Dangerous, vicious, and cold, yet still under his control even in this state.

Two massive arms made of mana appear on his back and then slam towards the ground, seemingly about to crush Lily's head, and the ground cracks under their strength, sending some dust and pieces of ground and grass into the air.

“Do not dare…” he cuts off, “Do not DARE…” he cuts off again and even more mana fires up around him.

“FUCK!” one more scream and then all the mana disappears as if it never existed, immediately his face is back to his emotionless mask and he bends down only to pick up Lily.

He holds her gently, carefully, as if she is made out of glass.

[Focus][Focus][Focus]!

Fuck, I give up! The [Focus] just straight up refuses to get rid of the feelings that are right now confusing me.

I hate it.

Deep, slow breath in. Hold for a few seconds. Breathe out.

Repeat.

Good.

I glance at Lily´s face and the emotions are all back.

How should I react when you treat me with such kindness? Why are you trying to get under my skin so much?

I hate you. I hate people like you.

Just use me. Simple give and take. Make me get hurt instead of you so in exchange you will be healing me.

Don't do this.

I gently put her on the bed inside of the house and look at her for a while and then at my restored left arm. Even only a few moments after restoring, I can feel how much better my mana flow is. The arm is perfect.

Okay.

OKAY.

I really give up. You won. I hope you're a happy, stupid girl. I won't forget your kindness towards me and I will pay more than I received.

Just as I repay in revenge much more than I receive, I will also return much more for the kindness you have shown me.

“Ruby, can you get me something close to 120? “

“Nat, I understand you, I do, but that is too much for you, try to think calmly.”

“...”

“Nat…”

I know. I realize it. But I need to do something now. Something else to focus on.

“Ruby, please.”

“For fuck's sake, you're dumb.”

Her skill flickers into existence and a monster appears in the clearing.

[Mireblood Troll - lvl ?]

It feels strong, much stronger than any monster I fought up until now, yet I know that it isn't a named one. Named ones are much more dangerous even while being at lower levels.

Five orbs made of dark blue mana appear around me and start spinning, immediately gaining much more speed than I was able to do before.

I lift up my left arm and squeeze my fingers into a fist.

I feel my mana flowing, I feel my circuit working. Cerebral Harmony works too and my mana listens to every thought, more responsive, quicker than ever before.

[Mana Surge]

I boost the orbs and a loud whistling noise sounds in the surrounding.

First orb slings at the troll that immediately gets blocked by a shield made of mana that the troll puts up.

A loud deep groan reverberates in the air and with loud stomps, the troll runs at me, moving much faster than his seemingly too-big body should allow him.

The second orb stops in the air as I absorb its kinetic energy, immediately shooting it at the troll in a cone of concentrated energy that is thinner than ever before. This time a crack appears on the shield.

A tiny, small crack.

The third orb slings and smashes against the crack, finally breaking it and disappearing in the process.

The troll is so close that I can hear his deep growling and breathing, his eyes shining, glued on me. Angry and dangerous.

The fourth and fifth orb stop and also lose their energy and I hold it, transform it, and a brilliant dark yellow flame comes into existence. At first wide but I quickly force it into a thinner and thinner cone until it's as thick as my thigh.

The flame smashes against the troll and is stopped by the barrier that hovers over its skin. More orbs appear around and start spinning wildly only to slow down one after another, used to feed me with kinetic energy that I immediately transform into thermal one.

A notification rings somewhere in the back of my mind while the yellow flame roars through the air, making the air flicker from the heat and smashing against the troll's barrier, finally it cracks, and some of the monster's flesh gets burned.

Not enough and I dash backward, mana immediately switching from [Redistribution] to boosting my body.

The pieces of ground and grass explode into the surrounding, and the troll's hit leaves a crater on the ground.

Mana explodes from the troll and I feel pulled towards him.

[Disruption] fires up but it's not enough and the effects hit me, so I use one [Focus] to keep it running constantly, creating a disrupting field around my body.

Another notification.

The pale blue mana shines around the troll in the black-and-white world of [Focus].

I create a long sword. The mana it's made of is dark blue, the sword more dense than ever before.

Then I apply [Disruption] to the blade and try to add [Oscillation] as well but backlash hits me and I feel mana clash inside my arm, sending pain through my body and canceling the skills.

So I only use [Disruption].

I feel heat spreading through my body as I send even more mana to my Construct. My muscles tense up, feeling stronger than ever before.

The sense of speed is stronger than ever before as I dash towards the troll.

In the monster's hand, an axe made of blood and mana appears, radiating a pale red light. The same as the troll's eyes.

ROAR.

He challenges me and I just [Focus] more, watching its body, perceiving its mana.

At the last moment, I dodge to the side and absorb all the energy that would've otherwise created another crater in the ground, using it to make myself move even faster.

[Mana Surge] boosts [Disruption] around the sword and I forge it to a thinner and thinner shape, slashing against the monster's leg. The sword slashes through the barrier, disrupting mana and tearing it as if it's nothing, and the sword made of [Armament] lodges deep inside the monster's leg.

For a moment the disruptive field strengthens even more and I switch to oscillating mana, cleanly cutting off the monster's leg and at the last moment dodging a swing of its arm that I felt with my [Perception]

The monster falls to one knee while roaring.

Orbs start spinning around me again and this time I cover their surface with [Disruption]. Before the monster gets a chance to stand up all five orbs sling towards its face, blinding one of its eyes and leaving more wounds on it.

More mana explodes from its body and I feel pulled towards it only to immediately get hit by one of its arms, sent flying away and rolling on the ground.

My head is spinning as I didn't have enough time to react. When I get back on my feet the troll is in front of me, somehow shortening the distance between us even on one of its legs.

Another hit lands on my body but this time I brace myself, strengthening my body to the max and groaning with pain as my muscles feel they are about to tear. The kinetic energy I absorbed turns into thermal and a thin cone of yellow flame roasts the troll's head, making it stagger backward.

An axe made of mana appears in my hands, massive, and the blade of it is covered in wildly oscillating mana. The grass stops moving around me and I boost the swing with all the kinetic energy I have, cleaving the axe deep inside the monster's side.

ROAR.

I'm pulled towards the monster again and this time I let him do it, even boosting myself again. The axe turns into a massive spike whose entire size vibrates.

At the last moment, I use some absorbed energy to push against the monster's swinging axe and dodge it to the side, finally burrowing the spike inside its neck.

[Oscillation] runs wildly, wreaking havoc on the monster's flesh and I push more and more mana into the spike and with a push of [Mana Surge] enlarge it, finally separating the troll's head from its body.

When the notification sounds, I fall down on my bottom, breathless, my head ringing.

[You have defeated a Mireblood Troll - lvl 116]

[Lvl 73 > Lvl 75]

Congratulations, you have successfully completed the side quest. You have acquired an upgrade token. Choose carefully!