Down in the Arena, a small group of people, Adam among them, were busy cleaning up the mess left behind. They scraped away the layers of mud and rainwater, shoveling and patting down the ground as they filled in the pit that Drill and Melvin had dug out.

  I thought I caught Adam shooting me a quick glare before returning to work.

  “Hey,” I said.

  Arthur turned his head toward me. “Yeah, Beric?”

  “Don’t you think it’s a little cramped?” I asked, glancing around.

  He just shrugged.

  I slouched back in my seat, or rather, lounged lazily, hemmed in on all sides by everyone. To my right sat Arthur, to my left was Elaine, and behind the three of us were Mom and Dad. The Elders had gathered nearby as well. Even Merilda and Cedric had joined them, seated beside Elder Alric, while Volk drank beside Elder Liora.

  Weren’t they all sitting somewhere else before?

  Before I could dwell on it, a large hand suddenly reached over and ruffled my hair.

  I didn’t even need to look to know that it belonged to Elder Alric.

  “How’d you come up with that Form?” he asked.

  The others perked up immediately.

  “Yeah,” Arthur joined in, "You were like some kind of master swordsman, but with no sword! You just used your hands!”

  Everyone murmured their agreement.

  “What exactly did you do out there?” Elder Liora asked with an intrigued look.

  That’s a good question.

  A question so good that I’d like to ask it myself.

  From what I could tell, what I really did was strengthen my body, enough to the point where I could both endure and deal out heavier blows, all while moving faster than before. Then I just adapted to the reach of my limbs, like I always do, and applied my knowledge of swordsmanship and its techniques.

  But is something like that even possible?

  You just did it, so obviously it is.

  Well, I had to give them some kind of answer.

  “At first, I didn’t really think about it,” I began, “but my body sort of moved on its own.”

  “On its own?” Cedric repeated.

  “Yeah. And when I realized what I was doing, I-” I trailed off for a moment, thinking back. Now that I thought about it, it really had just…........clicked.

  “I instantly understood that my body was strong and fast enough to substitute the sticks with my own limbs.”

  “Huh? So you’re saying you just knew?” Arthur asked, leaning forward in disbelief.

  “I don’t really know how to explain it,” I admitted with a helpless shrug.

  Ugh, it’s simple.

  “Oh really?”.

  Yeah. Your body was strengthened, sure, but your mind hadn’t fully caught up yet. During that fight with Malo, as you started realizing just how much stronger you’d become , and how the limits you used to have no longer applied, your body reacted instinctively. Before your mind could process it, it just showed its full potential.

  “That’s a whole lot of nothing.”

  tHat’S A wHoLe LoT oF nOtHiNg- Shut your dumb ass up.

  “You needed experience,” Elder Alric suddenly said.

  All of us turned toward him.

  He finally released my hair, propping his head against his right hand as he studied me with a sharp gaze.

  “Your last real fight, one where you truly wanted to win, or rather, where you felt a need to win, was with that orc, wasn’t it?”

  An awkward silence fell over the group. Volk promptly spat out his drink in shock.

  “Wait, that actually happened? Beric seriously killed an—”

  His words were abruptly silenced as Elder Liora elbowed him hard in the ribs.

  Cedric and Merilda both turned to me. Cedric’s expression was pure astonishment, while Merilda’s was tinged with suspicion, like she was trying to piece together a story she wasn’t sure she wanted to believe.

  And now that I thought about it, he was right.

  Before I trained with the Elders, that orc had been the last real opponent I’d faced. During training, I’d only sparred roughly with Elder Alric, and since then, Malo had been my first true fight.

  “That’s right,” I said quietly.

  Elder Alric nodded. “You’d grown used to your previous limits, the ones you had when you fought that orc. After your training, though you recognized your growth, you hadn’t recognized your new limits. You didn’t yet understand what you were truly capable of.”

  He exhaled softly. “What you needed was a fight like the one against Malo, a desperate battle. One that would drag you to your lowest point. One that would make you confront yourself: your doubts, your fears, your anxiety over whether all that training had meant anything at all. You needed to fall, to hit the ground and look up again, to finally see how far you’d come. Only then could your body remember that as you grew stronger, so had your limits as well.”

  A grin crept across his face as he reached out and gently patted my head. “Little ghost,” he said, his voice carrying a warmth that almost surprised me, “you did well to get back up and to make it here. You’ve truly gotten strong.”

  I glanced downwards.

  It’s such an annoying feeling.

  Whenever I get insanely happy, I feel a tug in my throat.

  It always comes out whenever good things like this happen.

  “Thanks, Elder Alric.” I said, managing a small smile.

  Hey, that’s what I said!

  “Like hell it was.”

  On my momma, I said the exact same thing.

  “You don’t even have one.”

  Sys went silent as he simply stared at me. Then, a single tear fell from his eyes.

  Why would you say that?

  He then began to weep, summoning a small tissue out of nowhere as he dabbed his eyes with.

  You’re a heartless monster.

  ………………

  “The Way of the Sword,” Elder Liora began, “Though its true origins remain uncertain, whether it was born from mortal ingenuity or gifted to us by the gods above, it stands as a discipline that has grown and evolved from a single, simple weapon: the sword.”

  I tried my best not to sigh. I’d heard this speech more times than I could count, but honestly, anything was better than listening to Sys crying.

  “Because of its vast range of techniques,” she continued, “it’s generally accepted that there are four principal styles within the Way of the Sword. I’ve had you study all four, and you’ve exceeded my expectations by being able to wield each of them, no matter the weapon you hold.”

  Her gaze shifted toward me. “And now, I see that your weapons have gained a new form. You’ve mastered them to such an extent that even your own body has come to be recognized as one.”

  A faint smile curved her lips. “Well done, Beric Bome.”

  Why are they all doing this all of a sudden? It’s not like I’ve even won yet.

  Feeling awkward under her praise, I rubbed the back of my head and mumbled, “Thank you, Elder Liora.”

  “Your spirit!” Arthur suddenly yelled.

  Everyone turned toward him.

  “What?” I asked.

  “That green girl you summoned!” he said, gesturing wildly.

  “Oh, the Sprite you summoned,” Elaine clarified helpfully.

  Realization spread around the group as heads nodded in unison.

  “What about her?” I asked again.

  “You— I… uh—” Arthur stammered, proving once again why he wasn’t exactly the star pupil back at school.

  “Well, he’s not wrong to be curious,” Cedric said, leaning forward with interest.

  Merilda crossed her arms. “Soul-bonding with a spirit is rare even among the Elves. For a brat like you, it’s practically unheard of.”

  Elaine tilted her head. “So how did you manage to soul bond with a spirit?”

  I have to lie again.

  “I met her a few years ago in the forest near our home,” I said casually.

  Cedric frowned. “And she was just fine with becoming your summon?”

  “It took some convincing,” I admitted, “but after I met the Fairy Mother, Sprite agreed to my proposition.”

  “Oh, I see,” Cedric said, nodding slowly.

  The others did the same, turning away—

  “WAIT, WHAT?!”

  Merilda was the first to explode, practically jumping out of her seat. The others followed, their reactions overlapping in a chorus of disbelief.

  Mom and Dad looked at me like I’d just shouted cuss words. Elder Liora shook her head in disbelief, Elder Walden sighed deeply, and Elder Alric just laughed.

  “Is something wrong?”

  No duh, did you forget the whole thing about Fairy Mothers? Their whole shtick of being hidden from humans, and you know, being the master of the forest they live in?

  “But since I Soul Bonded with Sprite, is it really that crazy to assume that I met a Fairy Mother?”

  She birthed all of the spirits, so yeah, I’d say it’s still crazy.

  “Hmmmm, okay yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, Sys, for finally serving your purpose.”

  No problem, even though I feel like you just slapped the shit out of me with that back-handed comment.

  Cedric placed a hand on my shoulder. “Beric, are you sure you met the Fairy Mother of your village’s forest?”

  I nodded confidently. “Yeah, and you know, she was really nice to me. She also makes amazing snacks. And her home was super peaceful. Kind of cozy, actually.”

  Cedric’s jaw looked bigger than the Grand Canyon. “She let you inside?”

  “Uh-huh,” I said, nodding again.

  A collective sigh rippled through the group. Most of them just stared at me in open disbelief, while Elder Alric was too busy howling with laughter, clutching his stomach.

  “You do realize, Beric,” Cedric started again, his tone half amazed, half horrified, “a Fairy Mother only reveals herself a handful of times every century. And you’re telling us not only did you meet one, but she invited you in?”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “It’s because of his elvish blood,” Elder Walden interjected suddenly, cutting through the noise.

  All eyes turned toward him.

  “The spirits are naturally inclined to form peaceful relationships with elves,” he said. “They share an innate harmony with the earth and its flow of nature. Humans, on the other hand—” he paused, tapping his walking stick once against the floor, “—are creatures of ambition. To the spirits, that hunger to dominate and destroy makes us untrustworthy. So, they keep their distance.”

  He reached forward and gently tapped my forehead with his stick. “But since you’re not a full-blooded elf, communicating with the spirits should’ve been….......difficult, at best. And as for meeting the Fairy Mother—” he trailed off, frowning slightly, “—if what you say is true, then-”

  “Then what?” Arthur prompted.

  Elder Walden closed his eyes. For a long, silent moment, everyone waited.

  Finally, he sighed. “I have no idea.”

  ……..*cough*

  “I see.” Arthur nodded slowly.

  “But, there’s a simple way to find out.” Elder Walden continued.

  Volk raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”

  “Talk to the Sprite herself.”

  All eyes immediately turned toward me.

  Well? You got enough energy in you to summon her again?

  “I should probably ask her first,” I said, exhaling softly.

  Closing my eyes, I drew in a small, steady breath.

  “Hey, Sprite,” I whispered inwardly, “are you there?”

  I focused on the sounds around me, the quiet breaths of those sitting nearby, the faint gusts of wind still lingering after the storm, and the growing murmur of the crowd as the next match was being prepared.

  Then, faintly, I heard it. the soft rustle of leaves brushing together in the wind.

  “I’m here,” came her gentle voice.

  “Are you okay with coming out again?” I asked. “I’ve got some people here who’d like to talk to you.”

  A moment of silence. Then—

  “No.”

  Eh?

  “Why not? Is something wrong? Don’t worry, it’s just my family, the elders, a couple of students, and one very talkative ironsmith.”

  A soft chime echoed in my mind.

  “I’m scared,” she whispered.

  “Scared? But you were just out here a few minutes ago! You fought Malo all by yourself! How can you be scared now and not back when a giant was chasing you?”

  “It was different back then.”

  “How so?”

  “You were in danger.”

  Ah.

  She had been scared back then, too. But she still fought.

  At least, until I could.

  “Alright, I understand,” I said softly. “Don’t worry, I won’t force you. You can stay.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry.”

  And with that, the connection faded. I opened my eyes, blinking as the world around me came rushing back, remembering all the chatter, the air, and the people. For a moment, I’d almost forgotten where I was.

  “Beric?” Elaine’s voice pulled me back.

  “Sorry,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I was asking Sprite if she wanted to appear.”

  “And?” Arthur asked, leaning in expectantly.

  I shook my head. “She’s not comfortable showing herself in front of people yet.”

  “Huh?” Merilda frowned. “But she was just out against Ma—”

  Her sentence was abruptly cut off as Cedric clamped a hand over her mouth.

  “I see. That’s unfortunate,” Cedric said smoothly.

  Arthur tilted his head. “But why’s she scared? It’s not like we’re going to hurt her.”

  Elaine sighed, as if explaining something obvious. “It’s because we’re human. Spirits and humans have always had a rough relationship. It’s no wonder she doesn’t trust us completely yet.”

  “What? Why does that even matter?” Arthur asked.

  Elaine shot him a look. “Because you’re scared of them.”

  “Huh? Who said I’m scared of spirits? And besides, you are too!”

  “No, I’m not,” Elaine said flatly. “I just understand what they’re capable of, and I make sure not to accidentally anger them whenever I’m wandering through a forest.”

  “That’s literally being scared,” Arthur grumbled under his breath.

  Elaine raised an eyebrow and her fist. “I’ll show you what being scared looks like.”

  “Are you?”

  The two turned to me.

  “Are you scared of spirits like Sprite?” I asked.

  Arthur and Elaine both paused, clearly thinking it over.

  I already knew the answer. I’d been living with them long enough to understand.

  “Yeah,” Arthur finally admitted.

  “I suppose,” Elaine murmured.

  And now, Sprite knows as well.

  But what does being scared even mean?

  “But it’s not like you hate them, right?” I pressed.

  That seemed to catch them off guard.

  “Well, no. I don’t hate them,” Arthur said after a moment. “It’s not like I’d want to hurt any.”

  Elaine nodded slowly. “I’ve never had any ill will toward the spirits.”

  “It’s like wild wolves,” I said. “You can be scared of them, but you don’t hate them enough to want to kill them. You respect their strength and the danger they pose to you. That’s why you avoid them. It’s the same with spirits, right?”

  Both of them blinked at me.

  “It’s exactly like that.” Arthur confirmed.

  “I agree,” Elaine added quietly.

  I turned to Cedric and Merilda. “How about you two?”

  They exchanged glances.

  “Honestly? You nailed it,” Cedric said.

  “I guess,” Merilda muttered.

  “And you, Volk?”

  Volk shifted awkwardly. “I’ve seen some pretty nasty stuff spirits have done. But the people they did it to kind of deserved it. So I can’t condemn them just for that.”

  “And the Elders?”

  Elder Walden gave a small, dismissive sigh, clearly not caring much. Elder Alric just shrugged with a crooked grin, which said about the same thing. Elder Liora, however, only smiled and nodded silently.

  “Mom? Dad?”

  Dad looked at Mom, who lowered her gaze.

  “When I was younger,” she began softly, “I heard so many stories about the dangers of the forest, and the curses that spirits would cast on unsuspecting children.”

  In my mind, I heard the faint, dull ring of a broken bell.

  “Even now,” she continued, “I still find myself worrying when I walk through the trees. I can’t seem to forget the fear that was ingrained into me, of spirits lurking just out of sight.”

  She hesitated, then looked up at me. “But when I saw your Sprite appear and fight for you, it felt refreshing. Like realizing something I’d never considered.”

  Her eyes softened. “The spirits are strong and dangerous enough to hurt us. But so are we to them. We’re just as scary to them as they are to us. And yet, you and the Sprite showed that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

  She reached out and held my hand, her grip warm and steady.

  “You two showed me that we don’t have to be scared of each other. And even though I am still scared, I know that because of you and her, one day, I’ll be free of that childish fear.”

  She smiled. “And besides, she’s a good friend, isn’t she? The Sprite?”

  A friend, huh?

  Is that what Sprite is to me?

  Not just a summon, but an actual friend?

  If she is, then that would make Sys mine as well……....

  Ewwwwwww.

  I don’t like the thought of that either.

  But I can’t deny the fact that Sprite saved me earlier.

  So, while she isn’t necessarily a friend, she is still good.

  A good companion.

  “She is.”

  Mother nodded. “I see.”

  A louder wind chime rang.

  “Your mother is kind.”

  “So is yours. Mom are like that……....usually.”

  I heard her softly sigh.

  “I think that after this tournament, I might be fine with talking to them myself.”

  “Really? Well, then we got to make sure we win the entire thing. It’ll be awkward if you appear after losing.”

  “That relies on you, so I suppose I won’t appear after all.”

  “Haha, real funny, spoiled brat. Now go back to sleeping or whatever.”

  “Good night, Beric.”

  “Night.”

  And with that, with a final sound of leaves rustling, Sprite returned to her slumber.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Oh, that reminds me.

  “Hey, Elder Alric,” I asked. “What’s the Zenith Generation?”

  Elder Alric’s grin widened. “Ah, the Zenith Generation,” he repeated, leaning back in his chair. He cleared his throat dramatically. “Well, they were born a few years before you, but it refers to a group of seven young geniuses, prodigies so gifted they are said to have the potential to change the entire world.”

  “Ah,” I marveled.

  Marveled is a bit strong to describe what you did.

  “Since they were all born in the same year, and they all shared equally extraordinary talent, the world began calling them the Zenith Generation,” Alric continued. “Malo’s one of them, known as the Fighting Genius. He was blessed with a perfect body and an unparalleled instinct for battle.”

  “But I beat him,” I said bluntly.

  Elder Alric threw back his head and laughed, ruffling my hair again with his rough hand. “You did, and that’s something worth being proud of. But the title of ‘Zenith Generation’ isn’t about strength alone. It’s reserved for those born in that specific year. I’m afraid you were born just a bit too late.”

  “Then does that mean I’m above them?” I asked, half-joking, half-serious.

  He looked at me with a thoughtful hum. “Hmm. That depends.”

  His grin faded. “If you’re asking whether you’re stronger than Malo, then yes, I’d say you’ve proven that. But Malo’s talent was never enough to make him truly unbeatable. Even among the Zenith Generation, his physical gifts alone weren’t enough to guarantee victory.”

  Elder Alric’s tone deepened. “There are others within the Zenith Generation who aren’t as physically strong as Malo but are still capable of defeating him with ease.”

  Oh my word.

  Yep, you see it. There’s levels to this, little bro. Don’t get all confident now.

  “Especially Mayern.”

  That name again.

  “Hello again, ladies and gentleman, sorry for the wait.”

  Hmmmm.

  “What’s up?”

  Actually, isn’t it strange?

  “What is?”

  Well, isn’t the Zenith Generation something you should already know by now?

  “........Is it?”

  They’re basically the next superstars of the world. You’d genuinely have to be living under a rock to not know of them.

  “Even so, isn’t it actually your job to tell me?”

  ……..Is it?

  “Hey, you can’t copy me-”

  “Now, before we introduce our next fighters, let me refresh you all on how the tournament works!”

  “Ugh, why does he have to do this again?” I grumbled.

  Maybe some people forgot how it works, or just some people weren’t paying attention.

  “In this tournament, we have sixteen fighters competing in a single-elimination format,” Gabno explained. “Each contestant fights one-on-one. For instance, since Malo has just lost to Beric, Malo is now disqualified, while Beric advances to face the winner of the next match!”

  “Yeah, yeah, we know this already,” I muttered under my breath. “He’s just wasting our time.”

  I leaned back in my seat, rolling my eyes. “It’s like one of those badly written stories, you know, where the writer forgets to explain something earlier, then realizes too late and tries to fix it with a rushed explanation that doesn’t even fit. Sloppy writing, man.”

  You seem to know a lot about that.

  “I’ve read a lot of shitty webcomics.”

  Oh wait.

  “Hey, is that what you meant?”

  What?

  “The Zenith Generation being some huge common knowledge thing, yet somehow I’ve never heard of it until now. Gabno repeating the tournament rules for no reason, and now that I think about it, shouldn’t everyone have asked about Sprite earlier? You know, when we were still down there?”

  There wasn’t really time for that. We had to move since they were coming in to clean up for the next match.

  Oh my gosh, that’s it.

  Huh? Am I missing something?

  “That’s exactly the kind of excuse a writer would give! ‘Because there was no time to say it back there,’ so they conveniently waited until the seats to bring it up. And since it’s coming from you, it actually sounds believable!”

  What are you even talking about?

  “And because there was already that whole explanation about my Form earlier—despite how weirdly placed it was—when the Sprite thing came up, it felt like that was the only part that was misplaced. Classic distraction tactic.”

  I’m just going to stop trying to understand you.

  “Dude, this is so weird. It honestly feels like the writer forgot to add all this and just shoved it in at the last second.”

  Uh huh.

  “I wonder what else they forgot? Maybe the fact that when someone uses body-strengthening magic, I can see their stats double on the status screen? Or how I used my slime summon, Jello, to help Drill and Melvin by melting through the floor?”

  I tilted my head. “Oh, and let’s not forget the half-baked explanation about why barriers can’t replace body-strengthening magic, since they only help you tank hits.”

  Sure, why not?

  “Hell, even what I’m saying right now might just be a cheap trick to distract someone from all of that. Maybe it’s just padding for the word count of this otherwise mediocre chapter.”

  Did you actually lose it? Did Malo’s attacks knock something loose in your skull?

  “Basically,” I muttered, “the writer forgot to add everyone’s reactions and explanations in the last chapter, so instead of fixing it properly, he just squeezed them all in here.”

  But even he could recognize that the whole pacing and placement of it was off, which is why he used us.

  We’re being used to sweep it all under the rug.

  Wow.

  And yet, I managed to figure it out.

  Damn.

  This writer genuinely sucks. He needs to pursue a different profession. Maybe try out copywriting, or hey, I heard-

  *hit*

  “Ouch!”

  I rubbed the back of my head, since what I assumed to be a rock was suddenly thrown at me. I turned around, but there was nothing that narrowed anything down.

  Hah, I think you offended the writer.

  “Oh, really? Then, who’s the writer?”

  Woah, let’s not get all metaphysical now.

  “We’re well past that point-”

  “Now, without further ado, let us make noise for our next fighters!”

  Our attention was then taken to Gabno as he made the crowd prepare for the following fights.

  I sat up straight as we all waited for the next competitors to come forth.

  My next opponents.