"Why are you still so slow?"

  Hearing these words for the nth time that day, Cineris felt like cursing at the speaker. But when she turned her head and faced the young teenager looking at her with sharp eyes, she could only swallow her grievances and reply with a smile.

  "Just a little bit more."

  "You'd better hope that it's just a little, or else you will have to once again stand guard tonight," Neva nonchalantly warned.

  Cineris could only give a small nod and continue leading the way. Yesterday, she had come here alone, thinking that she would be able to beat this young girl without any help. However, the tables were turned on her. She was beaten back and had to sign a humiliating contract to lead this girl to her destination.

  But this girl was simply not satisfied with just making her lead the way. Whenever they encountered a new fruit in the forest, Cineris had to eat it first and determine its safety. If they came across a stream, Cineris had to catch the fish and properly fry them with her fire. For her Goddess's sake, she was an Ascender, but she had been turned into a maid. She even had to stand guard the whole night so this girl could get her "beauty sleep."

  Walking behind Cineris, Neva was manipulating the ice elementals around her, forming several different toy-like shapes from them. Finally, unable to control her curiosity, Cineris asked, "Why have you been doing that since yesterday? It's not like you can sell those."

  Neva gave a small nod. "My teacher showed me very detailed toys made from ice. He said that once I can make them as detailed as he makes them, I would be able to beat him."

  Cineris inclined her head in understanding. "So you want to be stronger than your teacher?"

  Neva dipped her chin again. "I just want to beat him up. Being strong is the only way to beat him. So I have to get stronger quickly."

  Hearing this, Cineris felt inspired by him. She was the same. She had been in the Church of Fire since childhood and had been led by many strong people in her youth. She also wished to stand among them, to shine like them.

  "I am also like you," she commented in a quiet voice.

  "Really?" Neva asked, doubt coloring her tone.

  "Yeah," Cineris replied. "I have also been surrounded by many great people. They are the reason I have to become stronger."

  Hearing these words, a strange feeling welled up in Neva's heart. Was this called empathy? She had not felt this before. Tightening her hands, she said in a serious voice, "Since we could be called acquaintances, I would help you with it. If you are not able to do it alone, just call me."

  Cineris hummed in response. What a good girl. If only they had met under different circumstances and not as enemies, she thought. And also if she didn't use me for food tasting and night guard.

  What a poor girl, Neva was thinking. Even one teacher is enough to make my life a living hell. Waking up early every day and training for twenty hours each day. Having only three hours of sleep and only plain rice porridge for food three times a day. How much must this girl have suffered, surrounded by people like her teacher? Since she had found a kindred soul, she would definitely help her get revenge. But first, she had to get stronger and wipe the smug smile off her own teacher's face.

  She continued following behind Cineris, who was navigating the forest. Soon they reached a clearing with a waterfall. The clear thumping of the falling water was like music to the ears. The pool below shimmered under the afternoon sun, its surface broken by the constant cascade. Moss covered the rocks surrounding it, soft and green, and the air carried the fresh scent of water and wet stone.

  Looking around, there didn't seem to be anyone nearby. Still, Neva spread her senses and only after a few moments, detecting nothing amiss, did she approach the plunge pool.

  Without removing anything, she jumped inside with her clothes. The cold water embraced her skin and washed away the dirt that had accumulated during all the traveling. The chill cooled her heated body—they had been traveling from morning till afternoon. This was even more true for Cineris, who was a fire Soul Caster and grew hotter during the day. Steam rose gently from her as she entered the water.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The two women enjoyed the serene and refreshing wash for some time. Coming out of the water, there was not a single drop left on their clothes or bodies. Everything was either frozen or vaporized.

  Lightly stretching her body and relaxing, Cineris said, "Let's continue."

  Neva did not say anything, merely giving a slight nod. Just as they reached the edge of the clearing, Neva felt a slight disturbance from the top of the waterfall.

  She moved instantly. In one motion, she jumped and covered the distance, landing atop the waterfall's edge. But looking around, there didn't seem to be anything amiss. She spread her senses and scanned the area for several miles in every direction, but still nothing.

  Cineris had appeared beside her by now. "What happened?" she asked nonchalantly. She just assumed it was one of Neva's strange habits and didn't give it much thought.

  After scanning again and finding nothing, Neva replied, "Nothing. I must be mistaken."

  Cineris acknowledged with a quiet "mm." Just as she was about to move ahead, Neva tore through space and entered the Void Realm, leaving her dumbfounded.

  The Void Realm was silent as always. Her senses rapidly scanned in all directions, penetrating every shadow, every fold in space. But still, she found nothing.

  Finally assured that she was mistaken, she returned to the Material World.

  Cineris blinked at her. Neva just replied, "Let's go. I was just checking something."

  A vein pulsed in Cineris's forehead, but she still said nothing and led the way. Neva followed behind, making different toys of various shapes and sizes from ice elementals.

  Quite a while after they had left, the black-masked man emerged from the plunge pool.

  Water streamed down his damaged form. His body was badly injured—half destroyed by Balvin's attacks and the elemental winds. He was holding a glowing black token in his hand. He had been lucky to find a key node inside the elemental winds and escape when he did.

  He glanced in the direction the two girls had gone. Then, clutching the token tighter, he sank back beneath the water to continue healing in its depths.

  At that time, in another place, Lex had already reached the safe house.

  He placed his hand on the large rock covering the cave entrance. His elemental energy flowed into it, and with a low grinding sound, the rock moved aside.

  The torches lining the walls were still lit, their flames casting dancing shadows—a sign that someone had passed through recently. Lex steadied himself, using the moment to wipe the bloodstains from his body as best he could. Then he started down the rugged path inside.

  The tunnel wound deeper into the earth, the air growing cooler with each step. After walking for some time, he encountered a wooden door. He turned the handle slowly, pushing it open—

  Dozens of spells flew at him from the other side.

  Ice lances. Frost arrows. Chilling beams of cold light. Lex raised his hand, and the moment the spells reached him, they stopped. All of them froze mid-air, then dissolved at his command.

  Seeing Lex's face, the tension drained from his group members. They lowered their weapons, relief replacing fear.

  Felt stepped forward, worry etched on his features. "Are you okay?"

  "Didn't I tell you to go ahead?" Lex's voice was sharp and tinged with anger. "Why are you still waiting?"

  Felt hesitated, his clear cyan eyes meeting Lex's. "We thought... we would wait a few moments before going. And then luckily, you came."

  Lex let out a soft sigh. The anger drained from him, replaced by something heavier. "Next time, don't wait. Just go ahead."

  Felt murmured agreement, and the others followed suit.

  Lex's eyes shifted toward the glowing circle in the corner of the room, already active and humming with power. It was large enough to accommodate everyone present here.

  Everyone quickly moved onto the circle. Lex engraved a destruction sequence into its edge—a failsafe to prevent any chase. The array began to shine with bright cyan light, and the surroundings blurred around them.

  When their vision cleared, they stood in a more spacious place. The circle behind them shattered as soon as the transmission finished, its pieces crumbling to dust.

  The new location was a large room constructed of concrete, with several partitions separating different areas—sleeping quarters for men and women, storage spaces, and a small kitchen visible through one doorway. Torches lined the walls here, their light revealing another group already present.

  These strangers wore guarded expressions, hands near weapons. But when they recognized Lex among the newcomers, they relaxed.

  Lex approached them. "Which group are you from?"

  A Paragon stepped forward—a man with considerable recognition in his bearing, though his clothes were torn and his face weary. "We were with Ulrich."

  Lex didn't sense Ulrich's aura anywhere in the enclosed room. "What happened?"

  The man hesitated. "We were tracked. Ulrich stayed behind to stop them while we escaped."

  Lex's face turned grim. This meant their pursuers had some method of transmitting information among themselves.

  At that moment, pain flared in his chest. He maintained his expression, ordering his group to settle down alongside the survivors. Then he moved out of everyone's sight, into a shadowed corner.

  He brought his hand to his mouth and stifled a cough.

  The blood that came out had turned more purplish now. He could feel his body eroding from within—a slow decay he could no longer ignore.

  He did not have much time left.