Jordan and Adam remained crouched behind the dense bushes, their eyes locked on the majestic white deer grazing peacefully in a clearing.

The creature moved with a grace that seemed almost unnatural, its crystalline antlers catching and refracting the faint light filtering through the forest canopy.

The air between them was tense, thick with anticipation and unspoken doubts.

Adam’s breathing was shallow, his limbs heavy and uncooperative.

The mana bands strapped to his wrists and ankles sapped his strength, amplifying his sense of helplessness. Every move felt like he was dragging a mountain behind him.

He stole a glance at Jordan, whose calm demeanor only served to intensify the gnawing pit of doubt in his stomach.

“How am I supposed to do this?” Adam thought bitterly, his gaze shifting back to the deer. The creature looked otherworldly, its pristine white coat shining faintly. Catching something like that seemed impossible, especially in his current condition.

Adam is not able to understand how he can fight such a huge animal and on top of that the devices fitted on him are increasing the weight of his hands and legs.

Jordan, sensing Adam’s hesitation, turned his head slightly. His sharp eyes met Adam’s, and for a moment, the younger boy felt as if Jordan could see straight through him.

The silence between them stretched, heavy and unyielding, until Jordan finally spoke, his tone calm but unwavering.

“Adam,” he said, his voice cutting through the tension. “Are you ready?”

The question hit Adam like a slap. His eyes widened, and he stammered, “R-ready? Look at me! I can barely stand, let alone—”

Adam wants to say a lot to Jordan that he cannot see what condition Adam is in, he is giving him such tasks

Jordan’s gaze hardened, silencing Adam mid-sentence. His voice dropped, becoming colder. “Do you think your enemies will care? Do you think the villains out there, the ones who might threaten your family, will stop to ask if you’re ready?”

Adam froze, his heart pounding in his chest. Jordan’s words were like a blade, slicing through his doubts and laying bare the harsh reality he had been trying to avoid. The image of his family flashed through his mind—faces he wanted to protect, no matter the cost.

Adam is completely frozen in this position and it also looks as if he is complaining and running away from trouble is a weakness.

Jordan’s gaze didn’t waver, and neither did his tone. “They won’t wait for you, Adam. They won’t give you time to prepare. If you don’t act now, you’ll lose everything.”

adam is touched like a Jordanian arrow and he closes his eyes and says in his mind, "I forgot so soon what I had promised you."

Adam’s fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to argue, to lash out at Jordan for pushing him so hard, but he couldn’t. Deep down, he knew Jordan was right.

Taking a shaky breath, Adam nodded, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. “Fine. Tell me what to do.”

A faint smile crossed Jordan’s lips, though it carried more weight than warmth. It was a look of approval and expectation. “It’s not complicated,” he said.

Adam suppressed the groan rising in his throat. Jordan always said that, and it was never simple.

Jordan pointed toward the deer. “That,” he said, “is called a Yellow Deer.”

Jordan is pointing at this animal which Adam and Jordan are looking at, Adam gets very confused seeing how weird the name of this animal is, do people here have any sense of naming?

Adam blinked in confusion. “Yellow Deer? But it’s white. Why is it called that?”

Jordan shrugged, as if the question wasn’t worth answering. “The name doesn’t matter. What matters is that you listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you.”

Adam forced himself to focus, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. Jordan’s tone was serious, and experience had taught Adam to pay attention when he was like this.

“This isn’t an ordinary deer,” Jordan said, his eyes fixed on the creature. “It’s not like the animals you’ve seen near your village. This one is powerful. And dangerous.”

Adam’s stomach sank as he studied the deer more closely. Its crystalline antlers seemed sharper now, like they could pierce through anything. The grace in its movements masked the sheer strength it possessed.

Jordan continued, his voice unwavering. “Its favorite food is that flower.”

Following Jordan’s gesture, Adam’s eyes landed on a plant nearby. A single yellow flower grew from its stem, its petals glowing faintly in the dim light. The soft shimmer drew Adam’s attention immediately.

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“That flower?” he asked, incredulous. “It’s glowing...”

“Yes,” Jordan said. “It’s what the deer loves most. But don’t let its diet fool you. This creature could kill you in seconds if you’re not careful.”

Adam’s frustration bubbled to the surface. “Then why don’t you just tell me what to do instead of scaring me? Isn’t that your job?”

Jordan’s expression didn’t change. “I’m warning you so you understand the stakes,” he said calmly, his voice carrying an edge of finality.

Adam exhaled sharply, forcing his irritation down. He couldn’t afford to lose his composure now. After a moment of tense silence, he met Jordan’s gaze again. “Alright. Tell me what to do.”

Jordan’s eyes softened, though his tone remained firm. “Pick the flower,” he instructed. “Then take it and position yourself a short distance away from the deer. Hold the flower in front of you and use it to lure the deer toward you.”

Adam’s heart raced as he processed the instructions. His gaze shifted between the glowing flower and the deer, each detail cementing the enormity of the task ahead. He couldn’t help but feel the weight of Jordan’s expectations pressing down on him.

But there was no turning back now.

Jordan’s voice broke through his thoughts, steady and certain. “Remember, Adam. This isn’t just about catching a deer. It’s about proving to yourself that you can do what’s necessary, no matter how impossible it seems.”

Adam stared at Jordan, his mouth slightly open as the weight of his words settled in. “You want to use me as bait?” he repeated, his voice rising with disbelief. He jabbed a finger at himself for emphasis, as though clarifying the absurdity of the situation.

Jordan didn’t flinch. Instead, he gave a calm, almost indifferent nod and turned his attention back to the deer grazing a short distance away.

“Yes,” he said, his tone as steady as if he were discussing the weather.

With a subtle gesture, he motioned toward the glowing flower nearby. “Go now. It’s distracted by the flowers on the ground. This is your chance.”

Adam’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. His mind raced with questions he dared not ask aloud. What if there are more of them hiding nearby? What if it notices me before I can get close? And who’s going to save me if something goes wrong?

He looked at Jordan again, hoping for some reassurance, but found none. Jordan’s calm, unwavering gaze only made Adam feel smaller. He really expects me to do this, Adam realized, swallowing the lump forming in his throat.

Adam composes himself and closes his eyes and thinks of all his family and remembering them all he opens his eyes again.

Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists to steady his nerves. Fine. If this is what it takes...

Pushing himself up from his crouch, Adam moved slowly, his muscles protesting every step.

The mana bands around his limbs made every movement feel like wading through molasses.

He crouched low, trying to stay hidden among the tall grass as he made his way toward the flower.

Every step felt like an eternity. His hands trembled slightly as he reached out to steady himself on a nearby root, his eyes never leaving the glowing flower ahead.

“This doesn’t feel like training,” Adam muttered under his breath. “This feels like a death trap Jordan set up just for me.” The soft grumble went unheard, drowned by the faint rustling of leaves around him.

Finally, he reached the flower. It was more beautiful up close, its yellow petals shimmering faintly in the dim forest light. The glow seemed to pulse softly, as though the flower itself were alive.

Adam hesitated, his hand hovering just above the stem. How am I even supposed to call that thing? he thought, glancing nervously at the deer.

His fingers brushed against the flower, and the stem snapped with an audible crack.

Before Adam could process what had happened, tiny pods attached to the flower’s petals burst open with a sharp pop, releasing a cloud of glowing yellow dust into the air.

As soon as the flower's petals open completely, they make a kind of noise which spreads from there all around.

Adam froze, his eyes wide with shock as the shimmering particles spread around him.

The dust clung to his clothes and skin, each particle glittering faintly like tiny stars. He coughed violently, waving his hands in a futile attempt to clear the air.

The dust, however, seemed to have a mind of its own, sticking to him no matter what he did.

“What is this stuff?!” Adam sputtered, his voice breaking between bouts of coughing. His throat burned as the particles filled his lungs, and his vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes.

All those particles are sticking to his body but Adam tries very hard to distance himself from the dust but he fails and all the dust gathers around him in the form of clouds.

The flower in his hand wasn’t finished. One by one, more pods popped open, each releasing another burst of luminous powder. The sharp cracks echoed through the otherwise silent forest, growing louder and more frequent.

As soon as Adam sees the powdered coming out of the flower and hears the sound, he gets scared and thinks "This will draw the attention of the deer to me and I have to do something"

Adam stumbled backward, his breathing ragged as he tried to escape the relentless cloud.

But the dust clung to him like a second skin, coating him from head to toe. The faint sunlight filtering through the canopy above refracted off the particles, casting an eerie golden glow around him.

Unbeknownst to Adam, the commotion had caught the deer’s attention. Its head shot up, nostrils flaring as it turned toward him. Its four glowing yellow eyes locked onto the source of the disturbance, narrowing with predatory intent.

Adam, still coughing and swatting at the shimmering cloud around him, remained oblivious to the danger. He was too preoccupied with the dust to notice the change in the deer’s demeanor.

When he finally looked up, gasping for air, his breath caught in his throat.

The deer stood motionless for a moment, its crystalline antlers glinting like jagged shards of ice. Its once calm and serene expression had twisted into one of pure fury, its muscles tensing as it prepared to charge.

Time seemed to slow as Adam realized the gravity of his situation. The flower was still clutched in his trembling hand, the source of the glowing dust that now surrounded him.

And then the deer moved.

With a sharp snort, it lunged forward, its hooves pounding against the forest floor. Its antlers were lowered, gleaming like lethal weapons as it closed the distance with terrifying speed.

The sound of its charge snapped Adam out of his daze. His eyes widened in terror as he stumbled backward, his mind racing but offering no solutions. Move! his instincts screamed, but his body refused to cooperate.

Due to this panic, Adam's mana, which he had controlled, goes out of his control, due to which even more mana starts coming out of his body.

Due to this, the devices on Adam's hands and feet begin to gain more weight, and Adam begins to smile when he moves.

The chapter ended with Adam frozen in place, the golden dust swirling around him as the enraged deer bore down on him, its crystalline antlers gleaming with deadly intent.