We slowed down once Lyra and Sia ran out of MP, and soon after, everyone started feeling the strain. Eventually, we decided to stop for the day.

Thankfully, either this area wasn’t particularly dangerous, or we had been moving too fast for anything to catch us. Either way, nothing had attacked.

We found a clearing and began setting up our camp.

“Should we keep watch at night?” Thea asked.

Sia, working on a tent, nodded. “We could split into two watches. One group takes the afternoon to sleep, the other takes the night.”

“Anyone feeling particularly tired?” I asked.

Thea and Elric both shook their heads. Honestly, I felt fine too. I mean, I could sleep, just because it’s nice, but…

I glanced at Thea, and at the same time, she looked at me.

“Actually, I haven’t felt tired in a while,” she admitted. “A few days, at least.”

“…Same,” I added after a pause.

“Well, that just means more sleep for us.” Lyra smirked as she glanced at Elric, who had yet to actually help with the tents. “Why are you just standing around?”

The guy, who had been enjoying the breeze while casually brushing back his raven hair like some kind of action star, sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine, I’m coming.”

Thea finished setting up one of the tents with neat precision and walked over to the supplies. I approached her from behind, noticing that she was rummaging through the bags with a troubled expression.

“What’s up?” I asked.

She pushed aside some pillows and sheets. “There’s only this. No more tents or sleeping bags.”

“Huh.” I looked around, checking if Elric had stashed supplies somewhere else. But all I found were pouches filled with rations and water canteens.

“Hey, Sia!” I called out. “Are there any more supplies?”

She glanced over. “We’re saving our points, since a certain someone thought it was necessary to spend an extra nine hundred every thirty days.”

Thea turned toward me. “So someone has to sleep outside?”

Lyra smiled sweetly. “You’d really kick poor Peter out all alone?”

Thea turned back to me, and I immediately put on the biggest pair of puppy-dog eyes I could muster.

Her reaction? …Was that disgust?

“Yes, I would,” she replied without hesitation.

Elric burst into laughter.

Lyra chuckled as well. “Don’t be so mean. I’m sure he’ll behave.”

I gave her a thumbs-up.

She ignored me, turning to Elric. “We all will.”

Elric nodded obediently. “Of course.”

I grabbed a pillow, handing one to Thea and whispering, “There are two tents. We’re not all sleeping at the same time.”

She took the pillow, grabbing another one as well, before muttering, her cheeks slightly pink, "Grab the blankets.”

Though I wouldn’t exactly call it an angry mutter.

I did as she asked, skipping, no, walking in a very manly way, behind her.

Happily.

We all heated up some water from a nearby stream and dumped in dried meat and fruit, making a somewhat hearty soup.

I was starving, so I ignored the heat and took a bite.

Immediately, I regretted it.

"I miss your mom’s food," I complained to Sia.

Thea, having taken a bite just a moment after me, didn’t speak. Instead, her shoulders trembled.

Wait.

"Thea?" I asked carefully.

"W-what." Her voice wavered.

I mean, I couldn’t blame her. Compared to Miss Star’s cooking, this was just… awful.

I gave her a side hug. "It’s alright. We’ll be back soon enough."

She nodded in quiet appreciation.

"You two are just ridiculous," Elric called out, taking another spoonful of his meal like it wasn’t complete and utter torture.

"Hey!" I retorted. "This is serious stuff, man."

He rolled his eyes while Thea and I grudgingly forced down the rest of the gruel.

Before we knew it, night had settled in. None of us had actually slept yet, but Lyra and Sia looked exhausted.

"Why don’t you guys head in first?" I suggested. "Thea and I will keep watch."

"I don’t feel tired ei—"

Elric was cut off as Lyra stood up, grabbed his shirt, and dragged him toward the tents. Sia followed close behind without a word.

I glanced up at the sky, the stars already shining brightly against the moonless night.

"You really like them, huh?" Thea asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Back home, there aren’t any visible stars… anywhere. Just some fake sky built by humans."

"A fake sky?" she repeated, sounding confused.

"Yeah. Hm, how do I explain this?" I paused, thinking. "You know the screens for your status? And the monitor in the training hall?"

"Of course."

"Well," I pointed upward, "imagine enough of those to cover the entire sky. Way, waaay, waaaaaay up there."

"That’s amazing," she said in awe.

I laughed. "I guess if you grew up with this, our technology is impressive to you. But trust me, nothing beats this. The real thing."

She stared up at the stars, lost in thought. "I wonder if your home is out there."

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"Maybe," I admitted. "But if it is… then I might never go back. It would be impossibly far."

She hesitated. "Sorry."

"Don’t be. I’m happy here. I mean, sure, it’s got some serious problems." I stood, extending a hand to help her up. "But it’s got my friends. And you."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she took my hand. "Anything you want to do?" she asked.

"Want to learn my ‘not a fireball’?" I smirked.

She nodded, finally perking up. "Of course! Show me what you got!"

I walked her through the mechanics of my techniques. The Air Lance and Silencing Current.

I remembered something. “Hey, let me see your orb.”

She handed it over without question, and I transferred all my points, leaving only a hundred for myself.

"Why—" she started to protest, but I cut her off.

"The guild master should have the funds, after all." I scratched the back of my head. "I’d probably waste it on something eventually."

She smirked. "You're right, you probably would."

We got back to practicing. I kept refining my Air Lance, and once I could punch a decent-sized hole through a tree, I finally sat down to cultivate my Grand Channel again.

I tried forming another thin core.

It failed.

"Thea?"

She stopped practicing Air Lance, turning toward me. "What’s up?"

"I can only form a core when the Grand Channel is completely filled," I told her.

"Weird." She scrunched her nose slightly, thinking. "You know, maybe after all this, we should look for a different way to advance… Cores don’t feel like anything more than a tool."

I nodded. "Agreed. Let’s keep carving our own path."

She smirked. "Also, your skill is not Shotgun Blast, it’s Blasting Wave."

Neat. I guess that was an alright name.

We kept training until I suggested a spar, using the fight to convert all the world force into my own. By the time we stopped, I was back at full capacity.

"Feeling tired yet?" Thea asked, panting slightly.

I felt physically drained, but… not sleepy. "Not really. How long do you think we can stay up?"

She shook her head. "No idea. We can test it when we get back. I don’t want to push our luck outside of safety."

"Yeah," I agreed.

Then.

A sound.

Something moving fast in the distance.

Thea and I immediately ducked behind a tree, waiting.

Then, a voice.

"I swear I saw smoke from around here," a young woman said.

"Good," came a gruff reply. "Quiet down. They might not all be sleeping."

Another voice, lighter, more excited. "It’s been over a week since we’ve seen anyone. Hopefully, they’ve got something good on them."

A third voice. Calmer, controlled. "Let’s head that way."

I followed his gesture. He was pointing straight toward our camp.

“Get Elric”, I whispered to Thea using Phantom Whisper. “You two are faster, come back quickly.”

She nodded and sent back, “I’ll be fast. Be careful.”

Then, she vanished into the dark, taking a wide route away from the intruders' sight.

I stepped out.

Three heads turned toward me.

I raised a hand, waving casually. "Hey. Nice night."

Yeah. They were not here to make friends.

Weapons were drawn instantly.

The youngest, a guy who looked just a few years older than me, gripped a crystal orb. The tallest, likely the leader, nocked an arrow with an expressionless face. And the girl? She pulled two long daggers from her pouch, their edges glinting under the stars.

I forced some fear into my voice, hoping for a peaceful way out. "W-w-what… what are you trying to do?"

The girl smirked.

Then she lunged.

Not even bothering with an answer.

She was fast. Faster than any recruit I had fought. Faster than the mercenaries Rorik hired to take me…except maybe Ortra.

She was on me in an instant.

I started to lift my hand.

An arrow whistled through the air. I barely jerked back in time, the wind of its passing brushing against my cheek.

The girl struck. A dagger sliced across my abdomen, shallow, but I felt the sting. The second blade came straight for my chest.

I twisted, barely escaping.

The ground shifted beneath me. A wall of earth shot up behind me, cutting off my retreat.

"He’s a mage!" the leader shouted.

I grit my teeth.

The girl didn’t hesitate, and the others spread out behind her, positioning themselves to strike without getting in her way.

No room to escape.

Fine.

I circulated the force in my feet, splitting it into two separate currents, and bolted toward the youngest. His eyes widened. He hadn’t expected me to be this fast.

I slammed my fist into his gut.

Or at least, I tried.

The blow landed, but Elric had been right, maintaining Swift Stride and attacking at the same time was near impossible. My strike lacked the force I needed to send him flying.

He grunted, doubling over, but still clutched the orb in his hands.

From the corner of my eye, I saw another arrow flying straight for me.

I barely dove out of the way, clumsily. Too slow. The girl was already closing in again.

I lunged for the orb before she could reach it.

Pain.

A searing, burning pain tore through my back.

Something had pierced me.

I staggered, a sharp breath ripping through my throat.

The girl was already there.

My mind blanked.

"You fucking psychopaths!" I roared, pushing myself to my feet.

My thoughts blurred into static.

I surged forward, my energy roaring through my limbs.

The girl braced, daggers ready, but I cut off Swift Stride at the last moment and channeled everything into my arms.

She swung, fast, but not fast enough.

I caught her wrist mid-strike.

Her other dagger slashed toward my ribs. I caught that one too.

An arrow whistled from behind. At the same time, something sharp glinted from the trees, an icicle.

Still gripping her wrists, I twisted, but not fast enough to use her as cover.

The arrow struck my shoulder. Pain burned through me, but I bore through it.

The icicle shot past, narrowly missing both of us.

The girl's eyes widened.

She realized it now.

She wasn’t getting away.

I lifted my foot and poured everything I had into it.

My grip loosened just as I sent the full force of my kick into her gut.

A ripping sound filled the night.

Her body jerked violently, her scream sharp and raw.

I barely noticed something give way beneath my grip. Only that she collapsed, and her weapons were still in her hands when I pried them free.

Shouting.

A name being screamed.

I turned, my gaze locking onto the trees.

The ground trembled. Spikes of earth jutted up. Another arrow shot toward me.

I didn’t stop.

I ignored the pain still searing through my body as I moved away, still scanning the near-pitch-black forest.

There.

I hurled a dagger. The shattering sound of ice echoed through the trees, followed by a sharp gasp. I summoned my speed, launching myself straight toward the target.

No one stopped me. Behind me, a tortured scream tore through the night, followed by a burst of crackling light and searing heat.

I arrived in front of a second girl, older than the first, gripping a staff, terror flooding her wide eyes.

“Please—I’m sor—”

I clamped a hand over her mouth.

Pulled in energy.

It was slow using Blasting Wave, but she was just a mage. Weak. Helpless against my power.

I locked eyes with her.

“You attacked first.”

Her pupils shrank. She trembled. And just as I released the strike, something slammed into me. Hard.

I crashed back, breath leaving my lungs as a tree behind me splintered apart from the force of the missed blow.

I reacted instantly, dagger flashing toward my attacker. Flesh met steel.

But my wrist stopped.

A second hand, strong, unrelenting, wrapped around mine, holding it back.

What?

I fought against the grip, muscles straining. Just as strong as me. Maybe stronger.

A voice.

“—er!”

No.

Someone else grabbed my other arm. My grip wavered.

“PETER!”

The shout pierced through me.

I blinked.

The haze in my vision flickered, Thea?

Elric was pinning my body, holding down my free hand with unmovable force. Thea’s fingers dug into my wrist, the one still gripping the dagger.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I could hear my own breathing now.

I looked at my weapon.

I dropped it. Immediately.