The dim light of the cloudy moon gently roused the sleeping Kyle. He groaned as his body sent signals of pain. He clutched his aching stomach and slowly attempted to sit up.

"Ouch, what the heck. What is his knee made of?" he grumbled, suspecting that he had been struck by a mace with a sturdy iron head instead of a simple knee. Surely, he would discover a spectrum of bruises beneath his clothing.

"Oh, the sleeping princess has finally awakened," Jessica nudged him immediately.

"Shut up! You're the last person who should say that."

"Hmph."

"Pff."

Kyle and Jessica turned their attention to Elea, who couldn't help but laugh. She struggled to stifle her giggles with her hand.

"Why are you laughing?" Jessica asked the question that Kyle had been about to ask.

"You two are always like this."

Seeing the puzzled expressions on Kyle's and Jessica's faces, Elea burst into laughter again.

"Cough... Congratulations, Kyle, you won too."

She attempted to change the subject.

"What did he say? My ribs were too tough to break, so that's my victory?" Kyle replied sarcastically. "Well, he's mistaken. They're definitely broken."

He winced and patted his chest.

"Quit being such a crybaby."

"Why are you picking on me?"

"For revenge."

"For what?"

"Not my problem. Just hush and be a man."

Jessica still remembered how he had mocked her in the woods, and now she was relishing her sweet revenge—it felt satisfying.

"This is ridiculous. What even happened?"

"You made Baldy fall. That's his explanation."

"I see," Kyle remarked, glancing at Jack, who was observing Silas as he approached.

"Now it's Silas' turn. He should just give up; we'll get our answers anyway."

Kyle didn't doubt Silas' fighting abilities. He knew precisely where Silas' strengths and weaknesses lay, allowing him to make such a statement.

The dark-haired boy with blue streaks was strong, but he wasn't stronger than Kyle. Furthermore, he lacked any special abilities like Jessica; his only extraordinary talent was his perception.

"Who knows, maybe we're in for a surprise," Elea chimed in.

She had always sensed that Silas was unique—ever since their first meeting. The aura of mystery surrounding him intrigued her.

"I don't think so."

"Nah."

Apparently, the two of them didn't share her sentiments.

...

Jack gazed at the young man before him, reminiscing about their first encounter around two years ago. He had been brought to Jack by Urtemis, that old man. The memory was still vivid in Jack's mind.

It had been either a rainy or sunny morning... No, actually it was evening...—well, he couldn't quite recall the weather. But what he could never forget were the boy's eyes at that time—innocent and pure, like those of a newborn.

When Urtemis had asked Jack to take care of this child, he had thought that the boy must be someone special. Perhaps the illegitimate son of an old king named Urtemis. However, it turned out to be far more intriguing and captivating than he had expected.

Urtemis had found the boy on the outskirts of the forest, near the border of danger zone blue. It wasn't uncommon to discover abandoned children in that area every year—some parents couldn't afford to raise a child, while others seemed to be sacrificing their children to the forest, likely belonging to some peculiar forest cult.

However, those children were usually newborns or toddlers, not around twelve years old. But even that wasn't the most puzzling part. What didn't make sense, no matter how one tried to explain it, was the soul crystal still embedded in Silas' chest.

A soul crystal was a fragment of one's soul, its location determined the place where one would be reborn after death. After a human's birth, their soul crystal would detach from their chest and be kept by the kingdom for safekeeping, with a few exceptions. This measure ensured the crystals didn't fall into the wrong hands, as one could only imagine the consequences.

Jack's entire worldview shifted when he saw the crystal within Silas' chest. Instantly, he formulated his own theories.

Silas was the first human whose soul crystal hadn't fallen out, or someone had discovered a way to reinsert the soul crystal back into its original place—both unprecedented occurrences. The third and most unbelievable theory was that Silas, who appeared to be around 12 years old, had actually just been born inside the forest.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He recalled attempting to seek an explanation from Silas, but it had been futile. According to Urtemis, Silas didn't understand their language at that time, but he was learning at an astonishing pace.

Initially, Jack had wanted to refuse to take the child into his orphanage, but he had a change of heart when he thought about those clear eyes—like the surface of undisturbed water.

Just like hers.

Just like with every other human, in the end, Silas' soul crystal fell out of his chest. Still, the whole matter was peculiar.

"How about someone waking up Baldy," Dustin's words brought Jack back from his reminiscence.

"Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment," Jack replied with an embarrassed laugh.

"A moment? You've been staring into space for ten minutes," all the kids thought, impressed by Silas' patience. Jessica would have probably caused a commotion by now.

"Huh, why is everyone suddenly staring at me?" Jessica asked, perplexed.

"Silas, you're the last one. The same rules apply to you—land one hit, and it's your victory. If you lose, I won't say a thing," Jack declared.

"Oii!" Dustin interjected.

"Are you going back on your words now?" Elea asked, irritated.

"I would never. These three are a team, and they all must win, of course," Jack added. "Are you okay with that, Silas?"

Silas nodded.

"Good. Begin."

Jack had noticed the changes in Jessica and Kyle. Jessica had become more unruly, her eyes filled with intensified madness, while Kyle's thoughts grew deeper and colder. Jack wondered how Silas might have changed. Perhaps he remembered something from the time he spent in the forest before meeting Urtemis. He would soon know but for now, he focused on the boy opposite of him.

...

Silas was uncertain. He observed Kyle and Jessica's fight attentively, trying to determine how he should approach his battle with Jack. No matter what scenario he envisioned, he always found himself at a disadvantage. He lacked the battle expertise and strength of Kyle, and he couldn't manipulate elements like Jessica. His perception was what set him apart, or so he believed.

However, his experience in the forest had shown him that there were things even his perception couldn't detect. Nevertheless, it remained his only strength. Instead of rushing headlong like his friends, he decided to wait for Jack to make the first move, searching for an opening within his attack.

Soon, the student and teacher were engaged in a battle of the eyes, until Jack smirked and his leg moved.

"I accept your challenge. If you want to watch, watch carefully – Call of the Wind!" Jack exclaimed.

Silas felt a gentle breeze caress his hair as a small current of air swirled around his teacher's legs.

"Jessica isn't the only one who can use cheap tricks," Jack taunted, never missing an opportunity to poke fun at her.

"Who's cheap, you cheap bastard!" Jessica exclaimed, ready to jump into the ring, but the others held her back.

Silas disregarded Jessica's outrage. In his view, there was only space for Jack. He closely followed every move his teacher made, surprising himself with his newfound acute senses. The currents of wind surrounding Jack's legs shifted, propelling him forward. Like a gust of wind, Jack swiftly closed in on Silas, throwing a fist at the boy.

In Silas's perception, the movement of the fist seemed to slow slightly, but it was still too fast for him to dodge. He attempted to lean to the side, never letting Jack's fist out of sight, but his efforts were in vain. He braced himself for the impending pain. Just a second before the expected impact, Jack halted his punch. Silas's blue hair with black streaks fluttered wildly from the air pressure.

Jack took a few steps back, appearing lost in thought once again. However, Silas paid no attention and continued to carefully observe his opponent.

"Try to follow my moves," Jack challenged.

As he finished his sentence, Jack seemed to vanish, leaving the onlookers bewildered by the strange scene unfolding on the battlefield.

Jack launched a relentless assault on Silas, attacking from every angle with punches to the chin, strikes to the stomach, and kicks, both low and high. Each time he attacked, his speed increased by an almost imperceptible increment. After a series of attacks, even the inexperienced onlookers could discern this pattern.

However, what stood out was that Jack never actually made contact with Silas. Just before impact, he would halt and retreat. The barrage of attacks that constantly missed their mark continued, and at a certain point, they became a blur, too fast for untrained eyes to follow.

Kyle, long after the others had given up watching the battle, stood up. He was still able to track Jack's movements. But now, he was utterly astonished. He saw nothing, but when he looked at Silas, he noticed his eyes darting about as if effortlessly following Jack's every move.

"This is ridiculous."

At that moment, Kyle and Jack shared a thought. The self-proclaimed teacher's eyes widened, as if beholding a monster. He witnessed Silas reacting to his every move as if the attacks were coming from a snail. Silas's mind was quick to respond; it was just his untrained body that was too slow. But this was merely a matter of training the body. Time and patience were what Silas needed to become a formidable fighter.

Did he always possess this kind of perception? Was it enhanced by his death? That couldn't be possible. Changes after each death were, if not treated, usually negative, not power-ups. Silas was truly an enigma to Jack, who now desired to test the limits of the young man before him.

"Call of the Wind" was a basic wind spell, intended to enhance the speed of the caster. Jack never anticipated needing it in battle; he was simply trying to bra... broaden the children's experiences. Now, he would employ something that would break Silas's fixation on his movements.

Alarm bells rang in Silas's head. Jack's aura changed, and his next attack carried a deadly intent.

"Flash Strike!"

Instinctively, Silas shifted his head to the right, after only seeing Jack's arm muscles vibrate. Simultaneously, Jack's open palm raced past Silas's face at cheek level.

A cold shiver ran down Silas's spine. He experienced a peculiar sensation where the present intertwined with the past, as though the threads of time were momentarily entangled.

In that fleeting instant, it wasn't his teacher who stood before him, but rather a mysterious creature emanating an aura of darkness, surrounded by a dark forest. Its eyes seemed to belong to the deepest abyss, evoking a stirring within the depths of his soul, briefly awakening something dormant within him.

Silas lost control of his body. Without realizing it, his right fist clenched, and as Jack's attack passed by, he launched a counterstrike directly at Jack's lower chest. His fist connected, and feedback surged through Silas—he felt pain, as if he had struck a stone wall.

That sense of pain broke Silas out of his trance, regaining control, he swiftly retreated, gazing at his teacher, who appeared unfazed by the attack, wondering what the hell just happened.

To say that Jack was surprised would be an understatement. Not only had his attack been evaded, but his opponent, a mere kid, had countered. Jack could have easily dodged the blow, but he chose to gauge Silas's strength, and it proved to be the right decision. Silas unleashed a force slightly stronger than Kyle's, which was yet another shock considering Silas had only recently begun training, while Kyle had begun exercising since he was a child.

This should not be possible. How could he through such a punch? Jack resolved to delve deeper into this matter, for he was now more than curious to uncover what these three had encountered and why Silas's transformation differed so significantly from those who had died and revived before.

For the first time, Jack was about to fulfill hispromise to the kids. It was time for a good old lesson about geography andhistory. He couldn't help but anticipate their spirited response once it wasover, jokingly imagining that they might want to "lynch" himafterward.