"Finally!" My brother jumped onto me, crying, and hugged me. "I'm happy to see you again."

I observed his joy-filled gaze as he held me with all his strength.

"I'm happy too," I said, smiling. "I didn't expect to find you here."

"The same goes for me; I didn't think you would manage to escape the dungeon on your own," affirmed Marsal, hugging me even tighter.

"I'm injured; you're hurting me."

"Oh, sorry." Marsal let go of me. "You've lost a lot of blood; we need to treat you quickly."

"Sorry if I ruined this moment," I said.

"Roseth, what's happening?" Mel yelled from behind.

"Everything's fine; they're not our enemies."

"Eh?! But I got wounded in the leg!"

"Esme!" Marsal yelled. "I told you to be careful!"

"Sorry," a white-haired boy replied apologetically.

"Who is he?" I asked, indicating Mel's opponent.

"He's a friend I met at the academy, just like me; he entered at a very young age."

"I'm glad."

"Follow me; we need to treat you," Marsal said with his usual cheerful look.

Marsal led me to a bonfire where people were sitting in a circle eating.

"Is he one of the bandits?" a girl with long blonde hair asked while biting into beast meat.

"No, he's my brother."

"Eh?!" The surprised girl exclaimed. "Wasn't he trapped in a dungeon? And wasn't he a child?"

"I have many questions too," Marsal said, wrapping his arm around my neck, "but I'm sure it's him."

"How could you recognize him?" the girl continued.

"That doesn't matter now," affirmed my brother. "Now we need to treat him."

"Fine, come to my carriage; I keep the medical supplies there." She replied, heading towards a luxurious carriage. We stopped in front of it.

"What's happening?" Marsal asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing, it's just that... I don't want to stain the interior with blood," the girl replied with some embarrassment.

Marsal was irritated by her words, and ignoring her, he entered the carriage without permission. "Don't worry about that now; if you don't want to stain it, treating him outside will be enough."

"Oh, you're right," she replied.

Marsal grabbed a box from inside the carriage and came back out. "This one, right?" he asked, looking at the girl.

"Yes, but we need something to lean on."

"No problem," I said, sitting on the ground and leaning my back against the carriage wheel.

"Oh, sure."

The girl took the box from Marsal, sat next to me, and opened it, pulling out a needle and thread to stitch my wound.

"How long have you been stabbed?" Mel's brother asked, concerned about the blood loss.

"Not too long, maybe 20 minutes," I replied as the girl pierced the needle into my skin.

"That's a long time," noted Marsal. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, thanks to body enhancement, I can also increase my resistance, so I'll be fine as long as I have mana," I explained, in pain from the needle.

The white-haired boy approached with Mel, helping him stand.

"Elya, you need to help him too," he said, making Mel sit on the ground.

"Try not to dirty the carriage exterior with blood," the girl ordered, worried.

"Sure, no problem," the white-haired boy replied, letting his blood drip to the ground.

"Sure you're okay?" Marsal asked, observing him.

"Yes, they're just superficial wounds; they don't even need treatment." The boy turned to me, smiling. "I'm Esme, nice to meet you."

"I'm Roseth, but I think you already know."

"Too bad," Esme said, sitting on the ground. "I wanted to explore a dungeon; it would have been fun."

"Esme!" Marsal exclaimed, irritated.

"Sorry for keeping all the fun for myself," I retorted with a smile, "but you won't be bored for much longer."

"Talking about the war?" Esme asked.

"Exactly."

"What's appealing about war?" Marsal looked at me doubtfully.

"Nothing."

"I'm done," the blonde-haired girl had completely stitched my wound.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"I'm Elya," she replied with a beautiful smile.

"Thanks, Elya."

"Are you hungry, Roseth?" Marsal interrupted our conversation.

"Of course," I replied, getting up.

"Then come."

"Wait," the girl intervened. "He lost a lot of blood; he should rest."

"Hey, Marsal," I called.

"Tell me."

"Now that I think about it... I'd prefer if you lent me some clothes."

"You're right, so first, let's stop by my carriage."

"Sure."

"Don't ignore me!" the blonde-haired girl yelled, but we walked away without listening to her.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"We also need to inform Ton," my brother said, entering his carriage. "You know him, right?"

"Ton?!" I replied surprised. "He's here?"

"Yes, tomorrow I was supposed to enter the dungeon with him, the one where you and Mel were trapped."

"I didn't think we were in the same dungeon," I said doubtfully. "Are you sure about that?"

"Why? Didn't you both come out together?" Marsal replied, handing me a brown T-shirt that resembled a rag.

Is this the best he has?

"No," I replied, putting on the shirt. "We met just outside the dungeon a little while ago."

"Probably because of the space and time alteration within the barrier," my brother hypothesized, handing me dark blue pants.

"Thank you, I'm glad to know you were coming to save me," I thanked while putting on my pants.

"We have a lot to talk about, Roseth," Marsal affirmed, stepping down from the carriage. "So, let's not waste time."

"You're right," I replied.

"Roseth?!" A deep voice resonated from behind.

I turned and glimpsed the imposing earth mage.

"Are you Roseth, right?" Ton asked incredulously.

"Yes, it's me. I'm glad you recognized me after all these years."

"How... how is it possible?" he continued.

"I managed to get ou-" Before I could finish the sentence, Ton hugged me tightly, and we both fell to the ground.

"Hey, wait, I'm injured!" I shouted, struggling to free myself.

"I'm glad you're alive. I told you to enjoy your childhood, and instead, you spent it in a horrible place like a dungeon. I'm sorry; it's my fault. I wasn't strong enough to protect you."

"No, no one could have expected something like this to happen. It's not about being strong or not; accidents can always happen," I said, trying to free myself from his embrace.

Ton let go of me, and keeping his hands on my shoulders, he started to look me directly in the eyes. "Promise me that from now on, you'll enjoy life like any other kid your age."

"I promise," I replied, frightened by his demeanor.

"Shouldn't you say goodbye to someone else?" Marsal said, pointing in Mel's direction.

"Mel... him too..." the imposing man's eyes filled with joy, and he rushed towards his old companion.

"Sooner or later, you'll kill me with these hugs," I remarked, painfully getting up from the ground.

"You're right," Marsal chuckled. "Now let's go eat."

The soldiers who were sitting around the campfire had already left, and we took their place. Marsal took pieces of leftover beast meat and cooked them over the fire.

"Good smell," Mel said, hobbling toward us with Esme and Ton.

"Do you want some wine too?" Elya asked, sitting to Marsal's left.

"Roseth is only 12 years old," Ton intervened. "Don't you think he's too young?"

"Well, better for me," the girl replied, filling her wine glass. "There'll be more for me."

"Make sure not to overdo it," Marsal warned her.

"While the meat is cooking, can I cut your hair, Roseth?" Mel suggested, sitting next to me.

"Sure, but what will you use to cut them?" I asked.

"I have scissors in the carriage," Elya intervened. "Ton, go get them. They should be in the first drawer on the right when you enter."

"All right," the imposing man replied. "By the time I'm back, have a glass of wine ready for me."

"Sure, I'll take care of it," Marsal affirmed.

"Tell us about your adventures in the labyrinth," Elya proposed, staring at me. "What kind of monsters were there?"

"Well, in the tunnels, I found only feline beasts, gorilla-like creatures, and horned wolves. Then, when I reached the central hall, I encountered different monsters like ants, and in the end, I even found a dragon," I recounted, filling my wine glass.

"A dragon?! We faced one too!" Esme exclaimed.

"Don't get too excited; you didn't do anything. Marsal defeated it on his own," Elya explained, looking at the white-haired boy with disdain.

Hurt by her words, Esme lowered his gaze, and his enthusiasm vanished.

"Anyway, why don't you tell us about yourselves?" I suggested.

"We were here to clean the area of beasts," Marsal replied.

"Why? Shouldn't the beasts be confined in dungeons? Or... is this Nepenthes?" I asked, curious.

"The second one," my brother replied, turning the meat to prevent it from burning.

"Here I am," Ton returned with a pair of scissors.

"Perfect!" Mel exclaimed, grabbing the scissors.

The boy began cutting my hair, the meat continued to cook, and as soon as it was ready, we all ate together. We continued to talk and drink; Ton got angry with me, continually saying I was still too young for alcohol, but I kept ignoring him.

Marsal told me about the kingdom's current situation. As Arter said, a war is coming; in recent days, several ambassadors have reached the capital, demanding a certain object kept hidden from the people. No one knows what it is, but it's probably related to Zephyr's power.

My brother also spoke a lot about his life. After learning about our parents' death, he researched dungeons for two years at the academy. Then, he abandoned it at the age of eight to start my search in the Nepenthes area, joining expeditions under a false identity because he was still too young. He continued like this until today.

Mel finally finished cutting; the hair that once reached my waist could now be considered "short." The wind mage had chosen a wild style, which he thought suited me best, but probably there were no other decent excuses; he simply wasn't capable of making a decent cut.

"Well, they suit you well," Marsal remarked, scrutinizing me with his brown eyes.

"They're very dark now that I notice; are you sure you're Marsal's brother?" Elya observed, also looking at my black hair.

"Yes, I got them from our mother, while Marsal's hair is our father's, the same goes for the eyes," I explained.

"Wow, probably your mother was already beautiful," the girl with long blond hair remarked.

"Yes, she was enchanting," I replied cheerfully.

Talking about our mother saddened Marsal; his smile disappeared, and he lowered his gaze.

"Weren't you supposed to tell Roseth something?" Esme asked my brother, interrupting the conversation about our mother.

"Ah, right," Marsal turned to me, and his gaze was cheerful again.

"Sure changes mood quickly," I thought.

"I'll go back to the academy," Marsal said. "So... I'd like to propose something to you."

"Do you want me to come to the academy with you?" I asked, finishing my wine.

"Exactly, you have a lot of potential, and I don't want it to go to waste. Ton thinks the same."

"All right," I put the glass down with a thud. "I have no problems with that, but... I think it would be a waste of money. I probably won't even be able to complete the first year before the war breaks out."

"There's no conscription for academy students," Esme explained, waiting curiously for my answer to analyze me.

"Of course, I want to take part in this war. I have a goal to accomplish," I affirmed.

Mel, surprised, spat the wine on the ground.

"What's happening?" the girl asked worriedly.

"Nothing, I just remembered something," Mel replied.

"Roseth," Marsal called with a serious look. "I don't want to hinder your choices, but think about it again. You won't always be as lucky as you were in the dungeon. Even if you're very strong, if you were

hit unexpectedly on the battlefield, you would die, and I can't afford to lose you either.”

"Calm down, you're talking to the wizard capable of materializing mana weapons at just two years old," I boasted.

"Roseth, the source that told me this is not very reliable, but I have to warn you anyway. Excessive use of pure mana could lead to the deterioration of your core," my brother explained, concerned for my health.

"I know," I affirmed. "But now I can use fire."

"I'm sorry," Marsal said, looking down. "You put so much effort into mastering pure mana."

"You're wrong," I replied. "If I hadn't used it, I would probably be dead in the square by now."

"I know, but..." Marsal continued, regretful.

"Don't dwell on it too much," Esme intervened.

"But..."

"He's right, Marsal," I explained.

"You're right, sorry," Marsal looked up and started smiling again. "Let's talk about something happier."

"Like?" I asked, biting into beast meat.

"Elya's father will get us a recommendation for the academy, so we can enroll for free," my brother said, looking towards the girl.

"Why?!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"My father is obsessed with Marsal," Elya explained. "For some years now, he's been trying to convince him to go to the academy, but your brother resisted."

"We finally agreed that I would return to the academy as soon as I found you, and he would pay the enrollment fee for both of us," Marsal continued, content.

"Fantastic," I replied. "Is Elya's father wealthy?"

"He's the kingdom's strategist," Ton said in his deep voice.

"He must be a fantastic person," I affirmed.

"He is," Elya responded with a beautiful smile, likely very fond of him. Father.

The meat was finished, Marsal extinguished the fire with his water magic. "We leave tomorrow morning," he said, looking at me.

"No problem for me," I replied.

I spent the rest of the day resting in the carriage while Marsal and the others prepared for departure. Mel rested beside me; her wound had been stitched, but she still struggled to walk.

"I'll start studying at the academy again," she said, surprising me.

"Really? But how old are you now?" I asked curiously.

"17," she replied with a sad look. "For Ton and the others, nine years have passed, everything has changed for them. For me, it's only been a few months. This leap in time isn't so pleasant. The friends I knew are now adults, and I'm still seventeen; my life has practically been ruined."

"I'm sorry," I said.

Mel laughed. "You say that? If I'm not mistaken, the same goes for you, right?"

"You're wrong; for me, it's different. I was still a child, and other than my family, I didn't know anyone; I had no friends," I explained.

"But you have Marsal. Didn't it bother you to find out you're nine years behind him?" Mel asked.

"It would have been worse if I still had the body of a three-year-old child," I replied.

"You're right," she said, chuckling.

***

The day of departure arrived.

I was sleeping soundly and felt someone shaking me.

"Wake up!" someone shouted in my ear.

I opened my eyes abruptly and saw the white-haired boy.

"Good morning, Roseth."

"Good morning."

I looked around; both Marsal and Mel were sleeping peacefully wrapped in blankets.

"Do we need to wake the others?" I asked.

"No," Esme replied. "Follow me," she said, leaving the carriage.

"O-okay."

I stepped outside, and there was no one; probably, the other soldiers were still sleeping.

"Why did you wake me up so early?" I asked, confused by her behavior.

"Quiet and observe." In no time, Esme materialized a white mana sphere in her right hand.

I brought my face close to the sphere and began to study it. It's different from elemental mana, and if it is...

I distanced myself, certain of my theory, and asked, "It's pure mana, right?"

"Exactly," Esme replied.

"Why is it white? I thought it was blue for everyone," I noted, observing the sphere more closely.

"My pure mana is special," she explained. "Each mage has their own mana that differs from others. Usually, it's basic mana that can only be condensed, molded, and used for body enhancement. But there are very rare cases, 1 in 10 million, where the mage is born with a type of pure mana similar to elemental mana, with unique effects and uses."

"And you're one of these rare cases?" I asked.

"Yes, that's the reason for the color of my mana."

"Why did you want to tell me all this?"

"Now you'll understand," she said proudly. "But first, don't you want to know about the unique ability of my pure mana?"

"No."

"What?!" Esme exclaimed. It seemed like my refusal had hurt her.

"Fine, tell me about it," I said with a bored look.

"Oh, sure," a smile returned to her face. "I named my ability 'Power Absorption.' It allows me to reproduce the pure mana of my opponent inside my core, copying their abilities and allowing me to use them."

"And what if your opponent doesn't have an ability?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well... in that case, I wouldn't gain anything by reproducing their mana." Esme replied, embarrassed.

"Fantastic," I said ironically with a disappointed look.

"There could still be useful applications," Esme retorted.

"I don't care," I said straightforwardly.

Esme was surprised and hurt by my statement, surrendering to the truth.

"Anyway," I continued, "don't you have problems with core deterioration?"

"No," replied the white-haired boy, becoming serious again. "My core, having to adapt to a special type of mana, has been excessively modified and strengthened, allowing me to use my pure mana without short-term repercussions."

"Good for you."

"Anyway, this morning I woke you up to teach you a better way to use your pure mana without damaging your core too much," the white-haired boy asserted.

"You have my attention," I said, observing Esme.

"You'll have to merge the fire mana with your pure mana."

"Merge?" I asked, confused.

"Exactly, create a flame and visualize elemental mana in your mind. It's formed by many mana particles; you should be able to perceive them. Once done, distinguish a group of elemental mana particles. At that point, you should be able to mix those particles with those of your pure mana, overcoming the repulsion between them. They should then merge without problems, and you'll obtain a special and unique form of mana.”

"How is yours?" I asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no. My special mana is different from what you'll obtain; yours will be more like a normal flame," explained Esme, regretful.

Disappointed by the white-haired boy's response, I gathered my strength. "Then, let's begin," I said with a serious look.

"Go," Esme replied, pleased to see me motivated.

I emitted a red flame from the palm of my hand, closed my eyes, and focused on it. I observed a group of bright red dots representing fire mana, concentrated my pure mana around this group; blue lights representing my mana appeared. I tried to mix it with the red dots, but they repelled the blue ones.

I continued trying to blend them, overcoming the repulsion. I exerted myself to the maximum but failed. I dissipated the flame and sat down to rest from the exertion.

"Complicated, isn't it?" Esme said.

"Yes, more than I thought."

"However, there's a way to train to overcome the repulsion," said the white-haired boy before cutting a branch with a wind blade.

"What are you doing?" I asked as Esme dragged the branch towards me.

"The beast's release transformed this area into a mana-rich zone, so the elemental mana in the plants has increased significantly," he explained.

"What does all this have to do with training?"

"Place your hands on this branch and push your mana into it," he ordered, moving away from it.

"I think I understand the idea," I said, placing my hands on the branch. "The plant's mana is much less dense than the flames I create, so it's excellent for practicing."

"When trying to overcome repulsion, always surround elemental mana particles with pure mana to prevent them from moving. In this case, you can't because trees, like humans, have mana channels."

"So, what should I do?" I asked.

Esme approached and cut the branch, making it smaller. "You have to completely surround this part of the br

anch, then push as much mana as possible inside until you fill all the channels. At that point, the elemental mana inside the branch won't be able to move, and you can train to overcome repulsion."

"Doing all these things simultaneously is complicated," I remarked, worried about the difficulty of my training.

"I know, but this way, you'll also improve your mana control."

"Thank you," I said, looking at Esme with a smile. "Now, I'll start.”