The Moth gracefully glided past me, emanating an indescribable aura. There was something extraordinary about it, not in its physical appearance but in its essence. It carried a sense of uniqueness as if it embodied the spirit of the world itself. At that moment, it seemed like the Moth and the world were inseparable entities. With its tranquil beauty, the pond appeared to be a microcosm, a world within itself—the domain of this Moth.

Strangely, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Moth had guided me to this spot. Its presence had a purpose, as if it had allowed me to reach this place. But why someone like me? I'd been practically useless all my life. What could the Moth possibly want? The question lingered in my mind.

The Moth seemed to beckon me toward the pond, its presence enchanting. Despite my first hesitation, I felt a strong pull to follow its lead. With each step closer to the pond, I felt awe and reverence, as if entering a sacred realm. In the pond's mirror-like surface, I glimpsed a figure, me, yet unrecognizably confident and fulfilled. As I grappled with this sight, the Moth landed softly between my brows, its touch calming and seemingly natural, as though it belonged there.

A sense of crossroads engulfed me, a pivotal decision hanging in the balance. Despite the fear of uncertainty and inadequacy, a stronger feeling of regret loomed if I were to dismiss the Moth's mystical offering. So, with a leap of faith, I chose to accept its gift, ready to embrace whatever lay ahead. Come what may. This could be my way out of that holding cell of a city.

If only I knew how right I was at that moment.

A surge of unfamiliar power welled up within me, unlike mana but indubitably potent. It felt like an intimate bond with the world, a heightened sense of oneness I hadn't experienced before. Despite the Moth's wings obscuring my vision, my sight became astoundingly crisp, like a veil was lifted. I could sense the minutest textures with my touch, and the aromas around me became strikingly vivid. My hearing was transformed to such an extent that my prior hearing ability may as well have been half-deaf. This newfound sensitivity was exhilarating. Moreover, my scars were slowly fading. The blue veins remained stubborn, however. Constant mana rituals had their costs, and mana bursting was challenging to eliminate. A strange energy was flowing within me, swirling. My senses immediately became sharper, and the changes continued. Just what did this Moth give me?

A fundamental transformation had occurred within me, the nuances I couldn't fully comprehend. Suddenly, an ethereal whisper seemed to caress my ear, borne on the winds themselves. My vision wavered momentarily as if reality was rousing me from my introspection.

Let me guide you.

My sight regained clarity, revealing that the Moth and its kin had vanished. The extraordinary power that thrummed around the pond had subsided, leaving only a faint echo behind. And then, like a rude awakening, a particular sound punctured my newly amplified hearing, seeping directly into my mind.

Go back.

The experience with the Moth had startled me, but I still remembered to refill the waterskins. Walking a few steps, I realized that all my recent wounds since entering the trail had disappeared.

Getting back to the group, the two thugs from earlier had broad smiles as they took the water skins I had filled up. Although their faces showed confusion soon after.

Which reminded me, damn it, I forgot to take a few sips of the water first.

Kidra walked over, humming still to himself. "Don't worry, those thugs will..." his words stopped mid-way upon seeing me look perfectly fine.

"Never mind, I must've been overthinking it." He shook his head.

Helena had us gather, giving short instructions to our group. She singles me out for a moment.

"Bagboy, don't slow us down. Always keep those gloves on for any Sylph grass we see. Remember why we're here, everyone. Lilien Cloudburst requests twenty gale wolf hide and even more of the Sylph grass, and I aim to be the first one to complete it." Her voice had a fierce competitive spirit to it.

With those words, we gathered our supplies and headed off the trail into the hostile region of the Naien Forest.

As we ventured off the beaten path, Kidra's ability in navigation became invaluable. He skillfully guided us through the dense forest, avoiding unnecessary encounters with dangerous creatures and ensuring we stayed on course to the Wolves Grove. His keen eyes and tracking abilities would soon come into play as we searched for the tracks of the gale wolves. As for the Sylph grass, while locating once in the right area wasn't challenging, the real challenge lay in reaching it unharmed. Survival was our primary focus as we pressed deeper into the forest.

The frequency of encounters with beasts increased significantly. Creatures stronger than even the star lion were often seen. While the trails weren't the safest, the natural wilderness of the forest was far more dangerous. We were now venturing towards the treacherous territory within the Naien. The once familiar trails had given way to the untamed wilderness, and every step we took required vigilance.

Along the way, more and more valuable herbs were seen. Even low-tier herbs would be commonly found in their best condition. Our luck seemed to take a turn for the better; Stels, the rogue from earlier, stumbled upon an Oedia Bloom. It is one of the best upper-middle-tier ingredients for elixirs or a mana expansion potion. Its value exceeded all the crystals and other beast parts we had gathered combined.

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Right after, a solitary high orc rushed at us. It was highly unusual to meet a lone orc, as orcs typically traveled in groups, regardless of their variant. The timing was too close to be a coincidence, almost as if the orc was waiting for the Oedia Bloom, to well…bloom?

Despite the high orc being alone, the fight we had to put it down was hard enough that we decided to set up camp rather than go through the forest exhausted. The fallen orc yielded only a crude short sword and had no crystal among its possessions, indicating that it was likely an isolated member rather than a part of a more significant orc faction.

Helena used her wind and neutral magic to create protective wards, one of swirling winds and arcane pulsing. Kidra and I set up the campfire, pitched the tents, and prepared a hearty meal for the group. Stels remained vigilant, scouting the surrounding area to ensure our safety for the night. The useless trio remained just that, useless. They were "watch outs," apparently.

With bellies warmed by the nourishing stew we had prepared, the group huddled around the crackling campfire, seeking light from the dark expanse of the forest. Helena, our brash captain, assigned night watch shifts to ensure our safety during the night.

"Bagboy and Kidra, you're up for the first watch," Helena assigned, her voice carrying the weight of authority. The duty would begin in approximately thirty minutes. Bard and I acknowledged the order.

She had forgotten my name, or perhaps she chose not to use it. Nonetheless, I needed this chance, even if it meant being called "Bag Boy" for a while longer.

"Second watch, Lod, take Hod with you. The third watch it'll be Tod and me. Stels, your task will be to recheck the area in the middle of the night. Does everyone understand the night watch schedule?" Helena clarified, ensuring that each group member knew their assigned shifts.

Kidra touched my shoulder, guiding me towards a sturdy rock near the camp entrance. With a sense of camaraderie, we began to banter and settled into our watch.

The night sky stretched above us, clear and devoid of clouds. A cool breeze rustled through the trees, sending minor chills over me. Despite the stillness of the forest, there were faint rustlings and distant sounds, a reassuring sign of life. We had talked for a while, and suddenly, the conversation took a turn.

Kidra sighed, "My path as a warrior without mana has its walls almost immediately; most of my kind hit a limit one day, and extremely few break past it."

I reassured him. "You've already made it much farther than most manaless Kidra, and there has to be a way forward."

"Knowing about and achieving it are two different things. Remember what we'd used to say as street urchins in the slums of Ulis?"

"That the old bathhouse owner, Matilda, would soon bow before us in awe?" I tried to joke with him.

"Ha, not that, Falond. I mean, how we wouldn't let mana stop us. There had to be another way. We were so sure of it."

"I still am." My lack of confidence disappeared. Those words carried a foundational belief of mine. With what the Moth gave me, any remnants of doubt disappeared.

The two of us continued to talk, and Kidra shared his knowledge about the challenges of being a pure warrior and gave me some insights into tracking. A few beasts approached the camp throughout the night, but Kidra and I charged them down, mostly with me as a distraction for Kidra's "skillful" axe smashing. My newly enhanced senses let us get the first strike on any beast. Our watch ended, with the two of us dead tired. After swapping our watch duty with Lod and Hod, we got into our covers to sleep.

"Be ready for tomorrow, Falond. We'll face the gale wolves soon." Kidra reminded me.

______

The group quickly packed up the camp. Once everything was repacked into the bags, I shouldered the weight.

As everyone gathered their belongings, a low guttural roar suddenly echoed from the side of the camp. The sound sent a shiver down our spines, and our eyes widened in alarm. Noticeably, Kidra was cursing, saying he knew this would happen.

"Can't ever have a peaceful trip down here." He swore.

Everyone, ready yourselves now!" Helena shouted, but the beast charged incredibly fast before we could fully react.

It targeted Tod, the sycophant, crashing into him before he could raise his shield. The creature had tough bark-like skin, well-defined muscles, and sharp jade-colored nails on its hands and feet. Unique wood flowed around the beast's forearms, coming off some from the elbow.

Lod, his face covered in sweat, muttered, "A second-tier portal monster..."

Helena turned to me and urgently instructed, "Bagboy! Bring some potions to Tod. Now!"

Without wasting a moment, I dashed towards Tod, the injured man in dire need of help. The battle raged on, with the team struggling against the portal monster. Unlike the star lion, though, its skin was callous, reinforced by tense muscle and bark-like wood skin covering it. The battle raged on, with the team struggling against the formidable beast. Kidra's axe strikes barely scratched its tough exterior, while Skylar's dark magic had limited effect. The wood and bark skin were resistant to her magic. As I attempted to administer a healing potion to Var, it was clear that his injuries were severe, resulting from a devastating blow from the monstrous creature.

With Stels missing from the scene, the situation grew even more dire. Helena's wind bolts seemed to do little against the resilient monster, only provoking it further. Kidra's attempts to tank were met with evasive maneuvers, while Lod and Hod's half-baked arrows bounced off. Recognizing the urgency, I hastily moved Tod to a nearby stone and administered a healing potion; I poured the potion over his body, very reluctant, hoping he'd live. Regardless of what the oversized man would say about me, his ability to fight would increase my chances of living. I had no real idea what that damn thing was, charging into the middle of the group; I wasn't too well-versed on portal creatures. But it was a first-generation specimen, likely one of the rare and more powerful. This monster had likely come from one of the "five gates," as they're called, and chose the Naien as its home.

In the short time of me tending to Tod, blasts went off, no doubt our captain's doing. The sounds of a tree being sliced were heard by me. Looking up, there was a scene of utter destruction: a tree sheared in half, a scorched patch of earth, and a massive gash carved into the ground. A brief pause ensued before the sounds of clashing resumed. And then, I saw it - the monstrous entity. Its form was more massive than a couple of intertwined oak trees, standing taller than a pair of my height stacked atop one another, possibly more. Its muscles were exaggeratedly enormous, bordering on ludicrous. Yet, this walking embodiment of death was wielding them with lethal proficiency in a terrifying display. Cryptic runes were branded into its taut, monstrous skin.

Despite my not knowing what kind of beast this was, one thing was clear: the presence of glowing runes, either lighting up with exertion or seared into its skin, which showed at least an awakening in this portal creature. However, the precise tier of its evolution remained uncertain and dreadfully deadly to be unaware of.

Yet, survival would be a miracle if the creature was on the upper end of the second tier. Let alone another level above that. So why bother worrying?

I could see Helena's wind gashes strung along the creature's rugged, bark-like skin, mainly in the crevices. Despite hemorrhaging profusely, the beast seemed as formidable as ever. Its movements had noticeably slowed from when it first appeared. However, the difference was negligible at best. Helena had aimed her spells arrows at what she assumed to be the creature's weak spots – its hind leg, heel, neck, and even one in its left eye. The most substantial damage was inflicted by Kidra's axe, which was now embedded in the creature's lower hind leg.

From my point of view, the only significant injury from the arrows was the one lodged in its eye, which had impaired its vision, allowing me this chance to see undetected.

That this window of observation was closing fast. Kidra was upright but teetering. I watched as Helena had her arm half sliced off, crashing away from the monster and becoming unconscious. Lod and Hod were already unquestionably dead; the pool of blood surrounding them was a testament to that. One deadly swipe from the looks of it, and their life was at an end.

At this rate, so would mine. How could I get out of this now?