As the monster's wooden claws descended toward him, Stels drew his blades while trying to outmaneuver the beast. Seizing the opportunity, he launched himself at the creature's back, ready to strike.

The monster let out a furious roar, trying to shake off Stels as he relentlessly attacked. With his agility and ability, Stels deftly maneuvered around the creature, slashing at its flesh with precision. He targeted the symbols adorning its skin, hoping to disrupt the mana that fueled the monster's power.

As the monster swung its arms in a wild frenzy, Stels adeptly evaded each blow, swiftly dodging and weaving. Seizing an opportunity, he rolled between the creature's legs, wielding his short sword and dagger to deliver a powerful strike to the back knee of the monster.

Stels glanced over to check if I was still alive, seeing that the rest of the party was either down or defeated. Only Skylar remained, but her dark magic was subpar against the monster's resistance. Stels realized he couldn't beat the creature alone, especially with others watching, but he could buy some time. Time allowed him to find a way out of this dire situation.

With fierce movement, Stels launched himself at the monster again, aiming for its heart with a deadly strike. However, the creature proved agile, evading his attack and striking back with savage force. Even if Stels had landed the blow, it wouldn't have made a significant difference, as the monster could manipulate the wood around its claws to create protective armor over any targeted area of its upper body, including the bark skin.

Stels was knocked to the ground, his weapons skittering out of reach. As he prepared to face the monster again, he heard footsteps behind him. It was me, armed with the short sword I had retaken. Stels wore a grim expression, aware that he would also need to protect me. The thought of letting me die was unacceptable to him, and I couldn't stand by and watch him fight without me.

We launched ourselves at the monster together, fighting with all our might. Stels retrieved his second dagger and seized the one embedded in the creature's eye, causing blood to gush from the wounded eye.

I knew it wasn't the best of ideas to fight this thing. Still, that feeling of "guidance" didn't go away. It wasn't that I wanted to fight this monster, but I had no choice but to do so. A nagging sensation told me I would regret not taking this stand for the rest of my life.

Not that it would matter if I died here. I'd already decided not to go back to the slums. So, why not listen to that feeling just this once? I let go of overthinking and allowed myself to enter a state of heightened senses. The energy surged within me, and I trusted my instincts to guide my actions in taking down the monster.

I'll copy Stels and hit the brand marks. I entered a state of high focus and heightened senses. What was there to be afraid of anymore? I wasn't going to run, so either we succeeded or died—a strange way to make peace within myself. Every movement of the monster became clear to me as if time slowed down. I could predict its actions before it even made them.

With my heightened senses and anticipation, I effortlessly sidestepped the monster's ferocious strike, evading it easily. Its attack was useless against my heightened reflexes.

As I focused on channeling the energy in my left arm, I felt a surge of power coursing through me. The energy refused to flow into the sword, but it amplified the strength of my strikes, making them even more powerful. With each swing, the force behind my attacks increased.

As the energy in my left arm grew more substantial, I became aware of its draining effect on the rest of my body. My legs started to feel heavy, compromising my agility and dodging abilities. The wounds on my shoulder, upper back, and chest began to bleed more profusely. The power imbalance needed to be fixed for me to keep mobility.

Compared to my clumsy attempts at harnessing the energy and wielding the short sword, Stels fought with the skill and precision of a true expert. His combat ability was evident, and without his support, strange energy or not, I'd be dead in this fight already.

Stels effortlessly evaded the monster's attacks, displaying remarkable agility and skill in his counters. I noticed a shadowy essence emanating from him, intensifying around the dagger in his right hand. My eyes widened in astonishment as Stels stepped into the shadows, appearing behind the monster. The concentrated essence on his blade was striking. However, his attempt to attack the monster's neck only managed to penetrate a third of the way.

Moreover, that dagger was stuck, and I seized the opportunity to strike. I slashed my short sword against the branding on its knee, aiming to weaken its mobility. The creature was a mess, but this was a dangerous game, one mistake, and we'd take unrecoverable damage.

Our luck began to wane as Stels took one moment too long to retrieve his stuck dagger. It was a lapse in judgment. In that vulnerable moment, the monster's wooden claw struck him with a powerful backhand, sending him flying. He landed awkwardly on his front; his arm twisted slightly at an unnatural angle.

Thinking it had dealt with the real threat, the monster shifted its attention toward me. That froze the blood in my veins. The sheer power and presence of the creature were overwhelming, and I couldn't help but wonder if its intimidating aura resulted from its immense strength or a unique ability derived from its natural abilities.

Occasionally, a portal creature has an extra ability; this one slows down the movements of its target. It was a terrifying realization to me how Stels managed it effortlessly until he made a mistake. How fast and agile was he?

Despite knowing it'd weaken my left arm and increase my bleeding, I focused the energy on strengthening my legs. I knew that one hit from the monster could be my death. My legs felt more potent than ever, ready to support my speed in this dance of death.

With a burst of speed, I launched myself towards the creature's side, slashing at its ribs with my sword. However, my inexperience with wielding a weapon became clear as my strike landed on its bark skin instead of its magically pulsing brand. The gash was shallow, especially considering the force behind the blow. At least I managed to avoid getting the sword stuck in its tough skin.

I quickly twisted my body, using the momentum of my slash to turn and face the creature again. I knew that turning my back on it would be a fatal mistake. Just as I expected, its claw came hurtling toward my head. I ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. A few strands of hair were severed, and a deep gash was left in the ground to my left as proof of the close call.

Sweat poured down my face as I noticed the increasing strength of the creature. It was getting stronger, perhaps infusing power into its wooden claws. I could have sworn I saw its dark jade green fingernails briefly glow. Ridiculous, did it have another ability? The lack of knowledge was killing me.

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I propelled myself forward with all my might, driving my left leg forcefully. However, the monster expected my move and managed to adjust slightly. Although I was too slow to dodge entirely, I could go fast enough to avoid its sharp claws and instead be hit by the flesh of its fingers. The impact, combined with the momentum from my left leg, sent me crashing into the same tree again. The badge the guards had given me was torn and shattered from the impact, now barely recognizable.

As I lay there, battered and broken, I couldn't help but feel the weight of my insignificance. Surviving this relentless battle was nothing short of a miracle, considering the lack of mana in my circuits. My resistance had reached its limit. The short sword, my tool for fighting back, lay out of reach near the monster. My arm throbbed with pain, likely broken, rendering it useless.

Despite my battered state, I channeled all my strength to push myself up. My hips ached, and my legs felt weak, but I refused to give in. The monster's mocking gaze fueled my determination. It seemed to find joy in my helplessness; its yellowed fangs were displayed, emanating a putrid stench that assaulted my senses. No matter how slim my chances seemed, I had to find a way. That stubborn side of me certainly helped in situations like these.

As for the good news, some of its brands were not working temporarily, meaning it was less potent than before. This still wasn't enough, as seen by its leisurely walk toward where Kidra and I were lying; it felt there was no threat. We were still at a severe disadvantage, and time was running out. The thing was utterly ignoring Skylar's bolts for now.

A surge of emotions surrounded me, a mixture of fear, rage, and burning determination. I couldn't accept the possibility of dying here, not when life was beginning to improve. So many questions plagued my mind, unanswered and unresolved. Why had my family chosen mana over me? Was it normal to be abandoned like this? Why must I always struggle, resorting to theft and begging for work to survive? I wanted to have something of my own to carve out my path. And what was this strange power surging through me? What exactly was the Moth?

As the monster drew closer, all the chaos around me intensified. Stels struggled to rise to his feet, but the blow he took seemed too much for him. The overwhelming stench overloaded my mind, preventing me from filtering out the noise and focusing on what mattered, like the sounds of heavy steps smashing against the ground or a monstrous breath, now only mere feet away from me. The sound of my blood rushing through my veins echoed in my ears. These senses and the new power weren't good enough to get me out of this.

It's over. The thought raced through my mind, but my stubborn nature refused to accept it. I hadn't endured years of living in the slums of West Ulis city to meet my end so quickly. I had yet to receive payment for the job we were on, and we hadn't even completed it yet. The power coursing through me moments ago now surged to my right foot as if it held the answer to my next move.

And I obeyed. It was better than facing the reality of having my head smashed in and groveling before a portal creature. Using my broken arms for support, I lifted myself, feeling the power building up in my right foot, seeking release. Ignoring the pain and the instinct that my foot would likely suffer damage, I tensed my body, knowing I had no choice. Survival first, moans about its cost later. With a burst of energy, the ground beneath my right foot erupted in a cloud of dust, propelling my body forward; I aimed to bolt through the creature's legs, narrowly evading being pulverized.

The plan worked, but I wasn't unscathed. As I propelled myself forward, my right shoulder collided with the creature's leg, causing a jolt of pain. Ignoring the impact, I focused on reaching Kidra's axe, which was within my grasp. With the last remnants of energy, I tried to pull it out, but my efforts fell short. The portal creature, that unreasonable bastard, turned around and leisurely approached me once again. Before that, it delivered a powerful slap to Kidra, sending his unconscious body skidding across the ground.

"I've seen enough of this farce of a fight," a voice came from behind me. I turned to find an unknown stranger, a cranky old man with a bald head and a thick grey beard. His face was weathered, but his eyes held wisdom and, more importantly to me now, strength.

"Watch how it's done, brave idiot," The older man grumbled at me. "After this, I'll have to clean up your mess and take you away to avoid the mage."

He was like me, having that strange force that wasn't mana. But if mine was a mere drop of water, his was an ocean. The monster seemed to sense it, its muscles stiffening as if contemplating retreat. Who was this old guy? Without even taking any action, he had the power to make a tier two portal creature cower.

The older man withdrew his hand from his pocket, raising a finger that drew in the surging power. A red aura emanated from the tip, forming a condensed droplet. It resembled a raging volcano, and when he moved his finger in a specific pattern, a single red drop left, and an explosion erupted. The ground gave way, leaving behind a crater where the monster once stood. All that remained were charred wooden remnants, barely holding their form. It was as if the creature had never existed, except for the havoc it left on my wounded body and Kidra's group.

The mysterious old man shifted his gaze toward me. His eyes swept over Stels, who finally succumbed to collapsing now that the pressure on his life was gone. Then his gaze landed on Helena, her breathing weak. The old man's eyes caught sight of a symbol on the dagger of Stels.

"Save those two." The man called out to the forest, but no one answered. "That mage girl's darkness will intensify to dangerous levels if she's not guided," the old man grumbled, his voice tinged with concern. "I'll leave her to you, just this once."

Lastly, he turned to me, and although he had just saved my life, a sense of foreboding washed over me. Unease settled in as if I could sense that whatever happened next would have far-reaching consequences, changing the course of my life in ways I couldn't yet fathom.

"I don't know how such a lackluster person gained the blessing, but I can sense it from you. You're not a mana user but a..." he muttered, his voice too low for me to catch the rest of his words. I wished I still had that mysterious power coursing through me, as it would have heightened my senses and allowed me to hear what he was saying.

I had grown somewhat accustomed to the heightened senses that the mysterious power provided. Now that it was gone, I felt a part of myself being sealed away. Snapping out of my thoughts, I noticed the older man walking towards me. He stopped just before me and roughly picked me up, his firm grip surprising me.

"It's a good thing that everyone else who would have seen you here is unconscious," he grumbled. "Otherwise, I'd have to silence them. Against my better judgment, we'll leave that rogue and mage girl be. Not like we've got any spare time."

The old man may be rough around the edges, but he did save us. My eyes were still showing my weariness of him despite his help.

He questioned me. "What did they see from you? Did any visible power come out of your body?"

"What does it matter? And no, nothing of the sort happened. What is this thing, by the way?" I gestured toward the charred wooden remains of the monster.

"That, my clueless idiot boy, is a Woodbourne Trogg," he explained. "One that awakened once, too, which explains why it easily managed to take out your run-of-the-mill party."

Deciding to ignore the insult, considering he had just saved my life, I continued the conversation with him. "We nearly took it down, though," I said.

"Is that what you think?" he retorted. "If it were not awakened to the second tier, you'd be right. However, an awakened one can fully regenerate once you pierce its heart or deactivate all its brands. While its magical abilities may be temporarily sealed, all the damage you inflicted would be undone."

Hearing this, I was startled and didn't have any counterarguments. If what he said was true, then he was right. The shock began to wash over me, but I quickly pushed it aside. This man had saved us, and my fate had taken a new turn because of him.

"Enough on this," he continued. "We need to leave now. Will you come with me or not? If you stay here, the mages won't spare you. I don't have time to explain everything just yet. So, make your choice. Will you stay or go with me?"

Before I could answer, he had wrapped his arm around me and leaped to a height I didn't think was possible. I clung tightly, unable to break free from his grip no matter how hard I tried. Once we landed on a distant tree, I realized how abnormal his physical strength was.

Once out of sight, a woman came out of the forest, exactly where Hadrian had called out. She glanced at Kidra and Helena, signs of displeasure on her face. Her face instead showed a twist of surprise when inspecting Stels.

“Fine, I'll save them for you. That human you’ve found will still be mine, though, elder of the citadel.” She whispered.