CHAPTER 21

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The next morning, the forest was still as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the trees. I was already awake, sitting by the dying embers of the fire, turning over the events of the previous night in my mind. Auto-Heal had worked perfectly in my tests, and the possibilities it presented had stirred a new kind of excitement in me.

This ability would change the way I fought—it would allow me to focus entirely on combat, without needing to worry about healing myself in the heat of battle. But there was still more to be done. I had to refine the process, ensure that it activated instantly, and maybe even explore ways to improve its efficiency for more severe injuries.

As Alric approached the clearing, I stood up, eager to tell him about my progress.

“You’re up early,” he said, his usual calm demeanor in place. His eyes flickered toward me, always observant, always calculating.

“I’ve been experimenting,” I replied, unable to hide the small smile that crept onto my face. “There’s something I need to show you.”

Alric’s eyebrow raised slightly in curiosity, but he didn’t respond right away. Instead, he gestured for me to continue.

I took a deep breath, pulling up the sleeve of my tunic to expose my forearm. With a quick motion, I unsheathed my dagger and made a small cut along the skin. The pain was sharp but familiar, and just as quickly, I felt the warm sensation of healing as Auto-Heal activated. The cut closed within seconds, leaving no trace of the wound.

Alric watched silently, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the process. After a moment, he spoke, his voice thoughtful. “Auto-Healing.”

I nodded, lowering my arm. “I tied it to my body’s natural response to pain. Whenever I take damage, the mana automatically heals the wound without any conscious effort on my part.”

He remained quiet, his eyes focused on me, as if calculating the implications of what I had just shown him.

“It works,” I continued, unable to hold back my enthusiasm. “I tested it last night. Smaller wounds heal almost instantly. Larger ones… they’ll take longer, but it’s still faster than anything I’ve experienced before. And since I have unlimited mana, I can keep fighting while my body heals itself.”

Alric folded his arms across his chest, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Impressive. You’ve taken a significant step forward.”

I felt a surge of pride at his words, but it was quickly tempered by the thoughtful look in his eyes. There was something more—something he wasn’t saying.

“But,” he added, his tone shifting slightly, “there’s more to think about here, Niv. You’ve created a powerful tool, but tools can become crutches. Just as I warned you about relying too much on Analyze and Auto-Dodge, this healing ability could also lead to overconfidence. You need to be aware of the consequences.”

I frowned, my excitement fading slightly. “What do you mean?”

Alric stepped closer, his gaze intense but calm. “Healing quickly is an advantage, yes. But it doesn’t make you invincible. You’ll heal the damage, but that doesn’t mean the pain will disappear. It’s still there, and pain can affect your judgment, slow your reactions. If you rely on this ability too much, you might push yourself beyond your limits without realizing it.”

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I swallowed hard, considering his words. He was right, of course. Auto-Heal could repair the damage, but it couldn’t stop the pain. And if I wasn’t careful, I could end up taking more damage than my body could handle, even if it was healing quickly.

“So, I have to balance it,” I said, more to myself than to him.

Alric nodded. “Exactly. Use this ability, but don’t forget that your body still has limits. You may have unlimited mana, but that doesn’t make you untouchable. The moment you start thinking you can’t be hurt, you’ve already lost.”

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of his words settle over me. This was the lesson he always tried to drill into me—balance. It wasn’t enough to just have power. I had to know how to use it wisely, to understand when to hold back and when to push forward.

“I understand,” I said quietly.

Alric gave a slight nod, his expression softening. “Good. Now, show me what else you’ve learned.”

We spent the rest of the morning testing the limits of Auto-Heal. Alric didn’t hold back, pushing me through intense drills that forced me to rely on the healing ability while still maintaining focus on the fight. He struck fast and hard, his blows landing with precision, testing my reaction time.

The pain was immediate with each hit—sharp, unrelenting—but just as quickly, I felt the warmth of mana surge through my body, repairing the damage before it could slow me down. Cuts, bruises, even deeper gashes closed within seconds, but the pain remained, lingering in my muscles, making me grit my teeth through every strike.

It was a strange feeling—knowing that my body could heal, but still having to endure the pain. Alric’s lesson was clear. Auto-Heal was a powerful tool, but it wasn’t a shield. I still needed to be careful, still needed to control the fight without letting the pain cloud my judgment.

By the time we finished, I was exhausted, my body aching from the strain. But the cuts and bruises were gone, leaving only the memory of the fight behind.

“You did well,” Alric said as we sat by the fire that afternoon, the tension of the morning’s training slowly fading. “You’re learning to use your abilities effectively. But there’s still more to refine.”

I nodded, wiping the sweat from my brow. “I can see that. It’s not perfect yet.”

“You’ll get there,” he replied, his tone encouraging. “Just remember—everything you learn, every ability you create, needs to be part of a larger strategy. Don’t rely too much on any one skill. Adaptability is key.”

I stared into the fire, mulling over his words. Adaptability. That was what Alric had been drilling into me from the beginning. No single ability would make me invincible. It was the combination of skills, the ability to adapt in the heat of battle, that would make the difference.

That night, after Alric had gone to sleep, I found myself standing at the edge of the clearing again, staring out at the darkened forest. The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the trees. I couldn’t sleep—not yet. My mind was still racing with ideas, with the need to perfect Auto-Heal.

I pulled my dagger from its sheath, the blade glinting in the pale moonlight, and made another small cut along my arm. As expected, the pain was followed by the immediate surge of mana, the cut closing within seconds. But the pain lingered, dull and persistent.

I needed to find a way to manage that—to minimize the pain while still maintaining the speed and efficiency of the healing. It would take more experimentation, more refinement. But I knew I could do it. I had to.

As I stood there, watching the trees sway gently in the breeze, I thought back to everything Alric had taught me. Control. Balance. Patience. Every lesson was a piece of a larger puzzle, one that I was slowly starting to understand. My power was growing, but so too was my understanding of what it meant to wield that power responsibly.

The mask felt heavy in my hand, a reminder of the path I had chosen. I wasn’t just a boy chasing revenge anymore. I was becoming something more—something stronger, more dangerous. And with every new ability, every new lesson, I was getting closer to my goal.

The demon was still out there, waiting. But I wasn’t the same person I had been when I fled from the farm all those months ago. I was stronger now. Smarter. More focused.

And I wasn’t done yet.