Gunshots rang out in the night as the soldiers unloaded on the fleeing Nachzehrer. Although through the fog it was difficult to see them, those with good eyesight could make out hundreds of shadows dropping to the ground.

After about 30 seconds, they stopped firing, and a deafening silence descended on the place.

Corpses littered the ground, and blood had pooled beneath them. A heavy stench of sewage had already permeated throughout the area, and it was only now that they had realized it. The soldiers looked, and their hearts fell into their stomachs upon seeing their dead comrades.

Most of them were just hurriedly placed in the battalion to fill the numbers, but there were quite a few who were friends. But now, those very same people they lived, trained, and bled with were lying on the ground, a mangled mess. Worst of all, they had to be killed twice after they threatened to turn.

“...Fucking hell. I didn’t sign up for this.” One of them muttered, averting their gaze away from the mess and into the distance. Everyone shared that sentiment and took a moment to let reality set in.

Emil gave them a moment of silence. He had seen numerous horrors during his time in the military, so he understood that they needed this. It was better for them to deal with the pain now than bring it back home with them.

‘Fortunately, those bastards ran away.’ He thought as he walked around and gathered some of the scattered dog tags.

Anders and Sera also looked at the scene with somber expressions, particularly the latter. She had to kill a few who were about to turn into Nachzehrer, making today the first time she had ever killed a human.

She wasn’t sure how to feel. Most of the time, things just felt like bags of flesh, but it felt different doing it to her own kind. It was like something instinctual was telling her that she did something wrong, despite knowing it was for her survival.

Sera stared at her free hand before glancing at her axe and bouncing between the two. ‘Is this okay? Did I really have to kill them? I mean, they were going to kill more people, but maybe we could’ve saved them. Zayzal has that unique talent. He could’ve figured out a way to save them!’

She looked over at Zayzal, only to see a surprisingly indifferent expression on his face as he took everything in. Occasionally, he would frown, but that was it.

‘...Is it his Adaptability?’ Sera thought but didn’t understand how right she was.

Zayzal didn’t feel much as he looked at all the dead bodies. At first, he felt sick to his stomach, but he quickly adapted to the scene as if he had experienced it a dozen times and calmed down.

‘...Is this really how my talent should work?’ Zayzal thought while looking at the severed head of a soldier. ‘Shouldn’t it just make me stronger? Why does it have to force me to adapt to every situation? I want to be able to feel something while looking at this!’

However, no matter what he thought, it made no difference. The conflicting emotions he felt just a few minutes ago had disappeared as if they were never there!

‘I need to find a way to control my talents!’ Once again, Zayzal realized that he needed to get stronger or at least more knowledgeable.

‘So far, the only places that might be able to help me are dungeons. I can also experiment on other people, but that takes too long.’ His gaze drifted to the green orb within Emil.

He channeled mana into his eyes to better outline the pathways and confirmed that they really were almost exactly the same as the ones for Sera’s golden orb.

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Emil had noticed Zayzal's gaze. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Zayzal approached him and asked, “What did you do back there? It looked like you controlled the trees around you.”

Emil nodded. "It's my Wood Manipulation talent. It allows me to control trees in the surrounding area, but it’s very limited. I have to be looking at a tree; it can’t be too far away, and I can really only use it for defense. It’s too hard to control for anything else.”

Seeing this as an opportunity, Zayzal offered, "How about we help each other? You allow me to study your talent and Sera and I will help you improve it.”

Emil raised an eyebrow but was clearly interested. "It's a deal," he replied after a moment's thought.

He had seen how strong and skilled Anders was, something that wasn’t the case when he left the military. Not to mention, Sera was like a walking human tank. Since Zayzal looked like the leader of the group, it only made sense that he was at the center of their inhuman strength.

With that said, Emil turned back toward his soldiers and began ordering them around. While it was awful that some of their brothers-in-arms had to die, they had things to do.

***

Over the next day, the Heath was filled with the sounds of training. Receiving guidance from Zayzal and Sera, Emil learned to mold his talent better, producing quicker, stronger responses from plants. In one exercise, he was able to rapidly move the surrounding trees to create a protective barrier of thick bark around him and his teammates.

Zayzal and Sera took turns guiding Emil through exercises, using their own unique talents to challenge him. Zayzal would frequently find gaps in his patterns to take advantage of, thanks to his [Adaptability] talent.

Sera, on the other hand, would challenge Emil in close combat, pushing him to use his talent defensively and offensively in rapid succession. They quickly learned just how strong his talent could be after training it more and more.

Despite Sera’s immense power, she couldn’t chop through the trunk of a tree in one go. And as long as Emil had mana, he could keep up an almost impenetrable wood blockade without much effort.

During their training, the Heath's outskirts were continuously patrolled to ensure that no monsters could infiltrate the area. It also provided an opportunity for Emil to try his talent in real-time combat scenarios.

When not training with Emil, Zayzal spent his time studying the pathways of the green orb. His findings were invaluable for understanding the different paths to power. Something he learned was that while Emil had to sense and control the mana within him like Sera did, the way he used it was very different.

Sera could create barriers anywhere at any time so long as she had mana, but Emil’s talent only worked when there was wood around him.

Throughout this intense period, the group also assisted the local citizens in establishing a stable foothold in the Heath. They fortified the borders, set up hunting teams, and helped organize patrols. The community grew stronger and more self-reliant with each passing day.

***

As dawn broke on the day of their departure, the Lüneburg Heath was enveloped in a gentle mist, giving it an ethereal glow. Birds chirped a symphony of goodbyes, and the citizens gathered to bid farewell to their saviors.

Zayzal, Sera, and Anders stood at the edge of the makeshift camp, backpacks packed and ready to depart. The weight of their new Challenge Tokens* felt comfortable in Zayzal's pocket, a testament to their hard work.

A young girl, probably no more than seven, approached the trio with a small bouquet of flowers. Her brown eyes wide with admiration, she held the bouquet out to Sera. "Thank you for keeping the monsters away," she whispered, her voice filled with genuine gratitude.

Sera, touched by the gesture, kneeled down to the young girl's level, accepting the flowers with a smile. "You're welcome, little one. Make sure you always listen to your elders and stay safe," she replied gently, her usually stern demeanor softened.

Anders chuckled, "Looks like you've made a new friend, Sera."

Sera just shot him a playful glare in return. The bond between the group had grown stronger during their time in the Heath, evident in their banter and the trust they displayed in each other.

Emil approached the group, offering Zayzal a firm handshake. As a gesture of gratitude, he handed over three Challenge Tokens to the group. "Thank you for everything. We've learned a lot from each other, and I'll always be grateful for that. If you have any problems in Germany, find me. I’ll see what I can do."

Zayzal nodded, clasping Emil’s hand in return. "Likewise, Emil. Keep practicing, and don't let your guard down."

Emil grinned, determination shining in his eyes. "I will. Thanks to you, we're in a better position to handle any threats."

The moment of departure was at hand. With a final nod to Emil and waves to the gathered crowd, the trio made their way out of the Heath.

***

[A/N: Challenge Tokens: Challenge coins are small coins or medallions that bear an organization's insignia or emblem and are carried by the organization’s members. They are traditionally used to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale. In addition, they are also collected by service members and law enforcement personnel.]