Raven began to feel that familiar sensation again as Edward broke the stone. The ground beneath his feet seemed to slip away, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. As he collapsed to the ground, he lost both his sense of hearing and sight. When everything returned, Edward Hunter was laughing as loud as he could, looking down at him. After a few minutes, Raven shook his head and started walking toward the interior.

"Father’s son…"

Together, they walked to the infirmary to leave Miles behind. Edward placed Miles on the bed, and both of them pulled chairs next to it, silently waiting for him to wake up. About 20 minutes later, Miles opened his eyes.

"Don’t strain yourself, son," Edward said.

Raven, on the other hand, was lost in thought, reflecting on everything that had happened and his own weakness.

"The stones, they’re in the bag, Dad. You should take them," Miles said in a tired voice.

Edward nodded, took the stones from the bag, and left. He returned 10 minutes later.

"Miles was like a hero," Raven said, glancing at Edward.

Edward didn’t respond, but his gaze stayed on his son. Miles coughed and then spoke.

"If it weren’t for you, we’d both be dead by now. I just showed stupid courage. Raven sacrificed himself to save me."

Raven felt foolish.

"I knew I wouldn’t die."

"Of course you didn’t," Edward cleared his throat. "Both of you did your best. In fact, if the possessed symbiote hadn’t shown up, the operation would’ve been a walk in the park for you."

Neither of them said anything, as, despite the truth in his words, both had caused some issues during the operation.

"I don’t know what your plan was, but it worked, so I’m sure you’ve got high-level resource control skills. When you grow up, I’ll be sure to see you fighting by my side."

There was a brief silence. Miles was thinking about what had just happened, while Raven was contemplating how he could avoid making such mistakes in the future. Edward, on the other hand, was lost in his own uncertain thoughts.

"You two rest. I’ve got things to do," Edward said as he stood up, brushed himself off, and left the infirmary. Raven and Miles were left alone.

"My friend, I need to train too. You rest," Raven said as he stood and walked toward the door.

"Hey, Raven," Miles called out. Raven turned around, and Miles, now sitting up, looked at him.

"Thank you," he said.

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Raven nodded and left the room. There were only a few days left before school started, and if Raven found himself in a situation where upperclassmen attacked him, he’d have to face students stronger than even his symbiote.

As he walked toward the exit, Eleanor Hunter crossed his path.

"Raven, we never talk. You should talk to me for a bit."

Although Raven wasn’t fond of talking, she was his mother, and at least he could do was listen to her a little.

"Yes, Mom, I’m listening."

They had never really spoken one-on-one before, and although it felt awkward because she was his mother, it was still a normal situation for Raven.

"I heard you almost died on your mission. When I see Edward, I’ll scold him..."

"It’s fine, Mom. Miles and I are okay with it. As long as we’re alive..."

Eleanor’s face fell. She didn’t understand why people fought. Even other women seemed to be obsessed with war. Why was gaining power so captivating? Only simple creatures resorted to violence to prove themselves. But humans could speak. They risked their lives to do this.

"Raven, I won’t stop you, but I don’t understand why people like you fight. Why do you prefer to suffer to prove yourselves to others instead of living a painless and peaceful life?"

Raven thought for a moment.

"Suffering... it means different things to different people. But for people like us, we don’t fight to prove ourselves to others. It’s not even about violence. It’s just the desire to fight for something. If I had never fought for anything in my life, I would’ve suffered every second. Everyone suffers in different ways, and physical pain isn’t a type of suffering for me. We fight to prove ourselves to ourselves, not to others."

Although Eleanor still didn’t care for fighting, she began to respect his perspective. At least now she understood that everyone had their own passion, and for them, it was fighting.

"By the way, what’s the code for the hidden training area?" he asked.

Eleanor thought, I guess I’ll never be able to stop them.

"I never bothered to learn it... but if you want to go, the trainer, Rufus, should be in his office. You can ask him."

Raven thanked her and made his way upstairs, entering Rufus’s office. Rufus was writing something on a piece of paper when Raven walked in, and he quickly tucked the paper into the drawer of his desk.

"Yes, Raven, what’s up?"

Raven sat down on a chair and spoke.

"What’s the code for the hidden training area?"

"The code is courage. But if you’re planning to train, how about we do it together?"

Raven’s eyes lit up. This would be far more efficient and fun than training alone.

"Yes, absolutely! I was planning to develop a new technique. Maybe you can help."

Rufus laughed and stood up.

"I’ve dedicated my life to combat techniques, kid."

He walked out of the room, and they made their way to the hidden door. After passing the aquarium, they reached the blacksmith Edric’s workshop.

"Hey, Edric, I broke my sword, but instead of throwing the pieces away, I thought it’d be smarter to bring them to you," Raven said.

Edric, wiping sweat from his brow, took the sword pieces from Raven.

"Thanks, kid. It’s better than throwing it away. After I finish the Blood bat's dagger, I can make you some throwing knives from this obsidian alloy."

Raven nodded, and they continued walking with Rufus.

"How quickly that brat has grown," Rufus muttered as they continued on.

Finally, they reached the training area, and after passing through the entrance, they stepped into the large room.

"So, what kind of technique are you planning to develop? Is it based on a weapon or a specific skill?" Rufus asked.

Raven looked at the weapons on the wall.

"I think my speed is lacking, so I’m going to develop a technique to improve my explosive speed. It won’t involve any specific weapon."

Rufus nodded, then, pretending to think, put his hand on his chin. When Raven lowered his guard, Rufus quickly drew a throwing knife from his belt and threw it at Raven’s face.

Raven, maintaining a neutral expression, tilted his head slightly, dodging the knife with minimal movement.

"You’ve earned your training," Rufus said.

"Since we started walking, you’ve been suppressing your intention to attack. The only thing I didn’t know was when you’d strike."