"I feel a sense of deja vu here."

Ark stood at a center of a circle, with the commanders forming a hemisphere around him. They looked tense and tired without exception, probably from the workload the demons' recent attack brought.

"Last time you cheated in a sacred knight duel. This time, however, you annihilated the enemy's forces single-handiedly and protected countless knights. It's safe to say this is a good situation." Elizabeth said with a slight smile. Even she had circles beneath her eyes.

"Thank you, but I would rather avoid this sort of glory. I am sick of almost-dying at this point."

"Well, third time's a charm."

Ark did not say he experienced it dozens of times and instead laughed it off.

Julius made a coughing sound. "I would like to start the hearing if that's fine with you."

"Yes. What do ya wanna know?"

"Most of the details were covered by the time you regained consciousness. The only things we want to clear are: a. How did you sense the attack before anyone else?, and b. What was the crimson aura you showed?"

It has been over a week since the attack, but Ark only woke up today. If they still ask him about this, it should be important enough in their eyes.

"Well, for the first question, I can only say I felt a sense of emptiness."

"Emptiness?"

"Yes. Because that attack had gigantic size, I could sense the lack of intent over a wide range moving towards me....that Immortal Black Star guy is crazy. No one sane can send a large-scale weapon of death without the slightest killing intent. I'm guessing they have someone or something good at hiding stuff compeltely."

(I will never forget this humiliation. You'll regret messing with me!)

Ark trembled at the prospect of anyone unleashing an ultimate blow like that as if...as if they are kids testing the water.

But he was even angrier.

"I see. Your skill is rather convenient, if it lets you sense even lack of intent. It seems the current information regarding the Phantom skill requires some serious update. And the second question?"

"I have no idea."

His answer caused some angry grunts. It seems kicking the butts of their knights didn't help garnering the commanders' affection.

"I don't know what it was, nor do I have an inkling to what it could be. Do you really expect me to understand something even the sage doesn't?"

Elizabeth briefly asked him about the red glow power, which shows she has no idea what sort of power was that.

For the sake of convenience, though, Ark dubbed it as power brought by being pushed to the limit physically and emotionally, as it had been a long while since he was emotionally worn down. Maybe a spirit technique he accidently created.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, this is all. This hearing is officially over." Julius rose from his chair and dismissed everyone.

All the commanders hurried to get back to their respective work, though Sirius flashed a friendly smile before leaving. Elizabeth merely grabbed Ark and teleported.

The convenient vehicle as always, she was.

They teleported straight to her office, and she struck Ark with a direct question. "What now?"

"Now? I am planning to train and become stronger. My spirit is new so I can improve a lot for the time being."

"Not with these injuries. Your hands were torn by dark elementals and even your soul received serious damage. No healing magic is enough to make instant recovery. A month...."

"I can't rest for a month! If I just stand in place, that Immortal Dark Star is..."

"So you do know his name properly. Don't try to downplay his impact on you, or it will just serve to empowering him." Elizabeth noted dryly.

Ark is usually composed, or at least appear composed. His rattled state is no good for anyone.

He pretended to not remember the name correctly, but the sage saw right through the act of such agitated Ark. She saw the rage he held over the demon that nearly took his life easily.

"He is not your concern. When the time comes, I will personally see him dead." It was her way of assuring her subordinate.

But Ark wasn't just hot-blooded over the myserious demon. He felt strange dread and anger, as if looking at his nemesis.

"He couldn't have possibly done that attack without exhausting himself somewhat. But not knowing how much is bad. He grasped my strength while I remain clueless to his. It feels the worst."

(As if he mocks me, saying whatever I do, he could do better.)

The spell of light he used to destroy the demons was but a child's play in front of that attack's potent destructive power and scale.

It felt personal. Like a provocation. And if left alone, he feared it would become an itch on the skin.

"This particular demon is heniously crafty and sly, and quite powerful. But even so, compared to the demon king, he is nothing." Elizabeth smiled in confidence. As if she could take down several of his kind combined.

It wasn't comforting, as Ark wanted to be the one to take revenge. But he mustered his acting skill and relaxed his mouth.

"I will rest. But if there is a way to make it faster... I really need to participate in the dungeon exploration."

Apparently, the short confrontation was broadcasted to the entire capital. It may be different for the higher ups, but the use of light magic made impact on the ignorant commonfolk, and the image of a Hero was strongly imprinted.

Being the last to stand and even defeat the demons while half-dead, not treating him as the winner would be ridiculous. They even tried to tie him to Arcadia as a noble, though he refused. But the rewards of a dungeon were the most tempting. It was the only fit for Ark.

The desire to becoms stronger burned even hotter than usual.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Sorry, but there is nothing we can do..."

A knock on the door interrupted her next words, and with permission entered the red head elf.

"Liliana! What's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me! I heard your soul is damaged. Since when a soul injury is common?"

"It's no big deal 'cause I know how to heal myself. It takes longer to heal though."

"That's not normal. Just how long do you think it took for us, the hero party, even encountering this concept?" Elizabeth interjected.

Indeed, it is rare to suffer damage targeting the soul. Different from mental attacks, they affect the target's mana and spirit and even cause damage to the physical body in extreme cases. Still, the soul is in a different plain of existance, and only rare beings have deep connection to it.

On a side note, Phantom is a skill that gives access to the phantom plain with its various abilities to affect the physcial and spiritual plains.

Any individual could naturally gain access to different plains with the right training, so a skill isn't necessary though.

"Well, whatever. I didn't come here just to scold you. There is a way to hasten the healing process."

Ark and Elizabeth widened their eyes. The commander glinted with a vague clue of understanding.

"The elven village has a hot spring with miraculous healing properties. If you bathe in it, you'll be back to normal in no time."

It was decided that Liliana and Ark would go to the elven village for the sake of Ark's recuperation. And since the village is closed to outsider, they were going alone.

Ark was skeptical whether he would be allowed to enter as well, but Liliana insisted it could be done, so he let her try.

The journey would be long and hard. Reaching the elven village would require many days of camping out, hunting for food and...

"Have fun, kids. I will pick you up in a week."

Nope, just a teleportation and a little walk, provided by the cliched mother figure their commander was.

"I don't know what I ever did without teleporting. And Commander is really amazing, to use this draining spell with ease. Her mana reserves are almost bottomless."

"Yeah, even my firepower is losing to her. And that is only a part of the sage class speciality."

The two studied magic extensively. Ark practical spells of the four elements and Liliana mostly on the theoretical side. They understood how amazing their commander was.

Which is why, they made a promise.

"One day... we won't vomit."

"Definitely not."

The act of teleportation causes the mana in the body to shake like liquids in a mixer. It takes good control to stabiliza the flow to act normally while teleporting, which is hard to Liliana with her enormous resources and Ark who is injured.

It is shameful for a mage to have weak control, so they swore never to reveal it.

"Okay, we are almost there. Now we just pass the illusion magic. It's not easy because I'm only half elf but you won't see me get lost..."

"The turn here is left, though." Ark grabbed Liliana who was about to stray off the path.

"There's no... wait, that IS the right path... how did you know?"

"I'm an illusionist. I know a lot about illusions. This is a large scale natural formation, with the core being the village, right?"

Magic rarely appeared naturally in the wild. There're strict conditions such as rich magical energy and aesthetic terrain to a degree. And even that usually results in simple offesive magic, but illusion magic is mostly dubbed auxiliary, which is more complex by far.

"That's right....but..."

"Come on, let's go."

Rather than the elf, the human led the way. Any elf who saw that would be shocked at the ease their greatest defense system crumbled.

Incidently, no normal illusionist could do that. Resisting the illusion completely would require mastery over the Phantom skill that others simply didn't have.

As they reached the village, an imagery veil was lifted, illuminating the forest and granting it ethereal and serene aura.

The first elf who spotted the two seems to have been expecting for them as he said, "you've arrived, at last. I'll call the chief." And walked away.

Other elves finally noticed them and began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Say, Liliana," Ark called his friend with a voice echoing wider than necessary. "Are the rumors that elves are stuck up in their arses true?"

Everyone froze.

"What...? No, but...what are you doing asking so tactlessly?!"

"Please, there's no reason to hide it. I have yet to meet a race that didn't have a superiority complex. I will bet you a pretty coin elves are in the mix, right next to humans and demons."

Ignoring the angry huffes that some elves made, Ark smirked at Liliana, challenging her to counter him.

Instead, she bursts into laughter. Barely capable of restraining herself.

The present elves seemed to have something to say, but then a wrinkled elderly man with gray hair and pointy ears arrives, and the commotion starts spreading.

"Hello mister village chief. I'm Ark, friend of Liliana." He didn't bother with human courtesy and just greeted the man as he would normally.

"Chief Kenrik, I've returned for a while..." She struggled regaining her breath.

"Welcome back, Liliana. As for the human boy, give me one good reason to let you enter and I will allow it."

Here it comes, the proving part. He had expected it from miles and was perfectly ready. Ark understood enough about elves to know exactly what to do.

Just a show of simple light magic would make him a guest of honor. Unfortonately, his injuries don't allow that. So he opted to the second option.

Ark cleared his throat. "Six years ago, a horde of skeletons controlled by a necromancer nearly invaded this village and destroyed it."

"Wait, no one knows..." Kenrik shut his mouth as he realized.

"Yeah, I defeated the necromancer, with countless earth magic formatioms. No one knows because the necromancer avoided human eye, but I was nearby."

It was one of the secret stories Ark participated in. Strangely enough, he had more than one adventure that never reached the ears of the world. As if fate wanted him hidden.

Liliana whispered as she watched Kenric's shocked expression. "What's this necromancer attack all about?"

"So you really didn't know. It all ended years ago but there was an attack."

"And you saved them?"

"Yeah, though I didn't advertise it. I just happened to be there and couldn't let it go."

Oh, what a rare spirit of heroism. So Ark wasn't that bad...

(Of course, the guy chased after me. I thought I would lose him using the illusion but he followed me faithfully. What a luck he changed target to the elves and gave me time to prepare.)

It was you! Your fault!

Ark was the culprit for leading the necromancer past the defenses and endangering the elves. It wasn't even guilt that made him act, but the opportunity to rid of him.

"Wow, I knew you are amazing, Ark, but this..."

"How old were you at the time, boy?"

"Ten. But if you choose not to believe me, that's on you."

What a bold act. He knew well that the elder was using wind spirits to check him out. That's why he was careful with his words not to lie.

It was technically true he happened to be there. A coincidence that turned favorable for him. Such phrasing is the weakness of lie detecting, and Ark was adept at exploiting this.

"...no. You are our people's benefactor, you are more than welcomed here. Liliana, please be his guide."

"Okay chief."

Kenrik left after giving a small bow.

It was an incomprehensible situation considering this is the man representing the elven race.

He should have felt honored by this, but instead only a sour taste was left. An indescribable feeling loomed over that drained all the respect he had for elves.

"So, what now?"

"Don't you wanna see the village?" Liliana asked.

"Any interest I had had died already within the minute we were here. It's pretty, but the citizens are weird."

Ark casually made an absurd remark. Countless would have been taken aback by the scenery of the elven village, yet he didn't even blink.

It was his negative mindset that could swear at beauties and think of abandoning friends without hesitation that made him indifferent. At most he saw this place as a good place for magic.

"....you are the weird one, Ark."

"Anyways, I'd rather go straight for the hot spring than being subjected to unpleasant gazes."

"Well, I guess it's not a bad idea... okay!"

Liliana jerked away and sprinted towards the center of the village. Having his spirit and magic deprived of him, Ark realized for the first time how physically adept his comrade was.

After all, Liliana was a half demon. Her innate strength is not bad, even from a perspective of trained soldiers and knights. She was born with a physique that most human would never reach even with training.

That, of course, doesn't include the use of spirit and magic, but still.

She stopped as they reached the dead center of the village. A large tree taking root was there, with the size of a manor. It emanated strong life force and mana.

"Huh? Is this a branch of the divine tree?" Ark asked.

"This is the divine tree, silly. Our ancestors were given a seed to cultivate myriad of years ago. I heard it still has room for growth."

The story of the divine tree was the most prominent among the elven mythology. No one know much about this divine tree, only that it holds extraordinary healing powers and vitality. It's the reason why the land is rich with magic power.

"I see. Eh, that's amazing!"

(The real divine tree doesn't feed on just air, water and sunlight, but also on the cosmic forces drifting between realms. It's a branch alright, though this is the main branch in the continent, presumably the world. Well, it's not my job to correct the distorted oral tradition.)

Off the bat, he goes thinking something outrageous! How did he even know?!

"So I get to enter right away? Neat."

Don't change the subject! Oi!

"Yeah, right in..." Liliana assured, a little bashful.

In retrospect, he regreted not minding Liliana's strange behavior.