The peace of the forest is disturbed as the cacophony of wood clashing with each other pierce through the silence. Only to end with a cry as the wooden dagger was flung from one of the combatant's hands in a high arch before bouncing off a tree trunk and fall to the ground.

"Ouch!" A pained yelp escaped Mikaela's lips as she held her right hand. Her pointer finger and middle finger are broken as both fingers are bent at an unnatural angle.

"Mimi!" "Mimi! Are you ok?!" Both Timothy and Juliet rushed to her side. Concerned looks are pasted on their faces.

The red-haired woman forced a smile to relieve their concern, "I'm okay. This is nothing kids. I've been through worse."

But it seems her effort was in vain as both kids shoot him a pointed look. "Mister Artreus! You've been too harsh with Mimi. Could you please go a little easier on her?" Juliet voiced her concern.

"Yeah! Yesterday you broke her leg and the day before her arm. Look at Mimi! She's covered in wounds and bruises! That is no way to treat a lady!" Timothy chimed in.

"Could it still be called practice if I go easy on her? There is a saying, to go easy on a friend in a spar is to send him to death."

"Really. I'm fine. Don't worry." Holding both fingers, a loud cracking sound could be heard as she put the joints back to their sockets, gritting her teeth all the while to prevent herself from uttering any sound of pain. Showing her fingers, which are still swollen, her face drenched in sweat formed a smile. "See? Good as new." She then went to pick up her wooden dagger and as soon as she touched it with her fingers, she winced in pain, but still forced herself to pick it up without even a peep of pain. "I'm ready!" She stated as she took a stance. In the face of her determination, the kids don't have any choice but stay silent and watch.

Locking gaze with Mikaela, he could see behind her eyes, one of them swollen shut, the fire and resolve of someone willing to bet her life to reach her goal. After three days of constantly being beaten black and blue, Artreus thought that the hot-headed woman would quit as she hasn't progressed much in terms of strength, and haven't gotten closer to Awakening. But she kept going. For how long she could continue this, Artreus doesn't have a clue. But as far as he could see, she is as persistent as someone he knew. Grisha, who even when faced with an obstacle, will not try to get around it, instead, she breakthrough it with all her might. Unfortunately, Mikaela is also persistent in the wrong ways.

"I told you. Use the environment like you always did to gain an advantage in battle. Why are you so adamant about facing me head-on when you know you are at a disadvantage? Not just in strength, but range with your twenty-centimeter dagger against my one-meter. sword. Take into account my longer limbs and our almost equal speed, you have little to no chance to defeat me."

"Shut up and fight. I will get you this time. I can feel it." That is the only answer he got before the stubborn woman rocketed towards him.

To counter this, he simply pointed his sword at her, which forced her to jump back. But ever so persistent, she continued to charge at him from another direction but was quickly stopped in her tracks as Artreus simply reposition his sword point at her direction, this time almost gouging her eyes in the process if she was a second late to jump back and Artreus pulled back the sword a split second later. "See? If I extended my hand just a few centimeters forward, I would've pierced your brain through your eyes, practice weapon or no practice weapon. How many times do I have to tell you that it doesn't matter how fast you are if you charge in like a rampaging bull, predictable and easy to counter. Just hold your spear towards it at the right moment and it will skewer itself to death with its own power."

"Did you just compared me to a dumb beast?"

"Well, you ARE acting dumb right now."

"Grrr!" Mikaela growled before charging again.

Artreus once more pointed his sword to stop her charge but this time, she swatted it away with her dagger, ignoring the pain that she would've felt from her swollen hand. Unfortunately, she wasn't even able to take another step for as soon as their blades met, Artreus made a simple flick of his wrist which killed the force from Mikaela's attempt to beat his sword aside, enabling his sword to make a circular motion and swung back at her and hit her on her side. The force behind the counter forced her to drop her dagger as she crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain as both her hands cover her bruised ribs.

"Tsk. Tsk. Why are you letting yourself be provoked that easily? In a fight, always keep a cool head. Otherwise, you'll get hit by an attack that you would've seen and avoided if you just kept calm."

Her face now caked with mud after her sweat mixed with the dirt on the ground, Mikaela with labored breath answered back. "Heh. You talk big when you don't heed your own words yourself. I've seen it you know. The look on your face when you fought those bandits. Not the calmest look, I might say."

Artreus froze at her words. His mind wanders on the memory of those events. The corpses of the men, women, and children scattered all around, how his mind went blank with rage as he faced the culprits, the moment when he regained his consciousness and found that he was covered in blood, both his enemies' and his, and how deep in his heart, he yearns for more. A deep hatred resides deep within him, something that yearns to rain pain and death to the scums of the earth for preying upon the weak and the helpless, inflicting so much suffering to the innocent. Realizing that his mind has wandered off, he recollected his thoughts. "Let's take a break for now. I'll go and ready our lunch. You. Go over there and meditate." He instructed Mikaela. He then addresses the siblings. "You two, accompany her. Also, go get the first aid kit and apply the healing ointments while she meditates."

During their first sparring match, Artreus thought the kids how to apply first aid. He bought bandages, alcohol, various oils, and bundles of healing herbs and what to mix for intended injuries. Suppose to say, the kids have become quite skilled in just a few days. After all, they had a lot of practice patching up the stubborn red-haired who's deadset in meeting him head-on instead of using her usual fighting style that utilizes her surrounding to create distance and strike from unusual angles. Add to that her unusual ability to meld to the surroundings like a shadow and disappear from plain sight, only to appear for a fatal strike on vital areas of her intended target, she would make a difficult opponent to handle, although her inclination to opt for the killing blow in each attack makes her somewhat predictable, her skills are at least equivalent to that of an expert assassin.

Many people would kill to have half her abilities, for why she is adamantly refusing to use those highly coveted skills he could fathom for the life of him.

He then tried to lend a hand to Mikaela to get her to her feet, but she declined to take his hand and tried to get to her feet on her own. Before she goes, he gave her one more piece of advice. "Remember. try to immerse yourself in the World. All of your concerns, all of your fears, even your desires, leave them all behind. Don't rush yourself, empty your mind. It will all come to you in time."

To be blunt, the advice wasn't originally his. This is the meditation technique that was thought to all the Paladin trainees when they first come to the Order to help them Awaken. Not that it helped him much, for he Awakened a few months after their first battle against the demon horde inside the Void Plains, the same with the other newly appointed Paladins who came with them. Moira hypothesized that our Mana nodes were forced open due to the over-saturation of Mana in the atmosphere from the frequent clashes between their Order against the hordes of demons adding more to the pile before it could dissipate. A hypothesis that was backed by Captain Marius and the others as they attest that they all Awakened during or after an intense battle. Like their body knows that there are battles that cannot be overcome with just physical strength thus the body adapts by unlocking latent potential through Life-force (Aura) or by using external force through Mana.

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Although Artreus doesn't have an inkling of an idea of how it truly works or how to trigger it reliably, and he recoils on the thought of deliberately putting Mikaela in more harm than she is in now by just sparring with him, for if the worse come to pass and she gets seriously injured, or Gods forbid, die, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. So he opted for the tried and tested method by the Order.

Mikaela's only response was an unenthusiastic nod, which is understandable, for knowing her for over a week, she is clearly a woman of action who prefers tangible methods of gaining strength and would rather practice from daybreak till nightfall than to do an hour of meditation. But after witnessing Timothy and Juliet advance through their own awakening using the same method, she begrudgingly agrees to undertake the same meditation training. The siblings watch her with concern in their eyes as she hobbles towards a nearby tree to lean upon while meditating. After she settled herself, the two started their work. The brother and sister pair likes to take care of people, so although their workload has increased, they didn't mind it one bit. Especially since in return for their service, they have the say on what they would have for lunch, and today they requested pan-seared salmon with a honey garlic glaze partnered with buttered corn in cob and spiced roasted beef. The preparation and cooking would take an hour or two which suits him just fine. They meditate for two to three hours, which leaves him an hour or two to mull over his thoughts in peace.

Seeing that they have already started, Artreus also set to start in his task. First, he cleaned himself with soap and water that they brought with them. Changing his shirt with a clean one, he then went and took the large bag that they bought three days ago and took out the cooking utensils, and started preparing the ingredients that Mikaela bought earlier this morning. Even after being bought a few hours before, the ingredients didn't lose any of their freshness, as if they have been harvested and caught a few moments ago. Must be because of the enchantment on the bag. It has been enchanted with a spell Preserve and as long as the food stays inside the bag, it would never spoil. It should at least be able to do that since they paid one gold and fifty silver pieces of the ten gold pieces that Drogo left for each of them for this equipment. He quickly worked his way in preparing the beef, trimming away the excess fats while also carving it to a nice shape so that it will be evenly cooked over the fire. After finishing with trimming, he then sprinkled his homemade spices over the lump of beef and rubbed it so that it will stick better on the meat. Leaving the beef for a while so that the spices would permeate through the meat, he proceeded to use the sharp knife to fillet the salmon. Separating the meat from the bone, he placed the finished product aside, chopped a few cloves of garlic, and made the honey glaze mixture. Once the preparation was completed, he then started the fire, one for the roasted beef, and one for the pan-seared salmon glazed with garlic and honey. Once he was finished, he began the cooking process. First, he placed the beef in a spit over the fire, regularly turning it for it to cook evenly. While he waits for the beef to cook, he then proceeded to cook the salmon. Pouring olive oil on the pan, he then seasoned the salmon meat with salt and pepper. Once the pan was hot, he started placing the eight pieces of salmon on the large pan, he cooked the fish until it was golden brown. Next, he added the garlic to the pan until it was fragrant. The pouring of the mixture followed and the smell of the fragrant garlic and sweet smell of honey wafted in the air.

Artreus smiled as he sees the kids' noses twitch as they started to salivate after smelling the cooking food. "Concentrate. Block out your senses and focus on the world's energy around you. Imagine it converging in your body, making it a part of you." He admonished them. "Also, if I find you not meditating seriously, then no food for you." Hearing that, both Timothy and Juliet's face panicked for a split second before regaining composure and returned to meditating.

After roasting the corn cobs over the fire and brushed them with melted butter, he placed the food inside containers to keep them warm till his companions are ready to eat. Done with his chores and alone with his thoughts, he mulled over what information he had gathered.

It was three days ago when he first heard of a village found empty, not a single inhabitant could be seen. Even all the animals are gone. The investigators sent by the Mayor concluded that the inhabitants have just migrated somewhere, but the adventurers who first discovered the disappearance believe otherwise. If the villagers truly migrated, then they would've taken their valuables with them. But when they searched for survivors, there were signs of struggle all around. But since the authorities deem it not a raid, the investigation was dropped. Only for the same incident to repeat itself as another village was found empty just a day before. Artreus was eager to conduct his own investigation, but apparently, the adventurers aren't allowed to get involved in matters of state. That is unless a high-ranking official permitted them, or if the adventurer is of high position in the guild himself. Both things which he lacks right now with him being a low-rank adventurer and his request declined by Mayor Longley saying that everything is under control, nothing that he, an adventurer, need to concern himself about.

He would've believed him, but something about the incidents is bothering him. That is why he wanted to damn the consequences and investigate anyway if only Mikaela didn't stop him with the explanation that if he pushed through with his plan. he would be stripped of his adventurer's license and be tried and investigated thoroughly as a malcontent. Even if he managed to escape, he would be hunted down not only by the authorities but also the adventurer's guild since he is their responsibility. Something that he wants to avoid since it will severely make his mission harder by a large margin. With no option left, he is forced to stand down and wait for the Mayor to place a request for investigation to the guild, or when Drogo comes back and finds the incident interesting enough for him to act without the prompting of the authorities.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice that the beef was already cooked. Quickly checking the meat, he let out a sigh of relief to find that it didn't get burnt as he placed it also inside the container. With all the food done cooking, he also started his meditation training. Unleashing his Sense, he could feel a significant amount of Mana surrounding the children. He sees it every day, but their speedy advance doesn't fail to astonish him. He was able to advance at the speed that he has because he already knows how to manipulate Mana and use it to strengthen his core. But these kids, make it seem easy like they are loved by mana and its manipulation is as natural to them as breathing.

He doesn't know how they do it, but he knows that they will surely become greatly powerful figures in the future. Who knows, they might help him in his mission down the line. But that is years in the future. What's important is now, and the one who could help him advance at the moment is having difficulties in her own advancement. Her stubborn nature aside, Mikaela should've Awakened a long time ago. From what he can tell, she can perceive Mana, based on her ability to circumvent his Sense and approach him without him knowing. But for some reason, she is having difficulties in absorbing it and harnessing it for herself. Like she is unconsciously rejecting it.

Why?

He has no idea.

One thing is for sure. If she continues her stubbornness, both of them will not get what they want.

That is getting stronger.

Banishing her from his thought, he focused on the current task at hand. That is to increase the size of his Mana. The size of his repertoire fully depends on the amount of Mana his body could contain. The number of times and the intensity of his skills totally depend on it. Not to mention the number of spells that are currently unusable due to his inadequacy. He was able to break through and reach the Tier 2 level of Mana a few days ago. Now, he aims to break through to Tier 3. He opened his nodes and absorbs the ambient mana like a whirlpool, forcing his Core to widen by flooding it with more Mana than it could handle. Normally, doing such a thing without a high tier magic-user to watch over him, he exposes himself to breaking his Core, crippling his ability to use Mana, or in the worst scenario, kill him altogether. Fortunately, his training for the last week prepared him for this endeavor. Add his Aura to reinforce his body, the chances of him succeeding greatly increased.

Bit by bit, he could feel his Core being filled to the brim with Mana. Pain shot in his body as he felt he hit the limit of his Core and the Mana he is now absorbing is overflowing inside. With no more room to contain the Mana he keeps on absorbing, the compressed Mana is his Core apart, trying to escape. But he won't let it. Even with the blinding pain fills his mind, threatening to knock him out of consciousness, which means death for him as he would lose control to the Mana rampaging inside of him and break his Core, he bit his lip and persevered. If he can endure this, his Mana capacity would increase tremendously, giving him more options in battle.

He only needs more. More! More! More mana for my Core! He keeps repeating in his mind in an effort to keep hold of his consciousness. Any moment now, he will breakthrough! He only needs to hold on. Seconds feel like an eternity as he tries to keep hold of the torrent of Mana raging, only his will keeping him from losing consciousness. Just when he thought he lost it, the storm calmed down, and he collapsed in the ground.

He did it. HE DID IT! He is now a Tier 3!

He was overjoyed that he almost didn't notice a pair of hands helping him up.

"Are you okay Mister Artreus?" "Mister Artreus! What happened? Are you okay?" The voices of the kids filled his ears.

Raising his head, he sees the concerned look on their faces. He smiled. "I am fine. Better than fine. I feel great!"

"A torrent of Mana forced us out of Meditation, and what greeted us is your collapsed frame. Yet you say you feel great?"

"Yeah. Don't scare us like that."

"I'm sorry, you two. But I am really okay. Come, use your Sense on me."

The two first hesitates, but when he felt their Sense wash upon him, the two were elated. "Wow! Your Mana!" Exclaimed Timmy.

"It's greater than before!" Juliet stated.

"Hehe." Artreus laughed as the delude of questions flowed from the kids.

As he tries to answer each, he could hear Mikaela grumble from the side. "It's so unfair." She mumbles.

Turning towards her, "Don't be impatient. You are near there. Just calm down and let the energy of the world flow through you."

"Easy for you to say." She stomped past him. Sitting by the campfire, she continued. "Don't mind me and let's just eat."

Upon hearing that, the kids quickly took their seats and waited for him to serve the food.

As he watches the smiling faces of the kids as they enjoy their meal, his mind wanders.

If only things could be as peaceful as this moment.