Waking up the following day was the groggiest I’ve ever felt in my life. Even when traveling with John and the others, I felt more rested than I was now. I looked around and saw everyone else was already … awake … I CAN SEE AGAIN! In a matter of speaking. I can see my full six-meter radius again.

I sat up and stretched my body. Everyone else looked at me expectantly, and Yagami said, “So, mana exhaustion. That was your first time?”

I nodded.

“Well, expect it to happen more often. It means you’re pushing your limits, and that’s what we want.”

I nodded again and went to my pack to pull out more smoked meats and bread. Once I got them, I began eating so my stomach wouldn’t get upset.

Yagami watched me briefly before poking at the fire and looking at the sky. I could tell it was still early morning by how cold it felt. But I didn’t know how early. It could still be dark, and I wouldn’t know. Then he stood and stretched with a loud groan, “Wwweeellll, let’s get moving.”

I quickly stuffed the rest of my food in my mouth and chewed as we all stood to leave, Phos casting a water spell to drop water on the fire. We began briskly walking into the rocky valley, where Yagami, Fuun, and Phos all went on high alert. I followed closely as everyone looked around and examined every rock around us. What were they looking for? I don’t see anything around us.

Walking closer to Yagami, I pulled on his sleeve and looked at him curiously.

“What?” Yagami asked, turning toward me with an eyebrow raised.

“What looking for?” I signed.

Yagami scratched his head, exasperated, “Look, kid. I still don’t know what you’re saying. So stop bugging us and use your spatial senses to find the lizards that live around here.”

“Don’t be so harsh, captain. Maybe she’s just scared like she was last night?” Phos said playfully.

I scowled at her, lightly tapping my foot to make a rock shoot up and into her shin.

“MOTHER FUCKER!!” Phos yelled as the rock hit her leg, making Fuun chuckle and laugh at her. It didn’t draw blood, but it did hurt a lot. She glowered at me, and I put my hands behind my head and casually kept walking. She quickly mumbled a healing spell and followed after the team a second later.

We walked for hours, not finding anything. Plus, I don’t know what we’re looking for. A lizard? I have no idea what that is. I know what dogs and cats are cause we had a few at home. Other than that, I know rodents and birds, but I can’t tell the difference between them. But it looks like nobody else has seen what we’re looking for either since they haven’t pointed out anything out of the ordinary.

Cling. I heard something far off in the distance for a second, and it didn’t look like anybody else heard it either. I stopped and grabbed Yagami’s sleeve again. “What now—!” Yagami began, but I pulled him close and clapped my hand over his mouth with a loud slap. He glared at me and reached for his sword on his waist, then I took my hand from his lips and put a finger to my lips, signaling for him to be quiet.

Glaring at me, he did, and I took a step forward and cupped my hands around my ears to hear a little better. The team fell silent for a minute, two, three. Cling, clang. I heard the sound again. It sounded like metal hitting a stone. I pointed straight ahead and began running, waving for everyone to follow quickly.

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“Hey! Where you— Gah! Let’s go so the newbie doesn’t kill herself,” Yagami yelled, trying to stop me, but I was already far ahead of him. As we ran, I could hear the sounds grow louder and clearer the closer we got. Eventually, Yagami and the others could hear them as well. After a few more minutes of running, the sound became so clear that I could see what was happening.

Five men in armor fought some big monster with round objects on its body and were losing badly. Another minute passed, and they were within my sphere of sight around a bend in the road. The monster roared, giving me an even clearer image. The round things along its body were rocks, and its mouth was long and wide with an incredible maw to boot. Its long, powerful tail had one single massive rock at the end of it, and the monster used that to bat aside several men in full armor. Now that I could see everything better, I could make out ten corpses scattered around the monster, and four more were added to the body count.

Yagami jogged up to a rock at the corner and peered around it. “Yep, that’s a massive Rock-lizard,” the rest of the team and I jogged up next to him, and they peered around the corner to watch as the rock lizard bit the last man in half as he screamed in terror.

“Shall we go with our usual strategy, captain?” Phos asked, unphased by the gruesome death of the man.

“Yeah. Kid, you’re upfront with me. Fuun, head high and find that weak spot. Phos, keep your distance and get that thing cold,” Yagami said as he stepped around the corner. Fuun and Phos nodded, and Fuun began climbing the canyon wall while Phos and I followed Yagami.

What’s his plan here? Why does he need the Rock-lizard to be cold? And what’s the weak spot? Either way, I will learn the plan soon and follow Yagami closely. The lizard hadn’t noticed us as it ate one of the corpses, swallowing it whole. “HEY! YOU BIG UGLY, COLD-BLOODED, SCALEY, PETHATIC EXCUSE FOR A LIZARD! FIGHT US!” Yagami yelled and ran to the left. I was still confused about the plan, so I stayed put, and the lizard turned to face me. The monster roared and glared at me. Uh-oh. I should probably run.

I darted right, and the Lizard tracked my movement for a second before swinging its tail at me. I jumped high and used my mana to grab the rock on its tail as I flew over, and once I landed, I twisted my body, making a throwing motion. The lizard’s tail dragged the monster along, and it flew several meters down the road and into a wall. The lizard roared in pain as its back struck the wall, and Yagami shot forward and used his sword to cut along its belly, making it roar louder before finally falling to the ground.

Well, that wasn’t so bad. I relaxed, and Yagami yelled, “It’s not dead yet!!” the lizard’s massive cut along its belly closed quickly, and it rolled over onto its clawed feet. The lizard began chasing after Yagami, who let it follow from a safe distance. It snapped its jaw at him, and he batted its mouth away with the flat of his curved blade.

“Fuun! How’s it coming up there!!?” Yagami yelled.

I could barely hear Fuun mumble, “Why don’t you climb a freaking mountain to get a clear shot at a fucking lizard?”

“FUUN!!”

“Almost there!!” Fuun yelled back.

A barrage of icicles appeared from thin air before Phos as she mumbled a spell and fired them at the monster. Some of the icicles bounced off the lizard, and three stuck in its body. One in its side, and the other two pierced its front foreleg. The monster roared in pain, and I stomped on the ground, raising my hands to clap over my head. Two arches sprung from the ground and enveloped the monster’s torso, tight enough to keep it from moving.

The lizard roared and glowered at me as it struggled to free itself. I gritted my teeth as I held my stance and maintained my spell. Several icicles whizzed past me and stuck in the lizard’s side. “Good job, kid! Keep it up!” Phos yelled as she readied another icicle spell, and the monster roared in agony. I gritted my teeth as the monster bucked and struggled to escape the arches. Yagami charged at the lizard and smashed its head with the butt of his sword, causing the monster’s head to slam into the ground.

At that moment, an arrow came down from nowhere and sunk into the back of the monster’s head in a splurt of blood. The rock-lizard thrashed around for a moment before slowing and falling limp to the ground. I relaxed my body and fell to my knees in exhaustion.