Now that the Goblin King was dead, there was nothing left to do in Dreadpines Grove. The group decided to settle down and rest somewhere behind the stone castle to recover their Mana.
While Mana was depleted during skill usage, it could still be regained over time through rest and meditation.
Magnus had taught this to Callum and Alexa, and it seemed the other two weren't strangers to the concept either.
After reaching Level Three, Callum noticed that his maximum Mana count had risen from 130 to 220.
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Mana: [14/220]
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"So, the more I level up, the more my EXP requirement increases—and my Mana storage capacity goes up too," Callum nodded as he muttered to himself.
"I reached Level Three, Callum. But just barely made it. What about you?" Alexa asked.
"Same. Though I think I'm slightly ahead in the progress now, since killing the Goblin King gave me a massive EXP boost," Callum smirked.
"That's expected from defeating a Territory Boss. But we all know this was one of the easiest bosses to kill... Soon, we might be facing a Dire Wolf King or a Serpent Clan... or even a swarm," Alexa sighed.
"That's where the real show begins," the chain guy added with a nod.
After spending nearly thirty minutes meditating and recovering their Mana, they resumed their journey.
The forest turned out to be far vaster than expected. Hours passed, yet they were still surrounded by woods. Fortunately, thanks to the map panel given to Alexa by her father, they could confirm they weren't lost.
The device held a full map of the First Ground, marking their location and outlining all the territories they crossed. However, the map didn't indicate the inhabitants of those territories.
As the sun began to set, the group exited the forest just in time before darkness fell. They needed to find shelter quickly... Nightfall in the First Ground was no time to be wandering about.
After surveying several areas, they finally chose a hillside location with dry land and scattered rocky terrain.
The hill was quite high but not steep, making it a convenient and defensible camping site.
"No need to build a tent. I got this," Alexa said confidently.
She pulled out a small, square-shaped device from her backpack. It had a green button on it.
Without delay, Alexa pointed the device at the cleared area and pressed the button. Instantly, a large structure materialized out of thin air—a fully built camp house made of solid bricks and complete with furnishings.
"Ah?" the chain guy reacted in awe.
"A nice camp house to rest in every day throughout our stay here. Durability: five days. My father gave it to me," Alexa smiled as she opened the wooden door and walked in.
Callum didn't respond with words, but the look on his face said it all. He was amazed. That wasn't just an ordinary camp house—it was more luxurious than anything most people on Earth could afford to build.
With a shrug, he stepped inside after her. The chain guy and the girl followed close behind.
Surprisingly, the camp house had everything they needed.
It featured two bedrooms, a kitchen, a small open space that resembled a living room, and two restrooms.
They took their time to rest and freshen up, and Alexa later prepared a meal using the food supplies available in the camp house kitchen.
After enjoying a great dinner, the group gathered in the open room and began chatting.
"You seem to have a sharp sense for foreseeing things, girl... How did that come about?" Alexa asked, looking at the young girl.
"And we don't even know your names yet," Callum added.
The girl hesitated, then finally replied.
"I'm Lira..." she said and paused. She sniffed, then sniffed again before continuing. "That's my Talent. I get a series of probable events in my head, and the one with the highest chance of happening flashes brighter. I also dream about real events that are going to happen."
"That's... great," Jon commented at once.
"Yeah. Getting even a slight peek into the future is incredible," Callum nodded.
Alexa took in the explanation and nodded thoughtfully. Then she turned to the chain guy.
"And you?"
"Well..." He smirked and rolled his eyes as if preparing a joke. "I'm Jon. My Talent? Is that even necessary? Well, if it is... take a look," Jon said, projecting his interface.
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[Talent Name: Blood of Order]
[Description: ????]
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"I guess my Talent's useless for now," Jon said with a shrug. "But thanks to this chain and my skill, I think I'm not completely screwed," he chuckled.
Callum's eyes lit up when he saw the Talent name. It resembled one of his own: Blood of the Flamborne. The only difference was that his was Flamborne, while Jon's was Order.
Since Alexa had already reacted publicly when she discovered it earlier, Callum saw no point in hiding. He revealed all three of his Talents to the group.
Following his reveal, Alexa didn't hesitate to show hers either.
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[Talent Name: Grand Intelligence]
[Description: You are entitled to become the greatest of intelligent strategists—be it in battles, conflicts, or any controversy. Unlimited knowledge will always speak for you.]
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"Does that mean you could outsmart the God of Fun?" Jon teased.
"Nah. That's way out of my league. No one can outsmart the God of Fun," Alexa replied.
"So... how did you all die on Earth?" she asked suddenly, locking eyes with Lira.
Once again, Lira hesitated. Her face turned somber, her eyes moistening. But she held her head high and sniffed again.
"I and my brother were home alone one day. My dad's a doctor, usually away during the day. My mom... she owns a grocery store in another town and was away too.
At some point in the afternoon, while my little brother and I were napping, the smell of smoke woke me up. And when I did..."
Lira inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
"Our house was on fire. It had already reached our bed. My little brother's leg was getting burned.
The whole house was engulfed. I couldn't find a way out—except for one window, where some firefighters were already breaking the glass and shouting our names.
I had to save my brother first. I threw him down from the two-story window into their arms, and they caught him safely. They cheered me on to jump too... but it was too late.
My legs had been engulfed in flames before I even realized it. I couldn't move them. Couldn't even lift myself.
The last thing I saw was my mother running toward the window, screaming my name...
Then everything went black.
Next thing I knew, I was in the Curtain Call...
And now I'm here. In the same body. No burns. No scars."
Callum, Alexa, and Jon went silent.
Dumbfounded.
It was, without a doubt, one of the most tragic ways a sixteen-year-old could die.
No wonder she'd always been so quiet.