> [Limiting the amount of power borrowed because of Host's low level]
As soon as I activated the skill, a surge of mana exploded within me. It rushed through every vein like a torrent of fire, invigorating my senses and filling me with strength I had never known.
My limbs felt lighter, sharper—my vision clearer. It was as if the world had slowed down, while I had accelerated beyond its pace.
I rolled out of the way in time as the minotaur's massive battle axe came crashing down where I had been just moments before. The blow split the ground, carving a deep gash into the earth and shattering the tree behind me. But I was already on my feet, my mind steady and calm.
'So this… is the power of a hero.'
The Minotaur noticed the shift instantly. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it growled and lunged again, axe raised high. But this time, I didn't dodge—I countered.
Steel met steel. Sparks flew.
Its powerful swings that had overwhelmed me before now felt manageable, almost sluggish. I deflected each strike with fluid precision, not out of desperation but with confidence. Every movement felt natural, like I had drilled this a thousand times before.
Using Aerogenesis, I propelled myself into the air. The wind gathered under my feet, launching me skyward. I spun mid-air and spotted a tree nearby, using it as a foothold to execute Flash Step. My figure blurred as I streaked through the air toward the stunned beast.
The minotaur didn't have time to react.
One clean slash—
Its body split in two.
The ground trembled as its massive form crashed to the dirt with a final, echoing thud.
>[You have slain a Minotaur]
>[Level Up!]
>[Level Up!]
>[Level Up!]
The forest fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then panic erupted.
The remaining Lesser Beasts, now leaderless, turned and fled in a frenzy. I didn't give them the chance.
Using Aerogenesis again, I conjured a small tornado. The whirling wind swept them off their feet and pulled them into its heart. With a simple motion of my hand, I cast Fireball, sending searing flames into the funnel of air.
The beasts were incinerated.
Silence returned. The danger had passed.
But so had the time.
'I can't… hold this much longer.'
The aftereffects began setting in. My muscles ached. My breathing grew ragged. It felt as though the very energy that had empowered me was now eating me alive from the inside.
'I need to get out of here… now.'
I looked around, hoping for an escape, some miracle. But the forest stretched endlessly, and the knights—Sir Leon, Sir Ben, and Sir John—were still unconscious.
If I passed out here, alone in the Kapi Mountains, I might not wake up again.
Then it hit me.
A signal.
If I could draw attention—if I could reach someone powerful enough...
Without wasting another second, I raised both hands to the sky. I gathered every last trace of mana I had left and poured it into one final spell.
A massive fireball began forming above me, glowing with unstable heat and energy. Its light flickered across the treetops, growing brighter by the second. When it reached its peak, I launched it high into the sky.
The explosion of light illuminated the mountain range like a second sun.
There was a chance it would attract other monsters, but it was the only thing I could think of.
'Please… see this… Father…'
My body gave out. The world tilted.
And everything went black.
---
Far from the battlefield, within the tall, quiet walls of the Morris Dukedom—
Duke Vistin Morris sat at his desk, staring at a thick stack of important documents. Financial reports, estate matters, merchant agreements—every line demanded his attention. And yet, his eyes kept drifting toward the window.
'How is he doing out there?'
His mind wandered to Noel—his strange, reserved son who often acted like a man carrying the weight of the world.
Despite being only seven, the boy's eyes were sharp. Too sharp. And lately, Vistin couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper lay behind that gaze.
A sudden tremor broke the silence.
Boom!
The windows rattled.
He stood abruptly and turned to the sky—his eyes widening as he caught sight of an enormous fireball hanging above the Kapi Mountains.
"…Noel—"
Before another thought could form, he was gone.
High-grade potions in hand, Duke Vistin moved. As an [Ascendant]-Rank warrior, his speed shattered the sound of wind. Trees blurred past him, the landscape whipping by like a painted scroll.
The trek that had taken Noel two days was covered by his father in mere minutes.
When Vistin arrived, the battlefield lay quiet and scorched.
He scanned the scene—his eyes taking in the aftermath. Burn marks, overturned earth, the bodies of several beasts burned beyond recognition…
And in the center—
Noel, collapsed beside the mutilated corpse of a minotaur, with three unconscious knights nearby.