Ashen stepped on the water.
A ripple formed under his foot, then stilled.
Another step.
He exhaled through his nose, gaze steady on the rock ahead.
> "So the water can hold me..."
His voice was quiet. Not triumphant—just sure.
From behind, Katrina watched with a soft, proud smile tugging at her lips.
No words.
Just the curve of someone who'd seen something rare.
Each step Ashen took across the river felt like he was defying the norms—like he was walking on the back of a sleeping beast, praying it wouldn't wake.
His yellow aura shimmered faintly around his legs, like sunlight caught in fog. Thin. Soft. But strong enough to hold.
The river below was loud, but in his ears—only silence.
No panic.
No noise.
Just the steady beat of his heart.
> Thump. Thump. Thump.
Behind him, Katrina stood now on a lower branch, her sharp eyes watching every step.
She hadn't called out.
She hadn't offered help.
But her mana was ready—coiled like a bowstring pulled taut, radiating in gold waves around her. If he slipped for even a second, she would move.
> "You're insane, Ashen," she whispered under her breath.
Ashen didn't know she was watching so closely.
Didn't know she had one foot forward already, ready to jump.
Because he wasn't thinking of her.
Or himself.
Or fear.
His world had narrowed to three things:
His body. His mana. The next step.
Another ripple.
Another breath.
The rock was now just a few feet ahead.
It looked massive up close—dark stone streaked with water, rising out of the river like a monument. The current slammed against it from both sides, angry it couldn't move it.
He reached forward slowly.
His fingers touched the stone.
Cold.
Wet.
Real.
And just like that—
> He'd made it.
Ashen let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
The soft glow of mana around his feet flickered like a candle almost out—but it didn't die.
He looked up.
The rock stretched high—twelve feet, maybe more. No handholds. No ropes. Just soaked, jagged stone and rushing water all around.
But his feet were planted.
His balance held.
And deep inside, he felt it again—
> "I can do this."
Up in the tree, Katrina finally allowed her tense shoulders to relax.
.
She didn't say a word.
But the look in her eyes had changed.
> He's not just some loud idiot, is he…
Ashen glanced down at the water once more.
Then up at the rock.
Then placed both hands on the stone, and said under his breath—
> "Now for the hard part."
The river swirled beneath Ashen as he stood atop it—feet steady, mind sharper than ever. He stared up at the twelve-foot rock wall ahead. It looked taller now that he was right in front of it. For someone just 110 cm, it may as well have been a cliff. But he wasn't intimidated.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and pressed both palms against the rock's face. Cool. Jagged. Dotted with a few natural grooves. Not impossible.
He leapt up slightly, catching a jutting edge with his fingers. His feet scraped against the rock, struggling to stay up.
Then it hit him.
> "Mana in the feet lets me walk on water…"
"…So if I split it between my hands and feet—"
His grip almost slipped. But with a calm breath, he focused.
Yellowish mana pulsed gently through his limbs—equally divided now. Not too much. Just enough.
And suddenly, everything held.
His hands didn't slip. His feet stuck with a subtle friction.
The rock no longer pushed him away. It welcomed him, step by step.
He climbed. Not with brute strength, but control. Precision.
In less than a minute, he reached the top and pulled himself up.
The sun hit his face.
He let go of the mana, collapsed to his knees, and sighed—long and heavy.
> "Haa…"
His shoulders rose and fell with each breath. He wasn't exhausted—but he wasn't fresh either.
After a few seconds, he sat upright.
Closed his eyes.
Settled into that stance again—legs firm, hands resting on his thighs, back straight.
> "This time… I won't take four hours to manifest that mana."
He focused.
The wind around him paused.
Fifteen seconds.
And then, light.
A faint yellowish shimmer enveloped him—soft, warm, calm.
A dome. Thin. Almost see-through.
He opened his eyes.
> "It's not good enough I'm barely stopping any water," he muttered. "She'll discard me."
Frustration built.
He pushed harder. Tried to force the mana to grow, to glow brighter, stronger.
But the dome flickered.
His head throbbed. His breath quickened.
Still, he clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
> "More…"
Then—his body stopped responding.
Everything blurred.
His knees buckled.
The mana vanished.
And Ashen collapsed forward.
> "That's my limit… I guess."
He started to tip sideways—off the edge. His body limp. About to fall into the waters below.
But before gravity could claim him—
A sudden motion.
Arms wrapped around him gently.
Soft. Steady.
Katrina.
She held him, one arm behind his shoulders, the other steadying his legs.
Ashen, unconscious, rested against her chest, breathing shallow.
She looked down at him. A faint smile touched her lips.
> "You did well," she whispered.
Then she sat with him, letting him rest—without another word.