Kai and Alaric, who was actually Alex Deymir, his true name, dodged an aquatic serpent that tried to devour them. That serpent had split into two, which made the fight problematic.
"At least it's weaker now."
"Sir Alex, you should stay behind me and be careful."
Ever since he discovered his identity, even though he was only Circle 1, he had been protecting him all the time while he canceled out the attacks, the only problem being that now there were two serpents.
"I still don't understand how you manage to survive the attacks of this serpent."
"Let's just say I'm using my ocean magic to constantly heal myself, like I saw Kael do."
"You learned just by watching? Well, that's good. Your healing must be stronger than Kael's, so could you heal me?"
Dodging a new strike, Kael saw the serpent trying to devour Alex from behind, so he intervened, defending with his hands against that bite. He felt his bones breaking, so he used the ocean's healing to regenerate.
"Sorry, Sir Alex. I don't know why, but healing others is still difficult for me, so I'll need more training."
Creating several spears, he began spinning them around, covering and hiding them from the sight of both serpents. Placing his palm on the water below, he sank the two of them away from that spot, reappearing outside the area where the spears were spinning and the serpents were breaking through the defense.
'This is troublesome. I can only do that once.'
Hidden behind a wall, he saw Kai starting to breathe heavily. He couldn't rely on someone from Circle 1, even if he had been useful with his good defense.
"Kai, stay here. You're already exhausted—leave the rest to me."
"Wait!"
He decided to leave him behind because, with that exhaustion, his defense would no longer be as strong as it had been before. It wouldn't be useful, especially if he died trying to defend him from an attack. Kai clenched his fist, watching him leave him behind.
Holding his spear, he infused water magic and slashed the platform where the serpents were, making it collapse. The serpents leapt at him, but he created two spears that struck their heads, forcing them to dodge before hitting him.
'If this keeps up, I'll only be able to eliminate one of them with the Spear of the Sea Prince, but I can only use it one more time.'
A cutting jet of water almost hit him, but he had created a spear just in time to push himself out of the way. Landing on another platform, the other serpent was already behind him, biting from his shoulder down to his waist.
"Aaahh!"
Desperate, he rammed his spear into the serpent's mouth with all his strength, forcing it to release him. Gaining some distance, he noticed his body was growing weak.
"Poison?"
A serpent's tail struck him, smashing him into a wall. Both serpents began striking him multiple times with their tails, destroying the platform. As he flew through the air, he saw a cutting jet coming straight at him.
'Is this how I'll die? Without even speaking to my father? Without even avenging myself against that man?'
He was pulled away from the attack by a hand. Looking, he saw Kael's blue necklace and the man himself, who had managed to drag him out of the way.
"Seriously? I have to interfere to keep you from being beaten up?"
Both were in the air with two more water jets coming at them. Kael created two spears in the air, stepped on them for impulse, and leapt higher, dodging the attacks. Holding Alex's hand, he threw him onto another platform while standing on one himself.
"Looks like she's coming."
A golden sword pierced through one of the serpents' heads, dealing great damage. Its core was revealed near the hole created by the sword. Elowyn was approaching but still far, only launching arrows, spears, and swords toward the serpent.
A third serpent emerged from the one with the hole in its head, showing it was the true one. The three combined magic in one spot and unleashed a cutting water jet with high mana above them.
"I won't allow it!"
Kai appeared in front and defended with his sword. The sword held, but his hands did not. The sheer force made him drop the sword, and he took the attack head-on, feeling his stomach pierced. For a moment, he thought he saw Enrico's fire clone pulling him back, delaying the attack by a second.
'He sent this clone to protect us? Even from afar?'
The attack continued, and just then, in his magical heart, a second circle began forming and exploded in a blue aura. Kael, watching from afar, felt relieved.
'Looks like he managed.'
An explosion from the serpent's attack followed, destroying two platforms. Out of the smoke, part of Kai's body was covered by an ocean shell, able to withstand the cutting attack.
"Oceanic Magic: Shell Scales."
His chest, stomach, and left arm were covered. It was a magic he used often in the original story, one he was supposed to awaken four months later. But since the story had advanced so much, he awakened it early. Enrico's plan to be their wall so they could grow stronger was working well.
"Even after evolving, I'm still stronger. Let's go, son of my employer."
He saw Kael leaping toward the serpents, followed by an irritated Elowyn. She didn't seem pleased with Kai's evolution, and the three prepared to continue the battle.
'Even though I have this armor and have been a second circle longer than them, why do I still feel weaker than they are?'
Forcing his body up, he remembered the man who left his mother in a coma—that bastard who had always cared for him like a grandson. The one who should have been the most loyal guard of his family was the one who hurt them most. His father, seeking vengeance, had tried to hunt him down at all costs, even leaving his son behind to live with his grandparents.
Why was his father like that? Did he think only he wanted revenge? Alex also wanted to do something for his mother. He wanted to spend more time with his father, even if it meant chasing vengeance together.
'I won't give up.'
He rushed at the serpents, passing the three and being the first to arrive with the Spear of the Sea Prince in hand. He instantly destroyed one of the serpent clones. Even though all his mana was spent on that attack, he wasn't about to give up.
"Hahaha, looks like the employer's son has plenty of courage!"
Kael grabbed a serpent's tail that was about to strike Alex, his hands imbued with water magic, holding it with force. Another serpent clone opened its mouth to swallow him, but a huge golden sword cut off its head.
Kael squeezed the serpent's tail hard, making it scream in pain, while Kai, on the platform behind, was transferring water magic into his father's sword. The hero's magic made the ocean magic stronger.
"Tide Trident!"
By transferring both oceanic and hero magic into one point in the air, a clear water magic formed above his head, creating a solid water trident. Throwing it with absurd precision, it pierced the serpent's core, making it vanish instantly. Alex, seeing this, collapsed to the ground with no mana left in his body.
"Did we do it?"
Kael looked around as if Alex had spoken something cursed, but nothing happened. He nodded, still vigilant. All three remained standing, unlike Alex, who couldn't even walk. He decided to close his eyes and rest.
'They're all stronger, but if it's to achieve what I want, I'll try to surpass them.'
"Good job, Sir Kael."
Elowyn noticed Kai didn't thank her for helping, but she didn't care much, since the one she wanted to crush wasn't him anyway.
"You too, but tell me—is this Enrico still stronger than you even after evolving?"
"Yes, he's very strong, and I'm sure he must have sent a fire clone to help us. I saw it."
"So that clone was his. He really is strong."
Elowyn's eyes went white at the stupidity of the conversation, already knowing the truth behind Kael's disguise.