The silence between them was a living entity, heavy and sharp as the invisible blade that had beheaded the Spectral Lizard. Indra felt every beat of his heart like a hammer against his ribs, a deafening sound in the absolute quiet the heir had imposed on the forest. His primal instincts screamed at him to lower his eyes, retreat, show submission—as any sensible creature would before a predator of such absurdly superior level.
But something stronger, stubborn, and deeply rooted in his character refused to yield.
It was true that fear consumed him from within, a cold that went straight to his bones. Never, in his mundane life or his brief days on the Other Side, had he witnessed such a brutal and precise display of power. That woman was a hurricane contained in human form. Yet, the knowledge he carried was his anchor. Alexia Valois was a Priestess. A low-level Master, considered weak in the broader panorama of the Esoteric Society. Her power was a rare deviation, not the norm. If he bowed now, if he let terror dominate him, what future would he have? Retreating before anyone remotely strong wasn't him. It wasn't the style of the boy who survived the streets and jumped off a waterfall in the dark.
A fierce determination, born of pride and desperation, swelled in his chest. He straightened his shoulders, raised his chin, and met Alexia's gaze. His eyes, the color of ebony, locked with hers—blue and deep as the open ocean on a moonless night. They were vast, impenetrable, and revealed nothing beyond an infinite, glacial calm.
The two stared at each other for a period that stretched into an eternity. The world around them seemed to have stopped again, but this time not due to some strange power—rather, because of the palpable tension between two beings from radically different universes.
Then, the perfect corners of Alexia's mouth curved upward. It was a minimal, almost imperceptible movement, followed by a low, rough laugh that echoed like a crystal bell in the silent clearing. It wasn't a laugh of joy, but of pure, uncontested arrogance.
"Well, well." she said, her voice a thread of cutting silk. "You're much braver than you look."
Indra froze, not from fear this time, but from absolute surprise. Her posture shifted in the blink of an eye. The murderous pressure—the feeling that he was an insect about to be crushed—dissipated. The mask of indifferent ice gave way to a... human expression. It was still distant, still laden with superiority, but now there was a glint of genuine curiosity in those blue eyes.
"Alexia Valois." she introduced herself, though it was unnecessary. Her tone was casual, as if commenting on the weather. "And I know who you are. The so-called 'human from the Mortal Plane' who's caused such a stir."
Indra swallowed hard, his determination momentarily replaced by a new kind of shock.
"I didn't expect a mere human to become an Awakened so quickly." she continued, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, assessing every detail of his dirty clothes and slightly injured state. "And much, much less to survive a single night in the Vallencourt Forest. Even in this Outer Layer, most of your... kind... would have been torn apart by a horde of monsters by now."
Her tone was still arrogant, laced with a hint of disdain. She definitely underestimated him, seeing him as an exotic, fragile curiosity. But the lethal hostility had vanished, replaced by an almost academic interest. And, strangest of all, she was the one keeping the conversation going. Indra had the distinct feeling that if he just stayed silent, she might grow bored of him and walk away—or worse, reconsider her decision not to crush him.
Cautious, deciding that a friendly approach was his only move, he replied: "Actually, I did run into a horde. Full of Lesser Creatures and Imps. I managed to escape."
Alexia's eyes widened slightly, an almost imperceptible sign of surprise. "Oh? And how did you, an Awakened, manage that?"
Indra felt his face flush slightly. It sounded even more ridiculous when said aloud. "I... jumped off a waterfall."
A new sound escaped Alexia, this time a more open laugh, still laden with superiority but without the earlier coldness. "Jumped off a waterfall?" she repeated, shaking her head with an expression of amused disbelief. "You really are braver—or more foolish—than you look."
She seemed to ponder for a moment, her gaze growing more serious. "And where did you spend the night? Nighttime is the most lethal. There's no surviving without a good shelter."
Indra felt a knot form in his stomach. The cave. The inscriptions. The thing behind the stone. Revealing that was risky. It was his only trump card, his secret. But as he looked at her, at those eyes that seemed to see beyond the surface, he had a visceral certainty that lying would be a catastrophic mistake. A Priestess might be able to sense falsehood.
"I found a cave." he said, his voice deliberately neutral. "Behind the waterfall. I spent the night there." The sentence was short, a fact delivered without emotion or details. He omitted everything that mattered.
Alexia watched him in silence for a second longer than was comfortable. Her face was an impassive mask, but Indra swore he saw a flash of renewed curiosity in her gaze. She didn't press. "Brave and lucky." she concluded, with a tone that suggested the luck of mere mortals was an amusing concept to her. Her amusement, he noticed, seemed to come from watching him struggle so hard to achieve something that was insignificant to her.
She seemed to have exhausted her interrogation. The immediate danger had passed. But a new kind of anxiety took hold of Indra. She might just turn and leave now. And he'd be alone again, but with the image of that absolute power burned into his retina. He needed to keep the interaction going, no matter how humiliating. He needed to ensure she didn't get bored.
"And... how was your first day?" he asked, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
Alexia seemed genuinely surprised for the second time, her perfect eyebrows rising a millimeter. "Oh, you want to know, do you?" She shrugged, a gesture of casual elegance. "It wasn't as... exciting as yours. When I was transported, I simply started eliminating all the Lesser Creatures and Imps I saw. I planned to go to the Intermediate Layer to hunt some Dormant Creatures, but for some reason, several of them were migrating to the Outer Layer. I decided to clear the area to accumulate some points, since there wouldn't be anyone competent here to get in the way."
Indra frowned, confused. "Outer Layer? Intermediate Layer?"
Alexia's expression became a mix of shock and pure amusement. "You don't know?" She laughed, a clear, cutting sound. "So you're not brave, just stupid, huh?"
Indra felt a wave of heat in his face, the offense burning stronger than fear for a moment. He clenched his fists but kept his mouth shut. A supersonic slap wasn't on his agenda for the day.
Seeing that he didn't retort, Alexia sighed, like a teacher explaining the obvious to a particularly slow student. "The Vallencourt Forest has three layers. The first is this, the Outer Layer. Where the forest is denser and, in theory, should only have Lesser Creatures and Imps. Something is scaring the Dormant Creatures, making them flee here."
She paused dramatically. "The second is the Intermediate Layer. A more open region, the true hunting grounds. There, Dormant Creatures vary in class. From Atrocious to Terrors."
Professor Carl's words echoed in Indra's mind. Unlike humans, Creatures of the Other Side could have up to ten inner cores. One core: Atrocious. Two cores: Dark. Three cores: Fallen. Four cores: Tyrant. Five cores: Great. Six cores: Terror. Seven cores: Obscure. Eight cores: Shadowy. Nine cores: Profane. Ten cores: Abyssal. Creatures with six inner cores. A shiver ran down his spine. He forced himself to maintain a neutral expression, though his stomach was in knots.
"And the third?" he asked, his voice a bit hoarser than he would have liked.
"Ah, the Hidden Layer." said Alexia, with a touch of rare respect in her voice. "There are no monsters there. Just... ruins. Ruins of a High Elf civilization. No student bothers going there. They're all too busy collecting points like children collecting trading cards."
High Elves. Indra remembered the lessons. A race native to the Other Side, ancient beyond comprehension, predating the Esoteric Society itself. His interest was immediately ignited. Ruins? Lost knowledge? It was exactly the kind of thing someone like him, devoid of ancestral power, needed to find. But the problem was insurmountable: the Intermediate Layer was a death sentence for him.
Alexia watched the change in his expression, the uncontrollable spark of interest in his eyes. A slow, calculated smile formed on her lips.
"Hey." she said, her voice low and purposeful. "Do you want to go there with me?"
Indra blinked, completely caught off guard. "Go... with you? Why?"
"You're the first person I've met since the start of this little test." she admitted with a bored tone. "I've already collected 149 points. My ranking is guaranteed. And, frankly." she added, her piercing gaze fixing on him again, "I've been wanting to take a look at those ruins myself. And you... well, you seem like an amusing fellow. I think I can tolerate you for a while."
Her intentions were a mystery. Perhaps he was just a temporary pet, a distraction for her boredom. Perhaps there was more. But the logic was irrefutable. Walking with Alexia Valois was like having an impenetrable shield and a weapon of mass destruction by his side. It was an insane opportunity.
Indra made a decision. He would go.
"Alright." he said, trying to sound confident. "Let's go."
A triumphant, condescending smile lit up Alexia's face. "Excellent. Don't worry." she said, turning and starting to walk toward the dense forest, her voice reaching him laden with malicious amusement. "I'll protect you, since you're so weak. Try not to fall too far behind."
Indra let out a silent sigh. He had managed to survive the encounter. He'd even gained an absurdly powerful ally. But, as he suspected, the price would be enduring a constant dose of humiliation. He straightened his back, gathered his simple gear, and followed the heir, delving deeper into the forest, his pride wounded but his determination stronger than ever. The journey to the Hidden Layer had begun.
The heavy forest air seemed to thicken as Alexia took the first step toward the dense wall of vegetation. Indra followed, every fiber of his body alert, not just from the hidden dangers of the woods, but from the presence of the one walking ahead.
Alexia didn't merely walk; she glided between the trees like a ghost. Her feet seemed to touch the ground only when necessary, avoiding dry branches, navigating exposed roots with a grace that bordered on supernatural. Her white and blue robe remained immaculate, an insult to the dirt and sweat already covering Indra. He, on the other hand, stumbled, felt thorns snag his simple clothes, and breathed with an effort that seemed ridiculous next to her tranquility.
"Try not to drag your feet like cattle on the way to the slaughterhouse." she said, without even turning her head. Her voice was a sharp thread in the oppressive silence.
Indra clenched his jaw, swallowing the acidic retort boiling in his throat. Instead of retaliating, he focused on observing her. He noticed how she tilted her body slightly to navigate a tangle of vines, how her left hand always stayed near the dagger at her waist, her eyes constantly scanning the environment not with anxiety, but with a cold, calculating assessment. He began to mimic her posture, to step where she stepped, to control his ragged breathing. It was then that he saw it. For a fraction of a second, the corner of her mouth moved, almost forming a smile. She had seen him copying her.
The relief of not being directly insulted was short-lived. A shadow detached from the ground ahead, materializing into a creature with long, sharp limbs and a mouth that opened in a silent snarl. It seemed made of pure hatred and condensed darkness.
"A Rift Hound." Alexia announced, as if presenting a dish on a menu. "An Atrocious Dormant. Pathetic." She crossed her arms, taking a step back. "It's yours. Should be within the capabilities of an Awakened... theoretically."
The statement was so absurd that for a second Indra doubted his ears. It was common sense. Awakened, with their raw Magic Veins and no formed Inner Core, couldn't manipulate energy with enough precision to rival a Dormant Creature, even a single-cored one. It was a death sentence.
But Alexia's icy gaze left no room for debate. She wasn't going to help him. He knew her type; she would watch him die with the same indifferent curiosity one observes a struggling insect.
Indra's desperate reasoning lasted less than three seconds. That was the time it took for the Rift Hound to notice that Alexia had stepped back, making him the only target. The creature contorted and attacked with furious momentum.
Indra's heart raced. The creature was a vortex of claws and teeth, much faster than any Imp. He threw himself to the side, the air whistling where his head had been. As he rolled on the ground, his instinct spoke louder. With a thought, he focused his Qi into his right hand, and the Dimensional Ring on his finger yielded, materializing his cold steel Jian.
He barely had time to get up. The Rift Hound was already upon him, its shadowy limbs twisting in a bizarre, patternless way, sharp teeth sprouting from its forms to try and slice him. Indra dodged, retreated, blocked. The strategy was simple: cover his body with Qi and use Amplification to strengthen muscles and reflexes.
The theory, however, was easier than the practice. He felt the energy leaking through his Magic Veins inefficiently, a colossal waste. His body didn't become significantly stronger or faster, just a little less slow than certain death. And even then, he could barely keep up with the monster.
It was when he tripped on an exposed root. The world spun. A cold, sharp fang grazed his neck, and a sharp pain was followed by the warmth of gushing blood. The mistake was costly. From there, it was a downhill slide. Every cut from the Rift Hound was an ice needle soaked in venom, a hallucinatory pain that would make a wolf bite feel like a pinch. His body was painted red, each wound a reminder that a single Atrocious could decimate dozens of ordinary men.
The pain, however, was a beacon. It kept him alive, alert, furious. He couldn't give in. If he did, he'd be mincemeat.
But how to win? His muscles burned, his Qi was dwindling rapidly. The creature cackled, a sound like a distorted hyena, certain of its victory.
It was then that the memory surfaced in his mind, like a lightning bolt. The Sword Dance. The five movements he had learned, burned into his mind by the pulsating inscriptions in the cave. It was insane, he was far from mastering them. But it was his only card.
He retreated, taking a deep breath. He needed an opening, a single clean strike. The Rift Hound, arrogant, lowered its guard for an instant, advancing predictably.
It was enough.
Indra moved. His body bent in an unnatural way, following an ancient and perfect pattern. The Jian hissed through the air. It wasn't the clean strike he had hoped for—the creature dodged at the last microsecond—but the blade struck true, opening a deep gash from the monster's trapezius to its chest.
Fetid, putrid blood gushed out, black and thick. The Rift Hound screamed, a sound of torn agony that echoed through the forest. For the first time, it felt pain. Indra felt a bitter gulp of pride. It hadn't been clean, but it was effective.
In the distance, Alexia watched, perplexed. It resembled the Lion's Roar Blade, the basic fencing of the Academy, but... enhanced. Purified. An almost mythical version of the movement. It was clear he didn't master it, but the seed was there. 'Why didn't he use that before?' she thought, with a mix of fascination and exasperation. 'He's stupid and brave. A dangerous combination.'
On the battlefield, the fight reached its climax. The Rift Hound, mortally wounded but not dead, prepared for a final attack. Indra, for his part, knew he couldn't take any more. His energy was exhausted. Amplification was useless now.
Instead, he channeled the last drop of his remaining Qi into his Jian. The blade trembled and then glowed with a white, ghostly light. Channeling. He would merge the first two movements of the Dance into a single, decisive strike.
The Rift Hound leaped, a mass of teeth and shadow projecting itself in a straight line toward his neck. Indra didn't move to dodge. He trusted the technique.
His body twisted once more in that impossible pattern. The glowing Jian cut the air not once, but several times, so fast it seemed like a single flash.
The clash was instantaneous and anticlimactic.
The monster simply came apart in the air, cut into four perfectly symmetrical pieces that evaporated into a black, foul-smelling smoke, leaving behind only a pulsating Inner Core with embers glowing red at its heart.
Silence returned. Indra staggered for a second, then collapsed to the ground, the pain and exhaustion finally overwhelming him. His muscles burned as if they had been dipped in acid; the price for forcing a technique his body wasn't ready to execute.
Alexia approached with slow steps. She stopped beside him, looking down with an impenetrable expression. Without a word, she extended her hand. A soft, warm golden glow emanated from her palm, enveloping Indra's torn body.
It was Divine Power. Indra felt his flesh regenerate, the cuts closing, the excruciating pain replaced by a comforting warmth. In seconds, he was whole again, though the mental exhaustion and residual burning in his magic veins remained.
He stood up, surprised. "Thank y..."
"It was pathetic." her voice cut him off, cold and sharp as her blade. "It took you thirty-seven seconds longer than the minimum acceptable time to not be a complete dead weight. It was extremely irresponsible to use a self-destructive technique you clearly don't master. And above all, it was stupid." Her blue eyes pierced him. "A fight isn't theater. It's a transaction. You pay with energy or you pay with blood, but you end it as quickly as possible. You chose to pay with blood, and you almost ran out of currency."
Indra lowered his head, his face burning with shame and contained anger. She was right, and that hurt more than the cuts. "I... understand."
"I doubt it." she retorted, turning her back. "Take your prize. We're not spending the whole night here because of a single Atrocious."
Indra picked up the Rift Hound's Core. Another ten points. Twenty-six total. He stored it along with his Jian in the dimensional ring.
Alexia was already walking toward the dense forest, but not before casting a last look at him over her shoulder. Her face no longer showed disdain, but a silent, calculating contemplation. She had doubts. Questions about that strange technique, about how a human from the Mortal Plane possessed it. About what else he might be hiding.
But Alexia Valois wasn't the type to ask questions. She observed, assessed, and drew her own conclusions. And for now, the conclusion was that insulting him was more productive than interrogating him.
"Let's go." she ordered, her voice returning to its usual tone of bored arrogance. "The Intermediate Layer won't cross itself. And try not to trip this time. I'm getting bored of carrying you."
Indra took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. The path ahead was dangerous, and his companion was an even greater danger. But he was alive. And for now, that was enough.