The forest was a labyrinth of shadows and silence. Every rustle of a leaf, every snap of a twig, felt amplified. Kael's nerves were on edge. They were walking blind.
Mano, hey, Kael thought, reaching out to the voice in his mind.
"Yes, sir?" Mano's cheerful reply was a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere.
I have the Ciron points, right? Total 509? Kael thought. The Ciron points were his internal currency, earned through his intense training, a type of energy only he and Mano understood.
"That is correct, sir."
Can you make a new power for me? Something to find the Bore. I need to know where it is.
"Okay, sir. I will create it. It will cost 100 Ciron points."
Do it, Kael commanded. A faint, almost imperceptible energy shift flowed through him. Also, tell me about the power I used previously. The clones. Are they exactly as powerful as me?
"Yes, sir. They are perfect duplicates of your current state, with all your abilities and knowledge at the moment of creation. New power unlocked, sir. Your power is the Locator's Sense."
Mano swiftly downloaded the knowledge into his mind. It wasn't a visual map, but a new, profound understanding of the space around him. He could define an area and search for anything within it.
Perfect. That's exactly what I wanted, Mano! Kael thought, a plan forming. Also, enhance my other skills and magic power. Use all the remaining Ciron points I have.
"Okay, sir. Enhancement has started."
He felt a new surge of power coursing through his veins, making him faster, stronger, his magical reserves deeper.
He turned to Maria, who was scanning the trees with a worried expression. "What do you think? Where are the Bores?"
Maria shook her head, her voice a hushed whisper. "Don't have a clue. We could be walking right past it."
Kael gave her a confident smirk. "What do you think, should I find it?"
Maria looked at him, utterly confused. "How?!"
"Leave it to me," he said.
Brad, who had been listening, stared at Kael in disbelief. What the hell is he going to do? Don't tell me he's learned another new magic. It's impossible.
Kael closed his eyes. He focused his will, centering himself. He defined his Aura, expanding his mental perception to cover a radius of nearly 600 meters around them. Then, he set the Filter: Find the Bores.
The world seemed to "ping" back at him. It was a strange, sixth sense, not sight or sound, but a clear, innate knowledge of where things were. In his mind's eye, several points of hostile, pulsing energy lit up about 578 meters away, deeper into the forest.
"Sir, they are Zairo-rank Bores," Mano confirmed.
Kael's eyes snapped open. A fierce grin spread across his face. "Come with me!" he said, and without another word, he shot forward, his speed breathtaking.
Brad's jaw dropped. How the hell is he so fast?! Even after what I saw in the match against Jaxon, this is... more. Not wanting to be left behind, Brad pushed his own speed to the limit, his purple energy flaring. I will not lose to you!
Maria sprinted after them, her mind reeling. Why is he running? Did he find a Bore? If he did, how?! He just closed his eyes for a second! Does he have magic powers like this?
In less than a minute, Kael skidded to a halt, holding up a hand. He pointed through a thicket of trees.
There, in a small clearing, were three hulking, bestial forms. Their skin was like rough-hewn stone, with glowing red eyes and jagged tusks. They were sniffing the air, having just detected the approaching Marions.
Brad and Maria caught up, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. They stared at the monstrous Zairo-rank Bores, then at Kael, their faces identical masks of complete and utter shock.
Brad's thoughts were a chaotic storm. How did he know? How did he know the Bore was exactly here?! He led us right to them!
Maria could only stare at Kael's profile, her analytical mind failing to find a logical explanation. He just knew. He has a power I've never even read about. Who is he?
Kael didn't look at them. His eyes were locked on the monsters, his new black flame sword already beginning to flicker to life in his hand.
"The warm-up is over," he said, his voice cold and focused. "Let's begin."
(Chapter 14 Fin)