Eladreo snaps his fingers, drawing my attention.
"Nagaro, pay attention!"
I watch in silence. He is sitting across from me, behind his work desk.
"So, here's the thing. I managed to find you, and I know..."
My vision slowly begins to darken, and the sounds around me grow more distant.
The snapping of his fingers brings me back to my senses, but I can barely hear anything.
"Now it's certain. This world is similar to the others."
My eyes keep trying to close.
Eladreo stands up and slams his hand against the desk, waking me up.
"These are the names: Source, Skills, Ancient Arts, Ancient Skills, and there's also..."
A cracking sound catches my attention. The walls begin to crack apart. I see Eladreo looking around in every direction. His concern is obvious, but he turns his attention back to me.
"Hey! Keep your eyes on me! On me!"
"Every living being in this world has energy inside their bodies. It is called Source. With Source, you can create Skills, Ancient Arts, and Ancient Skills."
Debris and dust fall from the ceiling, clouding my vision.
"Ancient Arts and Skills are expressions of your power."
"Ancient Arts are the most versatile form of power to use. By speaking key words, and if you have..."
The world shakes, and almost everything goes dark. When I realize it, Eladreo is slapping my cheeks.
"Ancient Arts may or may not be connected to the elements of nature."
"Skills, on the other hand, work differently. They don't need words. All it takes is for the person to want to activate them. They are always related to some element of nature. Overwhelming raw power, but the person suffers proportional damage if they don't have enough training and care..."
Cracks and gaps begin to appear across the walls. Slowly, my eyes drift to the side, but Eladreo shakes my face to wake me up.
"The monsters in this world are dangerous and powerful, especially in the forest where you ended up. Monsters are carriers of great Skills, and some of them possess powers that are completely out of the ordinary."
The room begins to fall apart, but I can't see anything else. Eladreo is very close to me. He presses his forehead against mine, trying to keep me awake.
"The so-called Ancient Skills, which are a fusion between Arts and Skills..."
"Hey! Nagaro! Wake up!"
My eyes slowly lose their focus. Even with Eladreo shaking my head, my vision gradually fades, and the sounds become faint and distant.
***
Huh?! What happened?!
I try to speak, but nothing comes out. I can't feel my body. Everything is dark. My eyes won't open.
I almost start to panic, but soon the memories of what happened just moments ago come back to me, and I calm down.
Since I woke up, that means the beam of light didn't kill me instantly. That means I'm still alive. I try moving again and opening my eyes, but I can't. I'm completely immobilized.
Time passes slowly, and I remain motionless. But I can feel my body. I hear faint sounds of air currents moving through the leaves.
I remember the fight from earlier.
What could have happened during that battle?
Judging by the trembling ground and the explosions in the sky, it must have been a pretty intense fight.
Good thing that explosion didn't hit me directly, because if it had...
I don't even want to think about it.
Moving my body is still impossible.
What do I do now?
***
How long have I been here?
I don't know... but at least I found out that I really won't die from hunger or thirst.
Now that I'm lying here motionless, I realize that my cloak is incredibly durable.
It survived all of this, and my clothes haven't even torn.
Another question crosses my mind.
The wolves were extremely fast. They would've killed me if I hadn't entered this place.
But speaking of being fast...
I had been running for hours. The sky had already become clear, and even so, my speed didn't decrease over time.
My regeneration definitely helped, but I don't remember ever being this fast or this durable.
Could Eladreo have given me some abilities?
Eladreo...
My mind starts to remember something, a memory, but it's strange. I don't remember having this conversation with Eladreo when I was with him.
I remember feeling strangely sleepy, and he wasn't even reading that massive scroll.
He also seemed worried...
With nothing else to do, I start remembering the conversations I had with Eladreo. But my memories of him are becoming more and more distant.
Those were good times. I wonder how he is doing now?
He must still be taking care of planet Earth.
How long does it take for someone to be promoted from Regent in Training to Regent?
I wonder if there are other classifications of Regents?
***
Aaaaaah!
Damn this darkness! Damn this place!
I strain my ears for any kind of sound, but all I find is a cold and suffocating silence.
"..."
I'm bored. I wonder if those two wolves that bit me are still alive?