A carriage bearing the insignia of the Ignivar family was moving toward the forest outside the city.
Beside it rode two knights on horses, one on each side of the carriage.
Inside sat two figures, Azael and Arista.
They were sitting side by side. Arista turned her head slightly toward him, her expression curious.
"So, how is your control over fire? Any progress?" Arista asked while looking at Azael.
Azael nodded calmly.
"Yes… It's not that hard… but it consumes a lot of mana."
Arista gave a small nod, her expression understanding.
"It's natural. That fire is no ordinary fire after all."
Azael shrugged lightly.
"Yeah… I guess so."
Azael extended his arm and opened his palm.
Mana circulated through his body, moving toward his extended hand.
Soon, a red-gold colored fire bloomed in his hand. It crackled beautifully. It burned with intensity despite being small, full of life.
Arista watched the flame quietly.
Azael stared at it with slight fascination.
"No matter how many times I see it… this fire looks too beautiful."
The fire then vanished from his hand as he stopped providing mana.
Arista crossed her arms slightly, looking at him with mild approval.
"Not bad. You are handling it better than I thought."
Azael sighed slightly and shook his head.
"But it's hard to handle the mana output."
Arista nodded. "You should learn magic spells."
Azael replied casually. "Oh sure. I was planning to."
Arista smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I will help you to learn them."
Then she extended her own hand.
Just like Azael, a fire bloomed in her hand. Red-gold in color. Beautiful. But this one looked more intense than Azael's.
Slowly the fire took the form of a ball… then it changed into a small spear, as big as her palm.
Azael watched it with clear admiration.
"Your control over fire is amazing."
In truth, it was not that hard for him to do this. With the experience of having used similar energy as mana, which was Prana, his control was exceptional.
The problem was… he didn't have anything called elements in his world. His talent was for weapons. He was like a warrior, not a magician.
So it was new for him as well. Not forgetting that he had a small amount of mana.
Azael looked at Arista as she dismissed the fire.
Arista leaned back slightly and began explaining calmly.
"There are two main ways to attack using your elements. One… is normal like this. Manipulate mana to produce your fire… then shape it or use it however you want. But this has its bad side as well. It consumes a lot of your mana. So for long battles, it's not wise to use it. Then comes the second way… and you know what it is."
Azael nodded and spoke calmly.
"Spells."
Arista nodded with a small approving smile.
"Right. Spells… they are already decided. Fireball, Fire Lancers, Amber Burst. There are many spells. They help you cast an attack with less amount of mana, give you stronger and more precise output. They are more stable while attacking. Also once you learn a spell...it becomes more easier to cast them."
Azael listened quietly.
'So I need to learn those spells… since I have a small amount of mana.'
Arista continued confidently.
"We may possess unique fire, but we can still learn those fire spells. Rather, the firepower of our spells would be a lot stronger than normal ones."
---
The carriage soon moved deeper into the forest.
Tall trees surrounded the narrow path, their thick branches blocking much of the sunlight. The air became cooler, and the sounds of the city had long disappeared. Only the rustling of leaves and distant cries of forest creatures could be heard.
After some time, the carriage finally came to a halt.
Arista opened the door and stepped down first. Azael followed behind her.
The two knights also stopped their horses beside the carriage.
Arista turned toward them, her expression calm but commanding.
"Stay here," she ordered. "Guard the carriage. Don't worry about us."
Both knights immediately bowed their heads.
"Yes, Lady Arista."
Without wasting time, Arista turned and began walking into the forest. Azael followed beside her.
Dry leaves crunched softly under their boots as they ventured deeper inside.
Arista glanced around the surroundings while speaking in a casual tone.
"Low-level monsters usually roam around this area. It shouldn't take long before we find one."
Azael walked calmly beside her, his eyes scanning the forest. After walking for a while, Arista suddenly slowed her steps.
Her gaze fixed forward. "There," she said quietly.
Azael followed her line of sight. A small creature stood between the trees. It had green skin, a hunched body, long ears, and ugly yellow teeth.
A goblin. One of the weakest monsters.
The goblin was holding a crude wooden club while sniffing around the ground.
Arista folded her arms and looked at Azael. "Go," she said calmly. "Kill that monster."
Azael nodded slightly. With a flick of his hand, he pulled out his sword from the storage ring.
The blade appeared instantly in his grip. He held it tightly with his hands.
The goblin wasn't fast. Nor was it strong. There was no need to use mana fighting something like this.
Azael kicked off the ground. His body dashed forward. The sudden movement caught the goblin's attention.
It looked up and screeched loudly.
Seeing Azael charging toward it, the goblin quickly raised its club and swung it wildly.
But Azael calmly stepped aside.
The crude weapon cut through the air, missing him completely.
In the same motion, Azael swung his sword.
The blade flashed instantly. One clean slash. The goblin's head separated from its body instantly.
Splash!
Blood splattered on ground.
The head rolled across the ground while the body collapsed a moment later. The kill was clean and precise.
"That go more easily than I thought." Airsta said with grin.
She came closer to Azael and patted his shoulder. "Nice job brother. This means I don't have to be much worried about you."
"It was easier. He was not too strong. More like awakened human. With no fighting experience."
Arista nodded. "In that case let's find a group of monsters. Also more stronger than goblins."
Azael smile widely."Why not? Let's go."