Amanda hesitated. What had she just watched?
The boy in front of her had defeated Arnold and Sofia by himself. And those two were counted among the most talented youths in the world. Overcoming them was not something any student could easily do. Now that boy was walking toward her with slow, deliberate steps. Silent, but like a definite threat…
Questions chased one another through Amanda's mind. Kaelen… There wasn't anyone by that name in the top twenty. Amanda remembered most of the strong candidates at the academy, but she knew nothing about Kaelen. That could mean only one of two things: either this boy was truly weak, or he had managed to hide his strength until now. After watching how he had beaten Arnold and Sofia, she was certain the second possibility was the right one.
For a moment panic gripped her. She had completely drained her mana. The blessing she had given Kaelen was her ability, and she couldn't use it again for a long time. Right now she was at her most vulnerable. She was powerless. And the boy's eyes were piercing straight through her.
The girl took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. Red eyes… a sharp, shining pair of red eyes… What did the child looking into her eyes want from her?
"Thank you for saving me," Amanda said, her voice trembling slightly.
Kaelen's expression did not change. His eyes still threw off a cold gleam, but his lips did not move. Amanda, unable to contain the growing fear inside her, spoke again.
"Please… don't kill me. I don't have many points."
Kaelen tilted his head slightly when he heard that. He raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently. "Huh? Kill you? I have no plan to kill you. I hope you have information that will be worth me bringing this much trouble upon myself."
His voice was so calm it stirred an even greater fear in Amanda. He was cool, calculating. People like him, when they decided to kill someone, did it suddenly. Amanda tried to assess the situation. She needed to understand Kaelen's intentions.
Kaelen took a few more steps toward the girl. He was close enough that she could hear his breathing. The blond witch felt uncomfortable with the child's proximity and instinctively turned her head aside. Her face flushed. A Mirakel with such an overpowering aura… This boy could not be ordinary.
"What kind of information do you want?" Amanda asked, forcing herself not to tremble.
"I need to earn points. Especially since my blade broke, I have to earn rewards by killing monsters. The stronger the monsters, the better."
"Killing monsters?" Amanda thought for a few seconds. She drew a deep breath and finally spoke with confidence. "I know there are strong monsters in the Rocky Valley. One of them nearly killed me. I think it was a Rank-Corrupt Level 3 monster."
Kaelen paused for a moment. "Hmm… That will do."
Amanda inclined her head slightly and attempted a smile. "Alright then. Excuse me—"
Just as she was about to turn her back, Kaelen's voice sliced through the air like a knife, sharp as a command. "By the way… your blessing ability seems quite useful. You're coming with me."
"Ah—"
The smile vanished from Amanda's face immediately. Her plan to run dissolved in an instant. Kaelen wanting her to come with him… That was worse than she'd thought. Her instincts told her this boy was not ordinary, but they also screamed that she should stay far away from him. As long as she was near him, nothing good would happen to her.
Her legs began to tremble without her noticing. Her entire body sent instinctive danger signals. She needed to get away from Kaelen. She shouldn't attract his attention. But she was completely powerless now and had no luxury to flee.
Kaelen's expression did not change. He was cold and resolute. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Amanda swallowed and shook her head. "No."
"Good. Then let's be off."
Kaelen started walking without wasting time. Amanda followed behind him unconsciously. Her heart hammered. She didn't know how long she would have to walk the same path as this boy, but she knew one thing for sure:
Kaelen was not an ordinary human. And as long as she stayed by his side, far greater troubles would befall her. She felt that this boy was even more ominous than herself.
Nothing good would come of being near him.
Rocky Valley was a grim, danger-filled place that displayed the island's harsh face. At the valley's entrance, massive rocks worn by time and wind rose like natural walls. The surroundings were riddled with cracks formed over the years and steep cliffs. The deeper they moved into the valley, the bleaker the scene became. Gray clouds that largely covered the sky blocked the sun, plunging the area into a pale, chilling darkness. As the sun sank behind the island's western edge, night began to claim the sky.
The humid air mixed with the smell of rotting plants and left a throat-stinging tang.
The ground was hard and uneven, unstable enough to slip with every step. Bones and decaying flesh of unknown creatures lay scattered on the earth. Here, nature showed its most savage forms; death and life were separated by a fine line.
Kaelen and Amanda proceeded cautiously. Amanda felt uneasy—not only because of the valley's darkness, but also because it seemed unnaturally silent. There were no birdsong or rustling leaves. Everything felt like the stillness before a lethal storm.
The valley terminated at a massive volcanic mountain in the island's center. The valley ended at the mountain's base, which rose sharply into the sky and looked breathtaking.
Kaelen was different. His red eyes shone as if defying the valley's darkness. He sensed something hidden here and was impatient to find out what it was. His hands rested loose but ready, prepared for an attack at any moment.
"It's hiding around here," Kaelen said in a low, threatening voice.
Amanda swallowed. "I know. The atmosphere…it's strange. As if something is watching us."
At that moment, a metallic scraping sound came from the depths. The ground trembled slightly. Then silence fell. Amanda's skin prickled. She held her breath and looked around.
Kaelen peered ahead cautiously. In a darker corner of the valley, a massive shadow moved. From between the rocks, a threatening figure slowly emerged.
This was no ordinary creature. A gigantic centipede moved on numerous legs rising from the ground. Its body was covered in dark metallic scales that reflected light, making it look like an armored war machine. Each leg curled like a hook and ended in sharp points. On its head, deep red eyes shone with the cold calculation of a predator analyzing its prey.
Amanda recoiled instinctively. "That thing… it's huge!"
Kaelen smiled faintly. "Corrupted Rank Level 3… a worthy opponent."
When the centipede noticed them, it let out a high-pitched scream. The sound echoed off the valley's rocky walls and became even more terrifying. Then it lunged forward, its body writhing like a snake as it charged toward them. The earth crumbled under its weight; with every movement stones shifted and the valley filled with noise.
Kaelen moved without hesitation. His red eyes flared and a burst of flame lit up the surrounding darkness. Amanda retreated to protect herself. Her best chance of surviving here was to trust Kaelen.
"From the seven heavens of the sky, From the hidden treasures of the earth, From the tongue of ancient winds, Let these words come to you… Let the moon's silver light shake your skin, Let the stars whisper their secrets in your ear, May time freeze in moments you cherish, May your path always be open in the corridor of souls!"
.
.
.
Amanda focused her mana and the yellow light surrounding Kaelen became more defined. She had used her blessing. The light infused Kaelen's muscles with strength and sharpened his reflexes. He felt the warming surge in his body and the rising waves of mana within him.
Kaelen shifted into the "Enn" form and sped along the centipede's back. The 15-meter beast moved nimbly among the rocks, thrashing its body and scattering stones. Kaelen suddenly accelerated, leapt onto its tail, and began climbing up its back with all his strength.
"Ahh, damn it!" he grunted, because the centipede had sensed him.
The creature slammed its massive body into the rocks. Kaelen held on, clutching the thick, chitinous back. The armor-like scales were almost impossibly hard to penetrate, but Kaelen refused to give up.
This beast was far stronger than the wolves or boars he had faced before. Even though it was Corrupted Rank, facing a Level 3 monster required a completely different struggle.
Kaelen climbed toward the creature's spine, holding on tighter. The centipede writhed violently to throw him off. At one point it scraped its back against the rocks; Kaelen, with reflexes intact, dodged and pinned himself with a swipe.
"You have no intention of giving up, do you?" he murmured, danger creeping into his smile.
Kaelen channeled his mana into the "Mef" form—the same form he had used against Arnold that day. As mana concentrated in his hands, his strikes grew faster. His fists rained down on the creature's body like a machine gun. Each blow echoed through the valley, the reverberations setting the rhythm of the fight. Stones trembled; each hit left deep cracks in the creature's chitinous armor.
Kaelen continued throwing punches without backing down. Fifty… sixty… seventy…
When the centipede, in a final desperate attempt, slammed into the rocks again, Kaelen lost his balance and was flung into the air. But that became an opportunity. While airborne he gathered all his strength and hammered down a single devastating blow onto the creature's back. The beast screamed in pain and convulsed uncontrollably.
Yet the creature was not dead. Injured, it rapidly turned and attacked where Kaelen stood. Kaelen barely dodged the massive jaws. The centipede lashed out with venom-dripping pincers. Having no blade, Kaelen was forced to fight with his bare hands. He landed a hard punch on one of the venomous claws, but that only enraged the monster further.
The centipede suddenly raised its tail and struck Kaelen. He slammed into a huge rock and fell to the ground. He felt the air leave his lungs, but he pushed through the pain and rose quickly.
"Is that what you want? Then take this!" he shouted, channeling all his mana into his feet as he launched himself at the monster again.
Before the centipede could slam him into the rocks again, Kaelen managed to climb back onto its back. He increased the speed of his punches, each blow carrying more destructive force.
Finally the beast's chitin cracked. A reddish fluid seeped out. Kaelen inhaled deeply before delivering his strongest strike. For a moment the world slowed and the surrounding sounds went silent. Kaelen's eyes flashed and he thrust his fist into the creature's spine with all his might.
The giant centipede convulsed violently. After one last rebound against the rocks it finally collapsed to the ground. It twitched for a few seconds and then lay completely still.
Kaelen fell to the earth, exhausted. His chest rose and fell rapidly; his fingers still trembled. Dust and stone drifted in the air as he looked at the motionless colossal creature before him.
"Damn monster… finally dead," he murmured, trying to catch his breath.
At that moment the echoed voice of the magic sounded in his mind:
[You have killed the Corrupted Rank Level 3 monster Rocky Worm.]
[You earned a reward.]
Kaelen's fatigue eased the instant he heard the words about the reward. His eyes lit up with excitement.
"Thank you! I certainly wouldn't want to fight such a monster again… but the reward looks like it'll be nice!"