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"It seems you're all serious about this." Elder Miru looked at them kindly. "Lady Eve, you've grown so much since you left… and it looks like you've found reliable companions. But the Divine Bird's trial is extremely dangerous. You must be fully prepared before you attempt it—so rest is essential."
"Allow me to bring you to our settlement to stay the night. We may not be able to help much, but we'll host you with the highest respect." Miru spoke like a loving father seeing his daughter mature, nodding with pride.
Takumi and the others did not refuse his offer.
Of all the people he had met on this continent—many of whom barely counted as human—the Black-Wing Tribe turned out to be the most genuine and kind-hearted.
That night, Takumi behaved himself for once—causing no commotion at all. Eve, who had suffered many sleepless nights, finally managed to sleep soundly.
From Miru's explanation, Takumi learned that the Divine Bird's trial consisted of two stages.
The first was the Trial of the Body. A single feather of the divine bird carried enough pestilence to destroy a nation, its very presence radiating lethal poison. Anyone who approached it would be instantly contaminated; only those with extraordinarily resilient bodies could withstand it.
The second was the Trial of the Heart. The divine bird tested whether the challenger possessed a will strong enough to overcome their inner weaknesses.
It was only after witnessing Eve's unwavering resolve that Miru had agreed to let them attempt the trial.
…
"Takumi, we're coming too!"
When the group prepared to depart the next morning, Kureha, Anna, and Ellen all came running, insisting on joining.
Faced with their enthusiasm, Takumi could only smile helplessly.
He didn't refuse them—letting them participate would count as valuable training anyway. Even if they failed, it would be experience gained.
And so, the seven of them set out, marching grandly toward the sacred peak. As they neared the mountain's summit, the air thickened with a pale mist.
"Grandpa Miru said the mist means we're close to the Divine Bird's domain," Eve murmured.
Takumi gazed ahead at a ruined town not far away. "We're almost there," he warned.
Setsuna's ears twitched upright, scanning for movement. Flare raised her staff, casting [Heat Source Detection] to search for life nearby.
Kureha's sharp eyes swept their surroundings, ever cautious for ambushes.
Watching them all so focused, Takumi couldn't help but chuckle softly. With his [Observation Eye] and [Thousand-Mile Ear], he could already perceive everything within the area.
Still, seeing them work so hard, he let them continue their vigilance.
After a thorough search, they found nothing.
Setsuna frowned. "I can't hear anything nearby."
Flare shook her head. "No heat signatures either."
Kureha added, "This place looks abandoned for years. What's strange is—there aren't even any animals."
The silence was eerie—no birds, no insects, not even the faint hum of life.
Ellen, the sharpest thinker among them, was the first to realize what that meant. "Grandpa Miru said the first trial is the Trial of the Body… the Divine Bird's poison fills its domain. If there's not even a sound of insects, that means everything here has been poisoned to death. This must be the beginning of the body trial!"
As her words fell, white snowflakes began to drift down from above.
"Snow!?"
Setsuna and Flare exclaimed in wonder, eyes bright with excitement. It was the first time either of them had ever seen snow.
Eve reached out her hands eagerly, trying to catch a few flakes. But when one landed in her palm, her expression changed.
"These snowflakes… they aren't cold?"
Kureha touched her cheek and nodded. "She's right. There's no chill at all."
Anna turned toward Ellen, noticing her furrowed brows. Something was wrong.
An instant later, Ellen shouted, "No! These aren't snowflakes—it's poison! It's the Divine Bird's deadly toxin!"
But even as she spoke, a wave of pain and weakness hit her. Ellen fell to her knees, gasping, and soon Flare and Anna collapsed beside her.
"Cough! Cough!"
Setsuna and Kureha dropped to one knee, struggling to breathe, coughing violently.
Their strong bodies let them endure a little longer—but not by much.
Only Eve was still standing, clutching her stomach in pain.
Kureha used her sword to support herself, turning to Takumi. "Are you all right, Takumi?"
Feeling the poison gnawing at his body, Takumi replied in a steady voice, "I'm fine. My poison resistance is pretty good."
His trait [Beast Power] already granted strong poison resistance. Even so, he felt the weakness spreading through him.
"Should I remove the gravity pressure…? No—still manageable. My body's adapting."
With every passing second, Takumi could feel his body gradually adjusting to the toxin. The others, however, were not so lucky—their bodies weren't nearly as tough.
"[Area Heal]!"
In one breath, he cast healing magic over all the women present. Then, except for Eve, he sent the others into the Interdimensional Realm for safety.
"Eve, if you start feeling bad, tell me right away."
Holding her small hand, Takumi led her forward through the poisoned mist.
"Mm."
Eve nodded faintly, her pale face tinged with blush as she gazed at him with quiet affection.
Activating his [Observation Eye], Takumi used his powerful perception to locate the Divine Bird's presence.
Halfway up the mountain, a system message appeared before him:
[Ding! New Trait Acquired: Immunity to All Poisons (Blue)]
[Immunity to All Poisons (Blue): Your body has adapted to potent toxins and can now resist nearly all poisonous effects.]
As the message appeared, the weakness within him vanished instantly.
"So fast… already adapted?" Takumi murmured in surprise.
But after glancing at the long list of traits on his panel, he relaxed. Between [Beast Power] and his hybrid body—demon, human, and fallen angel—his constitution was exceptional.
Forged under constant gravity pressure, his adaptability bordered on monstrous. So managing to acclimate in under thirty minutes wasn't unreasonable at all.
Unfortunately, while he could endure it, Eve could not.
"Takumi…" Her pale lips trembled as she tugged lightly on his hand—she couldn't take much more.
"[Heal]." He immediately cast Healing Magic, restoring her body once again.
Revived, Eve looked up at him, gratitude and concern mingling in her crimson eyes. "Thank you… but I'm just slowing you down. Your mana—are you sure you're okay?"
She had already called for healing eight times on the way up, and every time, Takumi had healed her without tending to himself even once. She was afraid he was overexerting himself—sacrificing his own strength for her sake. She didn't want that.
Takumi smiled, reached out, and patted her head. "Relax. My body's tough—you should know that best."
"I-I don't know anything about that!" Eve shouted in embarrassment, though her gaze flickered uncontrollably over his well-defined muscles.
Every line, every flex, stirred something inside her chest. Images of his strength and stamina from the past few days flashed vividly through her mind…
...
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