As the mana settled in the crater where Kai still floated, deep green grass and trees began to sprout. Fed by his life mana, the shattered ground bloomed with vitality. Trees grew at an astonishing rate, and within moments, the area transformed into a mystical forest teeming with life.

  From above, Liliya watched, eyes wide.

  So, this is what true life mana can do… amazing.

  Then, as Kai screamed, the transformation was complete.

  Deep within his inner world, the Hydragon opened its emerald eyes. The memories of Florian and Viridya had finally been digested, ready to be absorbed.

  This was the cost of absorbing souls; there was always something left behind.

  As the memories surged into Kai’s mind, he roared with a draconic cry. An ethereal image of the Hydragon appeared above him, roaring in unison.

  With one final scream, Kai collapsed, entering a deep sleep, one where he would relive the memories of the souls he had taken.

  Xarion stared at the phantom Hydragon, its three draconic heads raised in sync with Kai’s. He felt the resonance of pure dragon bloodline deep within himself.

  Nerva hovered nearby, stunned.

  “He’s reached Master level… and he’s only eighteen.” He was speechless; he could feel his mana, his aura rippling.

  The others said nothing. They simply stared.

  Then, from the ground, a dark-haired woman in black armor with two shadowy wings rose into the air. A now-larger spirit flew beside her, radiating an ancient aura.

  Nerva was the first to spot them. His jaw, already slack, dropped even further. “What the hell?!”

  “Holy shit, is that you, Umbra?” Zara flew straight toward her.

  “Haha! Don’t I look great?” Umbra grinned, two sharp fangs peeking through her smile.

  Kran gawked. “Why is she so beautiful? And look at me, all hairy. That’s not fair.”

  Eira elbowed him playfully. “So, you think she’s beautiful, huh?”

  “Oh no, no! You’re the most beautiful to me. Always!” he replied instantly.

  Xarion ignored the banter from beneath, still focused on Kai.

  Nerva flew closer, smiling.

  “Well, look at you. Congratulations on reaching the Divine level. You can truly fight among the strongest on the continent now. I know you’ll enjoy that.”

  Umbra laughed, her smile making Nerva’s heart skip.

  What’s wrong with me? I’ve seen beautiful women before… Why does my heart clench when she smiles? I’m not falling for a beast, no matter how beautiful she is.

  He wasn’t prepared for the sight of human Umbra.

  While they spoke, Liliya dove toward the ground. Kai had finished his transformation, but he wasn’t moving.

  Seeing her dive, Umbra turned and spotted Kai lying still. She rushed down without hesitation.

  The two women landed at the same time, running toward him.

  “Kai, what’s wrong?” Liliya shouted, but he didn’t respond.

  Umbra scanned him through their bond and sighed.

  “He’s in a deep sleep. Probably reliving the memories. This could take a while. We should bring him back to the village; we can’t wait here.”

  Liliya exhaled in relief.

  The rest of the group landed, concerned.

  “No need to panic, he’s just sleeping,” Scry said with a knowing smile.

  “Let’s go. We’ll take him with us,” Umbra said, her body glowing with shadowy light as she shifted into her beast form.

  She looked larger than before, her wings now fully formed and no longer shadowy. Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her mana had. It was completely transformed.

  “Oh, so you can still transform like that?” Nerva asked, still shaken.

  “Naturally. This body still feels better, honestly,” she smirked, tossing Kai onto her back and motioning for Eira and Kran to climb on.

  “Is it okay to ride you now that you can transform?” Kran asked, confused.

  Umbra chuckled. “Don’t worry. Just jump on.”

  And with that, they soared into the sky, heading straight for Frontier.

  ***

  Kran held onto Kai’s sleeping body, making sure he didn’t slip from Umbra’s back as they soared through the sky.

  The new divine body Umbra had awakened into was far faster than her previous Spirit form. She flew with such speed that the gryphons trailing behind struggled to keep pace, their silhouettes flickering in the distance.

  “These wings feel so much better than the old ones,” Umbra murmured, a rare smile gracing her hawk-like face as the wind rushed past her.

  Scry, gliding beside her, grinned. “Hey, bird, what do we call your race now? You’re clearly not just a Tigerhawk anymore.”

  He already had a few ideas swirling in his mind, eager to add a new entry to his ever-growing bestiary.

  “No need to strain your tiny cat brain,” Umbra replied dryly. “When I transformed, a name came to me, like the world itself whispered it into my soul. Thunderfire Abyss Tigerhawk.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  She said it simply, as if it were just another detail. The name didn’t matter much to her.

  “Well, that’s straightforward enough,” Scry chuckled. “I’ll add it down later. A new entry for my bestiary, how exciting!”

  Umbra turned her head slightly, her gaze sharp. “Hey, kitty, are you alright? You seem… older somehow.”

  Scry’s expression shifted, serious for a moment before he forced a smile. “I’m fine. I’ve grown stronger, too. Don’t you see? I’m bigger now.”

  He puffed out his chest, clearly trying to change the subject.

  Umbra smirked. “Sure, you did. What’s the gain? A whole ten centimeters? Wow, I’m impressed.”

  She laughed, and Eira and Kran chuckled quietly, still clutching Kai between them.

  Behind them, Nerva and the rest of the group flew in formation, their gryphons gliding smoothly through the morning air.

  “Hey Liliya,” Zara called out, flying beside the mage. “Now that we’re bound by oath, can you finally tell us what really happened down there?”

  “I can’t,” Liliya replied, her voice firm. “It’s something I promised to keep to myself.”

  She wasn’t ready to share the truth about Kai’s master or Viridya’s children.

  “Let her be, Zara,” Xarion said gently. “Some things are too complicated to speak of.”

  Zara sighed. “Fine. But you can at least tell me if you like him, right?”

  “Zara,” Nerva said, his tone serious. “You’re really pushing this whole thing.”

  “It’s fine, Nerva,” Liliya interjected, her voice softer now. “I’m not sure if I like him. I don’t mind his company, if that’s what you’re asking. But anything more… it’s not possible. I have my research to finish. I’m chasing the Ninth Circle. He, on the other hand… he’s complicated.”

  She paused, then continued, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

  “Even if I did like him, which, to be honest, I’m not sure I do, I don’t think he’d ever feel the same. His destiny is beyond ours. For the gods’ sake, Zara, he has the soul of a fallen god inside him. Do you really think someone like me, or anyone here, could measure up to that?”

  She hadn’t realized how much those thoughts had weighed on her until she said them out loud. Wait… do I like him? she wondered. Why would I? He’s an interesting test subject, sure, but I’ve never liked anyone before. Is this what it feels like?

  She sighed inwardly. Emotions were foreign territory. Magic she could master. Feelings? That was a different kind of chaos.

  Zara listened quietly, finally understanding. She had been too pushy, too nosy, and hadn’t considered the depth of Liliya’s thoughts.

  Nerva sighed. “Forgive her, Liliya. She’s always been nosy, even as a little girl. She doesn’t always think things through.”

  Xarion urged his gryphon closer. “Zara, dear, you need to be careful with your questions. Liliya may seem like an unphased, eccentric mage, but she does have a little bit of feelings.”

  “Heeey!” Liliya snapped. “For your information, I have plenty of feelings. Probably. Sometimes.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “But it’s okay, Zara,” Liliya said, her voice softer. “I’m fine. I have my magic.”

  Zara smiled, saying nothing more as they continued flying toward the Frontier.

  ***

  Umbra’s ears twitched as she caught fragments of the conversation behind them. Her hearing had evolved alongside her body, sharpening her instincts and making her an even more efficient predator.

  “Did you hear that?” Umbra asked Scry quietly.

  “Yeah…” Scry replied, his voice heavy. “She’s not wrong, though. You know how complicated his path is. And it’s only going to get harder as he grows.”

  He stared ahead, the weight of his thoughts pressing down. He would do anything to ensure Kai survived what was coming.

  “I think having a mate, and maybe even some offspring, would do him good,” Umbra said seriously. “It might help him put down roots here. He’s suffering in silence, always thinking about how to go back, even if that’s probably impossible. If he had someone here, someone to anchor him, maybe he’d feel differently.”

  Scry chuckled softly. “I didn’t expect you to think so deeply about things. But you might be onto something. Maybe we should nudge him in the right direction.” He smiled, already scheming.

  “I don’t think you should interfere,” Eira cut in, her tone firm. “He might not take it well.”

  “Haha, don’t worry. My plans never fail,” Scry said with a grin.

  Eira shook her head and sighed.

  Kran said nothing, simply smiling as he cradled the sleeping Kai in his arms like a baby.

  ***

  After several hours of flight, the group finally landed on the outskirts of the Frontier’s territory.

  Umbra shifted into her human form as Eira and Kran leaped off her back. She gently took Kai into her arms.

  Nerva dismissed his gryphons, and together they began walking through the forest toward the settlement.

  As they walked, Lucius chuckled at the sight of Umbra cradling the sleeping Kai.

  Scry noticed and flew over, grinning. “He looks like a sleeping baby, doesn’t he?”

  Lucius laughed. “If I saw him like this without knowing him, I’d never guess he was some kind of battle-crazed fighter. This is hilarious.”

  Nerva chuckled quietly. It was rare to see Lucius smile like that. Perhaps the journey had truly changed him. Maybe he was finally starting to see people as individuals, not just nobles and peasants. That kind of thinking had always been useless.

  “Say, Lucius,” Scry said, “want to help me with some experiments later? I’ve got a few ideas about your light mana. I have some old books on Paladins; it might help.”

  Scry smiled. He hadn’t interacted much with the boy, but he had a good opinion of him. And, well, another test subject was always welcome. He chuckled inwardly.

  “Wait, wait! I want in on that!” Liliya called out, jumping into the conversation. “Light’s my strongest element. I can offer some insights!” She also wanted to experiment on Lucius and his mana.

  She and Scry truly were two peas in a pod.

  Lucius beamed with innocent joy. “I’d love that. Thank you both!” He stopped and bowed politely.

  The rest of the group chuckled as they continued toward the now-visible gates.

  As they approached, a guard called out, “Who goes there?”

  “It’s me, Nerva Bellator,” Nerva replied casually. “Call your chief Arama if you don’t trust me.”

  The sound of clanking armor echoed as the guards scrambled to open the gates from the other side.

  Moments later, the gates groaned open, revealing two beastmen guards in gleaming new infantry armor, bowing deeply to the approaching group.

  Nerva chuckled. “It’s fine, men. Raise your heads. We’re heading to the main hall. Please let Arama know.”

  With that, they entered the village, following the now-familiar path.

  They needed rest. Recovery.

  But the question of Kai’s deep sleep lingered in their minds. Before anything else, they had to wait for him to awaken.

  And who knew when that would be??

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