The path was quiet, with only the rustling leaves and distant calls of creatures filling the air. As Ronan moved deeper into the wilderness, he suddenly noticed something ahead. In the distance, two men lay on the ground, their bodies covered in blood. A short distance away, a young woman, also bleeding heavily, clutched two daggers in her trembling hands. Standing before her was a man wielding a sword, his stance exuding menace.
Ronan narrowed his eyes. "Should I intervene? I don't know what's going on here." He cautiously moved closer, keeping to the shadows, until he was near enough to hear their voices.
The girl spat through gritted teeth, her voice shaking with fury. "Why? Why would you do this?! We were a team! We already split the rewards fairly!"
The swordsman let out a cruel laugh. "Hah! Do you think I'd be satisfied with mere scraps? I know you found a map—one leading to treasure. And yet, you tried to keep it from me." His voice turned cold, his eyes glinting with greed. "So here's the deal—you hand over the map, or you die."
Ronan's gaze flicked to the conscious man on the ground. Blood dripped from his lips as he weakly turned his head toward the girl. "Elysia…" he rasped. "Give it to him."
Elysia's grip on her daggers tightened. "But Captain—"
"Do it." His voice was strained but firm.
Her hands trembled as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. With a deep breath, she threw it toward the swordsman's feet.
The man's wicked grin widened as he scooped it up. "Smart choice. You should've done this from the start." He glanced at the two fallen men. "Now that I have what I want, I suppose I should take my leave—after all, dead men tell no tales." Then his gaze landed on Elysia, and his smile turned even darker. "But you? You're coming with me. The boss will be very pleased to have you as a plaything."
Ronan clenched his fists. His instincts screamed at him to act, but he knew he was no match for a Master Tier in direct combat.
The fallen captain let out a guttural growl as he struggled to rise, his body shaking. "You... you bastard… don't you have a shred of humanity left?" He tried to push himself up, but his strength failed him, and he collapsed with a cry of frustration—his agony more than just physical, the pain of helplessness weighing even heavier.
Elysia met the swordsman's gaze with burning defiance. "I'd rather die than let you take me."
"How noble." The swordsman sneered. "You think you can still fight in your condition?"
Elysia didn't answer. Instead, she lunged, her daggers flashing in the dim light. Sparks erupted as metal clashed against metal, her relentless strikes forcing the man back step by step.
The Captain, still sprawled on the ground, turned to his fallen comrade. "Damian! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
Elysia's movements were fast but desperate.
Suddenly, two flaming daggers soared toward him at lethal speed.
His eyes widened as he barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side. But before he could regain his footing, a third dagger struck his leg and pierced through it. He let out a pained grunt, dropping to one knee.
Blood poured from the wound, and he pressed a hand against it, channelling mana to stop the bleeding.
Two more daggers flew toward him, aimed straight at his heart. He twisted his body to evade, but one of the blades altered its trajectory mid-air, stabbing deep into his shoulder. He let out a roar, fury and desperation flickering across his face. "Damn you—!" He reached for the dagger, ripping it out and tossing it into his storage ring.
Panting, he staggered backwards. "This… this isn't over." His glare burned into Elysia before he scanned the trees, searching for his unseen attacker. "You think you've won? Whoever dares to lay a hand on me will have to answer to the Black Fang. And trust me—our boss doesn't let grudges slide."
With that, he turned and fled into the darkness, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Elysia stood there, her breathing ragged. She didn't chase after him. Instead, she turned to Tobias and Damian, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Tobias…" she whispered. "Damian…"
Ronan emerged from his hiding place, his presence no longer concealed as he cast Blazing Restoration, a fire-type healing spell, over the wounded trio—Damian, Tobias, and Elysia. The warm, golden flames wrapped around them, mending their injuries with a soothing heat. Seeing Damian still weakened, Ronan stepped forward, retrieving a recovery potion from his storage ring.
Before he could reach Damian, a cold blade pressed against his throat.
"Are those flying daggers yours?" Elysia's voice was sharp, her dagger unwavering. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Ronan parted his lips to respond, but before he could utter a word, Tobias, still catching his breath, interjected.
"Thank you," Tobias said sincerely, kneeling despite his injuries. "If you hadn't stepped in, we would be dead by now. I'm truly grateful for your help. Please… can you help us bring Damian to the nearest village for proper treatment?"
Ronan's gaze flickered to Tobias, then to the determined Elysia. He sighed. "I can, as long as she puts the dagger away."
Elysia hesitated before finally lowering her weapon, though suspicion lingered in her eyes. "We don't have anything to offer in return."
Without a word, Ronan collected his daggers, their edges still glistening with blood. A flicker of flame erupted from his fingertips, incinerating the stains until they turned to nothing but ash. Then, he knelt down and lifted Damian onto his back with practised ease. Elysia followed suit, hoisting Tobias onto hers.
"This is my first time here," Ronan admitted. "I don't know the nearest village. You'll have to lead the way."
Elysia gave him a curt nod. "Follow me closely."
As they moved through the dense forest, Tobias glanced at Ronan. "I think you already know our names, but we should introduce ourselves properly. I'm Tobias."
The girl carrying him spoke next. "Elysia."
Tobias gestured toward Damian. "And he's Damian."
Ronan adjusted his grip on the unconscious young man and replied, "I'm Ronan."
They continued in silence for a while before Ronan suddenly asked, "How did you know I was watching? I made sure to conceal my magical aura."
Tobias chuckled weakly. "Your presence was hard to sense, that's true. Even though your level seems to be Adept Tier, there was something else. I'm also a fire-element user. Our flame cores react differently to various kinds of flames… and yours?" He paused, frowning. "I couldn't sense you, but I felt a dominating pressure over my core. It's as if your fire core's flame is stronger than mine."
Ronan blinked, caught off guard. "Now I'm offended. If my flame was truly superior, do you think I'd have let that bastard escape?" He exhaled sharply. "I don't add flame into the core. I absorb their essence to strengthen my own flame. So why would my flame feel stronger than yours?"
Tobias's brow furrowed in thought. "That's odd. My flame core still feels… agitated." He then asked curiously, "Then, your Innate Flame is stronger than mine. Every time you absorb flame essence, your Innate Flame will grow stronger."
"That may be possible. Recently, I absorbed a tailed fox flame; maybe that's the reason why you are feeling like that," Ronan explained.
Tobias hummed in contemplation. "It could be a mutation. By absorbing different flame essences, maybe your Flame evolved in a way that's different from normal Fire users."
Ronan frowned. "If this keeps happening, I might not be able to hide my presence anymore. How do I suppress it? Do you have any idea?"
"There are skills for that," Tobias said. "But you'd need to go to Serenwyn Academy, also known as the Central Academy. If you don't find it there, you could try your luck with the Flamecrest Family. But be careful with them—they're arrogant, prideful, and self-righteous."
Ronan nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."
After running for an hour and a half, they finally reached a village—Briarfield. It wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. The village was best known for its thriving herbal market, where skilled apothecaries sold rare medicinal ingredients. They wasted no time in getting Damian and Tobias admitted to the local healer's ward.
After examining them, the doctor reassured them, "They'll be fine in a few days. Just let them rest."
Ronan turned to him. "Can I see Tobias now?"
The doctor nodded and left. Ronan stepped into Tobias's room, Elysia following closely behind.
"How are you feeling?" Ronan asked.
Tobias smiled weakly. "Much better."
"Good." Ronan turned toward the door. "Then I'll take my leave." He paused briefly. "By the way, where is the place marked on the treasure map?"
Before Tobias could answer, Elysia scoffed. "Ha! I knew you had ulterior motives!" She crossed her arms, glaring. "See, Tobias? He was just waiting for the right moment to ask!"
Ronan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let me rephrase. Just answer in yes or no—does the treasure map have anything to do with Eldermere Highlands?"
Elysia hesitated at his sudden shift in tone, her confidence faltering. "No…?"
Without another word, Ronan turned on his heel. "Then take care."
Tobias' eyes widened. "Wait, you're going to Eldermere Highlands…?"
But Ronan was already gone.
Tobias exhaled.
Elysia, still flustered, stared at the door. "What… just happened?"