"W-What? Why are there so many higher races gathered here?" Phoebe said with a wary face."Well, you see, we were about to go back to the Middle Continent, but we encountered some problems and troublemakers" the elf spoke.
"I tell you this—just like what I kept repeating to the beastman before—I don't know anything! And if you're planning to take revenge for that beastman, let me tell you this: he attacked me first without listening to me. I-I only defended myself because of him. Also, if what you want is this rapier, I'll gladly give it to you without any problem," Phoebe defended herself.
As Phoebe explained her side, the man closed his eyes and crossed his arms, thinking deeply, then said,"Well, you were reasonable. If it were me, I think I'd do the same, right?"
"Y-Yes, now you understand, right? So… can I go now? Please?" Phoebe said in desperation."Yea—Nooooo," said the elf.
"Huh? But you heard me, right? I have nothing to do with it, and I'll give you this sword without a problem" Phoebe said with irritation.
"I would do that since I really hate unnecessary work… but everything changed when I saw what you're capable of" the elf said with a grim smile on his face.
"What do you mean!?" Phoebe said, bewildered.
"You—despite just learning mana today—were able to use some of your abilities. From what I observed, you can burn and heal, right? I saw that your flames can't be extinguished by ordinary means. And the limbs that were broken or cut off? They came back or healed instantly," the elf said while smiling.
"Here's the thing, miss. When we were stealing the artifacts in the tower, there were a total of 30 people including me. But we got attacked by a group from an unknown organization. Some of us are in critical condition, and many are wounded. And for us to go back to the Middle Continent, we need to attack the nearby Adventurer Association branch, steal their ship, and leave. But to do that… we need the injured to be healed first," the elf said with a grim smile.
Phoebe kept her composure as sweat dripped down her face. She said to herself: There are more of them here? If I heal his allies, there's no guarantee I'll be safe. They're all lunatics. And based on the beastman's memory, many people will die if they recovered and attack again. Their organization… is notorious. I should run.
As Phoebe was about to make a run for it, she froze when the elf suddenly spoke."Ohh, don't you dare even think of running. If you do… we will massacre everyone in your orphanage."
Phoebe was shocked and said,"Ho-How did you—?"
"Based on the direction you were going earlier after defeating Sid, I analyzed it and found out it leads to the orphanage. That's how I learned it" the elf said arrogantly.
Hearing this, Phoebe's expression darkened. Her blue eyes sharpened. She fully charged at him, attempting to stab the elf in the heart using her saber coated with blue flame. But the elf swiftly dodged.
"Damn it, that speed… Elves are known for their swift movements and flexibility. This will be hard… but let me see how h—"
While she was thinking, the man spoke: "PhantomConceal", He instantly vanished in front of her. Phoebe felt a hand grab the back of her head—her head was smashed into the ground.
Phoebe was shocked but quickly snapped out of it and released blue flames across her body. When she turned, the elf was nowhere to be seen. But from behind—she was stabbed.
As the blade pierced her back, the blue flames desperately tried to heal her. Phoebe swung with another slash, but the elf dodged and vanished again.
"Da-Damn… wh-where…?" Phoebe struggled, feeling extreme fatigue in every movement.
"Feeling heavy and tired?" the elf said."Maybe you don't know this since it's your first time using mana, but every time you use it, it consumes your energy. When it runs out… you experience mana depletion. Just like now."
As Phoebe struggled to move even an inch, the elf repeatedly struck her with his blade. At some point, when he stabbed her shoulder, the blue flames no longer appeared.
"It seems you've reached your limit, human girl," the elf said with a smirk.
Phoebe was helpless. She could only stare, unable to move from the fatigue. The elf grabbed her neck, attempting to choke her unconscious so he could kidnap her later.
But then—
A body flew from nowhere and crashed into the elf, knocking him to the ground. Phoebe was released, falling—until someone caught her.
A man in his 30s, a human with blonde hair and magenta eyes, held her with his left hand. In his right hand, he held a jet-black claymore stained with blood. He smiled confidently.
"How you doing there, little miss? Congrats on holding them back on your own" he said with a grin.
"You can rest now. From here on…" He gently set Phoebe down, raised his claymore onto his shoulder, and said with absolute confidence:" I'll take it from here."
As he spoke, the elf and his companion—a fox-like beastman—stood up. "All of you beastmen had one simple job and you can't even do it properly" the elf said.
"Shut your mouth. You yap too much—just like your big ears" the beastman replied.
"Tsk. Hey, fox. Tell me what happened. Didn't we agree that you'd scout the surroundings?" the elf snapped.
"I was scouting! What do you expect me to do when the enemy suddenly shows up?" the beastman shot back.
"What do you even mean by that?" the elf asked, frowning.
"You both look like good friends" the man said casually.
"Damn you ranker's dog. You'll regret this," the elf hissed.
The elf instantly vanished again, and the beastman grew huge. He charged at the man with massive claws, but the man stood unfazed—dodging effortlessly. A sword came for his back, but he deflected it without even looking.
Still smiling, he said,"I see. So camouflage and gigantification… those are your abilities, huh?"
The beastman and elf were in disbelief. Not only were their abilities seen through instantly, but the man's movements overwhelmed them completely.
"You arrogant human! You lowly race! How dare you not take this seriously!?" the elf yelled."You filthy shit, we'll kill you!" the beastman shouted.
"There's a misunderstanding here," the man said calmly."I always take exterminating dangerous criminals seriously."
The beastman growled: "Giga Manifestation!"He grew to the size of a mountain. As his enormous claw swung toward the man—
"Mister, get away! You'll get ripped apart!" Phoebe shouted in fear.
The man simply smiled at Phoebe.
He took a stance.
The dark sky reflected off his jet-black claymore, which suddenly shone brightly—coated with white mana.
"Cosmic Stance… Dimensional Slash."
A massive slash formed—pulling everything nearby into it—then shot toward the beastman.
In an instant, the beastman was split in half. The sky was split in half. The space was split in half—revealing the cosmos behind it.
"Phoebe and the elf, whose concealment had been undone, were shocked to witness a power that seemed to reach the level of the divine."
Phoebe didn't dare say a word. She just stared, frozen, at the unbelievable sight.
If one slash can do this… what would happen if he unleashed several? she thought, a mix of fear and awe coursing through her.
In that moment, Phoebe realized just how small she truly was—a frog in a well.
How long does an adventurer have to train to reach this level? she wondered.
Then emotions surged through her—fear, awe, longing.
And there it was: an overwhelming wave of sensation, as if it was pulling her forward, urging her to some day reach that level too.
"Amazing… It's so beautiful…" Phoebe said with deep admiration.
Above them, the enormous cracked slash in the sky remained—filled with purple, pink, green, white, black, and countless stars of the cosmos.