There are three problems," Nero said. "How are we going to fight? What are we going to eat? And where are we going to hide? If we can figure this out, we move."


    Nemsus responded without hesitation. "For food, we eat what we hunt. There''s no other choice. As for fighting, I say I take the lead while you just behind. Every few miles, we switch." He paused, then frowned. "But for resting..."


    Nero had thought the same thing. If they were going to spend most of their days fighting and running, they couldn’t afford to stay fully alert at night. They needed a solution—either a way to find shelter, like the cave they were in now, or a way to create one. But how?


    Delilah, who had been silent until now, turned to Lunia. "Try to move the ground."


    "What?" Lunia blinked in confusion.


    "Move the ground."


    Nero’s eyes lit up as he caught on. "Yes! That’s it!"


    But Lunia still looked lost. "I don’t know any spells," she admitted.


    "You don’t need a spell," Nero said. "Your rune level is high enough."


    He raised his right hand, and a small flame flickered to life above his palm. Turning to Lunia, he continued, "Watch this."


    The fire hovered in place before shifting and twisting around his fingers, obeying his will.


    "This is just basic control," he explained. "I pushed a bit of fire mana from my core into my hand, then pulled it out and shaped it with my will rune." The flame coiled and flickered, dancing between his fingers.


    "You don’t need to control the mana itself," he said. "Just let it flow and focus on controlling the ground instead. Try it—put your hand down, guide the mana toward it, and use your will to command the earth."


    Lunia placed both hands on the ground and pushed her mana forward. She could feel it now—her influence spreading through the earth, connecting to the piece of ground her mana had reached.


    "What now?" she asked.


    Nero scanned the cave, his gaze settling on the entrance. "Try to close it," he said.


    Lunia shifted her focus, directing her mana toward the ground near the cave''s entrance. She concentrated, willing the earth to rise. At first, it moved slowly, but then it gained momentum, lifting faster and faster until the entrance was completely sealed.


    A bright smile spread across her face. She had done it.


    Nemsus looked at her with something close to pride, and Nero let out a breath of relief.


    It was Delilah who broke the silence. "How much mana do you have left?"


    Lunia closed her eyes for a moment, sensing her reserves. "Around two-thirds," she replied.


    Nero started calculating. The cave entrance had been about two meters wide. That meant Lunia could probably create a hole big enough for all four of them to shelter inside—but only once. Once they were in, they wouldn’t be able to leave until they decided to move again.


    His eyes shifted to the newly formed wall blocking the entrance. It wasn’t thick, nor did it seem particularly solid. It wouldn’t hold against a strong enough force.


    "Hmm..." He turned to Lunia. "Lower the walls again. Once you''re done, start practicing—move small pieces of the ground, shape them however you want. It’ll help you control it better."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As Lunia got to work, Nero turned to Nemsus, then to Delilah. His gaze landed on her sword.


    "What kind of mana does your sword allow you to channel?" he asked.


    Most weapon artifacts were made by fusing mana metal and beast bones with a rune. That rune determined what type of mana could flow through the weapon properly, enhancing it and giving it certain characteristics.


    "Not any of my own," Delilah said, then handed him the sword.


    The sword had originally belonged to Victry, meaning its rune would likely match one of his affinities. Nero tested it first, channeling Darkness, Fire, and Time mana through the blade, but nothing happened. He frowned and handed it to Nemsus, who did the same.


    The sword began to glow.


    "It''s lightning," Nemsus said.


    That made sense. Victry had a lightning rune.


    Nero turned to Delilah. She took a last look at sword and then gave him a small nod, already understanding what that meant.


    He looked back at Nemsus. "You''ll use that sword from now on."


    Nemsus took a look at the sword. There was a significant difference between wielding an ordinary blade and one charged with mana. At the very least, the sword’s sharpness would be greatly enhanced.


    Hé


    He accepted it " thanks"


    The three of them began discussing different formations they could use while moving.


    Nemsus frowned. "If we get into a fight, Lunia could—"


    "No," Nero cut in. "She stays out of it."


    "She’s got mana," Nemsus argued. "We’re low on numbers. She can learn."


    "She has no experience," Nero said. "If she panics, she’s dead. And if she dies, we’re dead."


    Silence followed. Nemsus exhaled sharply, then finally nodded. "Fine."


    After some debate, they finally settled on one.


    Nemsus would take the lead, with Nero directly behind him, using his mana from time to time to erase their tracks.


    Delilah and Lunia would stay close behind Nero, as they were the weakest in direct combat.


    Lunia would focus on the ground, keeping watch for anything approaching them.


    If they encountered an enemy, Nemsus will and Nero would engage, keeping their opponents in the center. Delilah would stay at a short distance, ready to move in when needed. If anyone was injured, she would step in to heal them.


    Lunia had no experience, no spells, and no weapon. If they needed to flee, Nero would throw fireballs behind them to create obstacles. Nemsus would stay behind him, dealing with anything that got too close. Delilah would stay with Lunia, who would track enemy movements to prevent them from running into another group."


    Nemsus glanced at Lunia, who was still focused on improving her control over the ground. He walked over and crouched beside her.


    "Listen, Lunia," he said. "Your role is important—maybe the most important. The less we fight, the better, and with your sensing ability, we can avoid danger before it finds us."


    She looked up at him, listening carefully.


    "We’ll only stop to hunt when necessary," he continued. "But you need to keep your mana as full as possible at all times. If something goes wrong, we’ll be relying on you."


    Lunia nodded, determination flashing in her eyes.


    Nero exhaled, glancing at Lunia. Giving such an important role to a little girl still didn’t sit right with him. But what choice did they have? If she failed, they could all die. If she succeeded… it would be because she had no other option.


    With a quiet sigh, he gathered the dried meat and the enys, wrapping them in his shirt before tying it into a makeshift pack.


    It wasn’t comfortable walking without a shirt in the cold, but they couldn’t afford to leave anything behind.


    Lunia pushed herself up, dusting off her hands, while Delilah stood beside her just waiting.


    Nemsus tightened his grip on his sword, glancing at the others.


    "Let’s go."


    As they stepped out of the cave, the cold wind hit their skin again—sharp and biting, but not as harsh as when they first arrived.


    Nero looked down at the vast expanse before them. Towering trees stretched endlessly into the distance—ancient, gnarled, and dark. The forest was a sea of shadows, barely touched by light. The sun was nowhere to be seen.


    Turning west toward the mountains, he spotted faint traces of light filtering down from the peaks, casting a pale glow against the sky. But as his gaze followed the horizon eastward, the light faded. The further east he looked, the darker it became—until the sky was swallowed by pure blackness.


    He shifted his focus back to their position. The cave followed the mountain’s curve, leaving them perched on a sloping cliff about twenty meters above the forest floor. It wasn’t a sheer drop, but climbing down wouldn’t be easy.


    Nero exhaled, steadying himself. Then he turned to the others.


    Delilah, as usual, showed no emotion. Nemsus rolled his shoulders, cracking his knuckles, already preparing to move. Lunia, however, was different. Her expression twisted in fear, her wide eyes locked on the forest ahead.


    As they looked at her they saw her breathing quickened. Her hands clenched into fists, her whole body tensing like a cornered animal. Her gaze was locked on the forest ahead—wide-eyed, unblinking. Whatever she sensed, it was getting closer.


    Nemsus followed her gaze, watching as the color drained from her face. He knew exactly what that meant.


    "Oh, for god’s sake—really!?" he muttered, cursing in disbelief.