《I Have the Sacred Sword?》


 Prologue

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 Chapter 1 - The Promise

    "Do you want to rest? I can find a good spot while you rest," Eleonora proposed as she noticed her candidate stumbling while walking.


    Eleonora had the power to possess her candidate''s body.


    "I''m fine," the candidate responded with heavy sighs, although his body was almost in perfect condition.


    For Eleonora, it was clear that her candidate''s consciousness was about to reach its limit once again.


    "Let''s not start this again... it''ll be night soon. I''ll fight while you rest, alright? Just let me do it."


    "No..."


    "Seriously... Why not? In the blink of an eye, you''ll be fine again!"


    From Eleonora''s perspective, sleeping was simply closing one''s eyes and spending time without consciousness.


    Why didn''t her candidate allow her to take charge of everything during that unconscious time?


    "I have nightmares, Eleonora."


    "Nightmares? What''s that? A disease or an enemy?"


    Eleonora had no idea what her candidate was talking about.


    Stopping their walk, Eleonora''s candidate decided to sit on the ground.


    Cold.


    For a moment, his whole body shivered as it came into contact with the snow.


    "What are you doing? Why are you sitting on the ground?"


    Eleonora didn''t understand why he was doing that.


    "I miss sleeping for real"


    He said that when Eleonora fully possessed his body, he couldn''t truly rest.


    This was because, over time, he increasingly entered a place that seemed to be his own hell.


    Unlike the real world, where he could defend himself and defeat any enemy, in that world, he was weak and defenseless.


    Every time he entered that place, he faced all the creatures he had ever killed repeatedly.


    Feeling himself die was horrible.


    Avoiding entering that world was only possible by sleeping normally, but there were occasions when he still ended up in that place.


    At first, he saw it as a price to pay for his power, but now it resembled more of a punishment.


    "Hey, are you going to sleep in this open place?" Eleonora asked as she saw her candidate lie down and get comfortable in the snow.


    Despite feeling the cold when coming into contact with the snow, he didn''t mind. Somehow, he began to feel comfortable.


    "I understand... You''re going to rest so that I can take control of your body later?"


    He didn''t respond.


    Despite clearly hearing his companion, sleep began to overpower him.


    Within seconds, he started feeling great relief.


    It was a strange place to take a nap, but... Who would have told him that this was wrong?


    A bittersweet smile appeared on his face before he finally lost consciousness.


    But before he could immerse himself in a peaceful sleep, he felt a jolt that abruptly interrupted his connection.


    He felt it like a sudden blow to the chest, so he reflexively opened his eyes.


    When he stood up, he was no longer in that inhospitable and dull environment. Now, he was facing several demons and old enemies that would make his time very unpleasant.


    "Great, he''s resting now," Eleonora said, now occupying her candidate''s body.


    Getting up from the ground, she brushed off the snow-covered clothes.


    "It''s always the same..."


    Cracking her whole body to fully wake up, Eleonora looked up.


    Despite the dense fog still lingering in the air, she saw clearly five flying creatures lurking.


    They were mutant vultures.


    "Sorry, but today you won''t have a meal."


    Eleonora touched the sheath where her body was stored, and suddenly, the sword disappeared. It had merged with the body of the candidate she now possessed.


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    "Let''s go."


    Focusing, celestial-colored wings began to appear on Eleonora''s back, standing out in this dreary environment.


    Surprising the vultures that watched from above, Eleonora swiftly approached them, dispersing the mist that stood in her way.


    Instinctively, the vultures tried to flee, as they were creatures that attacked dying or sleeping prey.


    But to their misfortune, Eleonora extended her palm toward one of them, causing a red flash and a powerful explosion that echoed several meters away.


    Now only four vultures remained.


    One of the vultures had exploded into pieces in an instant, leaving no trace behind.


    Eleonora chased each of the vultures and repeated this process several times.


    Descending to the ground, she encountered a problem.


    The hand she had been using the most for magic was now trembling uncontrollably.


    Was the possession failing?


    Eleonora decided to reinforce the possession, and soon the discomfort disappeared. Unwilling to walk, she spread her wings once again and flew low, searching for a place where her candidate could rest.


    If she found the village he was looking for in the process, it would be a double reward!


    But to her misfortune, she found nothing.


    There were only dead trees, some mountains with empty caves, and all the rivers were frozen.


    She did her best to find another group of barbarians, but she failed to find them.


    Every fight she faced against monsters was extremely easy for her, but she soon began to notice something strange.


    Where was the way out of this place?


    It seemed that the more she explored, the more she got lost.


    It was too ironic!


    Not even her great memory helped her locate herself, as the snow ruined her points of reference, and almost every area she explored felt too familiar.


    Where were all those barbarians heading to?


    The sun was barely visible, and to Eleonora''s dismay, she hadn''t paid attention to where those barbarians were going.


    What a huge mistake!


    More than 15 hours had passed, and Eleonora remembered that she had to give her body back to her candidate.


    Stopping her flight, Eleonora landed in an area similar to where he had laid down before.


    Imitating the best possible resting position he had, Eleonora closed her eyes and let her candidate take control.


    After a few seconds, her candidate stood up in a startled manner, looking around and realizing that he was no longer in the same place.


    With difficulty, he dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, and asked between heavy sighs:


    "Eleonora, did you take control of my body?"


    His tone was serious, and he seemed annoyed. Eleonora ignored his question, but he insisted.


    "Eleonora... Did you take control of my body without my permission?"


    "You never told me not to," Eleonora replied in a low voice.


    "Of course, I did!" his candidate retorted in frustration.


    Her candidate felt dizzy, had a headache, and his mind was filled with negative thoughts.


    The worst part was the intense pain he experienced throughout his body as if he were being devoured or torn apart with every breath.


    "I asked you before, and you didn''t say anything..." Eleonora said quietly.


    "Shut up!"


    He was tired.


    He hadn''t been able to find his sister, and his only companion was a selfish person who only gave orders.


    For a moment, something clicked in his mind.


    "Eleonora..."


    "What?"


    "Do you know my name?"


    He always called Eleonora by her name, but she always referred to him as the candidate.


    To Eleonora, he was just one of the many candidates she had had.


    This question caught Eleonora by surprise, but after quickly going through her memory, she answered: "Leonar."


    There was a small laughter that immediately sent the candidate into the past.


    The reason she called this ego sword Eleonora was to have a similar name to his, as she considered her a great trusted companion.


    But... What was Eleonora''s previous name? Why couldn''t he remember anything?


    It''s all Eleonora''s fault, a thought echoed louder and louder in his head.


    A part of him was telling him that he was acting like an idiot, but he couldn''t think clearly.


    He just wanted to rest once and for all.


    "Adam?" Eleonora said hesitantly.


    "Shut up," her candidate responded without hesitation.


    Eleonora had uttered another name because she thought she had made a mistake.


    Her candidate''s face showed disgust.


    Eleonora calmed herself and tried to remind herself several times that she needed to be patient with him.


    "Listen carefully, Eleonora."


    "Yes."


    "No matter what happens..."


    The candidate''s voice grew louder.


    "Don''t I matter to you more than any rules you have? Am I, not your priority?"


    "You are."


    "Then let me sleep! Really sleep! You can''t take possession of my body!"


    "Even if you''re in danger?" Eleonora asked.


    "Even if I''m in danger."


    "And if you die?"


    "I don''t care!"


    Eleonora couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    Had he gone mad?


    Why was he behaving so irrationally?


    Trying to find the reason behind her candidate''s behavior, Eleonora asked curiously, "Hey... What are nightmares?"


    "They''re horrible, Eleonora. Why are you asking stupid questions?" the candidate quickly and angrily responded.


    Eleonora had been insulted a few times in her life. Most of the people who had insulted her were enemies, and now they were over 200 meters underground!


    Eleonora repeated to herself a thousand times that she needed to calm down. She wanted to respond to her candidate in the same way, but she knew he wasn''t in his right mind.


    Swallowing her pride, Eleonora asked: "Could you explain to this fool... what a dream is and why you want to have it?"


    Eleonora''s candidate was desperate to sleep, but a part of him knew that if he didn''t convince Eleonora, he would fall back into that horrible place.


    Thinking of an answer, he realized it wasn''t so easy to explain something like that to her.


    After a few minutes, he gave up on finding a logical explanation and simply said the first thing that came to his mind: "A nightmare is horrible, repetitive, painful, and no matter how much you try to escape, it always chases you."


    "Can''t you just fight against it?"


    "Do you think I haven''t tried, Eleonora? Don''t ask stupid questions. You can''t fight against it."


    Eleonora fell silent and continued listening attentively to her candidate.


    "A dream... is relaxing. Sometimes it''s absurd, but other times..."


    A tear tried to escape from the candidate''s eye but evaporated within seconds due to the heat magic Eleonora had activated in his body.


    "I don''t understand," Eleonora said.


    "You have to experience it. It''s beautiful."


    Eleonora understood that she was denying her candidate a beautiful experience.


    Eleonora realized she was denying her candidate a beautiful experience. However, this place was too dangerous.


    Granting his request would be equivalent to letting him die.


    "Promise me you''ll let me go to that place, Eleonora," the candidate asked.


    Eleonora remained silent.


    "Eleonora, swear it to me."


    "Don''t you want to find your sister?" Eleonora replied, hoping he would remember his goal.


    Her candidate had a bitter expression, but soon he had an idea.


    "Maybe I can visit her in my dreams."


    What?


    Could he achieve his goal if she let him enter a dream?


    Then she had been wasting time!


    As the conversation dragged on, sleep began to invade the candidate''s consciousness once again.


    "Eleonora, please."


    "I promise, but..."


    Eleonora hesitated for a few seconds in her speech and asked with a certain embarrassment: "Do you think you can visit my sisters? Maybe if I sleep...?"


    Eleonora realized that her candidate had fallen into a deep sleep.


    A few hours passed when a pack of wolves approached the place where the candidate was sleeping.


    Eleonora felt their presence and had to make a choice.

 Interlude - The meeting

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 Chapter 2 - Decision

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 Interlude 2 – Lie

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 Chapter 3 – Dont Break.

    Normally, every time Eleonora lost a candidate, it would only take a couple of years until she was found by a new one.


    At first, it was very painful, but with time and thanks to Eirlys'' advice, Eleonora got used to this occurrence.


    But it still hurt.


    That''s why the technique Eleonora used most to pass the time until she was found was simple.


    Meditation.


    Without powers, without a physical body, it was the smartest thing she could do to calm her emotions while waiting for the arrival of the new candidate.


    [134 years, 11 months, and 28 days]


    Eleonora meditated without having a single internal dialogue with herself during all this time.


    Her routine consisted of meditating and sleeping when she felt too tired to avoid unnecessary thoughts.


    That was all she had to do until a human found her.


    It was what repeated over and over when questions arose.


    She just had to wait. And that''s what she did for a long time, as she was accustomed to this routine.


    As the years kept passing, Eleonora began to notice something different.


    She had overlooked a very important detail because she was doing this in such an automatic way, and it wasn''t her fault. This was such a common process for her that she did it without thinking too much.


    At first, of course, it was hard for her to do something like this since it was painful to part with a candidate forever, but this was normal in the cycle of life.


    Or so she repeated to herself to maintain her sanity.


    Over the years, Eleonora started experiencing something she hadn''t experienced before.


    The thoughts that used to come and go like clouds during her meditation... now they didn''t go away.


    The thoughts observed her.


    She tried to observe them silently while accepting any feelings of guilt or inadequacy, but those clouds grew larger to the point of unsettling her, causing her to lose her concentration.


    Of course, she would return and try to meditate, but each time she succeeded for shorter periods.


    At first, Eleonora believed it was because she was tired, so she went to sleep when it started happening.


    But over time, no matter how much she slept, when she tried to meditate... she failed.


    Why?


    Of course, it''s normal to make mistakes while meditating, such as being carried away by certain thoughts, getting distracted, or letting an emotion consume you excessively.


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    But this was a new point she wasn''t used to.


    Now, she couldn''t stop thinking.


    Why couldn''t she focus?


    Eleonora asked herself that question more and more frequently.


    At first, meditating was almost like walking, but over time, she did it worse.


    Why?


    Unknowingly, Eleonora began talking to herself more often.


    She no longer had that absolute calmness that her sisters sometimes admired.


    She was becoming impatient, or maybe she was becoming anxious?


    [138 years, 3 months, and 4 days]


    No matter how hard she tried to go back to basics, Eleonora couldn''t meditate.


    Her mind couldn''t stand the idea of her not thinking about anything!


    The thoughts in her mind were becoming more aggressive, and she started feeling guilty.


    Was she becoming useless?


    Why couldn''t she do something so basic anymore?


    Probably, only about 20 or 30 years had passed, and she was just overreacting!


    A part of Eleonora told her that more time had passed, but she didn''t want to believe that!


    Someone would find her soon, and everything would probably go back to normal.


    She just needed to wait for a candidate... and keep her sanity as best as possible to help her candidate in the best way.


    [143 years, 3 months, and 1 day]


    Eleonora opened her eyes more and more frequently to see her surroundings.


    Her view was limited as she lay on the ground, but she could still appreciate that she was still in that annoying place.


    The reason for her growing discomfort with the cold was that more and more snow-covered her, hindering her vision and giving an unpleasant sensation to her physical body.


    Luckily, the sun always rose every morning and melted all that snow, but...


    What if that stopped happening?


    No!


    It was impossible; the sun had fulfilled its role for years, keeping the snow at bay, so it couldn''t stop doing it.


    Eleonora had abandoned the idea of meditating and spent a great deal of time answering her vague questions while being distracted by what little she could see thanks to her vision.


    The trees remained just as lifeless.


    The fauna was almost non-existent, but it was amusing to watch the prey escape from their predators.


    Distracting herself wasn''t such a bad idea after all!


    [148 years, 11 months, and 22 days]


    The damn snow had done it!


    It wouldn''t go away!


    She couldn''t see anything anymore!


    Exactly 5 years had passed, and she knew it very well because she had counted them in detail.


    She had nothing to do, so she thought it was a good idea to do something like that to pass the time.


    She wanted to keep her mind busy.


    Eleonora''s anger began to grow, and she wished she could transform into a human to blow up all the snow in the place, and the whole world too!


    Why did the snow have to be so annoying?


    Why did this have to happen to her?


    She couldn''t even watch those amusing chases in the afternoon anymore!


    It seemed like the world only wanted to make her suffer.


    Why?


    Is it because she can''t die?


    Immortals also have feelings! Feelings that don''t like being below 0 degrees temperature!


    Even though Eleonora wasn''t in her physical body, she could feel her whole being trembling from the cold!


    Could she not even generate her own warmth anymore?


    This had to be a joke!


    Eleonora struggled to activate some of the spells she knew, but it was futile.


    Nothing worked.


    Nothing!


    Why?


    She knew the answer.


    She couldn''t do anything because she didn''t have a candidate.


    [150 years, 5 months, and 17 days]


    The vague idea of dying crossed Eleonora''s mind.


    She had never had this thought before, but... what if it was possible for her?


    Recalling her memories, Eleonora began to remember how she shattered other ego swords in the middle of battles.


    Of course, this was something normal in fights.


    Something very common!


    But... why did her body tremble more when thinking about that idea?


    She was unbreakable.


    And the same thought went through her rivals'' minds before facing her...


    No matter how much she tried to push that idea out of her head, it always returned and became her main thought.


    Thinking about delicious and crispy food that sounds like the sound of swords shattering in the middle of combat?


    Who would think of something like that!?


    She just wanted to rest on a giant and comfortable bed, one that could support her weight... without breaking in half.


    All of Eleonora''s thoughts ended with something breaking, and that... frightened her.


    She would never break into a situation like this, neither mentally... nor physically...


    Right?

 Interlude 3 – Youre in Charge of Her

    All the ego sisters were speechless at what Eirlys had just said.


    All of them, except one.


    Fion was very upset.


    "Well, it seems she''s still a bit shy. Please forgive her," Eirlys said casually as she stood up.


    All eyes were on Eirlys as she walked towards a large red pillar.


    Before she reached it, a little girl in a dress that seemed to come straight from a dream peeked out timidly.


    Her attire was soaked in a creamy white, enveloping her figure like a cloud of purity. Small strokes of light blue, like the glimmers of a calm lake, adorned the dress in subtle details, adding a touch of freshness to the exquisite creation.


    It didn''t take long for everyone to notice something strange.


    Both the dress and the girl''s human form were unstable.


    The magic emanating from her was strong, undoubtedly comparable to Rhiannon''s power.


    Or perhaps even greater?


    Rhiannon swallowed hard, and on the other hand, Fion stood up agitated.


    "What does this mean, Eirlys?"


    The girl started trembling as Eirlys stood beside her.


    Taking her hand, Eirlys pulled the girl closer and with a smile introduced her:


    "This is Lirien, your new younger sister. Please treat her kindly."


    Lirien averted her gaze, as all the sisters were silently watching her.


    The first to react was Fion.


    "Is Eirlys serious!?"


    Fion asked, visibly upset.


    "Hey, calm down"


    Rhiannon commented, maintaining her composure, but Fion ignored her.


    Fion walked quickly towards where Eirlys was.


    She laughed and didn''t back down even when Fion approached aggressively.


    Lirien tried to pull away, but Eirlys didn''t let go.


    Both were face to face.


    "Why?"


    Eirlys gently pushed Lirien forward.


    "Take her."


    Fion stepped back in confusion, not understanding Eirlys response.


    Rhiannon, who had remained relaxed for much of the meeting, frowned.


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    "What are you doing?"


    Fion asked, glancing at Lirien.


    You could easily see how nervous the girl was.


    "I''m entrusting her to you"


    Eirlys said with a smile.


    What?


    That was the instant thought of everyone, except Cerys, who had her attention diverted to a cookie that remained on one of the plates on the table.


    Cerys took advantage of this moment when everyone was distracted to claim the last cookie.


    "May I say something?"


    Niam asked, raising her hand.


    "Of course"


    Eirlys replied.


    "Why are you entrusting this to Fion instead of Rhiannon? Wouldn''t she be a better teacher? Moreover, Fion..."


    Niam''s explanation was calm and accurate, but before she could finish, Eirlys responded:


    "I think everyone has already noticed, but Lirien doesn''t have mana, and that''s why her human form is like this"


    Eirlys gently tapped Lirien''s head, and she transformed back into her sword form. Before she could fall to the ground, Fion reacted and bent down to catch her.


    "See? She might seem grumpy on the outside, but she''ll be a good teacher," explained Eirlys as she walked back to the table where everyone was.


    Fion, who was now on the floor, looked at the small blue sword in front of her. It looked so fragile.


    It looked so fragile.


    Once Eirlys sat back in her seat, no one else said a word.


    Rhiannon was lost in thought.


    Niam decided to drop the subject so as not to disturb Eirlys.


    And Cerys was lost in the conversation.


    "Wait... Who ate the last cookie?"


    Eirlys asked curiously, as she had sworn she saw a cookie before going to fetch Lirien.


    Cerys chuckled quietly before raising her hand.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    "Are you upset?"


    Alexia asked as she saw Isuke using the benches in the classroom as a makeshift bed.


    "I just want to lie down"


    Isuke replied, placing a book over his face.


    "If the professor sees you like this, he''ll think you''re dead"


    Alexia commented in a teasing tone as she sat down.


    "There''s plenty of space... Can''t you sit farther away or on the lower benches?"


    Isuke complained when he saw Alexia had sat very close to him.


    "So I can cover for you"


    Alexia laughed, but this didn''t amuse Isuke at all.


    "And Leo?"


    "He stayed with the others downstairs. Did you really have to leave?"


    Alexia said as she leaned on the stone table in front of her.


    He felt so useless.


    Useless for not doing anything on the hunts and barely surviving the exams.


    Isuke had certain magical abilities, but when it came to weapons or hand-to-hand combat, he was utterly inept.


    Alexia knew about Isuke''s concerns, but she didn''t know how to help him besides keeping him company.


    Suddenly, an idea came to Alexia.


    Adjusting her voice, Alexia began to speak as if she were a teacher:


    "You can''t be good at everything, just give it time..."


    "Shut up"


    Isuke said, interrupting Alexia''s speech.


    Alexia''s tail began to sway, and without hesitation, she turned just to start tickling Isuke.


    "Who are you telling to shut up, you scoundrel!?"


    Isuke started laughing as he tried to defend himself from Alexia.


    Alexia immediately noticed that someone was about to open the door, so she stopped.


    "Get comfortable, they''re about to come in"


    Alexia whispered, adjusting her hair.


    Isuke stood up and took a breath.


    The students began to arrive one by one.


    Leo greeted them both with a wave but sat separately because several students were already seated next to them.


    The last person to arrive was a giant teacher carrying a large box.


    Upon entering the classroom, the teacher locked the door.


    Several students were surprised by the teacher''s attire, as he looked as if he were heading on an adventure.


    He had some weapons, and behind him was a large bag with equipment peeking out.


    Alexia and other demi-humans, with their heightened sense of smell, could tell that the teacher had food inside.


    Before a student could ask him anything, the teacher began speaking in a calm tone.


    "I know you''ve been studying and practicing various things about teleportation this past week..."


    The teacher gently placed the box he was holding on the desk.


    "This is the best class for this kind of topic, isn''t it?"


    The students didn''t know how to respond, as the question was too strange.


    Where was the teacher going with this?


    Wasn''t this a class about monsters?


    "Today''s lesson will be special."


    Once the teacher revealed what was inside the box, everyone''s jaws dropped.


    It was a yellow teleportation device.


    Isuke, along with other students who had studied the subject, swallowed hard because that device was capable of teleporting several people anywhere in the world.


    Why had a teacher brought such a device to a class of students who were just learning to handle these devices?


    Several students began to doubt the situation.


    It was very suspicious.

 Chapter 4 – A Dream

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 Chapter 5 – Fall

    Eleonora lay face down on the earth, tears streaming from her eyes.


    She had done it.


    How much time had passed?


    Eleonora didn''t want to even think about that; she just wanted to enjoy the achievement.


    Finally, she had a voice they could hear.


    She could speak out loud.


    She could ask for help¡­


    She could¡­


    Eleonora''s breath was uneven, her face covered in tears.


    When she tried to rise quickly, her arms faltered when she used them for support¡ªa clumsiness she didn''t expect.


    Concentrating, she tried to stand up, first her back, then her feet, almost falling due to the lack of balance.


    Eleonora felt clumsy.


    Very clumsy.


    Eleonora looked around, no one in sight.


    In front of her, some stairs ascended.


    "Why is this so difficult?" she wondered, perplexed by the struggle to stand while walking.


    She felt like an idiot.


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    Eleonora wiped her tears with the palm of her hand and tried to move quickly, but stumbled after a few steps.


    How was that possible?


    It was as if her body was playing a cruel joke on her.


    Eleonora attempted to get up but did so clumsily. When she tried to run, she fell again.


    Annoyed, she concentrated her magic to make wings appear on her back, the wings she had longed to use for so long.


    The wings she had longed to use for many years appeared, and when she attempted to fly upward with them, she succeeded but sustained injuries on her back and neck due to the speed at which she ascended.


    Once in the air, she could move more easily, but as she ascended, her heart beat forcefully, and a shiver ran down her spine.


    Eleonora avoided looking down, just wanting to climb as high as possible.


    Passing through clouds, she quickly surpassed their height. Breathing became difficult for Eleonora, but she refused to stop.


    As she ascended, the sky lost its blue hue and moved toward a dark place filled with numerous stars. However, before she could ascend further¡­


    Her wings stopped.


    She couldn''t fly higher, and despite her pain and difficulty breathing, she yelled, "No!"


    For a few seconds, Eleonora floated in the air, but then she began to fall.


    Every beat of her heart resonated intensely as she plummeted at increasing speed.


    Desperate to regain control, she started spinning in the air, not understanding what to do.


    Her wings didn''t respond; she was paralyzed by fear.


    Zipping through clouds at great speed, the ground she had refused to look at while ascending was now rapidly approaching.


    In an attempt to slow down, she fortified her body with mana, but before she could do more, she crashed into the ground and felt a massive jolt through her entire being.


    The cold enveloped her once again.


    Eleonora was still trapped in the snow in that place she had momentarily forgotten.


    She wanted to die.


    Eleonora wanted to cry, but she didn''t have that physical body to shed those tears.


    Feeling useless, with intense internal anger, Eleonora focused on one goal.


    Improvement.


    Was she really unable to control her physical body now?


    What had she done?


    Why didn''t she use her other abilities?


    Eleonora began to harshly criticize herself for many things she had done in that world she had managed to create after so many failed attempts.


    Among all those criticisms, she realized how weak she had become.


    Lost in her thoughts, Eleonora didn''t notice that a small crack had formed in her physical form as a sword.

 Chapter 6 – They Are Here

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 Chapter 7 – What Are You?

    The students were agitated, suddenly finding themselves in a completely unfamiliar place.


    Some panicked, clutching onto their peers'' shoulders, while others approached the professor in annoyance.


    "Seriously... we should have tried to escape when we had the chance, right, Isuke?" Alexia said in a low voice, looking him up and down.


    "Thanks for worrying about me, Alexia," Leo, who was behind them, said.


    "You''re an idiot that''s hard to kill, Leo. I doubt anything bad happened to you in this accident," Alexia said, crossing her arms.


    "You''re mistaken. Unfortunately, I left my sword at a club, and now I''m completely unarmed," Leo said in a somewhat exaggerated dramatic tone.


    "Seriously, you''re..."


    Alexia reached for a small pouch on her waist and pulled out a decent-sized sword.


    "Wow! How handy," Leo said, impressed.


    Alexia began explaining to Leo the details of the sword so he could use it properly.


    Meanwhile, Isuke couldn''t take his eyes off the artifact still held by the classmates who had activated it.


    The group that had managed to activate the artifact was discussing among themselves while the girl holding the artifact trembled from the cold.


    A wave of concern washed over Isuke.


    What if the artifact fell?


    What would happen if it broke?


    "Careful! Monsters are approaching!" one of the students shouted to their peers, and several didn''t hesitate to go on guard.


    "Isuke!" Alexia yelled, finally getting his attention.


    "What''s up?"


    "You didn''t hear anything I said, did you?"


    "Is there anyone who listens to you?" Leo said mockingly, irritating Alexia.


    "We''re on alert, idiot! Use that damn sword properly and return it to me intact," Alexia warned as Leo advanced to face the monsters.


    "Enough!" the teacher suddenly shouted, alerting everyone.


    "I understand your concern, but did you really expect something like this to work on the first try? Anyone who doesn''t want to participate further is free to leave on their own. Our priority is to recharge the device''s energy to use it again," the teacher explained loudly.


    "He''s insane! Can''t he see how dangerous this is?" one of the students complained.


    "Do you think you can accomplish anything without ever taking a risk?" the teacher responded with a smile.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The statement left several students confused.


    Before they could continue the discussion, several students began to confront the white wolves that had come to attack them in a pack.


    Leo, along with the students wielding melee weapons, stood at the forefront while the magicians focused on casting spells to deal with them.


    [Come]


    It was a voice suddenly heard in several heads, causing many to lose concentration and get injured by the enemies.


    "Leo!" Alexia shouted as she ran swiftly to finish off the wolf threatening her friend, stabbing it directly in the neck, then rushing to help her friend who had stumbled.


    "What''s wrong?" Alexia asked as she examined Leo''s shoulder wound.


    "Sorry, but... I heard a voice that paralyzed me for a few seconds," Leo explained as he got up with Alexia''s help.


    "A voice?" Alexia asked, confused.


    "Did anyone else hear a voice!?" one of the magicians supporting those still fighting against the wolves asked.


    "Calm down! Everyone who heard the voice, ignore it! Those who are injured, step back so others can take your place! No one can die! Got it!?" a boy with yellow hair and blue eyes seemed to have taken command of the situation.


    Several students moved at their own discretion while others clicked their tongues due to his eagle insignia but reluctantly obeyed as the situation required.


    "It''s alright now, doesn''t hurt anymore, right?" a girl wearing a rosary asked.


    "Yeah, thank you very much," Leo replied with a smile.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Eleonora was nervous.


    She knew this day would come, but she didn''t expect it to be like this.


    Not this way.


    Why were there so many humans!?


    And although there were a few unpleasant demi-humans, Eleonora was excited to finally encounter someone who could get her out of this place.


    What should she do?


    Nervously, she had asked several to come at once, but upon calm reflection, it wasn''t such a good idea.


    Eleonora hesitated on what to do but didn''t want to miss this chance.


    What if, just as everyone appeared out of nowhere, they suddenly disappeared?


    To make her telepathy more effective, Eleonora attempted to contact just one of them for a more efficient interaction.


    [Can you hear me?] Eleonora asked, feigning calmness.


    [Is it that voice again!?] thought the frightened person, and now Eleonora could hear those thoughts.


    [Listen to me carefully, you need to come where I am. I''ll help you, okay?] Eleonora explained, trying to sound as clear as possible.


    [Who are you!? Why are you talking to me?] the girl shouted, frightened.


    Several seconds passed as Eleonora thought of a response, and when she tried to reply, the connection had been cut off.


    What had happened?


    Eleonora attempted to connect with another human and again received a similar reaction.


    As she received more rejections, Eleonora grew increasingly nervous.


    What was happening?


    Why could she mentally connect with fewer people each time?


    Each time, she detected fewer humans, and this panicked her.


    [Please listen to me!] Eleonora pleaded upon making another connection.


    Silence.


    [So, this is the voice in my head my classmates talked about¡­ What are you?] the human asked curiously.


    [I''m Eleonora! Please, don''t disconnect, I need you,] Eleonora pleaded, unable to maintain her calmness.


    It was impossible to devise a plan now.


    She had to act and seize this opportunity slipping through her fingers!


    [I think I asked wrong; I didn''t ask for your name. I already know that because it''s what others have said. I''m curious to know what you are. How are you capable of doing something like this?] the human asked with a certain indifference.


    Eleonora didn''t quite understand what they meant, but she responded as quickly as she could.


    [I''m a sword... An ego-sword. This is one of my abilities, and well... I need a candidate,] Eleonora explained while struggling to communicate.


    [Candidate?] the human asked with curiosity.


    [Yes. Without one, I can''t use many of my abilities, and... I could be of great help to you! Even if it doesn''t seem like it now, I can do many things...] Eleonora said, the last part with a hint of resentment.


    [I see... so, you''re trapped somewhere since you don''t have a candidate. Are you reaching out to us to save you?] the human asked, and Eleonora didn''t hesitate to respond:


    [Exactly!]


    [I see... so, that''s your situation.]


    For a few seconds, Eleonora hesitated to ask that question that had caused several of these humans to reject her, but she had to ask.


    [Will you... come?]

 Chapter 8 – Shall We?

    It was the first time in a long while that Eleonora felt so nervous and anxious. Even without being in her physical body, her whole being trembled.


    Why was she so nervous?


    No, I can''t let these nerves overpower me. Focus!


    Eleonora checked the connection with that human again and again, unlike the other attempts, it remained intact.


    Why isn''t he thinking anything...?


    Eleonora thought, noting the silence in the mind of that human.


    [I see... so you can''t read my thoughts if I say things aloud.]


    So, that''s what you''ve done!


    Eleonora was surprised.


    [What is your name?]


    [My name is Eleonora]


    [Eleonora... well, how long can you wait?]


    How long could she wait?


    That question briefly made Eleonora laugh.


    How long had she waited for this moment to arrive? It had been so long that quantifying it would be total madness, but none of that mattered now.


    Now, Eleonora only had one priority: to escape from this place!


    [What''s so funny?] asked the confused human upon hearing Eleonora''s laughter in his head.


    [It doesn''t matter. Just come, and I''ll tell you if you''re getting closer to me or not]


    [Eleonora, I understand that you need help, but I need to know how long you can hold on to devise a plan. I''m currently in a difficult situation.]


    [I understand...]


    [How long do you think you can hold out? Do you know exactly where you are?]


    [The last thing I remember is that a lot of snow started accumulating on top of me, so I can''t see exactly what''s happening above me. However, I can feel several creatures around me]


    [I understand. And about the time...]


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    [I can wait for you as long as you need, just don''t stray too far]


    [Sure?]


    [Yes]


    [Oh, darn it. Doesn''t he understand that I''m busy?], suddenly thought the communicating human, catching Eleonora off guard.


    Throughout most of their conversation, everything had been calm, but in this last thought, Eleonora sensed some annoyance.


    Had she done something wrong?


    [Sorry. A friend kept pestering me for saying things out loud; that wasn''t meant for you]


    Eleonora felt relief upon hearing that thought.


    [Then... I''ll come for you when I solve certain problems here]


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    "Are you crazy?! Can''t you see we''re trapped here, and you want to go help someone you don''t even know?" Alexia protested, crossing her arms, trying to dissuade Isuke.


    Alexia couldn''t understand how Isuke could come up with such an idea, and she was showing her refusal to assist him.


    "Go alone. This place is too dangerous to play heroes."


    While Alexia expressed her disagreement, Leo tried to reason.


    "I understand you want to help, but we don''t know if it''s a trap or not. Everyone ignored that voice for that reason. The risk is too high. Besides, we''re trying to figure out how to get out of here."


    Isuke sighed at his companions'' denial.


    What could he do now?


    Although he was a mage, going alone would be an extremely risky adventure without his companions.


    "If only another mage would accompany me... or perhaps a priest would be useful."


    Alexia was about to reprimand Isuke for insisting on his idea when suddenly, they heard several screams.


    Turning around, they saw a girl stumbling, but everyone focused on the artifact on the ground.


    It was the same artifact that had transported them!


    Soon, they all realized that the girl had been responsible for the accident.


    The professor clicked his tongue, finally relieved from the commotion of the students around him.


    "Stupid! How could you drop something so important?" shouted one of the students at the girl who had stumbled.


    "Quick! Someone check if the artifact is alright. We''ve already taken care of the enemies, but if we get stuck here... I don''t even want to think about that," exclaimed another student, urged by the situation.


    Several students hurried to check the condition of the artifact to hand it over to the professor, while the girl who had stumbled got up on her own and tried to slide away from everyone. At that moment, her only hope was to disappear.


    "I want to die..." the girl whispered in a sad tone.


    Suddenly, someone''s voice resonated right behind her.


    "Hey."


    "Yes! I get it, I''m sorry... I''m a mess, right?" the girl hurriedly replied, expecting criticism.


    "I''m not interested in that. Could you support me while I go to rescue someone?" asked Isuke.


    "Huh?" the girl hesitated, confused.


    "Could you support me while I go to rescue someone?"


    "What? Didn''t you see what I did a few seconds ago? I dropped that stupid artifact and..."


    "It doesn''t matter."


    What do you mean it doesn''t matter, idiot, can''t you see I''m useless!


    That''s what the girl wanted to shout, but she didn''t want to degrade herself to that level.


    "Who exactly do you want to help? I''m only good at healing, so..."


    "Isuke! Are you really going?" interrupted Alexia angrily as she approached them. Leo, following her, seemed to support her stance.


    "If you don''t want to help, I won''t force you. I just... have to do it," Isuke explained, trying to keep calm and not delve further into his reasons.


    While Alexia displayed her anger, the girl whom Isuke had addressed looked confused around her.


    What was happening?


    Why did it seem like she was about to get into an even bigger problem?


    First, she had agreed to carry the artifact, and now it seemed like she was being involved in something worse!

 New cover

    No, this is not a chapter, but it could contain information you might be interested in!


    Happy New Year. This novel is almost three years old, and as usual, I''ve changed its cover!


    The reason is that I wanted to better represent the current state of the novel, and... I loved this new image!


    Eleonora''s design/outfit remains the same, but I prefer this new cover.


    I''m attaching all the covers I''ve made for this novel!


    First cover:


    Second cover:


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Third cover:


    Fourth cover:


    And finally... The current cover!


    Before using all these covers, this was the reference image that inspired me to create this story:


    I don''t know if you''ll like it, but I do! Anyway, one of my goals this year, especially because my other novels have already reached and are about to surpass this one...


    I''ve committed this year not to miss a single Friday in updating this novel!


    Even if I have to publish a 100-word chapter! (I hope it doesn''t come to that extreme)


    Now! A question...


    Does it bother you that the word "sword" isn''t mentioned on the cover? I mean, do you find the cover confusing since the word "sword" isn''t mentioned and instead, literally, only a sword appears?


    Also, if I were to put the word "sword" on the sword, the title would be: "I Have the Sacred Sword Sword." I know in English the verb comes before the noun, but I think it looks great this way!


    I had a discussion with some friends about this recently, and I''d like to know your opinions on this.


    This year, this novel will conclude, so I''ll see you in the update coming out in a few hours!

 Chapter 9 – So close...

    Only 18 minutes had passed, yet for the first time in years, time felt eternal to Eleonora.


    When will they come?


    That was the question that kept repeating in her mind as she cursed herself for telling them to take their time earlier.


    She couldn''t hold on any longer!


    Impatient yet nervous, she took the initiative to communicate.


    [Can you hear me?]


    [Yes], came the immediate response, which relieved her.


    [How''s it going?] Eleonora asked, unable to contain her curiosity.


    Would it take 1 hour to arrive? Or perhaps 2?


    Eleonora knew that the human she had contacted hadn''t moved much from their spot, thanks to her ability to perceive others'' locations without needing to see them.


    Several minutes passed until the human responded:


    [I''m sorry, I don''t think I can come to help you]


    [Why?] Eleonora quickly asked.


    What had happened?


    Why had they suddenly changed their mind?


    Several seconds passed, and due to her impatience, she asked again:


    [Why? Why can''t you come?] Eleonora asked with some aggressiveness.


    [I don''t know where you are¡­ and I can''t explore this place alone, as it''s dangerous]


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    [But you said you would come!] Eleonora responded, upset.


    [I''m sorry]


    [Are there no other humans with you?]


    There were few humans Eleonora could sense because there seemed to be some kind of barrier blocking her perception ability. The humans appeared and disappeared repeatedly.


    [Yes, but no one wants to help me], responded the human despondently.


    Eleonora didn''t expect this situation.


    Why did she believe them?


    What if she tried to contact another human?


    It was a risky idea, as several humans had rejected her, and this would show her distrust toward that human, but... What else could she do?


    Eleonora tried to find a solution to this problem, but all the emotions she had ignored for so long were erupting.


    Desperation and fear were growing.


    What if she stayed forever in this place?


    If those humans left...


    [Hey...], Eleonora asked, trying to hide her emotions. She didn''t want to seem desperate.


    [What''s up?], the human asked in a calm tone, but that tone began to bother Eleonora.


    Wasn''t this important to him?


    Eleonora began to feel great hatred toward that human, but remembering it was her only option, she asked as calmly as she could:


    [Why haven''t you severed the connection with me like the others?]


    If I can find out why he hasn''t severed his connection with me, maybe...


    [I don''t know] the human replied, interrupting Eleonora''s train of thought.


    Eleonora couldn''t help but laugh at that response.


    He doesn''t know?


    Simply... He doesn''t know?


    Shocked by the response, Eleonora wasn''t aware that her laughter was being heard in the human''s mind.


    [Seriously¡­ this has to be a joke...]


    [A joke?], the confused human asked, and that''s when Eleonora realized her ability had been active the whole time.


    How much had they heard!?


    Eleonora was frightened because she didn''t want to let one of her ways out slip away because of her emotions.


    Eleonora had to calm down.


    [I''m sorry], Eleonora said, trying to sound sincere so the human would forgive her.


    [What are you apologizing for? I''m the one who should apologize. I said I would help you, and I can''t do anything], the human explained.


    [No, no, it''s me who should apologize for losing my temper]


    The human remained silent for a few seconds, then said in a somewhat cheerful tone:


    [So, are we apologizing to each other?]


    [What?], Eleonora responded, confused.


    [Since we both want to apologize to take the blame, how about we forgive each other?]


    The human''s idea only confused Eleonora even more.


    Was the reason the human was still in contact because they were an idiot?


    [You''re weird], Eleonora said, surprised by their idea.


    [Thanks, I''m told that often], the contented human replied.


    How could they be grateful for that?!


    [Eleonora...]


    [Yes?]


    [Could you tell me more about yourself?]

 Chapter 10 – Name.

    [What did you say?], asked Eleonora, confused.


    [Tell me more about yourself], the human repeated.


    Why?


    Why did he want to know more about her? That wasn''t going to fix anything!


    [What for?], Eleonora asked, feeling a pain starting in her chest.


    [Why not?], replied the human.


    This question ignited a flame inside Eleonora; she wanted to strangle him with her hands to see if he would stop talking nonsense.


    Only after taking several deep breaths did Eleonora manage to calm down.


    She had to keep control.


    She had waited too long to ruin everything now because of her anger.


    [What do you want to know¡­?], Eleonora asked, trying not to sound upset, but she was still annoyed.


    [What can I ask?], the human asked curiously.


    How did he not know what to ask?


    Was it possible that, in addition to being weird, he was also stupid?


    [Ask anything], Eleonora replied quickly, albeit reluctantly.


    She was irritated.


    Eleonora didn''t understand why she felt increasingly irritable, but it didn''t matter.


    The important thing at that moment was to convince him.


    Whatever the cost, she had to persuade this human to come closer to make the contract, otherwise...


    Eleonora didn''t even want to think about what would happen if she failed. She just knew she couldn''t let this opportunity slip away.


    Seconds passed and Eleonora could feel her nerves growing.


    When was he going to ask his question...?


    Couldn''t he ask it any faster?


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    [How did you end up like this?], the human asked.


    Eleonora, who had thought she could immediately answer any question the human asked, was unable to respond, as her mind went blank.


    How did she end up like this? How is it that she was now so... alone and with all these unnecessary emotions?


    She wasn''t like this before, so... how?


    How...?


    Eleonora began to ask herself this question over and over to find the answer.


    She had spent so much time training in that space that she had completely forgotten, but after several seconds, she began to remember.


    She slowly recalled the face of the last candidate she had had, and her anger increased gradually.


    If only she could go back to the past...!


    Eleonora remembered how that wolf had snatched her candidate''s life away simply because she wasn''t controlling her body.


    She was sure she could have easily finished him or directly burned him to ashes without even giving him a chance to get close.


    But no!


    She couldn''t do anything.


    If only she hadn''t agreed to the candidate''s absurd request...


    [I made a mistake], Eleonora admitted with aggression and firmness.


    She was very upset.


    So much time, far too much, and all for... that mistake.


    She couldn''t make another mistake like that.


    [Did you make a mistake?], asked the human, confused, further angering Eleonora.


    Eleonora tried to calm down to continue responding, but the next question made her explode:


    [Are you okay?]


    [Do I look like I am? I''m trapped and can''t do absolutely anything without a...!], Eleonora yelled, annoyed, but she stopped herself when she realized what she was doing.


    What have I done?


    She had done it again!


    Eleonora cursed herself, and at this point, she didn''t know what to do.


    She had never felt as nervous as she did at that moment.


    This time she really had ruined everything.


    She had yelled at the only human who had maintained contact with her, if he cut off communication...


    While Eleonora tried to find a solution, the human spoke:


    [Sorry, it seems I asked a question I shouldn''t have]


    His tone...


    What was his tone when he said it?


    Was he upset?


    Indignant?


    Tired?


    Compared to the tone he used before, what was it like now?


    Eleonora realized that, in her eagerness to persuade the human to search for her, she had hardly paid attention to the way he spoke to her, and now she felt like she was walking on a tightrope.


    Calm down...


    Breathe...


    Eleonora took her time to respond this time, as she started doing one of the breathing techniques Eirlys had taught her.


    For a moment, everything disappeared, but the sensations were still there for Eleonora.


    She could feel the cold surrounding her and the humans that were kilometers away from her. Sometimes some would disappear and others would appear.


    She could still feel her connection with that human...


    She could hear the noise that filtered in from the outside...


    Could these humans be a new tribe...?


    Eleonora continued breathing and tried not to dwell on that thought.


    What if the human... leaves?


    It was a concern that crossed Eleonora''s mind, but like her breathing, she accepted it and let it go.


    Meditating... How long had it been since she had done a meditation like this?


    Despite this new question, Eleonora continued to focus on her breathing until she finally felt calm.


    [Are you still there?], Eleonora asked slowly.


    She was afraid, but she wouldn''t let that emotion get in her way anymore.


    [Yes, what happened? Did something happen to you?], the human asked in an excited tone, seemingly surprised.


    [Can you tell me your name?], Eleonora asked in a relaxed tone.

 Chapter 11 – Isuke

    [Isuke], the human responded.


    Isuke.


    Eleonora repeated instantly in her mind.


    Isuke...


    Such a short name...


    But she had to remember it.


    Isuke, I-su-ke, Isu-ke, Isuke...


    Eleonora repeated the human''s name in her mind over and over again so as not to forget it.


    [Isuke, could you tell me more about how you got here?]


    If Eleonora could figure out the reason, she could come up with a good plan to deal with the situation.


    Several seconds passed until Isuke replied:


    [It was a class accident. I think a classmate misused the teleportation device, and we ended up here]


    Teleportation device?


    What was that?


    That''s what Eleonora wondered.


    It was the first time she had heard of such a thing.


    [What do you mean by teleportation device?]


    [It''s complicated to explain, but... it''s a device that allows you to travel long distances. Unfortunately, it malfunctioned, and several of us ended up here, but they''re already figuring out how to get it working again], Isuke explained.


    [A device that allows multiple people to travel long distances? Does such a thing really exist? If that''s true... I don''t have much time left. I have much less time than I initially thought, Eleonora]


    Breathe...


    Focusing on her breath to keep calm, and with some fear, Eleonora asked:


    [How long does it usually take to fix that problem?]


    [I don''t know], Isuke immediately responded.


    You never know anything!


    How can you not know something so important?


    Eleonora started laughing once she made sure the human couldn''t hear her.


    The situation was horrible.


    It was much worse than she had imagined!


    Thinking she would have to wait indefinitely for someone again...


    It was terrifying.


    And to think she was about to waste her time discussing stupid things!


    Should she try to contact another human?


    That was what Eleonora thought, but she dismissed the idea because, although Isuke was an idiot, he had given her useful information.


    If only he weren''t so foolish!


    Throughout the centuries, Eleonora had had all kinds of candidates.


    From those pretending to be heroes to those who simply used her to acquire a good status.


    That''s why she could detect the mentality of her candidates fairly quickly to help them, but this last human...


    Should she feel lucky?


    Now that Eleonora''s mind was a bit calmer, she began to understand why some humans cut off their connection with her because of Isuke''s response.


    Fear of the unknown.


    All those humans had been dragged to an unknown place, and if an unknown voice asked them to come rescue her...


    Yes, it was very likely they would consider it a trap, besides...


    What could she offer in return?


    Just offering them a power they would only see by making a contract with her wasn''t enough. Besides, considering that such devices existed...


    It was difficult.


    The situation was very complicated.


    [Isuke, could you find out how long it will take to fix that problem?] Eleonora asked with some doubt.


    She was afraid.


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


    [Sure, but if I do that, I think the connection will be cut], Isuke replied.


    [Why?] Eleonora asked immediately.


    Had she done something wrong?


    [If I''m not mistaken... the humans you lost contact with are in an area near the professor. If I go there, it''s very likely I won''t be able to talk to you for a while], Isuke explained, calming Eleonora''s worry a little.


    Certainly, Isuke was somewhat right. If she lost contact with him, it would be quite tedious to establish the connection again due to the large number of humans there.


    Moreover, how should she confirm it was him and not another human?


    An idea crossed Eleonora''s mind.


    [Don''t you have a friend you can ask for help? You know...]


    [Oh, you''re right. That''s a good idea]


    The more Eleonora talked to Isuke, the more she realized how idiotic he was.


    [Please, do it,] Eleonora said as she sighed.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    ¡°Oh! Are you over your anger already?¡± Alexia said, seeing Isuke calling her with a hand gesture.


    Getting up from the ground and leaving Leo behind, Alexia walked over to where Isuke was sitting.


    ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Isuke asked directly.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Alexia asked, confused.


    ¡°Find out how much time is left for the device to be fixed,¡± Isuke explained, but Alexia stared at him.


    ¡°Why don''t you go yourself? It''s not that far,¡± she said, pointing to where the professor was with the other students.


    ¡°I can''t,¡± Isuke replied.


    Alexia looked up at Isuke before asking:


    ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Isuke responded instantly.


    The truth was he lied so that she would go.


    Letting out a sigh upon hearing it, Alexia approached Isuke to try to lift him, but he resisted.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Staying here.¡±


    ¡°Why? Can''t you see it''s dangerous? Leo and I were keeping an eye on you, but everyone is almost with the professor now. Isn''t it logical to be with them?¡± Alexia tried to drag Isuke, but surprisingly he had the strength to resist.


    Upon closer inspection, Alexia noticed that Isuke was leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree.


    ¡°Alexia, just go. I have to stay here for now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, for now? Leo! Help me move this idiot to...¡± Alexia stopped her speech when she noticed that Leo had gone to where the professor was.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    [It seems it will take around 7 days. The device needs to charge, and due to the mana in the environment, that will be the time it takes], Isuke explained hastily.


    7 days.


    Hearing that time frame calmed Eleonora a bit, but it also created some uncertainty.


    Even though she didn''t know about that technology, if it was something that absorbed mana from the environment to function, it was highly likely that if they changed their location, the device could charge faster.


    This was problematic.


    If they moved further out of her range, she wouldn''t be able to contact them, but if they got closer...


    Wait. While trying to find a solution, Eleonora noticed something she had easily ignored for a long time: that sensation of leakage.


    For centuries, she had felt her energy seeping through the cracks of her physical body, like a sword, but due to her ability to store and generate energy, she could easily ignore that feeling. It wasn''t as unpleasant as being surrounded by snow, but...


    What if she tried to transform that energy into mana?


    That question left Eleonora frozen, unsure of what to do.


    Should she try?


    [And Eleonora... how does your power work?]


    Why did he have to ask that now?


    [What? What do you want to know?] Eleonora responded, trying to stay calm. She was nervous, but she didn''t know why.


    [Your ability to communicate directly with people''s minds is a curious skill. What else can you do?]


    What else could she do...?


    If Isuke had asked Eleonora this question earlier, she would have answered without hesitation and with some pride, but now that she had heard about that teleportation device...


    How outdated were her abilities?


    [Eleonora?] Isuke asked when he didn''t hear any response from Eleonora for several minutes.


    [Yes. I''m here. I heard you,] Eleonora responded.


    She couldn''t hesitate.


    Not now.


    [I... am a sword. If you make a contract with me, you''ll be able to use elements like earth, air, water, fire, lightning, and your body... will become resistant and won''t age! You''ll be able to regenerate limbs, as long as they don''t cut off your head, of course], Eleonora explained with some enthusiasm, but she couldn''t stop doubting.


    Had she forgotten to mention any elements?


    Was she saying it right?


    Even though they communicated telepathically, it was still possible to stumble or...


    [Incredible]


    Hearing those words excited Eleonora.


    Was it incredible?


    Did she hear correctly?


    How long had it been since she heard those words?


    [Is it incredible?]


    [Of course! I''ve never heard of a sword like that]


    [Well, I have more!] Excited, Eleonora continued:


    [In my human form, I can help you train. I promise you, if you make a contract with me, you won''t regret it. I''ll do my best to fulfill any of your dreams]


    Despite considering Isuke an idiot, if he helped her, she would repay the favor a thousand times!


    [You''re the first sword I''ve heard of that does all that. Aren''t you some kind of lost treasure or hero''s weapon?] Isuke asked, showing some excitement.


    Did this human like heroes?


    Well, if that was the case...


    Coughing briefly, to make sure she heard correctly, Eleonora explained:


    [For a long time, I''ve been used to fight against beasts, demons, dragons...]


    What came next?


    She had forgotten her speech halfway through!


    [Really?] Isuke asked, surprised.


    [Yes! Some have called me the sword of God or of the heavens, and at some point, they considered me a sacred sword...]


    The more Eleonora spoke, the more her doubts returned, because she couldn''t remember most of the nicknames she had been given over the centuries.


    Also, she didn''t want to mention any nickname that wasn''t compatible with this candidate, such as: sword of death, devil''s sword, cursed sword, sword of vengeance...


    If she let slip any of those names, she was screwed!


    [Wait, but as far as I know, sacred swords don''t do that,] Isuke said, interrupting Eleonora.


    Shit!


    What kind of powers did the sacred swords of these times have?


    [Sorry, it''s just that, as you can understand, I was created a long time ago, so I may be different from other types of sacred swords you know...] Eleonora explained nervously.


    [Fair point...] Isuke responded.


    Yes!


    Eleonora was pleased to have managed to sound convincing.


    She hadn''t lost her touch!


    [Isuke,] Eleonora said with some joy.


    [What happened?]


    [Could you tell me about what the sacred swords of this era do?] Eleonora asked, maintaining a certain excitement in her tone, but the truth was that she wanted to know the abilities of her competition.


    [Well, usually, only those who have pure sacred energy in their bodies can wield sacred swords. If they have any impurity, like mana or aura in their body, they won''t be able to use the sword.]


    How demanding! Eleonora thought immediately, since in her time, ego swords offered abilities to their candidates without limitations, and of course, Eleonora''s lineage was the best at that.


    [I see...]


    [So... What limitations would there be in making a contract with you?]


    None!


    That''s what Eleonora wanted to answer, but she didn''t want to make the same mistake twice.


    Thinking for a moment about what to say, Eleonora replied:


    [Once the contract is made, you won''t be able to break it until you die, but if you plan to die, you must do it in a place with many people!] Eleonora explained with some anger, but she felt satisfied after saying all that.

 Chapter 12 – Can I…?

    ¡°Strange...¡± Isuke whispered quietly.


    It was the first time he had heard of such a condition from an ego sword, despite having read several books on the subject.


    ¡°Leo!¡± Isuke said, raising his voice.


    Leo, who was with Alexia setting up the tent with the materials the professor had given them, turned when he heard his name.


    What had happened?


    Had Isuke finally finished his strange meditation, or did he need help with something?


    From Leo''s perspective, mages were sometimes very strange.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    Leo turned to look at Alexia for a few seconds, and after sighing, she nodded.


    Alexia hoped Isuke''s madness would soon pass.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Leo asked as he approached Isuke.


    ¡°How much do you know about... conditions when making a contract with an ego sword?¡±


    This question puzzled Leo for a few seconds, but as it was his favorite topic, he didn''t hesitate to respond with some excitement:


    ¡°It depends on the type of ego sword you want to wield.¡±


    Alexia, who heard Leo''s loud response, knew that their conversation wouldn''t end soon.


    Did she really have to set up the entire tent alone?


    ¡°How about... a sacred sword?¡± Isuke asked.


    Reflecting for a few seconds, Leo sat on the ground to be face to face with Isuke before responding quietly:


    ¡°Those swords are a nuisance. They are usually used by priests who have purified their bodies of mana and aura, in addition to those rituals... I don''t recommend it.¡±


    ¡°And if there was a sacred sword that didn''t have that restriction?¡±


    ¡°Then it wouldn''t be a sacred sword... or at least not a normal one.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    As Leo began to explain in detail to Isuke, Alexia, feeling a slight noise behind her, turned around and her gaze met that of a girl.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the girl said shyly.


    The depressed girl! Alexia remembered before greeting her with a wave.


    ¡°Hello, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°The professor told me I could come here, since his tent can accommodate four people... can I help?¡± the girl asked, pointing to where the materials for setting up the tent were scattered.


    What luck! Alexia thought before approaching to take the girl''s hands.


    ¡°Of course, it will be a pleasure to have your help.¡±


    Confused by Alexia''s overly cheerful reaction, before she knew it, both of them had started setting up the tent at a fairly rapid pace.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Isuke and Leo...


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


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    ¡°Well... some have the condition that you must be some sort of chosen one, while others require some kind of sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°But isn''t that what dark or cursed swords do?¡± Isuke asked, confused.


    ¡°Yes, that''s what they normally do, but there are also records of high-grade sacred swords that demand that. Of course, if we were to specify what kind of sacrifice, one would be more spiritual or mental, while the others are more... physical.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°For some sacred swords, it was mandatory for their user to be pure both in body and mind. Others were forbidden to have thoughts like greed, while some had to adhere to very strict diets, without eating anything excessive.¡±


    [Is that really the only condition to use it?] Isuke wondered, remembering the condition Eleonora had told him about earlier.


    [Huh? If you''re referring to what I said before, yes] Eleonora responded, confused by Isuke''s question.


    Realizing he had thought in his mind instead of speaking his thoughts aloud, Isuke decided to be direct with his friend, but before he could say another word, Leo asked:


    ¡°Leo, are you practicing a spell?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡± Isuke responded, puzzled.


    ¡°That''s weird, your eyes... they seem to be turning red.¡±


    [Is that how Eleonora''s power appears externally?]


    If Eleonora''s power was capable of doing something like that...


    [Huh...? What power?] Eleonora asked, confused.


    Before Isuke could explain himself, Leo asked with a serious face:


    ¡°Is this related to what you were asking me about earlier?¡±


    He had caught him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Isuke replied, letting out a small smile.


    Leo was truly smart when it came to swords, but for everything else... he was just an idiot who liked to fight.


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Leo asked, looking around.


    ¡°It''s far. The sword communicates directly with my mind,¡± Isuke explained, pointing to his head.


    ¡°Is that why you haven''t moved from there?¡±


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Suddenly, Leo began to remember what several of his classmates had said several minutes ago.


    A voice that, just by hearing it, sent shivers down their spines.


    Some of his classmates even had strong headaches or trembling hands.


    That''s why the professor, along with other mages, had created a barrier to prevent the mental attack of that being, but...


    Was Isuke really talking to that mysterious voice?


    Or maybe it was something else?


    Leo, with some concern, asked Isuke:


    ¡°Isuke, how does your body feel?¡±


    If Isuke were under the mental control of that being, he wouldn''t have confessed so easily that he was talking to it, but...


    What if he was in the process of being possessed?


    ¡°I''m fine.¡±


    ¡°Hey, could you at least help us carry this?¡± Alexia shouted annoyed as she pointed to a wooden crate.


    At that moment, both boys turned around and noticed the girl who was next to Alexia.


    [It''s her], Isuke said in his mind when he saw the girl who had rejected him before.


    [Her?], Eleonora asked, even more confused.


    What does Isuke mean by ''that''s how his power looks externally'' and with ''her''...?


    Her questions made no sense!


    While Eleonora tried to make sense of everything Isuke had said to her, the girl next to Alexia greeted the boys with some embarrassment.


    ¡°Hello...¡±


    I can''t be this unlucky!


    The girl screamed in her mind while smiling.


    She had forgotten that the demi-human was part of the group she had rejected before.


    ¡°Hello,¡± both boys responded instantly.


    The situation was awkward.


    ¡°Isuke, ask the ego sword how far you can move away,¡± Leo whispered in Isuke''s ear as he stood up.


    While Isuke''s problem was serious, he had to help Alexia before she got even more upset.


    [Eleonora, how far can I move without losing contact with you?]


    Finally, a logical question!


    [Well, as long as you don''t go too far west, I think I won''t lose contact with you.]


    ¡°Leo, where is the west?¡± Isuke asked as he stood up.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Leo shouted, grabbing Isuke, as he almost fell sideways.


    [Huh?], Isuke thought, feeling his body heavy and tired.


    For some reason, it was now difficult for him to walk.


    [I said... as long as you don''t go west...]


    [I know, Eleonora. I heard you.]


    Then why do you say ''huh''!?


    That''s what Eleonora wanted to ask, but she stayed silent.


    ¡°Is it a side effect of the sword?¡± Leo asked as he still held him.


    ¡°I guess...¡± Isuke replied.


    The west was right where the professor was with the other students. Therefore, Isuke and his group, who were somewhat far away, would make it so Isuke wouldn''t have any problems maintaining his connection with Eleonora.


    ¡°We''re finally done!¡± Alexia shouted happily as she looked inside the tent.


    It was certainly large enough for four people to sleep there.


    ¡°Can I really stay...?¡± the girl whispered to Alexia.


    Part of her still felt guilty for rejecting her friend, but to her surprise...


    ¡°Of course! You''ve helped me more than those useless ones, besides...¡± Alexia looked back and they had started talking again.


    What were they talking about?


    ¡°It will be more comfortable for me to have you here,¡± Alexia commented as she looked back at her.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± the girl said as she bowed.


    ¡°By the way, what''s your name?¡±


    ¡°Camila,¡± she said with some shyness.


    ¡°Don''t be shy, leave your things there and let''s chat. It seems like they... will take a while,¡± Alexia said as she gave one last glance at her friends.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Leo and Isuke...


    ¡°Did you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good, then ask her.¡±


    [Eleonora...]


    [Yes?]


    [Can you use invocations?]

 Chapter 13 – Will

    Invocations?


    What did Isuke mean by that?


    [Could you explain better...? I think I can do it, but I need more explanation], said Eleonora somewhat nervously, but the truth...


    She had no idea what an invocation was!


    [An invocation... is like when someone, with a bit of magic and a lot of willpower, calls something from the depths of nothingness. So... it''s like if that someone taps you on the shoulder and says, ''Hey, I''m here to give you a hand,'' do you understand?]


    That makes no sense! If something like that existed, I would have used it a long time ago! Eleonora thought, but then she realized something.


    She had never tried something like that before because...


    She didn''t know it.


    Just like she didn''t know that device that teleported those humans...


    It was impossible for her to know about that invocation magic.


    What if I try it...?


    [Eleonora?]


    [Yes?], Eleonora replied reflexively.


    [Can you do it?], Isuke asked.


    Can I do it...?


    Eleonora could still remember the feeling of creating fire with her hands thanks to her energy. The same with water and wind, but...


    Can I really create a being out of nothing... with my will?


    Should I tell the truth?


    Or should I continue with the lie...?


    [Do all the sacred swords do that...?], Eleonora asked, her voice tinged with doubt, but she tried not to falter.


    [Yes, can you do it?]


    I don''t know! Why have you become so insistent on this topic!?


    Eleonora''s breathing began to accelerate with nerves.


    She had to make a quick decision.


    [Yes, I can do it], Eleonora replied, but then she regretted it.


    Why did I say that!? I should have thought about it a little more, but... why do I feel like his attitude is different? Is he upset?


    Eleonora knew she had messed up, all because she couldn''t keep her calm.


    Focusing for a moment on her breathing, Eleonora wondered:


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    Willpower... I just had to have willpower, right?


    Inhale...


    Exhale...


    Isuke''s explanation was strange, but for some reason, it reminded her a bit of an explanation from one of her sisters, with whom she was able to enter that strange world where she practiced her skills.


    ''Yes! If you concentrate your energy while closing your eyes, instead of doing our typical and boring meditation, you have to focus, feel how that energy transforms into... something you like. Do you understand, sister? You have to try!''


    Just by remembering those words, she couldn''t help but let out a small laugh.


    Did I really just have to put my will into it?


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    "Yes... she can do it," Isuke said as he looked at Leo.


    She can do it!? Leo shouted in surprise in his mind.


    This had to be a lie.


    The few ego-swords capable of such a thing were extremely rare, reaching the level of legend, so they had guardians who guarded them because of how dangerous they could be in the wrong hands.


    Did this ego-sword really just get lost?


    He couldn''t believe it, but, on the other hand, Leo thought:


    What kind of invocation would come to find them to guide them?


    A fairy?


    A little phoenix bird?


    Or maybe it would be an earth invocation like a golem?


    An angel might even come!


    "Isuke... you''re a lucky bastard," Leo said with a smile.


    He never thought that because of a class accident he would encounter an ego-sword of that level.


    Even if he dedicated his whole life to being a knight and serving royalty, getting to know an ego-sword like that...


    He was excited.


    "Why?" asked Isuke, confused.


    "What do you mean ''why''!? Aren''t you aware of everything one could do with an ego-sword like that? You''ll easily get job offers in any country or continent you go to," Leo explained excitedly.


    It was a unique opportunity.


    "Just in case... are you really not interested in having her?" Leo asked quietly.


    "I promised her I would help, but you know I prefer magic more. I think she would be a perfect sword for you," Isuke explained calmly, to which his friend, embracing him again, said:


    "Isuke... thank you!"


    After that, they both went to the tent to explain the situation to the girls.


    ¡°No!¡± Alexia said as she shook her head.


    ¡°Why?¡± Leo asked, exasperated.


    ¡°I already said, it''s too dangerous,¡± explained Alexia, crossing her arms.


    They were all sitting in the tent, and they had closed the entrance to prevent other people from coming in.


    Leo couldn''t understand how Alexia, who was very fond of adventure, would refuse to seek out such a sword.


    ¡°I know we''ll be here for about a week, but exploring it can be very dangerous. We''re not in explored territory, and we don''t have people who can assist us if something serious happens to any of us,¡± argued Alexia.


    Alexia... I understand you, but this is about a weapon that could change my life!


    Leo shouted in his mind while he thought he maintained his composure on the outside, but everyone could see that he was getting agitated by how he swayed from side to side.


    What should he do?


    Leo hadn''t told Alexia everything about the sword because of the girl next to her.


    ¡°What''s your name?¡± Leo asked, looking at the girl.


    ¡°I''m Camila, nice to meet you...¡± the girl replied timidly, trying to stay behind Alexia without stepping on her tail.


    ¡°Really... Isuke, what did you tell her to make Leo react like this over a sword? Don''t you realize it could be a trap from this... What was her name?¡± Alexia asked, trying to remember the name she had heard before.


    ¡°Eleonora,¡± Leo quickly responded.


    The mention of Eleonora''s name made Alexia pause for a moment, trying to remember where she had heard that name before.


    Alexia was starting to suspect Leo''s behavior. While in Camila''s eyes, who barely knew him, Leo seemed restless, it was obvious to Alexia that he was hiding information.


    Shaking her body before standing up, Alexia said:


    ¡°Please... tidy up the inside of the tent and make sure everything is secure outside so we don''t have any problems sleeping tonight... Leo and I will go to where the professor is.¡±


    Both Isuke and Camila nodded, but avoided looking at each other.


    No! Why with him!? Couldn''t you leave me with Leo!? What bad luck... Camila thought as she began to organize her things.


    Isuke, on the other hand, started tidying up the inside of the tent while Leo and Alexia left.


    Once they were far enough away, Alexia asked:


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the rest now?¡±

 Chapter 14 – Alexia

    ¡°Thank you for your help, Madam President.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam President!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Madam President.¡±


    ¡°Oh, now I get it. Thank you so much, Madam President!¡±


    Withdrawing from the injured area while smiling, the president headed to where her group was setting up the tent.


    ¡°They should have finished by now¡­ today was an exhausting day¡­ I still can¡¯t believe that many don¡¯t know how to bandage a wound while it heals¡­,¡± the president whispered softly as she walked.


    Suddenly, she heard footsteps of someone running towards her.


    ¡°Madam President!¡± shouted the girl as she stopped.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Camila went to Alexia¡¯s group. From what I saw, she¡¯s inside that tent and¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She''s no longer a child,¡± the president replied sharply, cutting off the girl.


    Did I make a mistake¡­? I thought the president was worried about her. I hope she doesn¡¯t punish me too harshly¡­


    The girl thought as she bowed her head.


    ¡°Come into our tent and have something to eat so you have strength for the night. There are still many things to be done,¡± the president explained.


    Nodding her head, the girl said goodbye.


    ¡°Seriously¡­ what are you thinking¡­?¡± the president murmured under her breath as she let out a sigh.


    Of all the students who had been dragged into this disaster, she had to go to her group!


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    Alexia.


    Without a doubt, Alexia was a brave girl with good combat results, but¡­


    She was strange.


    For a long time, that had been the president¡¯s impression of Alexia, but she never told anyone due to the lack of evidence to back up her point.


    In terms of grades, we are equals. I¡¯d even say she has some talent as a strategist, but¡­ what is it about that girl that doesn¡¯t sit right with me¡­?


    Since the president entered the academy, there were very few days when she could relax.


    Being one of the daughters of the fox clan king, from a young age she had to demonstrate her abilities to be worthy of entering the academy, devising plans and strategies that reinforced the power of her clan.


    But despite having studied day and night for those results¡­ she was annoyed because they didn¡¯t send her directly to the real academy!


    Why did they send her to this mediocre academy?


    There were only simple nobles, knights, priests, and commoners!


    No one was exceptional.


    Therefore, despite her race''s bad reputation, she managed to establish herself over time as a distinguished student to the point of holding the position of president, which grants her power in these situations.


    According to the academy rules, apart from the professor, the students must always listen to her unless she gives an order that threatens their honor or life.


    Her rank was equivalent to that of a commander or general in combat, but leading a couple of inept ones¡­


    Well, fortunately, they were strong enough to deal with the attack of those wolves, but several of them even got injured.


    And all because of that strange professor!


    The president thought as she turned to look at the teacher who was meditating on the ground, covered in snow.


    The president was annoyed.


    But a part of her knew that it was not much use in this situation to argue, so she ordered the other students to cooperate with the professor while they figured out how to get out of this.


    I will make sure that the full weight of the law falls on you, old man¡­


    The president thought as she stopped looking at the teacher.


    Let''s see¡­ now all the students have a tent thanks to the professor and his strange bag. According to him, the food might last us about 5 days, so by tomorrow we should organize to explore, but¡­


    Trying to devise a plan to deal with this situation, a doubt began to repeat more and more in her head.


    Is Camila okay?


    Before the president realized it, her thoughts began to focus on Camila.


    That Alexia always hangs around with those two men, although it could be said that one of them avoids her¡­ why? Does Alexia have a certain attitude that causes this? And what if they are messing with Camila?


    As much as the president tried to appear cold externally to avoid worrying other students, the truth was that there were very few things that could make her lose her composure.


    Among them¡­


    Is that others have what she values most.

 Chapter 15 – Talent

    After finishing the task that Alexia had assigned them, Isuke and Camila re-entered the tent.


    ''Finally, we''re done!'' Camila thought as she lay down.


    ''Uh... I miss my bed...''


    She rolled from side to side, trying to get used to the feeling of the tent floor.


    There were no beds!


    ''Well... it makes sense that the professor didn''t give everyone beds because it''s impossible for all of them to fit in that backpack, but, how does he manage to have so many things in there? Couldn''t he at least put in a few beds so we wouldn''t suffer because of his terrible idea?''


    As Camila let herself be carried away by her thoughts, Isuke asked her:


    "Are you tired?"


    "Yes...", Camila automatically replied.


    ''Wait, no!'' Camila thought as she lifted her upper body, sitting up.


    "I was just taking a short break, is there anything else to do?" asked Camila, trying to look as determined as possible, but in reality, she looked like a little frightened mouse.


    Laughing, Isuke replied:


    "No, don''t worry. You can keep lying down. I don''t think it will be long before those two come back."


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    ''Why did you call me then? Well... never mind.''


    With a small smile of relief, Camila lay down again.


    For some reason, she no longer felt so uncomfortable in Isuke''s presence.


    Now he was simply... someone else.


    ''I wonder how Valentina is doing? I hope the role of president isn''t consuming her too much. And that sword...''


    Swords.


    Ever since Leo and Isuke talked about rescuing a sword-ego, Camila couldn''t help but remember her past.


    ''Is there really a sword-ego here?'' She wondered as she recalled all the times she had practiced as a child to be a swordswoman.


    But no.


    She had to give up that dream because when she went to a temple by chance to pray, there they discovered her talent as a healer.


    Initially, Camila had refused to join the temple, as she did not want to live her life as a priestess locked up in the temple all day, but over time she realized her selfishness.


    Her parents, despite being poor, did everything possible to enroll her in an academy where they taught her the basics of sword handling and she even attended competitions where she fought, but she never managed to get a good position.


    Whenever she failed, her parents encouraged her, but she noticed how over time her father increasingly looked at her with pity while her mother always kept morale up, supporting her.


    Time passed, and difficulties at home worsened, so when she heard from someone in the village that if she prayed in a temple her wish would be heard...


    She never thought that going there she would find out she had a talent for healing magic.


    At first, she angrily rejected the offer, feeling offended, but as the weeks went by, seeing that her progress with the sword was slow and that there were more and more arguments at home...


    She accepted.


    She agreed to be part of the temple to enter this academy with the phoenix badge, and with that, she temporarily fixed her situation, but...


    "Hey, Isuke..."


    Camila was nervous, but...


    ''It''s okay to learn more about that sword-ego, right?'' She asked herself, trying not to feel guilty about what she was going to say.


    "What''s up?", asked Isuke, puzzled.

 Chapter 16 – Sacrifice

    ''Damn it, just do it!'' Camila shouted in her head to encourage herself to say:


    "Could you tell me more about that ego-sword?"


    She didn''t want to miss this opportunity.


    Although she might come across as nosy, she just hoped that...


    Isuke hesitated for a few seconds, remembering Leo''s excitement, but... what could go wrong if he told her a little more about that sword?


    "What do you want to know?"


    Camila, upon hearing Isuke''s relaxed tone, let out a sigh of relief and asked with some confidence:


    "Is it an elemental ego-sword?"


    If it was an elemental ego-sword, it would be a big problem for her to handle it, since she barely mastered fire magic.


    While Camila imagined a scenario where she fought with that sword, Isuke replied:


    "No, it''s not. Let''s say... it''s a sacred ego-sword."


    Sacred sword.


    To use normal sacred swords, it was necessary to go through a purification ritual that Camila had seen many times in the temple where she resided for several years.


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    Some people screamed in the process, others regretted it after not being able to use mana, but others...


    They became too proud.


    Sacred swords were normally used by sacred knights for combat, as well as by priests, but the latter, not specializing in combat, many carried them out of habit or as a method of personal defense.


    Going through that ritual would soon be mandatory for her, since with that she would officially become a priestess of the temple upon graduating from this academy.


    Very few people were willing to sacrifice using mana and aura just to use a sacred sword which was only effective against demons or ghosts.


    Otherwise, a sacred sword was neither better nor worse than a common sword.


    Or at least that would be the case if it were a common sacred sword...


    If it was a sacred ego-sword, how far would its power go?


    In the sacred writings of the church, Camila could still remember images of a human holding a glowing sword while everyone around him knelt.


    ''No! Don''t get your hopes up. Leo said he wanted to search for that sword with Isuke, but... what if they don''t know?''


    Camila''s heart raced for a second.


    "Isuke"


    "Yes?"


    Nervous, but trying to speak as clearly as possible, Camila said:


    "You know that by making a contract with a sacred sword... you lose the ability to use mana and aura again?"


    "Yes, I know"


    Camila began to get nervous seeing Isuke''s calm reaction, but before she could say anything else, Alexia and Leo arrived.


    "Good afternoon!" Leo shouted happily while Alexia, who was behind him, frowned.


    ''This idiot... Was it really necessary to shout?'' Alexia thought.


    "What happened?" Isuke asked as he watched the two sit down.


    Alexia checked inside the tent and smiled when she saw that they had arranged everything very well.


    "We''ll go in two or three days," Leo said the latter with some annoyance, but then continued his explanation with great excitement.


    "We were late, since Alexia talked to other students to join"


    Camila noticed that Leo was too happy.


    ''Shit...'' Camila thought as she lowered her head.

 Chapter 17 – The Invocation Should...

    Everything started as a rushed attempt where Eleonora was trying to invoke something without knowing specifically what, but strangely, she felt a sensation very similar to when she first entered that... zone.


    By mere instinct, despite being aware that she was failing to invoke anything, part of her simply felt confident.


    It was strange.


    Why did she feel confident that she would manage to invoke something despite never having done anything like this before?


    And for another strange reason, she didn¡¯t want to stop.


    It all just felt so... strange.


    ''What am I doing?'' Eleonora started to question herself as she realized that... she was wasting time.


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be convincing that human to look for her right now?


    But... it was so foolish.


    The more time Eleonora spent creating that invocation, the stranger she felt.


    Both her strength and her capacity for thought... everything was diminishing.


    ''Is this part of the process of invoking something?'' Eleonora wondered as she noticed how increasingly tired she felt.


    Her energy was being drained at an incredible rate.


    Will.


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    Was it really just that necessary to invoke something?


    Even though Eleonora wasn¡¯t doing just that, as she instinctively felt she was providing her energy to something forming on the surface...


    ''How do I call something from absolute nothing?'' Eleonora asked herself as she realized that she was probably just losing energy in vain.


    ''Damn it!'' Eleonora screamed in her mind as she realized that she had lost contact with that human, but what was worse... was that the area in which she could contact humans was getting smaller and smaller.


    She was becoming weaker at a very rapid pace.


    Did she need to stop?


    Even though she was becoming increasingly weaker, part of her didn¡¯t want to stop.


    ''I can¡¯t lose all my strength now!'' thought Eleonora, frightened, as she didn¡¯t know how long it would take to recover.


    Still... the word kept going through her mind:


    Will.


    ''Will...'' Eleonora repeated in her mind while remembering how she had first entered that world where she practiced her abilities.


    She had made it by mere luck and chance, but for some reason, part of her now had great confidence that she could achieve it.


    She could invoke something, but... What?


    What was she going to invoke?


    Facing this mystery, little by little a mental image began to form in her head.


    If she were to invoke something capable of helping her... she would like it to be something powerful, reliable, strong, hardworking, observant, patient, obedient, smart, knowledgeable about aesthetics, superior, but above all...


    ''Now that I think about it, wouldn¡¯t it be better to invoke myself?'' thought Eleonora while smiling.


    Even though she didn¡¯t know if she was really going to invoke something, all her attention was focused on directing her energy towards the surface where something was forming.


    It was a slow process, but Eleonora wasn¡¯t aware of this, as all her attention was on creating this new being.


    One entire day passed, then two, three... and on the fourth day, Eleonora lost consciousness.


    Everything turned into absolute darkness for a moment and so a whole day passed until the sound of a beating heart woke her up.


    It was a faint sound, but despite how weak she was, she could hear it.


    Something was moving above on the surface.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± said a confused girl who had gained consciousness for the first time in her life.

 Chapter 18 - Lets Go...

    Disappointment.


    Four days had passed since Isuke lost all contact with Eleonora, and the mood within Alexia''s group had significantly deteriorated, as the possibility of finding the sacred sword seemed increasingly distant.


    Throughout this time, Isuke had kept to himself, searching for answers in silence.


    Although he could no longer speak with Eleonora, he had a rough idea of her location based on her comment about not going further west, but...


    What if it was a trap?


    ¡°We''re back,¡± declared Alexia as she entered the tent accompanied by Leo and Camila.


    ¡°Welcome... still nothing,¡± Isuke said softly, keeping his gaze lowered.


    Despite not having to participate in the hunting activities, since his friends had devised an alibi for him to stay in the tent to see if he could reestablish contact with Eleonora, it was embarrassing to utter those words every day.


    Tomorrow would mark the fifth day, so the device would soon be ready to use again.


    ¡°Isuke,¡± said Leo as he approached to touch Isuke''s shoulder.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Isuke, swallowing hard.


    ¡°Are you sure you have no idea where that sword is?¡±


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    ¡®Damn,¡¯ thought Isuke, shifting his gaze to observe the expressions of Alexia and Camila.


    Camila seemed restless, pacing back and forth while clenching her hands behind her back as if trying to hide her excitement.


    Alexia, on the other hand, displayed a mix of interest and caution in her eyes. Her lips slightly pursed, her gaze fixed on Isuke.


    Hesitating for a few seconds on what to answer, Isuke declared: ¡°I have an idea, but it¡¯s not certain.¡±


    ¡°We''ll take the risk,¡± Leo declared immediately after hearing those words.


    ¡°We''ve already spoken with the group that was going to work with us to leave tomorrow, since we know the area better we have an idea of what we might encounter on the way. There will be two healers, three mages, and four fighters.¡±


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t told you where we¡¯re going¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as we go against the west, we can find it, right?¡± declared Leo decisively, cutting off Isuke.


    Letting out a small chuckle that relieved some of the nerves he felt, Isuke replied: ¡°If you already knew, why did you ask me earlier?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to check. We''ll take the risk, Isuke,¡± Leo declared with a smile.


    This statement had a strong impact on Isuke, as for a long time, he had stopped taking risks due to the comfort he began to feel at the academy.


    Food and a place to sleep ensured as long as he studied were enough to keep him satisfied even though he sometimes felt empty.


    Although he was capable of using and understanding magic at a competent level, he never had the courage to go beyond because of fear.


    Fear of having some mana reflux.


    Fear of losing the ability to use magic.


    Fear of... losing everything, but seeing with his own eyes how Alexia, his childhood friend who was extremely cautious despite the craziness she sometimes displayed in fights, accepted an idea like this where they could die...


    ¡°Look, it''s just a guess, but yesterday when I went for a walk in the area where I first spoke with Eleonora... I felt a strange urge to go there,¡± said Isuke, lifting his hand to the northeast.


    ¡°Do you still feel that sensation right now?¡±


    ¡°Not here, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let''s go check it out!¡±

 Chapter 19 – Is Nothing Really Happening?

    He could feel it.


    Even though the sensation wasn''t as intense as before, Isuke felt his body needing to move northeast.


    It was... strange.


    "So?", asked Leo impatiently.


    "Yes, I can feel it, but it could be..."


    "It doesn''t matter," Leo responded quickly, interrupting Isuke.


    "Alright, now that we''ve confirmed everything, we need to prepare. We only have two days before the device can be used again," Alexia explained loudly, stepping between Isuke and Leo.


    Leo took several steps back, understanding Alexia''s intentions.


    "See you later. I''ll be training," Leo commented before leaving.


    "I... I''ll be back later. See you!" said Camila, sensing she would be the third wheel.


    Once Camila left, Isuke and Alexia were alone.


    "What''s worrying you?" asked Alexia directly.


    "It''s not safe," Isuke replied immediately, causing Alexia to frown slightly.


    "Obviously, this isn''t safe. It''s very likely we''ll have to move far from the group to get that sword."


    "No, I don''t mean that. I mean this feeling. It''s... strange. I''ve never heard of magic like this."


    "Because it''s not magic."


    Even though Alexia made this comment casually, it made Isuke think.


    "What? Didn''t you seriously think about it? Remember, it''s not just magic; there''s also aura, miracles, and the abilities used by monsters, dragons, demons... vampires... there are many things."


    ''Damn, she''s right. How didn''t I think of that before?''


    "Don''t worry, it''s normal that you overlooked it, since you''ve put all your effort into making that sword contact you, right?"


    "Why did you agree?" asked Isuke, trying to change the subject, but the truth was he was curious about why Alexia, a reserved girl who spent most of her time helping her father with village business, decided to embark on something so dangerous.


    "Why did you want to help that sword before?" Alexia counterattacked similarly, as she was also curious why her childhood friend decided to do something like that.


    "Because..."


    Thinking about how to respond, for a few seconds Isuke''s mind went back to the past.


    ...


    "Hey"


    Silence.


    "Are you sleeping?"


    Slowly, Isuke began to open his eyes and noticed a girl with strange ears watching him.


    "What''s up?" asked Isuke in a nonchalant tone.


    For a few seconds, it seemed the girl didn''t know what to say.


    She was nervous.


    "How can you lie down like that in the middle of nowhere?"


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    The girl couldn''t understand how someone could lie down to sleep in the grass far from the village.


    "It''s a peaceful place."


    ''Huh?'', thought the girl upon hearing that response.


    Did she hear correctly?


    A peaceful place?


    How could a place with no guards or witnesses to help in an emergency be peaceful?


    It was illogical to be calm in such a place!


    "Aren''t you scared?"


    "What? Why?"


    "You could run into a monster or someone dangerous!"


    Isuke partly understood the girl''s point, but...


    "Doesn''t matter," Isuke replied as he adjusted to continue sleeping.


    It didn''t matter!?


    "Are you out of your mind?" asked the girl instantly.


    "I guess," Isuke replied immediately.


    ''What a strange boy!'' thought the girl as she looked around.


    Luckily, it seemed there was indeed nothing dangerous around.


    Despite the strange situation, the girl was happy to finally find someone her age to talk to like this.


    There were no insults, no disdainful looks, no unnecessary formality... nothing.


    Well, it was also a fact that they had been talking for less than 10 minutes, so that could still happen, but...


    Alexia, seeing how the boy rested nonchalantly, her curiosity got the better of her.


    She wanted to see if she could become his friend.


    "Can I sit here?" asked the nervous girl.


    "Do what you want," Isuke replied, covering his eyes with his forearm.


    ...


    "I think I wanted to imitate you," Isuke responded after vaguely recalling his first meeting with Alexia.


    "Imitate me?" Alexia repeated, puzzled.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    Despite having successfully avoided her for 4 days, unfortunately for Camila, she was now face to face with Valentina.


    ''What bad luck...'', thought Camila, lowering her head.


    She never expected her friend to grab her hand and drag her to a secluded place in the camp!


    "What have you been doing these days in Alexia''s group, Camila?" Valentina asked in a calm tone despite being angry.


    Why was Camila ignoring her so blatantly?


    Did she really think she wouldn''t notice?


    This question left Camila confused, as it was obvious Valentina already knew the answer since she was the class president.


    Whether Valentina wanted to or not, she had to know what each group of students was doing through the reports of each team leader during these days in this strange place.


    Even though it was the first time students experienced being in a completely unknown place, thanks to the practice camps the academy periodically held to exploit students'' outdoor skills, they could use the experience from those camps for this moment.


    However, unlike those controlled camps where they could return to the village in an emergency, they had to be extremely careful when exploring and hunting in this place.


    Something increasingly worrying Valentina was the growing discontent among students because of the teacher, as over the days, the class started to divide into several groups.


    There were those who followed the teacher due to the skills he demonstrated during moments of danger in the camp from some dangerous monster, but there were also those who doubted him, because...


    What if he misused the device again?


    The main students most opposed to the teacher were those responsible for using the teleportation device before this accident happened.


    According to them, the teacher had done something.


    At first, they weren''t so open about sharing that opinion with their classmates, but since the teacher didn''t let any student approach the teleportation device since it was handed over, suspicions grew.


    Valentina remained neutral, like many students, but the camp atmosphere was increasingly silent, uncomfortable, and discussions among students were more frequent about this topic.


    Some said the teacher planned to kidnap them and they had to do something.


    Others said it was better to stay in this place and wait for rescue, as it was obvious an accident like this would be investigated by the academy.


    That''s why Valentina wanted to know what her friend was going to do.


    "Nothing," Camila replied after being silent for several seconds.


    Letting out a long sigh, Valentina got closer to her friend.


    She was already mentally prepared that it would be difficult to make Camila confess something, as she is usually very reserved with her thoughts, but in this situation, she had to insist.


    "This is serious, Camila. Are you hiding something from me?"


    "No! Not at all."


    Camila was nervous.


    She didn''t want to tell her friend about the ego-sword, as she didn''t want to diminish her chances of obtaining it.


    Valentina raised an eyebrow slightly while her tail moved from side to side.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course," Camila replied, putting her hands behind her.


    "Really? Then why is your group going with another group on a two-day exploration mission tomorrow? Do you know that in 3 days, the device will be ready? What are you planning to do?"


    "Wasn''t it in the report?" Camila replied in an attempt to end the topic.


    "I want to hear it from your mouth."


    "From my mouth?" Camila asked, confused.


    "Yes, from your mouth. From your damn mouth, Camila."


    ''Why is Valentina so violent!?'' Camila wondered, seeing Valentina too serious.


    Was something serious happening?


    Every time Valentina behaved this way, it was because she was going through a tough time, but... Camila couldn''t understand what could upset her friend so much.


    "Seriously, nothing is happening."


    ''This idiot...!'' Valentina thought, clenching her fists.


    Sometimes Camila was too distracted.

 Chapter 20 – Dont you dare.

    Opening her eyes for the first time, she blinked at the light filtering through the branches of the scarlet-leaved trees.


    Her bare skin bristled at the touch of the cold air and the snow under her feet.


    She looked around, confused, trying to understand who she was and where she was.


    Although she couldn''t see the sword buried deep under the snow, she felt an inexplicable connection to something beneath her feet.


    Somehow, she knew that something was Eleonora, her creator. Besides that, many pieces of knowledge and concepts flowed through her mind.


    There was so much information that she felt she had in her head that she didn''t know what to do or where to start.


    It was¡­ overwhelming.


    The summoning tried to move but realized she was lying on the ground.


    ¡®So cold¡­¡¯, she thought while making an effort to get up, supporting her hands on the snow.


    In the process, she felt the cold seeping into her bones, but the energy emanating from the ground beneath her feet gave her a strange feeling she didn''t understand.


    Her trembling legs barely managed to hold her as she took a hesitant step.


    The summoning looked around, trying to find some hint of her purpose in this world and, in the process, noticed the red-leaved trees shining faintly, creating a contrast with the snow covering the entire landscape.


    Although the scene was beautiful, the summoning couldn''t help but feel lost.


    After a few seconds and after taking several steps, she crouched down and touched the snow with her hand, feeling the energy flowing through it.


    Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on connecting with the source of that energy. As she did, a soft voice resonated in her mind.


    [You did it], said Eleonora, surprised.


    Despite feeling exhausted and weak, Eleonora couldn''t believe that her summoning was capable of using telepathy to contact her.


    [Eleonora? Is that you?], asked the summoning with some difficulty, as maintaining concentration to use telepathy in this environment was challenging.


    [Yes], Eleonora responded, even more surprised.


    She didn''t expect the summoning to be able to communicate with her in this way!


    What the hell had she summoned?


    Before Eleonora''s creation could say anything else, feeling that something was approaching from behind, she cut the connection with Eleonora.


    Turning slowly, she noticed how dark, shadowy figures were moving stealthily among the trees.


    Still not fully understanding her situation, she felt her heart start to beat faster.


    Although she didn''t know what to do, the summoning let herself be guided by her instinct.


    Concentrating energy in one of her hands, as the enemies approached, a red light began to appear at the tip of her fingers, slowly spreading to the rest of her hand.


    ''So warm¡­'', thought the summoning as she felt how that energy surrounding her hand gave off heat.


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    Soon the dark figures approached closer with quick, noisy movements.


    The summoning felt a surge of adrenaline run through her body. Without thinking twice, she raised her hand and let the red energy intensify.


    Fire.


    When the first enemy, a shadow in the shape of a giant wolf, leaped towards her, the summoning dodged the attack with agility and pierced its fur with her hand.


    The wolf let out a harrowing howl as its skin began to burn.


    The summoning, surprised by the effect, took a step back, but soon another enemy launched towards her.


    This time it was an imposing bear with sharp claws. Without time to think, the summoning ducked and rolled in the snow, avoiding the attack.


    Quickly getting up, she channeled more energy into her hand, increasing the heat of the flames she emitted, thus piercing the bear''s chest.


    It was a quick and effective move that luckily hit the animal''s heart. In the process, all the blood that came into contact with the summoning''s hand melted, creating a large amount of smoke.


    By reflex, the summoning moved aside, letting the bear fall forward.


    As the bear fell, more wolves began to approach, but seeing how the bear had fallen and how one of their own was injured to the point of having to throw itself sideways to avoid burning alive, the wolves stopped and stared at the summoning.


    It was a tense moment, where Eleonora''s creation found herself surrounded by enemies.


    Despite having successfully defeated two enemies, inside she was scared.


    Her hand was stained with blood, and her body wouldn''t stop trembling from the cold, but a part of her kept repeating that she couldn''t allow herself to show weakness.


    Not in front of those creatures.


    [Good, can you hear me?], asked Eleonora as she felt she could connect with her summoning.


    Since she was much weaker than usual, it had taken her some effort to make a bond to talk more with her creation.


    Eleonora was quite curious.


    What would be capable of something that had cost her almost all her energy?


    [Eleonora, do you think you can come help me?], quickly asked the summoning while pretending to be calm in front of the wolves.


    Was she projecting enough confidence or strength¡­?


    It was the doubt that the summoning had in her head despite the wolves keeping their distance from her.


    [Are you an idiot? I summoned you to help me by going to the place where a candidate awaits you. I need you to guide him to this place so that he¡­]


    [I''m going to die!], screamed the summoning, interrupting Eleonora.


    ¡®Is she going to die¡­?¡¯, Eleonora repeated, puzzled.


    Why would her summoning die?


    It hadn''t even been a day since she summoned her and she was already going to die?


    Were summonings so useless?


    [Well, don''t die. Right now you have a great amount of energy, don''t you? What can you do? What are you?], Eleonora asked with some curiosity.


    The summoning, seeing how the wolves were slowly starting to approach her, began to panic.


    Although her instincts had helped her deal with the bear, she hadn''t managed to finish off that wolf, and now she had an entire pack in front of her.


    Fear.


    The summoning was too scared, so she screamed in her mind:


    [Some damn wolves have surrounded me! What do I do!?]


    ¡®Ah, wolves.¡¯


    Eleonora vaguely remembered how some small wolves had killed her last candidate.


    ¡®Do those damn creatures still lurk around here?¡¯, Eleonora wondered while trying to stay calm.


    [What are you? Speak.]


    [I don''t know!]


    [You can''t describe your damn form? Look at your body! What are you right now? Do you have claws? Wings? Some kind of shell?]


    In Eleonora''s mind, she imagined her summoning to be some kind of amazing animal.


    The summoning worked every neuron to try to describe what she was while the wolves approached at a rather slow pace.


    [I have two hands and two arms that move. I also have two legs, a belly¡­]


    [Wait. Are you a human right now?], Eleonora asked, shocked.


    Had she created a human?


    No, that couldn''t be possible, as the presence of her summoning was by no means that of a human, but what she had described...


    [I guess!]


    Suddenly, Eleonora recalled a thought she had at the moment of creating that summoning.


    ¡®It can''t be¡­¡¯, Eleonora thought for a moment, but it made some sense, especially when she noticed something interesting in the presence of her summoning.


    It was something subtle that Eleonora had overlooked as she was tired and her mind was in a haze, but now that she had started to analyze the aura of her summoning in depth¡­


    It was similar.


    Eleonora couldn''t help but let out a small laugh upon noticing that indeed¡­ she had created something similar to herself and her sisters.


    [Eleonora! Eleonora!]


    The screams of her summoning snapped her out of her trance, so she asked:


    [What is it?]


    [They''re going to kill me, Eleonora!]


    By accident, Eleonora''s summoning had decided to retreat before the advance of those wolves, feeling intimidated, but just as she took that step back, one of the largest wolves charged at her.


    Luckily, she was able to stop its charge by grabbing it head-on, and in the process, the hand she kept aflame started burning the wolf''s jaw as she held it.


    [Listen.]


    [Yes!?]


    [Follow my damn instructions to the letter, or I''ll be the one to end up killing you], Eleonora said in a serious tone, causing her summoning to start crying while still fighting for her life.

 Chapter 21 – Dont you think it lasted too long?

    And the day arrived.


    After an eternal night that felt like it had lasted two weeks, dawn began to rise, and Alexia''s group started to get ready.


    The sun rose slowly over the horizon, its golden rays scattering across the vast expanse of the camp.


    The cold morning air was filled with the whisper of leaves and the distant song of birds.


    Alexia woke up first, her ears twitching slightly as they caught the morning light. She stretched gracefully, her movements fluid and precise, and did a quick stretch.


    Beside her, Leo was still asleep, his breathing deep and steady. Alexia watched him for a moment before giving him a gentle nudge.


    ¡°Leo, it¡¯s time to get up,¡± murmured Alexia in a soft but firm voice as she finished stretching.


    Leo mumbled something incoherent before slowly opening his eyes, blinking at the sunlight. He sat up lazily, stretching his still drowsy muscles.


    Beside him, Camila was already awake, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, immersed in a brief meditation. Leo ignored this and began to mentally prepare himself, as today was the day.


    He had to have that sword in his hands.


    Isuke entered the tent with a yawn, his hair disheveled and his eyes still full of sleep. Alexia frowned at this, and before she could say anything, he went back out.


    Alexia and Leo started to gather their things to leave the tent as well. Camila followed them silently when she felt there was no one else in the tent.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Isuke said when he saw his companions outside, his voice still a little hoarse from sleep.


    ¡°How long did you sleep?¡± asked Alexia, frowning.


    ¡°I suppose enough, but don¡¯t you think the night lasted too long?¡±


    This question made the girls think for a few seconds, but Leo interrupted, saying:


    ¡°Does that matter? Let¡¯s go to the meeting point before it gets any later,¡± declared Leo before starting to march.


    Camila just watched in silence, aware of Leo''s growing obsession with obtaining that sword, so she didn¡¯t want to draw his attention.


    A part of her felt guilty for not sharing that she also wanted that sword, but¡­


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    ¡®Whoever finds it has the right to make the pact first, right?¡¯ thought Camila as she tried not to smile.


    Today was the day.


    Alexia''s group began to march firmly, the sound of their boots crunching over the snow and small pebbles on the path.


    The cold morning air filled their lungs as the sun slowly rose on the horizon, painting the sky with pale, icy hues.


    The shadows of the frost-covered trees stretched out, creating a mosaic of light and shadow over the white blanket covering the ground.


    Alexia led the march, her cat ears twitching slightly at every sound in the snowy forest. Leo walked a bit ahead of everyone, adjusting the sword Alexia had lent him.


    Camila followed closely from behind to better hide her emotions, while Isuke, still a bit drowsy, closed the march with heavy steps.


    As they advanced, they reached the meeting point where the other group was already waiting for them.


    Seeing this, Leo ran to greet them while Alexia subtly signaled the others to keep moving at the same pace.


    Leo exchanged a few friendly words with that group, who laughed at his jokes, but when Alexia arrived, the atmosphere turned more serious.


    ¡°Good morning, Aiden. Thanks for arriving early.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry Alexia, we haven¡¯t been waiting that long. We¡¯ll be at your service until the expedition is over,¡± responded Aiden in an animated tone.


    Isuke watched this scene in silence, as Alexia was certainly very good at negotiating, but a question arose in his mind.


    ¡®What kind of deal did they make?¡¯


    The reason for this question was due to the value of the ego-sword. Isuke had ignored this value since the first contact he had with Eleonora, but from the conversation he had with Leo, along with everything they planned, he realized this was not a simple search.


    ¡°By the way, this is Isuke. He¡¯s a mage like Mara, but if I had to compare their abilities¡­ they¡¯re quite equal.¡±


    This statement surprised Aiden''s group because Mara was a very talented mage.


    She mastered almost all elements, and her firepower was impressive, but her biggest flaw¡­ was precision.


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Mara, raising her voice, as she was curious because it was the first time she had heard Isuke''s name despite thoroughly studying the methods of all the outstanding mages in the class.


    Isuke, hearing the big lie Alexia had just told without flinching, got an idea of how she convinced this group to cooperate.


    ¡°Yes. You have my word, but keep in mind that right now Isuke is using a large part of his mana to guide us to the object we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive, how did you learn to use search magic if that¡¯s taught in the 4th semester?¡± asked Selene with curiosity, as most who took this subject were currently in the 3rd semester.


    This question put Isuke in a tight spot, as he never imagined Alexia would put him in this situation, and before he could open his mouth to say anything, Alexia intervened:


    ¡°He learned it on his own in the library, but since the spell is still complex for him, he won¡¯t be able to talk much because of it.¡±


    The confidence with which Alexia gave that explanation, coupled with the fact that she had hired them to find the object, made them completely believe that excuse.


    Selene and Mara were the most impressed, as they were aware of how complicated it was to understand the spells from the 4th semester onwards.


    Then, Alexia introduced everyone to Isuke, and it was there that they got a better idea of the group that would accompany them.


    Selene was a healer, and Mara, a mage. Darius, Thorne, and Aiden were knights like Leo.


    The formation was set so that the four knights would cover the four flanks of the group, and the mages along with the healers would go in the center accompanied by Alexia in case any enemy broke through the formation.


    Although Isuke was dissatisfied with what Alexia had done, as he didn¡¯t understand why, once everyone was ready she gave him an order.


    ¡°Isuke, lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 22 – Whats There…?

    Alexia''s new group was steadily advancing across a vast expanse of snow. The cleared terrain offered a clear view in all directions due to the light snowfall, but the group''s mood was at an all-time low.


    ¡°Isn''t this area amazing? It''s impossible not to see if a monster is approaching,¡± Leo commented optimistically, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Yes, and it''s also great for monsters to find us more easily. Let''s hurry unless you want to be the next dish on the menu,¡± Alexia replied severely, causing the group to quicken their pace.


    7 hours.


    7 hours had passed since they started the expedition, and aside from the brief fights they had with some wolves near the camp area, they were starting to get scared by how far they were moving away from the camp, after all¡­


    No matter how much gold Alexia offered them, if they died or got lost here, it was useless.


    The tension within the group Alexia had hired had begun to grow, and she was aware that they would soon need to stop to rest due to fatigue and hunger.


    ¡®Damn it¡­ how can a place like this exist?¡¯ Alexia wondered with some disdain, as this path gave her a bad feeling, since they hadn''t encountered any other enemies since entering it.


    This only meant two things¡­


    Either they were at an hour where the creatures didn''t usually prowl¡­


    Or a bigger predator had wiped them all out¡­


    A few minutes passed until they finally saw a long line of trees in the distance. This motivated the group to move even faster, breaking formation.


    Alexia was about to scold the knights for not staying in their positions, but decided to encourage those around her to keep up.


    As they approached, the details began to become clearer and more surprising.


    The trees standing before them were not common. Their trunks were a deep reddish color, as if they were imbued with an essence.


    The leaves, on the other hand, were scarlet and glowed with a faint light that contrasted with the snowy landscape.


    This natural illumination gave the impression that the trees had a life of their own, emanating a warm energy that pierced the surrounding cold.


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    ¡°Hurry up girls, look at this!¡± Leo shouted excitedly as he plucked one of the leaves just like the other knights had done.


    ¡°This is¡­ incredible,¡± Mara murmured, her eyes shining with amazement. ¡°I''ve never seen anything like this¡­¡±


    ¡°It''s as if the trees themselves were alive,¡± Selena added as she closely examined one of the glowing leaves Darius had handed her.


    ¡°We can''t let our guard down,¡± Alexia interrupted, her ears twitching slightly.


    ¡°Something big is approaching,¡± Alexia said as she removed one of her garments.


    ¡°Everyone gather! Mara, prepare the spell to conceal our presence. Everyone drop a garment on the ground and move together in a straight line,¡± Alexia instructed loudly as everyone was still distracted admiring the beauty of the forest.


    Mara, realizing that Alexia was serious, began to chant the spell while the others obeyed Alexia''s orders.


    In the distance, a large creature, very similar in size to a dragon, began to appear, but this one¡­ was a wolf.


    ¡°What the hell did it eat to grow that big?¡± Darius said quietly as he retreated with everyone in a straight line.


    A few seconds later, the wolf was at the forest entrance, sniffing the area where they had been.


    Its size was intimidating. Even if they managed to land a surprise attack with magic, they couldn''t guarantee a victory, especially without risking the life of one of the knights.


    Alexia had explained this plan before, as Mara had said she was good at area spells¡­ because for her, hitting a single target was complicated and annoying.


    The distance between them and the giant, intimidating wolf grew larger, and just when they thought it was going to delve deeper into the forest to follow the scent it was sniffing, it turned around.


    This made everyone sigh in relief, but when they saw the wolf start to curl up just a few steps from where they had entered¡­


    ¡®Shit,¡¯ they all thought in unison.


    Only when they were considerably far from that enormous beast did Mara undo her spell. Thorne held her up due to how exhausted she was.


    While everyone separated to calm down, Aiden signaled Alexia to follow him.


    Once they had moved far enough from the group, Aiden asked:


    ¡°Did you see the size of that thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alexia replied immediately.


    ¡°This wasn''t part of the deal, Alexia. That thing was the size of a mansion! Three times bigger than our tent! Not even the master faced something that size, what exactly are we looking for?¡±


    ¡°I can''t tell you,¡± Alexia replied, indifferent to Aiden''s crisis.


    She partly understood his reaction, but a deal was a deal.


    Aiden, who initially saw this as easy money due to the trust he had built with his group in the hunts near the camp, never, in his worst nightmares, imagined they would encounter a beast of that size.


    And what scared him the most¡­ was that before turning around, that creature had stared for several seconds in the direction they were retreating.


    What was in this forest that made that creature show such caution?


    Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.


    ¡°We''re leaving.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alexia asked, hearing Aiden''s declaration.


    ¡°This is escalating too much. My group won''t go any further to find that damn objective. You can go with your group to find it, but we''ll look for a way back.¡±


    Sighing in annoyance, Alexia tried to grab Aiden''s shoulder, but he pushed her hand away.


    ¡°Don''t touch me.¡±


    ¡°Look, both your group and mine are tired from all the walking. How about we eat together before we separate?¡±


    This question made Aiden think.


    ¡°Think about it, we''d be more, we''d be safer, and then everyone can go their own way.¡±


    ¡°You''re not going back?¡±


    ¡°I''ll discuss that with my group,¡± Alexia replied with a smile.

 Chapter 23 – Rich

    In the end, Aiden and Alexia agreed to inform their groups about the separation after they had eaten.


    Aiden didn¡¯t understand why Alexia imposed this measure, but since he had already promised to pay her despite their abandoning, he accepted.


    Alexia ordered Leo and Darius to check the surroundings as they were in the best shape.


    The rest of the group set about preparing the area to eat, but¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s too hard!¡± Thorne shouted as he dropped the axe he had used to try to cut the tree.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alexia asked, approaching.


    ¡°The wood of these trees¡­ It¡¯s like it¡¯s made of iron,¡± Thorne replied, rubbing his sore hands.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even make a notch.¡±


    Alexia frowned and approached the tree. Hitting the wood with her mana-covered hand, Alexia felt the tree¡¯s great resistance.


    Definitely, this was not an ordinary tree.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Alexia murmured as she rubbed her hand.


    ¡°See?¡±


    Meanwhile, the group¡¯s mages, Mara and Selena, continued examining the shiny leaves. Mara held a leaf between her fingers, observing how the light seemed to emanate from within.


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating,¡± Mara whispered. She couldn¡¯t believe that a leaf could emit heat without damaging itself.


    ¡°The leaf is emitting a strange energy¡­ it¡¯s not mana¡­ nor aura¡­ and much less sacred power,¡± Selena explained while frowning.


    Although they didn¡¯t say a word, both took a small vial from their pockets to store as many samples as possible, even if it cost them filling their special bags with this rare material.


    Camila, who had been sitting next to Isuke doing nothing as they hadn¡¯t brought the firewood to make the fire, saw how he was meditating in silence.


    Taking advantage of their solitude, Camila asked:


    ¡°How close are we to ¡®it¡¯¡­?¡±


    Camila felt ignored, as Isuke remained silent for several seconds, and just when she was about to get up to see why the others were taking so long¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re close.¡±


    These words made Camila crouch down again to ask:


    ¡°How close?¡±


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    Her heart had started to beat faster.


    What if Leo and Darius had already found it?


    This expedition¡­ this was more than just an expedition for her. From the moment Isuke entered the forest, she felt how the sensation that guided him skyrocketed.


    Originally, despite her doubts, she felt this was the way, but now that she was here¡­ surrounded by these strange trees, the sensation that guided him just kept swirling around.


    The size of this forest seemed endless, and if they mismarked the place they had entered¡­ they would probably get lost in this strange place.


    Who exactly was Eleonora?


    This question made Isuke sink into his thoughts, as her voice¡­


    That desperate voice¡­


    That nervous voice¡­


    That voice¡­ it was a sweet voice that had undoubtedly been through a lot, but¡­


    ¡°Isuke?¡±


    Camila¡¯s touch on his shoulder completely brought Isuke out of his thoughts.


    ¡°What?¡± Isuke asked grumpily, and before they continued their conversation, Alexia arrived carrying small pieces of wood.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Camila was confused by the poor pieces they were giving her.


    Did they really think she could cook something over this firewood?


    Alexia, seeing Camila¡¯s confused expression, clarified:


    ¡°The wood of the trees here is extremely hard. When Leo and Darius return, we¡¯ll ask them to cut more wood, but for now, you have to do the best you can with this.¡±


    Camila nodded several times before going to prepare everything for the meal. Alexia, noticing Isuke¡¯s haggard face, asked:


    ¡°Have you rested at all?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close. The sensation changed.¡±


    ¡°Be more specific¡­¡±


    ¡°Before, it was a compass pointing here.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°The compass is spinning.¡±


    ¡®Could it be a test from the ego-sword?¡¯ Alexia thought as she tried to decipher the reason for this change.


    Minutes later, Leo returned with Darius, and both reported that there was nothing strange around except for some small animals roaming around. Hearing this last part relieved Alexia, as it meant that there were other prey in this forest besides them.


    After that, Alexia showed the others the properties of the trees, so while Camila finished preparing the meal, a competition began among the boys to see who could cut more pieces of wood.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think about reporting this place when we get back?¡± Thorne proposed as the idea came to him.


    ¡°Right! We could get rich selling this material to the army,¡± Darius commented.


    ¡°I see it complicated. First, we¡¯d have to properly record the place where the Kluir transported us,¡± Isuke explained despite being apart from that competition.


    ¡°Kluir?¡± Thorne repeated, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the teleportation device that brought us here. Didn¡¯t you know the name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in those things,¡± Thorne replied, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Isuke! And do you know how to get that information?¡± Darius asked, excitedly approaching him.


    Interposing in his path, Leo answered:


    ¡°First things first. Let¡¯s solve the search for my object, and then you can make all the money you want from here.¡±


    Despite being considerably separated from the boys, hearing Leo¡¯s comment, Alexia raised her voice to say:


    ¡°Guys, come eat!¡±


    ¡°Huh? But we¡¯re not done yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Just serve it,¡± Alexia whispered to Camila. Then she went to the place where the girls were.


    ¡°Do you have any idea where Aiden is?¡±


    ¡°Aiden?¡± Marta asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re asking about him¡­ don¡¯t worry. He often walks alone to check the state of the surroundings¡­ I think he should be back in a few minutes,¡± Selena replied.


    ¡°Aiden is a fool¡­ why didn¡¯t he go patrol with the boys? I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± Marta said while breaking one of the leaves in half.


    ¡°Well¡­ do you want to eat now? The food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Really!?¡± Marta asked as she stood up.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Selena. Our exhaustive and hard investigation will continue after trying whatever that healer has prepared.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Camila¡­¡±


    ¡°What did I say?¡±


    Accompanying both girls to the place where Camila was attending to everyone, Alexia went to assist her while she finished devising in her mind the best way to persuade Aiden¡¯s group.

 Chapter 24 – Laws and Strength

    The group had gathered in a circle around the makeshift fire. The crackling of the flames provided a comforting sound amidst the strange forest.


    Camila was serving the soup she had prepared with the few vegetables and pieces of meat they had available. The warm and familiar aroma of the soup filled the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best I could do with the time I was given, okay?¡± said Camila, visibly embarrassed.


    Aiden¡¯s group members quickly began to praise her to lift her spirits.


    ¡°It smells amazing,¡± said Thorne with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it will taste even better,¡± added Darius.


    The girls from their group looked at their companions before hiding their smiles.


    Alexia¡¯s team took a while to show their appreciation, as Leo couldn¡¯t stop worrying about the location of the sword, and Isuke was lost in thought, trying to decide the direction to guide the group now that there was no clear path.


    Alexia observed everyone while sipping her soup.


    ¡°Eat, this will help us regain our strength,¡± commented Alexia, trying to infuse some enthusiasm, but it wasn¡¯t very effective. Despite the incredible forest, the silence while eating made almost everyone think about the size of that creature.


    Not wanting to waste the time while Aiden was absent, Alexia began her speech.


    Alexia set her bowl of soup aside and stood up, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. Her eyes shone with determination as she began to speak.


    ¡°Comrades,¡± she said, projecting her voice with confidence.


    ¡°As you can see, we have found a unique place, full of resources that could change our lives. I¡¯m not just talking about the incredibly resistant wood or the leaves that emit energy, but the potential of this entire forest.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s group members looked at her with curiosity as Alexia continued.


    ¡°I know you are tired and worried, but I propose something. If we continue exploring together, I promise you the right to exploit 35% of this forest. The leaves and other resources will be limited by that same percentage.¡±


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    The group fell silent, surprised by the offer. Selena was the first to break the silence with an intrigued smile.


    ¡°Hey, your offer is interesting,¡± began Selena.


    ¡°But... do you remember Astarock¡¯s law? Whoever finds unknown lands first has the right to claim and exploit them.¡±


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ thought Alexia, realizing someone was as well-versed in the laws as she was.


    Maintaining her composure, Alexia nodded, countering:


    ¡°I know, Selena. But this discovery is too big for one group to handle alone. Cooperation will benefit us all. We can share the benefits and ensure no one is left out.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? And how exactly does that 35% work? If we divide it among our entire group, it would be 7%. Are you trying to scam us?¡±


    Everyone was surprised to hear that counterargument from the seemingly shyest and calmest member of that group.


    Letting out a sigh, Alexia pulled out the contract sheet she had made with them before this exploration and began to read aloud:


    ¡°Clause Four. All rights are reserved over any object or thing found during this expedition. All discoveries will be the exclusive property of Alexia¡¯s group.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s group looked at her incredulously, increasing the tension in the air.


    Selena, with a serious expression, quickly responded:


    ¡°Alexia, any deal that goes against Astarock¡¯s laws is automatically void. You know well that this contract has no legal validity, and it specifies objects or things, which cannot cover this entire forest!¡±


    Alexia remained calm and responded with a calculated tone.


    ¡°Do you really believe that? Astarock¡¯s laws are clear, but there are many ways to interpret them. This forest is vast and full of dangers. Our collaboration might be the only way to ensure we all leave here alive and with benefits.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to keep talking with this woman! Guys, tell who was the first to touch this forest.¡±


    The guys, who had been watching this sudden spectacle, looked at each other before responding almost simultaneously:


    ¡°Darius,¡± responded two from Aiden¡¯s group.


    ¡°Leo,¡± responded two from Alexia¡¯s group.


    Although no one remembered exactly who was the first, they were obviously going to support their respective groups.


    The good atmosphere that almost all the guys from Alexia and Aiden¡¯s group had was broken by that question.


    ¡°Selena, are you aware that Isuke was the one who guided us here?¡±


    Annoyed, Selena turned and returned the question:


    ¡°And are you aware that without us, you wouldn¡¯t have made it here? Did you forget the magic Marta used to save our lives from that damn creature, Alexia?¡±


    Silence.


    Both girls remained silent, crossing their arms.


    Everyone, except Camila, couldn¡¯t help but feel bad seeing how little they had eaten of what she had prepared.


    ¡°Hey¡­,¡± commented Darius in a low voice, but everyone turned to him as his voice was quite robust.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know as much about laws as you girls¡­ so I propose we have a duel. Wouldn¡¯t that be the fairest way? The strongest have the right to bend the rules, right?¡± the friendly tone in which Darius had made that offer was very contrary to the offer itself.


    There were three knights, one mage, and a healer against one knight, two mages, one healer, and¡­ her.


    The odds of her group winning this fight¡­


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ thought Alexia, seeing how her plan took this 180-degree turn.

 Chapter 25 — Youre strange

    The air was charged with palpable tension, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.


    Despite being just a handful of students trained to use magic, artifacts, or swords, these were meant to be used against monsters, not to kill humans, or worse, their own classmates.


    Isuke remained incredulous, and Leo was on alert in case this escalated further.


    Silence.


    Alexia, surrounded by her group, felt the gaze of each of them centered on her.


    What should she do?


    Alexia knew that whatever decision she made, Leo would follow her. Isuke, despite his pessimistic attitude, would too.


    Even so, there was a big variable in her group.


    Camila.


    Although they had spent several days together with her, the chances of Camila betraying them, or directly doing nothing in this situation, were considerable given the risk.


    And while Camila had supported them when saying who arrived first in the forest, naming Leo... the possibility was still there.


    That without even taking into account the disadvantages of their classes.


    ''Fighting among ourselves is too stupid an idea. Not only because we''ll make too much noise, but because we''ll be more vulnerable and tired in case of an attack. What is this idiot thinking? Wait.''


    For a moment, an idea came to Alexia''s mind.


    "Alright. We surrender," Alexia declared while raising her hands.


    Almost everyone let out a sigh of relief, except for Camila who kept staring into the void.


    "You can keep the rights to these lands. We won''t say anything about this as long as you help us explore the rest of the forest, what do you think?" Alexia asked in a kinder tone, without showing fear.


    Darius seemed disappointed to see how quickly Alexia surrendered, so he looked away, losing interest.


    Thorne, on the other hand, was shocked because... he had become rich!


    Selena, despite being surprised, outwardly looked calm, so she didn''t hesitate to take advantage of Alexia''s proposal.


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    "It''s an excellent idea. What do you say we sign a new contract? As it happens, I have just the paper and pen. Follow me."


    Nodding her head, Alexia went with Selena to sign the new contract, leaving her group alone with Aiden''s.


    It was unlikely they would start a fight, especially considering what she was giving them.


    Once Alexia and Selena walked away, only silence remained.


    The silence and discomfort between both groups was palpable, especially after the discussion that had occurred just seconds ago.


    Darius showed no remorse for his suggestion, but he let himself be led away by Thorne, who was quite excited and wanted to talk privately with his friend.


    Leo and Isuke, thoughtful, also decided to move away from the campfire to have a small chat between them.


    In silence, everyone slowly started to distance themselves to eat elsewhere, staying with the members of their group, except for two girls.


    Camila was immersed in her imagination where she tried to compare her level with that of the others. The reason for this was Darius''s ''duel'' comment.


    ''The best without a doubt is Aiden... he''s fast and precise. Thorne''s strength is tremendous and Darius''s defense is almost impenetrable... Leo, for his part, is agile like Alexia, but...''


    Imagining various scenarios in her head where she had simulated fights with each of them, while finishing her food, Camila got excited realizing she had some chance of beating each of them.


    Posture, guard, counterattack, dodge, movement...


    Despite never having won a championship, what she had witnessed from them gave her enough confidence that she could beat them in a fair duel.


    Finished with her food, Camila returned to reality and noticed that no one was around her.


    They had left her alone!


    Scared, Camila looked around and noticed that on the ground, Marta was sitting, still finishing her soup.


    "Hey."


    "What? What happened?" Camila asked, confused.


    "It''s not personal," Marta replied in a low voice.


    Camila looked around, as she didn''t understand what Marta was referring to.


    Marta, seeing how confused Camila was, clarified:


    "What Darius said was... stupid. I don''t think he has the courage to kill a classmate. At most I think he would have tried to humiliate you, but..." as Marta spoke more about her companion, an expression of disgust and guilt became increasingly evident on her face.


    "Tell your group that I thank them for staying out of it. We almost ended up killing each other, didn''t we?" Marta commented lastly while letting out a small laugh.


    They weren''t going to have a normal duel!?


    Camila had no interest in the money she could get from the forest or its resources, as the only thing that interested her... was the ego-sword.


    If she got the ego-sword, she would undoubtedly be the happiest person in the world!


    And then...


    Then she would see what she was going to do.


    Returning to reality, Camila noticed how Marta was trembling due to her hands.


    Thinking for several seconds what to say, in the end Camila decided to sit next to Marta.


    "Honestly, I don''t think that would have happened."


    "Why? I''ve heard of people killing others for much less valuable things..." Marta quickly replied.


    "Aren''t we classmates?" Camila asked innocently, provoking a big laugh from Marta.


    "Classmates...? You still call us that after...? You''re... you''re strange," Marta replied while regaining her composure.


    And while Marta and Camila started to converse, not far away, Selena was closing a new deal with Alexia.


    "No hard feelings?" Selena asked with a fake smile.


    "Of course, no hard feelings," Alexia replied with another fake smile while hiding her excitement.

 Chapter 26 - Disappear

    Fear.


    How did Eleonora think she could defeat all these creatures in front of her alone?


    Impossible.


    It was simply an impossible task.


    There was no way she could accomplish something like that!


    [What are you doing now?], Eleonora asked in a serious tone.


    [Fighting!], the summoned being quickly responded.


    [Yes, that''s obvious, dummy. What I meant to ask is: how are you defending yourself?], Eleonora asked skeptically.


    [Right now, with my hands! This damn thing is trying to bite me], the summoned being answered nervously.


    [Are you grabbing a wolf with your bare hands?], Eleonora asked with a hint of disgust.


    [Yes!]


    [And how come you haven''t torn it in half yet? Those things are too fragile. If it were me, I wouldn''t even dirty my hands with something like that. Can''t you use fire?], Eleonora asked coldly.


    At that moment, before the summoned being could respond, the wolf in front of her took advantage of her distraction and lunged at her more ferociously.


    The impact knocked her to the ground, sinking her into the cold snow and scattering white powder around.


    [How cold!], the summoned being immediately thought, annoying Eleonora even more.


    [What are you doing!?], Eleonora shouted, but the wolf''s weight on the summoned being''s chest prevented her from moving.


    The summoned being struggled to breathe, feeling the wolf''s jaws dangerously close to her neck.


    With a quick maneuver, she managed to interpose her arm, deflecting the wolf''s bite to the side.


    Death.


    Despite having existed for only a few minutes and battling against a hostile environment that seemed to be against her, little by little her survival instinct became more present.


    She had to get out of there alive no matter what.


    [How do I do it?], the summoned being quickly asked, frightened but focused on not letting the wolf finish her off.


    [For someone like you... I suppose it''ll work if you concentrate your anger on a specific part of your body to materialize the most basic form of fire. You have to feel that emotion to be able to turn it into fuel for your flames, and when your hand burns...]


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    As Eleonora explained, a great anger that the summoned being wasn''t even aware was inside her became increasingly present.


    The summoned being, purely by instinct, followed Eleonora''s instructions to the letter.


    This summoned being had never seen fire, and although in her memories she vaguely felt that knowledge was there...


    Materializing her anger.


    If there was a way to materialize what she felt for this hostile world, it would be in...


    Explosion.


    A strong and sudden explosion made the wolf back away to avoid being engulfed in the flames that came out of the summoned being''s hands.


    Although everything happened so quickly, the summoned being engraved in her mind what she did.


    She did it.


    The combination of happiness and satisfaction began to flood the summoned being''s senses, who was simply excited.


    In an euphoric state, the summoned being got up to go against the other creatures.


    How dare they try to kill her?


    Little by little, a smile began to appear on the summoned being''s face as she felt the weak golden glow in her fingers starting to gain strength again, increasing its intensity until it created golden flames.


    The intensity and power of these flames made all the wolves that were planning to go against her back away.


    Gradually, that survival instinct in her began to disappear, but she didn''t care.


    Now she was determined to finish off those creatures with the ability she was capable of using.


    [Eleonora]


    [What? Have you finished them all already?], Eleonora asked in an impatient tone, to which the summoned being replied:


    [They''re retreating]


    Eleonora, upon hearing this response, clicked her tongue.


    [Don''t get cocky, those pests will try to come at you when they see you weak. Finish off each one of them, show no mercy], Eleonora explained angrily.


    This statement from Eleonora motivated the summoned being to go further, despite the initial fear she once felt, as she was now sure that with this ability she could finish them off.


    Now, for some reason, she was angrier and needed to be.


    The wolves, seeing how those golden flames increased in intensity, backed away even more.


    Why were they so cautious with her now?


    Weren''t they going to come at her as a group?


    "Come on!", the summoned being shouted furiously, but instead the wolves started to flee, including the wolf from the beginning, but due to the wound it had suffered, it ended up falling to the ground after a few meters, dying in agony seconds later.


    Now there were three large animal carcasses around her, but she didn''t care. She wanted to go after the others because of the rage she felt.


    Seeing how the rest of the wolves escaped without being able to do anything, annoyed the summoned being even more due to the helplessness of not knowing what to do to reach them.


    She was too slow.


    [They''re all escaping!], the summoned being explained in an altered tone.


    [Why are you allowing that!?], Eleonora immediately asked.


    [I''m too slow! I can''t catch them!]


    [Then fly! Don''t you know how to fly?], Eleonora asked as if it were the most obvious option in the world.


    [No! How do you do that?], the summoned being quickly asked.


    Letting out a sigh upon hearing that question, Eleonora explained:


    [Seriously... you just have to concentrate energy on your back and... that''s it]


    Despite following Eleonora''s instructions exactly, nothing happened.


    Why?


    What was she doing wrong?


    Little by little, the flames in the summoned being''s hands began to lower in intensity until they went out because she was no longer angry.


    Now she was sad.


    No matter how much she tried to chase the wolves... she wasn''t even close to catching any of them.


    Falling to her knees, supporting herself at the last second with both arms to avoid falling face-first, several tears of helplessness appeared on her face.


    She failed!


    [Well? How many have you killed?], Eleonora asked impatiently.


    [None...], the summoned being responded ashamed.


    [What do you mean none!?]


    Enduring Eleonora''s scolding while feeling how a great wave of sadness invaded her, the summoned being waited until Eleonora calmed down.


    Being born and failing her first order... it was too embarrassing for her.


    Right now she simply wanted to disappear.

 Chapter 27 - You Owe Me

    Alexia returned to where her group had moved away. The darkness of the forest barely allowed distinguishing the silhouettes, but the bonfire they had lit offered a point of reference.


    Seeing her approach, Leo immediately stood up.


    "How did everything go?" Leo asked, visibly worried as he approached her.


    "It went well," Alexia replied, sketching a small smile that barely illuminated her tired face.


    Without thinking, Leo hugged her.


    "I''m glad you''re okay," Leo whispered, without letting go.


    Alexia nodded, still in the embrace.


    "It was the best option we had," Alexia responded relaxed. "Just don''t forget what I''ve done today. The search continues," Alexia whispered in his ear.


    When they finally separated, Isuke, who had been observing from a distance, also approached.


    "Did you sign the contract?"


    "Yes, everything is arranged now," Alexia replied, giving Isuke a look, who nodded, with some guilt. "Well, now that everything is in order, we have to prepare for what''s coming. There''s still work to be done."


    Isuke, with a tired expression, was about to say something when Alexia interrupted him.


    "What do you think? Who among us should we have rest first?"


    Isuke looked around, considering the group members.


    "I think it would be good for Camila to rest, she''s exhausted. Although..."


    "Camila?" Alexia asked, noticing that the girl wasn''t among them.


    "Yes, she stayed by the bonfire," Isuke explained. "It seems she didn''t want to move too far away."


    Alexia frowned, worried.


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    "I''ll go look for her."


    Alexia quickly headed towards where she had left the bonfire. Upon arrival, she found Camila sitting in a corner, with her gaze fixed on the ground.


    "Camila," Alexia said, approaching calmly. "Is everything okay? We were looking for you."


    Camila looked up and her face looked quite tired.


    "Yes, I''m fine. I just needed a moment to think..."


    "I understand," Alexia replied. "But we need you to join the group so you can rest properly. The work isn''t over yet."


    Camila nodded slowly, getting up with effort.


    "Sure, I''ll go right now."


    "Perfect," Alexia replied. "You and Leo will rest together, since in case of an emergency, you''re the most important in our group."


    Camila nodded again and headed to her assigned place next to Leo. Both began to settle in a secluded corner, seeking some comfort on the hard, cold ground as they prepared to rest.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the group organized their resting areas around the bonfire.


    Although the atmosphere was still tense due to the recent dispute over the lands, they all collaborated to establish small places to sleep.


    Conversations were minimal and faces reflected the fatigue that was increasingly accumulating in their bodies.


    Aiden, who had been exploring the area on his own, returned to the camp. Seeing how the situation had developed and the new agreement, he approached Alexia with a thoughtful expression.


    "Alexia," Aiden began.


    ''Here we go...'', Alexia thought with annoyance.


    "I''m not completely convinced about all this, but I see that my group is accepting the situation. I don''t want there to be misunderstandings. I hope there are no hard feelings for what they did."


    Alexia, hearing his words, pretended to smile.


    "That''s how business is, just make sure you fulfill your part."


    Aiden nodded, feeling a bit relieved by Alexia''s response, but still something didn''t quite add up for him.


    Isuke, Alexia, Aiden, and Marta stayed awake, organizing shifts to watch the area while the others slept.


    Night was falling and the calm of the camp seemed deceptive.


    Marta, who had been fascinated by the glow of the leaves of nearby trees, watched absorbed as the green lights danced with the night breeze. However, her attention was suddenly caught by an unusual movement among the leaves.


    Her eyes fixed on a flicker of movement: snakes that glowed with the same scarlet color as the tree leaves. They were moving with an unsettling speed towards the camp.


    The subtle glow of the snakes made them almost invisible to the naked eye, but Marta, with her sharpened attention, could detect them.


    "Alexia! Aiden! Isuke!" Marta shouted. "There are snakes moving towards us! They glow like the leaves!"


    Alexia, hearing the warning, stood up immediately. Isuke and Aiden also became alert, with concern reflected on their faces.


    "Where are they?" Alexia asked.


    Marta pointed towards the area where she had seen the movement.


    "There, among the trees. There are many!"


    Isuke approached the location indicated by Marta, scrutinizing the darkness with his ability to detect movements.


    "They''re advancing quickly. We have to act before they get too close."


    Aiden, preparing for any possible confrontation, drew his weapon while Alexia did the same.

 Chapter 28 - Leave It to Me

    "Marta, get ready to cast a water ball spell!" Alexia commanded with a firm voice.


    Marta nodded quickly, focusing on her hands as she began to conjure the spell.


    Meanwhile, Alexia turned to Isuke.


    "Isuke, I need you to help Marta direct her spell once she finishes materializing it. Reduce their numbers as much as you can," Alexia told him, and he nodded without question.


    Alexia knew they had to act fast.


    The snakes were getting closer, sliding between the branches quite swiftly.


    Alexia turned to Aiden, who was ready but waiting for instructions.


    "Aiden, take position there," she instructed, pointing to a strategic spot near a large tree. "From there we can better intercept those snakes."


    Aiden obeyed without hesitation, moving precisely to the indicated spot.


    Both were prepared, and it wasn''t long before the first snakes fell from the high branches, lunging at them.


    Alexia, with quick and precise movements, unsheathed her dagger and sliced the first snake into two before it hit the ground.


    Aiden, for his part, stood firm, and with a single movement, split a snake that lunged at him. His technique was precise but a bit stiff, making it hard for him to move quickly.


    The snakes didn''t stop, and soon one lunged directly at Aiden''s blind spot, who was too focused on his attack against another snake.


    "I''m going to cast the spell!" Marta shouted with determination.


    Around her, large water balls formed, beginning to split into hundreds of small particles.


    These particles, upon contact with the air, crystallized, forming a rain of small sharp projectiles.


    Isuke, who had been watching the scene attentively, raised a hand and took control of a good portion of these particles.


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    With a fluid motion, he directed the crystals towards the approaching snakes, just in time to save Aiden.


    The snakes, still in the tree branches, were pierced by the crystals before they could attack.


    Some of the fragments of crystallized water hit the tree branches, but before they could break them to make the snakes fall for killing, the crystals just shattered into pieces, poorly shaking the branches.


    The snakes, seeing their numbers rapidly reduced, began to retreat, sliding their shiny bodies back into the darkness of the forest.


    Their movements were slower now, so Aiden, seeing them flee, tensed up and stepped forward, determined not to let them escape.


    "What are you doing?" Alexia shouted, somewhat surprised.


    "I''m going to exterminate them before they can do anything else!" Aiden replied, loaded with determination.


    But Alexia shook her head, standing firm.


    "No! We need to stay close to the camp. Members from both sides are resting, so they need our protection."


    Aiden stopped, reflecting for a few seconds on Alexia''s words.


    Then, finally nodding, he understood the point.


    "Alright, I get it," said Aiden, moving back to his previous position, not taking his eyes off the snakes that disappeared, blending completely with the color of the tree leaves in the distance.


    Marta, who had also been watching them leave, turned her head to look at Isuke, surprised by what she had just witnessed.


    He had taken control of much of her spell, directing the water crystals with a precision she could hardly approach.


    "Are you some kind of counterattack magic wizard?" Marta asked, unable to hide the admiration in her voice.


    Isuke gave a small smile, tilting his head.


    "You could say that."


    Marta was impressed. She knew that counterattack magic was not easy to master. It required not only skill but also a keen sense of timing and immense confidence in one''s magical control.


    Moreover, the practice of this magic was risky, as it involved waiting for another magician to cast a spell to nullify it or use it against them.


    It was, in essence, a form of magic designed to support others, giving the opportunity to turn a combat.


    "That''s not easy to learn," Marta murmured, amazed. "And in practice... it''s quite dangerous."


    As Marta processed what had just happened, the snow began to fall more heavily.


    The flakes, initially light, now quickly accumulated on the ground, creating a white and cold layer around them.


    Alexia noticed the change in the weather and quickly directed her attention to Aiden.


    "We need to keep stoking the fire," she told Aiden. "Look for more wood, but make sure it comes from a tree that''s weak so you don''t tire yourself out cutting it. Go for one that''s somewhat away from the group to avoid making too much noise."


    Aiden, once his sword was sheathed, cracked his knuckles, showing an excited smile.


    "Leave it to me."


    As Aiden prepared to fulfill the task, Alexia stopped looking towards the tree branches and lowered her gaze to the darkness surrounding the camp.


    Beyond the forest, where the darkness was almost absolute, her thoughts wandered for a moment.


    ''Where could that sword be...?''

 Chapter 29 – The Bare Minimum

    After the attack, Alexia and Marta began to collect the bodies of the snakes that had fallen during the confrontation.


    As they examined them, Marta noticed that, despite being dead, the snakes still glowed. Although the light was much softer.


    "Have you seen anything like this before?" asked Alexia, as she lifted one of the snakes.


    Marta shook her head, fascinated by the phenomenon.


    "No, never. It''s... strange. Even dead, they seem to have some kind of residual energy."


    Aiden, meanwhile, had returned with enough firewood to revive the fire that was almost out.


    He placed the logs one by one, and within minutes, the campfire regained strength.


    Hours passed in a quiet silence, broken only by the crackling of the wood in the fire.


    Finally, Alexia decided it was time to change shifts.


    With a slight movement, she woke some of the group members, including Aiden''s, so they could also rest.


    "It''s your turn to watch," Alexia whispered as she gently shook one of her companions. "Keep your eyes open, especially on the trees."


    Leo, with a confident smile, nodded and helped wake the others.


    Once all those on guard duty were up, Alexia and the others settled near the fire, ready to take advantage of a few hours of sleep.


    The next day, Alexia woke up feeling the cold in the air.


    The campfire was still burning, but what really caught her attention were the bodies of more snakes scattered on the ground, so she immediately got up, looking for those responsible.


    Darius, Leo, and Thorne were nearby, with several visible scrapes on their arms and faces. Alexia walked towards them quickly, clearly surprised.


    "What happened?" she asked, looking first at Darius, who was the most injured. "Why didn''t you wake us up?"


    Darius, with a carefree smile, shrugged.


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    "If you were able to keep your watch without disturbing us, the least we could do was return the favor. Besides, it was nothing we couldn''t handle."


    Alexia was silent for a moment, surprised by Darius''s response.


    Letting out a sigh, Alexia turned to Leo with a serious look.


    "Leo, come with me. I need to talk to you in private," she said, and without waiting for a response, she started walking in the opposite direction of the camp.


    Leo gestured goodbye to Darius and Thorne before following Alexia.


    As they walked away, Alexia turned her head towards Leo and asked in a worried tone:


    "What happened last night?"


    Leo, remaining calm, explained:


    "Many more snakes came than we expected, even a rather large one. Thorne sent it flying with a huge hit, and since it didn''t come back, it''s likely dead. After that, we had no more attacks."


    Alexia clicked her tongue briefly, her mind analyzing the situation.


    "And Selena? How did she act last night?" she asked, seeking more details.


    Leo responded without hesitation:


    "She was quite friendly and worked very well with Camila. There were no problems."


    Alexia frowned, somewhat worried about the calmness in his voice.


    "Where are they now?" asked Alexia, feeling a knot in her stomach.


    "They went to look for some food," Leo replied naturally.


    "What?" exclaimed Alexia, stopping abruptly. "Are you crazy? You let the two healers of the group go alone!"


    Leo raised a hand, trying to calm her.


    "Aiden woke up a little before you and is accompanying them. They''re not alone."


    But instead of reassuring her, this increased Alexia''s worry.


    If Aiden was with them, that meant there was a possibility they were persuading Camila to get more information.


    She was one of the most frequent members of their group and, if she gave information about Eleonora, they would not only lose the forest but also the ego sword.


    "We have to go find them, now," she ordered with a tone that made it clear there was no room for discussion.


    Leo frowned, looking at Isuke, who was still asleep.


    "What about Isuke? Do we leave him here alone?"


    Alexia watched Isuke for a moment, then nodded towards where Darius and Thorne were still talking.


    "Do you trust them?" she asked.


    Leo hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    "Even though what they said a few hours ago was harsh, I don''t think they would harm us. Not now."


    "Then trust that they will protect him if something happens," Alexia said firmly. "Come on, lead the way to where they went."


    Just as they were preparing to go in search of the healers, Alexia stopped upon seeing Camila and Selena returning with Marta and Aiden.


    Everyone was carrying an assortment of fruits they had gathered, relieving her a little.


    Now she just had to look for an opportunity to call her and find out what she had talked about with them, although there was already the possibility that she had given away information.


    Alexia began to think about what her next command should be, as soon, despite the deal she closed with Selena giving them a bit more exploration time, Aiden''s group would inevitably split from them to return to camp due to the limited time they had.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when her gaze landed on Isuke, who was still asleep on the side, oblivious to the bustle around him.


    The relaxed way he slept contrasted with the tension she felt.


    ''Please... regain your connection with Eleonora,'' Alexia prayed in her mind.

 Chapter 30 – Lets Head Southeast

    The summoning had been digging for minutes, its small hands scratching at the hardened snow in desperation, feeling the cold seeping through its skin, numbing its fingers until it could barely move them.


    But still, it did not stop, as it was being motivated by Eleonora''s voice.


    [You''re taking too long!], Eleonora scolded in a severe tone echoing in the summoning''s mind.


    "I... I''m sorry," the summoning apologized, its voice trembling from both the cold and the fear of having failed. "The snow is very hard, and... and my fingers are so cold I can barely feel them."


    Eleonora let out a cold laugh, a sound that reverberated in the summoning''s mind.


    [Is that all? That''s nothing. Hurry up, we don''t have much time]


    "What do you mean we don''t have time?" asked the summoning, pausing for a moment to look at all it had dug.


    Despite having been able to fight much larger creatures minutes ago, digging through this hard snow was exhausting it too much.


    "A human promised he would look for me," Eleonora explained in a more controlled tone, but still impatient. "But now that I''ve summoned you, my power has weakened. I lost contact with him, and my ability to sense his presence has considerably diminished."


    The summoning nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, so it continued digging, but its hands felt increasingly clumsy and painful.


    Why?


    Why was it so weak?


    Suddenly, something black appeared among the snow, catching its attention. Without thinking, the summoning touched the object with one of its fingers, feeling a sharp pain as something sharp cut its skin. It let out a small squeak of pain, recoiling slightly.


    [Oh, finally], said Eleonora with some satisfaction feeling a bit of the fresh air from outside. [Get me out of this damn place.]


    If there was something Eleonora had endured for a long time, it was this icy pressure that had buried her for centuries.


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    The summoning quickly nodded, carefully searching for Eleonora''s handle in the snow.


    Its fingers, though trembling, clung to it with determination. With all its strength, it began to pull, feeling the resistance of the snow as it slowly unearthed the sword.


    Finally, with one last tug, the summoning managed to pull Eleonora out, who let out a long sigh of relief.


    Although the outside air was still icy due to the climate, it was nothing compared to the icy prison in which she had been buried for so long.


    Free.


    [Damn, finally], murmured Eleonora with some emotion, feeling the fresh and cold night air wrapping around her blade.


    After many centuries, she had regained it again.


    She had regained her freedom.


    Eleonora couldn''t help but notice how incredibly different the real world felt compared to the place where she had been training for so long.


    The night sky, dotted with bright stars, seemed like an infinite marvelous tapestry she hadn''t seen in centuries.


    ''It''s real...'', thought Eleonora as her gaze swept across the sky.


    Although her mind had recreated a world for training, this one, with all its nuances and details, was much better.


    Much, much better.


    The sensation of the cold air, the distant crunch of the snow, and the moonlight illuminating the landscape...


    Everything was a new, almost overwhelming experience after so long.


    Of course, if she could set fire to the place where she had been buried for centuries, she would do it if she only had a candidate.


    So right now her priority...


    Was to regain her power.


    And she could only use the full extent of her power if she had a candidate.


    [Get up], ordered Eleonora to her summoning, watching as the figure obeyed and emerged from the hole it had dug with so much effort.


    As it did, Eleonora surveyed the surroundings and something caught her attention.


    ''What are those trees...?'', Eleonora thought strangely upon seeing the peculiar glow of the nearby trees.


    There was something familiar about the energy they radiated, something she recognized, but couldn''t quite define.


    [Approach those trees], Eleonora ordered with her voice laden with curiosity.


    The summoning immediately obeyed, and Eleonora was annoyed, as those trees were imbued with her energy, or at least a part of it.


    However, in her current state, she couldn''t do anything to reclaim it.


    An idea began to form in her mind: if she made a pact with her summoning, she might be able to access that energy and might not even need to make a contract with a human. But just as she began to consider the possibility, a sharp pain stabbed her chest, so intense that it made her shudder.


    The more she tried to focus on the idea of the contract, the stronger the pain became, until she had to abandon it completely. As soon as she did, the pain vanished.


    [Eleonora?], the summoning called out, noticing her prolonged silence.


    Eleonora remained silent for a moment, processing what had happened before responding.


    [We must leave. Head southeast], Eleonora ordered quite firmly.


    She wasn''t going to lose that human.


    Not now that she had this summoning with which she could do something.


    [Alright], responded the summoning, not questioning the urgency in Eleonora''s tone.


    Determinedly, it began to move, venturing into the forest, with the shadows of the trees glowing around it.

 Chapter 31 – No Turning Back

    Isuke was lost in the darkness of his mind, trapped in an absolute void that isolated him from the outside world.


    He had been there for what felt like hours, stuck in this sort of limbo.


    Although he had lost the familiar connection with Eleonora, now something different was beginning to manifest.


    At first, it was just a faint vibration in the void, but slowly, that energy grew stronger, more defined.


    It wasn''t exactly the same as what he had felt before with Eleonora, but there was a similarity he couldn¡¯t ignore.


    As the energy drew closer, Isuke began to have doubts.


    There was something strange about this new presence.


    Unlike Eleonora, who seemed anchored in one place when guiding him, this energy was in constant motion, accelerating as it approached the direction where he and his group were.


    This behavior was unsettling.


    Could it really be Eleonora?


    Or perhaps...


    Something else?


    As these questions swirled in his mind, Isuke couldn''t help but think about everything Alexia and Leo had risked up to this point.


    They had lost their rights to the forest and were facing increasingly dangerous enemies.


    Deciding whether or not to share this information with Alexia now was crucial.


    Despite his doubts, he knew he couldn''t afford to stay silent.


    If there was even a slight chance that Eleonora was involved, he had to act.


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    When he finally opened his eyes, the scene around him was almost comforting.


    Almost everyone was gathered, sharing a meal in a small circle.


    Alexia immediately noticed Isuke waking up, looking up from her plate as she saw him move toward her. Her expression was neutral, but there was a glint in her eyes that showed she was worried.


    "Camila is already preparing your food, so you¡¯ll be able to eat soon," Alexia said in a soft tone.


    But Isuke, ignoring courtesy for a moment, leaned in closer to her.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Isuke asked, trying to keep his voice calm.


    Alexia, sensing something in his tone, nodded immediately and stood up.


    They both walked away from the group, moving a few meters until they were far enough to speak privately.


    Isuke felt his heart pounding in his chest, not just from nerves, but also because of the importance of what he was about to say.


    ¡°I think... I¡¯ve regained my connection,¡± Isuke confessed, feeling a lump in his throat as he said it.


    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but he couldn¡¯t keep it to himself.


    Alexia looked at him, surprised.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ she cheered inwardly.


    [Really?], Alexia asked to confirm.


    Isuke nodded, though with some caution.


    ¡°Yes, though... it¡¯s different. It¡¯s a similar energy, but it¡¯s moving, not anchored like before. It¡¯s getting closer to us, and faster by the moment.¡±


    Alexia¡¯s smile faded slightly as she heard this, her mind considering all the possible implications of that information.


    First, because Eleonora had always talked about being sealed, anchored to a place, but if Isuke felt that something similar to her was moving toward them, the possibilities were too many, but to simplify it...


    One could be that a summoning was on its way, or that an enemy was approaching.


    Either way, the losses were already significant for her. Aiden¡¯s group had demanded a lot in exchange for their help, and giving them rights over these lands...


    Just thinking about it annoyed Alexia.


    Delaying things further or retreating were no longer in her plans.


    "Point the direction," Alexia said to Isuke in a firm voice.


    He raised his hand and pointed precisely to the northeast, the same direction as before.


    Alexia swallowed, absorbing what this meant.


    Returning to the group, she announced with an authoritative but calm voice:


    ¡°When you¡¯re done eating, I want us to explore what lies northeast of this forest. This will be the last request I make before we return to camp.¡±


    The statement left the members of Aiden¡¯s team thoughtful, especially Selena and Darius, who exchanged glances.


    Although they didn¡¯t say it aloud, it was clear that Alexia¡¯s request struck them as unusual, and maybe a bit suspicious.


    Aiden, who had already devoured two bowls of food, noticed Alexia¡¯s gaze and nodded, speaking on behalf of his team:


    "We agree."

 Chapter 32 – A Good Solution

    After gathering their belongings and ensuring the makeshift camp was almost completely dismantled, the group began to move in the direction indicated by Isuke.


    They formed a ¡®V¡¯ formation, with Darius at the front, flanked by Thorne and Leo, and Aiden right behind them. Further back were Alexia, Camila, Marta, Selena, and Isuke, closing the formation.


    The sun was starting to rise on the horizon, illuminating the dense forest as they advanced.


    In the daylight, they realized the enormity of the forest; it seemed endless, no matter which way they looked.


    Marta and Selena whispered to each other as they walked, imagining the possibilities of what they could do with those leaves.


    Alexia, always alert, sensed a change in the environment.


    Although the forest was wrapped in an eerie silence, her sensitive ears caught the sound of many footsteps, drawing closer.


    It was a subtle noise, almost imperceptible to the others, but enough to set off alarms in her mind.


    She doubted it was Eleonora, so with a quick gesture, she indicated to Marta to prepare her spell.


    Pointing to a tree with a trunk large enough to hide them all, they took cover behind it.


    Marta began to chant, and after several seconds of concentration, a soft aura enveloped them, making them invisible and concentrating their scent within the barrier.


    The spell worked perfectly, but Alexia could still hear the approaching footsteps.


    Time passed slowly. The sound grew louder until finally, a pack of wolves burst forth, heading in the opposite direction from where they had been advancing, as if fleeing from something.


    The group, protected by the tree, watched in silence as the wolves¡ªtoo many to count¡ªrushed past, moving in a stampede that would have been impossible to confront directly.


    Each team member tried to make as little noise as possible, aware that although the spell concealed them visually and masked their scent, a single sound could give them away.


    The wolves passed, and gradually, the pack began to move away.


    Some of the companions let out sighs of relief, believing the danger had passed.


    But Alexia, with a tense expression, gestured for silence, something the others didn¡¯t understand at first but obeyed.


    Camila, who was watching in the opposite direction, noticed something alarming.


    A wolf, as large as a person, had separated from the group and was staring directly at them.


    As it drew closer, she began to touch her companions, trying to alert them without making noise.


    ¡®Why can¡¯t I hear its steps¡­?¡¯ Alexia thought, puzzled, as she turned around.


    The others, noticing her unease, held their positions, with Darius moving to the front, adopting a defensive stance at the edge of the barrier.


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    The wolf approached slowly, its piercing eyes fixed on Darius.


    The air grew tense as the animal stopped just a few centimeters from the warrior.


    For a moment, time seemed to freeze until the wolf began to howl.


    A long, deep sound that resonated through the forest.


    Alexia, with her sharpened senses, detected a change in the direction of the pack¡¯s footsteps. Now, the wolves were heading toward them.


    There was no time to lose.


    Without hesitation, she gave a quick, decisive order:


    "Climb the trees, quickly!"


    The instruction puzzled everyone for a moment.


    Why climb the trees?


    But the urgency in Alexia¡¯s voice compelled them to act immediately.


    One by one, they began to climb the trees, using the thick branches as grips.


    Camila was the first to leave the protective range of Marta¡¯s magical barrier.


    ¡®Why me¡­?¡¯ Camila thought, bewildered.


    She had been the one to warn them about that strange wolf!


    But as soon as she did, the lurking wolf lunged at her with a fierce leap, but Darius quickly intervened, deflecting the attack and forcing the wolf to focus on him.


    Meanwhile, the others continued climbing with some difficulty, some being pushed up from below.


    "Higher, as high as you can!" Alexia ordered firmly, despite the doubts her companions might have about the plan.


    Gradually, the rest of the wolves began to close in, and only the fighters remained below: Darius, Thorne, Leo, and Aiden.


    Thorne was the next to climb, helped by Leo, followed closely by the latter, while Darius held his ground, preventing the wolf from attacking the others.


    Aiden, with a powerful, precise strike, slashed the wolf¡¯s stomach, forcing it to retreat, and took that moment to shout at Darius:


    "Climb now, don¡¯t be stubborn! Fighting down here is suicide, we need to gain height!"


    Darius, despite his instinct to stay and fight, understood that Aiden was right. Although reluctant, he began to climb, helped by Leo and Alexia, who assured him the branches were strong enough to hold his weight.


    With a grin, Darius climbed with agility, almost like a monkey, quickly ascending through the branches.


    Meanwhile, the wolf, wounded and furious, tried to attack Aiden again, but he was ready.


    In a quick, calculated move, he dodged the wolf¡¯s charge, leaving its head completely exposed.


    Seizing the opening, Aiden raised his sword and, with a precise and lethal strike, pierced the wolf¡¯s skull.


    With the wolf down, Aiden hurried to follow the others, supported by the outstretched hands of Alexia and Leo, who helped him climb.


    Once up, Alexia informed him that everyone was now at a safe height.


    Aiden looked up, observing the incredible height of the trees that now protected them.


    The wolves, desperate, began jumping, trying to reach them, but barely managed to grasp the branches before falling back to the ground, unable to maintain their balance on the thin branches.


    Alexia, along with Aiden and Leo, observed the situation from above, as higher up, the branches became thicker and sturdier, capable of supporting the weight of several people, providing them with a relatively safe platform.


    Looking toward the northeast, Alexia noticed that the trees in that direction kept increasing in height almost ridiculously, as if they were facing a challenge designed to test their abilities.


    ¡®What if this is a trial from Eleonora¡­?¡¯ Alexia thought, recalling that she had called herself a sacred sword.


    Marta, with some concern, approached Alexia and asked quietly:


    "Should I cast my magic to scare them off or slow them down?"


    Alexia looked at her and, after a brief moment of reflection, shook her head.


    "Save your strength. We don¡¯t know if these wolves will be able to climb or if we¡¯ll face a greater danger later. It¡¯s better to be prepared."


    Marta nodded, trusting Alexia¡¯s judgment, though fear still lingered in her eyes.


    Even so, Alexia managed a small smile, trying to instill some calm.


    Despite the chaos below, she decided to take advantage of the height the trees offered.


    "How about we keep moving through the branches?" Alexia asked in a clear, determined voice.


    The proposal surprised several members of Aiden¡¯s group.


    Move by jumping from tree to tree?


    It wasn¡¯t what they expected, considering the dangerous situation they were in.


    Camila, who had been focused on not falling, spoke up nervously.


    "I don¡¯t see myself jumping from branch to branch. I barely feel safe up here¡­"


    Marta, supporting Camila, added in a serious tone:


    "It¡¯s not the same to climb as it is to move through the trees, and if any of us falls, those demons below won¡¯t hesitate to tear us apart."


    Alexia understood their reasoning to some extent.


    Jumping from tree to tree wasn¡¯t an easy task, especially with danger lurking from below.


    However, an idea began to form in her mind.


    There might be a way to move forward without putting the entire group at risk.


    Perhaps, splitting up could be a good solution!

 Chapter 33 – No Mistakes

    Alexia raised her voice to get everyone''s attention, a clear determination in her gaze.


    "Listen," she said, making sure everyone was focused on her. "We''ll split into two groups. One will stay here, protecting and securing this position. The other will move forward, checking if there''s a safer zone or a route we can take."


    Selena, doubting her statement, interrupted with a direct question.


    "And who will be the ones advancing?"


    Alexia already had the answer in mind.


    "Leo, Isuke, Thorne, and I will go ahead. We''re fast and can explore the terrain without compromising the main group."


    Thorne, who had been silently listening, raised his hand.


    "Alexia, I''m not very good at jumping from branch to branch... especially not at this height."


    Alexia smiled slightly but quickly wiped the expression from her face, keeping serious.


    "Don''t worry. Isuke and Leo are willing to explore. You and the others will stay here under Aiden''s command."


    Selena frowned, not entirely satisfied with the plan, as something didn''t quite sit right with her.


    "And why don''t you take Camila too? That way, both teams would have healers in case something happens."


    Alexia looked at Camila and then calmly responded.


    "Because we aren''t going to fight. We''re moving forward cautiously, avoiding any conflict. Besides, Camila, do you see yourself jumping between trees?"


    Camila quickly shook her head several times, showing clear horror at the thought.


    "No, no... being this high already gives me chills," Camila confessed, still trembling a little.


    Aiden, observing the dynamic, decided to intervene.


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    "Darius, do you want to go?" he asked, knowing his companion was one of the group''s strongest.


    Darius, without hesitation, replied in a calm but firm tone.


    "I''d like to, but I''m too heavy to be jumping from tree to tree."


    Suddenly, Darius pointed toward the wolves below, who were managing to climb a few meters with their claws before falling again, injuring themselves in the process.


    "Besides, it''s better for me to stay here and cover you. These wolves are getting better at their attempts, and I don''t want them to take advantage of any slip-up."


    Aiden nodded, understanding his point.


    Darius continued, looking at Alexia.


    "The idea isn''t bad. Letting the lighter ones explore makes sense, but we, the stronger ones, stay here to make sure there are no problems for when you return."


    Alexia nodded slowly.


    "You got it right, Darius." Then she lifted her gaze to the rest of the group. "Does everyone agree?"


    A murmur of agreement spread through the group.


    It wasn''t a perfect plan, but in this situation, there was no better one.


    It was a silent consensus that moving forward was preferable to staying trapped and without options.


    With a deep breath, Alexia took the first step. She agilely jumped toward a distant branch, her eyes fixed on her target, ignoring the abyss below.


    As she landed precisely on the branch, everyone held their breath.


    Below them, the wolf pack watched her, lurking, ready to pounce at the first mistake they made.


    Alexia, with the calmness that always characterized her, turned on her position and signaled Leo and Isuke to follow her.


    "Let''s go, we don''t have all day."


    Leo was next. Although his jump was shorter and safer, he advanced, landing gracefully on a nearby branch.


    His breathing remained steady, and he didn¡¯t miss a beat.


    Isuke, on the other hand, stayed back for another second.


    Doubts assaulted him. It was, in part, because of his decision that they were in this situation.


    Isuke looked toward the void he needed to cross, and just below him, the wolves kept desperately jumping toward the lower branches, trying to climb.


    The red eyes and gleaming fangs seemed to mock his hesitation.


    ''I can''t back out now,'' Isuke thought. With a sigh, he bent his legs and jumped.


    For a moment, the air seemed to stop, and his body was suspended between the tree he was leaving behind and the branch he was trying to reach.


    For a second, he lost control and felt his feet slip, sending a chill through his entire body as he saw the distance separating him from the ground.


    The wolves below kept trying to climb, falling with every failed attempt, but getting closer each time.


    Isuke wavered for an instant but finally managed to grab the branch tightly.


    His breathing quickened as he tried to calm the trembling in his body.


    Leo, already farther ahead, watched him with some concern.


    "Are you okay?"


    Isuke nodded, though the fear still lingered.


    "Yeah¡­ just, let''s keep going."


    He knew he couldn''t fall behind. Despite the fear, the danger, and the uncertainty surrounding him, his only goal now was to keep up with Alexia and Leo, to tell them which direction that energy was heading. They couldn''t afford a single mistake. Not now.

 Chapter 34 – Id Do the Same

    As they moved from branch to branch, the sense of danger did not disappear.


    The wolves continued below, pursuing them relentlessly, their breathing and growls mingling with the wind passing through the leaves.


    Isuke, though trembling from the cold, managed to keep pace while sensing the pulse of the energy.


    ¡°There!¡± Isuke shouted, pointing with his arm. ¡°That¡¯s where the energy is going!¡±


    Alexia nodded from her position at the front.


    ¡°Stay close,¡± she ordered firmly.


    They couldn¡¯t risk Isuke falling too far behind, knowing he was the most vulnerable in the group.


    Despite the exhaustion that was beginning to show in all of them, they pressed on.


    Each leap, every branch their feet touched felt like a small victory as the wolves below stalked them, brushing against the lower branches with sharp claws but failing to reach them.


    At one point, Alexia began to slow her pace and finally stopped on a particularly thick and sturdy branch.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she commanded, and Leo immediately followed suit, stopping just behind her.


    Isuke arrived a few seconds later, breathing heavily, clearly more affected by the physical effort than the rest.


    His hands were trembling, and sweat dripped down his forehead.


    Though he had managed to keep up, it was obvious he couldn¡¯t maintain that pace for much longer.


    ¡°Rest a bit,¡± Alexia said as she turned to observe her companions. ¡°I can see you¡¯re tired.¡±


    Leo barely showed signs of fatigue but nodded in appreciation.


    Isuke, on the other hand, collapsed onto the branch, breathing heavily.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for him, being a mage, to keep up with two warriors used to this kind of physical exertion.


    As they rested, Leo broke the silence.


    ¡°Alexia, why did you want to bring Thorne?¡±


    Alexia glanced at him, a slight smile on her face.


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    ¡°I needed to leave someone from our group with them and take one to explore. I didn¡¯t want to raise suspicion.¡±


    Leo frowned, interested in her reasoning.


    ¡°Did you know Thorne and Darius wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with us?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alexia said, letting out a light laugh. ¡°Aiden is their leader; he wouldn¡¯t leave his group so easily, and Darius is too heavy for these jumps. Selena¡­ well, I didn¡¯t see her willing to leave them and come with us either. Marta is their firepower, so she could have caused trouble if I had asked for her. That¡¯s why Thorne was the best choice.¡±


    Leo looked at her, impressed by how well she had planned everything, even amidst the chaos.


    ¡°You¡¯re scary.¡±


    Alexia let out a brief laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in worse situations with my grandfather. This is¡­ manageable.¡±


    Leo smiled slightly at her response.


    ¡°And tell me, what do you think of them?¡± Leo asked, referring to Aiden¡¯s group.


    Alexia looked at him for a second, pondering her answer.


    ¡°They¡¯re greedy bastards,¡± she said with a half-smile. ¡°But in a way, I understand them.¡±


    Leo frowned, intrigued.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Alexia shrugged, as if it were obvious.


    ¡°If I were in their shoes, I¡¯d do the same.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Leo raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alexia replied immediately.


    ¡°I see¡­ but¡­ if you were them now¡­ would you stay there, waiting for us to return?¡± The doubt was evident in his tone, reflecting his distrust of the plan.


    Alexia smirked slightly and then shook her head.


    ¡°Not exactly. If I had a group like theirs, I¡¯d probably take down the wolves little by little. And if the ones who went to explore didn¡¯t return¡­ well, I¡¯d just follow the path they took initially.¡±


    Leo remained silent, processing her words, but his curiosity urged him to keep asking.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Mostly because of the giant wolf we saw at the beginning,¡± Alexia said, her tone more serious this time. ¡°Now I understand why it didn¡¯t enter this forest by jumping or destroying the trees. Those trunks are as hard as steel. If it tried to get through here, it would be like impaling itself on thousands of spikes.¡±


    Leo nodded slowly, understanding the logic behind her words.


    ¡°So, you think using the trees as protection is the best option?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Ideally, we¡¯d find another way out, which is why I¡¯d wait if I were them. If we can¡¯t find one, we should wear down the giant wolf, using the trees as a barrier. After that, I¡¯d return to camp, save the coordinates of this place, and plan how to exploit this area in the future. This forest holds a lot of value.¡±


    Though Alexia had tangled herself up in her explanation, Leo began to understand her point.


    ¡°You can tell you¡¯re the granddaughter of a merchant.¡±


    Alexia let out a brief laugh.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve survived worse things, you learn to see all the possibilities.¡±


    Just then, Isuke, who had been silent and focused on the energy he was tracking, spoke up, interrupting the conversation.


    ¡°The energy¡­ has changed direction!¡±


    Both turned to him, their faces reflecting surprise and alertness.


    ¡°Where¡¯s it going?¡± Alexia asked quickly.


    Isuke pointed in a direction close to where they had come from.


    ¡°It¡¯s moving¡­ back to where we were.¡±


    Alexia frowned, considering their options.


    Though it was strange, they couldn¡¯t afford to ignore that change of direction.


    ¡°We can¡¯t waste time,¡± Alexia said quietly, though her words were an order. ¡°Let¡¯s move. We have to intercept it before it reaches the camp.¡±


    With a quick signal, Leo and Isuke stood up, ready to follow her.


    Without wasting another second, the group began moving in the direction Isuke had indicated, jumping from branch to branch with the same tension hanging in the air.

 Chapter 35 – Who Are You?

    As they advanced, Alexia couldn''t help but feel a bit more anxious. The wind whipped against their faces as they tried to pick up speed, but something about the terrain started to change. The branches became thinner, and the trees were spaced farther apart.


    Alexia was the first to notice that the branches of the nearby trees were no longer at a safe distance to jump without much effort. The trees were shorter, and the jumps became more dangerous.


    "Watch out!" Alexia shouted, pointing to the safer branches to advance through.


    The group began to divert, seeking more stable paths, but the danger was present in every leap.


    It was then, in the middle of one of these detours, that Isuke, visibly exhausted from the physical effort, stumbled.


    "Isuke!" Leo shouted as he saw him lose his balance.


    The young mage, out of strength, wobbled dangerously on the edge of the branch. His arms flailed to prevent a fall, but it didn¡¯t seem enough, and for a second, the world seemed to stop.


    Leo was nearby but not close enough to reach him in time. However, Alexia, realizing the situation, didn¡¯t hesitate.


    She abruptly stopped, made a big leap backward, and landed next to Isuke at the last moment.


    Leo, watching this, couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard because, without a doubt, Alexia had pulled off a great acrobatic feat.


    With a swift movement, Alexia grabbed Isuke by the arm and steadied him before he could fall.


    "You need to hold firm!" Alexia shouted at him.


    Isuke, still trembling, managed to regain his balance.


    Looking down made his stomach churn.


    The wolves had not lost sight of them for a second.


    It was terrifying.


    From the shadows of the forest, the large pack was following them, their eyes glowing with hunger and a desire to catch them.


    But what truly froze Isuke¡¯s blood was one of the wolves, taking advantage of its speed and agility, managing to jump from tree to tree. With its claws digging into the trunks, it ascended quickly, dangerously closing in on them.


    "Alexia, watch out!" Leo shouted, realizing what was happening.


    The wolf was about to reach them.


    Its claws glistened as it prepared to leap at them. Fear took hold of Isuke, who could see the ferocity of the animal up close. However, Alexia stepped forward and, with a clear command, shouted:


    "Go higher! We need to climb higher, fast!"


    There was no time to waste.


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    Everyone, without exception, began climbing to higher branches.


    Isuke, still dazed, followed Alexia while his mind continued processing how close he had come to falling.


    The wolves, however, did not lag behind.


    Seeing the first one try, others began to mimic its acrobatics, jumping from tree to tree. But Alexia¡¯s plan worked.


    As they attempted to follow them to the higher branches, the wolves failed to keep up. One by one, the animals crashed into the trunks or simply lost their balance and fell to the ground, violently rolling and injuring themselves in the process.


    When they finally reached a safer height, the three of them stopped for a moment.


    The air was heavy, and adrenaline coursed through their veins.


    They were all sweating, but Isuke, being a mage and not a warrior, was the worst off. He was breathing heavily, and his legs trembled from the effort.


    The group remained silent for a few seconds, catching their breath, but the tension still lingered.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    The summon was running through the cold, wintry forest, her bare feet crushing the snow with each step, while her naked body trembled from the cold that engulfed her.


    She had no clothes or protection; after all, she had been called to this world just moments earlier, without time for comfort or preparation.


    But despite the hardships, her mind was not focused on the discomfort she felt from the weather, but rather on her sole task.


    To follow Eleonora¡¯s orders.


    Which, at that moment, was the black sword she held in her hand.


    With every step she took, small wolves, mere shadows in the forest, began to flee when they saw her.


    Their eyes gleamed with fear as they tried to escape from her as quickly as possible.


    [Kill those pests!] Eleonora shouted, her voice full of disdain.


    The summon did not hesitate. She quickened her pace, her muscles tensing as she wielded Eleonora firmly.


    The wolves, who were merely trying to escape, were no match for the speed with which she moved, nor for the skill with which Eleonora sliced through the air.


    The blade of the black sword plunged easily into the wolves'' flesh, slicing them into pieces one by one.


    As the summon destroyed them, she realized something strange.


    She didn¡¯t feel fear.


    Before, she might have hesitated, but not now.


    Instead, a new sensation began to grow inside her.


    Satisfaction.


    With every wolf that fell at her feet, her smile widened a little more.


    The blood stained the white ground, and the summon, blinded by the desire to fulfill Eleonora¡¯s orders, continued forward.


    Amid her labored breathing and the rhythm of her feet on the snow, the summon felt something else in the air.


    It was¡­ something gathering energy in a strange way.


    Frowning as she cut down another nearby wolf, she asked:


    "Do you feel that, Eleonora?"


    Eleonora, in a thoughtful tone, replied:


    [It seems like someone is using mana¡­ But wait¡­ Wait a moment!]


    The sword vibrated slightly in her hand, as if Eleonora had sensed something else.


    [Don¡¯t you feel a human near us?]


    The summon tilted her head, confused.


    "A¡­ human? What is that?"


    A deep sigh echoed in the summon¡¯s mind.


    Eleonora was clearly frustrated.


    [You¡¯re useless¡­] Eleonora muttered, though her tone hinted at slight exhaustion more than anger. However, she didn¡¯t waste more time explaining. [Stop killing the wolves, now.]


    Obediently, the summon immediately halted her movements.


    The few wolves that remained alive took the opportunity to flee, disappearing among the trees and snow, leaving the forest in an eerie silence.


    [Listen carefully,] Eleonora continued, now in a firmer tone. [Close your eyes and concentrate. You need to sense all living beings capable of gathering energy.]


    The summon, still confused, closed her eyes.


    At first, all she could perceive was the stillness of the forest.


    But slowly, bit by bit, something began to change.


    Small points of light appeared in her mind, moving away from her.


    She couldn¡¯t distinguish much at first, but soon, those points of energy seemed to take shape, moving quickly. Surprised, she spoke to Eleonora:


    "I can see several points moving away from us and others standing still!"


    [They¡¯re probably those useless wolves or some other creature resting,] Eleonora said impatiently. [Now listen, concentrate. Not all living beings are the same. Filter out those that only have that energy in them, and focus on the ones that have something more¡­ The ones capable of doing something more.]


    The summon repeated the words, still confused by the concept.


    "Something more¡­?"


    What did Eleonora mean by that!?

 Chapter 36 – Security

    The summon frowned, trying to understand what Eleonora was asking of her.


    In the end, with no other options, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, focusing on those small points of light dancing in her mind.


    Each one was a spark of energy, moving with a certain coherence, but some seemed brighter than others.


    It was as if the energy inside certain beings pulsed, fluctuating in a strange way.


    ¡®Mana,¡¯ she thought, recalling what Eleonora had mentioned.


    She knew mana was something important, something powerful beings could wield. She didn¡¯t fully understand how it worked, but the more she focused on those points of light, the more she began to notice subtle differences.


    At first, all the energy points seemed the same. But little by little, her perception sharpened.


    Some were small and steady, while others fluctuated erratically, changing size.


    Her closed eyes tightened further as she tried to untangle the information she was receiving.


    The smaller points seemed to move in simple patterns, like the wolves she had been killing. But there were others... others that not only moved unpredictably but were also surrounded by a halo of energy. They grew larger and smaller intermittently, and that change caught her attention.


    ¡®Those points... they¡¯re different,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Eleonora!¡± she suddenly exclaimed. ¡°There¡¯s a group of six points, but three of them change size, and there¡¯s something else around them.¡±


    Eleonora paused before responding, her voice more serious this time.


    [That¡¯s mana. They¡¯re using mana.]


    The summon began to understand. Those fluctuating points of light were different from the rest. They were beings that manipulated energy in a more complex way.


    ¡®Those must be the humans,¡¯ she deduced. Although she didn¡¯t fully understand what a human was, Eleonora¡¯s words were starting to make sense.


    The beings that could do ¡®something more¡¯ were those who controlled that power.


    Her breathing quickened as she felt a mixture of excitement and determination.


    If those points represented a threat or a target, then her next move was clear.


    ¡°I¡¯m going after them,¡± the summon said, changing direction without hesitation.


    Her body moved swiftly through the trees, stomping on the snow with force, while the black sword in her hand seemed to vibrate.


    Eleonora, noticing the change, interrupted her.


    [You¡¯ve figured it out?]


    The summon smiled, a smile that was far from sweet but filled with growing satisfaction.


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without saying more, she sped up, running with all her might toward those points of energy.


    She knew these beings were different, and it didn¡¯t matter what they were or why they were there.


    The only thing she was sure of was that she was going to find them.


    ¡ó¡ô¡ó


    ¡°They¡¯re getting closer!¡± Marta shouted, her voice strained from the effort as she hurled another fireball at the wolves approaching their position.


    The explosion briefly lit up the area, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the avalanche of creatures quickly climbing through the trees.


    Aiden gritted his teeth as he watched the wolves begin to adapt.


    The beasts, with their ferocity and agility, were managing to perform impressive acrobatics, using their claws to scale the trunks and leap from branch to branch, clearly intent on knocking them down and devouring them on the ground far below.


    Darius and Thorne, each with a sword in hand, stayed at the front, cutting down any wolf that got too close.


    Their movements were precise, but the sheer number of wolves made maintaining balance on the thin branches a constant challenge.


    ¡°Damn pests!¡± Thorne exclaimed as a wolf, using its momentum, almost succeeded in knocking him off the branch.


    With a quick movement, Thorne cut off one of its legs before the creature could complete its attack, but the wolf fell to the ground only to be replaced by two more coming from behind.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill them all!¡± Marta screamed, frustrated as she saw that for every wolf she incinerated with her spells, more took their place, mimicking their comrades'' movements, jumping and clawing at the trunks with their sharp talons.


    Aiden quickly assessed the situation.


    If they kept fighting at the same level in the branches, they would eventually be overwhelmed by the wolves. There were too many, and the fact that the beasts were learning to move so easily through the treetops put them at a dangerous disadvantage.


    ¡°We need to go higher!¡± Aiden ordered, pointing toward the thicker, safer branches where he had seen Alexia¡¯s group head. ¡°Marta, go with the healers! Quickly, climb before the wolves catch up!¡±


    Marta nodded quickly and looked at the two younger girls, the group¡¯s healers, who were already trembling with fear.


    ¡°Come on, hurry!¡±


    She pushed them toward the upper branches while preparing another fire spell to cover their retreat.


    Darius, without taking his eyes off the wolves, stepped back and positioned himself beside Aiden.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cover their retreat,¡± he said, panting as he slashed at another wolf lunging toward him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them surround us!¡± Thorne yelled, kicking one of the wolves trying to leap at them.


    But the wolves were relentless, and more than one began to follow Marta and the healers'' path.


    Aiden didn¡¯t waste any time. He kept giving orders as he climbed higher into the branches, always making sure Darius and Thorne, who were covering their rear, didn¡¯t fall too far behind.


    ¡°Darius, Thorne! Keep up, but don¡¯t get too far away!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got it covered!¡± Darius responded, spinning around to slash at another wolf that had launched itself directly at his back.


    The higher branches were thicker and provided more stability, but the wolves, imitating their companions who had successfully climbed up, continued jumping nimbly, clawing at the trunks to keep their balance.


    One of the larger wolves, with a scar over its eye, got close enough to strike near Thorne¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Aiden shouted, but it was too late.


    Thorne lost his balance for a moment and had to leap to a nearby branch to avoid falling.


    The wolf, seeing him in a vulnerable position, tried to jump on him, but Darius intervened, slicing the wolf in half before it could complete its attack.


    Aiden glanced down for a brief moment, and horror gripped him.


    The creatures that fell didn¡¯t die. They kept getting up, again and again, wounded but unstoppable, as if the fall and the damage didn¡¯t matter.


    The ground was full of wolves, some with severe injuries, but all still moving, waiting for the chance to catch them.


    ¡°They¡¯re not going to stop!¡± Aiden muttered, realizing the gravity of the situation. ¡°We have to keep moving!¡±


    With one last look downward, where the wolves kept climbing relentlessly, Aiden gathered all his energy and pointed higher.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, climb higher! We can¡¯t stop here!¡±


    Marta and the healers were already much further up, though the concern was still evident on their faces.


    Darius and Thorne held their ground, defending as the group regrouped in a safer position.


    But soon that wouldn¡¯t be enough, so they had to delve deeper into the forest to find a more secure place.

 Chapter 37 – Fall

    ¡°Come on, climb higher! We can¡¯t stop here!¡±


    Aiden continued giving orders as he watched his group struggle to keep their balance and move among the branches.


    Marta and the healers were already a little further up, but the wolves didn¡¯t stop trying to reach them, leaping from tree to tree with terrifying agility.


    However, the higher they climbed, the harder it became for the creatures to keep up.


    The wolves, as fierce as they were, began to miss their jumps, losing precision and falling to the ground with frustrated howls.


    Darius and Thorne kept cutting down the wolves that managed to get too close, but their numbers were dwindling.


    Finally, Aiden could see that one by one, the wolves began to fall from the heights, unable to keep up with the group.


    The beasts crashed into the branches or collapsed to the ground, unable to maintain the same control and agility in the treetops that the group had managed to master.


    ¡°Marta, stop using your magic!¡± Aiden ordered, turning quickly toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. We¡¯ll run out of resources if you keep casting spells.¡±


    Marta, breathing heavily, nodded without saying a word.


    Though it was hard for her to accept the order, she knew Aiden was right. They had climbed high enough, and the wolves were no longer managing to reach them. Stopping the fireballs was the logical thing to do. She just had to hold out a little longer.


    Aiden took a brief moment to catch his breath, observing his surroundings.


    The sky was darkened by the canopy of trees, but the height gave him a clear view of the terrain around them, thanks to the glowing leaves.


    The remaining wolves below howled and ran in circles, searching for another way to reach them, but Aiden knew they wouldn¡¯t last much longer if the group kept moving.


    ¡°Which direction did Alexia¡¯s group go?¡± Aiden asked, without taking his eyes off the horizon.


    For a moment, no one answered. Camila, who had been almost entirely silent until now, stepped forward, pointing with a trembling hand to the northeast.


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    ¡°Over there... Alexia and the others headed that way.¡±


    Aiden looked toward where Camila pointed.


    The trees in that part of the forest seemed taller and more stable, which would allow them to move more safely.


    Aiden nodded to himself, feeling a slight sense of relief.


    ¡°Good, then that¡¯s where we¡¯re headed.¡±


    The group began to move again, now with more calm but with the constant sense of danger still present.


    Looking down, the height from which they were moving was unsettling.


    The ground was much farther away than they remembered. Any fall from this height would be fatal.


    Fear tried to creep into their minds, but Aiden kept them focused.


    They had jumped before, even under the pressure of the wolves. Now they just had to do the same, without the earlier chaos.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do this in turns,¡± Aiden explained firmly as he positioned himself on one of the thicker branches. ¡°Jump one by one to avoid losing balance. Each branch seems strong enough to hold us, but we can¡¯t take unnecessary risks.¡±


    Marta and Camila were the first to position themselves for the jump.


    Camila, a mix of nerves and determination, eyed the distance to the next branch.


    Her heart pounded, but she knew she had no other choice. However, when Marta took her leap, something went wrong.


    The branch under her feet was slippery from accumulated moisture, and as soon as Marta took her first step, she lost her balance. With a stifled gasp, she tried to regain control, but her body wobbled to one side. Instinctively, she reached out, and in her desperation, she grabbed Camila.


    ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Camila thought as she felt the grip.


    The pull was sudden, and before Camila could process what was happening, she felt her body being dragged into the void.


    The air whistled around her, and time seemed to slow as she fell. The impact with the ground came quickly.


    The pain was immediate, sharp, excruciating. A crack echoed in her chest, followed by several more.


    She had landed badly, and something inside her had broken.


    Camila let out an involuntary scream, a cry of pain that echoed through the silent forest.


    Marta, beside her, was also on the ground, gasping from the impact.


    The situation was worsening. In the distance, the remaining wolves began to approach again, drawn by the noise of the fall.


    As Camila tried to comprehend what had just happened, a flash of light whizzed past her head, embedding itself in the ground right beside her.


    It was a sword.


    Aiden had thrown it with precision, barely grazing Camila¡¯s head, but avoiding injuring her.


    Camila, still dazed, stared at the sword in disbelief.


    Her mind was in chaos.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ Camila wondered as she struggled to catch her breath. ¡®Why did Marta have to slip right now? Why did she have to drag me down with her?¡¯


    Frustration and adrenaline began to take over her body.


    She knew the circumstances couldn¡¯t have been more unfortunate, but she couldn¡¯t afford to die like this.


    Not without a fight.


    Gritting her teeth, Camila slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pain radiating from her ribs and arms.


    She knew something was wrong, that several bones had broken in the fall, but at that moment, all she felt was an indescribable rage.


    Looking up, she saw the wolves drawing closer.


    Their eyes gleamed with hunger, and fear pierced through her like a blade. But along with that fear, something else was born inside her: a fierce determination.


    She would not die without a fight.

 Chapter 38 – Am I Going to Die?

    From the treetops, Aiden observed the situation and made a quick decision.


    His sword sliced through the air with millimetric precision, landing right beside Camila¡¯s head, embedding itself into the ground.


    He watched as she stood up, shaky but determined, her eyes fixed on the wolves surrounding her.


    At least he had managed to equip her with a tool for defense.


    ¡°We need to get down and rescue them!¡± Aiden shouted, turning towards Darius and Thorne, who nodded without hesitation.


    They didn¡¯t have enough firepower or long-range magic to take down the wolves from their position, so the only option was to descend as quickly as possible and engage in close combat.


    The three of them began moving through the branches with agility, descending as fast as they could.


    Selena, who had been further back, started whispering support spells as she followed them, preparing for any emergency.


    She knew her healing and support magic would be crucial once they reached Camila and Marta.


    Meanwhile, Camila tightened her grip on the sword¡¯s hilt.


    Her mind was racing, but her body acted on instinct.


    The wolves circled her, and she knew at any moment, one of them would leap at her.


    She couldn¡¯t hesitate.


    She screamed with all her might, hoping her voice would keep the beasts at bay.


    The wolves paused for a moment, perhaps surprised by her sudden outburst, but quickly lunged at her again.


    Every time one of the wolves got too close, Camila swung her sword.


    Though her technique was clumsy, and her strength wasn¡¯t the best, she managed to push them back.


    However, she knew she couldn¡¯t hold them off for long.


    One of those monsters would eventually leap on her. She could feel it in the air.


    ¡°Marta!¡± she screamed desperately, without taking her eyes off the wolves. ¡°Cast a spell or something! I need help!¡±


    But when she looked at her companion, she saw Marta on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The pain from the fall had left her paralyzed.


    Between sobs, Marta could barely utter:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Camila pressed her lips together, frustrated, but she didn¡¯t have time to get angry.


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    She had to focus on surviving.


    In the distance, she saw Aiden¡¯s group descending rapidly, and for a moment, she felt a wave of relief that caused her to let down her guard. But that small lapse was enough.


    A wolf sprang from the darkness, launching itself straight at her chest.


    Camila reacted purely on instinct, blocking with the sword just in time.


    The impact was brutal, and the wolf¡¯s weight nearly knocked her to the ground.


    With a heart-wrenching scream, she drove the sword into the side of the beast, feeling it pierce through flesh and bone.


    The wolf howled in pain and collapsed at her feet.


    She barely had time to recover before she felt a sharp bite at her ankle.


    Another wolf had taken advantage of the confusion and attacked her from the side.


    Camila screamed in pain, but she couldn¡¯t afford to fall now.


    Gripping the sword tightly, she quickly muttered a physical reinforcement spell, feeling the magic flood her body for a brief moment.


    With a desperate swing, she slashed at the wolf clamped onto her ankle, forcing it to release her.


    But it didn¡¯t end there.


    More wolves approached, circling her with relentless ferocity.


    Camila, now with one hand on the sword hilt and the other punching any beast that got too close, fought to stay on her feet.


    With each passing second, her body accumulated more wounds, and her stamina began to wane.


    The wolves¡¯ fangs sank into her flesh, tearing skin and muscle, while her blood started staining the ground beneath her.


    ¡®Am I going to die¡­?¡¯ was a thought that crossed her mind.


    The chaos around her intensified, and the fear of dying there, devoured by those creatures, took over her mind.


    The growls and howls mixed with her own ragged breathing.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t hold out much longer.


    Suddenly, a loud whimper echoed through the trees.


    The wolves around her seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking in the direction of the sound.


    ¡®It¡¯s Aiden¡¯s group¡­ they¡¯re close¡­¡¯


    Camila felt a surge of hope.


    If she could hold on just a few more seconds, they could save her.


    But her body no longer responded as it had before.


    A wolf larger than the others pounced on her, knocking her down with its weight.


    Camila hit the ground with a thud, and the creature pinned her down.


    She found herself face to face with the wolf, its hot, foul breath hitting her face.


    She gritted her teeth as fear consumed her, but she wasn¡¯t going to give up.


    Camila screamed in desperation, her voice hoarse and filled with terror:


    ¡°No!¡±


    She tried to push the creature off with her free arm, but she could barely move it.


    Her strength was leaving her, and the pressure of the wolf on her chest was suffocating her.


    She saw the beast¡¯s cold, merciless eyes, slowly drawing closer to her face, its fangs ready to bite.


    Her end was near.


    In that moment, something happened.


    The wolf froze for a brief second, as if it had sensed something, and before it could react, a clean, silent slash tore through its body.


    Half of the creature fell heavily to the side, and blood splattered onto Camila¡¯s face, drenching her immediately.


    It had all happened in a fraction of a second, so quickly that her mind took a moment to comprehend what had occurred.


    Camila, breathing heavily, was too stunned to move.


    The sensation of the wolf¡¯s weight was gone, but now a sudden cold enveloped her.


    Relief came along with the horror of the warm blood dripping down her face.


    However, she was alive.


    ¡®I made it¡­,¡¯ Camila thought, relieved.


    Trembling, she quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand, and when her vision cleared, she saw what had happened.


    In front of her, where the wolf had been, stood an unexpected figure.


    A small girl, naked, with pale skin and hair as white as snow, held a black sword in her hand, its blade dripping with fresh blood.


    The girl¡¯s aura was strange, something about her presence made Camila shudder deep inside.


    The girl didn¡¯t appear to be much older than her, but there was something unnatural about her.


    Her golden eyes, empty and piercing, exuded an inhuman coldness.


    Camila felt a chill run down her spine, a sensation she couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡®Who is she?¡¯ Camila thought, still panting and not fully grasping what was happening.


    The girl showed no emotion, no sign of concern or effort, she was simply there, holding the sword as if it were an extension of her own body, staring at her with those vacant eyes.

 Chapter 39 – Are You Human?

    Suddenly, the girl spoke, her voice as cold as her gaze.


    "Are you human?"


    The question bewildered Camila.


    In the middle of all the chaos, with wolves still lurking around, the last thing she expected was to hear those words.


    She gasped, trying to regain her composure, but couldn¡¯t form a response.


    Why was she asking that?


    And more importantly, who really was this girl?


    Before Camila could answer, the girl spoke again, this time pointing her sword toward one of the wolves that was dangerously close.


    Camila barely had time to react before the girl moved with surprising speed.


    A single, clean, precise cut sliced the wolf in half, its body falling heavily to the ground, blood splattering around it.


    The blade of the sword sliced through flesh, bone, and skin with an almost inhuman ease.


    Camila, wide-eyed, couldn¡¯t believe what she had just witnessed.


    The girl had cut the wolf in two as if it were a mere piece of paper.


    The remaining wolves, which until that moment had displayed unstoppable ferocity, began to retreat.


    It seemed that the girl¡¯s presence, or perhaps her overwhelming strength, had completely changed the situation.


    One by one, the wolves began to flee, disappearing among the trees with fearful growls.


    Camila, barely managing to stand, watched everything with a mix of disbelief and relief.


    But something in the air remained tense, something strange that she couldn¡¯t quite identify.


    Suddenly, she heard Aiden¡¯s familiar voice approaching quickly.


    "Camila! Are you alright?" he shouted, but before she could respond, the adrenaline that had kept her on her feet began to fade.


    A metallic taste filled her mouth, and suddenly, everything went dark for a moment.


    She coughed violently, and a thread of blood spilled from her lips, followed by a spasm in her chest.


    Her legs trembled, and finally, her body gave out, collapsing to the ground with a dull thud.


    Barely conscious, Camila felt the weight of fatigue overwhelm her.


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    She knew she was injured, she knew her body had reached its limit.


    Amid the chaos, she felt someone approaching.


    With effort, she lifted her head just enough to see the girl kneeling beside her.


    The golden eyes continued to observe her with that disconcerting coldness, as if none of what was happening truly mattered.


    "Are you human?" the girl repeated, her tone just as indifferent as before, as if Camila¡¯s critical condition was just another detail.


    Camila, barely conscious, gasped out a weak response:


    "Y-yes..."


    The girl showed no visible reaction.


    She simply stood up and, with a swift gesture, stabbed her sword into the ground, right beside Camila¡¯s head.


    "Make a contract."


    That phrase deeply confused Camila.


    A contract?


    What was she talking about?


    The pain kept her barely alert, but her mind couldn¡¯t process what the girl was asking her to do.


    Before she could ask, the sound of several footsteps announced the arrival of Aiden and the others.


    When they got close enough, Aiden, Thorne, and Darius came to an abrupt stop at the sight before them.


    The wolves were gone, and in their place, they found Camila lying on the ground, covered in blood, and beside her, the white-haired girl, small but unsettling.


    The black sword was still stabbed into the earth beside her, and the coldness in the air made them hesitate before moving closer.


    "Who is she?" Aiden asked, clearly surprised by the girl¡¯s appearance.


    Selena, who had followed the group closely, walked past without paying attention to the question.


    She quickly knelt next to Marta, who was still immobile and crying in pain.


    As she began to whisper healing spells over her, the healer murmured urgently:


    "Hold on, Marta... Please, hold on a little longer..."


    But Camila¡¯s pain was also intense, unbearable.


    She could feel the blood pooling in her mouth, and her body was starting to lose control.


    She could barely breathe. As her eyes slowly closed, a cold, distant voice broke into her mind, as clear as crystal:


    [Are you aware that you¡¯re going to die if you do nothing?]


    The voice didn¡¯t belong to anyone around her, not even to the girl in front of her.


    It was someone else, a presence that seemed to be inside her head.


    Unable to move her lips, Camila tried to respond from the depths of her mind.


    ¡®I know...¡¯ she thought, as tears began to well up in her eyes.


    She knew her condition was critical. There was no escape, no possible relief. Desperation began to overwhelm her.


    [The healer is busy treating the other girl. Both of you are gravely injured. If you don¡¯t do something soon, you won¡¯t make it. Make a contract with me.]


    Camila blinked through her tears.


    The voice was reading her thoughts, which confused her even more.


    Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind.


    Isuke used to talk to Eleonora this way, without moving his lips.


    ¡®Eleonora... is that you?¡¯ Camila thought.


    [Yes, it¡¯s me,] Eleonora responded calmly.


    Camila let out a nervous laugh, her body trembling involuntarily.


    The reflex caused her more pain, and blood filled her mouth again.


    Despite the strangeness of the situation, what more did she have to lose? She was already on the brink of death, and if that voice really was Eleonora... maybe there was a chance.


    ¡®What do I have to do... to make the contract?¡¯ Camila asked, as pain and uncertainty clouded her mind.


    [You must reach out and touch me. Say my name and ask this sword to accept you as its contractor.]


    Camila heard the instruction clearly.


    With a titanic effort, she stretched one of her trembling hands toward the black sword the white-haired girl had stabbed into the ground beside her.


    Her fingers weakly brushed the cold blade, barely touching it, and despite the other voices around her... she decided to bet everything on this.


    ¡®I am Camila Clark... a priestess who... asks you, please, to accept me as your contractor...¡¯ Camila thought as she fought to stay conscious.


    Eleonora, upon hearing that declaration, seemed to smile within Camila¡¯s mind, though she couldn¡¯t see it.


    [Not bad...] Eleonora murmured with a note of approval in her voice. [I accept your request for a contract, Camila Clark. From this moment, you are my candidate.]

 Chapter 40 – Are They Allies?

    The moment those words echoed in her mind, Camila felt something change.


    An intense heat began to spread from her chest, coursing through every corner of her body.


    It was as if a dense, unfamiliar energy flowed within her, adjusting and altering everything in its path.


    Her body, exhausted and on the brink of death, began to react in a way she had never experienced before.


    The wounds that had left her defenseless started to close slowly, though the pain remained unbearable.


    A faint dark glow appeared around her body, which immediately caught the attention of Aiden¡¯s group as they hurried over to help her.


    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s happening?¡± Thorne murmured, wide-eyed as he watched the change in Camila.


    Aiden, visibly shaken, couldn¡¯t hold back and, pointing furiously at the white-haired girl who stood indifferent, shouted:


    ¡°What did you do to her?!¡±


    The girl''s vacant, golden gaze drifted to Aiden for a second but did not respond. It was as if the behavior of the humans around her was irrelevant.


    ¡®Should I kill them...? No¡­ maybe Eleonora will want to use them later¡­,¡¯ the summoned being thought.


    Meanwhile, Camila felt her heart pounding harder, its rhythm thundering in her ears.


    The heat in Camila¡¯s body intensified, as if every fiber of her being was burning from within. Yet, despite the scorching heat, a cold darkness enveloped her mind.


    Her consciousness began to fade, but strangely, before completely succumbing to exhaustion, her body started to move.


    Aiden watched in horror and confusion as Camila, despite being visibly injured, stood up from the ground. Her breathing was shallow and strained, but something had changed in her, something impossible to ignore.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Thorne stepped forward, but stopped as he noticed something strange.


    Camila¡¯s eyes. Once vibrant and blue, they were now a deep red, glowing like blood.


    Something¡ªor someone¡ªwas controlling her.


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    Aiden swallowed nervously as he took another step toward her, but he couldn¡¯t shake the chill that ran down his spine.


    Camila, or what seemed to be Camila, took a deep breath, as if she were inhaling fresh air for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°Fresh air¡­¡± Eleonora whispered, her voice barely audible, but clear enough for everyone present to hear.


    Confusion quickly spread among them, including Selena and Thorne, who watched without knowing what to think.


    Selena, who was in the middle of healing Marta, glanced up for a second without stopping her healing incantation.


    Even though she had left Camila to treat her friend, she had obviously planned to save her afterward, since she couldn¡¯t treat both at the same time, but now, in this situation¡­


    What should they do?


    That was the question almost everyone had in their minds. The wolves, who had been an imminent threat just moments ago, no longer approached. They watched from afar, terrified, aware that something far more dangerous was before them.


    It was clear that the two figures in front of them¡ªthe white-haired girl and the possessed Camila¡ªposed a much greater threat. Although, for the moment, they hadn¡¯t made a move to attack.


    But¡­ what if they did?


    Despite his confusion, Aiden raised a hand, signaling to his companions to stay calm.


    He needed answers before acting rashly.


    With a tense but more controlled voice, he tried to reason with the situation.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Aiden asked, his gaze fixed on Camila, though it was clear he was addressing both her and the white-haired girl.


    Eleonora, inside Camila¡¯s body, barely paid attention to his words.


    Instead of responding, she let out a small laugh¡ªa strange sound.


    It wasn¡¯t mockery or disdain.


    It was a sound full of¡­ something else.


    It was a sound of pure emotion, a celebration as her senses processed everything around her.


    She felt the cold air on Camila¡¯s skin, the smell of blood, the earth¡­


    But what she truly relished was the pain.


    The pain from the open wounds on Camila¡¯s body was unlike anything else.


    She could feel every laceration, every bruise with a clarity she hadn¡¯t experienced in her form as a sword or in that other world where she had remained for so long.


    She had missed this feeling.


    ¡°The pain¡­ in a physical body¡­¡± Eleonora murmured with unusual joy, a dangerous smile forming on her lips. ¡°It¡¯s unmatched¡­¡±


    Her tone was almost celebratory, as if she was savoring every stab of pain, every trace of suffering that Camila¡¯s body offered.


    Of course, even she knew how ridiculous it was to think like that.


    But¡­ damn, it felt so good to be alive again!


    The cold cutting through flesh, the sound of humans talking around her, the simple fact of hearing them with human ears instead of through the distant echoes of her sword form¡ªeverything was different.


    As she thought about this, her senses picked up on the fact that one of those humans¡ªAiden, it seemed¡ªwas speaking to her again, interrupting her moment of euphoria with his questions.


    Eleonora slowly shifted her attention toward him, watching as they tried to stay on guard, ready for anything.


    The wounds on Camila¡¯s body were still slowly closing, but the palpable fear in the air was so thick that Eleonora could almost taste it.


    ¡°Are you allies or enemies?¡± Aiden asked, his voice calmer this time, trying to understand the situation.


    Eleonora, with that same smile, returned his gaze, her eyes glowing with that inhuman red that didn¡¯t belong to Camila.


    With a soft but loaded voice, she replied:


    ¡°Allies?¡± She tilted her head slightly, as if considering the word with interest. ¡°And you¡­ are you allies?¡±

 Chapter 41 – What Is That?

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    Aiden, even more confused by Eleonora¡¯s response, hesitated for a moment, but he knew that answering was crucial.


    Despite how strange the situation was, he understood that any wrong move could lead to a direct conflict.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re allies¡­ of Camila.¡±


    Eleonora¡¯s smile widened. She observed the group of humans, noting the tension in their postures.


    Although they were trying to appear calm, their fear was betraying them.


    Eleonora, despite having been locked away for so long, knew what her power meant.


    Envy.


    Whether from family or strangers, that seed would sooner or later sprout and grow as her candidate¡¯s status improved through her strength.


    That¡¯s why Eleonora always looked at any human who wasn¡¯t her candidate with skepticism, because eventually, they could harm her. But for now¡­


    ¡®I¡¯ll wait,¡¯ Eleonora thought as she felt her candidate¡¯s consciousness resting.


    For some reason, no matter how much strength a human gained from their bond with her, if their loved ones suffered, the contract was always at risk.


    It had barely been ten minutes since the contract, and she was already facing a problem. But instead of being annoyed, she found it amusing.


    So, even though she could feel the distrust and fear in the air, she decided to take another approach. If these humans, who seemed ready to point their weapons at her, were truly Camila¡¯s friends, there might be room for dialogue.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Eleonora murmured, still with that mischievous expression. ¡°If you¡¯re her allies, then why did your healer go to save the other girl¡­ instead of helping your supposed ally?¡± Eleonora spoke those last words with a hint of mockery, pointing to herself using Camila¡¯s body.


    Aiden frowned at the accusation but quickly tried to explain himself.


    He knew that any misunderstanding at this moment could end badly.


    ¡°Thorne has potions in his bag. We were planning to treat Camila with them while Selena healed Marta.¡±


    Eleonora narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical.


    ¡°Potions? What is that?¡±


    She had never heard of such a thing in her time.


    Her distrust was evident in the way she eyed Thorne, who was carrying the potions.


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    Aiden realized that Eleonora truly didn¡¯t know what that type of healing was, which left him confused.


    How could she not know what a potion was?!


    Those things were the most basic form of alchemy, a minimum requirement for any exploration group!


    ¡®Are they from another time¡­?¡¯ Aiden thought, but now wasn¡¯t the time for that.


    Marta was injured, and they didn¡¯t know when the wolves or another creature might decide to attack.


    Aiden tried to calm her down, though he felt like they were walking on a tightrope.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ magical brews that can speed up healing. We weren¡¯t going to leave her without treatment.¡±


    Eleonora studied them for a moment, her critical gaze making them feel vulnerable.


    Then, as if she had come to a conclusion, she asked:


    ¡°But are you friends¡­ or family?¡±


    The group exchanged nervous glances.


    The question caught them off guard, as if they were facing an unexpected interrogation.


    But after a brief silence, Aiden, with a hint of uncertainty, answered:


    ¡°We¡¯re her friends.¡±


    Eleonora let out an apparent sigh of relief, though the smile on her face remained.


    ¡°Ah, I see now¡­¡± she murmured, as if something had become clear to her. ¡°So, if you¡¯re her friends, I can¡¯t just let that girl, who¡¯s on the brink of death, die, can I?¡±


    And with that statement, without waiting for a response, Eleonora turned and began walking toward Marta, who lay on the ground, gravely injured, with Selena still kneeling beside her as she recited her healing spell.


    The group watched, stunned and tense, not daring to intervene but clearly prepared to act if Eleonora did something strange.


    When she reached Marta, Eleonora looked at Selena and, without hesitation, said:


    ¡°Move.¡±


    Selena looked at her in disbelief and shook her head, her voice trembling slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m still treating her.¡±


    Eleonora smiled confidently, ignoring the growing hostility in the group.


    She crouched beside Marta, carefully examining the wounds on her body.


    She could feel the boys behind her shifting uneasily, ready to attack if she did anything suspicious. But she didn¡¯t care about that.


    Slowly, Eleonora brought her right hand to her mouth and, with a decisive gesture, bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood.


    A thin trickle of blood ran down her finger as she brought it to Marta¡¯s lips, who was breathing heavily, barely conscious.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Selena exclaimed, but it was already too late.


    Eleonora had already placed her bloody finger in Marta¡¯s mouth, causing the girl to instinctively start swallowing the blood.


    Selena froze, unable to stop her, and screamed for Aiden.


    ¡°Aiden!¡±


    Aiden, on high alert, took a step forward, warning her in a tense voice.


    ¡°Stop right now.¡±


    But instead of getting upset, Eleonora simply looked up at him, keeping her calm the whole time.


    ¡°Why are you all so loud?¡± Eleonora asked in a soft, almost maternal voice. ¡°Can¡¯t you see clearly?¡±


    With her free hand, Eleonora pulled down the fabric covering Camila¡¯s neck, revealing a wound that had been visible on her skin earlier.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the injured area began to emit a faint steam, and the wound slowly started to close before their eyes.


    Aiden, Thorne, and the others watched in disbelief as Camila¡¯s body healed. And not only that. Marta, who had been on the verge of death moments before, started breathing more strongly.


    Although she was still coughing, her wounds began to emit the same steam as Camila¡¯s body, and little by little, her skin showed signs of healing.


    The clothes she was wearing also began to steam, as if Eleonora¡¯s power was flowing directly into her.


    The group was speechless, paralyzed by the confusion and astonishment they felt.


    What kind of magic was this?!


    Meanwhile, Eleonora remained impassive, observing the effect of her blood on Marta¡¯s body.


    ¡®Wow¡­ I¡¯m really weak. Despite all the blood she drank, she still hasn¡¯t gotten up¡­¡¯ Eleonora thought as her gaze shifted to her summoned being, whom she viewed as a small child, unsure of what the hell to do in this situation.


    ¡®Should I kill her?¡¯

 Chapter 42 - We failed

    The forest stretched around them as Alexia, Leo, and Isuke moved from branch to branch. Their movements were quick and precise, but they couldn¡¯t shake the increasing frustration of having searched for Eleonora for so long with no clear results.


    Alexia, with her feline ears perked up and her tail swaying behind her, tried to focus all her senses on tracking the sword-ego.


    Suddenly, Alexia stopped dead in her tracks, fixing her gaze on a nearby clearing.


    In the distance, she saw Aiden¡¯s group on the ground, surrounded by dead wolves. The air smelled of blood, but there was something else.


    While it was clear that the wolves hadn¡¯t been entirely wiped out, it was obvious that Aiden¡¯s group had faced a much greater threat, and yet the remaining wolves seemed to have fled.


    Something must have forced those creatures to retreat, but¡­ what?


    As she scanned the area, Alexia felt a shiver run down her spine.


    There, amidst the chaos, was a figure that stood out even among the carnage: a girl with white hair.


    Every instinct was screaming at her to stay alert. Without even knowing her, the very presence of the girl radiated danger.


    Leo landed on the same branch as Alexia, noticing that she had suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you stop?¡± Leo asked, adjusting his stance on the branch to avoid losing his balance.


    Alexia pointed towards the group on the ground.


    Leo followed the direction of her finger and his eyes widened in surprise.


    It wasn¡¯t just the situation that left him speechless, but the most disturbing detail: Camila, one of theirs, was holding a black sword. A sword that shouldn¡¯t be in her hands.


    Leo clicked his tongue in irritation, immediately grasping the gravity of what they were witnessing.


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    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±


    Isuke, who hadn¡¯t been able to jump to the same branch because there was no space, looked up, confused by the sudden halt in their progress.


    ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± Isuke asked from the lower branch, catching his breath.


    Alexia slowly turned to him, her face filled with frustration and resignation.


    Isuke swallowed hard at Alexia¡¯s expression. His stomach clenched as he noticed the tension in the air and how his companions seemed to be facing defeat.


    But then he noticed it: the girl with white hair.


    Even though his mind was trying to deny it, everything in his body screamed that this figure had to be Eleonora, due to the energy it radiated.


    But something was terribly wrong. Eleonora shouldn¡¯t be able to move, let alone have a human body.


    How was that possible?


    What was going on exactly?


    Isuke looked away from Eleonora and focused on the wolves that had followed the group.


    Something strange was happening: the wolves didn¡¯t seem interested in approaching Aiden¡¯s group, even though they were clearly on the ground.


    ¡®Is something repelling them?¡¯ Isuke thought.


    Frustrated and feeling an emptiness in her chest, Alexia slowly dropped down to the branch she had been standing on, her eyes fixed on the ground as her ears drooped in sadness.


    The whisper of her voice, barely audible, escaped her lips:


    ¡°We failed¡­¡±


    Leo, still observing the scene, let out a bitter laugh.


    ¡°Did we really go through all this¡­ for nothing?¡±


    His tone, though still tinged with disbelief, carried a clear sense of defeat.


    For Alexia, this was not just a defeat. They had lost more than the sword-ego; they had also lost the rights to exploit the forest, and with it, the large sum of money she had promised to that group.


    The options were few and all felt equally devastating.


    In every direction, they had failed, and it hit her hard.


    Her ears drooped even further, and her tail, which usually remained in motion, was now completely still, hanging limply behind her.


    Leo, for his part, although trying to appear indifferent, couldn¡¯t hide his own disappointment.


    The excitement he had felt imagining himself as the great knight wielding the legendary sword-ego had completely vanished.


    His dreams of fame and recognition had crumbled before him, leaving only a deep and disheartening void.


    Isuke, seeing both Alexia and Leo falling into pessimism, began to feel a weight on his shoulders.


    Not only had he failed to help his friends, but he had also failed to guide them.


    The guilt was crushing him, and as he looked at the ground below, where Aiden¡¯s group seemed to be safe from the wolves, he tried to gather the little optimism he had left.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Isuke began, trying to keep his voice steady. ¡°We could go down¡­ see how things are. Maybe we can still help¡­ somehow.¡±


    And another big reason he wanted to go down¡­


    Was because he wanted to speak face to face with Eleonora.

 Chapter 43 – Greed

    Eleonora remained silent, observing the surroundings as she sensed the approaching presences.


    It was clear that Alexia''s group was following her, though her summon had detected them long ago. Despite this, the summon did nothing, following Eleonora''s prior instructions to take no action without her permission.


    Meanwhile, Aiden''s group, along with Camila and Thorne, still recovering from the recent fight with the wolves, noticed Alexia and her companions'' arrival.


    Although the relief of seeing reinforcements was momentary, unease grew as they noticed the large pack of wolves trailing the newcomers.


    However, the wolves, who had shown relentless ferocity before, now kept their distance, almost as if they feared approaching due to the presence of the two girls, Eleonora and her summon.


    Seeing the tension in the air, Aiden decided to take the initiative and moved forward to greet Alexia.


    "Well, it looks like you''ve had your own troubles too," Aiden said with a somewhat forced smile, glancing at the pack of wolves that kept their distance.


    Alexia greeted him kindly, but her face showed signs of exhaustion.


    "Yes¡­ Well, it seems like we¡¯ll have to go back the way we came," she replied with a faint smile. "Ahead lies a much more dangerous creature, and we don¡¯t want to face it... It would be suicide," she added seriously.


    The mention of a dangerous creature immediately caught Aiden''s attention, and he frowned.


    "A more dangerous creature?" he asked, worried.


    "That''s right. It¡¯s better not to take any risks. These wolves were just the beginning," Alexia assured, lying to avoid further conflicts. She knew that telling the truth would complicate things.


    Aiden nodded, grateful for the warning.


    "Thanks for the information. Actually, we¡¯ve had some problems ourselves..." he began, pointing to Camila, who was near Marta, still being tended to by Selena.


    "Camila fell along with Marta while trying to escape, and amidst all the chaos, that girl appeared..." Aiden paused for a moment, gesturing toward Eleonora and her summon.


    When Alexia and Aiden turned their heads towards the two girls, they were now staring intently at Isuke.


    The tension increased further when Eleonora called out to Isuke as he passed by her.


    Isuke, hearing the call, raised a hand in greeting, keeping his expression calm.


    "Eleonora... I didn¡¯t expect to see you here," Isuke said with some surprise and calmness in his tone. "We were¡­ looking for you," he added, his eyes locking onto Eleonora''s.


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    "I didn¡¯t think you could move," he added, showing no signs of aggression.


    Eleonora, seeing Isuke''s calm demeanor, took a moment to analyze the situation.


    Behind him, she could perceive a young man whose eyes reflected something she knew all too well.


    Greed.


    "I appreciate you coming..." Eleonora began, her voice soft but firm. "But I¡¯ve already made a pact," she concluded, observing the group closely.


    Aiden, who had been listening to the conversation, blinked in confusion.


    "A pact?" he asked, clearly surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect someone in Alexia¡¯s group to know this mysterious girl.


    Alexia, who had been trying to keep the situation under control, spoke up.


    "It¡¯s... complicated, Aiden. This girl asked for our help before, but you don¡¯t need to worry. If she wanted to kill us, she would have done it already," Alexia said with a forced smile.


    The silence that followed was uncomfortable, and Alexia coughed slightly, nervous about the lack of reaction.


    "In any case, it¡¯s best if we go back. Now that we have Eleonora, returning won¡¯t be so difficult," Alexia suggested, trying to steer the conversation away.


    But Darius, who had been watching everything warily, didn¡¯t let the conversation slip away so easily.


    "Wait," he said, interrupting Alexia. "What other secret are you keeping?" he asked, his gaze sharp.


    Alexia, surprised by the confrontation, shook her head.


    "None," Alexia replied, trying to sound convincing, though her tone betrayed a slight nervousness.


    The fatigue, combined with the exhaustion from this exploration¡­ made it impossible for her to maintain a flawless fa?ade, adding to all the mistakes she had made and that her mind constantly reminded her of.


    "I''m starting to figure you out, Alexia. You never give out all the information at once," Darius reproached, keeping up the pressure.


    Thorne, who had remained silent until now, decided to join the conversation.


    "Did you know about this forest before we got here?" he asked, incredulous.


    Alexia tried to defend herself.


    "No, I didn¡¯t know anything about this. I really had no idea..." she began to say, but at that moment, Eleonora, with an unreadable expression, leaned towards Isuke.


    ¡°If you want to make a pact with me now, you¡¯ll have to convince my candidate... or kill him,¡± Eleonora whispered.


    Leo, who was close enough to hear, widened his eyes in surprise at the declaration.


    Selena, equally nearby, let out a shocked gasp, her hands trembling slightly as she continued tending to Marta.


    Isuke, keeping his composure, looked Eleonora directly in the eyes.


    "Don¡¯t worry," he replied with a tone full of a certain confidence. "Our only goal was to rescue you," he added with a slight smile. "Although..." he continued, glancing at Leo, "I would have preferred if you made a pact with my friend," he admitted with some resentment.


    Eleonora raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his words.


    "Why do you say that?" Eleonora asked, clearly curious.


    "I¡¯m a mage. It doesn¡¯t make much sense for me to make a pact with an ego-sword," Isuke explained sincerely.


    This statement left Aiden¡¯s group stunned.


    The discussion they were having with Alexia came to an abrupt halt, everyone turning to look at Eleonora in shock.


    Thorne was the first to break the silence.


    "She¡¯s an ego-sword?" he asked, clearly impressed, before turning to Alexia. "And you didn¡¯t tell us?!" he accused.


    Alexia put a hand to her forehead, clearly frustrated by how things were unfolding.


    "It¡¯s better if we head back to the camp. We can continue this conversation at the academy," she said, trying to regain control of the situation. "She¡¯s already made a pact; there¡¯s no point in arguing here," she added firmly.


    But Darius wasn¡¯t willing to let it go so easily.


    "And what if I defeat Camila?" he asked, looking directly at Eleonora. "Would you make a pact with me?"


    Eleonora smiled, a cold and dangerous smile that made the atmosphere even more tense.


    "Yes," she simply replied.


    The atmosphere grew even heavier after her statement.

 Chapter 44 – I Expected More from You

    Eleonora¡¯s mind wandered back to her days of glory, when every confrontation was an opportunity to showcase her power, to taste victory and humiliate those who thought they stood a chance against her.


    The long period she had spent inactive, centuries without feeling the heat of battle, had made her miss those moments more than she was willing to admit.


    As the humans exchanged words, Eleonora smiled arrogantly.


    Now, she was no longer interested in protecting her candidate as she used to; at this moment...


    What she sought was amusement.


    Eleonora wanted something that would remind her of who she was and what she was capable of.


    Darius, with his axe in hand, approached, determined to test his strength. Perhaps he had noticed that the body she possessed was not particularly imposing.


    Camila, her current candidate, had the physique of a healer, more accustomed to using healing magic than physical combat.


    However, when Eleonora took control of her body, she quickly noticed certain developed muscles, especially in the arms and legs.


    Camila had trained with the sword at least a couple of times a week, giving her body a latent strength that, while not outstanding, would be enough to surprise anyone who underestimated her.


    As Darius advanced with his axe raised, Aiden tried to stop him, mentioning that Selena was nearby.


    But Darius didn¡¯t listen, confident that he could easily defeat the girl Eleonora was controlling.


    Eleonora raised a hand, signaling Isuke, her summon, and the rest of the group to step back.


    She moved away from where they were tending to Marta, clearing the area for the duel.


    Darius smiled. He understood perfectly what Eleonora was suggesting.


    A fight, a test of strength.


    This was the kind of challenge a warrior like him couldn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a friendly duel,¡± Darius declared, smiling confidently. ¡°I promise not to hurt Camila too much.¡±


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    Eleonora chuckled, a low, amused laugh, as she took a relaxed combat stance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the first move,¡± she offered, smiling with superiority.


    Darius didn¡¯t waste any time. With a swift, powerful motion, he swung his axe in a lateral strike.


    Eleonora simply took a step back, dodging the blow effortlessly.


    She noticed the immense strength behind his attack and knew that physically, this man was much stronger than Camila.


    But a fight isn¡¯t won by brute strength alone.


    Quickly crouching, Eleonora scooped up a handful of snow from the ground with her free hand and, in one fluid motion, threw it into Darius¡¯s face.


    He laughed at the unexpected attack, wiping the snow from his eyes. But his laughter was short-lived. Before he could react, Eleonora, with precision, cut one of the tendons in his foot.


    The warrior fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, and as he tried to turn to counterattack, he froze at the feel of Eleonora¡¯s sword blade against his neck.


    If he had moved just a bit more, he would have died.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± Eleonora declared in a cold voice.


    Silence fell over the group.


    The ease with which Eleonora had defeated Darius left everyone dumbfounded.


    Despite his imposing physique, Darius had been beaten with a move as simple as it was precise.


    ¡°I expected more from you,¡± Eleonora murmured, disappointed.


    She had imagined that someone his size would be a more entertaining opponent, but in the end, he turned out to be just a big kid with little more than brute strength.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Eleonora asked, turning to him with a smile. ¡°Would you like a friendly duel?¡±


    Leo, who had been watching in silence, nodded before Alexia could warn him not to.


    As the two prepared, Thorne went to help Darius, aiding him to his feet.


    Leo, though he didn¡¯t have his own sword, was using the one Alexia had lent him since they arrived at this place. It wasn¡¯t the weapon he was used to, but it was better than nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the first move,¡± Eleonora repeated, this time in a calmer voice.


    Leo advanced determinedly, launching a frontal slash with his sword.


    Eleonora responded with equal speed, blocking the attack. To her surprise, Leo¡¯s sword broke in two under the pressure of the clash.


    Before he could react, Eleonora brought her sword to a millimeter from his neck, stopping just in time. However, Leo activated his aura at the last second, allowing him to quickly duck and throw a low kick, almost making Eleonora lose her balance.


    Eleonora straightened up quickly, but Leo was already raising a hand in surrender.


    ¡°I give up,¡± he said, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Why?¡± Eleonora asked, frowning.


    The truth was, she wanted to know more about the energy Leo had used to make her stumble.


    Leo showed her what was left of his sword, now broken and unusable.


    Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Eleonora threw the sword she was holding aside, surprising everyone.


    Leo picked it up, impressed by the weight and quality of the blade. Despite having been hidden for so long, the sword was in decent condition.


    With a pained gesture, Eleonora slowly materialized a new sword from her hand, this time completely black, with a flawless blade. The sword, despite its ancient appearance, was perfect, sharp, and balanced.


    ¡°Will this do?¡± Eleonora asked, indicating the weapon.


    Leo, despite his confusion, nodded with some excitement.


    Alexia, on the other hand, watched with growing bewilderment at what had just happened.


    ¡®Can Eleonora... duplicate herself?¡¯ Alexia wondered, unable to comprehend how an ego-sword could materialize... another ego-sword?

 Chapter 45 — Want to Give It a Try?

    Leo was looking at the black sword Eleonora had given him with great curiosity.


    At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary weapon, with slight imperfections due to the time it had spent buried in the snow, but when he held it, he noticed how its weight was perfectly balanced.


    The blade was a matte black that absorbed light, giving it an ominous air, as if the sword had waited centuries to be used again.


    Without wasting time, Leo began to move, making small slashes in the air to familiarize himself with the weapon.


    His body followed the natural flow of the movements, but he still needed to adjust to its balance.


    Eleonora watched him calmly; her expression seemed relaxed, but inside, she felt a mix of impatience and excitement.


    When Leo finally found the right balance, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    "Are you going to attack now, or just keep practicing?" Eleonora asked with a hint of sarcasm.


    Leo nodded, now standing much more firmly than before.


    He understood that he was facing an experienced opponent and couldn¡¯t afford to make the same mistakes.


    This time, he advanced with renewed strength, his sword cutting through the air with a whistle.


    Eleonora blocked the attack, but as she did, she felt a vibration run through the entire body she controlled.


    Her candidate¡¯s muscles, although trained, were beginning to buckle under Leo''s brute force.


    However, her technique remained flawless.


    Despite the physical difference, Eleonora blocked and deflected each attack with precision, her gaze never leaving Leo''s sword.


    But Eleonora knew the body she controlled wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Her candidate¡¯s arms were trembling slightly with each blow they blocked, and the numbness was beginning to make more precise movements difficult.


    But Eleonora wasn¡¯t one to give up.


    Spotting a small opening in Leo¡¯s offensive, she launched a quick jab aimed at his chest.


    In an instinctive move, Leo dropped to the ground, narrowly dodging Eleonora¡¯s sword, and with a low kick, he struck the hilt of her sword, forcing her candidate¡¯s weakened hand to release the weapon.


    The sword flew through the air, landing in the snow a few meters away.


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    For a moment, it looked like Leo was going to win.


    From the ground, he launched an upward strike, ready to end the fight. But Eleonora, quick as a snake, threw herself against him with the full weight of her candidate¡¯s body, crashing directly into his stomach.


    Leo let out a strangled grunt at the unexpected impact, and his attack came to a sudden halt.


    Before he could react, Eleonora began punching him in the face with her candidate¡¯s fists¡ªnot very strong punches, but with a relentless brutality.


    Each punch was accompanied by a smile on Eleonora¡¯s face, a smile that showed just how much she was enjoying the fight.


    Though the punches weren¡¯t devastating, the situation was humiliating for Leo, who, from his inferior position, could barely defend himself.


    Just as Eleonora prepared to throw another punch, a voice stopped her.


    "Stop!" Isuke approached with concern.


    Even though the punches weren¡¯t strong, the scene was unsettling, especially given the expression of pleasure on Eleonora¡¯s face.


    Leo, feeling the humiliation of the moment, surrendered with a heavy sigh.


    "I admit defeat," he muttered, his voice subdued by shame.


    Satisfied, Eleonora got off him, brushing the snow off her candidate¡¯s clothes with a sigh of relief.


    "And you, Isuke? Want to give it a try?" Eleonora asked with a challenging look.


    Isuke quickly shook his head.


    "No, thanks," he replied, his nervous gaze shifting to the others.


    None of them dared to meet her eyes, looking at the ground or anywhere else instead.


    The atmosphere was tense, and Eleonora knew it.


    She frowned, annoyed by the lack of courage in those she had saved.


    Couldn¡¯t they see she wasn¡¯t going to kill them?


    Leo, as he slowly stood up, still recovering from the punches, held the black sword Eleonora had given him earlier.


    "Can I keep this?" Leo asked, showing the weapon with a hint of admiration.


    "Sure," Eleonora replied dismissively. "I was thinking of tossing it out anyway."


    The comment surprised everyone present.


    The sword, despite its age, was a masterpiece.


    Even Thorne, who usually used an axe, considered asking for a similar sword¡ªnot to use it, but to sell it at an outrageous price.


    However, he stayed silent, feeling that asking for such a thing would be inappropriate.


    At that moment, Marta finally began to stand, though she was breathing heavily.


    Her face showed signs of confusion as she observed the scene.


    "What happened here?" she asked, still dazed.


    Before Alexia could answer, Aiden approached Marta, offering to carry her.


    "If you¡¯re too weak, I¡¯ll carry you," he said, while Darius watched in silence, still processing what had happened.


    Eleonora, still controlling her candidate, approached Darius.


    Without saying a word, she broke her candidate¡¯s thumb, just like before.


    Darius looked at her in astonishment and confusion.


    "Open your mouth," Eleonora ordered coldly.


    "What?" Darius blinked, bewildered.


    Despite the small stature of the body Eleonora controlled, she acted with unquestionable authority.


    Without giving him time to react, Eleonora shoved her broken finger into Darius¡¯s mouth.


    "Swallow," she commanded, and Darius, though reluctantly, obeyed, remembering what had happened to Marta.


    Thorne watched the scene with a mix of disgust and fascination, recalling that this was how Eleonora had helped Marta before.


    After Darius swallowed the blood, Eleonora withdrew her finger and wiped it on her candidate¡¯s clothes, as if it were a routine act.


    "Who is she?" Alexia asked, pointing to the girl Eleonora had arrived with, now wrapped in the garment Isuke had given her to keep warm.


    Eleonora, indifferent to everyone¡¯s surprise, answered nonchalantly.


    "I don¡¯t care. If you want her, you can keep her."


    Silence fell over the group.


    Everyone stared at the young girl with white hair that Eleonora had brought, who, despite looking human, had been treated like an object, a possession to be discarded.

 Chapter 46 – If Only You Had Come Sooner…

    Aiden and his group, who had already witnessed the girl''s power, exchanged surprised glances. They knew roughly how powerful she was, but seeing Eleonora dismiss her so casually was hard to process.


    In contrast, Alexia¡¯s group, who didn¡¯t have the same context as they hadn¡¯t seen the girl fight due to Eleonora¡¯s actions so far and her strange nature¡­ couldn¡¯t overlook this.


    Aware that if anyone was going to claim the girl, it would be best to get ahead and ensure that the trip wasn¡¯t entirely in vain, Alexia stepped forward.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± she said in a measured voice, looking at Eleonora, ¡°I¡¯d like to take her with us. We¡¯ll take care of her.¡±


    Alexia tried to sound as friendly as possible, not wanting to get on Eleonora¡¯s bad side.


    Eleonora, barely interested in the conversation, nodded as her gaze swept the area, but there was no immediate sign of danger.


    The bodies of the wolves, eliminated by her summons, lay lifeless in the snow, and Eleonora sighed in frustration.


    ¡®Really, no one else wants to fight? How boring...¡¯ Eleonora thought.


    The excitement of the battle had faded too quickly for her liking.


    Eleonora still felt the need to move, to fight. The body she was controlling felt it too.


    Adrenaline.


    Since this was a body she had only recently formed a contract with, there were too many things to work on and refine, but for that, she needed to fight to better understand its strengths and weaknesses.


    Only through training could she make her candidate strong, and if there was one thing Eleonora wanted to show this new candidate, it was all the benefits of being with her.


    Although Eleonora obviously wanted to know her new candidate¡¯s desires as quickly as possible to help fulfill them, something inside her was still nagging at her.


    She wanted more.


    Controlling a body that constantly experienced being on the edge was exhilarating for Eleonora, making her feel alive.


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    And, even though she wanted to separate for a moment from her candidate to experience this sensation with her real body... for now, her top priority was protecting her candidate.


    While Eleonora was thinking about all this, Thorne approached Alexia and whispered:


    ¡°We could take care of the girl too,¡± he commented, casting a quick glance at Eleonora.


    ¡®This bastard... wasn¡¯t the damn forest enough for him?¡¯ Alexia thought, irritated.


    Having already secured the consent of the ego-sword, Alexia responded firmly:


    ¡°Eleonora gave me her permission. She¡¯s coming with us.¡±


    Thorne hesitated but eventually backed down.


    From a distance, Aiden, who was carefully carrying Marta, gave him a look, signaling not to push the issue any further.


    No one wanted to make things worse with Eleonora, not after seeing what she was capable of.


    It was better to stay on the sidelines for now.


    Eleonora, oblivious to the small tensions between the groups, asked aloud:


    ¡°Where do you plan to go now?¡±


    Alexia, relaxing her stance slightly, replied:


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve found you, we need to return to the rest of the class. We¡¯ll be heading back to the city soon.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Eleonora asked, only to confirm what Isuke had told her before.


    Not being an expert in technology, Alexia gestured toward Isuke, who calmly stepped forward and began to explain.


    ¡°We used a device designed to transport groups of people over long distances. It was originally invented for military use, but it¡¯s now used for more common travel, though its use is heavily regulated.¡±


    Eleonora, seeing no one object to Isuke¡¯s explanation, confirmed that much of what he had said earlier was true.


    ¡®If only you had come sooner¡­¡¯ Eleonora thought but decided not to dwell on it, as she already had her candidate.


    ¡®Wait. What if I use that device to visit my sisters?¡¯ Eleonora thought, realizing how useful such an object could be for her.


    ¡°Is it easy to get one of those devices?¡± Eleonora asked.


    Isuke nodded.


    ¡°Yes, but you need a lot of money. At the academy, we have access to a basic one that can only teleport short distances. But the one we used this time was special, a different model... the master used it, and that¡¯s what brought us here.¡±


    ¡°So, the range depends on the device?¡± Eleonora asked, slowly understanding how it worked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Isuke responded. ¡°The more advanced the device, the greater the distance it can cover.¡±


    As Eleonora absorbed the information, Thorne and Darius, who were nearby, felt uneasy.


    The conversation was continuing as if they didn¡¯t exist, and the topic was completely beyond their understanding.


    Neither of them was particularly knowledgeable about technology or teleportation magic, so they could only watch in silence.


    Finally, Eleonora broke the tension with a direct order.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± she said to Alexia. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Alexia felt a small sense of relief.


    Eleonora was starting to show signs of trust in her, and that could only be a good thing.


    Meanwhile, Leo, who had been standing beside the white-haired girl, tried to strike up a conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked, curious, but the girl remained completely silent, ignoring him entirely.


    Despite that, Leo felt satisfied with the sword he had received from Eleonora, though he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen when Camila woke up and saw what had transpired.

 Chapter 47 – That’s Impossible

    The group began to move through the lower part of the forest, keeping a steady pace.


    Eleonora led the way, her gaze fixed on the horizon, while Alexia walked beside her, alert to any signs of danger.


    Thorne and Darius held their positions on the sides, staying vigilant, while Leo stayed at the back, ensuring that Isuke, the white-haired girl, Aiden carrying Marta, and Selena remained protected in the center of the group.


    The sound of crunching leaves underfoot filled the air, but as they advanced, the atmosphere grew heavier, and a slight chill ran down Alexia¡¯s spine.


    That¡¯s when she sensed it.


    ¡°Eleonora, wait,¡± Alexia whispered, her instincts kicking in at the presence of something dangerous nearby.


    Eleonora, instead of stopping or showing concern, smirked.


    The wolf, which had been sleeping in the shadows of the nearby trees, now opened its eyes, aware of the group¡¯s presence.


    It was the same colossal creature, with dark fur and glowing eyes.


    But to Eleonora, it was nothing more than a big animal, nothing more.


    However, she knew that, in the current physical state of her candidate¡¯s body, facing something like this wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    This body was still quite limited and very vulnerable, as it could easily break.


    And since there was no real need to risk or harm her candidate¡¯s body in this situation, Eleonora decided to use another method.


    ¡°How annoying,¡± Eleonora muttered to herself.


    She handed the sword she was holding to Alexia. ¡°Hold this,¡± she said without looking at her.


    Alexia took the sword without hesitation, watching closely as Eleonora focused.


    Eleonora began to channel her anger, using all the helplessness she had felt for years as fuel.


    There were so many things she could do now, so obviously she wasn¡¯t going to let such an insignificant creature be an obstacle for her.


    And though she wanted to fight... she knew she had to restrain herself for now.


    While she could endure remaining conscious while controlling her candidate¡¯s body thanks to her high tolerance for pain, there was a strong possibility that when her candidate regained control of their body, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all the strain she had put on it.


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    That¡¯s why she needed to take down this beast using her magic. It was less painful and would only cause a lot of fatigue and exhaustion for her candidate when they took control again.


    Slowly, a dense red energy began to emanate from her hands, and within seconds, a gigantic flame shot out from her palms, aimed directly at the wolf, which was now on its feet.


    The fire cut through the air, roaring through the clearing between the trees, hitting the wolf¡¯s side.


    The creature howled, dodging and rolling to the side.


    Eleonora frowned.


    Although it had partially hit, it wasn¡¯t enough to take down the beast.


    Fatigue quickly took over, and she decided to cancel the ability before losing more energy.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± she muttered through clenched teeth, frustrated that she hadn¡¯t been able to burn the wolf completely.


    She had definitely grown weaker.


    And all because of...


    Eleonora glanced at the white-haired girl, who was watching everything in silence, as if analyzing each move to learn from her.


    ¡°You!¡± Eleonora shouted, pointing at her. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Even though she no longer considered her useful, it was obvious she could use her for a task like this.


    It was the least this invocation could do after draining all her power to summon her.


    Eleonora¡¯s shout startled the group, who were still processing what they had just witnessed.


    To them, Eleonora was a monster.


    However, the girl obeyed without hesitation, moving toward Eleonora.


    The trees surrounding the scene, quite resilient, still stood, temporarily shielding the group from the wolf that was trying to approach.


    Eleonora grabbed the girl by the shoulders, turning her to face the creature.


    ¡°Do what I did,¡± she ordered, showing her the correct way to channel the power with a gesture. ¡°Focus all your anger and frustration here,¡± she said, pressing firmly against the girl¡¯s palms. ¡°Feel the heat, use the desire to destroy everything. Don¡¯t hold back. And make sure it was worth bringing you here.¡±


    The invocation, silently, nodded.


    This time, she couldn¡¯t fail.


    Her golden eyes began to glow with dangerous intensity as she remembered the helplessness she had felt before, failing in her mission to exterminate the wolves and her inability to fly when Eleonora had given her that instruction earlier.


    That pent-up rage manifested quickly within her, as she mimicked Eleonora¡¯s movements.


    The group watched in tense silence, not daring to intervene.


    No one wanted to interrupt what was about to happen.


    Suddenly, a colossal flame, much more powerful than Eleonora¡¯s, shot from the girl¡¯s hands.


    The fire was so intense that her body slid backward, struggling to maintain balance.


    The flame surged forward like an unstoppable torrent, incinerating everything in its path.


    The trees, which had withstood the previous attack, began to give way to the scorching heat, and the wolf, trying to dodge, was completely engulfed.


    Its body, unable to withstand the intensity of the attack, was pulverized, collapsing lifeless to the ground.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Eleonora ordered, seeing that her invocation was still channeling the fire.


    The girl stopped the attack, ceasing the flow of flames.


    Silence returned to the group, but this time it was a silence filled with astonishment.


    The charred remains of the wolf and the scorched trees were a testament to the devastating power they had just witnessed.


    Alexia, recovering from the shock, turned to Eleonora.


    ¡°What... what is she?¡± she asked, pointing at the invocation, still in disbelief.


    Eleonora, puzzled by the question, answered calmly.


    ¡°She¡¯s an invocation.¡±


    The entire group was stunned.


    There was no way that girl could be just an invocation, at least not by conventional knowledge.


    However, the display of power they had just witnessed suggested otherwise, and no one dared contradict Eleonora.


    Except for one person.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible for her to be an invocation,¡± Isuke commented.

 Chapter 48 – These Humans…

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible that¡¯s an invocation,¡± Isuke commented, not hiding his confusion as he watched the girl with white hair, who lingered near Eleonora like a silent shadow.


    Eleonora raised an eyebrow, turning her gaze towards Isuke.


    For a moment, her expression hardened as she processed Isuke¡¯s words because¡­


    He had been the reason she created that invocation.


    While his instructions weren''t the best, thanks to what he said, she crafted that invocation, and now he was telling her it wasn¡¯t an invocation.


    ¡°What am I supposed to have done then?¡± Eleonora wondered, puzzled.


    But shaking her head, she wouldn¡¯t let doubt consume her.


    She had a mission in mind that was far more important than resolving what Isuke or the others thought of her creation.


    ¡°Well, there it is,¡± Eleonora replied vaguely, pointing to the invocation.


    Her tone was carefree, as if the subject didn¡¯t interest her in the slightest.


    She knew not everyone understood what was happening, but that didn¡¯t matter. She was used to humans who weren''t her candidates not grasping what she did or how she did it.


    Isuke, for his part, let out a sigh.


    Watching Eleonora¡¯s invocation, he couldn¡¯t help but think about what that entity truly was. There was no way an invocation could show such independence or possess such power without an explicit contract.


    And yet, Eleonora had tossed her aside like trash just minutes ago¡­


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t make a contract with her,¡± Isuke thought, recalling how Eleonora chose to bond with Camila, a human, instead of this strange girl with white hair.


    While he wasn¡¯t entirely sure, it partly confirmed to him that this girl wasn¡¯t human.


    Meanwhile, Darius, seizing the opportunity while they were bickering, leaned towards Aiden and whispered,


    ¡°We need to make sure that girl is on our side.¡± It was obvious that, for him, the invocation represented a power anyone would want to learn to control.


    Aiden, however, cut him off with a slight wave of his hand.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to discuss that,¡± he replied, maintaining his calm.


    However, his expression conveyed that he understood Darius¡¯s concern.


    If that girl wasn¡¯t human and was an invocation, it meant someone could take control of her.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    And that someone could be any one of them, or anyone from the class or the rest of the city once they joined up with the group.


    Marta, who had been watching with palpable curiosity from the start, finally mustered the courage to ask a question, confirming all this time that Eleonora seemed to be someone quite patient.


    Eleonora¡¯s display of power and her invocation had awakened something in the girl¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Uh¡­ excuse me. How did you cast such a powerful spell?¡± Marta asked, breaking the silence with a bit of shyness.


    All her courage and confidence vanished before someone who could clearly end her with the slightest effort.


    ¡°Normally, to cast a spell of that magnitude, you need a staff or some kind of tool to optimize the mana¡­¡± Her gaze slid towards Eleonora¡¯s invocation, trying to understand what she had witnessed. ¡°And she¡­ did it with her bare hands.¡±


    Eleonora raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed by the continuous questions.


    ¡°These humans and their insatiable curiosity¡­¡± Eleonora thought with irritation.


    If there was anything she hated, it was being pressured for information that could clearly put her at a disadvantage.


    Previously, with Isuke, she hadn¡¯t hesitated to reveal many of her cards to convince him to make a contract, but revealing her abilities and how others she hadn¡¯t confirmed as allies could potentially use that against her or her candidate¡­


    That girl had clearly crossed the line.


    ¡°That,¡± Eleonora began in a tone that indicated her irritation, ¡°is something only I can do.¡±


    Her answer was curt, leaving little room for further inquiry.


    Marta, however, didn¡¯t give up, as Eleonora still wasn¡¯t being outright hostile.


    ¡°But you taught her,¡± she pointed out curiously towards the white-haired invocation. ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    Eleonora closed her eyes for a second, trying to contain herself.


    While she would tolerate Isuke and those who seemed to be his friends, other humans with whom she had no connection¡­


    Suddenly, Darius interjected, asking,


    ¡°What kind of training did you do to reach this level?¡±


    Eleonora coughed lightly while taking a breath.


    She wanted to kill them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to save your breath and quicken our pace?¡± Eleonora suggested with a smile. Though her tone was light, her words carried an evident weight of annoyance. ¡°Getting to the group as soon as possible should be our priority, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The others, aware of the tension in the air, nodded silently.


    Even Marta, who had been so insistent, decided not to push further.


    The group began moving again, with Eleonora leading the march.


    Despite her apparent disinterest, Eleonora was watching everything with great attention.


    She evaluated each member of the group as they progressed, analyzing how they interacted with one another.


    It wasn¡¯t just about ensuring everyone kept pace. It was about understanding the relationships between them and the possible threats they could represent.


    For now, one thing Eleonora was clear on was that there was a distinct division in the group.


    On one side were Isuke and his allies.


    On the other, Aiden, Darius, and Thorne, who, in Eleonora¡¯s opinion, didn¡¯t seem to have a good relationship with Isuke and even less with his candidate, Camila.


    Eleonora had noticed how none of them had come to Camila¡¯s aid when she was about to die, so for her, those three were more than disposable.


    The other two girls with them¡­ their behaviors were still to be confirmed.


    On the other hand, Isuke¡¯s group was more interesting to Eleonora.


    Leo, in particular, caught her attention. He was greedy, ambitious, eager to become stronger. Eleonora could see in his eyes the desire for more power, making him predictable.


    A human who would always want more.


    As for Alexia, Eleonora couldn¡¯t understand why she hid her true appearance.


    It was clear the demi-human had ulterior motives, and Eleonora suspected that not everything she said was genuine, so she would have to keep a close eye on how she treated her candidate, Camila.


    And finally, Isuke.


    Eleonora hoped he would show more interest in her, but she still needed to evaluate how he handled his relationship with his candidate.


    Eleonora smiled to herself, thinking of ways to make him reveal his true face.


    Was he really trustworthy?


    Or just another human trying to play a role?

 Chapter 49 – What Are They Doing?

    The group moved in silence, focused on keeping their pace and avoiding any surprise attacks from creatures lurking around.


    The atmosphere was tense but relatively calm; the constant threat of an attack kept them on edge, but so far, there had been no signs of danger.


    Still, Eleonora remained alert, her summoned being, with heightened senses, staying vigilant by her side.


    Suddenly, Eleonora''s summon lifted its head as if it had detected something.


    "I sense something up ahead," it reported immediately.


    Eleonora narrowed her eyes, trying to feel it too, but before she could react, a gigantic beam of light struck them without warning.


    The summon, positioned in front, took the brunt of the hit while Eleonora, beside it, was thrown back by the shockwave.


    The explosion was deafening, knocking both to the ground and enveloping them in smoke and sparks of residual energy.


    The rest of the group, trailing slightly behind, instinctively backed away from the blast.


    The force of the impact kicked up a cloud of dust and snow debris, and for a few seconds, the only sound was the echo of thunder and the hiss of dispersing magic.


    Alexia was the first to react, shouting, "Hey! Are you guys alright?"


    Meanwhile, the summon¡¯s cloak had been torn to shreds, leaving its bare skin exposed.


    Camila, under Eleonora¡¯s control, had managed to shield herself as best she could, but her clothes were also almost completely destroyed, revealing visible burn marks on her skin.


    The burns on Camila¡¯s body were severe; she could feel the searing pain, but to her surprise, the summon seemed barely affected, though its gaze had become more dangerous than ever.


    "Who dares to attack us?" the summon thought, irritated.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Eleonora muttered, brushing ash off her ruined clothes.


    Just then, small magical blasts began falling from above, like a deadly rain that forced everyone to scatter.


    "Break into smaller groups!" Alexia shouted as she nimbly dodged the explosions falling from the sky.


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    A fireball nearly hit her, but she managed to roll to the side before taking serious damage.


    Around her, the others scrambled to protect themselves as best they could: Marta, using her magic, raised a glowing shield to protect Aiden, who was carrying her on his back.


    "What the hell is going on!" Leo yelled, dodging a sharp gust of wind that almost sliced his arm off.


    Isuke also suffered a few scratches while trying to avoid the fireballs raining down from above, but he kept moving, shielding and helping the others.


    However, in the midst of the chaos, one thing became clear:


    These weren¡¯t attacks from wild creatures.


    "This isn''t the work of monsters¡­" Alexia murmured, her eyes narrowing as she dodged another fireball, feeling the heat singe her skin. "It''s¡­ our classmates."


    Confusion clouded Alexia''s mind.


    Why were they being attacked by their own classmates?


    Although she managed to dodge most of the attacks with her agility, a few spells grazed her, and both Leo and Isuke were beginning to show signs of exhaustion.


    Eleonora, on the other hand, looked visibly annoyed by the aggression, but instead of fear, she almost seemed to enjoy what was happening.


    "How predictable," Eleonora thought with a small twisted smile.


    If she were in their place, she¡¯d probably do the same: quick and deadly long-range attacks to take out weaker enemies.


    "Well... I wonder who¡¯s behind this," Eleonora murmured with a hint of admiration.


    "Come with me!" she commanded her summon, which obeyed instantly.


    Eleonora, still injured but determined, started running toward the source of the attacks.


    As they advanced, they dodged the magical projectiles raining down on them like deadly rain.


    Eleonora was smiling.


    "Watch closely," she told her summon.


    But Alexia, seeing what was about to happen, panicked.


    It was clear that Eleonora was serious, and with the combined strength of her and her summon, a massacre could ensue among their classmates.


    If she didn¡¯t stop her, they were all going to die.


    "Stop!" Alexia shouted desperately, but Eleonora and her summon were already too far to hear.


    As they neared the mountain from where the attacks were coming, the spells that had been falling randomly now concentrated directly on them, trying to halt their advance.


    Sharp gusts of wind like blades, fireballs, and even ice spears began raining down on them.


    Eleonora and her summon pressed on, dodging. The summon did so by pure instinct, while Eleonora relied on her experience.


    Though not all the blasts hit them, some ice shards cut Eleonora¡¯s skin, and the heat from the fireballs burned her clothes further.


    Still, nothing stopped them.


    "Let''s go!" Eleonora shouted excitedly.


    When they finally reached the base of the mountain, they found a line of armed students waiting for them.


    Upon seeing Camila injured and her clothes barely hanging on, their faces showed confusion, and they stopped their long-range attacks, which Eleonora found a bit stupid at this point.


    However, the atmosphere changed drastically when they sensed the presence of Eleonora¡¯s summon, as the powerful energy it emitted was so intense that all the students raised their weapons in unison.


    Despite being completely naked, the summon stood tall, maintaining a firm posture.


    And just when it seemed like the attacks were about to resume, and Eleonora and her summon were about to strike back¡­


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    A voice that all the students recognized made them pause, turning their attention toward the person Eleonora quickly identified as their group leader.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± Valentina shouted angrily when she realized they had been attacking Camila, her best friend.

 Chapter 50 – It’s Her.

    "Stop!" shouted Valentina, the class president, with a fury that sliced through the freezing air.


    Her voice echoed like thunder among the snowy mountains.


    Upon hearing her, the students, already holding their weapons aloft, hesitated.


    No one wanted to face the president, especially when she seemed this angry.


    Valentina strode to the front, her steps firm, surveying the situation with a mix of disbelief and rage.


    "What are you doing!?" she repeated, pointing at Camila, the first friend she had made since arriving at the academy. "That¡¯s Camila! Can¡¯t you see?"


    Her gaze pierced each of the armed students, who were now starting to murmur among themselves.


    One of the students holding a spear, a boy named Diego, approached Valentina with evident doubt on his face.


    "Valentina¡­ the professor told us a powerful, strange presence was approaching. We didn¡¯t know it was Camila. We thought that..."


    The words caught in his throat as he realized the magnitude of their mistake.


    "What? You thought you were going to kill a monster? You idiots! That''s Camila! If she¡¯s with that girl, then she¡¯s not a threat!" Valentina raised her voice even more, her fury escalating.


    "Why aren¡¯t you lowering your weapons? Are you blind? Have you forgotten how she healed Iv¨¢n after that disastrous training? Or you, Luc¨ªa, when she taught you healing magic when no one else wanted to?"


    The mentioned students, Iv¨¢n and Luc¨ªa, exchanged uncomfortable glances, lowering their guard slightly.


    Despite mentioning only two examples, the truth was Camila had helped several students before.


    Luc¨ªa averted her eyes, clearly embarrassed for having taken part in the attack.


    "So, are you going to continue this plan, knowing the person in front of you is Camila?" Valentina''s voice was like a dart of reality that struck all of them.


    The murmurs grew among the students, and although they still held their weapons up, doubt settled in each of them.


    Meanwhile, Eleonora watched from the sidelines, somewhat perplexed by how quickly the situation had turned. She had heard Isuke mention his classmates, but she never imagined the leader of the group would be a close friend of her candidate, Camila.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Eleonora clicked her tongue, slightly frustrated by this new twist in events.


    Now it seemed everyone turned out to be friends with Camila.


    ¡®This is ridiculous,¡¯ Eleonora thought, her gaze settling on the students.


    Her irritation grew as she recalled the earlier attack.


    If her summon hadn¡¯t intercepted most of the damage, her candidate¡¯s body would likely have been in terrible shape by now.


    The summon, which had been silent until now, was also slightly puzzled by the unfolding scene.


    "Can I kill them?" her summon asked, its expression relaxed.


    The summon¡¯s words, spoken with such coldness and ease, sent a chill through the nearby students.


    Despite its young and innocent appearance, the casual way it asked the question froze the blood of those around.


    One of the students, trembling slightly, whispered:


    "Valentina¡­ that girl just said she¡¯s going to kill us..."


    That comment reached the ears of other students nearby, which only reignited the tension. Even though Eleonora and her summon were merely standing there, the pressure they exerted, which Eleonora herself wasn¡¯t fully aware of, overwhelmed the group of students. She had grown used to this level of power, having once possessed it herself and having grown up with her sisters, but the students were not accustomed to such an overwhelming presence.


    Valentina turned her gaze to Camila.


    Her eyes searched desperately for an explanation, some sort of sign that her friend had the situation under control.


    With a resigned sigh, Eleonora lightly tapped her summon¡¯s head and spoke in a nonchalant tone.


    "She''s just joking."


    ...


    Silence.


    For a few moments, everyone was silent at the absurd explanation they had just heard. And then, by mere coincidence...


    "Ha! Haha!" Valentina suddenly burst out laughing, surprising all the students.


    Despite Valentina¡¯s own doubts about her friend''s now-red eyes, the truth was, there was only one person in the world capable of giving such a stupid explanation in this situation, and that person could only be...


    Camila.


    "See, guys? It¡¯s her, still as clueless as always."


    Eleonora¡¯s words, combined with the class president''s, eased the tension enough that the students began to relax a little.


    The summon¡¯s dangerous aura was still present, but the fact that Camila seemed to have it "under control" gave them some relief.


    Above, silently observing everything, was the professor.


    He had been supervising the battle from a distance, staying alert in case he needed to cast another large spell. But upon seeing that the situation was now under control, he spoke calmly to one of the students closest to him.


    "Tell the others they can break formation. Everything seems to be fine now, no more danger."


    The professor''s words, though reassuring, left everyone a bit perplexed.


    Just like that?


    Was the professor really just closing the matter?


    There was no time for more questions, as with his order, the students above began to fully relax, lowering their weapons and dispersing.


    Some, still confused, couldn¡¯t stop glancing at Camila and her strange companion, wondering what had really happened.


    Several girls from the group shyly approached the summon, offering her some clothes.


    ¡°H-here... to cover yourself...¡± one of them said, extending a thick coat.


    The summon accepted the garment without a word, covering herself while looking at the students with a neutral expression.


    Though her posture remained firm, it was clear that they no longer saw her as a threat.


    The group began to gather around Camila, noticing the severity of her injuries.


    Although they were still in a snowy environment and the cold continued to bite, the tension that had dominated the air was slowly dissipating, leaving behind an odd sense of calm.

 Chapter 51 – Do They Really Trust Him?

    Alexia moved quickly; her footsteps left a trail in the snow, gradually erased by the icy wind.


    ¡®This damn cold¡­,¡¯ thought Alexia with some annoyance.


    Her heart was pounding, and her breathing was labored as she looked ahead, eager to reach the place where Eleonora and that white-haired girl had gone.


    The fact that her companions'' attacks had ceased provided some relief, but the sudden truce filled her with questions.


    What had happened?


    When she arrived, Alexia saw Eleonora calmly talking with Valentina, who was surrounded by students murmuring softly.


    Alexia took a deep breath, relieved to see that, for now, the situation hadn¡¯t spiraled out of control.


    ¡®Good¡­ this won''t escalate into something problematic¡­¡¯


    ¡°Oh, Alexia! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re back!¡± exclaimed one of the boys in the line, barely recognizing her.


    ¡°Alexia, you¡¯re finally back! Where have you been?¡± a nearby girl asked curiously, looking at her with admiration.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? Alexia was exploring, wasn¡¯t she?¡± another student chimed in, trying to explain her absence to those unaware.


    Alexia smiled politely, despite her irritation at the earlier attacks, and returned their greetings with a slight nod, maintaining her serious demeanor as she said:


    ¡°Thank you all for the warm welcome, but I need to speak with the president.¡±


    Without another word, Alexia moved toward Valentina.


    Valentina gave her a surprised look, noting Alexia¡¯s disheveled appearance¡ªher clothes slightly damp and her cheeks flushed from the cold.


    ¡°Can we talk alone for a moment? It¡¯s about Camila and the girl accompanying her.¡±


    This statement surprised the president, who remembered that Alexia had initially gone exploring with Camila.


    ¡®Maybe she¡¯ll give me a better answer,¡¯ thought Valentina.


    Eleonora, the summoner, Alexia, and Valentina stepped a little away from the group of students.


    Alexia led the way calmly, feeling the curious eyes of everyone on her back.


    Valentina was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°What happened during the exploration? You¡¯ve been gone a long time,¡± she asked, with a hint of concern in her voice.


    Alexia took a deep breath, noticing that the president seemed confused. She decided to be direct and see if she could clarify things with minimal explanation.


    ¡°Before I answer, President¡­ what do you think of Eleonora?¡± Alexia asked, observing Valentina¡¯s reaction.


    Valentina blinked, bewildered by the mention of a name unfamiliar to her.


    ¡°You mean¡­ that girl?¡± she pointed to the white-haired young woman who, expressionless, watched silently beside her.


    Valentina¡¯s confusion was evident.


    Alexia squinted, immediately realizing that Eleonora hadn¡¯t revealed her true identity to Valentina.


    ¡°I see she didn¡¯t tell you who she really is,¡± Alexia said, raising an eyebrow before turning toward Eleonora. Seeing that she said nothing, Alexia decided to continue.


    ¡°First of all, President, stay calm,¡± Alexia suggested in a soothing tone, noticing Valentina¡¯s confusion growing.


    ¡°Why are you saying that?¡± Valentina frowned, becoming increasingly anxious.


    ¡°Because right now, you¡¯re not talking to Camila,¡± Alexia explained carefully. ¡°It¡¯s Eleonora who¡¯s in control of her body.¡±


    Disbelief painted Valentina¡¯s face as she narrowed her eyes and gave Alexia an intense look.


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke? Camila explained that this strange girl was with her, and¡­¡± Valentina paused, pensive, realizing that, although Camila¡¯s words seemed consistent with her usual behavior, there was something¡­ different about her demeanor.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    In retrospect, though she had done her best to ignore it to avoid unsettling her classmates, Valentina had sensed an unusual distance in her friend.


    Had she really not been talking to Camila¡­?


    ¡°Look closely at Camila,¡± Alexia urged gently, pointing toward the figure in front of them.


    Valentina turned her head to observe her friend and noticed something unsettling.


    The minor wounds that had previously covered her body seemed largely healed, even though Camila had refused all assistance from her classmates to heal them.


    An attitude that, in part, Valentina understood, since it was logical for her to be upset after almost the entire class had attacked her. But¡­


    How had she healed all those wounds on her own when Valentina hadn¡¯t seen her recite any spell?


    Valentina exchanged a look with Camila, searching for answers.


    Eleonora let out a long sigh before speaking with a hint of frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, what Alexia says is true,¡± Eleonora said with slight annoyance in her voice, showing no hesitation.


    "So, what did you do to Camila?" demanded Valentina, her gaze filled with reproach.


    Eleonora looked at her calmly.


    "Camila is resting right now. In case you didn''t know, she was on the brink of death."


    The harshness in her tone left Valentina stunned.


    Valentina shot an intense look at Alexia, seeking explanations.


    However, Alexia met her gaze with determination.


    "Have you forgotten that I was also in the same area where everyone was attacking? It wasn¡¯t just me¡ªthere was Isuke, Leo, Aiden¡­ Have you seen me complain about it now?" Alexia replied, firmly defending her stance.


    Valentina, confused but starting to grasp the seriousness of the situation, turned toward Eleonora.


    "Then, what do you want?" she asked, lowering her guard, though her voice still held tension.


    Eleonora sighed, seemingly more relaxed.


    "For now, I need a place where my candidate''s body can rest. Although I can heal her wounds, the accumulated fatigue is something she has to manage herself, and if I return control to her now, she¡¯ll most likely faint from the pain."


    ¡®So that¡¯s why Darius was walking awkwardly, even though she healed him with her blood¡­,¡¯ Alexia thought quickly, recalling the strange way Darius had moved.


    "Then¡­ how are you able to stand and walk so easily?" Valentina asked, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.


    Eleonora let out a small laugh.


    Controlling a body that had barely escaped death wasn¡¯t easy, especially since all its limbs had suffered significant damage. Camila¡¯s body still moved clumsily, and most of the time, Eleonora had to force it to keep up with her pace.


    As more time passed, Eleonora realized how much her power had diminished from creating her summoning, suspecting that she didn¡¯t currently possess her full strength.


    But still, despite the considerable fatigue from moving her candidate''s body...


    "Because this is nothing for me," Eleonora replied dryly.


    "Well¡­ since we¡¯re in a safe place, maybe you should let Camila regain control so she can rest, don¡¯t you think?" suggested Valentina, keeping her voice soft but firm.


    Eleonora barely let her finish before interrupting.


    "Where¡¯s the device?" Eleonora asked directly, her gaze fixed on Valentina.


    Valentina frowned, blinking a few times at the sudden change of topic.


    "Do you mean the teleportation device?" she asked, trying to understand where the conversation was headed.


    "Yes. That one. Where is it stored?"


    "Well..." Valentina replied, choosing her words carefully, "the professor is guarding it; he keeps it under strict surveillance while it recharges..."


    A nearly inaudible sigh escaped Eleonora as she slightly tilted her head.


    ¡®Well¡­ let¡¯s see if what he told me is also true,¡¯ Eleonora thought before saying:


    "Tell me something, Valentina: did you all really end up here by accident?"


    Valentina shuddered at the question.


    "Yes," she answered, somewhat confused by the implication, "it was an accident. No one expected the device to bring us here."


    Eleonora narrowed her eyes, revealing a cold smile before continuing.


    "And do you trust that professor to get you out of here?"


    Valentina blinked, clearly caught off guard.


    "What do you mean? What are you implying?" she asked.


    Eleonora maintained a serious and precise tone.


    "The presence I sensed there," Eleonora said, pointing to the high mountain where the professor had been before, "disappeared just as I started talking to you. Even an ally wouldn¡¯t turn their back on someone like me¡­ unless they only saw you all as expendable."


    Valentina and Alexia exchanged a look; neither seemed to fully grasp what Eleonora was saying.


    "Are you saying¡­ he used us as shields?" Valentina asked, disbelief etched on her face. "But¡­ he promised he would activate the device to bring us back home. He said he was doing everything possible to get us out of here."


    "Are you sure he promised that?" Eleonora replied immediately.


    The question hit Valentina like a bucket of cold water.


    Her mind suddenly began to replay all the interactions she¡¯d had with the professor since they¡¯d arrived in this strange place.


    She recalled his upright figure, watching events unfold with apparent calm, but¡­ now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t remember him ever saying, in clear terms, that he would activate the device to send them home.


    It all seemed to have been an assumption, something the class had naturally believed.


    Valentina felt a pang of unease as she remembered how several students had become increasingly critical of the professor.


    His distant attitude, his coldness in dangerous situations, and above all, that lack of expression on his face, which, in hindsight, was becoming unsettling.


    What if he never really intended to help them return?


    Valentina took a breath, trying to dispel the growing knot in her chest, and looked Eleonora directly in the eyes.


    "Despite everything¡­ there must be a reasonable explanation for all this," she murmured, with some uncertainty.


    ¡®I figured as much¡­ these humans are still very young and foolish¡­,¡¯ Eleonora concluded.


    "As you wish," Eleonora responded, with a wry smile. "But I want to see him face-to-face. At least once."


    Valentina didn¡¯t respond immediately, still processing what she had just heard.


    Alexia, for her part, was also quite pensive about the conversation.


    Meanwhile¡­ Eleonora¡¯s summoning watched the entire exchange without really understanding much.

 Chapter 52 – Step Aside

    Valentina was nervous, because¡­


    She hadn¡¯t expected Eleonora to be walking toward the professor¡¯s tent as soon as she pointed her out!


    ¡®How is she walking so fast?!¡¯ Valentina wondered to herself as she tried to keep up with Eleonora, who was climbing the mountain effortlessly, leaving her and Alexia behind.


    ¡°Let me help you,¡± said Alexia as she prevented the class president from stumbling.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± replied Valentina, watching as Eleonora and the other girl left them behind.


    Eleonora could feel the growing discomfort of walking in Camila¡¯s body.


    Her movements were becoming increasingly clumsy and forced. Every time her feet hit the ground, Camila¡¯s body seemed to crack a little more¡ªas if it were on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.


    ¡®Hold on a little longer¡­¡¯ was the only thing Eleonora kept repeating in her mind as she moved forward.


    Yet despite the pain, Eleonora¡¯s face remained impassive; she wouldn¡¯t let herself show any sign of weakness in front of the others.


    To Eleonora¡¯s surprise, upon reaching the summit on flatter ground, she noticed that her first obstacle was the group of students guarding the entrance.


    ¡®More humans¡­¡¯ she thought irritably.


    Two uniformed students, sporting a lion badge on their chests, stepped into her path.


    Eleonora glanced at them briefly, her expression unreadable, before one of them¡ªthe taller one¡ªspoke.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Camila?¡± he asked, using the girl¡¯s name as expected. ¡°The teacher is busy with the artifact.¡±


    Without altering her tone, Eleonora calmly replied:


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to the professor.¡±


    The two students exchanged a glance, surprised by Eleonora¡¯s determined attitude.


    The other, with short blond hair, raised an eyebrow as he scanned the young woman with a wary look.


    ¡°The teacher is working with the artifact,¡± the first insisted, lowering his tone slightly as if warning her. ¡°He told us not to let anyone disturb him except in an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Are you students?¡± Eleonora asked, tilting her head slightly as if questioning the very validity of their presence there.


    The two shared a quick look, visibly confused by her question.


    They didn¡¯t seem to know how to react, but the tall boy spoke again, now sounding a bit more tense.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re students,¡± he replied, a trace of irritation in his voice. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Eleonora pointed to Valentina, who was just finishing her climb alongside Alexia.


    With a slight smile, she responded in a calm tone that made the students step back.


    ¡°Then, if I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± she said, ¡°you should be aware that not only is she,¡±¡ªshe gestured toward Valentina¡ª¡°above you in this academy¡¯s hierarchy, but the class president has given me permission to speak with the teacher. Step aside.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The students fell silent for a moment, surprised and a bit uneasy.


    The way Eleonora spoke¡ªso confidently and without an ounce of doubt¡ªcontradicted the image they had of Camila, the quiet, respectful girl in class. But they soon regained themselves, trying to maintain their stance.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let you get any closer, Camila,¡± said the blond guard, though his tone no longer held the firmness it once did. ¡°The teacher told us no one could disturb him¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency,¡± Eleonora interrupted, not losing her composure. ¡°And if you don¡¯t step aside,¡± she added firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to use force.¡±


    Use force?


    For a girl whom almost everyone knew as a simple priestess to threaten them with force¡ªit sounded¡­


    Ridiculous.


    The students exchanged another look.


    The tension in the air was palpable, and although most of the students training to be knights were used to combat and danger¡­


    2 seconds.


    That was all the time it took for the students to finally realize that Camila wasn¡¯t coming only with the class president and Alexia, but that there was also a young, white-haired girl who, at first glance, appeared harmless¡­


    After staring into her eyes for more than three seconds, none of them instinctively wanted to face her. The young girl, with her piercing gaze and cold aura, looked at them as if they were nothing more than pesky insects.


    The presence of Eleonora¡¯s invocation¡ªthis latent being of power¡ªmade the two students feel even more uneasy.


    Their bodies tensed involuntarily, and a cold sweat began to form on their foreheads.


    They knew that the aura of that girl was dangerous, even if they couldn¡¯t quite gauge the extent of her power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer,¡± whispered the tall student to his companion in a trembling voice.


    The invocation¡¯s gaze intensified, causing them to waver even more.


    The boys looked at each other, bewildered. But before they could say any more, Valentina and Alexia approached, both with serious expressions.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Valentina asked directly.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Eleonora replied with a half-smile, ¡°but these two boys seem a little lost about what to do.¡±


    The students, wishing to avoid a confrontation with the class president, stepped aside without protest, though doubt still lingered in their eyes.


    ¡°Alright, class president,¡± said the blond guard in a tone of resignation. ¡°But who is that girl?¡± he asked, pointing at the girl accompanying Eleonora while looking at Valentina with concern. ¡°What is she doing here?¡±


    Raising her hand with a controlled smile, Valentina calmly replied:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll explain everything later. But right now, we need to speak with the professor.¡±


    Despite the guards¡¯ lingering doubts, Valentina and Alexia moved forward alongside Eleonora. The three left the students standing there, still not fully understanding the situation.


    ¡°Please¡­ try not to start a fight with our professor,¡± Valentina whispered to Eleonora, a slight note of concern in her tone.


    Without slowing her pace, Eleonora smiled faintly and replied:


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t act like an idiot, I won¡¯t need to use force.¡±


    However, before she could continue, Eleonora opened the door to the teacher¡¯s tent, and instantly the tension in the air shifted.


    At the back, the teacher was there, his back turned to them as he examined a small artifact on the table.


    The device glowed faintly under the light of a nearby lamp, and its inscriptions began to emit a soft vibration.


    The artifact gave off a faint yellow glow, only to quickly revert to a red hue.


    The teacher, a man of imposing build and analytical gaze, slowly lifted his eyes, recognizing Camila only after a few seconds.


    His greeting was curt¡ªalmost abrupt.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, not fully turning toward them; his deep voice carried a hint of discomfort.


    Eleonora stepped forward without hesitation and said calmly:


    ¡°What I want is the artifact. Are you going to give it to me, or do I have to take it by force?¡±


    This declaration caught everyone off guard, but especially the class president, who couldn¡¯t help but think:


    ¡®Didn¡¯t he hear what I told him before?!¡¯<blockquote>


    New type of illustrations for ¡°I have the sacred sword?¡±!


    <cite></cite></blockquote>


    <blockquote>


    From now on the illustrations of this novel will have this style of illustration:


    <cite></cite></blockquote>


    <blockquote>


    Style I was going to use before:


    <cite></cite></blockquote>


    <blockquote>


    Style I will use now!


    <cite></cite></blockquote>


    <blockquote>


    I emphasize that each of these illustrations was generated with AI.


    <cite></cite></blockquote>


    <blockquote>


    About the rest... Thanks for waiting for the return of this work!


    <cite></cite></blockquote>

 Chapter 53 – Did You Forget What You Did?

    Despite Eleonora¡¯s declaration, the teacher didn¡¯t take his eyes off the teleportation device on the table.


    It seemed he had taken her statement as a joke.


    Valentina, who was behind Eleonora, didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Keeping her classmates in line was a thousand times easier than dealing with the problem caused by that being who had possessed her friend¡¯s body.


    Besides, dealing with teachers was always a hassle, so, trying to take the initiative before Eleonora could spout another absurd remark, Valentina stepped forward.


    In a somewhat hesitant voice, she began, though her words came out with more caution than she intended.


    ¡°Teacher¡­¡± she began, her tone betraying a slight tremor. ¡°What my friend meant was, would it be possible for you to let us take a quick look at the teleportation device?¡±


    The teacher, letting out a sigh, looked up at Valentina. His expression was serious and somewhat skeptical.


    ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll use it to head to the next destination. If we tamper with it now, it could be dangerous,¡± he replied in a firm, almost curt tone.


    Then, as if his answer were final, he turned his attention back to the device.


    Normally, at this point, Valentina would have backed off, but¡­


    Glancing sideways at Eleonora, she swallowed hard before saying:


    ¡°I understand your point, teacher. But¡­ maybe tomorrow you could allow us to examine it before everyone else uses it.¡±


    It was an odd request, but considering all the efforts she¡¯d made these past few days to prevent her class from doing something crazy, Valentina hoped the teacher would at least agree to that.


    The teacher frowned and crossed his arms, deep in thought.


    After a brief silence, he let out another sigh.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ but I promise nothing,¡± he finally said, his voice a bit more relaxed, though not by much.


    This response disappointed Valentina a little, since, honestly, it hadn¡¯t been easy at all to keep the entire class in line¡ªespecially as more and more of them were at odds with the teacher.


    Although a good portion of the class had cooperated to stop the previous threat, some had refused to obey; as a result, the class was increasingly divided, which weakened her influence.


    ¡®Well¡­ at least you¡¯ll be happy with that, right?¡¯ Valentina thought, believing that her efforts would convince Eleonora to back down, but¡­ This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    To her surprise, Eleonora wore an expression of utter discontent.


    In fact, she even looked quite upset.


    ¡°You¡¯re not convincing me,¡± Eleonora suddenly declared in a clear, determined voice. She glared at the teacher with an intensity that almost burned, as if she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°I want to touch that device right now¡ªwith my own hands.¡±


    The teacher looked at her, frowning.


    It was obvious that Eleonora¡¯s request had thrown him off, since normally no student would behave that way with a teacher.


    In an impatient tone, the teacher asked:


    ¡°And you are¡­? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Without the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation, Eleonora replied coldly:


    ¡°Camila.¡±


    The teacher stared at Eleonora for a few more seconds and then, as if a light had suddenly flicked on in his mind, he recalled something crucial.


    His eyes narrowed and, in a harsh tone, he commented:


    ¡°Camila, did you forget that you dropped the Kluir when we arrived? Not only did you drop it, but you did it with your own hands. Do you know what that meant? The artifact suffered minor fractures because of it.¡±


    ¡®Oh¡­ so the teleportation device is called Kluir, what a strange name!¡¯ Eleonora immediately thought.


    As he spoke, the teacher advanced toward Eleonora with heavy steps, his boots echoing on the stone floor.


    When he reached her, he leaned in slightly and, with his steely, penetrating grey eyes, stared her down.


    ¡°Are you really going to keep insisting on holding onto the Kluir after what happened?¡± he asked in a deep, almost mocking tone.


    Eleonora didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. Her answer was curt¡ªlike a blow on the table.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t an ounce of doubt in her tone.


    The teacher let out a dry laugh, devoid of humor, and shook his head as he watched her, a mixture of disbelief and admiration painted on his face.


    Had this student gone crazy?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to call you foolish or incredibly bold,¡± he murmured in a mocking whisper, looking Eleonora up and down before stepping back.


    But before he could continue, something shifted in his expression.


    His eyes drifted to the figure beside Eleonora: the girl with white hair and golden eyes.


    How had he not noticed she was there before?


    The girl¡¯s presence was unsettling, as if her energetic aura was strong enough to make anyone who got too close stagger.


    And curiously¡­ judging by her expression, she seemed upset.


    Slightly surprised by the girl¡¯s sudden appearance, the teacher watched her in silence for a few seconds before asking with obvious curiosity:


    ¡°Where did that girl come from? I don¡¯t recall seeing her before.¡±


    Before Valentina could open her mouth to intervene, Eleonora interrupted her.


    Her tone was direct, defiant, and carried a calmness uncharacteristic of a student.


    ¡°If you want to know that, you¡¯ll have to hand me the Kluir.¡±


    Eleonora stared intently at the teacher, even though he was taking her lightly.


    The teacher raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening with irritation.


    ¡°Enough,¡± he said in a lower, serious tone, clearly fed up with Eleonora¡¯s persistence. ¡°Stop being so annoying about it. I¡¯m not handing it over to you.¡±


    Valentina, intent on preventing the situation from escalating, took a deep breath and decided to intervene to calm things down.


    ¡°Please, teacher, this isn¡¯t necessary,¡± she said, her voice softened by the weariness of the conversation. Her gaze focused on Eleonora, who now seemed unwilling to budge an inch. ¡°She¡­¡±


    ¡®What can I say to calm the situation?!¡¯ Valentina thought, upset, as she couldn¡¯t come up with anything.


    Noticing Valentina¡¯s attempt to ease the tension, Eleonora smiled slightly. She looked the teacher straight in the eye, refusing to back down even an inch.


    ¡°And if not?¡± she asked mockingly.


    ¡®Why is she doing this¡­?¡¯ Alexia wondered, confused, unable to understand Eleonora¡¯s actions.


    The teacher watched Eleonora for a few more seconds and, seeing that her defiant attitude persisted, ran his hand over his face, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°It seems today¡¯s youth just doesn¡¯t know when to stop¡­¡± he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else, as he stepped back.


    ¡°Please, let¡¯s not complicate things any further,¡± Valentina whispered to Eleonora, her eyes pleading for understanding.

 Chapter 54 – Congratulations, Youre…

    "Class president," said the teacher in a tired tone that still carried a note of irritation. "I''m asking you to rein in that student, or I''ll be forced to take action. This situation is out of line, and you know exactly how I like things kept in order."


    Valentina swallowed hard.


    Her mind raced through every possible way to smooth things over, but the harshness in the teacher''s voice was unmistakable.


    Valentina, unaware of Eleonora¡¯s true power, just wanted to prevent her friend from facing serious consequences¡ªbecause if they got back to the academy and the teacher reported this¡­


    Maybe they''d expel Camila from the academy?


    "Camila¡­" she said in a trembling voice. "Please, calm down. We don''t want this to end badly¡­"


    Eleonora, however, showed no sign of willingness to listen.


    Right then, she had already formed a conclusion about that human whom all these students called "teacher."


    "I don''t need you telling me what to do, demi-human," Eleonora replied coldly, not taking her eyes off the teacher. "And you¡ªcongratulations. You''re complete trash."


    ...


    ''What!?'' both Valentina and Alexia thought.


    Was Eleonora really insulting the teacher!?


    Alexia, who had been staying on the sidelines out of curiosity about what Eleonora was aiming for, realized that things were already crossing the line.


    ''Is she trying to pick a fight with the teacher...?'' she wondered, trying to figure out what Eleonora stood to gain.


    Unlike Valentina, Alexia had already witnessed a bit of Eleonora''s power when she completely subdued that bastard Darius¡ªand, of course, the way she toyed with Leo.


    Clearly, the teacher was on a completely different level than they were, but having seen how Eleonora treated the girl¡ªwho had blocked that massive magical attack without even breaking a sweat¡ªthere was a very real possibility that either Eleonora or that girl could wipe the floor with him. And although Alexia didn''t particularly care for the teacher, the real problem was with their other classmates; not because of his strength, but because of the repercussions if the academy ever found out.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    This was an issue that could escalate far beyond a mere expulsion, but¡­


    What could she do to stop it from spiraling further?


    Suddenly, at that very moment, an earthquake shook the ground beneath their feet.


    The rumbling sound reverberated across the floor, causing the tent to sway.


    "An earthquake!" shouted one of the students from outside.


    ''Damn, yes!'' Valentina thought happily.


    ''Oh¡­ what luck,'' Alexia thought, relieved.


    Without a second thought, the teacher spun around and started walking quickly toward the exit.


    ''I''ll teach that bitch a lesson when we get there¡­'' he thought, annoyed.


    "Follow me," he declared, and the girls began trailing him out of the tent.


    But then the teacher suddenly stopped, noticing that only Alexia and Valentina were following him; seeing that the rebellious girl¡ªalong with the other girl¡ªhad remained inside the tent, he didn''t hesitate to go back in to see what the heck they were doing.


    Alexia and Valentina, following him, swallowed nervously.


    "What are you doing?" he demanded, clearly irritated. "Come here now! Can''t you see there''s an emergency?"


    Ignoring the teacher''s order, Eleonora had seized the perfect opportunity to act¡ªand now she was about to grab the Kluir.


    In Eleonora''s eyes, that device was rather peculiar.


    The Kluir was small enough to comfortably fit in the palm of a hand. Its shape was a cross between a flattened sphere and a cylinder, suggesting it was no ordinary artifact.


    Engraved inscriptions and faintly glowing runes adorned its surface, but the most fascinating feature was the series of concentric rings¡ªreminiscent of the tumblers in a safe''s lock.


    Until that moment, the artifact had exhibited a dull red hue with hints of yellow, but as soon as Eleonora grasped it, the Kluir burst into a blinding radiance.


    Everyone was forced to cover their eyes as the white light emanating from the device filled the entire tent.


    Completely bewildered, the teacher shouted,


    "Let it go now!"


    Now he was truly angry.


    "I order you¡ªlet it go!"


    But Eleonora, paying no heed to his commands, held the Kluir tightly in her hands.


    ''This is draining some of my energy¡­'' she thought, surprised.


    Although she had managed to channel only a fraction of her power during the brief time with those humans, this device was siphoning a significant part of her reserves!


    Eleonora shot a sidelong glance at her summoned creature, which watched her with its mouth agape.


    It looked astonished¡ªand that expression reminded her somewhat of her sister Cerys¡­


    ''I need to teach that thing some manners¡­'' she thought.


    In an instant, the Kluir''s light shifted; what had been a reddish glow with yellow sparks transformed into an all-out yellow brilliance.


    ''Did the Kluir fully charge up?! What the hell did that student do?!'' the teacher thought, astonished.


    "Enough of your jokes, girl!" the teacher shouted, advancing quickly toward Eleonora. "Hand it over now!"


    But Eleonora, with a defiant smile, met the teacher''s gaze squarely.


    There wasn''t an ounce of fear or doubt on her face.


    "Do you think I care what you say?" she retorted in a disdainful tone laced with amusement. "I don''t take orders from weak humans like you."

 Chapter 55 – Just a Healer?

    The master, his face hardened with fury, locked his gray eyes onto Eleonora.


    His staff glowed with an amber shimmer, reflecting the dim light of the lamp illuminating the Kluir on the table. The wood creaked under his grip, a vein bulging on his forehead as his lips curled into a sneer of contempt.


    ¡°What did you say, girl?¡± he growled, irritation dripping from his voice.


    His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it seemed like the ground quivered beneath his boots.


    ¡°Trash, you call me? You, a mere healer?¡±


    Eleonora, still inhabiting Camila¡¯s body, stared back at him unflinchingly.


    The priestess robes she wore¡ªonce pristine white with gold accents, emblazoned with a phoenix insignia on the chest¡ªwere now in tatters, shredded by combat and constant scraping against snow and branches.


    Charred edges hung like open wounds, and the long, elegant sleeves had been reduced to scraps, exposing cuts and burns on her arms. Yet her stance remained steady, and a mocking smile played on her lips, fanning the master¡¯s rage even further.


    ¡°Just a healer?¡± Eleonora echoed, tilting her head with a theatrical flourish, as if savoring the phrase.


    Her red eyes¡ªunnatural in Camila¡¯s face¡ªgleamed with amusement.


    ¡°Nah, old man. I¡¯m just calling it like I see it. And what I see is a weakling hiding behind a fancy glowing stick.¡±


    Valentina, off to the side, opened her mouth to jump in but snapped it shut, her hands trembling slightly as they gripped the edge of her cloak.


    What is this lunatic doing? she thought, her gaze darting between Eleonora and the master.


    Alexia, meanwhile, took a cautious step back, her feline ears twitching as she watched the scene unfold.


    This is about to blow up¡­ and I¡¯m not sure I want to be around when it does, she mused, biting her lower lip.


    The master let out a harsh, barking laugh and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground.


    The runes etched into it flared brighter, casting jagged shadows across the tent¡¯s walls.


    ¡°Guards!¡± he bellowed, his voice echoing beyond the canvas.


    The two students from earlier¡ªbearing lion insignias¡ªrushed in, hands already on their sword hilts.


    ¡°Be ready to catch the Kluir when it drops.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡± the blond guard started to ask, but before he could finish, the master jerked his staff upward. An invisible force yanked at the Kluir in Eleonora¡¯s hands.


    The artifact began to levitate, rising with a low hum that vibrated through the air. Eleonora¡¯s brow furrowed, her fingers tightening around the device as its concentric rings spun slowly, emitting faint yellow pulses.


    ¡°Wanna play?¡± the master said, his laugh deepening into something cruel.


    His eyes glinted with satisfaction as he cocked his head to one side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you can handle, healer.¡±


    Eleonora felt the pressure spike. The Kluir pulled upward with a force that made her wrists creak, but she gripped it with both hands, her pale fingers straining until the veins stood out beneath Camila¡¯s burned, grimy skin.


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    Her tattered robes fluttered faintly from the energy radiating off the artifact, and a sweaty strand of hair fell across her face. Yet, far from showing strain, Eleonora let out a short, almost childish giggle that clashed with the tension.


    ¡°This all you¡¯ve got?¡± she taunted, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I thought you were serious about this thing being delicate. Or maybe it¡¯s you who can¡¯t handle it?¡±


    Valentina lurched forward, her face pale and her eyes wide.


    ¡°Camila, stop!¡± she cried, but her voice cracked into an anxious whisper.


    Why does she have to egg him on? This isn¡¯t a game! she thought, clenching her fists helplessly.


    Alexia, beside her, stayed silent, her ears pinned back as her tail flicked nervously.


    This woman¡­ she¡¯s got no limits, Alexia reflected, her gaze bouncing between Eleonora and the master.


    The master clicked his tongue, his expression darkening.


    Eleonora¡¯s jab had hit a nerve, and his free hand balled into a fist as his staff blazed brighter.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about it, let go then, brat,¡± he snarled, his voice low but menacing.


    In his mind, though, a darker plan took shape: If she doesn¡¯t obey, I¡¯ll blast her sky-high and let whatever breaks, break.


    The Kluir¡¯s pull surged violently, yanking Eleonora off the ground. Her feet left the earth, and for a moment, she hung suspended in midair.


    She¡¯s heavy! the master thought instantly, realizing she wouldn¡¯t go flying as easily as he¡¯d hoped.


    A sharp, defiant laugh burst from Eleonora¡¯s lips, ringing through the tent as she clung to the artifact with near-superhuman resolve.


    ¡°You thought this would scare me?¡± she said, her grin widening as her red eyes flared with mocking fire. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to do better than that, geezer.¡±


    The master gritted his teeth, his face flushing with rage.


    How dare this little snot? he fumed, his hand trembling as he poured more energy into the spell.


    The student guards, swords still drawn, gaped in shock, their faces pale as Eleonora floated higher while the Kluir¡¯s glow began to dim.


    But then, a distant sound shattered the moment: a far-off rumble, muffled shouts, and a roar they couldn¡¯t place.


    The camp, somewhere beyond, was under attack¡ªlikely from the earthquake still echoing through the mountain.


    The master let out an exasperated huff, his gaze flicking toward the tent¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your games,¡± he growled, frustration tightening his shoulders.


    Just as the force on the Kluir peaked¡ªthreatening to rip Eleonora¡¯s fingers off while hoisting her even higher¡ªsomething shifted.


    A small but firm hand clamped around Camila¡¯s ankle, halting her ascent dead in its tracks.


    The summon, her white hair fluttering faintly in the energy¡¯s currents, held Eleonora from below with an ease that defied logic.


    Her golden eyes glowed with an icy calm, not a single muscle betraying effort.


    The master, already half-turned to storm out and check the camp, froze.


    He turned his head slowly, his eyes widening as he saw the girl anchoring Eleonora like his spell was nothing.


    Who¡­ who is she? he thought, his mind reeling.


    His staff quivered in his grip as he cranked the spell¡¯s power higher, making the Kluir thrash side to side in a desperate bid to break free of Eleonora¡¯s hold.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    The summon, with strength belying her fragile frame, kept Eleonora rooted in place, her fingers an unshakable anchor, while Eleonora refused to let the Kluir slip.


    Valentina gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth as her eyes bulged in awe.


    How¡­ how can that kid be so strong? she thought, her heart racing.


    Alexia narrowed her eyes, her ears twitching as she studied the summon with a mix of respect and wariness.


    That power¡­ could it outmatch a high-ranking knight? she wondered, her tail going still.


    The student guards, poised to catch the Kluir, stumbled back a step, their faces ashen and their hands shaking on their sword hilts.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­?¡± the blond whispered, barely audible, glancing at his partner¡ªwho just shook his head, speechless.


    The master clicked his tongue again, his patience fraying to threads.


    ¡°Enough of this,¡± he snarled, raising his staff one last time. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a lesson when we¡¯re back.¡±


    With a sharp gesture, he killed the spell, and the force tugging the Kluir vanished instantly.


    Eleonora, still airborne, began to drop¡ªbut before she hit the ground, the summon caught her with an almost ethereal grace, cradling her like a rescued princess.


    ¡°You okay?¡± the summon asked, a hint of concern in her voice as her golden eyes scanned Eleonora¡¯s face.


    Eleonora scowled, clearly irked at needing her creation¡¯s help.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she snapped grudgingly, her tone clipped as she straightened in the summon¡¯s arms.


    Her fingers, still clutching the Kluir, trembled faintly, and she noticed her knuckles were red and bruised from the spell¡¯s strain.


    That damn old man wanted to snap my candidate¡¯s fingers¡­ she thought, annoyance flaring.


    But then her focus shifted to the Kluir in her hands.


    The artifact flared back to life, glowing a vivid yellow¡ªbrighter than ever¡ªwith a faint hum emanating from it.


    It even¡­ seemed to pulse, like a heartbeat.