Adlet and Florian, frozen for a few moments by the sheer shock of the threat, eventually managed to regain their senses. By then, the two men had already disappeared, and the boys began to flee as well.
Their thoughts were still scattered, making reasoning difficult; they simply ran as fast as they could, trying to put distance between themselves and the looming danger.
After roughly ten minutes of frantic sprinting, they finally escaped the reach of that terrifying presence. This small respite allowed them to recover some of their composure.
"I think we're out of danger… for now," Adlet said, panting heavily.
Florian said nothing but gradually slowed, coming to a stop, equally winded. It wasn't the ten minutes of running that had exhausted them, but the intense fear they had endured until now.
"What do we do now?" Florian asked at last, agitation clear in his voice.
"We'd better head back to Villa-Sylva to regroup… But that's exactly the direction those two men were headed, and whatever was following them," Adlet explained.
"There's no way I'm getting closer to that thing!" Florian snapped, still visibly trembling. "There must be other camps near the wall; maybe we can skirt it to…"
Adlet immediately felt a surge of imminent danger. He summoned his Aura and lunged at Florian to shield him. He barely had time to push his friend to the ground before something struck him violently in the shoulder.
A sharp pain seared through him; it was the first time he had been injured since becoming a Protector. Until now, he had always avoided harm through his powers, but this time, his abilities weren't enough.
Adlet instantly realized that something dangerous had targeted them. He searched for the attacker, scanning the direction from which the strike had come—but there was nothing in sight.
"Get up, Florian! We're under attack!" he shouted.
Panic-stricken, Florian scrambled to his feet and enveloped himself in his own Aura. Another blow struck Adlet in the back, tearing into his flesh.
This time, Adlet reacted swiftly, catching a glimpse of their assailant: a massive green lizard, its four-meter-long body trailed by a ten-meter tail that swung with threatening force.
"A Bind Lizard…" Adlet breathed.
A rank 3 species, renowned for using its tail like a whip—injuring enemies from a distance before ensnaring them to crush bones or suffocate. The creature, now aware of being detected, stopped circling and faced the two boys directly, less than ten meters away.
With no need to hide, the lizard unleashed its power, radiating a predatory hunger designed to intimidate any challenger.
"Rank 3… lower level," Florian whispered, trembling.
"Yes… we'll need to work together to survive this," Adlet noted.
"No… we need to run," Florian said, taking a step back.
"Wait! This lizard is faster than us—it won't let us escape," Adlet countered, grabbing his friend's arm.
"You can't possibly fight that thing! It's suicide!" Florian cried, struggling free and sprinting in the opposite direction.
Though reluctant, Adlet followed. Staying together was the wisest choice if they hoped to survive.
The lizard caught up in no time, moving parallel to them five meters to the right, weaving effortlessly between the trees. It whipped its long tail toward them, which they narrowly dodged, the attack smashing into a nearby tree.
"See? Running won't help!" Adlet shouted, trying to reason with Florian.
But Florian didn't respond, continuing his desperate flight.
Adlet realized he couldn't rely on cooperation. Endless dodging wasn't an option; he had to come up with a plan—alone. Perhaps he could slow the creature enough to escape; for now, it was the only idea in his mind.
Focusing on the lizard's movements, predicting its strikes, Adlet noticed Florian had manifested his three wolf tails with his Aura.
"You're finally ready to team up?" Adlet asked, a hint of relief in his voice.
But before he could finish, he was hurled backward. He instinctively turned and saw Florian had pushed him with one of his tails.
Adlet hit the ground hard, watching his comrade continue running without a glance.
"Why?" he thought, swallowed by a profound despair.
The answer was simple: Florian had found a solution to ensure his survival—something Adlet had never considered but which was undeniably effective.
The sight of the massive lizard passing by brought him back to reality.
"Is this the end?" he wondered.
He faced the brutal truth of this world: survival belonged to the strongest and most determined. One wrong encounter could cost your life. One had to be capable of surviving alone. The harsh simplicity of this realization brought an unexpected calm to Adlet.
"The end? Hardly…" he muttered, rising to his feet.
His despair and confusion at Florian's betrayal were replaced by determination and a fierce will to win.
"Protectors fight alone? Fine. I'll fight alone," he declared, recalling Baryon's words.
The lizard sensed the shift in attitude. The boy, who had cowered before, now faced it without flinching. The creature, once playful with its prey, grew cautious.
It moved into position, striking with its tail while remaining agile—a simple, effective strategy.
Adlet could only defend, analyzing for an opening. His master had taught him: against a stronger beast, never succumb to fear; rely on strategy to turn the tables.
Pain from powerful strikes tore through his arms and legs, but he ignored it, focusing on finding a counterattack. His main limitation was reach and mobility.
Then, an idea struck, drawing from Niccolo's teachings.
Adlet collapsed to the ground, battered and bleeding.
The lizard paused, wrapping its tail around him. Seizing the opportunity, Adlet grabbed the tail and yanked with all his strength. The creature slid meters across the forest before catching a tree.
With a brutal tear, he ripped it from the creature's body entirely. The lizard let out a furious cry, thrashing, its severed tail writhing on the forest floor. Every inch of its long tail was now completely gone, leaving the creature utterly disarmed.
The creature shrieked in pain. Not fatal, perhaps, but enough to stagger it.
Unexpectedly, the tail began regenerating rapidly. Adlet rushed to strike while it healed, but the lizard, though tail-less, was still fast and thwarted his attack.
He picked up the detached tail and, using it as a whip, lashed at the lizard. The strikes cut deeply into its thick green hide, drawing raw, painful lines. Yet, to Adlet's frustration, the wounds began to heal almost instantly, the lizard's regenerative abilities far exceeding what he had anticipated.
To his dismay, Adlet realized it took barely ten seconds for the wounds he had inflicted to heal. He knew the lizard's regenerative power had its limits, but an endurance battle seemed far from wise given the number of injuries he had already sustained.
Moreover, those wounds were likely to increase soon, now that the reptile's appendage was nearly restored.
Nevertheless, all the wounds he had managed to inflict were not in vain; the lizard, constantly regenerating, had gradually lost some of its remarkable agility.
The boy quickly adapted to wielding his new weapon and managed to inflict multiple cuts on his opponent, each of which the lizard healed effortlessly, without losing any of its mobility.
Then, a powerful blow struck Adlet's forearm, a clear sign that the creature had fully regained its offensive capabilities. He felt as if he had returned to square one—more battered than before, wielding a weapon that was proving only partially effective. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, and he knew the fight was nearing its climax.
He understood that even though he could now compete in a ranged fight, it was pointless if the injuries kept accumulating on his side. He had to close in to strike the beast directly—his first objective, and still the only viable option.
Frustration mounting, Adlet knew he had to adapt. He gripped the tail differently, turning it into a blunt weapon rather than a whip. Swinging with all his strength, he slammed it against the lizard's forelegs, shattering the bones with sickening cracks. The creature stumbled, its mobility drastically reduced, leaving it at a severe disadvantage.
Without hesitation, Adlet seized the opportunity. He closed the distance, rolling onto the lizard's back and wrapping his arms tightly around its throat. The reptile struggled, snapping and thrashing its remaining limbs, but it could no longer reach him effectively.
Adlet pressed every ounce of his strength into the hold. The lizard's frantic movements slowed, then ceased entirely. For a long, tense minute, Adlet stayed still, chest heaving, sweat and blood mixing on his skin, before realizing the creature was finally subdued.
"After all this… I've earned a chance to survive… if only I hadn't taken all those hits," he muttered, the adrenaline of combat fading.
Breathing heavily, Adlet watched as faint particles of light began to emanate from the lizard's body, flowing directly into him—its Aura being absorbed, a clear sign that his victory had transferred the creature's power to him. Fatigue overcame him, and he collapsed, the forest spinning around him as he drifted into darkness.
"Hello, Adlet."
The words roused him from sleep. Opening his eyes, he saw Pami floating above the usual river at the center of his spiritual realm.
"Pami! I've missed you so much!" he exclaimed.
"We've never really been apart," Pami replied.
"Yes, but it's better to talk like this, isn't it?" Adlet said with a laugh.
"Indeed. Keep progressing, and you'll soon access this realm at will," said the fish.
A wide smile spread across Adlet's face, but worry quickly followed—he thought of his state in the real world.
"What happened? Did I really defeat that lizard?" he asked, voice serious.
"Yes. You exhausted your Aura to subdue it, but you're still in a precarious state because of your injuries. You'll need to act quickly," Pami explained.
"Act? What do you mean?"
"You triumphed over a dangerous opponent, wounding it enough to assimilate it—restoring your Aura and gaining its regenerative ability. Did I miss anything?"
Adlet noticed that another of Pami's seven tails was now glowing a vivid green, a clear sign of the lizard's assimilation.
But why could he assimilate a creature now, when he never had before?
He realized: he had unconsciously desired the lizard's healing power. Assimilation required true intent.
"So I assimilated the lizard because I wanted its power?" Adlet asked.
"Exactly. You sought healing, so you acquired it—just as you did with the scarab for strength," Pami confirmed.
"I see… And you? How did I assimilate you?"
"I wasn't part of you at that moment, but likely, you sought to become a Protector—and I could offer that," the fish replied.
"Right. Makes sense," said Adlet.
"I'd stay longer, but you must return to your body to heal your wounds. I hope to see you again soon, my friend," Pami said.
"I won't miss it. See you soon, Pami." As the world around him faded, his eyelids closed.
Back in reality, he lay face-down in his own blood. Fatigue was gone, replaced by a surge of energy from assimilated Aura. He tried to move but felt the sting of injuries.
He rolled onto his back and began self-healing, recalling his first training with his master. Knowing one's capacity and necessity is key to using Aura.
With experience, he channeled his power, closing each wound. Five minutes later, every cut had vanished. He felt oddly weak, not from energy loss, but from blood loss.
"If I can rebuild skin, I can rebuild blood," he thought, focusing. A green Aura enveloped him, restoring him fully.
Adlet focused on the green glow of his Aura as it enveloped him, flowing through his veins, stitching his wounds together. He had never felt his power so alive before. This wasn't just healing—it was a transformation. His Aura had changed, had evolved, and with it, so had he. He wasn't just surviving anymore; he was becoming something more.
Standing, he tested his body—stronger than before. The new assimilation had elevated his power.
"I must be lower rank 2 now," he concluded.
As he stood there, his mind wandered back to the battle—the chaos, the brutality. He had fought, he had won, but at what cost? For the first time, Adlet questioned himself. Was this the life of a Protector? To face such violence, alone, without even the comfort of others by his side? Had he become someone different—someone colder?
His chest tightened, the weight of the question heavy. He had faced death and survived, but had he lost a part of himself in the process?
No time for that now. He wasn't finished yet.
Heading toward Villa-Sylva, he moved swiftly and stealthily, alert for ambushes. He had proven his strength, but this path—this life—was far from over.
During the month they had spent in this zone, Adlet and his group had confined themselves to patrolling the areas around Villa-Sylva, likely to minimize risks for the young Protectors. He now knew the way well enough to reach his destination within a single day, which gave him the confidence to move at full speed.
The city walls loomed in the distance, and the towering spires of the castle rose beyond them.
Adlet's heart pounded, but not with fear—this time, it was with resolve.
He had made it. He was back, safe and sound. He had proven himself worthy of his role as a Protector.
And he was just getting started.