I did not respond. My entire focus was only on my technique. That Goblin Leader… the one who had made me feel death itself with his thunder… was now standing before me.
The goblin roared,
"I have ruled these forests for ten years! No one has been able to kill me. Even governments retreated! Many mages burned to ashes in my lightning… and you? You think you can kill me?"
He raised his staff toward the sky with one hand.
In the very next moment — the sky seemed to split apart.
Dark clouds gathered. Streaks of lightning began dancing across the heavens.
The earth trembled.
Leo and Elisa froze for a moment. They were fighting the smaller goblins, but this scene was unnatural.
The old dwarf roared, "Don't underestimate that lightning strike! Use your technique with full power! He has killed many mages with thunder magic!"
Suddenly — a terrifying flash burst from the staff. A far more violent bolt of lightning than before descended straight toward me.
In that single moment, time seemed to slow down. I took a deep breath.
" Massive slash of fire…"
A stream of magical fire shot from my hand. Pink-red flames, not blood, but magic itself pulsing like fire.
The two magical powers collided. An explosion erupted.
So powerful that the walls of the entire cave cracked. The ceiling shattered into fractures and debris. Stones rained down.
A violent shock struck me. The ground beneath my feet caved in. For a few moments, everything went dark. But… I did not fall.
My body — this new body — was throbbing like fire. The circular mark on my chest pulsed rapidly, as if absorbing the impact. Perhaps it was the strength of these clothes, working like armor.
I had suffered minor injuries… but I was alive.
And the Goblin Leader's laughter — turned into a scream and suddenly vanished.
In the distance — Leo had raised a wall of earth using Earth Magic. He shielded himself, Elisa, and the old dwarf.
The wall cracked from the blast, but because they were farther away, they suffered only minor injuries.
As far as the eye could see — the smaller goblins' bodies were soaked in blood. Some were groaning. Some were lifeless.
Slowly, the dust settled.
Elisa's voice trembled — "Charger!? … Charger!? Are you okay?!"
They were looking at me. I… was standing on my feet. There was disbelief in their eyes.
Then a voice flashed through my mind —
Level Up
Level Up
Level Up
But just then, the old dwarf stepped forward and shouted — "The Goblin Leader… is dead!" I slowly walked ahead. Amid the smoke and shattered stones… He lay there.
The Goblin Leader — split into two pieces. His staff was broken. The light in his eyes had faded. Silence filled the cave.
But… The mark on my chest was still pulsing. As if this battle… was only the beginning.
Seeing this, I checked my level and summoned my Magical Status Screen. Then,
Rank: C
Magical status screen level,
Magic —21 (Fire)
Speed — 20
Stamina — 20
I was shocked, because like the others, it was showing Rank C — and the magic type Fire as well.
Seeing this, Elisa was stunned.
"You're Rank C?!"
Then she summoned her Magical Status Screen, and Leo did the same. I glanced at theirs.
⭐ Elisa
Rank: peak of D
Magical status screen level,
Magic —19 (Healing)
Speed — 18
Stamina — 18
⭐ Leo
Rank: D
Magical status screen level,
Magic —17 (Earth)
Speed — 16
Stamina — 16
As for the old dwarf, he…
⭐ Old Dwarf
Not hunter, only swordman. Without rank… yet stronger than most D-rank hunters.
I asked myself, "Who is the one saying 'Level Up' inside my head? And why did I hear that voice again? The first time was when I won my first battle against the wolves… and this is the second time. What is happening? I don't understand anything. It was this same voice that told me about my technique. And why is my level increasing so fast? "
"I only had a small clash with a Giroult… and then I killed this Goblin Leader. Can I really reach Rank C this quickly? Is my body already as strong as an S-Rank hunter? Could that be the reason I'm growing so fast? Will I continue to rise like this… all the way to S Rank?"
I was lost in these thoughts when Elisa suddenly stood in front of me. She snapped her fingers before my face and said,
"Where are you lost? You're a very strong mage now — Rank C. It will still take me some time to reach that level of strength."
"Wait, let me heal these wounds first," she said.
With a simple gesture of her hand, my wounds began to close. Within moments, they were gone.
The feeling was complicated. It reminded me of Eve… who still lingered in my chest like an unhealed pain.
At that moment, my resolve changed. My goal was not yet complete. I had left my family behind… and some unfinished accounts as well. I would have to return soon. And settle everything.
My hands trembled slightly… and then a faint shiver ran through my entire body. Taking a step back, I said,
"I have to go."
Elisa frowned. "What do you mean, go? Where are you going?"
Dawn was only moments away. The sky outside the shattered cave was beginning to pale. My answer was clear.
"All I know is… I'm not skilled enough yet. Not in magic control. Not in combat. In every fight, I rush in and unleash my technique recklessly. It's uncontrolled. If I keep fighting like that, I'll either destroy everything around me… or myself. I have to leave. I need to learn. I need proper training."
Elisa crossed her arms. "That's not what I asked. Where do you want to go?"
I paused for a moment… then answered,
"The North Hunter Guild."
Inside, my thoughts were already moving ahead.
Because my true plan now was to find the sword that Giroult was searching for — the sword that could make me even stronger.
Elisa spoke softly, "Do you really want to leave?" I nodded.
Just then, Leo let out a light cough. I understood immediately — he was pleased. Maybe he saw this as fate separating rivals.
Still, I turned to Elisa and said, "One day… I'll meet you again."
A faint smile appeared on her face, though it carried a trace of sadness.
Leo stepped forward and grabbed my hand — almost forcefully — shaking it with a grin.
"Alright, friend. Looks like our journey ends here. We choose our own paths now. But remember this — next time we meet, we compete."
Leo looked excited. Elisa… looked quiet.
As for the old dwarf, he didn't care about any of it. He was busy rummaging through the goblins' loot, stuffing valuables into a sack.
"There's a lot of treasure here!" he shouted.
I raised my voice and replied, "Leave some for us too! We worked hard in this fight!"
And just like that… our paths began to split.
As I was about to leave, I held the sword in my hand and tried to give it to Elisa.
"You should keep it," I said.
But she shook her head.
"No. You need it more. It's better if you keep it with you."
The look on her face… if I kept staring any longer, I might have melted. So I decided it was better not to say too much.
Then Elisa raised her hand. A sheath materialized, one that could be fastened across the back. She handed it to me.
"You'll need this too."
I secured the sword inside the sheath and strapped it to my back.
"…Alright."
Elisa looked at me carefully and said, "Now it doesn't seem like you're lacking anything."
Just then, the old dwarf came running over, shouting,
"O Kid! Take these diamonds too! They'll be very useful!" I refused at first, but he ignored me and stuffed four diamonds into my pocket anyway.
Finally, I said, "Friends… we'll meet again."
As soon as I said that, Elisa replied softly, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
I smiled. "I don't need anything anymore. I'm fully prepared."
But I understood. It wasn't about equipment. It wasn't about preparation. Her heart was breaking. Leo stepped beside me and muttered, "Brother, don't pay too much attention to my sister's words… or she won't let you leave."
Elisa's eyes were trembling — not with tears, but with questions she never asked.
And I… didn't have the courage to answer them.
Hearing that, I suddenly dashed toward the cave exit. "See you later!"
Maybe that was the only way to convince both my heart and Elisa's.
To gain something… you have to leave something behind. Perhaps we would meet again. But I knew this much — my life from now on would be stained with blood. And until the day I became strong enough to look Eve and Necros in the eyes… and demand my answers. I would not stop.
"I'm in the northern part of the world right now.
First, I'll head to the North Hunter Guild — it's only a few miles from here.
After that… I'll find a way to reach the East.
There's no land route. I'll have to travel by sea.
Because the East… is where I was born.
And it's also the place where I was killed."
"I have unfinished business in the East.
That's where my blood once stained the ground."