Scy's POV
The forest felt quieter than before, but not because nothing was there. It was quiet because everything was watching. Every movement, every shift in the wind, every distant sound carried meaning. After everything that had happened, I could no longer treat this place as simple training ground. This was where I would prepare for what was coming.
Natalia stood a few steps behind me, her posture firm but slightly tense. She was trying to stay composed, but I could tell she wasn't used to this kind of pressure yet.
"…What do I do first?" she asked.
I didn't turn around.
"Survive."
"…That's not very helpful."
"It is," I replied calmly. "Because if you can't survive, nothing else matters."
She went silent after that.
Good.
She was thinking.
I raised my hand and formed a blade instantly, its shape more stable than before, its edge sharper, cleaner. The more I used my ability, the more natural it became. It was no longer something I forced. It was something that responded to me.
"…Watch carefully," I said.
I stepped forward and swung the blade once. The movement was simple, but precise. No wasted motion, no unnecessary force.
"This isn't about power," I continued. "It's about control."
Natalia nodded slowly, her eyes focused.
"…Try it."
She hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand just like I did. She closed her eyes, concentrating.
Seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
"…It's not working," she said, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Of course not."
She opened her eyes and looked at me.
"…What?"
"You're forcing it," I said. "You're thinking too much about the result."
"…Then what should I do?"
"Feel it."
She frowned slightly.
"…Feel what?"
"The flow," I answered. "The energy inside you. Don't try to control it immediately. Let it move first."
She stared at her hand again.
This time, she didn't rush.
She breathed slowly.
Focused.
Waited.
And then—
something small appeared.
A faint light.
Unstable.
But real.
"…I did it…" she whispered.
"…Don't lose it."
The light flickered.
Then disappeared.
"…Ah…"
"…Again."
She looked at me.
"…Again?"
"Yes."
"…How many times?"
"…Until you stop failing."
She blinked.
Then—
she smiled slightly.
"…You're strict."
"…And you're still alive."
"…Fair point."
Hours passed.
The sun moved slowly across the sky, but we didn't stop. Natalia failed more times than she succeeded, but each failure brought improvement. Her control became steadier, her focus sharper.
She wasn't weak.
She just lacked experience.
"…Again," I said.
"…I know," she replied, slightly out of breath.
She raised her hand once more.
This time—
a small blade formed.
Not perfect.
But stable.
She stared at it.
"…I can feel it now…"
"…Good."
I nodded.
"…Don't forget that feeling."
A sudden shift in the air interrupted us.
I froze.
"…Scy?" Natalia asked.
"…Something's coming."
The forest went silent.
Too silent.
Then—
a presence.
Heavy.
Far heavier than the monsters we had faced before.
"…Stay back," I said.
"…What is it?"
"…Not something you can handle yet."
The ground trembled slightly.
Then—
it appeared.
A massive creature stepped out from the shadows. Its body was covered in thick, dark scales, and its eyes glowed with a cold, predatory light.
"…That's not normal," Natalia whispered.
"…No. It's not."
This wasn't just a monster.
This was something stronger.
Something that didn't belong in this part of the forest.
"…It's reacting to me," I muttered.
The creature stared directly at me.
Not at Natalia.
Not at anything else.
Just me.
"…So you felt it too."
My power.
My presence.
"…Good."
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
I stepped forward.
The creature roared.
The sound shook the air itself.
And then—
it charged.
Fast.
Heavy.
Destructive.
But I didn't move back.
I raised my hand.
Multiple blades formed instantly around me, sharper and denser than before.
"…Let's see how far I've come."
The creature lunged.
I moved.
SWOOSH.
I disappeared from its line of sight.
CRASH.
My attack landed.
But—
"…It's tough."
The blade barely cut through its scales.
"…Then I'll adjust."
I focused.
Not just one blade.
Not just speed.
But pressure.
Density.
Control.
The blades around me changed.
Sharper.
Heavier.
More refined.
"…Now—"
The creature turned.
Too late.
"Break."
The blades shot forward.
CRACK.
The scales shattered.
The creature let out a painful roar.
Then—
silence.
Its body collapsed.
The ground shook.
I stood there, breathing steadily.
"…So this is the next level."
Not just creating.
Not just attacking.
But controlling the quality of what I created.
"…I'm getting closer."
Behind me, Natalia was staring at the fallen creature.
"…You defeated that… so easily…"
"…Not easily," I replied. "Just efficiently."
She looked at me.
"…Scy…"
"…What?"
"…You're not normal."
"…I know."
Silence.
Then—
"…And I'm going to follow you anyway."
I glanced at her.
"…You'll regret that."
She shook her head.
"…No. I won't."
I looked back at the creature.
Then at my hand.
Then at the sky.
"…They're coming."
"…Who?"
"…The ones above."
The kingdom.
The observers.
The real enemies.
And this time—
I wouldn't be the one being tested.
"…Next time," I said quietly.
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
"…I'll be the one testing them."