The three of them slept in the room where Madame Bin kept the toys for her customers. While Sanjay and Commander Lei were visibly uncomfortable, Kin didn't seem to care much. He couldn't quite understand why they felt that way. His mind was occupied with checking on Ashell's progress in crafting his new armor.
Since leaving Bintan, he had been sending her different kinds of metals for the armor. With the haul from Consant, he had thought it was enough, but it turned out crafting armor was more difficult than he expected. He would need more materials.
Kin entered Ashell's domain and observed as she sorted the swords he had sent. She separated those that could contribute to the armor from those meant for other purposes. Having proper armor would be a significant advantage for Kin, especially given the kind of enemies he was likely to face.
Kin's mind wandered to how he would handle his upcoming opponents and reflected on how he dealt with his previous ones. He had been training, recalling lessons taught by Farouk, Jai, General Khan, and even his father. Kin knew he wasn't a genius at fighting—he had known that ever since he was old enough to choose eating over training.
However, there was one thing Kin excelled at, something even he might not have realized without Ashell: his ability to recollect and recreate. He didn't struggle to recall the training he had received over the years, and with his new body, recreating those techniques was just a matter of practice and time. He might not be able to attain the mastery of the original users, but he was confident in replicating the moves to a degree.
One such skill was Jai's sword-fighting technique, which masked real attacks within feints. It was more challenging than it sounded, and when Jai had first taught him, Kin couldn't even fathom replicating it. But his encounter with the beast that Ashell made his war axe, Kasir, from had unlocked something within him.
Kin vividly remembered the day Rashid asked him to deliver a message to a village outside Bintan. On his way back to the city, he had witnessed an extraordinary battle between two ferocious beasts.
One was a massive, elephant-like creature, far larger than any elephant he had seen, with enormous tusks and an intimidating aura. Kin had overheard someone call such beasts "mammoths," though he wasn't entirely sure. The other beast was a snake-like creature, its deep blue scales glinting in the sunlight. It was much longer than an average snake and just as massive as the mammoth.
Kin watched from a distance as the beasts clashed. The snake used its venom and nimbleness to weaken the mammoth, while the mammoth relied on its superior strength and bulk to overpower the snake. Both were formidable in their own way and after a long and savage battle, the mammoth emerged victorious.
Kin, secretly rooting for the snake, was disappointed. Despite its size disadvantage, the snake had fought intelligently and fiercely, making the mammoth's victory feel bittersweet. Just as he was about to leave, Ashell's voice echoed in his mind.
"I can make a powerful weapon using the energy from that beast's tusks," she said.
"So?" Kin replied, unsure why she was telling him this.
"So, if you can kill it—"
"That's not happening," Kin interrupted.
"What do you mean by 'that's not happening'?" Ashell asked, her tone sharp.
"I mean, I'm not risking my life for a new weapon," Kin replied indignantly. "I already have Ken, and Jamila promised me a bow if I got her the sweets she wanted. I'm good."
"Better weapons mean better survival," Ashell insisted.
"It's a ferocious beast!" Kin shot back.
"Exactly, which is why I suggest you summon Ken," Ashell said coolly. "If it's truly ferocious, it would have sensed you by now."
A cold chill ran down Kin's spine. He froze, feeling the weight of her words just as the mammoth locked its eyes on him.
"Move, you fool!" Ashell screamed.
Kin leapt out of the way just as the beast charged, missing him by a hair's breadth. It had slowed due to its injuries, but the force behind its movements was still terrifying.
Kin turned to flee. There was no way he would fight something like this—not for Ashell, not for anyone. But her voice cut through his thoughts.
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
Kin hesitated. Why was she asking this? They were partners, sure, and she had saved his life before, but trust? That was different.
"Do you trust me?" Ashell repeated.
"No," Kin finally admitted.
"Good," she said. "Now let me earn it. You're stronger than you think. You're faster, better, and not alone. Together, we can do this."
Kin summoned Ken. This was only the second time he had used the sword in combat and the first time against something this monstrous. The beast's wounds and exhaustion offered a slim chance, but Kin still saw defeat looming large.
"Stop conceding before the battle begins," Ashell scolded. "Your fear only empowers your enemy. Stand firm."
The mammoth closed the distance, raising its massive trunk to strike. Kin dodged and slashed with Ken, but the blade barely left a scratch. The mammoth retaliated with a swift swing of its trunk, sending Kin flying. The impact was lessened by the proximity, but it still left him gasping for air.
"Not yet," Ashell urged.
Kin scrambled to his feet, circling behind the beast to target its legs. His strikes failed to cut deep enough to cause any real harm.
"We need to go for its eyes," Ashell suggested.
"That's suicide," Kin muttered.
"Then trick it. Draw it in and wait for an opening."
The plan sounded reckless. Kin didn't trust his luck, and relying on it felt like gambling with his life. As he bit his lip, searching for another option, a memory of Jai's lessons surfaced in his mind.