Morning came, and the camp stirred to life as Alden and Remy went off to hunt, leaving Kael alone at the campsite. The silence of the camp made Kael remember the events that happened yesterday, especially the moment when he almost died.
He shifted his focus, inspecting himself. On the surface, everything looked fine—no cuts, no bruises, not a single scar to show for what he'd endured.
"All seems normal…" he murmured, his voice soft in the silence.
Then he focused inward, assessing his body, particularly his origin root. Though still damaged, he could sense that it has grown stable due to Sylvia's help. A wave of gratitude washed over him. He realized just how deeply he had lost control, risking his life and all, without thinking about how Remy would feel.
"Thank you for saving me..." He muttered to Sylvia who's now a seed laying dormant within his origin root.
His attention then shifted towards the talent crystal which was now embedded in his origin root. Sylvia had told him that his talent had partially consolidated. If so, perhaps he could probably check what his talent was. With a deep breath, he focused, willing the crystal to reveal its contents.
A flood of information then filled his mind:
Name: Kael Virel
Species: Human
Rank: Unestablished [Damaged Origin Root]
Talent: Unlimited Growth
Skills:
Nature's Veil (Lvl 1/?), Healing Sap (Lvl 1/?), Sylvian Shield (Lvl 1/?), Nourishing Aura (Lvl 1/?), Wisp of Nature (Lvl 1/?)
Kael scanned through the information, his gaze stopping at his rank. His heart sank slightly.
"As expected…" he muttered, resigning himself to the limitations brought by his damaged origin root.
Then his eyes caught on to his talent
"Unlimited Growth…"
His heart skipped a beat, and he whispered it aloud, almost in disbelief.
Powerful. That was the only word that came to mind. His talent truly held extraordinary potential just like that priest said. But unfortunately he could not use his talent to its utmost potential.
Curious, he focused on it further, hoping for more details.
'Unlimited Growth - ?'
Kael frowned. There was no description, nothing that explained it. Then he remembered Sylva had mentioned his talent was only partially consolidated, which might explain the lack of detail. He released a relieved sigh, accepting it as it was.
"No matter," he said, a hint of determination slipping into his voice.
"As long as my talent has activated, that's good enough for me."
What had happened recently had changed him; he felt a deeper purpose. He had Remy—and now Sylva as well. That was more than enough reason to drive him forward and strive to be stronger.
"I failed Remy once before… Never again!" he vowed, his voice filled with newfound resolve.
Turning to his skills, he remembered that Sylva had transferred some of her abilities to him—those his body could handle. He checked each one carefully:
Nature's Veil – The ability to blend seamlessly into natural surroundings.
Healing Sap – Produces a small amount of sap infused with restorative energy.
Sylvian Shield – Creates a shield from the forces of nature.
Nourishing Aura – The user passively emits a subtle aura rich in vitality, nourishing the user's surroundings.
Wisp of Nature – Grants a higher affinity to nature.
As he read through the list, Kael's eyes sparkled as his heart swelled with gratitude. He then dropped to his knees, bowing low in a deep, earnest gesture.
"Thank you so much! Master Sylvia!"
Just then, Alden and Remy returned from their hunt, stopping in their tracks at the sight of Kael bowing to thin air. Alden raised an eyebrow, concern flickering across his face, while Remy's nose twitched in confusion.
'Is Kael still hurt somewhere?' Alden wondered.
'Did the human hit his head or something?' Remy thought, eyeing him skeptically.
*****
The trio brushed off the strange incident as they enjoy their breakfast. Kael ate in silence, feeling their eyes on him but choosing to ignore it.
"So, Alden… when do we set off for Outer Haven?" Kael asked between bites, purposefully avoiding their amused stares.
'I swear I'm not weird…' he thought, trying to ignore the blush creeping over his cheeks.
Alden chuckled, setting down his bowl.
"Maybe in a day or so. We'll need to gather supplies and materials before setting out."
"Right… right…" Kael stammered, clearly flustered.
Remy gave Kael a mischievous smirk, clearly amused by Kael's flustered response.
'The human's acting strange' he thought, bemused.
Kael cleared his throat, regaining composure.
"So… uh, what do we need to bring along?"
Alden tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"We shouldn't carry too much; it's safer that way. We can hunt as we go for food, but we'll still need basic provisions. As for other things, I don't own much—how about you two?"
Kael's eyes drifted to the pile of rubble where their cave once stood.
"We don't have much either," he admitted.
"But maybe we could salvage some cloths from the rubble. They'd make decent blankets for the journey."
"Good thinking," Alden agreed
"I'll help with the search"
All of them rose and began to work, each preparing for the journey.