As we reached the entrance of our camp, Sara's curious voice cut through the air. "So, umm... I was wondering, why did you carry that sword on the exploration? You didn't use it."
I looked at the sword strapped to my side and replied calmly, "This? It's more for emergencies. I can't fight well with it yet, but Aki gave it to me for good luck." I smiled, thinking of Aki's thoughtful gesture.
Sara nodded, understanding. "Well, that makes sense."
We all entered the camp, but before we could settle in, everyone rushed towards us. "Are you guys okay? We saw Sara's spell even from here!" Amaii called out, her face full of concern.
"Yeah, and there was a huge thunderbolt, way stronger than anything we've seen before," one of the boys added, looking anxious.
Sara scratched the back of her head, slightly embarrassed. "Oh, about that... We found a small goblin base and, well, wanted to test our strength."
"That explains the commotion. But what about that thunderbolt? It was, like, three times stronger than usual," another classmate chimed in.
I stepped forward, holding up my new shield. "We were testing this. Sara got a little too excited and overdid it," I explained, trying to keep a straight face.
The group erupted in laughter as one girl teased, "Yep, Sara does have a wild side."
Sara waved her hand playfully. "Oh, come on, don't start with that, Nat."
As everyone gathered around to check out my shield, they were clearly impressed. "Wow, it looks super strong!" several of them commented.
Aki slowly emerged from his tent, still looking worn out but eager to hear what happened. "What else did you guys find?" he asked, his voice a bit weaker than usual.
"You should be resting, Aki," I said, but Aki waved it off. I continued explaining everything—about the goblin base, the loot, and the Guardian Beast we had encountered.
"So there's a Guardian Beast, and that means a dungeon or ancient ruin nearby?" Aki asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement despite his exhaustion.
"Don't get too excited yet," I warned him. "That thing was level 80."
The camp fell silent for a moment. "Level what?!" Aki gasped, just as shocked as the others.
"Yeah, we saw it with our own eyes," Rick added, shuddering at the memory of the massive beast.
"Well, enough of that," I said, reaching into my bag. "I've got something to show you all." I pulled out the high-level martial arts skill book we had found in the goblin camp.
"This book grants mastery over martial arts," I explained, holding it up. "So, who wants to use it? Make sure you've got some experience with martial arts before stepping up."
Scarlet, a girl known for her powerful fire magic, stepped forward. "I'll use it," she said, her voice filled with determination.
I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Huh? But aren't you a mage?"
Scarlet nodded but added, "Yeah, I am, but I've got something in mind. Trust me."
I looked her over, unsure. "Are you really sure? This book is rare."
Scarlet stepped closer, her eyes burning with resolve. "I'm sure. I won't let it go to waste."
"Alright, then. We believe in you," I said, handing her the skill book. The moment it touched her hands, the book dissolved into golden particles, and Scarlet's body began to glow.
Zouno blinked in amazement. "Well, I'll be damned. It actually worked."
Scarlet smiled as the glow faded, her hands sparking with a faint, fiery magic. "It worked," she said, excitement bubbling in her voice.
"Worked how exactly?" Rick asked, still confused by what had just happened.
"Better to show you than explain," Scarlet replied. She stepped back from the group and took a battle stance. Without warning, she began performing swift, fluid movements—martial arts techniques flowing seamlessly with her magic.
Each punch she threw was enhanced by fire magic, the air crackling with heat as her strikes landed with explosive force. "This… this is insane!" Sara exclaimed, her eyes wide in awe.
Scarlet stopped, a proud grin spreading across her face. "I used to practice martial arts with my grandfather. I figured I could combine it with my magic."
Aki looked at her, surprised. "Wait, so you already knew this would work?"
Scarlet shook her head, her expression a mix of pride and excitement. "Nope. It was just a hunch. But I'm not about to sit back and let everyone else get stronger without me. I'm going to pull my weight in battle."
"Well, you're definitely stronger now," I said, admiring the way she had fused two distinct disciplines into one deadly technique.
Scarlet smirked and glanced at me. "Speaking of which… I wouldn't mind testing my new strength against you."
I groaned playfully. "First Sara, now you? Come on."
But I could feel the excitement building in me too. "Alright, let's do it. But only three attacks, okay? I'm still recovering from earlier."
We stepped outside the camp to avoid any accidents. Scarlet wasted no time. Her fist ignited with flames as she launched a powerful kick toward me. I raised my shield and blocked the attack, the force reverberating through my arm.
"Not bad, but you'll need more power to break through," I teased.
Scarlet grinned, her eyes narrowing. "Challenge accepted." She leaped into the air and brought her leg down in a devastating axe kick. The ground cracked beneath her foot, the sheer force shaking the earth.
I held my ground. "Okay, I admit it. That was strong."
"Oh really?" Scarlet's fist began to glow with an intense red flame. "Let's see how you handle this."
She charged forward and threw a fiery punch. The moment her fist connected with my shield, an explosion erupted, sending me flying backward. I barely managed to land on my feet, the impact still rattling my bones.
"Now that's some attack power," I said, shaking my arms out. The shield was unscratched, but my muscles were aching from the force.
Scarlet looked at her hand, which was slightly reddened from the impact. "That shield is just too strong."
I laughed, lowering the shield. "Yeah, it is. But now I'm exhausted. We just came back from exploring, and I need some rest."
"Fair enough. I'll take over for the night with Amaii," Scarlet said, looking proud of her newfound strength.
"Thanks. I'm trusting you two to keep watch," I said, heading back to my tent.
As I lay down, I couldn't help but think about how far we had come since we first arrived in this world. What was the reason we were brought here? Was it fate? Or something more sinister? I glanced at my shield, feeling a deep sense of responsibility. As the group's defender, I needed to stay strong and protect them, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Snowy padded into the tent and curled up beside me, her soft white fur warm against my side. I smiled, comforted by her presence, and let myself relax, knowing that with friends like these, we could face anything together.