"Die?" You want me to die?
"Yes. You'll need to start over." If I remove the corrupted mana from your body, you will revert to a human state and be able to level up.
He sat down, tired after fixing his core. He wanted to sleep but had to finish this first.
"That's fine. If it means I can progress, it's worth it."
She looked determined, and he was drawn to her eyes.
"Sit down. Face the wall."
"Okay."
She sat eagerly, but her expression changed when Vell touched her. It tickled, but she liked it. As her back warmed, she felt strange.
"My mana is inside you. Just relax. I'll start extracting the corrupted mana."
Got it.
His hands touched her skin, firm but gentle. His fingers traced her spine, sending shivers through her. He could sense the corrupted mana within her.
"This might hurt," he warned. "The corrupted mana has been part of you for a long time. Removing it will be hard."
She nodded and closed her eyes, ready for the pain. She felt pressure at the base of her spine, a deep, radiating throb. Vell's hands seemed to be connected to her core, his mana seeking the darkness.
He started to pull the corrupted mana out, using his fingers like tools to remove it from her essence. Yenna gritted her teeth and trembled as the pain grew. It felt like her insides were being turned inside out; the corrupted mana was fighting to stay.
Vell's face was serious as he poured more of his mana into her. The corrupted mana resisted, like a trapped animal. He was determined.
The pain was too much, and Yenna's vision blurred. She wanted to scream, but she bit her tongue to stop herself. This was her chance to change and break free. She wouldn't let the pain win.
As the last of the corrupted mana was drawn out, Yenna felt a sudden release. She fell forward, out of breath and sweating.
Vell took his hands away, shaking from the effort. He was tired but kept going. The hardest part is done, but there's still work to do.
"How do you feel?" he whispered.
Yenna took a moment to catch her breath. "Empty," she said, her voice shaking. "But also free. I can breathe for the first time in years."
Vell nodded and smiled. "That's a start. We need to rebuild you. With help, you can rise again."
Yenna looked at Vell, her eyes full of gratitude and fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of starting over. But there was also hope.
"How do we start?" she asked.
Vell stood up, stretching. "First, we need to train you. You need to learn how to control your mana."
He went to Wren, who was resting after her battle. He stroked her fur, and she purred. Wren is a good sparring partner. She's fast, strong, and fights hard. You'll learn from her.
Yenna was excited at the thought of fighting Wren. She had seen the beast in action and remembered the glowing runes and deadly claws. "I don't know if I can..."
Vell stopped her. "You can and you will. This is your chance to get stronger, Yenna. Don't waste it."
She nodded, determined. "You're right. I won't waste this chance. I'll train and get stronger."
"Good," Vell said, patting her on the shoulder. "Let's go. We need a safe place to camp. We're still near the city. I don't want any surprises."
They gathered their things and walked deeper into the forest. The trees grew thicker, and the sun was blocked out. The air was cooler here. The rustling leaves and birdsong were pleasant.
"Why are you helping me? You don't owe me anything."
He looked at her, smiling a little. "Maybe I see something in you. Maybe I'm bored and this amuses me. Or maybe..." He stopped, leaving the thought unfinished.
"Maybe what?" Yenna asked.
"Maybe I believe everyone deserves a second chance," he said softly but sincerely.
"Yeah right, I don't need a second chance."
"Thank you, I owe you my life."
He looked at her but didn't respond, just nodded.
They continued in silence, lost in their thoughts. The forest seemed to close in around them.
Suddenly, Vell held up a hand, signaling for Yenna to stop. He crouched down, examining the ground. "There's a stream nearby," he said, pointing to the damp earth and broken branches.
"You know about stuff like this too?" She was impressed, even though this was basic survival skills.
"Yeah, saw it done in many movies." He moved on, leaving her there dumbfounded.
"Movies?....."
She ran after him, following his lead as they made their way toward the water. The sound of rushing water grew louder, and soon they found themselves at the edge of a small, clear stream.
He knelt down, cupping his hands to drink from the stream. "This is a good spot," he said, looking around. "We can set up camp here for the night."
"...Are you sure we should be sleeping here?"
"What do you mean?"
"This forest is a very dangerous place, mainly because it's unpredictable which monsters show up. So people always try to avoid it because the monsters here are unique."
He looked at her with a blank expression before a smile slowly crept up on his face.
"So what you are saying is that this place is the best place for us to train?"
"...Please no..."
"Hehe, no need to worry. We might just die, no big deal."
"...yeah....Yeah, no big deal at all."
They set to work gathering wood for a fire and setting up a makeshift shelter using branches and leaves. As they worked, Yenna couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with Vell. Despite his rough exterior, he was proving to be a reliable companion.
Once the camp was set up, they sat by the fire, the flames casting flickering shadows on their faces. Yenna stared into the fire, her thoughts drifting to her former teammates and the betrayal she had suffered.
"How did you deal with it?" she asked suddenly, her voice breaking the silence. "The betrayal, I mean."
"Did I tell you about that?"
His eyes looked empty as he asked, which scared her a little.
"Y-Yeah, I am sorry, I should have asked that."
He was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the flames.
"....I didn't, not at first," he admitted. "I let it eat at me, let it fuel my anger. But eventually, I realized that holding onto that anger was only hurting me."
He looked at Yenna, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "You can't change the past, but you can control how it affects you. You can let it destroy you, or you can use it to make yourself stronger."
Yenna absorbed his words, letting them sink in. "I want to be stronger," she said finally. "I want to show them that they can't break me."
Vell nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Then that's where we'll start. Tomorrow, you'll begin your training."
"Right!"
They ate their fruits and were getting ready to head to sleep until something caught Vell's eye, a shadowy figure up in the trees just watching them.
'Who the fuck is that?'