The days had passed in a blur since Kai returned from the penalty world.
With only eight days remaining before the expedition to reclaim Louge City, training had become more crucial than ever. Strength training, mana enhancement, and survival drills dominated their daily routines.
Survival training involved learning vital skills—scaling cliffs, lighting fires, how to search and obtain edible plants or hunt in the wilderness and all sorts of other operations. As for mana training, it mostly consisted of meditation and controlled breathing, practices meant to clear one's "mana veins" , a term his instructors often used.
The fundamental idea behind this was that every sorcerer possessed a mana core, a heart of energy that extended throughout their body like a network of invisible veins. This core was the deciding factor in the use of sorcery techniques and so on.
Unlocking and channeling this energy was the first step in mastering sorcery.
But for Kai, that first step had never come. Despite endless meditation, controlled breathing, and private sessions spent chasing some flicker of mana, he had never once felt that connection. It was as though he wasn't getting any closer to leveling his mana points.
And yet, he never spoke a word of it. Admitting it would shatter the reputation he had built—the facade of being number one. Instead, he continued training, going through the motions, determined to find another way.
And in some way, he felt… more confident. Stronger, perhaps.
Maybe it was the years spent in the penalty world—years that hadn't touched his body but had changed his mind. His understanding of battle had sharpened, his instincts honed to a razor's edge. He had fought, survived, and learned.
In due time, time had slipped away, and the final sunset before their journey had arrived.
As was his habit after training, Kai found his way to the top of the Association Building. This was his routine for the past few days- a way from getting away from the crowd.
It wasn't that he had some deep appreciation for sunsets or enjoyed staring at the sky in quiet reflection. He just needed a moment. A space away from everything.
Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, his legs dangled over the abyss, swaying lazily. From this height, the world below seemed distant, insignificant. The people, the streets, the bustling life—they were nothing but scattered dots. A sharp gust of wind cut through his white hair, but he paid it no mind.
He inhaled deeply, exhaling in a slow, measured sigh.
"Tomorrow's the day, huh?"
He stared at the burning horizon, its hues shifting from deep orange to crimson, blending into the approaching night.
"It won't be so bad." he reasoned.
He had done this before. And the training… the training had gone well-ish.
If anything, he was curious. Curious to see how strong he had truly become.
He flexed his fingers, glancing down at his hands, his mind tracing back to the countless battles he had fought through and survived, especially the damn Weeping slayer.
The weight of a blade. The heat of blood on his skin. The sensation of his body moving on instinct. He was ready. He didn't just feel it, he believed it.
He believed he was truly capable of surviving a seeker class raid, even if it was capable of taking down a city.
However, right then— A soft footstep sounded from his rear.
His body tensed, instincts flaring. Before he could turn, a voice called out.
"Yo."
Kai turned sharply, eyes narrowing as he took in the figure standing behind him.
A girl.
She was his age—or close enough. Her pointed ears gave away her elven heritage, but what caught his attention more was the way she stood, relaxed yet confident. She wore the standard dark-colored sorcerer's gear, the same as the rest of the seekers. The wind tugged lightly at the strands of her silver-blonde hair, but she didn't seem to mind.
She smiled at him, warm and casual, as if they had known each other for years.
Kai's mind raced.
'Mmm....Who the hell is she? Am I missing something?'
Still, he kept his expression composed, nodding politely in response to her greeting.
"Uh… hey."
The elf tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable before she spoke.
"You always come up here after training, right?"
Kai blinked.
'Has she… been watching me? Well, I guess she didn't see a need to hide it.'
However, before he could respond, she continued.
"Figured I'd stop by."
Her voice was light, almost playful.
But as she spoke, something happened.
Something… unfortunate.
Kai had no intentions—really, he didn't. But he had no care in the world for whatever she had to say. He didn't know her, he was sure of that, and this was his moment to enjoy alone.
But...his eyes, the traitorous bastards, betrayed him.
You see, she was wearing a tight tank top, which made no effort to publicly expose her perfectly curved cleavage to him.
With ith how close she was standing, it was impossible not to notice. and at that point, it would be a crime not to look.
His gaze flickered downward. A second too long. Maybe three.
By the time he realized what he was doing, it was already too late.
The elf had followed his eyes.
Her gaze dropped to her own cleavage, then snapped back up to him.
Kai stiffened, and panic immediately shot through his veins.
'Shit.'
He quickly looked away, straightening his posture, forcing his expression into something neutral.
'Maybe she hadn't—'
"I saw that."
Her voice was calm. Too calm.Kai's brain stalled. His mouth opened, and luckily, he had something to say.
"No, no, I didn't mean to do—"
She cut him off, an amused smirk tugging at her lips.
"For real? 'Cause it looked likr you actually did."
Kai clenched his jaw, mentally cursing himself.
'Damnit...Why does this kind of crap keep happening to me?'
The elf crossed her arms, her smirk widening.
"If you're gonna do it, at least own up to it like a man..."
Kai could feel his soul leaving his body. Preparing himself for the rain of insults to be poured down on him for his behaviour. However...She paused.
Her smirk deepened, something almost mischievous glinting in her violet eyes and then, she muttered softly.
"...And if you do...who knows… you might just get lucky, and get a chance to...hit."