Chapter twenty-nine: Endurance and Shadows

Gilly spat out a mouthful of blood. Her chest still ached, but her breathing was steady again. She had regained her composure. Slowly, piece by piece, she recalled everything she had learned since coming to this world.The time is half gone. Let’s see if this girl can actually surprise me, Hilary thought, her crimson eyes narrowing.Gilly smiled faintly, her eyes wide with determination. Then she dashed forward.She was faster than before—noticeably so—but compared to Hilary’s speed, she was still sluggish. Their swords clashed in a wide vertical arc, the sound ringing out like hammer striking anvil. The impact pushed Gilly back several steps, but Hilary’s expression shifted.That swing… heavy, precise. Different.Gilly pressed again, this time lowering her blade for a swift upward swipe. Hilary leapt back, only for Gilly to push forward from that crouch, closing the gap before Hilary landed.Hilary sidestepped with a smirk, giving ground—yet Gilly twisted midair, blade redirecting. Their swords clashed again.Hilary landed gracefully, but her eyes narrowed. Gilly had sensed it—mana flowing each time Gilly moved her feet. So she’s channeling mana into her steps… interesting.“I could do that too,” Gilly muttered under her breath. Ever since waking from the coma, manipulating mana felt natural. Even Ephini had been surprised at her quick grasp.From a distance, Katharine and Seras exchanged glances. The girl’s growth was staggering by the minuteShe crouched and sheathed her sword, focusing. The crowd grew curious.Her mana gathered violently in her legs. Pain lanced through her bones, threatening to shatter them, but her healing ability immediately knit them back together.Then—she vanished.A shockwave cracked across the field. She reappeared barely in control, tumbling and landing clumsily at Hilary’s feet.The crowd went silent. Then laughter erupted. Even Zin chuckled, shaking his head.“She always copies others,” he muttered.Hilary laughed aloud. “I like you—you’re interesting.”She raised her foot to stomp Gilly flat. But Gilly rolled away just in time, instincts screaming. Hilary pressed, stomping again, then again. Each strike shook the ground as Gilly scrambled like a cornered insect, barely escaping.“She looks like a cockroach avoiding slippers,” someone muttered in the crowd, drawing nervous laughter.Finally, her legs healed. She sprang up again, this time channeling controlled mana into her steps. She dashed forward at a balanced speed—fast, but steady enough to control.Their blades clashed again. Hilary’s counters came swift, her strikes punishing, but Gilly’s resilience grew with each exchange.She came from above, below, from odd angles. Hilary predicted every motion, yet could not understand how Gilly always sensed danger before the blow. The only reason Hilary landed attacks at all was her superior speed.The duel stretched on, a dance of blades and bursts of aura. They broke apart, circling, sizing each other up.Gilly lunged once more. Vertical slash—blocked. Horizontal slash—deflected. But when Hilary blocked, she felt sharp lines burning across her arms. Tiny gashes had appeared where Gilly’s blade met her guard.“Aura…” Hilary muttered, realizing. Her eyes glowed as crimson energy burst over her gloves and sword.When they clashed again, the collision detonated in a small explosion, sending Gilly skidding backward. For an instant, she felt Hilary’s aura directly—and it was familiar.
+"Affinity for fire has increased. Will now apply to use case.”
Her aura shifted, faint blue fading into a soft red hue. The glow was faint, but vivid enough that the entire crowd noticed. Chatter rippled through the spectators.Katharine’s eyes widened. The inexperienced girl had manifested a regalia. Her heart pounded with excitement.Seras was the same. From that moment, she began to see Gilly differently.Hilary frowned. This girl… she grows as she fights. If I’m not careful, I’ll overstep as an examiner.Pride pressed against her restraint. She exhaled slowly. “Gilly Asmoth, right? You’ve passed. To be honest, after our first exchanges, I thought you were garbage.”The crowd went deathly silent. Zin’s frown darkened.“But…” Hilary continued, her tone lighter, “seeing what you’ve shown, I admit you have room for improvement. Any time you visit Loran, stop by the Adventurers’ Guild and say hi.”At that, Seras glanced at Katharine. In a blink of light, they vanished.She sheathed her blade and gathered the other examiners, discussing the next stage—how to tally those who passed and assign them to the compulsory intake mission.Zin approached Gilly. He looked at her for a long moment, saying nothing. Then, with a rare smile, he ruffled her hair.“Congratulations,” he said simply.The usual circle—Ephini, Asrck, Zenora—gathered around her. Seil and Penre were away on missions, but the cheers of those present were enough.Hilary glanced back one final time. For a moment her eyes softened. She remembered her own training days, the moments she had wasted, the honesty she had lacked with herself.Then she turned away, leaving Gilly standing in the center of the field—battered, but no longer conceited.Meanwhile, people crowded Gilly, teasing her clumsy moments from the exam. Her cheeks burned red as laughter and congratulations poured around her.She glanced about, searching for Ai-lyn. But ever since the first day of the festival, Ai-lyn had vanished. Pushing the thought aside, Gilly focused on the now.For the first time, she felt acknowledged.The exam ended with the setting sun on the fourth day of the cycle.By the next day, Gilly received her badge. She would begin her adventuring journey as a Camper. Most others remained recruits, even after passing.The iron badge gleamed in her hands. Her eyes lit with determination. Finally, I can start searching for clues about my friends.She entered Valmor’s office to receive her first mission: the subjugation of a salamander alongside other adventurers. Zenora and Siel would join her as teammates. Since Siel was still away, they would wait for him to return the next day.And so, on the first night of the cycle—under Zin’s supervision—Gilly set out on her very first mission.
---Deep within a cave, golden eyes pierced the darkness. The figure’s body blended seamlessly into shadow.Footsteps echoed closer. He recognized one: a man wearing a mask etched with a question mark. But the second presence was unknown—and unbearably heavy.As the stranger approached, the Night King’s knees buckled. His head bowed against his will.“Ha…za…ril… what is this?” the Night King growled, straining against the pressure.Prideful as he was, he couldn’t resist. He had to kneel.Hazaril frowned. It was strange—the Night King bowed to no one.“This is Kandili,” Hazaril said. “He’ll help us reach that place.”Kandili’s gaze lingered on the Night King before he placed a hand on him. For an instant, the Night King felt his very existence unraveling.Then Kandili withdrew, and the crushing pressure vanished.“Let’s go. We don’t have time,” Kandili said, already leaving the cave.Hazaril followed.The Night King remained, trembling. Dread filled him—more than even the Giant King’s attack had ever instilled. Who was this man?Then came a whisper, soft and venomous:“Spawn. Don’t get too cocky. Try to understand who I am.”The Night King froze. That word—Spawn. Only the ones who had created him thousands of years ago knew it.And now, one of them had returned

Or so he thought.