Chapter 11 — Whispers of Mana

The fire crackled softly as night settled around their riverside camp. Lira had already finished tending to the flames while Darius leaned against a tree, arms crossed and eyes closed. Kai sat on a fallen log, mask down, hood up, emerald-green eyes reflecting the firelight.After a long silence, Kai finally spoke, his voice low and calm.“Lira,” he said, causing her to blink in mild surprise.“…Yes?” she replied, tilting her head slightly.“You’re a mage,” he stated rather than asked. “Can you sense someone with mana? Like me?”Lira blinked again, momentarily stunned that Kai — who rarely spoke to anyone — was talking to her directly. “…I can,” she admitted softly. “Most trained mages can. Mana leaves a… signature. Kind of like a faint warmth in the air.”Kai leaned forward slightly. “So, you can sense mana.”“Well,” she hesitated, “not exactly. Skilled mages, assassins, or nobles can suppress their mana to some extent. But no one can hide it completely. It’s like trying to hold your breath forever — eventually, something slips.”Kai’s eyes sharpened at that. “Interesting…”Before she could ask why, Kai said simply: “Teach me.”Lira blinked. “…What?”“Teach me to sense mana,” he clarified. “And how to suppress mine.”Darius cracked one eye open and groaned. “Oh boy… this is gonna be fun.”Lira hesitated, staring at Kai for a moment, then finally sighed and nodded. “Alright, but it’ll take time. We’ll start with the basics.”

They sat cross-legged around the fire while Darius lay on his back, pretending to sleep but clearly eavesdropping. Lira extended her hand, palm up, letting a soft glow of light-blue mana pulse from her fingertips.“Close your eyes,” she instructed. “Feel the world around you, not with your ears or eyes… but with your mana. Everything living has it — people, monsters, even plants. But they all… feel different.”Kai obeyed, his breathing steady as he focused. At first, there was nothing but silence and the faint sound of water rushing nearby.Then… something faint. A warmth, like threads of invisible energy flowing through the air. He sensed Darius nearby, his mana steady and dense, like solid rock. Lira’s mana, by contrast, was soft and fluid, like a gentle breeze.It was difficult — like trying to see in total darkness — but eventually, Kai managed to faintly sense even the subtle ripples of small animals scurrying in the underbrush.“…I can feel it,” he murmured.Lira’s lips curled into a small smile. “Good. Now, suppressing your own mana is trickier. You have to… fold it inward. Like hiding your heartbeat.”Kai tried. At first, nothing happened. Then, slowly, he managed to dampen the flare of his own energy, dimming it like a candle being covered.Lira blinked, mildly impressed. “…Not bad for a beginner.”“Beginner, huh?” Kai said dryly.“You are a beginner,” she teased gently.Darius cracked a grin from where he lay. “Careful, Lira. You might actually get him to talk more if you keep praising him.”Lira shot him a look. “You’re not helping.”

Later, Lira fell asleep quickly in her tent. Darius followed soon after, snoring softly.Kai, however, stayed awake, sitting on a rock beneath the trees, eyes half-closed. His breathing was slow and deliberate as he practiced sensing mana, extending his awareness outward.Then… he felt it.A faint, lingering presence. Watching. Waiting. The mana was subtle, unnervingly so, but unmistakable. And yet, he couldn’t discern if it was human or monster.Kai’s hand rested lightly on the hilt of his ninjato, but the presence didn’t approach. Eventually, it faded, retreating deeper into the forest.He glanced at Lira’s tent, then back toward the trees, emerald eyes narrowing beneath the moonlight.It wasn’t an orc. And it wasn’t Thorne Malrec. Something else…

By dawn, the mysterious presence was gone. Kai helped pack up the camp while Darius rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly.“Man, I miss beds,” Darius muttered.Lira rolled her eyes. “You’re an adventurer. Get used to it.”They set off toward the clearing where the Orc Lord and his army awaited.When they finally reached the outskirts, Kai had already vanished, reappearing high above them on a thick branch overlooking the battlefield.“Of course he’s in a tree,” Darius muttered.Kai spoke without looking down. “There are twenty-four now.”“…Twenty-four?” Darius raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said there were thirty.”Kai glanced at him briefly. “I killed six of them last night.”Both Darius and Lira froze.“You… what?” Darius blinked.Lira’s staff trembled in her grip, her lips pressing into a thin line. “…Kai.”Kai looked away, pretending not to notice the incoming scolding.Darius sighed, half-amused, half-impressed. “Of course you did. You can’t not do things on your own, huh?”

Darius drew his sword, pointing toward the Orc Lord in the center of the horde. “Alright, listen up. Kai and I will take the front line, hold back the main force. Lira, you stay behind us and nuke the weaklings with magic support. Focus on crowd control, not single targets.”Lira nodded, though she kept her stern gaze locked on Kai. “Fine. But after this, we’re talking about your ‘lone wolf heroics.’”Kai unsheathed his ninjato slowly, the blade reflecting the rising sun. “…We’ll see.”

End of Chapter 11 Hook:As they stepped out of the shadows and onto the battlefield, the Orc Lord let out a deafening roar, his soldiers answering in unison.Kai’s heartbeat slowed, his breathing calm. Sparks of lightning crackled faintly along his forearms as his body enhancement magic surged to life.This wasn’t just a fight. It was a test.And in the deeper parts of the forest, unseen by any of them, that unknown mana signature returned — watching closely as the battle began.