New Skills

The wagon creaked along the road surrounded by tall, dense trees. The sunset was tinting the sky red and gold as Kairo pulled on the reins.

"Let's take a break here, in the Cebudal Forest ," he said , watching the panting horse.

Cassandra frowned.

—But we need to get to Omeron soon , — said Cassandra.

Kairo sighed.

"I know, but the sun is setting and the horse needs rest. If we push him any further, he might pass out before we reach the city," Kairo explained.

Cassandra hesitated, but eventually nodded.

— All right… — Cassandra agreed.

Kairo then guided the wagon to a small open space among the trees. The ground was covered in dry leaves, and the sound of crickets began to fill the air.

— Let's rest here, — he finished .

I looked around suspiciously.

—Kairo , why don't we go through the Cacadel Forest? It 's closer to Omeron , isn't it? — I asked.

"It's faster, yes. But it's infested with bandits. I prefer a longer route than a deadly shortcut. The Cebudal road is quiet," he replied .

— I understand. A little peace never hurt anyone. — he said , crossing his arms.

Koharu , who was watching the darkening sky, turned to Cassandra.

— Cassandra, can I ask you something? — he said Koharu .

— Of course. — Cassandra said.

— Why are you in such a hurry to get to Omeron ? — Koharu agreed.

Cassandra stared at the flame of the fire that Kairo was beginning to light.

"Because… that's where the answers about my past lie. Ros was the only one who knew what happened to me," Cassandra replied.

Shana , who had been silent until then, crossed her legs.

—Sorry if I seem nosy, but… why do you and Kairo live like this, like outlaws ? — Shana asked.

"Let's get our things ready and sit down. It's a long story," Cassandra said, taking a deep breath.

Everyone settled around the fire. The distant sound of owls mingled with the crackling of the flames.

Cassandra looked at Kairo with a sad look.

“I think we should tell them, Kairo ,” Cassandra said .

He nodded silently.

"It all started five years ago... The reason we became criminals is linked to something that happened back then," Cassandra began.

“What happened?” I asked , curious.

"I studied at Magichool in Gagardrel . A famous academy where young people learned to control magic and develop abilities," Kairo replied.

Max opened his eyes in surprise.

"The Magichool ? One of the greatest learning centers in the kingdoms?" Max asked in shock.

Cassandra nodded.

"I managed to get in with a lot of effort, after an admission test. But... my mother was poor, she couldn't afford the school fees," Cassandra replied.

Koharu tilted her head.

— So you suffered prejudice from rich students. — he said Koharu .

— Yes. There, anyone who didn't have money was treated like trash. — he replied . Kairo .

—And the worst of all was Merechal Melissa… the daughter of the school owner. — Cassandra continued.

Max frowned.

"I've heard of her. They say no one can surpass her in strength or magic," Max said.

Cassandra clasped her hands.

"It was that damn woman who destroyed our lives," Cassandra said angrily.

Silence fell over the group. The sound of the fire seemed louder for a moment.

"Melissa was jealous because the teachers praised me. So she started challenging me in every class. At first, I thought it was just rivalry... but it turned into hatred," Cassandra said .

Kairo looked down.

— And I… was stupid enough to fall in love with her. — he said Kairo .

We all fell silent.

"She used my feelings to get revenge on Cassandra. One day, she convinced me to trick Cassandra into going to a nobleman's house and stealing an artifact. She said it would only be a joke," he continued.

Cassandra closed her eyes, remembering.

"I accepted… I needed money to buy food for me and my mother. But when I got there, I realized something was wrong. Kairo was gone." Cassandra continued.

—Melissa sent me away. Then she told me the truth: that nobleman was known for enslaving and torturing people. — she continued . Kairo .

We all froze.

"He tried to threaten me… he said he would make me and my mother his slaves. I panicked… and killed him," Cassandra continued, her voice trembling.

Kairo clenched his fists.

"When I came back, I found the body. Cassandra was covered in blood. I hugged her and told her we were going to run away," Kairo continued.

"The next day, we went back to school. We wanted to face what we'd done. But... when we walked through the gates, everyone looked at us with disgust," Cassandra continued.

—Melissa humiliated us in front of everyone. But, to our surprise, her own father, the principal, reprimanded her. He said she had crossed the line. — he said Kairo , bitter.

"Melissa was furious. She said horrible things… even about my mother." Cassandra lowered her head.

"My mother... couldn't bear the shame. Thinking I had become a criminal, she took her own life." Her voice broke.

Koharu put her hand to her mouth, shocked.

"The director defended us. But he said that, for our safety, we couldn't stay at Magichool . That's when he sent us to live with Ros ," Kairo continued.

Cassandra wiped her eyes.

" Ros took care of us, taught us right from wrong. But still... life never went back to the way it was before," Cassandra said , crying.

— And that's why you ended up stealing. — I murmured .

Kairo nodded.

"It was the only way to survive. And when Cassandra realized how much men were fooled by her beauty… she began to use it as a weapon," Kairo replied.

Cassandra looked up, cold.

— And I taught Kairo the same . Seduce and deceive to survive. — said Cassandra.

“So… you two were victims of circumstance,” Shana murmured, her expression sad.

"Victims and accomplices. And now… I just want to find out about my past," Cassandra said bitterly.

Shana raised an eyebrow.

"Just one more thing, you two. If you ever meet Melissa again…" Shana was about to say, but was interrupted.

“Don’t say that name!” Cassandra shouted , standing up suddenly.

Everyone was startled. The fire crackled. Her eyes trembled between anger and fear.

"I hate that woman. I never want to see her again," he said , his voice breaking.

Silence fell over the camp. Only the sound of the wind broke the moment.

But then… a strange noise came from the trees. Branches snapping. Heavy footsteps.

Kairo jumped to his feet.

—Are you hearing that? — Kairo asked.

Max approached the fire.

—It sounds like footsteps… lots of footsteps. — Max replied.

Shana looked into the darkness.

"They're not animals," Shana said.

I went to the wagon and took out my sword.

“No matter who comes… after hearing all this, I won’t let anyone hurt my friends.”

Cassandra looked at me, her eyes still watery.

— Fujimoto … — said Cassandra;

—Stay behind me. I'll take care of this. — I replied .

Shadows began to move between the trees. A metallic glint reflected in the dim light from the blades.

Kairo clenched his fists.

— They're thieves, — Kairo said.

The sound of footsteps multiplied, surrounding the group.

The air grew heavy. The fire flickered.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the sword in my hands.

“The night hasn’t even started yet… and it’s already asking for blood.”

Everyone was on alert. The air in the Cebudal forest was thick, as if even the wind was afraid to move.

Kairo raised his hand.

"Let's split into pairs. Fujimoto and Shana on the left. Koharu and Max on the right. Cassandra and I will be here in the center," he said . Kairo .

I nodded and followed Shana into the trees as the other pairs spread out across the mist-shrouded terrain.

To the left of the forest

We moved silently, the moon filtering through the leaves. I felt something... presences approaching. And then, there they were, silhouettes moving like shadows.

“Time to check the status... just in case.”

A luminous panel appeared before my eyes:

Name: Fujimoto Satoru

Class: Hero

Level: 28

Skills: Hidden Observatory, Cancel

I frowned.

“ Cancel? Since when did I... level up so much? Something doesn't make sense.”

Before I could think, Shana lunged forward with her spear, its tip illuminating the darkness. I followed with my sword drawn. The shadows revealed themselves: ragged bandits armed with rusty knives.

We fought. Moonlight mingled with the metallic clang of blows. Shana struck down two with demonic precision, and I used Cancel for the first time; the ability nullified a magical attack launched at me, disintegrating it into dust of light.

Minutes later, the group of thieves fled in despair into the forest.

Back at the central point, Kairo wiped the sweat from his forehead.

— Who would have thought... bandits even around here. — Kairo said.

Koharu and Shana looked at me. I still had a distant, confused look in my eyes.

— Fujimoto ? — he asked Shana .

— I need to know something. What is your current level? — I replied .

Cassandra frowned.

"Why? It's been a while since we fought monsters that give experience." Cassandra asked .

—Even so, look. — I asked .

Reluctantly, everyone activated their status.

Koharu Yui — Class: Heroine — Lv : 30

Shana Melria — Class: Priestess — Lv : 33

Max Nelman — Class: Adventurer — Lv : 27

Cassandra Dolberg — Class: Artisan — Lv : 32

Kairo Karasch — Class: Thief — Lv : 36

Everyone was confused.

"Now check your abilities. I have Hidden Observatory and Cancel." I explained .

The silence was broken by expressions of astonishment. One by one, they began to read about their new abilities.

— I have feelings and divine sun. — he said Koharu .

—What does Sol Divino do? — I asked .

— It increases my power for five minutes when the sun is at its highest point. — he replied Koharu .

Max crossed his arms.

— A perfect skill for fast fights, — said Max.

"Mine are Recovery and Regeneration. The latter allows you to restore lost body parts," Shana said next.

"Impressive. It would be useful in longer battles," Cassandra said .

Max then smiled.

— I gained Physical Augmentation and Youth Fire. This gives me access to fire attacks. — Max said

Cassandra looked excited.

"Mine are Sahōkuri and Mahōkaze . With Mahōkaze I can control the wind," Cassandra said.

"It would be great for pushing enemies or putting out flames," Koharu added.

Finally, Kairo announced:

"I have Intangibility and Mãkukkingu . The latter allows me to place a mark on someone or objects and teleport there. But I can only mark three every three hours," he explained . Kairo .

Shana looked puzzled.

— Quite useful... and dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. — he said Shana .

Koharu turned to me.

"But, Fujimoto , how did you realize that?" Koharu asked.

"My strength seemed greater than usual. Then I realized I had leveled up. I remembered the words of Galadriel 's messenger … she said that starting at level 25, new abilities would be awakened," I replied.

Kairo crossed his arms.

"Still, something doesn't add up. How did we level up so much without facing monsters?" Kairo asked.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

—Good question, — said Cassandra.

"The clothes Edygil made for us... must have level-up enchantments," Kairo replied.

Cassandra chuckled.

"That blacksmith really is cunning," said Cassandra.

Kairo yawned.

"It's late. Let's go to sleep. Tomorrow, finally, we'll reach Omeron ," Kairo said.