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nSighing, Gick clenched his fist.

nIf not for being on opposing sides, he truly wished he could stand behind that man once more.

n“My lord.”

nA figure seemed to emerge from Gick’s shadow, with a voice sounding from behind him, “That person, is he from the village?”

n“The elder, the soul of the place, a spiritual mentor. If he were to die, the village would die as well.”

n“Then, why didn’t you take action?”

nThe figure’s voice was eerily calm, almost unnaturally so for human speech. .𝒎

n“Me? Take action? Against that old fox, do you think he’d give me a chance to make a move? Do you know how he found me?”

nGick let out a cold laugh.

n“This is ultimately away territory. Even though I’m stronger, we can’t rest easy until all these supernatural entities have clearly picked sides.”

nBut that was just one reason.

nThe more significant reason Gick ultimately kept to himself.

nLike that somewhat stooped figure walking away, Monka’s voice remained etched deep in his soul.

nTurning away from the inn, Monka straightened up.

nHe wasn’t planning on leaving Oak Village just yet.

nNow that Gick’s presence was confirmed, leaving without doing anything would be out of character for him.

nWhile a grand gesture might not be feasible, there was still plenty of room for subtler actions.

nPondering, Monka took a turn, heading towards a secluded corner of Oak Village.

nCrossing the bustling streets, it was like many years ago when he walked unsteadily, always on the verge of falling.

nIt was that hand on his shoulder that steadied him.

n“Go find it, a place where subhumans can survive.”

n“If you can’t find one, we have hands and lives to create it.”

n“If they won’t accept us, then we need not tolerate them.”

nSilently repeating the words he had heard from that man, Monka arrived at his destination.

nA plain wooden house, surrounded by a sparse fence with chickens wandering inside, and a yellow dog lying under the eaves in the corner of the wall, alertly lifting its head upon noticing Monka’s approach.

nThough it didn’t bark, Monka could see the wariness in the dog’s eyes.

nLike wild beasts instinctively assessing each other’s strength, the dog realized immediately it couldn’t stop this intruder.

nDespite appearing similar to other bipeds, this individual’s scent was entirely different.

nHe was like an old wolf, perhaps no longer in his prime strength or with sharp claws, but his experience and wisdom afforded him greater power.

nAfter a few seconds’ pause on the yellow dog under the eaves, Monka smiled and stood in front of the door.

nLifting his hand, he knocked.

nFootsteps echoed from behind the door, heavy yet rhythmic, like the beats of a drum, powerful and steady.

nHe hasn’t changed.

nMonka thought, lifting his gaze to meet the face of his former comrade.

n“Domoro, it’s been a long time.”

nBehind the door stood a tall man, appearing to be in his forties, whose build transcended robust, his presence imposing like that of a lesser giant.

nHis limbs were muscular, with a crew cut crowning his square face, and half-open eyes that sparkled with keenness, revealing a hint of lethality with each blink.

n“Monka? What brings you to me? What trouble have you stirred up this time?”

nUnexpectedly, Domoro’s voice wasn’t rough but carried a magnetic quality, sounding remarkably gentle.

n“Can’t I visit you without being in trouble? After all, we’ve been comrades in arms for so many years. Isn’t it normal to miss you and drop by?” Monka said with a dry laugh, “Of course, it’s only natural to lend a hand to a friend in a bit of trouble.”

n“I knew it.” Seeing Monka’s playful smile, Domoro sighed but stepped back, making way at the door.

nMonka glanced back at the street opposite, where a filthy beggar crouched in the shadows, his vitiligo-marked eyes watching the direction of Monka and Domoro.

n…

nEmerging from the forest village, Ali made her way back to the cave, only to find that this time Roronora and Jelia had wisely moved.

nUpon arrival, all she encountered were the remains of a burnt-out fire, with neither Roronora nor Jelia in sight.

nCircling the cave’s vicinity, Ali determined the direction Jelia and Roronora had taken and set off.

nMeanwhile, deep in the jungle, Code 19, having finally recovered from a weakened state, opened his eyes.

n“Half-elf… this time, I’ll ensure you die by my hands!”

nRising, the mana that lingered around for alertness was drawn into his body with his breath.

nWith a single step, Code 19’s figure was already several meters away.

nDespite the unsatisfactory outcome of his battle with Ali, Code 19 gained valuable insights.

nExperiencing Ali’s adaptability and the sensation of pushing mutating to its limit provided a rare experience for an enhancement magus.

nBeing forced to mutate indicated a dire situation.

nTypically, in such extremities, the chance of turning the tide was almost nil.

nNot everyone is legendary, nor can everyone become a legend.

nMany magi become mere dust over the elongated span of time or just a small mound of a grave.

nStepping out of the tree hollow that served as his shelter, Code 19 looked up at the sky.

nThe clear mid-morning weather, devoid of clouds, showcased an especially vast and bright blue.

nThe bright sunlight filtered through the tree canopies, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

nIt was a fine day, indeed a good day for a kill.

nCode 19 wasn’t the least bit worried about locating Ali.

nAlthough her schemes had thwarted his kill the previous day, Code 19 had managed to leave a mark on her.

nThis was a technique of his own creation, molding mana into a special state that straddled the line between matter and energy.

nThis form of mana had no destructive power, but it could blend into another magus’s mana, lying dormant within their body without being assimilated and forming its own system.

nDue to the sparse distribution and considerable range of this special state mana, Code 19 couldn’t detect Ali when she remained still yesterday.

nBut now, with Ali moving out of the “marked area” set by Code 19, it meant she became a moving point in his perception!

nThis time, even if Ali were to employ yesterday’s tactics, they wouldn’t be effective against Code 19.

nTaking a deep breath, Code 19 circulated his mana, a formidable force surging through his muscles.

nAs the wind picked up and then fell silent, Code 19 vanished from his spot.

n…

nFollowing the signals left by Jelia, Ali reconfirmed the duo’s direction and proceeded to track them down.

nOut of caution, the distance they had moved was not short.

nEven at Ali’s speed, it took nearly half an hour to traverse the forest, which translated to a distance of nearly ten kilometers.

nHow did Jelia manage to travel so far this time, when she usually starts complaining after walking just three to five kilometers?

nFrom the time she left in the morning until her return, there were barely two hours in between.

nConsidering the time it would take for Jelia to get up, even if they started moving as soon as she woke up, there would be less than an hour for the actual move.

nThe only explanation could be Roronora carrying or holding Jelia as they hurried along.

nAli stroked her chin, suddenly halting her steps.

nShe found herself in a familiar clearing, even the sense of danger felt eerily recognizable.

nA presence was rapidly approaching – 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝑚

nCode 19.

nWithout needing much thought, Ali could draw the conclusion.

nAt this moment, to appear in such a manner, bearing such immense killing intent, Code 19 was the only possibility.

n“What bad luck,” she muttered.

nGlancing in the direction where Jelia left a secret sign, Ali hesitated for two seconds before accelerating.

nAlone, she stood no chance against Code 19.

nOnly with Roronora’s cooperation could she have the confidence to face and possibly defeat Code 19.

nThis wasn’t cowardice or being overly cautious; it was a strategic retreat born out of necessity.

nSurvival was paramount.

nMoreover, with Code 19 as the sole enemy at the moment, it was far from the time to reveal the existence of “Brave.”

nIf possible, Ali wished never to use that last resort.

nPower breeds desire and paranoia; when you hold a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

nBesides, external forces are never as reliable as one’s own abilities.

nHowever, as Ali began to speed up, so did Code 19.

nIt wasn’t just about Code 19’s mana capacity and flux surpassing Ali’s; he was also an enhancement magus specialized in speed.

nEven if Ali could double her speed, it would likely still be challenging to reach Jelia before Code 19 intercepted her.

nBut getting a bit closer meant Roronora could react sooner, slightly increasing their chances of survival.

nUpdated from .𝒎

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