Chapter 41: Spirals of Defense
The villages living around the dark forest often faced various dangers, and everyone trained with different weapons. The mayor hurried to open the armory, and the men, along with some of the women with higher combat skills, armed themselves with different weapons, mostly spears and bows. There were also twenty powerful heavy crossbows, owned by the richest landowner in the village.
Emilia was quietly speaking with her mother.
C...
2025-10-28 22:38:15 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 40: Shadows in the Forest
She stepped outside and began practicing the simpler exercises Cassian had assigned her. Once her mana was depleted, she settled between two barrels and started to meditate.
Time flowed slowly, like a river. Emilia’s mind drifted just as languidly, her meditation deep in this strange, enchanting atmosphere.
The sun rose steadily over the river, a light mist curling around the bases of trees in the dark forest. Antlers of d...
2025-10-28 22:37:42 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 39: The River Journey
Two weeks later, Mira received an unexpected letter from her last living aunt. Their grandmother Lira—Emilia’s great-grandmother—had passed away. That meant there was no one left in the village to care for the ancestral land, and the graves and symbols of their lineage would soon be forgotten.
The remaining relatives decided to gather a modest sum of money, and since Mira lived closest, she was the one who had to go and pay the ...
2025-10-28 22:36:29 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 38: Dice of Fate
On her way home, Emilia once again saw the strange Velka—the old woman who talked to trees. This time, she was feeding pigeons, and people passed by as if she didn’t exist. Emilia frowned and kept walking. She had a meeting with the children—they were going to play generals.
She grabbed her pouch filled with carved figurines, ate a quick meal, washed her dishes, kissed her mother, and hurried toward Tobin’s house. The other kids we...
2025-10-28 22:35:48 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 37: Bloodless Battles
Cassian noticed Emilia was distracted that day. Their training wasn’t going well.
“What’s wrong, girl? You’re all over the place today.”
“Cassian, what’s going on out there? I keep hearing things. Twenty legions of monsters raised by Atlas, attacks all across the kingdom. The Troll Wars are flaring up again. The Lost Archipelago is about to fall completely. Some even whisper about Ragnarok.”
“You’re too...
2025-10-28 22:33:25 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 36: Why the Birds Sing
Emilia was walking slowly along the city streets, with all her senses open.
This was a new kind of meditation she was practicing. She was walking without a goal, focused on the sensations of her body. How the wind felt gently touching her skin. The warmth of the sun's rays, the way the sounds felt in her ears. She was trying to feel the pressure of every step with the skin of her feet.
She watched the ever-dancing motes ...
2025-10-28 22:30:39 +0000 UTC
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