“Would you rather go flying? I promise I’ll go slower this time.” I turn to ask the two girls behind me. Brendu chuckles under her breath. Ogine looks at me like she wants to murder me.

  We already tried flying earlier. Brendu had no problem with it since it wasn’t her first time flying with me. We’ve had several picnics far from the city and gone exploring together before. She adapted quickly to moving through the skies.

  Ogine, on the other hand, apparently experienced it for the first time today. At first she was excited, but after a few minutes she made me descend so she could catch her breath. She doesn’t have vertigo—it was simply a rough first experience.

  “I wasn’t even going that fast… I swear I’ll go even slower this time.” I try to defend myself again. I’m not lying. I was already moving much slower than usual. Carrying two people is complicated, and I have to reduce my speed to keep full control of the flight.

  The speed drops even more because I also have to create a small mana curtain around them to cut the wind pressure. It’s easier now, though—they can generate their own shields of pure mana and Imra to help me.

  “One more try. We’re still pretty far… I don’t think our feet will survive the whole way.” The last part from Brendu is exaggerated. We’d only need to walk around sixteen hours straight—or run to shorten the time.

  Ogine looks at both of us, switching her gaze between our faces. I see her exhale and drop her shoulders. “Fine. One more try. Go slow, and I’ll tell you when you can speed up.” She’s serious. She really didn’t have a great time earlier.

  I quickly wrap them in gravity mana before she changes her mind. I also want to reach the safe zone as soon as possible. I’m not afraid of a one-on-one fight, but if two limit-breakers team up, that could become a serious problem.

  The mana around them is now almost as strong and flexible as what I use to wrap my own body. They can move slightly mid-air while still being protected. I no longer have to carry them like stiff sacks of rice. Continuous practice is paying off.

  We fly over the mountain we were climbing earlier. Flying is much easier. I glance back at Ogine. She doesn’t look sick or angry—just focused, observing everything while her mind processes it all.

  Several minutes after crossing the small mountain range, only a few more peaks remain before a vast open field filled with massive trees.

  “You can speed up a little. I’m getting used to it,” Ogine shouts. Thanks to the mana curtain, I can hear them clearly if they shout or channel mana toward me.

  I smile at her. I glance at Brendu. She’s calmly enjoying the view. When she notices me looking, she winks.

  I follow Ogine’s request and increase the speed slightly. No negative reaction. I push it a bit more. At least our healer has good adaptability.

  While crossing the mountains, I sensed a pair of people heading in the same direction as us, moving fast and stealthily. They detected us too—I felt their eyes on us for a few seconds.

  One of them formed a water spell in an instant, but his friend stopped him. In the end, they didn’t attack, and I continued on without an unnecessary fight. Ogine must’ve sensed them as well—I saw her glance in that direction before shrugging when nothing happened.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  I need to stay prepared. Not everyone is as rational as the guy who stopped his friend.

  I’ve detected several monsters along the way, some even Grade 4. If I weren’t slightly worried about losing the Supreme Affinity Orb, I would’ve descended to fight them. I’m more concerned about getting ambushed by that wild guy—or someone similar.

  From experience, I can say all limit-breakers are a little insane. A screw loose somewhere in their heads. I’m included in that group. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone attacked me just to satisfy their hunger for battle. To many of these lunatics, another limit-breaker is a delicious steak.

  More than half the journey passes without incident. We admire the scenery. At times, I have to change routes to avoid massive flocks of flying monsters or ground-based attacks.

  The most notable moment is when a group of nearly fifty Grade 3 flying monsters tries to attack us. Fortunately, we’re prepared. With a few constructions, we shoot some down and quickly change direction to avoid their territory.

  Within my Personal World, I sense more of them gathering. If we’d stayed, it would’ve become a complete nightmare to avoid or eliminate them all. Descending would’ve been another option—if absolutely necessary.

  “What’s wrong?” Brendu shouts when I suddenly make a sharp turn to the side.

  I don’t have time to answer. I instantly construct three ice walls in one direction. Each is densely reinforced with mana, Laws, and Imra. I even add gravity mana to deflect part of the force elsewhere.

  A spear-like construction slams into my defenses. The first wall shatters instantly. The second holds slightly longer. The third finally stops the attack—barely. Almost all my constructions are destroyed.

  I’ve been on guard against aerial attacks this whole time. I had plenty of mana prepared.

  I’m surprised. First, the spear came from outside my Personal World’s range.

  Second, when I veered right, the construction adjusted mid-flight and followed. That’s why I had to build the walls in under a second.

  Third, the sheer force of it. That attack destroyed two of my strongest defenses and nearly obliterated the third.

  I’d already drawn my swords, ready to intercept if necessary. I even shifted the girls behind me to shield them from harm.

  I scan carefully. I’m not entirely sure where the attack originated. If it can change direction mid-flight, that’s a problem. The attacker might not even be where the projectile appears to come from.

  I’m forced to construct two more ice walls, using even more mana to reinforce them. I preemptively weave mana and Imra tightly through the structures. This time they’re far stronger.

  As expected, the first wall survives a full second before breaking, but it weakens the attack enough that the second wall remains intact.

  “What the hell is going on? Where are we being attacked from?” Brendu shouts again.

  “Do you need help?” Ogine asks.

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to calculate. They can move their constructions at will—I can’t pinpoint the origin,” I answer.

  I build another wall, maintaining two layers at all times in case the first one fails.

  “Don’t worry. These attacks are aimed at me.” During the second strike, I shifted the girls slightly aside. During the third, I left them in the same position. None of the projectiles adjusted toward them. I’m the only target.

  Less than two seconds later, another spear arrives. When it’s about a hundred meters away, it suddenly shatters—splitting into dozens of smaller mini-spears.

  “Damn.” I curse under my breath.

  I instantly create dozens of Joyeuse, recycling mana from my shattered shields. Reusing constructed mana is far easier than building each blade from scratch.

  I destroy all the fragments except one, which I knock aside with my sword.

  The pattern repeats twice more. Each time slightly different. The second wave contains more projectiles, weaker individually. The third contains fewer, but each carries greater force. I adapt quickly and remain unharmed.

  This person is strong. Most likely a limit-breaker—their mana control is excellent. Several seconds pass. Nothing happens. After a full minute of silence, I assume the attack has ended. The entire exchange felt like a test. As if someone was evaluating me.

  “Let’s move. We’re no longer under attack.” The girls nod slowly. We begin moving again—carefully, watching every direction. I have the feeling I’ll meet whoever did that very soon.