When I woke up the next morning, I felt refreshed but not as upbeat as the day before. It was a calm start, with the camp around me unusually silent and no one in a rush to begin the day. As I attempted to sit up, I noticed stiffness not just in my limbs but all around me. My armor was still clinging to me from the day before, pressing uncomfortably against my skin. Slowly, I started to remove it, piece by piece. It was a tedious process, and I knew it would be even more challenging to put it back on later, but a bath was definitely in order after yesterday’s ordeal.

  As I was taking off the last piece of armor, Kaylie’s voice pierced the quiet. “Did you get more toned? You look stronger.”

  As I flexed my arms, others took notice. Indeed, my muscles had bulked up significantly, not just a slight tone but a considerable increase. It seemed as if I had undergone an intense month-long workout regimen. As I thought about the implications, I realized that with a month of training like this, I could potentially become the strongest in the area. That assumed strength attributes did not exist.

  Attributes in this world modified one’s natural physique. For instance, a small-bodied person, like a child with a Strength attribute of 15, might still be weaker than an adult boasting a Strength attribute of 10. Yesterday’s training gave me an unexpected increase in muscle mass. Observing Jack and Carrick, who had spent years building and maintaining their substantial strength, I wondered if I, too, could rapidly achieve a similar level of physical prowess. However, the true extent of my potential peak remained unclear.

  Being a Grey Elf had its advantages and challenges, especially when it came to building strength. My quick healing ability meant I could potentially recover from training much faster, giving me an edge in building my physique. However, elves weren’t typically known for being muscular. This meant that despite the healing benefits that should theoretically aid in bodybuilding, it might not translate into the significant muscle growth seen in other species. It was a bit of a double-edged sword. While I could train harder and recover quicker, my elven genetics might limit just how muscular I could become. The true extent of my physical limits remained unknown, leaving me to wonder just how much strength I could gain.

  “You can say thank you,” Jack chimed in.

  “Umm, thank you, I guess. What was that training all about? I mean, yeah, I gained some muscle, but I nearly died,” I replied.

  “It wasn’t about strength training. It was about the ability. That is my family’s secret. I honestly didn’t think you would learn it, but you should be thankful. Other houses in my country would kill to know that ability,” Jack said with a smile and a bit of pride.

  I willed my abilities up, and it showed me:

  Abilities

  Soul Absorption: This ability allows the user to eat the souls of others to gain a small part of their power.

  Mana Strengthening: You have found the feel of mana and are able to move it through your body. With effort, you may find all the benefits from freely moving mana.

  It looked like I had a new ability named Mana Strengthening.

  “Wow, a new ability. That is pretty awesome. Since I can’t learn skills, that is a huge boon. Still, I don’t understand it,” I admitted.

  “My great-grandfather was a powerful man. He helped build our house into what it is today. He and a group of others were in a pivotal battle. The fight stretched on until morning, and he was in the exact shape that you were in. He pushed through and continued to fight. He was the only person left alive on the battlefield.”

  He pointed to the symbol on his forehead, which showed a continuous loop of a single line that twisted and turned around itself. Each part of the line connected back to another, forming a complex yet orderly pattern. There were no clear beginnings or ends. The design flowed in an unbroken sequence, resembling a complex puzzle or a maze designed in a perfect loop.

  “This symbol represents our legacy. Our house is known as the house of Endless Strength because of the resilience he demonstrated. Most battles don’t conclude that way, so his actions fundamentally changed our fate, creating our noble line. What he discovered during that fight was his ability to use mana to enhance his muscles. Over the years, he refined this technique, transforming it from a desperate measure into a powerful method for strengthening in combat. This is why my family favors the ax. It’s the best weapon to utilize with Mana Strengthening,” Jack explained, hefting his weapon with reverence.

  I nodded, trying to grasp the concept. “But I’m still confused about how it works,” I replied.

  “Mana usually flows through your blood, cycling through nearly every part of your body,” Jack explained. “What we did was fatigue your muscles to the point of immobility. With enough willpower, you managed to push the mana directly into your muscles. It’s not meant to be there, so it creates tears and channels that allow the mana to flow through. It’ll take some time to use this naturally, but eventually, you should be able to strengthen yourself instantly by directing mana through your body.”

  That explanation set my mind whirling. If I could only use two spells that didn’t help much, then my mana was essentially going to waste. However, if I could channel my mana to enhance my physical capabilities in combat, it would be a game-changer. It meant I wouldn’t just be squandering a resource. Every time I leveled up, my mana increased because my Intelligence grew whether I wanted it to or not. I couldn’t choose where to allocate those points. If I could utilize that mana as I leveled up, I would become a more formidable fighter.

  This Mana Strengthening technique was not just a minor advantage. If I combined the endurance training from Carrick with the strength training I underwent yesterday and my natural healing ability, I could become a capable warrior even without conventional skills. For instance, just the other day, I struggled because I lacked the Sneak Skill. If I were stronger, though, that deficiency wouldn’t matter as much. While I could never gain the natural bonuses that others received from skills, mastering all that I had learned could potentially put me on par with, or even surpass, others in a straightforward fight. However, if someone managed to ambush me, I’d likely be in serious trouble.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  I was so grateful that I walked right over to Jack and gave him a big hug, saying, “Thank you. This is just what I needed.”

  After a moment or two, Rabbit chimed in, “You know that you are almost naked. You were taking off your armor so you could bathe.”

  Immediately, I took a step back from Jack, embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m going to bathe. Anyone going to join me?”

  I didn’t make any eye contact with anyone. I just walked to the stream in front of our camp. I was filthy from yesterday’s exercise. I wished I had time to clean my clothes as well, but at least a bath would help.

  “So, let me get this straight.” Rabbit’s voice echoed in my mind. “You first hug Jack while you’re almost naked, and then, to break the awkward silence, you invite him to bathe with you?”

  “I invited everyone,” I retorted.

  “Yeah, I don’t think anyone’s buying that,” Rabbit sneered.

  The surface of the stream was crystal clear and shimmered in the sunlight. A few small fish darted through the water. Jack and Sana joined later on. Kaylie stood watch in case there were any attacks at the water’s edge, while the three of us bathed.

  Sana, a beautiful brunette, usually masked her looks with a stern expression, rarely ever smiling. She was almost the complete opposite of the ever-cheerful Kaylie in many ways. But today, as she waded into the water, a rare smile broke across her face, lighting up her features. She wore a modest bathing outfit that covered much of her body. It was a stark contrast to Kaylie’s usual attire, which was far less conservative even outside of bathing times.

  Meanwhile, Jack and I had stripped down to our undergarments, the closest thing to swimwear we had in this world, blending necessity with a touch of modesty. Throughout the bath, Sana stayed noticeably closer to Jack than to me, perhaps still not entirely comfortable in my presence. Watching her playful interactions with Jack, I couldn’t help but feel a warmth in my heart, seeing her in such a spirited mood, a far cry from her usual icy demeanor.

  I attempted to liven things up by splashing water toward Kaylie, but she was quick to dissuade any further mischief with her Fire Magic. Her fist ignited into a ball of fire as she warned, “You know, you don’t have any clothes on that I’d feel bad about burning. And since you heal fast, feel free to splash me if you want, but remember, I’m free to fight back.”

  Her words sent me swimming backward as quickly as I could, almost as if my Spatial Magic had kicked in, teleporting me across the stream in a hasty retreat.

  Sana eventually dried us all off with air that felt a little too revealing than I hoped, but it was better than being soggy. I then cast my Time Spell on myself. I didn’t want to do it because I wanted to play with my new Mana Strengthening, but Rabbit was right in the end and convinced me with the logic that I couldn’t use it while sneaking around.

  “It seems like you are feeling better. Don’t use up that much mana again,” Sana said while blowing my undergarments here and there.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, awkwardly trying to shield myself.

  Kaylie walked by, glanced down, and let out a curious “Huh.”

  “The water is cold, and the wind doesn’t help,” I explained hastily.

  “Sure it is,” Kaylie replied with a smirk.

  Unfazed by our back-and-forth, Sana continued, “You had mana sickness from using more mana than your maximum capacity. Don’t let it happen again. Without a mana potion, you risk falling into a coma you might not wake from.”

  Distracted by Kaylie’s snickering, I didn’t pay much attention to Sana’s warning. Kaylie then added teasingly, “You know, it doesn’t seem like Jack thinks the water is that cold.”

  At that point, I got dressed because I felt dry enough. It had nothing to do with the coldness of the water or the transparency of white undergarments.

  The group wanted to leave early because it would have been unwise to camp in enemy territory, so we packed up and left the alcove. We trailed down the rocks and forded the river until we made it back to where we were the other day, near the ridge, and discussed our strategy as we advanced.

  We had a few options. The first was to cut straight through the territory to the other side. The upside was that it would only take hours to accomplish. The downside was our uncertainty about the defense set up by the groups in the area, and the risk of potentially fatal encounters.

  Our second strategy involved skirting around the left or right side of the territory. The advantage was that it would only take a day. However, the downside was our lack of knowledge about the exact boundaries of the area, which could lead us inadvertently into danger. We thought maintaining a safe distance from any cracks would be wise, but we were unsure about other branching caves that might be protected.

  The third option would have taken days, involving a wide detour around areas we suspected were dangerous. In reality, danger lurked everywhere, and avoiding one area might lead us into peril in another.

  In the end, we opted for the second strategy. Sana preferred the third option, citing my lack of stealth, but the others deemed it riskier. As Jack eloquently put it, “the worst that could happen is Alf dies, and they wouldn’t notice the rest of us if we were properly sneaking.” Those caring words truly warmed my heart.

  I would like to say that crossing that territory was eventful, but it was just plain dull. We moved, then stopped to wait for Sana to scout the area for signs of danger, and then we repeated the process. We chose the rockiest path we could because of my lack of Stealth. This made us more visible, but also much quieter. It was a real gamble in my mind, but we made it through unscathed, though I was extremely bored. As we were trying to avoid caves and fissures, I didn’t even get to see any more of those.

  After we cleared the enemy territory, the atmosphere lightened. We could finally speak freely again. Kaylie suggested we take a break and eat our lunch since we hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was already getting dark. I felt like we should be close to the location. I wasn’t as exact as Rabbit on distances, so I pulled up the map he created in my head and noticed we were almost there. I had to zoom in to see where we had stopped relative to our destination. I shared this with everyone, and instead of eating like they all wanted to do, they followed me up to a small hill of trees until we saw what we were looking for.

  In front of us stood what appeared to be a large temple entrance, or perhaps it was a courthouse. Though I couldn’t fathom what a courthouse would be doing in such a remote location. It featured massive columns in front, reminiscent of Romanesque architecture, supporting a roof that receded into the hillside.

  The structure looked ancient, as if it had been abandoned to the elements for centuries. The columns, covered in moss and entwined with vegetation, bore a strong resemblance to the Roman architecture familiar from our world. The foundations were obscured. It was as though the structure had been built directly atop the plants, which seemed quite improbable. Had I not been actively searching for this place, it would likely have remained hidden, masterfully camouflaged by the overgrown flora and its secluded hillside location. The wild, untended plant life was a clear indication that no one had frequented this site for a long time.

  As we stepped closer, the details of the structure became clearer, and an odd sensation began to stir within me. The sky above mirrored the building’s ancient facade, both reflecting the melancholy hues of dusk. It felt as if the day’s end was not just a sunset but a deeper, more significant conclusion. The air around us seemed charged with a timeless whisper, a language of inevitability that was both unknown and familiar. I couldn’t pinpoint what I was feeling, but it was as if the very atmosphere was steeped in the essence of an ending yet to be understood.

  As we drew closer, the outlines of thick, dust-laden spiderwebs became apparent, veiling the temple’s entrance with a ghostly shroud. It dawned on me that the unnerving sensation I felt might have been a primal alert to danger. Spiders had always stirred unsettling feelings in humans, and I wondered if this world somehow amplified those instincts.

  “Kaylie, want to handle this? I’m starving,” Sana complained, her voice tinged with irritation.