They moved again.

The formation remained the same as before, smooth and practiced. As they went deeper, monsters appeared from time to time, but none of them posed any real threat.

A pair of horned lizards crawled out from beneath fallen logs. Kaelra and Lucien handled them in seconds.

A group of shadow insects swarmed from the trees, only to be burned down by Mira's precise arrows tipped with mana.

A lone rank three beast tried to ambush them from the side, but Harvey stepped in at once, smashing it into the ground with his shield before it could even react.

Amon understood at that time. Harvey was strong. He guessed Harvey to be at the peak of master rank.

Reaching master rank was not too hard. But breaking through that rank was too hard. The gap was unlike how there was not much difference between Awakened and Mana Initiate.

The same was true between Mana Initiate and Master rank.

When it came to the power gap between Master rank and Master Ascendant rank, also known as Adapt Expert, it was huge.

There were a few who reached Master rank very early, Selena being one of them. But that didn't mean she could reach the fourth rank easily. It might take her years. Still, being one of the geniuses of this generation, she could achieve it early.

Here, Harvey was above thirty. Maybe in his mid-thirties. Yet he was not able to break through to the next stage. Derrick was the same. Not everyone have talent.

Still, they were stronger than normal Master rank because of their experience and years of training.

Because of this, for Amon, it felt… easy. He wasn't alone anymore, like before.

He fought when needed, covered others when they advanced, and trusted them to do the same for him. Every battle ended quickly, cleanly, without panic.

The dark hatchet spun through the air and struck the head of a beast, splitting its skull. As the last monster fell to the ground with a thud.

Amon commanded his shadow to bring his hatchet back. The hand axe spun back into his left hand.

"Ohh! That was cool! How did you do that?" Lucien asked from the side, his eyes curious.

Amon smirked. He ran his hand through his dark hair. "Hah… well, it's because of my ability."

"Nice ability. It's really useful. No need to worry about losing your weapon," Mira commented. Even she became envious of his ability.

"Enough talk. Let's move," Harvey said from the front.

The trio just nodded and followed the others.

Time passed without them realizing it.

Eventually, the sound of flowing water reached their ears.

Harvey raised his hand, signaling a stop.

Ahead of them was a small pond hidden between the trees. The water was clear, reflecting the dark canopy above. Moss-covered stones surrounded it, and the air felt cooler here.

"We'll rest here," Harvey said. "Short break."

Everyone relaxed almost instantly.

Lucien dropped down onto a rock near the water, stretching his arms. "Finally. My legs were starting to complain."

Kaelra sat on a fallen log, calmly checking her sword for nicks. "You complain too much."

Lucien grinned. "That's how I survive."

Mira knelt by the pond, dipping her fingers into the water. "It's clean," she said. "We can drink."

Derrick leaned against a tree, arms crossed, eyes still scanning the surroundings out of habit. Harvey removed his shield and rested it beside him, sitting down heavily.

Amon sat near the edge of the pond, pulling off his gloves and washing his hands. The cool water felt refreshing.

"…This is nice," he said without thinking.

Harvey chuckled. "Yeah. Only if the trees were green like normal ones. This place might look more beautiful."

Hearing this, Amon stopped. His thoughts made a 180-degree change. "No… this is not good. Tch! I shouldn't get used to this creepy forest."

"Yeah. But today, it is," Lucien said. "So enjoy it."

Mira smiled slightly. "You did well today, Amon. Better than I expected."

Amon smiled widely. Slowly, he was acting like his usual self, forgetting about acting like a humble boy. "Thanks. I learned a lot just by watching you all." His voice was cheerful.

Kaelra glanced at him. "You adapt fast. That's a good trait."

Lucien leaned back, looking up at the dark leaves above. "Yeah. For someone who fought alone before, you fit in surprisingly well."

Amon looked at the group. Laughing lightly, resting, alive.

"I think," he said slowly, "this is the first time I've fought without feeling much fear."

Harvey nodded. "That's what a unit does. It carries the fear together."

For a moment, no one spoke.

The sound of water, the distant wind, and the quiet forest filled the silence.

Lucien suddenly splashed some water toward Derrick. "Hey, lighten up. You look like a statue."

Derrick dodged it easily. Then he smirked at the young man. "Try again." He was challenging the boy. How could this young man try to play with an experienced one?

Lucien laughed. "No fun."

Mira shook her head with a soft smile. Kaelra smirked faintly.

Harvey then said, "We didn't find anything suspicious or anything new. Just the same forest."

"The forest is too huge. If we really want to see something new… then we need to move," Amon responded, remembering the map he saw in the temple.

Derrick thought for a while. "That was the plan. Initially, we wanted to keep moving. But those mysterious beings at night were the real problem, not forgetting the demons. They know much more about us. If we try to move and face a sudden ambush, we will take the most damage."

"But we can't remain in one place forever."

To Amon's words, Harvey answered, "The ship that's coming for you is also bringing more soldiers of our kingdom. So once they come… we will move from here."

Then Amon understood. 'They are waiting for backup… well, while I will go back.'

Amon then watched the group, a small smile forming on his lips.

For a brief moment in the middle of the dark forest, it didn't feel cursed at all.

It felt… peaceful. Even in place like this.

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[A/N: Hello guys. I made some changes in names of power stages and spells. Not much. Just check it out in power stages chapter.]

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