Erowen stared wide-eyed at the map, the weight of Harlon's brutal statistic, 'less than 20% survival' sinking in.

A trace of fear laced her voice as she finally spoke.

"W-Why are we even considering that route then? We need to avoid it and move past it using some other route. Any other route!"

"That's where the problem is, Princess," Alvaro replied, his tone heavy with helplessness.

He gestured broadly at the map. "The whole northern front of the forest has turned into a permanent, grinding battlefield. There are no routes left to take except this one. Everything else is either swarming with beasts or heavily fortified by them."

Harlon added, his gaze fixed on the spot marking the marsh. "If we encounter even a single enemy beast on any other path, hundreds more of them would follow, drowning us in unending battle. We must move unseen, and the Cloud Marsh, deadly as it is, offers the only veil of concealment."

Silence descended upon the tent. Erowen's face was now laced with deep worry, while Harlon was plunged into deep contemplation.

Alvaro waited patiently for Harlon's decision, knowing their lives depended on it.

Then, Harlon's eyes snapped up. "There's a way," he said, the conviction returning to his voice, making both Erowen and Alvaro look at him expectantly.

"The Soul Barrier spell," Harlon said. As he named the spell, his head turned directly toward Erowen.

Erowen was instantly taken aback. She understood immediately why he looked at her; he expected her to be the one to wield it.

"No! No! No!" Erowen denied vehemently, waving her hands in frantic rejection.

"It's a Fifth Realm spell! You're asking me to do the impossible. I have hardly mastered my first Third Realm spell yet!"

"What if you have the Heartwood Spirit with you?" Harlon asked, a knowing glint in his eye.

Erowen was shocked into silence.

The Heartwood Spirit was legendary, a special, potent elven potion made directly from the rarest sap of the World Tree.

It was known to temporarily and drastically enhance the mana quality of a mage when ingested, enabling them to perform spells far higher than their current magical realm.

Harlon reached inside his chest plate and pulled out two small, glowing vials.

The liquid inside pulsed with a faint, warm light. "I have two vials with me," he said, a brief, dry chuckle escaping him.

"I guess the Prime Minister had already seen through our troubles, or perhaps he just anticipated your... reluctance."

He placed the vials carefully on the table. "What do you say, Princess? Is a Fifth Realm spell possible now?"

Erowen looked at the vials, then at Harlon, her resistance crumbling under the weight of the task and the promised power.

"I—I guess if I try, maybe it will be possible with the Heartwood Spirit," she conceded, her voice a reluctant whisper.

"When were you thinking of leaving, Alvaro?" Harlon asked, returning to the tactical details.

"After two days, Lord Harlon. That's the day when the sun shines the longest," Alvaro explained.

"The resulting longer day will provide us with a vital window of opportunity to get through the most dangerous parts of the marsh and out of the forest."

"Alright then," Harlon stated, his tone brooking no argument.

"You have two days to learn the Soul Barrier spell, Princess. After that, we depart."

"Two days? How can I? It's impossible!" Erowen complained loudly, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Harlon completely ignored her protestations, turning instead to the Captain.

"Let's scout the immediate surroundings, Captain. We'll set up a defensive perimeter for the Princess's safety while she studies. We can't afford any disturbances."

Alvaro nodded, the command clear. Both men stood up and started moving toward the tent flap.

"Excuse me? Hello? HARLON! Don't you dare ignore me!" Erowen screamed, stamping her foot in frustration, but both men were already out of the tent, leaving her alone with the daunting map and the glowing, impossible vials.

*****

The first thing Grey registered was the dull, pervasive ache that settled deep in his bones, a familiar souvenir of fighting beyond his limits.

The second was the crisp, clean scent of the Academy's infirmary, a place he was becoming irritatingly well-acquainted with. "The third time after transmigrating." he mused, a faint, dry chuckle escaping him.

He slowly opened his eyes. The light was soft, filtered through thick curtains.

He wasn't alone. Aeron was there, as expected, but this time Blaze, Lenore, and Zenon were also seated around his bed, their faces etched with a mixture of relief and concern.

"It seems I've made friends." Grey thought, and a genuine, weary smile touched his lips.

Lenore immediately sprang forward, her usual fierce demeanor replaced by frantic worry.

"You feeling alright, Grey? Are you feeling pain? Are you hungry? I'll call the doctor! It's better to check!" She was already halfway off her chair, ready to rush out the door.

"Stop! I'm alright," Grey called out, his voice a little hoarse but firm.

Blaze and Aeron immediately helped him sit up against the pillows, their movements gentle and careful.

"Are you really alright?" Blaze asked, his voice low with worry.

"I'm fine. How long was I out?" Grey asked, settling into a comfortable position.

"It's been three days," Aeron answered, pulling his chair closer.

"Three days, then," Grey nodded in understanding. "That was quite long."

"Elena woke up the next day," Blaze continued, his expression darkening slightly. "She told us everything that conspired. About Professor Flint... and his corruption."

"That bastard. Traitor!" Lenore spat the word out, her teeth gritted, the familiar fury returning briefly.

"How is Elena?" Grey asked, concern clouding his eyes.

"She suffered multiple fractures and she spent her aura reserves dry," Blaze answered. "But after the immediate healing, she is doing fine. She has been asked for a two-week rest to recover fully."

"It's good then," Grey said, a visible wave of relief washing over him, followed by a light smile.

"But... how did you kill him, though?" Aeron asked, unable to contain his curiosity, the surprise evident in his tone.

"Elena said he was almost at the level of a Styngian Class beast when he completely transformed."

Grey stared at Aeron, his smile vanishing. "What? I... I killed him?" he yelled out, genuine shock overriding his exhaustion.

Blaze exchanged a confused glance with Zenon. "Y-You don't remember?"

"I-I don't," Grey stammered, shaking his head slowly. "I remember the chain coiling around my neck, the next moment my body slaaming hard into the pit. I lost consciousness right then. I don't remember anything after that."

The four young recruits looked genuinely surprised.

They exchanged glances, then looked back at Grey, clearly suspecting he might be joking.

But seeing the authentic doubt and surprise radiating from him, they discarded the thought.

"There was no one else except the two of you there," Blaze insisted.

"But before losing consciousness, Elena clearly saw you blast the Professor away into the distance. She fainted only after falling from his shoulders."

"What the hell is happening?" Grey thought, feeling a cold knot of dread form in his stomach.

He had faced down a threat of Styngian caliber, an opponent powerful enough to level a city block, and then... nothing. A blank.

Unable to get a concrete answer from them, and with a terrifying, unexplained gap in his memory, Grey turned inward, seeking the only external help he had left.

"System" he thought, projecting his focus onto the invisible interface only he could perceive.

"I need to know what happened after I blacked out."

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