Vanessa broke the silence, stepping forward, her gaze encompassing the entire group.
"I had faith in Amos' judgment from the beginning when he decided to make this team," she began, her voice steady and full of sincerity. "It's clear why he suggested Erik now."
She looked at Erik, her gaze meeting his with approval. "He has not only survived the harsh wilderness of the forest, but he has also developed skills and knowledge that will undoubtedly be critical for your journey."
With a nod of her head, she indicated to him. Vanessa paused for a moment to let her words sink in. "Erik might be younger than you, and he might come from the city, but he's proven himself more than capable," she said, her gaze warm in the cold air.
"I believe you can rely on him to guide you through the forest safely." Her confirmation helped dispel any remaining doubts in the group. If the woman guaranteed for him, then they had nothing to feat. Vanessa's endorsement was significant because she was a respected village member.
The group's shared glances said it all: they were ready to embark on this journey with Erik leading the way. "All right then," Alexia finally said, breaking the brief silence that had descended on the group.
Erik's gaze was met by her eyes, which were filled with newfound respect. "If that's the case, I suppose we don't need to worry." She shifted her weight, adjusting the bow strap, gazing at the snowy landscape that stretched before them.
"Time is of the essence," she added, returning her gaze to the group. "We'd better get started." Her words signaled the end of the conversation; her tone was authoritative and firm.
There was no trace of the skepticism that had previously clouded her demeanor. The group's nods of agreement demonstrated their agreement.
They hoisted their backpacks as if on cue, tightening their grip on their weapons. Their adventure was about to begin. They found themselves on the outskirts of the village as the sun began to rise, casting a golden glow over the untouched snow.
Erik was the first to take a step forward, his boots crunching against the snow as he faced the group. His young face was lit up with a determined expression, and the soft hues of dawn reflected in his eyes.
"Let's go," Erik said, his voice clear and confident against the still morning air. With their packs secured and weapons safely strapped to their sides or backs, the group took a step forward, each step taking them further away from their familiar surroundings and closer to the unknown.
Marcus was the first to step before Erik, his towering stature creating an intimidating presence. His eyes darted across the forest ahead, his hand instinctively reaching for the axe strapped to his side. Alexia stood beside him, surveying their surroundings, her keen eyes catching everything.
Ava and Garrett remained silent, their eyes meeting before stepping behind Marcus and Alexia. Ava's daggers glinted ominously in the rising sun, her smirk promising both mischief and danger.
On the other hand, Garrett held his hand on the sword's hilt with a relaxed grip, his rugged features concealing his thoughts. The bright daylight reflected off the pristine white landscape as the group trekked through the newly snow-covered forest, glowing radiantly around them.
The crunching of snow underfoot echoed through the still forest, punctuated by the creaking of laden branches above.
The four travelers took advantage of the opportunity, bundled up against the chill, to ask Erik the questions that had been brewing in their minds. Erik was a mystery to them; he was someone from the city, so it was only natural for them to have questions.
"Erik," Alexia began, her breath forming a small cloud of fog in the freezing air, "as far as we've been told, you came from the city, New Alexandria, but once I learned someone from there was at the village, especially given everything that's going on, I began to wonder why you did leave it. What made you do that? City dwellers are not usually drawn to the wilderness."
Erik stopped, his gaze lingering on the path ahead, which had become a maze of snowy trails. The question was expected, but he felt an unexplainable vulnerability. He began his story by taking a deep, cold breath. Talking about his past was not something easy to do.
"Because my mother died when I was young, I grew up with my father. However, he was a soldier, as were most of the people there," he began, his voice barely above a whisper against the silence of the winter landscape.
"Because he was frequently out of town, I basically grew up alone, even though he sent me money every month to survive. But what was really difficult wasn't that," the young man said, his face sad. Recalling his past was not easy, nor did he willingly do it.
"When I finished developing my brain crystal, I discovered it had a flaw that prevented me from harnessing its full power," the young man lied.
"I could only make things grow faster, and not by much," he admitted, mixing some truths. The others looked at Erik with pitying looks, which Erik didn't like but knew was normal.
"I was bullied because my power was deemed useless by them. Frant is very fight oriented, and not being able to do that is a huge problem."
"Useless?" Alexia responded. "Everyone knows you saved our village! "It's everything but useless!" exclaimed the woman vehemently.
She couldn't believe what the young man had just said to her. "I was only able to do that because of my awakening. It appears to have repaired my brain crystal, and my mana reserves have significantly increased thanks to that. I couldn't have done all of that if it hadn't been for this event in my life. I often wondered if things would have gone differently if I hadn't awakened."
"How about..." Garret hesitantly elaborated. "How does it feel to have two powers?" He inquired, "How do you manage your mana to begin with?" Although having two powers was convenient, mana was limited, and using both was difficult.
"Well… Despite having less mana, I'm lucky that my powers are naturally strong. It is not easy, but it is possible to manage them."
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