As a matter of urgency, Kain set aside his plan to leave the village the proper way. There was no time for long farewells or ceremonies now. Without hesitation, he took the Silver Sword from his house the one his father once used, and headed straight for Gaman Forest.

  Fortunately, Kain wasn’t unfamiliar with it. He had been there a few times—sometimes under Master Garet's supervision for training, and sometimes alone, sneaking away against Delia’s strict orders. Over time, he had memorized most of the forest’s outer paths—the twisted roots, the shallow streams, the hidden clearings.

  Even so, the forest always carried an eerie feeling, as if unseen eyes watched from the dense undergrowth. Moving swiftly, Kain began searching for any sign of Jo.

  Along the way, wild beasts emerged from the shadows, drawn by the scent of an intruder. The first was a Gloomglop, a dark slime-like creature oozing with a somber aura. It hurled itself at Kain with a wet, slapping sound — a Sticky Slam meant to pin or slow him.

  Kain sidestepped with ease, letting the mass slap into a tree trunk. "Sloppy," he muttered, slicing downward where the core of the creature pulsed faintly. The Gloomglop gurgled and collapsed into a puddle of sludge.

  Before he could move on, a gust of wind-swept past. A Stormwing, a hawk-like beast with thunder-gray feathers, swooped down from the mist above. Its wings folded in as it dove, aiming for Kain’s neck with a Gale Swoop.

  But Kain was ready. He rolled left, letting the bird’s talons barely graze him, and as it passed, he struck with a clean upward slash. The Stormwing shrieked, spiraling away into the canopy.

  “Still ordinary beasts,” Kain noted. “No signs of true cultivation.”

  Kain recalled the old lesson—when a beast moved with unnatural aura or behavior, it meant cultivation but as long as he is aware these are no such beasts in the forest. The ones in front seem like ordinary beasts. One by one, he dispatched them cleanly, conserving his energy as he moved deeper into the forest.

  Eventually, after an hour of careful movement, Kain arrived at a narrow clearing near the old willow grove—a spot at the far edge of the known forest. There, hunched over and wrapped awkwardly in a black cloak, was a plump figure trying desperately to blend into the undergrowth. Who else could it be but Jo?

  A grin tugged at the corner of Kain’s mouth. He shifted his stance and silently approached, using the quiet footwork techniques he'd practiced during training—sneaking exercises meant for hunting or ambushes. He fully intended to scare Jo a little—a deserved punishment for this reckless stunt.

  But unknown to Kain, Jo was already teetering on the edge of collapse. Just moments ago, crouching nervously, Jo had heard a strange, ancient voice whisper from the shadows: "I will kill you…" The voice had frozen Jo’s blood, leaving him paralyzed with fear. He hadn’t moved since, every rustle and snap in the forest making his heart jump.

  His nerves frayed to the limit, Jo heard Kain’s silent steps behind him—but in his mind, it was surely another monster, or worse. Without thinking, Jo barked out in a deep, trembling voice: "One more step and you are dead!"

  Kain froze mid-step, blinking. Did I hear that right? he wondered. He took a cautious step forward—and noticed Jo's entire body visibly trembling under the cloak.

  Jo, gathering the last shred of courage from somewhere deep inside his terrified mind, blurted out again in the scariest voice he could manage: "Question me your answer and I may let you die!"

  Kain stopped dead, utterly speechless. What?

  For a few seconds, Kain just stared, processing the jumbled mess of words. Finally, he spoke up, deadpan: "Don’t you mean…'Answer my question and I may let you live'?"

  The forest fell silent. Jo, still trembling, slowly turned his head. Through the folds of the black cloak, he caught sight of Kain’s familiar face—calm, slightly amused, completely alive. The fear gripping Jo cracked instantly.

  Throwing off the black cloak in a burst of emotion, Jo rushed forward and tried to tackle-hug him.

  "Oi—calm down!" Kain said, half-laughing, shoving Jo aside. "I don’t want to be greased up with your fat!"

  Jo staggered back, but his round face broke into a teary grin. seeing Kain here—coming all this way to find him—was almost too much. Tears welled up in Jo’s eyes, blurring his vision. He wiped them hastily, embarrassed but too relieved to care.

  Maybe he should have trusted Kain more. Maybe he should have said something, instead of sneaking away, thinking it better to shoulder everything alone. Now, none of that mattered. Kain had found him.

  And he wasn’t alone anymore.

  Jo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding Kain’s eyes. "Kain...I know I hid this from you," he began, voice low, "but I didn’t want to implicate you. Not you—my good brother."

  Kain stayed silent, letting Jo speak at his own pace.

  "After my mom and dad died," Jo continued, "I didn’t make any grand promise to take revenge. I knew my strength would never be enough to avenge them through sheer power alone." He clenched his fists slightly, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "So, I decided instead—I wanted to become an alchemist. Not to fight, but to assist, to heal, to create things that could help combatants survive...maybe even turn battles with potions, offensive and defensive items."

  Kain listened attentively. Even as Jo spoke, Kain’s mind was already moving ahead, calculating. An alchemist…a real one alongside him and other allies…that could be invaluable. Kain knew a little about alchemists. Though it had piqued his interest once, he hadn’t pursued the path—it demanded patience, intricate knowledge of materials, and a different kind of cultivation. Alchemists specialized in crafting healing potions, antidotes, explosive talismans, defensive shields—anything created from raw spiritual materials brewed within their cauldrons. He guessed now that Jo must have come to Gaman Forest looking for rare herbs or ingredients.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Jo continued, a little more confidently, seeing Kain listening. "I found out there’s something called a Silver Root Stone hidden somewhere in Gaman Forest. It’s used to temper the soul during the formation of an alchemist’s core."

  Kain nodded slightly. He knew about it. The Silver Root Stone was rare but essential—acting like a catalyst for anyone hoping to begin serious alchemy.

  Jo smiled wryly. "I thought if I could at least get one, I could start my journey without dragging you along. I didn’t think…well, that the forest had its own guardians."

  Just as he spoke those words, a sudden shift in the air made Kain’s senses sharpen. A massive shadow began rising behind them. Kain immediately turned, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.

  From the shadows, a twisted form emerged—a monstrous tree, its bark blackened, its roots writhing like serpents. Gnarled branches twisted together, forming a crude, wicked face with hollow eyes that gleamed with malice.

  An evil tree spirit—rare, but deadly.

  Jo stood frozen; eyes wide with fear. Meanwhile, Kain kept his stance calm, his gaze locked on the creature. "Jo, this is a Tier 1 creature" Kain said evenly, "together, this thing poses no real threat to us." He adjusted his footing slightly, shifting into a battle-ready stance. "But split apart…it would tear either of us apart easily. So, I need you to buckle up—and trust me. Follow my instructions."

  Jo swallowed hard but nodded.

  The evil tree’s twisted mouth opened, releasing a deep, grinding voice like stone scraping against stone. "Return the silver rock you picked," it growled, "and I will make your deaths painless. Otherwise, I will tortu—"

  Before it could even finish, Kain lifted his hand, holding a small silver rock the same he took from Jo, casually between his fingers. "Look here," Kain said lazily. "The rock’s in my hand."

  The tree paused, confused and visibly irritated. Still, it tried to continue, its tone growing harsher. "Junior, one should respect their elders! While ta—"

  "Now it’s gone," Kain interrupted abruptly, tossing the rock over his shoulder into the dense woods without even glancing back.

  Jo, still standing behind, had no clue what was going on but couldn't help thinking: Damn, my bro’s way too cool even in front of monsters…

  The evil tree sputtered. "Gone? What gone?" it demanded.

  "The rock," Kain said flatly. "Gone."

  The tree spirit, struggling to comprehend, stammered, "Gone whe—"

  "Alright," Kain cut him off again, already sheathing his empty hand. "We’re done here. Let's part ways peacefully."

  The tree spirit’s dark face twisted in rage. "Junior! You dare toy with me, Dreadroot? I’ll kill you!" Roots and vines burst from the ground, lashing toward them.

  Kain shifted forward immediately, his sword flashing in the dim light. Roots whipped toward him, but Kain weaved between them with precise footwork, parrying and deflecting each strike with minimal wasted movement.

  Beside him, Jo fumbled to pull out his small, Nimble Bow—the same old thing he had dragged along during their training days, never intending to really use it. His hands trembled, but he managed to nock a crude arrow and fire. The arrow thunked harmlessly into the evil tree’s thick bark.

  Jo grimaced. "Uh…distracting shot!" he called sheepishly.

  Then he drew back hard, fingers shaking but eyes narrowing. “Let’s try this for real…” he muttered.

  "Lucky Shot!" Jo shouted, releasing the string with a loud snap.

  The arrow tore through the air and struck the bark at an angle, piercing a weak knot with uncanny force.

  The tree jerked back. "Wha—? How did that get through?!"

  Kain didn’t even look back. Vines shot toward him in a crisscrossing pattern, trying to entangle and crush. Kain’s sword flicked upward, cutting cleanly through one, two, three thick vines in a row.

  The tree spirit recoiled slightly, startled. "This boy…his strength, his precision…he's far too skilled for his age!" the tree thought in shock. It pressed harder, unleashing a barrage of roots.

  Kain sidestepped and parried each attack, his breathing steady but his body beginning to tire under the relentless pressure.

  Jo managed a few more clumsy shots, aiming for exposed joints in the tree’s body. Most arrows bounced off, but one lucky strike embedded itself in a soft knot of wood, making the tree shudder.

  "Good shot!" Kain called, grinning despite the situation.

  The moment of distraction was enough. "Jo!" Kain barked. "Now—the combo we practiced!"

  Jo blinked—they had never practiced any real combo—but instinctively, he moved. Kain feinted low, forcing the tree to defend downward. Jo, meanwhile, launched another arrow high—it wasn’t powerful, but it forced the tree to flinch upward to shield its vulnerable branches.

  Exactly what Kain wanted.

  "Guard Break!" Kain shouted, slamming his blade with precision into the root-arm the tree had raised. A crack echoed as the defense shattered.

  With no time to waste, Kain twisted his stance and followed up. "Stun!" he cried. The sword slammed against the exposed core with a pulse of energy, locking the spirit in place for a moment.

  "Whaaat? I… I can't move!" the tree stammered, its body stiffening.

  Using that single moment, Kain dashed forward like a blur. There was no real combo —it had all been a bluff to split the tree’s attention. Kain lowered his stance, then exploded upward with a rapid three-strike sequence, his sword slicing cleanly through the central root clusters. The blade shimmered with every movement, each strike faster and sharper than the last. The final upward slash cleaved through the spirit core—a pulsing, knot-like mass hidden just beneath the bark.

  The evil tree shrieked in pain, a bone-rattling sound echoing through the forest. Dark sap gushed from the wound as its entire form trembled violently. With a groan like dying thunder, the twisted branches collapsed inward. The once-mighty spirit husk cracked and crumbled, its roots shriveling into the soil as it felt lifeless.

  Just before it dissolved completely, the tree let out a final murmur, low and bitter: "Aahh…to think I was deceived by…two children…"

  Kain staggered back, sword dragging slightly, breath ragged and sweat pouring down his face. The Guard Break and Stun combo had drained a hefty chunk of his energy.

  Jo dropped to one knee, breathing hard. "I think I tore my shoulder doing that Lucky Shot…" he groaned.

  Both of them stood there, catching their breath—neither saying it out loud, but both knowing: those skills had pushed them to their limits.

  Kain staggered back, panting, his sword tip dragging slightly in the dirt. He had exhausted nearly all his strength in that final dash. Jo rushed over, panting harder from fear than from effort.

  "I helped…a little!" Jo said between breaths.

  Kain gave him a tired thumbs-up, grinning weakly. "You did good," he said. "Just…work on your aim."

  Jo beamed proudly despite everything, and for a moment, the two of them simply stood there, catching their breath in the shadow of the fallen tree.

  The danger had passed. And with it, the bond between them—forged through battle and trust—had grown even stronger.

  Jo picked the Silver Rock again and held onto to it tightly.

  As the last fragments of the tree’s corrupted essence vanished into the ground, a faint glow emerged where the roots had collapsed. Half-buried in the dirt was a long, gleaming blade — its edge still intact despite the battle-scarred earth around it.

  Kain stepped forward and picked it up.

  "A Flambard," he muttered, eyes narrowing. He gave it a few test swings, the blade humming faintly in his grip.

  "Better than my silver sword."

  Jo whistled. "Bro, you get all the cool stuff."

  Kain didn’t answer — just sheathed his old blade and strapped the Flambard to his side. He kept the Silver Sword as he may sell it later.

  After catching their breath, Kain and Jo decided it was time to return to the village. Elder Long was still waiting, and Kain knew the old man wouldn’t truly rest easy until Jo stood safely before him.