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"Hah… hah…" I panted heavily as I dropped to the ground, having expended nearly all of the mana I just absorbed from the environment. The death energy in them made me fire even more powerful than usual, which was quite frankly what allowed me to take down this monster of an organism.

Now, however, the only sign of it ever existing was the enormous pile of black ash that lay on the floor.

Mei Gui and the other three hurriedly ran out of the window and arrived by my side.

"Xuan Kai, are you okay?" Feng Mian asked in concern, patting my back.

"Yeah… but my mana's pretty much depleted again…"

"Well… my mana is still recharging," Feng Mian said. "Once it has a decent amount, I'll give some to you."

"There's no need," Mei Gui cut in. "Master… just now, you absorbed all the Necromancy energy in this village and used it all up, turning your fire exceptionally powerful even compared to the normal Chaos-enhanced spells. However, there is more mana to be found elsewhere — just not in this village."

"Absorbing mana from the environment…" Feng Mian murmured. "In other words, once you master this skill, you won't need to rely on us for mana anymore?"

I nodded. "That would be the case, yes."

"Master, we should head out and collect mana before the others awaken," Mei Gui prompted. "My mana is completely out as well — creating that barrier and holding it just now took everything I had left."

"Geez… they're still not awake, even after all that…?" Lin Luo muttered. "So much for being the best of the best."

"If it wasn't for Mei Gui, you would still be sleeping like a log," Obsidia snorted.

"As if you're any better…" Lin Luo shot back, folding her arms.

"Stop bickering," I cut in coldly. "You guys should go back to the inn and recover. Mei Gui and I will be back soon."

The three girls didn't argue and did as told, since they all really needed to regain their energy. It was hard arguing in their current state.

Mei Gui and I turned around and left through the other entrance of the village, heading into a deep forest.

And unbeknownst to either of us, one lone girl had seen the entire battle unfold from beneath the shadow of a building. Naturally, she had also overheard our conversation.

"Chaos…? Absorbing mana from the environment…?"

With determination in her eyes, she decided to follow Mei Gui and I and get to the end of this.

*****

- Within the Forest, After a While of Walking -

"Master… can you sense it?"

"What, the mana in the air?" I asked, scratching my head. "Hm… not unless I really concentrate. But I should be able to just identify when some place is rich in mana and also know what element that mana is, correct?"

Mei Gui nodded. "Worry not, Master. You just learned this skill, so it will take time to practice and perfect. For now… this forest is indeed rich in Earth Mana, so we can take advantage of that."

"I see."

After looking around for a good spot, I sat down underneath the green canopy of a tree, illuminated by the moonlight. Mei Gui did the same beside me, close enough for our shoulders to touch.

"Be careful to not absorb too much, Master," she said, closing her eyes.

"Hm? Why?"

"Mana is not only an energy source for mages, but also the power behind all life. The Earth Mana in this forest keeps it alive and sustainable. If we were to deplete it of its mana, it will become barren and die. Of course, if Master wants, we can still use up this entire forest. It is up to you, Master."

"Nah. We should keep this forest — the wildlife and such in here is essential for food if we want to keep going with this mission. And, if we ever run out of mana again, we can come back to regain some that its reproduced."

Mei Gui nodded. "A wise decision, Master."

With a smile, I closed my eyes and concentrated.

Strands of energy… c'mon, where are you?

[Master, expand your senses. Don't focus on just around you; detect the entire forest.]

I did as told, easening up a bit and trying to sense the whole forest. It was as if I had zoomed out on a minimap in a game, allowing me to see further even though my eyes were actually closed.

Aha… there!

I could sense waves of green and yellow strands of energy all around us. I was just too focused on my nearby surroundings that I missed the bigger picture.

I held up my hands and began absorbing the strands of energy into my body. Mei Gui did the same, and I could see the strands diminishing further and further.

After several seconds, I stopped and opened my eyes, letting out a deep breath.

"Okay… that should be enough."

Mei Gui inhaled deeply and opened her eyes as well, exhaling the air she just took in.

"Master, how do you feel?"

"Hm… empowered, if that's the right word," I replied, frowning in thought. "It definitely feels different from absorbing other people's mana — this energy feels more pure and thus powerful."

"Yes — that is the beauty of natural mana compared to human mana." Mei Gui stood up from the ground and brushed the dust off her clothes, then looked at me. "Let's head back, Master."

I took her hand and let her pull me up, then began walking in the direction of the village. But suddenly, Mei Gui stopped, whipping her head around to our left.

"Who's there?!"

Both her and I immediately drew our Chaos weapons, ready for a fight. But no one came out from the shadows of the trees Mei Gui was staring at.

[Mei Gui… what's happening?] I asked in my mind.

[I just activated my Third Eye, now that I have mana again, Master.] She replied cautiously. [And right now, it's telling me there is someone hiding within those trees. However, they do not appear to be hostile or friendly. Just neutral.]

[I see…]

Narrowing my eyes, I took the initiative to investigate. I cautiously stepped into the shadows of the trees, but-

[Master, they're running!] Mei Gui called out in my head. 

"Tch…!"

Forbidden Magic — Third Eye.

Activating my own radar, I immediately picked up on the presence of the target Mei Gui was talking about and began following it. Mei Gui trailed after me, pursuing the unknown individual in the forest.

I've never been much of a negotiator, so rather than try and yell at the person to stop running, I did something more proactive and likely to succeed.

Potentia Excitant: Celeritas.

"Wha-!" I heard a girl's voice yelp, not expecting my sudden speed-up, and I zoomed in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.

Unfortunately, the root of a tree just happened to be jutting out of the ground there, and I ended up tripping over it. The girl, unable to stop herself in time, crashed into me and also fell over.

"Mmn…" She moaned in pain, shaking her head as she got up.

My eyes widened when I saw who she was.

"… Long Yi?"

Noticing that I had realized who she was, she blushed and hurriedly got off me, pointing at me in rage.

"Y-Y-Y-You! Trying to take advantage of my body, huh?!"

"What?!" I cried, getting to my feet as well. "You're the one who crashed into me!"

"Master, you are missing the point," Mei Gui said helpfully, suddenly setting her spear by Long Yi's neck.

"…!" She seized up a bit, gulping in fear. 

"Right…" I furrowed my brows and dematerialized my two Chaos katanas. "I have a few questions for you."

"… And you think I will answer them?" She challenged, smiling defiantly.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," Mei Gui cut in, edging her spear closer. "You may think this is a bluff and we won't really kill you, but… Master and I have taken countless lives before. You are but one of many."

Long Yi, staring into Mei Gui's cold eyes that surpassed even her own, knew she wasn't merely bluffing. Still, however, she didn't give in and agree to answer my questions.

So, I took the initiative and began asking anyway.

"First off… how did you survive the fog, back at the village? My team did our best to resist it, but in the end, only Mei Gui was able to."

"… I have a special physique called the Sleepless Body. In other words, I never sleep."

"Hm, interesting," I said, brushing off her response and getting to the main point. "Next… how much do you know? About me."

"… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is that so? Well, let me put it in a simpler way, then…"

I walked up closer to her and stared into her eyes, searching for her truth.

"… You heard about the power of Chaos, didn't you?"