The Strongest With Nothing Left

As Li disappeared into the forest, silence hung heavily in the air. His presence or rather, the weight of his revelation still lingered

Elise, still staring at the spot where Li once stood, barely managed to find her voice. "That is not a useless… ability…" Her words came out in a whisper, almost like she was convincing herself.

"Right?" Arin spoke up, his voice slightly shaken. "I mean… did you see that? He literally turned your mana into a freaking sword."

Elise slowly nodded, her gaze distant. "Not just that… he manipulated it like it was nothing. No human should be able to do that without dying instantly. Raw mana is unstable… deadly… and yet…" Her voice trailed off. "He called it useless…"

Mia, still clutching her chest from the overwhelming shock, muttered, "Why would he think that…?"

"Because he has to get hurt first," Arin answered bitterly. "That's what he said, right? If he can't touch mana unless it's hostile… it means every time he uses that power, he's basically risking his life. One mistake and he's gone." Elise swallowed hard.

"But still…" She clenched her fists. "That's not a useless ability. That's… terrifyingly powerful. If he ever wanted to… he could—"

Arin immediately snapped. "He wouldn't! My Master would never do something like that!"

"I know!" Mia quickly responded. "I didn't mean it like that! I'm just saying… his power is unreal. And yet…" Her gaze fell. "He acts like it's a curse."

Elise bit her lip, her thoughts a whirlwind. "The power to manipulate hostile mana…" she whispered. "Something no human should be capable of. And yet, he treats it like a burden…"

Arin clenched his fists. "…I get it now."

"Get what?" Mia asked.

"Why he never opens up to anyone," Arin muttered bitterly. "Why he refuses to get close. Why he trained me so brutally." His teeth gritted. "He doesn't want me to end up like him."

Silence once again. Heavy. Uncomfortable.

Elise exhaled, still staring at where Li left. "…I'm starting to think Li Vrak isn't as heartless as everyone says he is."

"He never was," Arin responded. "People just never bothered to see it."

Elise finally shook off the lingering tension in the air, forcing a smile. "Alright… enough of this gloomy talk," she said, trying to change the mood. "How about I treat you two to some food?"

Arin and Mia both turned to her, surprised. "Huh? Really?" Arin asked, his voice perking up.

"Yeah, why not?" Elise chuckled softly. "Consider it my way of making up for… well… almost burning your master to a crisp earlier."

Arin scratched the back of his head. "I mean… he did ask you to do it," he grinned sheepishly. "But hey, I'm not saying no to free food!"

"Same here!" Mia chirped. "I'm starving anyway."

"Great. Come on, I know a nice place," Elise smiled, motioning for them to follow her. As they walked toward town, Arin couldn't help but glance back towards the forest where Li had disappeared.

"Master… why do you burden yourself so much?"

With a small sigh, he shook his head and jogged up to catch Mia and Elise. "So! Where exactly are we going?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"There's a nice little tavern near the market district," Elise replied. "They serve the best roasted meat around here."

"Ohhh, meat? Say less!" Arin grinned, already imagining the meal.

Mia giggled. "Looks like someone already forgot about his sore muscles."

"Hey, hey — food heals all wounds!" Arin laughed, causing the two girls to chuckle as well. The heavy atmosphere from earlier finally began to fade, replaced by lighthearted conversation.

Meanwhile, deep in the forest… Li stood silently, his hand still faintly burning from the raw mana he had manipulated earlier. His gaze lingered on his palm for a moment, before a bitter chuckle escaped his lips.

"Useless, huh…" he murmured, his tone dripping with self-loathing. "That'd be a lie, honestly."

Without another word, he turned his back to the world once more, his figure vanishing further into the dark depths of the forest.

Mia smiled warmly at Elise as they walked toward the town. "You're really kind, Miss Elise…" she said softly. "And you're really beautiful too."

Elise blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden compliment. "H-Huh? Oh—um… thank you, Mia." A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she scratched her cheek awkwardly. "But I'm not really that special, honestly."

"No way!" Mia shook her head, grinning. "You're amazing! You work at the guild, you're strong, and you're always worried about others. I bet a lot of guys in town have a crush on you, right, Arin?" Mia nudged him teasingly.

Arin, who was busy stuffing his face with the snack Elise had bought, almost choked. "H-Huh?! I-I don't know! Why are you asking me that?!"

Elise chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You two are quite a pair, huh…"

As they arrived at the restuarant and after finishing their meal, the three of them laughed and chatted as they left the restaurant. Elise walked slightly ahead, glancing back occasionally to make sure Arin and Mia were keeping up. "You two sure eat a lot for kids," Elise teased, smiling. "I might go broke if I keep treating you guys like this."

"Haha, sorry about that, Miss Elise," Arin rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I'll pay you back when I get stronger!"

"And I'll pay you back with flowers!" Mia added cheerfully.

"You two are something else," Elise chuckled, shaking her head.

Before long, they arrived at Mia's house. "Alright, Mia. Get some rest, okay?" Elise smiled warmly. "And don't sneak off to watch Arin train too much, alright?"

"Ehh? No promises!" Mia giggled before waving them off and entering her house.

Elise and Arin continued down the street toward Arin's home. "So…" Elise began, "Are you gonna train again tomorrow?"

"Of course! I can't get stronger if I don't, right?" Arin grinned. "Master Li would probably kill me if I slacked off."

"Heh… sounds like him," Elise chuckled. "Alright, we're here. Get some rest, Arin. Don't overdo it, alright?"

"Got it! Thanks for the food, Miss Elise!"

"Anytime." Elise smiled, watching as Arin entered his home before she turned around and headed back toward the guild. "That kid… he's gonna be something else someday," she muttered to herself with a small smile.

The sun barely rose, but the town was already bustling with noise louder than usual. People gathered in small crowds, murmuring in confusion as several royal carriages, adorned with the emblem of the kingdom, stopped in the middle of town. Heavily armored knights stood in formation, scanning the area with sharp gazes. The people whispered among themselves.

"What's going on…?""Why are royal escorts here…?""Did something happen?"

The moment the knights stepped down from their horses, one of them clad in silver armor with a regal crest raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "We are looking for an adventurer named Li Vrak," the knight's voice boomed. "By the order of the royal family, we are to deliver a message of utmost importance."

Whispers erupted once again.

"Li Vrak?""The loner?""Why would the royal family need him of all people?"

Unbothered by the commotion, the knights began to spread out, searching for Li. It didn't take long Li, as usual, was returning from his morning hunt, a large S-rank monster draped across his shoulder as if it weighed nothing. The moment the knights spotted him, they immediately approached.

"Are you… Li Vrak?" the leading knight asked firmly, stepping forward.

Li dropped the monster carcass to the ground without care, his cold gaze fixed on the knight. "Yeah. What do you want?"

The knight, seemingly unphased by his intimidating aura, stood his ground. "We have an urgent message from the royal family. It pertains to a matter of… grave importance."

"Tch…" Li clicked his tongue. "And why would the royal family need me of all people?"

"This message is to be given to you directly," the knight said without faltering. "It was a royal decree."

A beat of silence. The crowd's curiosity intensified as they leaned closer, hoping to hear what the message was about. Li simply sighed, brushing past the knight. "Then hurry up and spit it out."

The knight nodded, reaching into his satchel and retrieving a sealed letter bearing the royal family crest. He extended it toward Li. "By the order of His Majesty, King Aldric…"

Li's eyes narrowed. "…King Aldric?"

"Yes. His Majesty specifically requested you. The contents of this letter are strictly for your eyes only."

Li snatched the letter from his hand, uninterested. "Whatever."

But as his eyes fell on the wax seal of the king a long-forgotten memory resurfaced. His hand unconsciously clenched the letter tighter. "…Tch." Without another word, he turned and began walking toward the forest, leaving the confused crowd behind.

"W-wait!" the knight called out. "A response is required—"

"If it's that important," Li said coldly, tucking the letter away. "I'll go meet the king today." Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the forest, leaving the stunned crowd and knights behind.

Hours later, as the sun was already high in the sky, Arin finally woke up from his deep sleep. Stretching his sore muscles, he got out of bed and stepped outside his house.

The moment he did, he noticed something odd. The town was livelier than usual, but it wasn't because of joy it was because of commotion. Groups of people were gathered, talking in hushed yet excited voices. Some looked shocked, others curious.

Arin walked closer to one of the crowds, overhearing their conversation.

"Did you see that?" one man whispered. "A royal escort came all the way here just to find Li Vrak of all people!"

"I know! And he just agreed to meet the king like that and disappeared into the forest…" another added.

Arin's eyes widened. "Master…?"

Without wasting a second, Arin rushed toward the Adventurer's Guild, hoping Elise would have more answers. His mind raced. Why would a royal escort come all the way here just to find Master?

As he burst through the guild doors, his eyes instantly locked on Elise, who was behind the counter, talking to another adventurer. Without hesitation, he jogged toward her.

"Miss Elise!" Arin called out, his voice slightly frantic.

Elise turned to him, a look of surprise flashing across her face. "Oh! Arin, you're awake. I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Forget about that—" Arin panted slightly, trying to catch his breath. "What happened earlier? I heard a royal escort came looking for Master… and now everyone's saying he's gone to meet the king?"

Elise's expression softened. "Yeah… it's true. Early this morning, a royal escort arrived looking for Li Vrak. It was a huge deal I mean, it's not every day royalty comes all the way here just for one man. The escort didn't say much, just that the king himself requested an audience with your master."

Arin's heart sank. "The king himself…?"

Elise nodded. "Li didn't even hesitate. The moment they delivered the message, he just said, 'I'll go meet the king today.' Then he disappeared into the forest with the escort." 

Arin clenched his fists. "Why…?"