Kapitel 14: New power

"I-I'll protect you… and I'll also train you. After all, I owe you my life, right?"

Khazak's eyes lit up after hearing Mylia's offer. He recalled her incredible speed and strength, and a wide smile spread across his face. He stepped forward, gently taking her hands into his and, in an excited voice, said,

"Really?! I'd be so happy!"

Mylia's face turned bright red, and she tilted her head back slightly, her mouth agape in surprise. A small, startled sound escaped her lips. After a few seconds, while Khazak was still holding her hands, she lowered her head and gave a shy nod, quietly murmuring her agreement.

Overjoyed, Khazak jumped up in excitement, clenching his fists in triumph.

"When do we start? I want to begin training right away!"

With her hands finally free, Mylia tucked them between her legs and continued sitting like a shy kitten.

"I'm sorry, but for now, I can only explain the basics of this power. I'm not in a state to use it myself at the moment."

Hearing this, Khazak felt a slight pang of regret. He sat back down and said,

"Alright then, let's hear about it. I'm all ears."

Mylia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then, with full seriousness, she opened her eyes and locked onto Khazak's gaze, beginning her explanation.

"This power is called 'Ki', Ki is the potential energy that exists within every living being. It's the fundamental force that flows through the body, existing from birth until death. As the heart pumps blood throughout the body, Ki increases, providing strength. The more blood your heart pumps, the more Ki is generated. This ancient power has been with living beings since ancient times, allowing them to defend themselves against predators. For example, when you face a predator, your energy rises, and your breathing speeds up. This causes your heart to pump more blood, which increases the Ki in your body. However, along with this, your body temperature rises, and that is the limiting factor in gaining unlimited strength. If you use too much Ki, your body temperature can increase dangerously, leading to health issues... In short, Ki is the power that flows through your veins."

After Mylia's lengthy explanation, Khazak's mind was swirling with information, but he understood the core of what she was saying. He immediately stood up and started breathing quickly, hoping to activate his Ki. Seeing this, Mylia waved her hands frantically with a blush at her face, trying to stop him.

"You can't increase your Ki by just breathing like that!" she exclaimed. "There are special breathing techniques for Ki, and each has different effects. In difficult situations, your body might instinctively use the most basic technique as a reflex, but just breathing fast won't allow you to control Ki."

Hearing Mylia's words, Khazak wanted to disappear from embarrassment. He quickly sat down cross-legged, staring at the ground in silence, his face flushed. Mylia, unable to hold back, let out a small giggle, which only made Khazak feel even more embarrassed. She smiled and said.

"That's all I know for now... I haven't been using this power for very long, but I think I know enough to teach you a bit tomorrow."

After saying this, Mylia leaned back and let herself fall onto the ground, exhausted. She lay there, feeling an odd sense of comfort. Khazak, too, felt a strange sense of ease in her presence. The atmosphere between them hung in the air, soft and peaceful. Then, almost as if in sync with the moment, the long-burning torch finally extinguished, leaving them in darkness.

They lay there in silence for a while until Khazak quietly broke it.

"So, Mylia… what brings you all the way out here?" Khazak asked.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, but we've got a whole night ahead of us, don't we?"

Mylia responded, still feeling a bit embarrassed but more relaxed due to the easy atmosphere between them. She continued,

"As you've probably noticed, I'm an elf… And you're likely aware of the ongoing war between humans and demons. Even though we usually consider humans our brothers, they're struggling hard in this war, yet my kind hasn't sent decent help. No matter how much I tried to argue about it, they didn't listen to me because of my age. So, I decided to take things into my own hands. I stole a special metal unique to our race and fled. I went to a blacksmith in a village nearby and asked him to forge a sword with it. When the sword wasn't ready at the designated meeting time, I decided to head to the village myself. But on the way, I ran into a strange pack of creatures... And well, you know the rest from there."

The moment Khazak heard Mylia mention the metal, he froze. Cold sweat dripped down his back. Could she be the elf his uncle had spoken about? A sudden, overwhelming sense of guilt and responsibility washed over him. The sword—made from a metal someone else brought, paid for by someone else—was now in his possession, and he had claimed it as his own.

Just then, the moonlight pierced through the cracks between the stones, casting a dim, silvery glow across the cave. Sensing the tension in Khazak, Mylia looked at him and asked,

"Is something wrong?"

Khazak closed his eyes, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Mylia… I'm the one who took your sword."

Mylia couldn't hide her initial surprise, but she wasn't angry. Her voice was calm as she responded,

"How did this happen? Tell me more."

Khazak opened his eyes and looked at her with regret. Someone like Mylia—kind and understanding—wasn't likely to be upset with him. He took a deep breath and began to explain.

"The blacksmith who forged the sword you mentioned was actually my uncle. But he passed away not long ago. His last words to me were that the sword—your sword—was left for me. But, as you said, it belongs to you. You can take it back whenever you want. I'm so sorry for this whole situation."

Mylia listened quietly, her expression softening as she processed his words.

After listening to Khazak's explanation, Mylia thought for a moment, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

"N-no, no, I can't take something that's so valuable to you… Besides, I don't need it right now."

Khazak couldn't hide his surprise and embarrassment.

"But it's your sword… And how can you not need such an important weapon?"

"Well, as you can see, I already have a sword," Mylia said, glancing at her current blade. "And the reason I wanted that sword made was probably just because I was being... a bit dramatic at the time."

Mylia, deeply embarrassed after her words, blushed intensely and avoided looking at Khazak, who lay beside her. Khazak, on the other hand, was surprised by her honesty. After a few moments of awkward silence, Mylia spoke again.

"I mean, if you want... you can keep the sword."

Khazak's eyes widened in disbelief, and his happiness was evident, knowing he wouldn't lose the last thing his uncle left him. His joy was clear on his face as he replied:

"Thank you, Mylia."

After saying this, a wave of relaxation washed over Khazak, and he felt sleep gently pulling him under. As his eyelids began to droop, the last thing he saw was Mylia's slightly embarrassed, smiling face beside him.

Before drifting off to sleep, Mylia whispered softly,

"You're welcome… Khazak…"