A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 350: Who Needs A Beating?

The shared breakfast was a quiet, surprisingly comfortable affair. The fresh al and company were welco, and the conversation stayed light. Soon after, Vance and I completed the final stretches of our morning training.

As we began the walk back towards the town, the group fell into its usual configuration. Cassandra and Princess Aurelia walked a few paces behind, their voices a soft murmur. Cassandra was offering advice, her tone earnest.

"You must rember, Sister Auera, that true strength isn’t always about visible power. Your quiet observation... these are weapons too. Use them as much as you can."

I tuned them out, focusing on Vance beside . We had already discussed the trial’s basics via our ntal link. But I guessed that one final point still needed emphasis.

I began, my gaze fixed ahead.

I felt his attention focused on .

I continued.

’...which you probably will, given your roles,’ I thought inwardly, the image of his selfless sacrifice in the vision flashing before .

I glanced at him. His steps didn’t falter, but his eyes widened slightly as the implication sank in.

he sent back, his ntal voice firm.

We reached the fork in the road where the path led down to the town. Cassandra and Aurelia caught up to us.

Aurelia looked at Vance, then gave a small, graceful nod of farewell. I returned it with a respectful dip of my head. "A safe journey to you both."

Vance placed a fist over his heart in a silent salute, his promise clear.

"I am heading to work now, take care."

With a final glance at Cassandra, who offered a small, encouraging smile, I turned and headed towards the infirmary.

"..."

I pushed open the infirmary door, the familiar scent of antiseptic herbs and clean linen washing over . The morning light stread through the windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air.

As I prepared for the day’s patients, my mind returned to its calculations. The first trial had a one-month deadline. Assuming the other three trials were of similar length, or even if they took half that ti, the final trial in the Hollowlands was still months away. I had enough ti this ti. Not a lot, but enough to prepare properly - to gather strength and, more importantly, information.

...I need to be stronger.

The vision had shown that raw power wouldn’t be enough in the Hollowlands, but being completely outclassed was a death sentence.

I wondered if it was possible to advance significantly in a few months. Could I reach the next milestone in my Pathway? Or push my resonance to Tier 4, maybe even Tier 5?

It might be possible, but it would require an intense, single-minded focus. I couldn’t afford to split my efforts between all the nodes. The Mystic path, with its ntal arts, felt non-negotiable; it was my greatest advantage and the key to surviving the unseen dangers. But between the Warrior’s physical prowess and the Channeler’s elental fury... I would have to choose one to specialize in, to the temporary neglect of the other.

Shaking my head, I picked up a clean cloth and began wiping down the examination table. I would figure out the specifics eventually. For now, the imdiate task was clear.

"Alright," I murmured to the empty room. "Let’s see who needs patching up today."

’And who needs a beating...’

______ ___ __

The carriage ride from the Eclipse Keep to the struggling town of Oakhaven was silent and tense.

"..."

Aurelia sat with her hands folded in her lap, watching the bleak landscape roll by. The "town near the Hollowlands" was even more forbidding than she had imagined. The air grew colder, the colors leaching from the world until everything was a palette of grays and washed-out browns.

Vance sat opposite her, his posture ramrod straight, his crimson eyes constantly scanning the environnt outside the window. The silence between them was comfortable, born of long understanding, but today it was thick with unspoken anxiety about the trial ahead.

As the carriage passed a withered signpost marking the town’s boundary, Aurelia finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"Vance," she muttered in a low voice. "Do you think... we can really do this?"

Vance turned his head from the window to look at her. He gave her a single reassuring nod.

Then, he raised a hand and began to gesture.

his hands said.

"...Mm." Aurelia watched his hands, a fragile smile touching her lips for the first ti since they had left the capital. The fear didn’t vanish completely, but a flicker of determination now joined it.

"You’re right, we will find a way." She nodded back, her own resolve hardening. "We have to, at least for the people who live in here."

"QEEKKKK." The carriage jolted violently.

"KNNNE!"

"Darn!"

Panicked growls of the mounts cut through the tense silence, followed by the driver’s sharp curse.

Vance was moving before the sound had fully faded. His eyes locked with Aurelia’s for a split second, his hands flashing a quick, sharp sign.

He didn’t wait for her acknowledgnt. In one fluid motion, he pushed the carriage door open and slipped out, closing it firmly behind him. The sudden influx of cold air was brief, but it carried the sound that made Aurelia’s blood run cold.

"V-Vance!"