Chapter 56: Time to Move Forward

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Time to Move Forward

The more Damon trained, the more he understood how valuable these traits truly were.

The speed from Freya.

The silent movement from Sylphie.

Neither seemed overwhelming on their own.

But together?

They were terrifying.

Then there were the senses.

Freya’s heightened instincts.

Her feline reflexes.

The sharp awareness that allowed him to react almost instantly.

And now Sylphie’s perception.

The ability to read subtle changes in air currents.

To sense movement before it happened.

To feel danger approaching.

Damon remembered the moment Sylphie had rushed out to save Freya during her evolution.

At the time it seemed impossible.

Now he understood.

She had sensed the attack before anyone else.

And through their bond...

He could gradually do the same.

Damon closed his eyes as he watched Freya moved.

Instantly he felt it.

Not through sight, or through sound.

But the air itself informed him.

His eyes opened, and a grin spread across his face.

"This is unfair."

Very unfair.

And he loved every second of it.

He continued training.

Punches.

Steps.

Turns.

Sudden bursts of speed.

Silent movements.

Each repetition helped him understand his body better.

Time passed quickly.

Before long, he was completely immersed.

Meanwhile, Freya and Sylphie sat nearby.

Their snacks forgotten once again.

The two watched him intently.

Whenever Damon completed a particularly impressive movement, Freya barked excitedly.

Sylphie chirped right after.

The pair looked like enthusiastic fans watching their favorite performer.

Damon landed after another high-speed movement.

He glanced over.

The two spirits immediately started cheering again.

"...You two are impossible."

Freya puffed out her chest proudly.

Sylphie copied her.

Damon laughed.

Moments like this had gone on for a long while now...

Life felt simple.

No battles. No schemes. No danger.

Just him.

His spirits.

And the steady feeling that he was becoming stronger with every passing day.

Damon finally stopped training.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he looked around the treasure chamber.

The place looked very different from when he had first arrived.

Large piles of Wind Ore were gone.

Many Lightning Ores had disappeared.

Even the countless Aether Crystals that once covered parts of the chamber had been greatly reduced.

If someone saw the amount they had consumed, they would probably faint on the spot.

The value alone was terrifying.

Yet Damon felt no regret.

Not even a little.

He looked toward Freya and Sylphie.

One had reached her nine-tailed form.

The other had grown, gaining a new pair of wings.

Compared to that, what were a few piles of ores?

"It was worth it."

Freya immediately barked in agreement.

Sylphie chirped happily from above.

Damon laughed.

"Of course you’d agree."

"You two are the ones who ate most of it."

Freya looked away innocently.

Sylphie copied her.

The sight made Damon shake his head.

After a final look around the chamber, he stood up.

It was time.

He still wasn’t done with Tempest Hollow.

There were still things to explore.

More battles.

More opportunities.

And most importantly...

More growth.

The floating ruin had given him enough.

Staying any longer would only waste time.

"I think it’s time we leave."

Freya immediately jumped to her feet.

Her tails wagged excitedly.

Compared to Sylphie, she clearly liked the idea more.

Sylphie paused.

Her bright eyes slowly wandered around the chamber.

This place was her birthplace.

The place where she had evolved.

The place where she met Damon and Freya.

Damon noticed immediately.

He walked over and gently patted her head.

"You don’t need to worry."

"You’ll see much better places."

Sylphie looked up at him.

A soft chirp escaped her mouth.

Freya quickly jumped beside them and barked several times.

As if she was trying to convince her junior sister too.

Damon smiled.

"See?"

"Even Freya agrees."

The little Roc finally relaxed.

Although she still looked back once or twice.

Truthfully...

All three of them had become attached to the floating ruin.

Many important things had happened here.

But journeys moved forward.

Not backward.

Soon Damon began packing.

Storage bags filled one after another.

Wind Ore.

Lightning Ore.

Aether Crystals.

Relics.

Treasures.

Materials.

The amount of wealth was enough to make most Elemental Users lose sleep.

By the time he finished, even Damon felt tired.

"Haa..."

"This better be worth a fortune."

Freya barked proudly.

As if claiming credit.

"You definitely contributed."

"Especially the robbery part."

Freya froze.

Then looked away.

Damon laughed.

A little while later, they finally left the treasure chamber.

The giant stone door slowly closed behind them.

None of them looked back.

The floating ruin had already given them enough memories.

Now it was time to move on.

Their descent was much faster than their climb.

The stairs that once seemed endless no longer posed any challenge.

Damon’s strength had increased tremendously.

Even carrying multiple storage bags felt easy.

Before long, they reached the lower levels of the ruin.

Surprisingly...

Maybe...

Find another surprise.

The distorted zone was still filled with mysteries.

They traveled for hours.

The familiar storms remained.

Violent winds swept through the landscape.

Occasional lightning flashed across the dark sky.

Yet none of it slowed them down.

Damon had become much stronger than before.

Freya remained alert the entire journey.

Even while having fun.

Meanwhile Sylphie looked completely fascinated by the outside world.

She flew ahead.

Circled around strange rock formations.

Dove through powerful winds.

Then returned only to fly off again.

Everything seemed new to her.

Damon couldn’t help smiling.

She really was like a child seeing the world for the first time.

But the strange thing was...

They hadn’t encountered a single Aether Beast.

Not one.

At first Damon enjoyed the peace.

Then it started feeling strange.

"Hm."

"Too quiet."

Freya immediately nodded.

Even she noticed it.

After thinking for a moment, Damon looked toward Sylphie.

"Want to help?"

The little Roc chirped confidently.

"Good."

"Go scout ahead."

"But don’t do anything dangerous."

Sylphie immediately shot into the sky.

Whoosh!

She vanished so quickly that even Damon almost lost sight of her.