HTNSA 27

Chapter 27

THWACK!

“Ugh—!”

Eila staggered as the Drake’s tail grazed her leg, leaving a deep gash. She was lucky—the tail had been aimed at her, but only shredded a tree vine to ribbons instead.

Before she could steady herself, the Drake reared its clawed foreleg for a killing strike.

Eila knew instantly: I can’t dodge this.

She squeezed her eyes shut—

SHIIING!

A blade shrieked against scale. When she opened her eyes, Felix stood before her, sword raised against the Drake’s talons. His shout tore through the air:

“RUN!”

Eila didn’t hesitate. Staying would only hinder him. Clutching the pouch of moonblooms, she sprinted toward her abandoned backpack.

A visceral fury—deeper than any he’d known—seized Felix. His gaze kept snapping back to Eila’s bleeding leg.

‘That damned lizard—’

She’d come here for his sake, to gather ingredients for his treatment. Her injury was his failure. He’d sworn to protect her, and already—

The Drake loomed, its armored hide gleaming under the moon. Felix gritted his teeth.

‘Can I win?’

Unlike sparring with Cadin, he felt no certainty. Drakes were beasts even seasoned knights feared. But retreat wasn’t an option. Not with Eila in danger.

CLANG!

His sword bounced off the Drake’s scales, the recoil numbing his arms. Only mana reinforcement kept him standing.

‘Aim for the unarmored parts,’ echoed his academy instructor’s voice. ‘Eyes. Mouth. Footpads.’

Felix lunged for the Drake’s eye—

SCRAAAPE!

The beast blocked with its forearm, its intelligence evident. It knew his strategy.

‘At this rate, we’re both dead.’

Then, another lesson surfaced:

“Even weak points won’t kill a high-tier monster. You’d need sword aura to pierce its hide—”

Sword aura. The luminous force only masters could wield.

Felix’s grip tightened. ‘I have to.’

Eila’s bloodied leg flashed in his mind. Time seemed to slow. The wind, the Drake’s snarls—everything sharpened.

He swung.

SHIIING—!

The blade met scale—then bit deep.

ROOOAR!

The Drake howled. Felix stared at his sword.

A faint blue glow wreathed the steel.

Sword aura.

From afar, Eila watched, stunned.

‘He manifested aura already?!’

Felix had reached Sword Expert—the threshold of mastery. But it wasn’t enough. A novice’s aura couldn’t slay a Drake.

She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a vial.

‘Found it.’

With a sharp throw—

CRASH!

The potion shattered against the Drake’s back.

SCREEEECH!

The beast convulsed, its scales darkening as the alchemical solution seeped in.

“Felix!” Eila yelled. “Now—hit it!”