The forest held its breath, my feet were glued to the ground while they circled us. Aria too hadn’t moved, but not out of fear I suppose, but anger. I spotted a vein protruding on her neck, blood dripping from her clenched fist, her nails digging into her palm.

If she were to go berserk, they wouldn’t stand a chance, but.

I scanned their midst, a total of seven, five on foot. I then looked above us. Two in the air.

From the set of bandits one stood out, he was huge, with two large horns which were twisted, his face was also covered but his eyes were filled with deadly intent, this was the one who might cause us a bit of trouble.

His mana aura wasn’t overwhelming, but it ghosted him, strong enough to rival the pressure of Aria.

I knew without the mana scan.

But after wards the scan, it confirmed my hunch.

[Mana Scan: Bandits Boss (S rank)]

Except the five all around us had decent mana, D rank. put together they’ll cause me a lot of trouble.

Curse, they came prepared.

"Imbeciles... do you know what you’ve done." Aria finally broke silence, she walked up to the boss, the henchmen flinched from the sound of her voice, they cleared her way, none having the audacity to attack her. Aria stood face to face with the boss, his huge frame easily towered over her, that wasn’t enough to intimidate Aria. She kept her glare on him, those serpent eyes of hers were filled with a completely different rage.

"That thing you destroyed was a property of the queen, given to me. You don’t know how priceless it is. For that I’ll give you an option, you offer it willingly, or I take it myself."

I pumped my fist getting ready, mana cloaked my fist with a flaring blue aura, to increase the force of my punches. Basic mana control. Knowledge which had awakened with my ability.

"Any moment now." I anticipated the first move, my reflex on high alert. But instead, nothing.

The boss lowered his head. "Madam Aria, forgive me for destroying your perfect gift... but I’m not here for you."

He then glanced at me. And the message was clear.

"Please step aside, so I can do my job."

"So you’re after me." I stepped forward into the midst.

"You have guts, I’ll give that to you. If you had properly inquired, the last assassins sent to kill me almost died that day. The coward retreated."

"You have a big mouth for a human."

"Says the refugee in our world."

He snickered. "If we truly wanted, we would have made this world ours, only because we have an incompetent queen."

"What did you say?"

"Did I stutter?" The boss leaned in, looking into Aria’s eyes as he repeated his words. "I said. Your queen is incompe—"

Slam! Aria slammed her palm into his chest, he choked his words. The force of her attack sent him skidding back. I was stunned, despite the height difference Aria’s single blow did that.

The henchmen gasped, one took a step back.

She stood calm, untouched, fists wrapped with mana.

"This would be the last time you speak of the queen badly." Aria’s full authority.

When the boss recovered his stance his chest wasn’t affected but his arm was, half its length drifted to nothing but ashes. His last second guard saved him from a fatal blow.

"That packed a punch. If you’ve chosen to side with her, so be it." He ripped his garment, squeezed it, thread shot out of his palm like webs, sliced toward Aria.

I waited for her counter, but someone attacked me from behind. I ducked. A brick shot past me, a second I had been—

"All of you kill the human, I’ll take care of her." The boss barked his order and they all rushed me, even the one in the air dived, elemental magic came to life. Which I catalogued: lightning crackling to life from one of the bandits on my left. Swoosh, dust burst out as he shot towards me.

Time slowed for me, I tightened my eyes shut, not reacting to his attack yet. In the darkness I could sense them through their mana flowing through their skin.

I could tank all six attacks coming at the same time, my skills — adapt, absorb, and amplify — to one magic at a time, that was my only weakness. Which I needed to grow.

While adapting to a certain magic, if I get hit by a different one the damage is doubled.

The only way: I adapt to one, absorb another element, amplify and attack, till I take them all down.

I suppressed a smirk, my eyes shot open and I moved.

The lightning shot at me was absorbed easily. Spark crackled in my palm.

[Absorb: Lightning Magic (C-rank)]

The remaining attacks — I cut through them, ran, slid. The fire wheel washed over me like nothing, I got back on my feet, slipping through the rest.

Controlling my mana, fluid through my veins to boost my limbs, increase my speed and reaction time. I blurred past all the attacks, escaping them untouched. Yet the last, a chunk of earth, a brick thrown at me, the worst I could have wished.

No choice but to adapt to it instead, I tensed my body, the earth collided with my ribs. Crack. Argh. Rolled on the ground, quickly pushing myself to my feet.

[Adaption Failed: Zero Magic]

’How’s that—’ Then I observe properly at who three the attack, the rock wasn’t made of magic. They use telekinesis to shoot the rock only.

"You actually dodged most of that, hmm. The queen blessed you with a lot of mana, didn’t she."

"The queen gave me nothing." I said, gritting my teeth just to keep myself on my feet.

"You’re strong for a C-rank I supposed. But your end is here."

I flashed a smile. "C-rank?"

The pain spread through my ribs in waves, they didn’t give me time to catch my breath.

A second wave of attack.

I couldn’t adapt to the pain, since it wasn’t magical, neither was it killing me. The first attack when beginning adapting hurt like it’s supposed to. Only later attacks become effective.

So I had to endure. Six attacks all launched at me, the blazing fire, the crackling lightning, water, all of it sent in a single wave of attack.

I stood, hurt, unshaken. I had enough mana in my attack. I clapped my palms together, focusing on the one single attack I had absorbed earlier.

[Amplify: Lightning (C rank)]

[+720% Damage]

Mana amplified: (A rank)

I focused all my mana into it. It crackled, its violent energy shifted electrical blue, from a simple attack it grew. Like a thunderstorm trapped in my palm. I didn’t stop, even sensing their attacks charging toward me.

Every, to my limit.

The sleeves of my tunic ripped from pure violent force, it grew farther than my hand could conceal, but I held it for a moment longer.

For the right... time.

"Now!" I launched the attack at them, the lightning crawled out, electrifying, overwhelming everything in its path. Then earth turned to molten before bursting into nothing, the fire, water, every single element they used.

It washed through their attacks before they could move. Boom. It collided with them and exploded, the force sending a wave of dust and debris. I shielded myself. When it all settled, I witnessed all of them lifeless on the ground, their bodies were scorched, the ground blackened with smoke rising into the air.

"Hmph. Seven hundred percent. Not bad."

I stood still for some moments.

My breath was ragged from mana exhaustion. Couldn’t move immediately.

"Amor."

Aria walked up to me looking completely different, her elegant white dress was stained with blood dotted on the fabric. Not hers. In her hand was the head of the boss bandit, blood dripping from the stump, she looked feral. The deadly rage in her slanted eyes, the cold stern face she held, while she walked toward me with the head of her opponent — I might have underestimated her.

"Aria?"

"Amor... let’s turn back now."