--Chapter 87--

The moment Dean released the arrow, the entire field went quiet.

The string snap echoed louder than expected. While the projectile vanished into the distance at frightening speed.

A second later, a dying screech could be heard through the tall grass ahead. Dean lowered the bow slowly but his shoulders remained tensed.

Not because of the shot...That was decent at best.

But because Ymir’s breasts were still pressed against his back. And they were painfully soft.

Her hands rested lightly over his arms while she corrected his posture from behind.

Her warm breath brushed against the side of his neck every time she spoke and the soft pressure against his back was making concentration feel like mission impossible without Tom in the cast.

"Relax your shoulder," Ymir murmured near his ear.

Dean swallowed quietly. "I am relaxed."

"You’re holding the bow like you’re threatening it."

Dean exhaled slowly through his nose. "I think you’re the problem here."

Ymir blinked innocently behind him. "Me?"

"Yes. Totally you."

A grin spread across her face immediately. "Sounds like a skill issue."

Dean stared ahead into the grass with complete focus even while his brain was fighting for survival.

The worst part was that she absolutely knew what she was doing.

Every adjustment she made felt deliberate. The littlest of movements felt planned. Meanwhile she kept talking normally like she wasn’t actively sabotaging his ability to think.

"Breathe before shooting," she continued calmly. "Your body stiffens when you focus too hard."

Dean glanced sideways slightly. "Hard to stay calm when my mentor is after my life."

Ymir laughed softly behind him before finally stepping away. The absence of warmth somehow made things worse.

"There," she said proudly. "You survived."

"..Barely..."

She ignored him and pointed forward instead. "Come on. Let’s see what you killed."

The two of them walked through the grass together while the artificial sunlight above continued shining warmly across the Flux Zone.

The Flux zone was indeed like another realm altogether.

Outside the academy, the weather had looked miserable earlier. Gray clouds covered most of the sky.

Inside the Flux Zone though, the air remained warm and dry. The sunlight persisted. And even the wind felt static and somewhat perfect.

As they moved deeper into the field, Dean felt the grass brushing lightly against his legs while distant insect noises echoed around them.

Dean glanced upward briefly before speaking. "The weather here never changes?"

Ymir shook her head lightly while walking beside him.

"Not in this one. Controlled Zones usually stay consistent unless something destabilizes the Verge balance."

Dean frowned slightly. "So the sunlight is fake?"

"Not exactly fake," Ymir replied. "More like... generated."

"That explains literally nothing."

"I know." She grinned.

Eventually they reached the creature. Or what remained of it.

The body had already started evaporating into glowing particles that drifted slowly into the air. Only a small yellow crystal remained near the ground.

The core shifted faintly from inside like liquid light trapped beneath glass.

Ymir bent down and picked it up casually before tossing it lightly toward Dean.

He caught it carefully.

"A Flux Core."

"Yellow Flux Core," Ymir corrected.

Dean looked down at it. "Very yellow indeed."

"I’m teaching you important things right now."

"You’re doing an amazing job."

Ymir rolled her eyes before continuing anyway.

"The color matters. Most Flux Zones get classified based on the Verge density inside them."

Dean listened quietly while turning the crystal between his fingers. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"This place is a Yellow Flux Zone," she explained. "Lowest stable level inside the city."

"And Green?"

"More dangerous with stronger Fluxraiths and difficult environments."

"Hmm.." Dean’s fingers traced. around the flux core. This meant the draft back then was in a green zone.

"I’m guessing Blue zones come after Green. And increases the stakes."

"Pretty much," she answered casually.

Ymir stretched her arms slightly while continuing through the field.

"Blue Zones aren’t supposed to naturally appear inside the city walls anymore. That’s why everybody panicked after your incident."

Dean’s expression shifted slightly at that.

The reminder alone was enough to bring back pieces of his experience inside that place.

The darkness, the pressure and the time dilation that left him still recovering.

’i would have been fucked, if it wasn’t for Leona.’

Ymir seemed to notice the slight change in his expression, because her voice grew softer.

"The walls regulate Verge pressure inside Zhrea," she explained. "High-level Flux Zones forming naturally inside the city is rare now."

"How rare?"

"The last Red Zone emergence happened years before we were born."

Dean looked toward her immediately. "Red?"

Ymir nodded slowly. "Red Zones are basically disasters." She continued walking while speaking calmly.

"Blue Zones are already considered military-level threats. Red Zones are worse. There are entire ecosystems formed inside them."

Dean frowned. "Ecosystems?"

"Yeah... Basically forests, mountains, rivers. Some are large enough to be continents."

Dean couldn’t help but stare. Even this city wasn’t that large.

Ymir noticed his expression and laughed playfully.

"You thought Flux Zones were just grasslands?" she gestured to their surroundings.

"More like Dark, death caves."

"That actually sounds interesting..."

She continued speaking while brushing her ginger hair softly.

"Most noble families control Yellow or Green Zones. A few own stable Blue Zones."

"And Red?" Dean was curious.

Ymir’s expression changed. A little disturbed.

"Only two families inside Zhrea control Red Zones."

’Two?’ Dean rubbed his chin as he came up with a few guesses on the spot.

"The Saints and the Vermiths," he guessed.

Ymir nodded.

"They conquered them generations ago."

Dean looked down at the yellow core again quietly.

The scale of this world kept expanding every few days and somehow every new answer only created more questions.

Ymir suddenly stopped walking and turned toward him.

"Alright," she announced. "Enough theory for now."

Dean blinked once. "That’s it?"

"You wanted mentorship. You’re getting mentorship."

Dean shook his head while he smiled.

Ymir suddenly pointed toward another section of the field where the grass rustled.

"Again..."

Dean sighed softly before raising the bow.

This time, Ymir stepped beside him instead of behind him.

Probably because she realized he had zero chance of focusing properly otherwise.

Though judging by the amused look on her face, she was enjoying his suffering far too much.

Dean narrowed his eyes slightly while adjusting his stance.

He could still feel it.

That pressure buried somewhere inside himself. The strange hunger that always lingered for days after that nightmare.

Even now, part of him remained uncomfortable with how close he came to losing control completely.

That alone was enough reason to take this training seriously.

He inhaled slowly, steadied his grip and then released the shot.

The arrow pierced through the grass with deadly precision.

Another distant screech followed as Ymir gave an approving nod beside him.

"Better."

Dean lowered the bow slightly. "Only because nobody’s breathing down my neck now."

"I can go back to that position if you miss me so much."

Dean rolled his eyes slightly.

***

Several hours had passed between archery, flirting and control training.

Of course those were mixed with the occasional insults from Ymir whenever his form slipped or he snapped the arrow.

By the time they finally stopped, the artificial sunlight inside the Flux Zone still looked exactly the same as when they entered.

Ymir stretched slowly before checking the time on a small silver device attached near her belt.

"I need to head back soon."

Dean glanced toward her. "More mentorship?"

"Student Week preparations," she replied with a groan. "Apparently I’m expected to act responsible."

"That sounds difficult for you."

"Extremely..." she let out another groan.

Dean laughed quietly before resting the bow over his shoulder. Ymir looked at him for a moment before speaking again.

"You improved faster than I expected."

Dean smirked and furrowed his brows. "Natural talent."

"No," she replied immediately. "Fear."

That answer caught him slightly off guard. Ymir’s expression softened just a little.

"You’re trying very hard not to lose control again."

Dean stayed quiet. Because unfortunately... She wasn’t wrong.

Ymir eventually smiled again before lightly punching his shoulder.

"Try not to overthink it too much, noodle hands."

Dean sighed. "i’ll try."

They emerged from the Flux zone, and after a short goodbye hug, Ymir rushed off.

Almost instinctively, Dean knew exactly where he had to be next.

The Workshop.

Somewhere inside that workshop, Olsen was probably building something explosive or deeply concerning to public safety.

Dean shivered slightly when he thought about it.