CH677 Thera’s Perspective

No Ben this morning.

Ever since he got back he’d been constantly busy, driven in a way that seemed more frantic than it had in the past that couldn’t help make her worried, with the worst part being that he wasn’t telling her everything.

She was sure that something he’d seen on the demon’s world was the cause, driving those feelings in him and pushing him to do more than he already had, it just felt like there was more beyond that he wasn’t letting on which only made her worry more.

Not that I can judge. Even if he’s eased up the amount of work I need to do at any hospital I’m still constantly busy too. Maybe striving for more power really is the right call right now.

She understood why he wanted to break through to the third tier to get it too. With the explosive growth of attributes that would come with it, it really was going to be the quickest path to power if one could only get past that impossible wall, with her own now before her.

As strange as it felt to consider, she was now a proper contender for the third tier as well and it seemed that both Ben and the gods held their hopes over that fact, no matter how impossible getting there in the next year felt. As incredible as it would have been to break through into being a soul mage, she still had no clue how she was supposed to try and manage it so soon, even with her magic affinity giving it bonuses too.

Which really means I need to be trying to raise that too, but… how?

She was trying to use her life magic in more creative ways and to incorporate it into the other affinities she used when she could but there was a reason there were so few in the world who’d been able to cross over the line that divided mortals and gods, it was so hard it wasn’t even something one could really get advice about. Her uncle had spent years and years training and building up experience and she could only assume that Elvat was the same, how was she ever supposed to manage that same level of training in such a short amount of time?

Which means I’m going to be asking advice about it later, great. That just leaves me in the meantime where I’m going to have to get through the day first.

“Do you have to be here?” Skoe asked, feeling the weight of Thera’s gaze from the side.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I’m supervising. Please, don’t mind the implied threat and act however you want.”

“Thera, we really will treat her well while she’s with us,” Sachel told her, with both Ralia and Aso nodding along. As agreed, the girl was going to be joining their party for safety’s sake while Thera wasn’t around but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to see how the first day was going to turn out since she had the spare bit of time.

“Just consider me a small tagalong, I just want to see how you’re all going to manage for now anyway.”

Even if they were just on patrol, they’d be building their group dynamic after all, solidifying the way they’d be working together. All Thera wanted to know was that her friend would be able to handle herself, even if she was being a bit overprotective in the process.

Still, things seemed like they were going fine. They were able to talk while keeping aware of their surroundings as they filled their roles, something that every community on the planet had to be doing then, ensuring there were always people on watch to handle things if they started to go wrong.

Mmh, when I’m done here I really should make quick visits to the surrounding communities to see if they’ve had any issues yet, I’ll do whatever healing I can along the way too and then-

“Princess!” A spirit cried out. “A group of demons is in the area, would you like us to deal with them or would you rather handle them yourself?”

She was about to speak up, caught off guard but thought better of it before she did, moving to talk with her mana instead.

“How many of them are there?”

“Twenty-three.”

“I see. In that case, could you and the others lead them this way for me, we’ll handle them.”

“Understood.”

It wasn’t kind but with that warning what Thera saw more than anything else was an opportunity. One to see how well her friends would be able to handle themselves without her around and did nothing to warn them of the coming group, wanting to see how they’d fair for themselves without getting her assistance.

Of them, it was Ralia who noticed first, feeling the vibrations in the ground as the group approached them and perking up, her look in the distance being enough to alert the other two in her party while Aso picked up on it last, not yet knowing the cues that had become natural for those who’d fought together for so long.

In an instant they were moving, both Skoe and Ralia taking the front while the two mages stood at the back, with the warrior among the holding for his swords while the shifter changed her form, taking on the shape of a giant snake for what was to come, leaving the last two to prepare their spells.

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“Ralia, I’ll keep an eye on Aso for this so just focus on the front,” Sachel ordered, letting the others know that she’d cover for their newest member so they could fight to their heart’s content. “Thera, do you mind-”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” She told them. “Act like I’m not even here and do your best.”

“…Right.”

That meant they weren’t getting any easy way out of that but she at least trusted that Thera would help if things went wrong, giving her some comfort as she prepared her spells, being judged the entire time.

From the moment the first demon broke through the foliage, Thera was watching, prepared to act if need be but hopeful they’d be able to handle themselves, with Sachel not letting her down.

Being the most powerful member of her party with a magic specialized to take advantage of their environment, she was forcing roots to burst from the ground and ensnaring the demons in her grasp as they tried to attack, locking them in place, even as they fought to tear themselves away, giving room for the others to strike.