Xerxes and Leiya's shift had finally finished, and without a doubt, the other adventurers within the tavern gave him very strange, judging, and mysterious glances.
Nicolas' words and the title he had given Xerxes had made everyone curious about who Xerxes really was.
That included Gundrik and Bertha; Xerxes felt weary knowing he would soon have to provide them with some form of explanation, but for now, it wasn't something he could offer. Instead, he needed to focus solely on his training.
Fifteen minutes from the tavern, there was a location called the Forest of Dreams, which contained some low-level, naturally occurring creatures that were relatively weak on its outskirts.
However, as many delved deeper into the forest, they would encounter creatures and artifacts that adventurers had been trying to claim for many years, but the problem was the curse it gave those who failed to conquer the forest.
Xerxes wasn't willing to test his luck yet, because from the sound of it, Tier 1 mages were known to be deterred from entering the depths of the forest, but when he was strong enough, he would love to enter.
After leaving the tavern, he began to walk to his designated training area. Currently, he hadn't accumulated enough money to purchase a sword from any blacksmith, so what he had to do was gather pieces of spare wood in the tavern to craft a makeshift wooden sword that would assist in his training.
Airi sensed Xerxes' troubled nature, as she was accompanying him on the walk to the forest, so she decided to inquire, "Xerxes? I sense that you're troubled."
Looking down at the makeshift sword, gazing at the foreign nightly lit town and peering into the mountains, he said, "I say I can do a lot of things, Airi—that I can carry the burden for Leiya, despite knowing when I talk to her, look into her eyes, that she holds animosity towards me. That I have the motivation to carry on, even though it feels like I'm starting from the ground again."
Xerxes simply sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Despite everything though, I'm still happy to be breathing, to be given this opportunity, and I won't let my feelings stop what was entrusted to me—to become stronger and to protect Leiya."
Forcing a smile, Xerxes looked at Airi. "So let's start."
Airi returned the warmth that a smile would give and decided to focus. She also intended to make Xerxes stronger, allowing him to live up to the promises he had made himself.
Airi spoke to Xerxes, "I'm assuming what you want to explore is your power when my body is fused with yours, isn't it?"
Xerxes nodded. Ever since that day at the Truth Kingdom, he could only fixate on three things: Yves, the death of everyone he had grown to care for, and the third—the third was the power he had received when he was with Airi.
If I could hold that power, learn it, develop with it, master it… what I would be capable of can't even be comprehended. I'm sure of it. I needed to learn it. Xerxes thought, making his intentions very clear to Airi.
"The strength I gained in that moment is still within me even now. It's like the embers of your power still resonate with me. Even if there is some backlash, Airi, try your best to fuse with me, then we can test it on the mandilexes."
Mandilexes were the naturally occurring monsters that sprawled as a result of the Forest of Dreams. They were quite low-level, and many adventurers were known to practise on them for training purposes.
Airi asked Xerxes, "Are you ready?"
Xerxes nodded as Airi flapped her wings and dove straight into his body, synergising with him. Their mana wasn't separated anymore—it became one. Their bodies weren't separated—they were one. In this form, Airi and Xerxes were one.
An orange hue pulsed faintly beneath Xerxes' skin, like embers walking beneath ash. Heat radiated from his core, growing steadily until it coursed through his veins in fiery waves.
Any cuts he had received from the kitchen in the tavern, the fatigue from working all day, had faded, seared away by the rising warmth.
His breath slowed. Clearer. Sharper.
The world around him dimmed, edges blurring, but his vision sharpened—it was tinged with shades of amber, as if he were seeing through firelit glass. Power stirred beneath his skin, not a gentle surge, but something volatile and untamed.
Looking down, Xerxes noticed the imprint of runic markings materialising on his arms towards his hands, branding him with the power of something greater. The sear from the runic marks could also be felt on his face as he raised a hand to feel it.
Indeed, all of his body was covered in the ancient text, and he was ready to test the abilities out. Perfectly timed, monsters from the forest began to notice the 'threat', as many began coming out to deal with it.
The horde of mandilexes—no less than forty—all came out. They were towering and held grotesque features; they bore a metallic chitin. Their mandibles were razor-sharp and long—it was as if two greatswords were protruding from their mouths.
They had many legs—four on each side, totalling eight—and they reached upwards of eight feet tall.
Then, with a skeletal-like movement, jittering left and right, the entire horde of creatures began gravitating towards Xerxes. The fear that was once in place when facing beasts of this kind was no more.
After all, Xerxes had encountered things more terrifying than beasts, and he wasn't the same person he used to be.
Xerxes raised his hand, his fingers tracing slow, deliberate circles through the air. He could feel it, the fire, threading through his veins, not racing, but flowing with intention. It wasn't the familiar burn of mana. No, this was different. Wilder. Older.
And then he understood what Aemon had meant about the difference between Airi's flames and his.
The flame that bloomed from his palm wasn't born of this world. It crackled with a presence that felt foreign to reality itself—violent, untamed. A gift... or perhaps a curse, seeded by Airi's destructive nature.
With a low hum, a ring of crimson fire erupted from Xerxes in all directions. The air grew thick, heavy. The heat was immediate, suffocating—grass withered and ignited in an instant, distant trees crackling as bark curled into ash. And yet, in the eye of it all, Xerxes stood calm. His expression didn't twist with effort or rage. He was solemn. Collected.
As the inferno coiled and lashed outward, Xerxes simply guided it, pushing it forward—not with force, but instinct. The fire obeyed. It tore through the approaching horde like a living beast, and once again, he saw fear reflected in the eyes of those strange, monstrous things.
It didn't feel wrong. It felt necessary.
The blaze surged ahead, devouring everything in its path. For a brief moment, the darkness of night gave way to something blinding, an eruption so fierce, it painted the sky in burning gold. The scent of scorched iron and charred flesh filled the air, sharp and metallic. Through the shifting flames, Xerxes saw nothing. No shapes. No movement.
Just silence. He exhaled. Slowly closed his outstretched hand, and the fire vanished.
In its place, only stillness remained. No bodies. No cries. Only a scattering of soul shards—two dozen, maybe a few more, glowing faintly in the smouldering ruin.
Xerxes stepped forward, his gaze narrowing. "Only that many?"
A flicker of unease passed through him, and with fear, he wondered. Had the flame… consumed more than just flesh? Could Airi's fire truly burn the soul itself, if left unchecked?
Airi spoke to Xerxes mentally, "It seems as if the magical power increase is definitely on a greater standard, but what I noticed was that none of your power was expelled during that attack."
Xerxes nodded. "I didn't even intend for it like that. I simply did what felt natural, but your power is truly special, Airi. By my estimate, there were no less than forty creatures, but your flames have reduced the number of soul shards to roughly thirty."
Airi chuckled. "Who's the best phoenix ever?"
Xerxes smiled. "Considering I don't know any other phoenix, I guess you're the best."
After a small joke, Xerxes walked closer towards the soul shards, picking up the one he sensed the most power from. Grabbing it, he crushed the soul shard as the power began drawing towards his body.
In his mind, something new had appeared—only appearing under the influence of Airi's power, he had assumed. "Airi, are you seeing what I am seeing? I can see it all, the history behind this creature."
"I can see it too." She confirmed and imprinted on a pillar, which resembled the pillar of his soul core, he saw in runic text the following:
[Soul shard: Mandilex: Rank - Adept]
[Power: Metallic sheath]
[Description: "Mandilex's defence: Burdened by a curse from the lady who dreamt, Fantasia, the arachnids were encased in Magnus' iron fortress of armour. They are to serve and to protect the blade of an Envisage due to their rebellion."]