The sky outside the village was tinged with the faint light of dawn. The Central Army's temporary encampment had entered the final stages of evacuation. After several days of medical care and resettlement, most of the villagers and wounded soldiers had stabilized, and the Central Army began reallocating personnel and resources.
Ze stood at the edge of the camp, his gaze fixed on Cain in the distance. Despite his calm exterior, he knew deep down that this parting might mean they wouldn't see each other again for a long time.
"You're really leaving like this?" Cain asked, his voice tinged with a hint of reluctance.
Ze looked at Cain and nodded.
Cain, unable to suppress his emotions, finally spoke up, "Who… are you, really?"
Ze remained silent for a moment, his eyes drifting toward the Central Army's main tent. "I wasn't supposed to tell you this… but you deserve to know. My last name is Sar. The Sar family is one of the core families of the Central Army. My brother is the current deputy commander."
Cain froze in shock.
"Then why did you come to the training camp?" Cain asked, confused.
"For experience," Ze replied simply.
Seeing Cain's puzzled expression, he continued, "To inherit the family legacy, the men in my family must undergo harsh and rigorous training from a young age. To lead an army effectively, we must understand the basic training and conditions of ordinary soldiers."
Cain was silent for a while before finally muttering, "You should've told me earlier."
"I didn't want my identity to create distance between us," Ze said, gazing into the distance. "But I see potential in you. You have talent, but you're not ruthless enough, nor are you resolute enough. Don't just rely on instinct to fight. Observe more, calculate more… Treat every battle as a game of strategy."
"I'll remember that," Cain said solemnly, nodding.
At that moment, a military doctor approached Aina and announced in a calm but firm tone, "Due to Aina's exceptional affinity with life elements and her healing abilities, the Central Medical Division has decided to transfer her to the Central Training Center for further guidance and testing."
Aina's face changed. "No… I don't want to leave here."
Ignoring her protests, the Central Army soldiers stepped forward, ready to forcibly take her away.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from Roddy's tent. The man, who had been on the brink of death just days ago, emerged from the tent with the help of others.
Hearing the conversation, Roddy forgot the pain in his recovering body.
"What? You're taking Aina?" Roddy, ignoring his injuries, charged forward and shoved one of the soldiers aside. "She doesn't want to go! She's one of us!"
The Central Army soldiers swarmed him, pinning Roddy to the ground. His newly healed wounds began seeping blood once more.
Before the officer could speak, another military doctor observed Roddy with a curious expression. "You can already walk? Just a short while ago, you were gravely injured. This kind of recovery…"
Roddy gritted his teeth. "I don't care about elements or whatever. You're not taking her away by force!"
Seeing Roddy's defiance, Aina couldn't bear to watch him get hurt for her sake. She turned to the military doctor and said, "Let him go. I'll go with you."
Hearing this, the soldiers released Roddy and pulled him to his feet. One of them sneered, "You seem to have potential too, but it's not enough. There's always a chance to join the Central Army. If you want to see her again, you'd better work hard."
As they turned to leave, the soldier added, "I'm rooting for you."
Those words reignited a glimmer of hope in Roddy's eyes, which had been filled with despair.
Aina walked up to him gently and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You all need to stay strong too."
Then, she leaned down and kissed him lightly on the cheek, pressing a simple bracelet made of string and a green gemstone into his palm. "This is my token. Come find me."
Roddy looked down at the bracelet, its green gem glowing faintly. His expression shifted from unwillingness to a growing determination.
Before the Central Army departed, the golden-armored soldier—Rayce—turned to Cain and the others and said, "Climb your way up. Slowly, if you must. I'll be waiting for you at the top."
The words felt like both an insult and a challenge, but they also gave Cain a sliver of hope.
Cain didn't respond. Instead, he shouted to Ze, "We'll come find you!"
Ze turned back, nodding toward them with a faint smile.
"You've made some good friends. It's been a while since I've seen you smile like that," Rayce remarked to Ze.
Ze didn't respond, his eyes betraying a trace of reluctance.
As the Central Army disappeared into the distance, Cain, Roddy, and Tario stood in silence, their expressions heavy.
"There's nothing we can do…" Tario said quietly.
"We're too weak…" Roddy muttered through gritted teeth, his right hand instinctively pressing against his abdomen.
Cain clenched his fists tightly, staring at the retreating figures. "We have to get into the Central Army, no matter what it takes!"
That night, the campfire burned once more, but the usual laughter was gone.
Cain stared into the flames and asked in a low voice, "Do you think… we really have a chance to defeat the orcs? Why can't our weapons hurt them?"
Roddy and Tario remained silent. They didn't have an answer.
"Maybe it's the weapons?" Roddy ventured cautiously.
"Perhaps… but I don't think it's that simple," Cain replied.
"Could it be related to the elements they mentioned?" Tario asked, puzzled.
Cain lowered his head in thought. After a moment of silence, he suddenly looked up. "Do you remember that orc leader?"
Roddy and Tario turned to Cain and nodded.
"There was something about him—a wild, savage energy radiating from his body," Cain continued.
"Like the Shadow Elves!" Roddy and Tario said in unison.
"Exactly! Maybe the elements they mentioned are the key!" Cain said, turning his gaze to Roddy, who, despite his earlier injuries, seemed almost fully recovered. "Your healing… it's not normal. Aina's life element alone couldn't have done that."
Roddy fell silent for a moment, flexing his arm. "My wounds are almost completely healed… I feel stronger. The military doctor said I might have an affinity for some kind of element, but they didn't specify which one."
"Maybe it's the earth element," Tario suddenly suggested. "Don't you think your body feels… unshakable, like a mountain?"
Roddy thought for a moment before nodding seriously. "Maybe you're right. I do feel a stronger connection to the earth."
"What kind of trigger could have caused such a change?" Cain wondered aloud, frowning in thought.
"Could it have been Aina's healing? Or maybe you two… heh…" Tario teased, his face breaking into a mischievous grin as he looked at Roddy.
Roddy's face turned red. "It's not like that! Aina and I are completely innocent!"
"Maybe it's true," Cain suddenly said.
Roddy looked at him in disbelief. "You're siding with him too?"
"I meant the healing part. What are you thinking about?" Cain replied with a smirk.
Roddy, flustered by his own reaction, didn't know how to respond.
The three of them suddenly burst into laughter. Roddy quickly tried to change the subject. "Whatever the case, this means we still have untapped potential."
"Exactly. We have so much room to grow," Tario said, his tone turning serious.
Cain turned to them. "Tomorrow, we'll go find the training officer together. I need to know how to become stronger. I have to get into the Central Army."
The three of them exchanged determined looks. The campfire flickered in the night breeze, and this time, there was no laughter—only a solemn vow.