"Dad, when will I be able to manipulate the wind like you?" Akio asked eagerly.

"Soon, Akio. You're an incredibly talented young boy," I replied with a proud smile.

Akio continued his chatter, venting to his mom about how unfair it was that he couldn't wield energy like we could. At the age of seven, he had grown into quite a handful. His appearance had transformed as well, boasting his mother's brown eyes, a dirty blond hair color that closely resembled mine, an ear that's a mix of a humans and an elves ear, and a tanned skin tone, likely influenced by our surroundings.

In recent years, our lives had been consumed by the tireless task of protecting our village. The frequency of monster sightings near Tarrin had steadily risen, leaving us little respite. Whenever we ventured out to slay these creatures, we entrusted Ace, my spirit companion, with the task of watching over Akio and Ilva. Thankfully, Akio and Ilva seemed to be growing closer, perhaps even becoming best friends.

The village elders had petitioned the capital for additional aid, but other villages were also facing an onslaught of monsters. As a result, our village was deemed unworthy of extra support. For now, we managed to hold our ground against the escalating threat, but there was always the looming possibility of being overwhelmed. That's why we sought an alliance with one of the forest rulers near Tarrin. He was an exceptional bear with a unique bloodline that granted him heightened intelligence, enabling him to communicate with us and assist in our battle against the encroaching monsters.

A unique bloodline differed from a typical bloodline possessed by elves or humans. Normal bloodlines were inherited at birth, awakening their powers depending on the individual's capability. However, there was a chance that one's body might reject the bloodline or prove too weak to wield its potential. In contrast, a unique bloodline was bestowed upon those who had experienced an unprecedented event in all of history. Once the bearer passed away, the bloodline would be lost forever, inaccessible to future generations, or so we believed as of right now.

Acquiring such a bloodline was an arduous feat. I had only encountered a handful of individuals who possessed a unique bloodline, and they were all incredibly powerful beings.

Tonight, Farkas and Luna would be joining us for dinner. It was a rare occasion when we didn't have to venture out to battle monsters, allowing us a moment of respite. We cherished these moments, hoping fervently that the menacing monster problem would soon come to an end.