"She's among the most formidable creatures in this forest, capable of rivalling even my own power," Spirit explained, emphasizing the magnitude of the monster's strength.

The bird remained silent, standing motionless. It was then that I noticed a crowd of people gathered around my house. Curious, I inquired with Luna and Farkas, discovering that these individuals were enlisted by Farkas to aid us in defending the village. Among them were humans, beastmen, demons, and even some elementals. Though I wasn't sure if they had unlocked their inherent abilities, their presence would undoubtedly prove helpful.

"Rohan," Luna called out, trying to capture my attention.

"Yes?" I responded, turning my focus to her.

"Why can't we defeat them?" she inquired with concern.

"The number of monsters is overwhelming, and there seems to be an unusually intelligent force orchestrating their cooperation," I explained, recounting our encounter with the relentless onslaught. "Even Vail, who possesses exceptional sensitivity to darkness, failed to detect any signs of their presence. We were caught off guard and outnumbered. There are likely more adversaries, and we still don't know who's pulling the strings," I concluded, sharing my explanation with Luna.

"So, what do we do now?" Luna pressed, seeking a solution.

The thought of saying "we run" lingered in my mind, but I refrained from speaking it aloud. It seemed nearly impossible to emerge victorious against such a formidable horde of monsters.

For a while, we sat in silence, unsure of our next move. As I glanced at the villagers, their expressions mirrored tension and anxiety, seemingly doubting our commitment. At that moment, I made my decision.

"Spirit, remain here to protect the villagers. Vail, Luna, Farkas, and crow lady, come with me," I commanded, rallying the chosen few.

With determination, we set off towards the cacophony of rampaging monsters.

****

It had been a while since I last ventured outside. As I observed the children playing carefree around me, I realized I had never spent much time with the villagers, apart from Ilva. Consequently, I didn't truly know anyone here, although some faces appeared vaguely familiar but I don't regret it and Ilva had fallen silent again after asking me that one question.

After sitting for some time, I left Ilva behind and began exploring the hospital. Space was limited, but I managed to navigate the area. Ascending to the second floor, I found it rather unremarkable, resembling an average hospital. Expanding my exploration to areas I had yet to inspect, I eventually returned to Ilva, only to find her missing. Where had she gone? I questioned several individuals, but none had seen her leave, until one person mentioned that she had departed the building abruptly. Expressing my gratitude, I hurriedly exited the hospital, only to be halted by a group of nurses who insisted I couldn't leave. After a fruitless argument, my frustration grew, and I resorted to using my control over wind to clear my path.

Running with the aid of wind manipulation, I sprinted until the hospital was out of sight, yet I had no clue where Ilva had disappeared to. I scoured the village but eventually returned to my house in hopes of finding her there. And indeed, she was. Approaching her, I noticed she was engaged in a conversation with another villager, asserting her capability to help and claiming to possess greater strength than him. Shaking my head in disbelief, I approached her.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, puzzled by her actions.

"Helping," she replied

"You can't help; you're not even thirteen yet," I pointed out, trying to dissuade her.

"So? I'm going to awaken my beast and defeat all the monsters," she declared with unwavering determination.

'Has she always possessed such a single-minded perspective?' I pondered to myself, realizing the urgency to bring her back before she endangered herself. Employing my wind manipulation, I forcefully guided her back towards the hospital, regardless of her consent. Along the way, she voiced her grievances about the unfairness of my abilities compared to her lack of awakening. Despite being younger, I often felt more mature than her.