Chapter 411: A Vile Ability ’It really feels like a Rank 3...’ Sylus steadied his breathing making the wind lightly circled his arms as he assessed the monster in front of them. Even from this distance, the pressure rolling off the Vile Heavenly Bird was enough to make the rocks shudder. He clicked his tongue. He could face a Rank 3 alone... he’d done so before but not while babysitting two first-years. ’They’re strong for their age, sure... but a Rank 3 will be too muc—’ A shockwave blasted through the air. "Wha—?!" Sylus and Azel were both knocked sideways as Sybil rocketed forward like a missile with Windflow bursting around her feet. "You fucker!" she roared, her leg pulled back so far it blurred. She crashed her foot into a barrier of shadow that instantly formed in front of the bird... the darkness hardening into a flat surface. BOOM. Sybil was launched backward, flipping violently through the air. "What the fuck?" she hissed, straightening herself mid-air as the bird squawked. Darkness condensed in front of it, forming two black orbs that pulsed ominously before launching toward her. Sybil shot upward. The orbs chased her relentlessly. Using a sharp twist of her body, she burst sideways using the Second Windflow... moving with wind effortlessly and the two dark orbs collided, detonating into a massive explosion that shook the sky. She tumbled uncontrollably as the shockwave rolled over her. Before the bird could fire again... Sylus appeared beside it, his fist slamming into its cheek. The blow carried a visible spiral of wind around his arm... the Third Windflow. The Rank 3 spun through the air from the force... but recovered mid-spin as its wings opened wide, shredding Sylus’s technique apart like paper. SQUAAAAK! "Damned bird..." Sylus muttered, floating back into stance. He glanced at Sybil who steadied herself with an irritated scowl. "I can do it!" she shouted, preparing to shoot back in. "You’re letting it get into your head." Sylus raised a hand sharply, stopping her mid-motion. "Watch and stay safe. I’ll deal with this. You’re not strong enough." The words stabbed her deeply... She had been training for a while too, ever since the Academy fell. Did that make it obsolete? Sybil froze and her fists trembled. ’He’s right... I’m not strong enough.’ Her gaze flicked to Azel who was watching her with concern etched onto his face. ’I’m not strong at all...’ Wind gathered around her legs. She didn’t say anything anymore... she just shot upward, disappearing into the upper rocks of the mountain. "Sybil—" Azel stepped forward, but Sylus held out an arm. "Let her cool down." His jaw clenched. "I’ll deal with this." Wind erupted from Sylus and his aura rippled outward like a storm. He blurred. The impact that followed rattled the stone beneath them. His foot collided with the bird... but darkness snapped into place again, forming another barrier. The barrier cracked, absorbing the blow, but Sylus didn’t stop. ’Sixth Windflow...’ His body vanished from sight... only a streak remained as the momentum compressed into a single point. CRACK. The darkness shattered. He appeared in front of the Vile Heavenly Bird and punched it so hard its beak bent sideways. The creature screeched, whipping backward as wind burst from its wings. Sylus chased instantly. ’Its darkness barriers block my wind strikes... and those orbs have enough force to level a building. But is that really all it can do?’ Below them, Azel observed quietly. ’These guys sure are a pain in the ass to battle... but honestly? This Rank 3’s kind of underwhelming. It’s nothing compared to the ones in the Winter region.’ He folded his arms. High above, Sylus exchanged blow after blow with the bird, pushing it back while adjusting his positioning with each burst of wind. He was preparing a finishing strike, gathering force into his legs... Then everything went wrong in a heartbeat. Darkness erupted from the bird’s beak, flooding Sylus’s body like smoke. "What—?!" He froze instantly. Azel’s eyes narrowed. Inside the darkness, Sylus’s mana was being sucked out violently... streams of spiritual energy leaving his body and pouring into the monster. His limbs twitched uselessly as the Rank 3 fed on him, swelling with power. Wind gathered around the bird... Windflow. It was using his mana to mimic the technique. The battlefield dimmed as the darkness spread across the ground, swallowing every bit of light. Azel sighed. "Ignoring me entirely, huh?" Holy energy flickered along his arm and then he swung. A flash of divinity sliced through the darkness so completely that the air rang afterward. The slash split the Rank 3 from head to tail, a glowing arc engraving itself into the mountain behind it. The bird’s corpse fell apart in two burning halves. Sylus collapsed instantly but Azel was there before he hit the ground. Mana previously drained from Sylus poured back into his mouth in a thick stream as he coughed violently. "That damned beast—! It stole my mana!" Sylus heaved, clutching his stomach as he forced himself upright. He could still feel his circles buzzing weakly. "What the fuck... what kind of monster does that?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 His eyes flicked to Azel. He had killed it in one hit and he wasn’t even fucking sweating a bit. Sylus coughed again and attempted to hover, only to drop back down. "We need to find Sybil." "I can sense her," Azel replied simply. His wings unfurled with a soft glow. He extended a hand to Sylus. "Shall we?" Sylus stared at the hand for three full seconds before sighing heavily. "Fine... don’t drop me." Azel didn’t smile, but his wings shifted upward slightly and then he flapped. ... Moments later, Azel glided downward toward a narrow rocky ledge. Sylus pointed. "Down there." Azel landed lightly, folding his wings. Sitting on a large rock, Sybil hugged her knees with her chin tilted up to the sky. Her expression was stubborn, sulking, and tired all at once. "Took you long enough..." she muttered, not looking at anyone until her eyes flicked toward Azel. She puffed her cheeks. It was clear she was throwing a tantrum. "Don’t be like that, Sybil," Sylus said as he hopped down beside her. "We managed to kill the monster, though it had a very peculiar ability." "Stealing other creatures’ mana?" Sybil said casually. Sylus froze. "Yes— how did you...?" "Meet my new friend, Tinny." Sybil pointed above her. "And she’s my familiar now." A tiny white bird fluttered down and perched proudly on her head. It was the exact miniature form of the Vile Heavenly Bird they had just slain. Sylus immediately released a burst of wind at the bird.