"We have a trajectory," Ethan said, breaking the silence that hung over the burning square. He looked down at his flannel pajamas, then at Lysandra's tattered dress. "But our current resources are insufficient for a campaign."
Lysandra blinked, still reeling from the display of fire magic. "Resources?"
"Calories. Hydration. Equipment," Ethan listed, ticking them off on his fingers. "The Void creatures moved west. To pursue them, we need to cross the wilderness. I assume there's a forest?"
"The Umbrawood," Lysandra nodded, a flicker of fear returning to her eyes. "It separates Eldoria from the Western lands. It takes two days to cross on a fast horse, maybe four on foot. But it's infested with Spirit Beasts. Without a Wayfinder Compass, the trees... they shift. And the Elders used specific charms to mask our scent from the beasts. I don't know how to make them."
"No map. No camouflage. No supplies," Ethan summarized dryly. "And I am currently wearing sleepwear."
He scanned the ruins. The destruction was thorough. Most wooden structures were ash, and the stone ones were crumbled.
"Teach me," Ethan said suddenly.
Lysandra looked up. "Teach you what?"
"A search spell. Something to locate organic matter or mana signatures. Scavenging with eyes alone is inefficient."
Lysandra hesitated. "There is... Revelio. It's a sensory spell taught to second-year students. It highlights mana residues and life forms. But it requires high concentration to filter out the noise—"
"Show me."
Lysandra closed her eyes, holding her hands out. "Focus on the vibrations in the earth. Revelio." A faint, blue ripple pulsed from her, extending maybe five meters before fading.
Ethan watched. He didn't just see the ripple; he saw the wave function. He understood the frequency she used to resonate with the environment. It was like sonar.
He closed his eyes. Expand the range. Increase the frequency to penetrate stone. Filter out ash and carbon.
"Revelio," Ethan said calmly.
He didn't whisper it. He commanded it.
A pulse of azure energy exploded from him, not a ripple, but a shockwave. It swept through the entire town square, passing through walls and deep into the ground. In Ethan's mind, the ruins became a 3D grid. He saw the heat signatures of the dying fires, the cold void traces, and—deep beneath the crumbled innate—faint pockets of stability.
He opened his eyes. The blue glow faded from his irises.
"There," he pointed to a collapsed stone structure fifty yards away. "Subterranean cellar. Sealed by a stone slab. The temperature inside is stable. It survived."
He walked towards it, Lysandra scrambling to keep up. "How did you... that spell usually takes years to master at that range!"
Ethan ignored the praise. He stood before the rubble blocking the cellar entrance. It was a massive slab of masonry, weighing at least a ton.
"Another lesson," Ethan said. "Telekinesis? Physical enhancement?"
"Reinforcement," Lysandra stammered. "Fortis. It strengthens the muscles with mana."
"Simple hydraulics," Ethan muttered. He flooded his muscles with mana, visualizing hydraulic pistons compressing. He grabbed the edge of the one-ton slab.
With a grunt that sounded more annoyed than strained, he heaved. The stone groaned and flipped over with a massive crash, revealing a dark staircase.
"Stay here," he ordered.
Ethan descended into the cool dark. Minutes later, he returned. He was no longer wearing pajamas.
He wore a dark leather tunic he'd found in a chest, fitted with iron buckles, and sturdy canvas trousers. He had tied a dark cloak around his shoulders. The clothes were slightly dusty but intact. He looked less like a lost high schooler and more like a seasoned rogue.
He tossed a bundle to Lysandra. "Found a heavy coat and boots. Put them on. Your dress is a liability."
He also set down two sealed clay jugs and a sack of dried meat. "Water and jerky. Not a gourmet meal, but it's fuel."
As Lysandra changed quickly behind a wall, she called out, "But Ethan, what about the forest? Even with food, without a Wayfinder Compass, we'll walk in circles forever. And the beasts..."
Ethan took a bite of the tough dried meat, his expression unbothered. He looked up at the sky. The stars of this world were different, alien constellations burning in the night.
"The trees shift?" Ethan asked as she emerged, looking much more prepared in the traveler's gear.
"Yes. It's a labyrinth."
"A labyrinth is just a puzzle," Ethan said, dusting off his new leather tunic. "And as for the beasts..."
He held up his hand. Mana coalesced in his palm, not as fire this time, but as a sharp, vibrating blade of compressed wind. He had deduced the mechanics of wind magic just by observing the air currents earlier.
"Let them come," Ethan said, clenching his fist and dispelling the magic. "I need the XP."
" The... XP?" Lysandra asked, confused.
"Experience," Ethan corrected, turning toward the dark, looming tree line of the Umbrawood. "We don't need to hide from monsters, Lysandra. We're going to hunt them."
He began walking toward the forest, his stride confident.
"Come on. School is in session."