He was sprinting like a slave freed from his chains; his breathing accelerated, his eyes gleaming within the forest that rendered the night even darker than it was. The gashes on his feet, sliced open anew with every step, knitted shut before he could take the next, a cycle that had been persisting for exactly five minutes.
Mel, who hadn't lifted his head from the ground while the Academy Leader spoke, had actually been listening to his words with utmost intent. Especially from the moment he made the analogy of the rampart protecting his body, his interest in the man who appeared to be his own age surged, and he resolved to re-evaluate the words spilling from his mouth.
"The Blessing of Savagery, one of the Nine Great Blessings that inflicts the most damage upon its wielder. You speak the truth, bright leader, but there is something you do not know."
