As the sun''s rays struck the icy surface, it shimmered like a frozen kaleidoscope, casting a dazzling disy of colors throughout the cold air that swirled and danced around them.


    Rio''s eyes were filled with surprise as he took in the sight of the massive ice wall that Lia had conjured, effectively imprisoning all the beasts within its frozen confines. The sheer scale of the spell was evidence of the immense power Lia possessed. It was evident that her innate talent and S-rank affinity for ice made this feat appear almost effortless.


    The sharp, crisp sound of Helia''s voice cut through the air, snapping Everyone''s attention back to the task at hand.


    "Let''s go, we need to hurry" shemanded, her tone decisive and firm.


    La and N exchanged determined nces, nodding in unison as they followed Helia into battle.


    Rio and Lia stood side by side, observing the unfolding battle in front of their eyes. Helia expertly guided N, their movements synchronized as they confronted the smanders. This was the result of their past training and hunting together in the wilderness; they were skilled at working well together.


    La, on the other hand, fought alone, her strength surpassing N''s and enabling her to face the creatures independently.


    Rio''s eyes darted between the two groups, watching as Helia''s precise attacks struck the smanders while simultaneously shielding N from the massive fireballs hurtling in her direction. Together, they formed a good team, but the problem was that Helia couldn''t deal the decisive blow to these beasts. She had to find the right time for N to attack so that N could get thest hit.


    La, meanwhile, summoned her giant hydra, a massive water-based spell that gave her the perfect foil for the fire-elemental smanders. With her hydra overwhelming the creatures, the girl effortlessly dispatched two or three of them at a time.


    Within thirty minutes, La had taken down seven of the smanders and made her way back to Lia and Rio. Her face was as serene as always, in contrast to N whose face was flushed with the thrill of the hunt.


    With a calm tone filled with happiness, she said, "I just need a few more to reach the silver stage."


    On the other side of the battlefield, Helia and N continued their struggle against their fourth smander, their movements echoing the intensity of the fight.


    Lia, observing the progress, suggested, "Let''s head back to our camp. It will take them some time to finish up."


    La and Rio nodded in agreement, turning to make their way back. They left Helia and N to continue their battle as they needed more time to finish since N was still at the early red stage.


    As they walked, beads of sweat glistened on La''s forehead, evidence of her exertion. Rio smiled softly, remembering her tender gesture from earlier. He took a towel and gently wiped the perspiration from her face, returning the affection she had shown for him. La wanted to retaliate, but she knew that if she asked him to stop, he would do the same, leaving her feeling helpless.


    After an hour, two exhausted figures appeared in the distance, making their way back to Lia and the others. Helia and N''s faces showed the lingering signs of their fierce battle, with ayer of ck smoke smudging their features. N felt self-conscious and attempted to hide her face from Rio, not wanting him to see her in this condition.


    La''s motherly instincts kicked in, and she stepped forward to gently wipe away the soot from both Helia''s and N''s faces, her tender care evident.


    "Ah... You don''t have to do it," Helia protested, but La continued without listening.


    Her loving touch caught them by surprise, and they allowed her to continue, feeling a warmth they hadn''t experienced in years.


    Both Helia and N had lost their mothers in childhood, and La''s caring gesture stirred a deep, unspoken appreciation within them.


    It was as if La''s loving touch had transported them back to a time when they were small and carefree, and someone would wipe away their tears and worries with a tender hand. The memory of that motherly love brought a sense offort and nostalgia to Helia and N, and they couldn''t help but feel grateful to La for reminding them of that precious feeling.


    The emotional moment touched their hearts, and they felt immense respect and gratitude for La, who had be like a mother figure to them. They both thanked their lucky stars for having met her and for her being a part of their family. As they knew that she was Rio''s first love, they understood why the boy loved her so much in the first ce.


    Once La had finished helping Helia and N, she returned to her seat. The tender care she had shown them had deepened her ce in their hearts, and even Lia couldn''t help but notice the shift in their gazes toward La. A respectful glint shone in their eyes as if La was a sacred figure or a saint.


    Initially, Lia had thought that La''s nurturing behavior was solely directed toward Rio. However, seeing her extend the same level of care to Helia and N without any expectation of something in return, Lia realized that La possessed a heart of gold, genuinely caring for those she held dear. It suddenly became clear to Lia why Rio had fallen for La when he was just a little boy.


    N, no longer feeling self-conscious about her smoky face, finally joined the group as they settled down to rest. With night approaching, they made the decision to go into the wondrous forest realm.


    Upon entering the realm, they were greeted by the sight of Eve, patiently awaiting their arrival.


    "Hello,dies. Wee to the ''Wonderous'' forest realm. This elven girl''s ''small'' abode," Eve spoke, her voice warm and weing.


    ________________________________


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    Edited By: TheWhiteSnow