Sun seemed to emerge from the eastern horizon. The cold air still enveloped the peaceful and serene land of the village of Grasswood. Morning dew clinged to the leaves on the trees, soaking the glass windows at the residence of Risk and his friends. Everyone did their own activities, but not for Upgrade and Rhino. They stood beside Elisia's bed, waiting for the girl to come to her senses.

“Upgrade, are you sure Elisia will okay? She hasn't woken up since yesterday,” Rhino asked worriedly.

“I've checked it. Her heart rate was still there, her breathing was still functioning, and her wound was almost healed. I think she will wake up soon,” Upgrade said.

Risk came to Elisia's room with a straight expression, as usual. Rhino pushed him towards the open door.

“If My Liege doesn't recover, I won't forgive you!” Rhino said emotionally.

Elisia's body moved slowly. Upgrade approached her and checked her pulse. The movement increased, and Elisia's eyes opened. Rhino went over to Upgrade, see his little friend awake. With a slightly blurry vision, Elisia glanced to the right. Upgrade and Rhino could see in her eyes. She tried to move her body; the pain returned. Upgrade held Elisia's body.

“Don't move too much! Your wound isn't really well yet. You should lie down longer,” Upgrade ordered.

Elisia moved her lips, uttering no words. Everyone looked at their young comrade, who was still suffering from the wounds on her part of the body. The girl moved her hand and pointed at the table. All eyes were on the table, there was a bottle. Rhino took the half-full bottle of water to Elisia. Upgrade helped her gulp water into her mouth.

“Elisia, are you getting better?” Rhino asked.

“I... feel... hurt...” Elisia stammered. “Risk... he...”

I'm fine. Don’t worry about me,” Risk answered.

Elisia smiled a little. “I'm grateful!”

“Today you must rest fully. At least until your wound completely healed.Rhino and I will take care of you until you get better than,” Upgrade asked.

“He's right. Rhino will take care of the queen to recover. Leave everything to me!”

“How about....”

“Don't think about anything just yet! You really need to rest!” Upgrade exclaimed, pulling the blanket to covered Elisia's entire body.

Elisia surrendered. There was nothing she could do but wait for her healing to complete. The girl remembered that her friends would discuss a plan on how to defeat Forgotten, which meant that Elisia wouldn’t invite on this mission. However, Elisia had to obey for the sake of her recovery.

Elisia pulled Upgrade's hand, which was on the bed. The man turned his head with an expressionless face and drew closer to Elisia's face.

“Forgotten… how…?” she whispered.

Upgrade sighed. “We've talked about it. The creature only comes out at certain times. Stay here. We just want you to stay safe.”

Elisia felt pain in her body. The bandages that covered her body could feel thick. It made her remember how Risk attacked her, as well as made her realize that she shouldn't train with Risk unless she was ready. She remembered how the pain and blood felt to made her kept thinking about it.

Risk entered the room with a plate of soup and a glass of strange green drink. Upgrade let him in, and Risk asked Upgrade to gave him some time alone. The pale-skinned man got up and went outside.

Risk sat on Upgrade's seat and put the soup on the bed. His expression still as flat as ever. He scooped up the soup and slowly shoved it into Elisia's mouth. With her body leaning slightly against the pillow, Elisia tried to swallow the soup. The taste was quite good, and the gravy was very fresh. Vegetables comprising potatoes, carrots and celery tasted very good.

Elisia continued to devour the soup given by Risk non-stop. Until it finished, Elisia felt want to eating the soup again. Then, the girl asked to drink a strange-looking green drink. It thrust a glass into Elisia's mouth. It smelled like avocado. Elisia drank it down to half a glass. The taste wasn't too bad, but there was a bland taste to it.

Risk put the glasses and plates under the bed and looked into Elisia's face. “How are you?”

“Not... so good....”

Risk sighed and smiled. “I can't blame you for being in high spirits to train, but I applaud our practice yesterday. Even though you're still new to the art of fighting, you show skills like a good Vanguard. You resisted my attack until couldn't stand up anymore. You're being too reckless, but what you're doing is commendable.”

Elisia could only put a faint smile on her face. There was nothing she could say because of her poor condition. She wanted so badly to tell everyone how lucky she was to train with Risk.

“Elisia, if you knew my abilities, many people will died. My ability is too strong to make every soul that sees it tremble. The aura of the opponents who wanted to defeat me instantly turned into fear. However, after seeing your aura in training, I feel trembling. Your aura is far beyond anything I've ever seen before. Plus, your attack on me was painful and imprinted on my memory.” Risk showed the bandage covering the wound on his stomach.

Elisia surprised to see her friend until moving her whole body. She felt the pain again until she shed tears. Risk helped Elisia to return in the starting position and eased the pain. The girl didn't understand what Risk was saying, but she thought that within her was the soul of a great Vanguard.

“People have said, 'Great power brings great responsibility'. I agree with those words, but don't completely believe that. Great power means you have to live in misery with everyone who believes in you. It hurts, it hurts so much. You can't run away from it.”

Risk held Elisia's right hand. “For that, no matter how bigger your ability later, keep in mind that you are just an ordinary human. This world doesn't need great strength to protect it, but it need a courage. Be brave and never hesitate if you are afraid!"

Elisia nodded slowly. Risk said what she thought was true. She would always remember it.

“You are… great… your skills… are amazing…” Elisia said.

“That ability is great, but I suffered from it. I can't say everything, but you can say my ability was a curse,” Risk replied.

Elisia raised her right hand slowly. She touched Risk's right cheek gently. A smile appeared on the young girl's face. Risk also smiled and touched Elisia's hand. She could feel slightly soft cheeks, made her remembered something, as if she had touched the cheek of someone like him. However, the memory blinked.

Risk stood up. “Like Upgrade said, rest ease. You don't have to think about anything, including the creatures we're dealing with here. We just want you to go back to how you used to be, and also, I'm sorry for hurting you like this.”

Elisia saw the man leave the room. The girl returned alone in the room's atmosphere, where the only light came from the open window. A cold wind sneaked into the room to chill Elisia's body. Thank to her flame pendulum, she didn't feel any chills.

Elisia surprised during the conversation with Risk earlier. She seemed to see the level of Risk that previously could only see names.

Such writings astonished her. She remembered that she got a lot of rewards after doing the boss's simulation. One of them is a new skill. She checked the stats to confirmed that.

Elisia Naumann

Level 5 (50/1000 exp)–Vanguard

Max HP : 714/714 (restores 0,5% per second)

Stamina : 560/560 (restores 5 minutes per stamina)

Skill Point (SP) : 118/118 (restores 7 minutes per SP)

ATK : 360

DEF : 186

RES : 10,2%

Agility : 45

.

Skills

1. Molten Flame (level 2 (50/500 exp)

SP Requires : 44

ATK +40% and every attack gains 40% chance to ignore 20% Enemy Def

Duration : 27 second

2. [Unknown]

3. [Unknown]

4. [Unknown]

5. Sixth Sense (level 1 (0/400 exp)

Can see the level of other characters, including their enemies

Duration : Passive

6. [Unknown]

.

Equipment

Wool Jacket (not equipped)

Dublin Spear (saved)

Flame Pendulum (equipped)

Book of Hex Aegis (available)

Monstra, Book of Monsters (available)

.

Turned out that she got a skill called Sixth Sense, a skill that could see the stats of the target. She had read this before in Hex Aegis, and she finally got it. With this, Elisia could know the level of her enemy, so she could estimate whether defeat it by her abilities. At the very least, she would use this ability to defeat Forgotten.

Elisia looked at all corners of the room. She felt something was haunting her, especially since leaving the forest in the village of Glomouth. It was as if someone had been watching her for a long time, but didn't know how he looked. Maybe it was just a fantasy because she was sick. The girl felt the bandages wrapped around her body, thick enough to made it difficult for her to move.

When will I recover? I really want to join my friends to fight, Elisia said in her heart.

Elisia still remembered how painful it was from Risk's attack yesterday. The attack even nearly split her into two pieces. Plus, even though she well parried it, the attack still hurt her. She held her head. It hurt a little because there was a bandage wrapped around it. Elisia also drew a conclusion, never fight with Risk even if it's just an exercise.

Speaking of practice, Elisia was eager to train with the others, both Dao and Rhino. She wanted to know how they were capable and wanted to witness it up close. As Elisia recalled, Dao was just as fast as Risk, only his attacks were more concentrated. As for Rhino, she only remembered that the man used his shield to dodge the electric waves from Elektra. She wanted to know more about the two of them.

However, the current situation made the sixteen-year-old girl couldn’t do anything. In fact, just eating the fed by Risk. She could only lie down all day doing nothing. At least she could still move in her hands. Reading a book might made her forget the pain.

Luckily, the small bag carrying Hex Aegis book was beside her. [Monstra] book was also there. She picked up [Monstra] book to read about Forgotten. According to it, this creature was almost invincible because it made its body of Kryptadium. She didn't know what the mineral rock looked like, but its name made her think that it was as hard as crystal.

She opened the first sheet, explaining the origins of Forgotten. Forgotten was one of the infected creatures that live in the remains of a mine that contained Krytadium in it. This creature first appeared after reports from mine security in Billton, who reported their findings about one body that turned into a terrible creature. It came out of the mine and went on a rampage in a nearby town, causing a lot of damage and the death of innocent people.

Elisia read the next page. It called the Forgotten because this creature only came out at certain times, especially when Kryptadium absorbed too much energy. It could hide long enough for people to forget it. In addition, Forgotten could be reborn if there was a body that had crystallized and absorbed a lot of energy.

Hmm..., looks like this creature has a unique history, and not a myth, Elisia said to herself.

Now Elisia started reading the creature's ability section. Forgotten could unleash ranged attacks using the magic power generated from Kryptadium and melee attacks using blades made of the same material. Forgotten also had a body could resist to magic and hard enough to be penetrated by sharp weapons. Elisia discovered astonishingly, Forgotten could increase its attack speed as long as it continued to attack.

If we keep it still for a long time, its speed will definitely return to normal, Elisia thought.

In a comfortable atmosphere while reading, someone knocked on the door. Elisia glanced at the door, apparently it was Risk. He was carrying something that could not see from afar. The man walked up to her.

“Elisia, are you reading a book?”

Elisia nodded slowly. She still couldn't speak much.

Risk sat on a chair near the bed. Both of his hands reached out to Elisia's head. The girl didn't know what Risk was doing, but the two hands seemed to drape something around her neck. Elisia was holding the necklace-like object, decorated with clover-shaped ornaments.

[Necklace of Fortune]

“That is the lucky necklace Tivet gave you. He said that you have to wear it to be safe from creatures,” Risk said. “Heh, I don't believe in luck, but I'm sure you do.”

Elisia grasped the necklace and smiled. “Thank you....”

Risk cradled Elisia's right arm. “I know that my attacks are extremely lethal, and I shouldn't have asked you to fight against me. Your abilities could not reach my level. I was wrong to have seriously fought you.”

Elisia grabbed Risk's hand, which was still holding Elisia's arm, and gripped it tightly. “You... you're not wrong. I… pushed myself too much to… practice…, that you think… I challenged you… I also misread the situation.”

“Hey, Looks like you can speak fluently again!” Risk smiled. “After all, I’m your mentor. Whatever happens to you, this is my responsibility. Don't feel guilty!”

“Hmm…, I also hurt you. I have to apologize to you for my mistake,” Elisia replied.

Risk chuckled at Elisia's answer. “You are a strange girl, Elisia, but I really appreciate your words.”

“That means you forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. It's just a small wound. I've been through worse than this,” Risk said. “Then what about you? Do you forgive me too?”

Elisia smiled. “I forgive you, but I want you to make me some soup earlier. It was so delicious!”

“Really? I learned that recipe since I was in Nusantara.”

“Yes, your cooking is delicious! You are talented as a cook!” Elisia praised.

Risk turned around. “Please, don't praise me like that!” Risk walked out.

Elisia remembered something and called Risk again. The man turned.

“I haven't seen Dao since I woke up. Where is he going?” Elisia asked.

“Dao is helping residents to harvest carrots. He said today there was a big harvest in Grasswood. He wanted to help them. I don't understand what Upgrade taught him,” Risk replied with a chuckle.

“Harvest?” Elisia felt familiar with those words. Her eyes widened. “Risk, I have a bad feeling about this big harvest!”

“Huh, what's wrong?”

“Remember when Mr. Tivet said about Forgotten attacking this village during the big harvest?” Elisia asked.

“Yes, I still remember.”

“There is a possibility that the creature will attack again. I think it wants to eat this village's harvest,” Elisia explained.

“Are you serious? We have prepared nothing yet.”

“I'm not sure, but I can feel it.”