Hello guys, this chapter is pretty short I know, it's because the next one will be longer and more interesting.

Hope you'll enjoy it and don't forget to leave a comment about what you think on the story so far. Enjoy !

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We followed Inkvir to what seemed to be a camp where a fire was burning, he treated Eniel's injury and provided a comfortable place for her to rest. We went around the fire and started talking.

Estiel and Fiona were still shivering of dread because of our previous encounter with the dark wolfs. Fiona managed to calm down a little, but Estiel couldn't stop shaking.

Inkvir : " What are young girls like you doing here ? I can't possibly imagine you came by yourself, fighting all the monsters on the way. "

Shina : " We found a strange room with a red crystal and got teleported here. " I honestly answered his question, it will probably be really difficult for us to survive in this floor without his help.

Inkvir : " So you found Etnev's teleportation room, I can't tell if you are lucky or not. " He said with a little giggle.

Fiona : " And you ? What are you doing here ? "

Inkvir : " I... I am trying to redeem the coward I am, or maybe am I simply waiting here as a punishment. I've been here for more than 20000 years. " Fiona was taken aback by the number of years.

Fiona : " How can you still be alive after all those years ? I ve also never heard of the Vec before ! " She said like he was talking nonsense.

Inkvir : " The Vec are the ones who made those ruins you call labyrinth, we are a race who like dragons possess a true immortality and a giant life force comparable to the High Gods. Almost everyone was exterminated by the dragons during the war. "

Nuya : " You means that you are as strong as a High God ? " She said as she left my clothes.

Inkvir : " I was, my spirit power might even be superior to their; however my body even if it won't die from aging is still getting weaker as time pass. Right now I should be able to take out 5 or 6 dragons simultaneously, but thats all. "

One day Verlox told me that only someone would at least have to possess the power of a Medium god to be able to stop a dragon rampage. This means that this man is far more powerful than anyone I've ever met... apart from Verlox, my parents.

Shina : " If you are so strong, why don't you try to take revenge on the dragons ? " I asked Inkvir surprised, he should be strong enough to kill most of the dragons he see alone.

Inkvir : " Because the war is already over. And they are not the ones I hate, I hate myself more than anything else. "

Shina : " Why do you hate yourself so much ? " He also said the same thing before, that he hated himself.

Inkvir : " This old man will answer your question later, you should take some rest, don't worry I'll guard the camp, I don't need to sleep. "

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We all went to rest near Eniel, Estiel was crying as she was sleeping and Fiona was also shaking in her sleep; holding the pendant my mother gave me before leaving as hard as I could.

I already realized it before but thought it would be alright... I am still not strong enough, I can't even protect those close to me myself. How many time will I be saved by others ?! Unable to protect myself and my loved ones ?!

Avoiding the question, I lived like everything would be alright. I held Estiel body, still shaking with tears rolling down from her pink cheeks as Eniel was hugging me with more strength than normally.

This night, I swore to myself that I would become stronger than anyone in this world; I waited for everyone to fall asleep before leaving and going a little further in the camp, leaving Pan and Nuya with them. Only taking Kiel with me.

Kiel : " Mistress, where are we going ? "

Shina : " Just a little further, I want to train. "

I don't need to sleep, I can use this time to train myself instead of sleeping; Inkvir was just looking at me with curiosity.

Inkvir : " You don't feel tired ? " He asked me with a kind light in his eyes.

Shina : " I don't need to sleep. "

Inkvir : " I can feel that you are different from your friends, I can feel a bright yet dark power coming from you, I somehow get the feeling that you aren't from this world. Will you satisfy this old man curiosity ? " I slightly nodded, I can't afford to keep any secret to him right now, my friends life depend of him.

Shina : " I am the child of gods superior to the three Primal one, they are also the one who made this world. "

Inkvir seemed somewhat shocked before showing a smirk and nodding happily.

Inkvir : " So we were indeed right... We had some tension with the dragons because we denied the three Primal Gods as our lords and venerated two others being which we though ruled over the Light and Darkness, different from the Goddess of Light and God of Darkness. So in the end we were right... Hahaha, how ironical. So, what are you doing ? "

Shina : " Training, I am too weak to protect my friends... " I said looking down, biting my lower lips.

Inkvir : " You aren't weak at all, I can even affirm that you are already stronger than me; you just don't know how to control your power. "

Shina : " What do you mean ? " I said looking at Inkvir surprised.

Inkvir : " I saw you fighting the Cerbal earlier, I thought it was strange that you were having so much trouble killing it given your strength. I think you are unconsciously restraining the majority of your strength, maybe it is because you think of yourself as someone weak that you are limited, or maybe it's because you think of yourself as one of those human and placed limit on your body. "

Shina : " I see... How can I become stronger than I already am ? How can I use this strength ? "

He caressed his beard for a moment thinking before showing a little smile.

Inkvir : " Let's see, because you can't feel this power you can't use it, so maybe by meditating you will be able to feel it. After this using it should be easier. "

Shina : " Meditation ? Will that really work ? " I asked somewhat startled, in my previous world meditation was something know as strange. Nobody ever bothered trying it.

Inkvir : " There are others method too, but I think it would be the safest and the quickest for you. " He affirmed.

Shina : " Fine, could you teach me please ? " I asked him, lowering my head.

Inkvir : " Haha, please raise your head; you don't have to bow to this old man, of course I will help you. "

Inkvir brought me near the fireplace and asked me to sit in front of it.

Shina : " How do I meditate ? "

Inkvir : " Meditation is all about relaxing, people invented many different positions, but the best way to meditate is to find a position you find comfortable with. That's all. " It somehow look like sleeping.

Shina : " Won't I fall asleep if it's too comfortable ? " He showed a little smile before answering.

Inkvir : " Relaxing is only the first step, after that you have to feel the mana in your body, and then in your soul. By concentrating on your soul's mana for a moment, you will be able to enter to the core of your soul where all your power is kept. Everyone's soul is different, so after you reach that part you'll have to rely on yourself. "

I closed my eyes and tried to feel the energy moving inside my left arm, golden lines with a tinge of red appeared in my mind, when I concentrated on my legs the lines changed. I tried to feel different parts of my body and those lines kept on changing.

When I finally tried to concentrate on my heart, I felt a ball of light surrounded by a red aura. However this ball was compressed by what seemed to be an invisible strength.

I imagined me lifting my arm, touching the compressed ball. It felt cold, but a warm red light escape from where I touched it, traveling into my arm and my body.

I felt my body growing stronger and stronger with each seconds per seconds, at the same time, an image appeared in my mind. It was blurry and I couldn't see it properly, but it seemed to be a large beast, a dragon. I suddenly felt myself being shaken.

I instantly opened my eyes and saw Inkvir shaking my shoulder, everyone was awake and somehow worried.

Shina : " How many time passed ? "

Inkvir : " Only a few hours, it seem that you succeeded. "

Shina : " A few hours ?! I felt like it was only some seconds. " I answered surprised.

Fiona : " Shina, are you alright ? You were completely enveloped by a dark red light that turned the ground black. "

Shina : " Yes, I was just trying to use a new magic, it is harmless to me so don't worry. " I said lying to her, I don't even know if this method will harm me.

I looked toward Inkvir hands, his hands kept changing of color, his blue skin constantly changed between blue and bloody red. His face was sweating, trying to hide his pain.

Inkvir : " You should go train a little to get used to your new power. "

Shina : " No, I should keep on meditating, I didn't even absorb a fragment of this power. "

Inkvir : " You HAVE to train, you need to learn how to use your powers, if you were to obtain all your power without any control over it, you would not only hurt yourself but all your friends at the same time. "

Shina : " I see... I need to get stronger, but if I can't control it it's useless. " I said feeling down.

Inkvir : " You don't have to feel down, you certainly got a lot stronger; if you keep on meditating and fighting, you will be able to quickly get stronger than anyone. " He said smiling.

I took Kiel and again went 30 meters away from them and gathered dark mana all around my body.

My dark mana instead of being black turned into a mix of red and purple, it rapidly consumed the ground I was standing on and I felt the mana around me being absorbed.

I infused my mana into Kiel, normally red line would appear on her when I infuse dark mana in her; however this time they didn't appear, instead her black color turned into dark purple.

Kiel : " Mistress, what is happening ?! This one feel a great power coming into her, it's far stronger than habitually. " Her reaction somehow made me smile.

Shina : " It's only the beginning. " I said with an arrogant smile.

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While Shina was training, Fiona, Nuya and Eniel were speaking with Inkvir while Estiel was sitting against one of the walls in the camp, holding her knee and crying. Pan was looking at Shina's training with a strange light in his eyes.

Fiona : " How was Shina able to get stronger so quickly ? " She asked curious and full of hope while peaking at Shina who was training in her magic, emitting an oppressive aura she didn't have before.

Inkvir : " It's not something you can do, she didn't get stronger but is only learning how to use her powers. "

Fiona : " So... I can't get stronger ? I... I know h-how weak I a-am... " She said as she was crying, her word started to become incomprehensible. Eniel just looked to the ground, she was bothered by the fact that she was unable to protect Shina against the dark wolf.

Fiona : " I cwan't even p-protect the only ones who a-accepted me. " Inkvir made a wry face before entering in deep thought, he then looked at the two of them seriously.

Inkvir : " Actually there's a way of becoming stronger quickly but... It will come with a huge price. You will have to endure it until the end, otherwise you will never be able to do it anymore. "

Fiona : " R-Really ?! " Her tears began to stop falling and her face lighten up.

Eniel : " Whatever it is, I am ready. " Her eyes showed a powerful will which didn't belong to a eight years old child.

Inkvir : " What about that girl ? " He said pointing to Estiel who was still crying alone.

Fiona : " We have to give her some time, I am sure she'll overcome it. She was terrified by the monsters... " She said as she looked saddened once again from not being strong enough to protect her friends.

Inkvir : " Hmph, I hope she will be able to do so soon, otherwise she will regret it all her life... " As he looked at Estiel, his eyes seemed to be seeing something else, he had a mix of sorrowful, sadness and fear in his eyes.

Inkvir : " I won't let her do the same mistake as I did. " He said resolved.

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