"I don't think you are going to beat me to killing those bastards. You lack motives, power, and general character... but I am going to ruin their lives, or at least try," Ethyl said, gazing into Isiah's troubled face.
She reached toward his forehead with her index finger, touching it lightly before adding, "It's probably just some ridiculous rumor anyway. Just focus on your magic, because the evaluation is brutally hard. A lot of people lost their lives today without a second thought."
Isiah nodded. She was going to level up tomorrow; of course he wouldn't burden her with guilt over those left behind.
"I am able to use magic now. I got the sealing spell removed."
"Wooooah... just in time! Let me teach you something before I go," Ethyl said, taking his right hand into hers. "I don't know what elemental affinity you have since you've never practiced magic before, but this one is simple, Isiah."
Isiah looked down at her hands wrapping around his. "Ethyl, what kind of spell is this?"
Ethyl focused her eyes on his index finger. "It's a basic fire spell. It's the easiest one. All the women around here use it for cooking; basically, it's the very first spell anyone learns."
A tiny, flickering flame materialized above Ethyl's palm. Isiah was startled for a second, then looked directly into her eyes. "Teach me."
Ethyl certainly hadn't expected that reaction. She thought he would stubbornly reject her offer, but he surprised her with his sudden eagerness to learn.
"Well, listen to me. You don't have to force it. Just relax yourself so you can control your divine energy. Stabilize it, then let your body process it naturally so you don't waste too much. After that, focus entirely on the point where you want it to manifest. This spell isn't complex; I know you can handle it," Ethyl said encouragingly.
Isiah tried to calm his nerves. He took slow, deliberate breaths, but his mind kept spinning in circles. He had been an overthinker for as long as he could remember, and shutting off his head was nearly impossible.
"Calm down... Isiah... just calm down," she urged him softly.
Her hands were still wrapped around his, but in a sudden fit of frustration, he gently pushed her hands away, stepped back, and let out a heavy sigh.
"That's rude!" she complained.
"Aouuuf... hmmmmfff... I have to calm down... I have to calm down!" he muttered to himself, pacing back and forth.
Seeing his dramatic struggle, Ethyl burst out into loud laughter. Isiah immediately glared at her, annoyed by the distraction.
"Stop it! I need to focus!" he snapped.
"Well, that's the whole point! You can't force focus like that. Just take it easy. That's why I was holding your hand, to try and help you relax!"
"I don't think holding my hand is going to calm me down. That's just something you're telling yourself."
Ethyl shook her head in sheer disbelief. "Fine! I won't grant you the honor of holding my hand then, you pathetic creature! I will never let you hold my hands again!"
Isiah didn't even look at her as she huffed. She was visibly annoyed, yet all he cared about was staring down at his hands, trying to figure out how to quiet his mind.
He tried thinking back to things that used to bring him peace. In his current, brutal life, there were practically none. But in his past life, there was a virtual video game he had adored, and the main characters of a favorite web novel he had followed religiously for years.
A gentle smile crept onto his face as a memory surfaced.
Isiah remembered those golden days when he would rush home just to jump online and play that game with his internet friends, or the hours he spent sitting in the back of English class, completely absorbed in reading chapters of his web novel under his desk. Class had been boring, but those stories made time fly by. He had binge-read almost every single arc.
Slowly, his mind settled. The raging hurricanes inside his head subsided, leaving behind a tranquil calm. For the first time in a very long time, a genuine smile rested on his lips.
Unintentionally, he raised his hands with a completely clear mind. He focused on his index finger just as Ethyl had instructed. Within a split second, he felt a spark surge through his body toward his fingertip, feeling like a gentle crackle of electricity.
He froze, thinking he had messed up, but Ethyl hurried over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Yes! That's it! That's what divine energy feels like! Don't panic!"
Isiah became so overwhelmed with excitement that he blurted out with a bright, innocent smile, "I think... Ethyl, look! I think I'm actually going to do it!"
A tiny, brilliant flame sparked atop his finger for a single second before vanishing into the air.
Isiah was hit with a wave of mixed emotions: he was thrilled by his achievement, yet slightly disappointed that the flame hadn't lasted longer.
Then, he began jumping up and down, shouting enthusiastically: "I did it! I did it, Ethyl! I actually did it!"
He spun around to face her, and in a burst of uncontrollable joy, he threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He held onto her for a long moment, repeating like a excited child, "I did it... Ethyl... I did it!"
Ethyl was completely taken aback by his sudden reaction. She had never expected someone as cold and guarded as Isiah to do something like this. Seeing his face so bright, smiling, and full of life made him look undeniably endearing. She didn't push him away like she normally would have; instead, she wrapped her arms around him, softly resting her hand against his back.
He had certainly grown taller and broader since yesterday, a detail she couldn't help but notice. But since he had seemed so uncomfortable discussing his physical change earlier, she kept the thought to herself.
"I knew it," she said softly, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "I knew you could do it."
When the realization of what he was doing finally hit Isiah, he pulled back from her gently, not looking embarrassed or bothered in the slightest by his sudden affection.
Ethyl pretended it was the most normal thing in the world, casually walking back to sit down where she had been before. Isiah stood tall, beaming with quiet pride over his little breakthrough.
"Now, I will do whatever it takes to get stronger, and I know I will," Isiah declared, his eyes burning with renewed resolve. "I will definitely do it... I will level up... I know I will."