The house was filled with an air of calmness. Everyone was eating breakfast; the food was fresh and tasty Ryu was once again feeling how blissful he is to feel the presence of family in this life,

'Food tastes better when eating with family while surrounded by a calm atmosphere' just when Ryu was enjoying the peace, a shout came from the door,

"Good morning, everyone!!" Hina shouted while entering, being followed by Jue.

"Good morning, everyone," Jue said with a cheerful expression,

Everyone returned their greetings, but Ryu was wondering

'Something is wrong!!' he can feel it. the way Jue was fidgeting and Hina was smiling more than usual.

"Have a seat Hina, luckily I made potato salad today!! Jue like it too right" Lina said with a motherly smile, Hina and Jue joined in breakfast every few days so this was nothing new,

'They are sure after something!!' Ryu was having a gut feeling and their expression was a bit different than usual,

"Ryu, you know Jue has grown a lot since last year," Hina said as she took a bite of potato salad,

'How to bring it up, Jue!!' Hina thought as she knew what she was going to request could be heavily denied, but Jue had been bothering her about it for a month.

"Yes, Hina sister, I heard from grandpa chief that he is almost going to the forest every single day," Ryu said focusing on food to avoid anything undesirable.

"Yes, it had been 1 year. Big brother, I can even defeat stunt lizards myself!!" Jue said with shining eyes shaking his hands, and Ryu noticed it Jue was wearing his knuckles,

'I will impress big brother today!!' Jue thought and giggled,

'Something is suspicious I can feel it' Ryu thought and stood up finishing his breakfast in a hurry,

"Mom, today Geld big brother is going with Chief grandpa, so I will go to the forest straight," Ryu said while trying to leave,

But his hand was grabbed Jue looked up towards Ryu.

"What happened Jue?" Ryu asked, looking down,

'This brat is up to something!!' Ryu frowned and Hina answered instead of Jue.

"Ryu, as you know, the chief father isn't here today, and Jue wanted to show you his growth so…." But before Hina could complete Ryu shouted,

"No!! I can't take him. "

"Please big brother, I just want to show you my strength," Jue pleaded

"Take him with you please Ryu, he was begging me for a month before I agree too," Hina said with a cheerful smile,

Ryu made a smart and thoughtful look as he spoke "Hina sister, I am just 12 this year and I am not as strong as Grandpa chief, I don't have any healing skills to If something were to happen with Jue It would be bad"

But what Ryu was actually thinking was 'Who in the hell will take this brat with them!!?' It had been nearly 1 year since the Naga incident and Jue always act nicely and follow what Ryu said but Ryu still can't accept this sudden change this soon and also

'What will I do if I took another [Power nap] and he picked me up!?' Ryu was teased a lot by his friends from school who witnessed him being carried by Jue after morning training with Geld,

"I will also come with you then Ryu!!" Aiena spoke. She had become 22 now. She still got her cheerful and bright personality in her but there was an addition of finesse in it,

'Why now Aiena!?' Ryu wanted to shout but held it back,

"Aiena, don't you have to go to church for healing people?" Ryu asked calmly.

"Priestess told me to go on real adventurers to get some on-sight experience," Aiena said while nodding, before Ryu could find any come back to this Lina spoke

"So it is decided, today, Ryu, Hina and Jue will go together as a party for training!" she was delighted at the fact Ryu won't be alone in the forest and also thought

'Aiena should go with Ryu rather than some strange party from the adventurer guild' Lina was concerned about Aiena as she has grown up to be beautiful, and some adventurers eye her as she heals them in church,

Aiena's healing talent had grown up way before than before and she had taken over priestess herself in healing the only things Aiena can do to grow was to find God who granted her miracle attribute or to start going on quests as a healer to level up faster,

"Well, we will be going now!!" Ryu said at the gate followed by Aiena and Jue standing behind him. There wasn't much Ryu could have done after Lina's decision,

"Be careful, tell me before you rush at anything Jue… Aiena remain behind me so monsters won't come near you," Ryu was instructing both of them for safety purposes but both of their minds were in their own world,

'Big brother is so cool! I will show him my skills,' Jue thought excitedly.

'Ryu is so smart' Aiena was feeling happy,

After walking for an hour they reached the forest, Ryu had grown up a single level due to fighting so many of the same monsters the experience gained from them had decreased a lot but he still reluctantly goes to the forest every day because various times rare type of monsters come out,

"Big brother, can I kill it!!" Jue asked looking at a stunt lizard standing in the way. Ryu was curious how Jue fought because he come once in a while to show him his new skills and techniques,

"Be careful while you do it. If you get a scratch, we will leave you behind," Ryu said with a blank face but Jue began to laugh,

'As if Big brother will leave me behind' he thought smirking and rushed towards the stunt lizard. Jue threw the sword like a projectile toward the lizard stabbing its eye.

"[Gravel claws]" Jue said and the knuckles he was wearing changed a layer of sharp gravel came upon it, and the confused lizard tried to launch its tongue towards it. Jue, it hit Jue's face,

But still jumping towards it, Jue smashed the Lizard's head as it died.

"[purification small]" Aiena chanted towards him and the paralysis effect that was just about to hit Jue subsided,

Ryu was really surprised when Jue twisted Lizard's hand using knuckles.

'Is he the same kid!! The one who couldn't move!!' Ryu wondered as he saw Jue fearlessly going towards another Stunt Lizard that was stealthily attacking from a tree.

Meanwhile, Jue was thinking

'It is fine to push a bit… I want to look cool in front of Big brother!! And he will not let anything happen to me!!'

Jue was actually pushing himself today to look cool in front of Ryu. Normally he only kills monsters one by one with breaks when he visits with Village chief,

"This will deal with you!!" Jue shouted as he used [Smash] on the lizard but missing it he hit the tree making the lizard fall from impact, the fallen lizard was about to bite Jue's leg but before it could, a dagger passed through its head,

Jue looked toward Ryu.

"You did good I am surprised but don't push yourself too much," Ryu said as he walked slowly towards fallen lizards collecting his dagger out of its head, after being trained in twin swords by Felicia and increasing his potential during Geld's training,

Ryu's technique with daggers and swords had increased many times and also his base strength and speed had increased a lot, so much so that killing 3 mist crocs had become an easy thing for him.

"Aiena, do you know exhaustion relief skills?" Ryu asked in a calm voice as he put the dagger back in its holder on his belt.

"I do Ryu, [Relief]" she answered in a hurry as she cast the skill on Jue, who was still in shock at the smooth movement of the dagger earlier,

'After all, big brother is most cool!!' Jue thought,

After that, they all went through the forest towards the place where Ryu regularly practiced it Ryu was a bit skeptical at first but then he thought sneakily,

'If I showed them what I train with, they might get scared and won't bother me for joining as training party again!'

Jue was the one killing most of the monsters on the way he wanted to show how cool and grown he was to Ryu,

"Big brother if you want take a look at this," Jue said as he passed a piece of paper to Ryu it was a status sheet a paper used to see once the skill is helpful to those people who are going on a dungeon expedition in case, they can't instinctively figure out the skill they gained,

They are expensive and one-time use so mostly no one bought them and just use the adventurer's guild skill appraisal device.

"Sure Jue," Ryu said as he took the paper but thought 'even though I don't need it' he scanned Jue with his seeking his eyes turned crimson

(Level-8

Blessing- [Blessing of Valor God-B]

Skills- [Silent stepping I], [Inhibition], [Mud Wall], [Ground loosing], [Gravel claw], [Smash IV], [Arm strengthening IX], [Slash]

Salvaged Skill- [Ground bound])

'He sure had an admirable growth, three-levels and many skills' Ryu was shocked and for once he was curious what are conditions for getting [Arm strengthening] skill as it was a top-ranking condition fulfillment skill which no one knows condition for,

Then Ryu turned his eyes towards Aiena, scanning her too.

(Level- 10

Title- [contestant], [Apprentice Healer], [Miracle Healer]

Skills- [Heal], [Small Heal], [Light screen], [Mana channelling VI], [Relief], [Cure Illness III], [Light screen], [calming], [Purification small])

'She sure is something else!!' Ryu always thought this whenever he scans Aiena as she never killed a single monster or was a part of a party killing it, she raised all these 10 levels just by healing making it surprising and also granting her various rare healing skills but also a special title,

[Title: Miracle Healer- the title granted to the one who reached level 10 without taking a single life just by healing those in need. By the effect of the title, the bearer will gain more healing skills and the healing skills or miracle cast by the bearer will have twice the effect. The title have growth potential]

'This title already is awesome; I wonder how it will grow!!' Ryu wondered as he looked back at Aiena. They were just a bit away from the center of the forest where Ryu trained regularly,

As they reached that place, Ryu spoke.

"You both don't move much here and let me handle this place"

"But big…" Jue tried speaking but Ryu cut in the middle

"See, the monsters in the center of the Forest are beyond you. Aiena can support healing if required, but you can't fight. Even a single mist croc is beyond you right now Jue and there many can come out at the same, time," Ryu warned,

Aiena and Jue nodded as they knew Ryu won't lie and also that center of the forest was banned even for adventurers by the Village chief.

"Nice watch and learn Jue… I am counting on you for looking over him Aiena," Ryu spoke as they finally stepped into the center zone,

"Here they come!!" Ryu shouted to warn as 4 mist crocs come out of the forest

-To be continued

[Author's note- have fun!!]