"Wait outside for a while," was all I heard before Lena threw me out of the tent.

Confused, I could only shrug before I began to pack up the rest of the camp.

Just as I was done arranging the stuff in a position convenient for Lena to store the things in her storage ring, the sound of the tent flapping was heard, making me take a subconscious look.

But that one glance was enough to make a bewildered expression adorn my face as my mother came out of the tent, looking absolutely stunning.

Her simple dress that she wore earlier was gone; what replaced it was a chic, crop-style sleeveless leather top exuding elegance and allure, revealing her toned midriff.

Sleek leather pants hugged her bottom curves, complementing the alluring top, creating a stylish and captivating ensemble.

"How is it?" Who knew when, Lena also appeared beside Mom as she directed a gaze and a smirk at me. "She looks pretty, right?"

I nodded absentmindedly as my gaze was still fixed on my mother.

"L-Lena, isn't this a bit... too much?" Her words attracted my gaze towards her face, as I found that my mother was blushing hard. Her hands were also restless, similar to herself, as they tried to hide her toned midriff that shone with a healthy glow.

"It's alright, mother." Lena replied in a laidback manner. "See, aren't I wearing the same thing?" She did a twirl as I finally realized that she too was wearing a similar outfit, just that hers was black while my mother's was a deep maroon. There was also a gem on their collar that shone with a magical shine under the sun.

The scene of them both standing together was too much for a normal man's eyes to take. Even I was having a hard time, but while I was used to Lena's sense of fashion, it was my first time seeing my mother like this.

"Look, mother, you can ask your son if you have any doubts." Lena suddenly spoke. "His eyes have been glued to you since you came out."

My face froze, but it was too late to turn away, as my mother's shy gaze had already landed on me.

Just as I was thinking of something to say, my mother suddenly spoke.

"Do I look good?" she asked, surprising me with her words.

I took a pause but replied while nodding my head in all seriousness.

"You look beautiful, Mom!"

A smile appeared on her blushing face as she tried to hide her embarrassment and keep her arms straight, trying to appear more confident before her son.

"Shall we move on?" Lena asked, though the way a mischievous light shone in her eyes made me vigilant. Nothing good came out of that naughty head of hers when Lena decided to be herself.

Thankfully, nothing else happened as we packed our stuff and took the first step towards the treacherous lands in our way.

...

"Hiaa!"

Slash!

Lena wielded a slim sword with speed and precision, slicing through all obstructions effortlessly, cutting through tough skin and bones with ease.

Her movements were agile, leaving her opponents no chance to evade her attacks, and she deftly dodged their counterattacks like a nimble cat.

The opponents she faced resembled wild bulls but were twice their size.

"Careful, Lena!" My mother's panicked voice called from behind.

A massive bull, larger than the others, charged from a distance, attempting to catch Lena off guard.

It was quite a surprising scene to see a beast with such a huge size trying to act sneaky, but it also reflected on its intellect, which allowed it to lead the rest of the bulls as their leader.

Head slanted and horns parallel to the ground, the leader bull charged towards Lena, who was still tangled with the others in the bull gang. The leader bull only had to take a few steps with its strudy feet to advance its bulky body forward, creating a terrifying combo of strength and speed.

Just as it seemed that Lena was about to bear the full brunt of the apocalyptic momentum from the bull's rush, she suddenly vanished from sight.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The leader bull missed its target. But because of its uncontrollable momentum, it ended up colliding with the bulls that Lena was tangled with.

By the time the bull leader realized that the ones being sent flying were its own members, its charge had already created a dent in their sturdy formation, clearing half their group. Most of the bulls that suffered the impact ended up dead or crippled.

MOOOOUU!

The bulls' leader expressed its rage. Eyes red from anger, it tried to locate the one that caused the group to suffer such losses, only to find nothing.

Suddenly, its eyes locked on me and my mother, who were standing at a distance.

Giving another angry grunt, it ordered the rest of the bulls to reorder themselves while it charged towards us.

But before it could even pick up momentum, a sudden figure appeared above its back. Not giving the leader any chance to react, a sharp sword with wind swirling along its length was plunged through the thick bull hide between the horns.

The bull leader let out another roar, but this time it carried a sense of fear, despair, and helplessness.

Boom!

As the leader of the bulls took its last breath, its pillar like legs finally gave away as it fell to the hard ground, creating a small explosion.

Lena had already jumped away and charged towards the remaining bulls.

A few more slashes cut through the last of the bulls, who seemed to have awakened from their stupor as they gazed at their dead leader.

Their ferocious eyes suddenly turned fearful before they suddenly turned around and began to run away senselessly.

"Phew~!" Lena let out a short breath. Her eyes were trained on the retreating bulls, but she didn't have any intention to give chase.

"Are you alright, dear?" Lena turned her head to find my mother dashing towards her, concern etched on her face.

A warm smile appeared on Lena's slightly tired face as she nodded. "I'm good, mother." A feeling of long-forgotten familial love overcame her heart, bringing her joy.

"Ah, I'm really fine!" Lena smiled wryly as Mom began to examine her, searching for any signs of injury. Only after a thorough inspection did my mother sigh in relief.

Her gaze turned stern as she chided, "What were you thinking? Rushing forward in a group of bulls? Do you know how scared I was when that scary bull attacked you?" Her voice expressed agitation as she continued to nag.

I smiled at her concern. It was normal for her to be surprised, as a whole herd of bulls rampaging in one's direction was genuinely frightening. Even normal animals could be overwhelming in herds, let alone mana beasts like these bulls.

"And you!" My smile faltered as my mother turned her head toward me. "Don't you have anything to say when you allowed your lady to risk her life while you watched from afar?"

"Er... Mom, she was just training. There was no risk." I tried to explain. "My involvement would have been useless. Besides, this fight was nothing compared to what we undergo during our master's training sessions."

My mother looked at me doubtfully. "Is that so?" Her gaze returned to Lena, who nodded. Only then did my mother relax, but she still added, "But you still have to be careful, alright?" She caressed Lena's cheek softly, smiling.

"Mm." Lena nodded obediently.

After dealing with the bull herd, the path ahead was uneventful. It was expected since we were still within the bull's territory, and defeating their leader naturally led to a calm and unobstructed path.

...

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the valley, which had already embraced darkness.

"Creeee!"

Eerie noises reverberated in the narrow part of the valley, where caves lined both sides.

Clang!

My sword deflected the scythe-like leg attacking me, and I swiftly countered with my own strike.

"Creee!!" My opponent cried out in pain before collapsing.

Turbid, black blood oozed from the wound, forming a small puddle around the carcass.

We confronted a group of Crystal Spiders, infamous for their quick movements and hard defense. However, Lena and I quickly dispatched them.

"Behind you, Lena!" My mother stood in a safe zone we had cleared for her, cheering us on while keeping an eye on our surroundings.

Though her warnings were unnecessary, we appreciated her presence. It was far better than her previous worried appearance. My mother was adapting to this new life, knowing that facing monsters would become her new normal while living with us. Despite her unease, she bravely tried to change her mindset and habits.

The spiders attacked in a group larger than a herd of bulls, but Lena and I worked together to handle them. Though known for their sturdy defense, they had a weakness too.

Attacking their joints rendered the spiders helpless, but their high agility and erratic leg movements made accurate targeting challenging.

"Go inside!" I called to Lena, leading her towards one of the caves while protecting our mother. Tangling with these creatures was going to be a waste of time. Hence, I decided to end it quickly.

"Go!" Lena followed my signal, and we squeezed into the entrance, big enough for two.

I blocked the swarm of human-sized spiders as they charged at us.

Raising my sword to the side, I infused it with my signature dark mana.

"Burning Slash!"

The sword was engulfed in black flames as I swung it at the incoming spiders.

The spiders halted abruptly, their screeches silenced.

Fwoosh!

Black flames erupted from within the spiders' bodies before extinguishing.

The spiders appeared untouched, but they were all dead.

Buzz!

"You waste energy! You're still too weak to use this attack properly," my dear companion-sword buzzed.

"I agree," I nodded, acknowledging the need for more practice in incorporating magic into my attacks.

"What's so difficult?" My sword buzzed disdainfully. "Mana is a single entity to begin with, while it's you humans who complicate it by dividing it into physical and magical applications."

Pausing, its tone turned milder: "I guess it's not entirely your fault, as humans are not an original species. It's only natural for you to be less talented."

As always, I disregarded its cryptic words and turned back to enter the cave.