Chapter 100: She’s hotter than the blast!!
She led him out to the backyard, where a private training ground lay hidden behind layers of moss-covered stone walls and trees.
The place wasn’t just a clearing—it was a specially built combat arena, one designed for mages like her to train in secret. The ground was hardened stone, scarred with old scorch marks, frost patches, and cracks from long-forgotten spells.
Valra stepped confidently onto the stony platform, holding the wooden box of rune stones in her arms. Leo followed behind, eyes scanning the area with mild surprise.
Though he didn’t say it aloud, he hadn’t expected something like this. But then again... she was a mage. It would’ve been more surprising if she didn’t have a training field.
She set the box down and pulled out one of the stones, holding it between her fingers. It glowed with a faint orange hue... Pointing toward a wooden mannequin at the far end of the field, she glanced at Leo.
"If I had to explain it in simple terms..." she said, lifting the stone slightly, "It’s like a grenade. We mages don’t always have enough time... or mana—to cast spells in serious battles. Sometimes, when we hit our limit, we need backup. That’s where rune stones come in."
Leo tilted his head. "Like emergency gear?"
"Exactly. You already know about healing and restoration stones, right? These are similar—but they’re designed for destruction," she explained, narrowing her eyes. "But the thing is... they’re hard to control. The moment you activate them, you’re racing against the countdown."
Her grip tightened, and a faint crack echoed from her hand as the rune began to split. Without wasting a second, she hurled it across the field.
The stone tumbled through the air... small and harmless. Then a jagged line of light crawled across its surface like a fuse.
Crack... Crack... Crack
And just before it reached the wooden dummy—