Chapter 33: The Dry Root
The silence between Eren and Kaela wasn’t empty. It was dense. Saturated with meaning, like a smoke curtain after a well-lit fire. He walked with relaxed arms, but his senses still vibrated beneath his skin. She, with her shoulders exposed to the fresh air and hair tied up haphazardly, exuded a raw confidence—the kind of calm that only comes after achieving something long desired.
Kaela didn’t utter a word, but neither did she drift away from him. Her tail swayed subtly, without tension, and her eyes scanned the trail as if nothing there was a threat. She was satisfied. And Eren... focused.
"Now that Kaela is back at the center of the bond, I can reorganize everything," he thought, observing the terrain variations in his mental map. "The trio is almost balanced. Almost."
The entrance to the clearing appeared a few minutes later, flanked by vines that resembled worn webs. The internal space was the same—or almost. The two monsters were still there, but what once was just a rustic training had transformed into a small simulation field.
Webs stretched between trees, makeshift targets made of hardened bark, circular marks on the ground like impact zones. Morwynn was up high, in a meditative position, her fingers in contact with her own web as if playing an invisible instrument. Nyssa, on the ground, practiced her throws.
The slime now had a more defined appearance. Her body remained translucent and soft, but displayed slightly higher and firmer contours, as if she were mimicking the shape of a warrior she never was. Her core glowed with a more vivid energy, and her movements were less hesitant.
She launched an acidic projectile at a wooden target—and missed by two fingers’ width.
"Damn..." she murmured, retracting her gelatinous arms.
"Less force. More precision," said Morwynn from above, without even looking directly.
Eren watched for a few seconds and then broke the silence.
"Time to continue."
His voice resonated like an automatic command. Nyssa almost fell apart in surprise but regained her composure upon recognizing him. Morwynn descended smoothly from her platform with a controlled leap, landing lightly and elegantly beside him.