"So, are you coming with us?"
After the girl changed, Logan along with Ren her brother had been let back into the dining room. He turned toward Yui, who was now standing near the window, casually stretching and testing the new sensations in her transformed body.
She felt stronger, a bit more solid — and heavier too, which wasn't ideal for her class. But she didn't seem to mind.
"No," Yui replied, adjusting the twin hairpins in her bun — both of which doubled as hidden weapons.
"I doubt I'll be useful yet. I haven't tested any of these new skills, and from what I can tell, they rely heavily on speed. Besides…" — she tugged at her makeshift tunic — "I need proper clothes made. This doesn't feel right."
Yui usually wore a kimono when not in combat, but switched to her sleek Shinobi Shizoku — a black ninja suit — when the situation called for stealth.
Right now, she was dressed in a simple white tunic and pastel green skirt, courtesy of Ruri, brought in a rush while her clothes needed to be fixed or made.
"Alright then," Logan nodded. "Everyone else, get ready. We'll be leaving soon."
He was already considering which aerial creature to bring when Lisa called out from across the table.
"Hey—what about Orus and the others? They'd benefit from the trip too. The surroundings near the Temple of Light might be perfect for them to rest and absorb energy."
"Sure, sounds like a perfect plan." Logan knew Orus wouldn't stray far from Lisa, and she had probably already summoned it that morning so they could depart quickly.
A few minutes later, they were outside. The griffins stood ready, already wearing their saddle and calm, their silvery white feathers catching the light as they radiated soft shimmer. The only thing left was for Silvia to complete her teleportation array that would send them near the goblin dungeon.
Logan briefly considered inviting Krexa but dismissed the thought. The goblin warrior was currently busy training new recruits—goblins from nearby forests who had arrived to join her expanding clan.
"Alright, I'm ready," Silvia announced as the array began to glow beneath her. "We need to move quickly. We'll warp in, check that the area is clear, then take flight. Logan, you should bless the griffins before we go, so we don't waste time after arrival."
"Sure thing," Logan replied.
He extended his hand, casting a wind-based enhancement over the griffins. A soft breeze circled them, settling around their limbs and wings, giving them added speed and agility. The effect would last about thirty minutes before needing to be recast.
There were three griffins in total—Orus, and two others of its kind. Kryst would ride with Logan on the lead mount, while Silvia took the second.
She had initially wanted to ride her flarewing crane, but decided against it; the bird still needed a custom saddle built to support flight with a rider.
With everyone in place, the mana filled air glowed faintly as the teleportation array was powered up, signaling their departure.
Their next big journey was about to begin.
They arrived in Elris quickly and took to the sky, the overcast weather working in their favor. Thick clouds allowed them to fly high, hidden from view. Logan kept his wind buffs active, sustaining the griffins' speed and stability throughout the journey.
Their flight to Gorod was long. They had departed around ten in the morning, and with Logan's wind enhancement, they expected to arrive around four in the afternoon.
They stopped only twice, just long enough to rest the griffins and check their heading. At times, they had to climb above the clouds to avoid torrential rains brought on by the spring season.
"The temple should be near," Logan said, glancing down through the thinning mist. "We'll stop a few kilometers away and split into two teams. Silvia, Lisa, and Kryst — the three of you go ahead. I'll follow from above. We might be able to fool the church, but I doubt we can fool the Light Spirit. It's probably already expecting us, especially if it plans to bless the creature I'm supposed to tame."
He tossed Lisa a small crystal. "If anything happens, call me through the communication link."
Logan then leapt off the griffin mid-flight, leaving Kryst riding on its back.
"Alright. I wish you luck, Logan, love you," Lisa said as the winds rushed past them. "Also I doubt I'll be able to finish everything in a single day, so depending on how things go… you might have to leave with Silvia while I stay behind and finish the trial."
She could already guess how difficult it would be. Logan had taken nearly three weeks to complete his own trial — and hers, while more localized, would likely involve a battle for her life, or something equally severe, to earn her new class.
As they approached the outer edge of the Temple of Light, the group split paths.
Logan watched from above as the three griffins glided silently toward the city of Gorod, nestled deep within the endless forest.
The real challenge was just about to begin.
He could already feel the presence of the Light Spirit—one of the two primordial beings that had granted him the power of taming.
Unlike his experiences in the Earth and Fire temples, the light-aligned energy stengthen him.
His mana slowly regenerated at a higher rate, his internal energy stabilizing with each breath, as if he was breathing mana itself.
If he stayed here, Logan guessed he could probably gain at least one level per month from the ambient energy alone.
As soon as the girls entered the city gates, Logan took off in the opposite direction, gliding through the misty forest canopy.
His goal was clear: find a worthy light-elemental creature to tame.
The forest stretched endlessly below him, bathed in dappled gold and pale green. It looked serene — too serene. Logan doubted anything powerful would be lingering near the outer edges.
And judging by the forest's sheer size, this wouldn't be a one-day trip.
Something in his instincts told him he'd be here for a while.
He continued flying at a low altitude, weaving between tree lines, careful not to disturb the local wildlife. At times, he cloaked himself in invisibility to avoid being seen by the silver knights patrolling the skies.
Each one rode a Pegasus — their coats shimmering in gold, white, or pale silver, their riders armed and armored in light-enchanted steel.
They seemed dangerous.
Logan made a mental note to track down one of those majestic winged horses. Taming one of them might be what he came here for.
He didn't think it would be this hard, especially since he was already in the air, and yet he couldn't spot one of the flying horses.
Logan had just finished exploring a stretch of forest where a wide river cut through when he heard the call of a creature.
It sounded like a large stag.
At first, he was excited — maybe this was one of light-elemental beasts he was looking for. But the excitement faded as he remembered he already owned a deer-type creature. He didn't need another.
What did interest him, though, was why the stag was crying out.
Behind the glowing stag was a massive saber-tooth-like creature.
It was huge — at least two meters tall — with a thick coat of white fur streaked with dark golden stripes.
It reminded him of his maned leopard back in Rosethorn… but this one looked far more fierce.
Something about the way it moved told him this wasn't just a random predator.