TBATE - Brother's Once More

Reunion

As I walked, I noticed the unnaturally thick fog along with the countless number of trees around me.

A disheartened sigh escaped from my mouth as I picked myself up, confirming I really was in the Forest of Elshire.

"Looks like I won't be seeing Arthur anytime soon, let alone my family. It's already been over four months since the fall from the cliff. They most likely have either gone back to Ashbur or had maybe even decided to stay in Xyrus."

I had nothing on me aside from my daggers and the shredded clothes I had on. This cursed fog really is annoying. I can only see a few meter ahead, even with mana reinforcing my eyes.

'Looks like walking around isn't gonna get us to your brother.'

"Uh-huh. I noticed. Way to point out the obvious, Ryu."

'In any case, this is the perfect training scenario. You should be able to learn this technique easily, seeing as how you managed the mana circulation technique.'

"Uh, okay? What do I need to do?"

'Split your mind, your thinking mind, into segments, just like you did with the circulation technique. This is so you'll be able to process the information quick enough.'

"Gotcha."

'Now, try absorbing mana. Ideally, we'd aim for at least half of how much you normally absorb, since you'd be consuming mana in battle, but we'll settle for however much we can get in three days.'

And with this, I attempted to learn this mana absorption technique before looking for Arthur.

In the first day, I'd learned how to do it, and on the second, I'd gotten to about 25% absorption. By the third day, I'd reached 50% absorption.

'Good job. Now, we need to start looking for Arthur. climb the tress and search from up there.

After about an hour of jumping and searching for Arthur, or anybody, really, I finally found something. It was a wrecked carriage.

I advanced to analyze the situation. Upon closer inspection, I noticed four bodies on the ground, all adult humans. I looked at them, then at the carriage, and back at the bodies.

'Slave traders?'

"Yep. Looks pretty recent too; only most of the blood's dry."

I looked at the bodies a bit longer. Looked like only one of them was a mage; likely an augmenter.

"Well, seeing as how three normal people and a mage were killed, we can assume who did this, since there' not even a trace of Elven presence here. It seems Arthur's gotten stronger." I smirked. As expected of someone as talented and hardworking as him.

I got up and noticed some tracks about 2 meters away from the carriage going northwards, toward the Kingdom of Elenoir.

I took it as a sign that Arthur must've saved someone, and advanced in that direction.

'Are you sure this'll be safe?' 

"Nope. But it's better than nothing."

I'd been walking the path for about three days when I noticed a beast was stalking two people, one man and one woman. They didn't seem to notice it, because they just continued conversing.

"There you go, talking all weird like some old man again!" She said, an irritated expression across her face.

"Better than being a crybaby that can't even pee by herself without me nearby with my eyes closed and ears shut," he said, and amused expression painted on his face.