The frozen biome had finally grown quiet again.
After the chaos of the previous battle, the silence almost felt unreal.
Snow drifted slowly across the shattered glacier while the remains of the Leviathan fight and the confrontation against Kaelor still scarred the landscape around us.
Massive cracks split the ice in several directions, black traces of darkness still stained portions of the battlefield, and yet despite everything that had happened there only a few hours earlier, the atmosphere around the small campfire felt strangely peaceful.
Kael sat near the flames while warming his hands dramatically.
“Okay,” he sighed, “I officially hate nobles.”
“You already hated them before,” Faelyn replied calmly while leaning against a nearby block of ice.
“Yeah, but now I hate them with experience.”
For the first time in hours, Lyra let out a small laugh.
A genuine one.
Good.
After everything that happened earlier, the group desperately needed to breathe again.
I remained silent for a moment while watching the fire crackle softly in front of us.
The adrenaline from the battle had mostly faded now, leaving behind only mental exhaustion and the lingering memory of the darkness consuming me during the fight against Kaelor.
Dwelling on it now would solve nothing.
“We already eliminated enough teams to qualify,” I eventually said calmly.
“Which means we no longer need to fight unless necessary.”
Kael immediately looked relieved.
“Finally, a strategy that doesn’t involve almost dying.”
“You were smiling during the entire fight.”
“That is unrelated.”
Faelyn rolled her eyes while Lyra quietly adjusted the blankets drying near the fire.
Meanwhile, Varkas remained slightly apart from the group as usual, though compared to earlier, the distance felt far less deliberate now.
Little by little, the group had stopped behaving like temporary allies forced together by circumstance.
We were becoming comfortable around each other.
I looked toward the frozen horizon afterward before continuing.
“The Leviathan probably wasn’t random.”
That immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“The amount of mana surrounding it was abnormal,” I explained.
“Its territory too.
It behaved more like a guardian protecting a zone than a wandering monster.”
Kael leaned slightly forward now.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning each biome probably contains something similar.
Guardians protecting resources, materials, maybe artifacts.”
Faelyn crossed her arms thoughtfully.
“So the academy rewards teams capable of defeating them.”
“Most likely.”
Authority of Knowledge had already started connecting the patterns hours ago.
The Leviathan’s scales alone had drastically improved Lyra’s staff, and several of the alchemical plants growing nearby possessed mana concentrations far above normal levels.
This Battle Royale wasn’t designed only to eliminate participants.
It was designed to force them to evolve.
Kael’s grin slowly returned afterward.
“Okay… hunting giant monsters for loot sounds WAY better than fighting random idiots.”
“That’s because you’re mentally damaged,” Faelyn answered immediately.
“Correct.”
A faint smile appeared on Lyra’s face again while even Varkas seemed less tense than before.
The atmosphere around the campfire continued warming naturally little by little, and honestly, after the madness of the previous hours, the calm felt almost surreal.
Then an idea crossed my mind.
“…Actually,” I said while standing up slowly, “after everything that happened today, we should probably make this an actual celebration.”
Kael blinked.
“A celebration?”
“We survived.
We qualified.
Nobody died.” I glanced toward the fire briefly before allowing myself the faintest smile.
“So let’s eat properly for once and celebrate a little.”
Faelyn immediately narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Why do I feel like you’re about to do something weird?”
Instead of answering immediately, I crouched near my bag before pulling out several alchemical ingredients gathered earlier around the biome alongside fragments of mana fruit preserved through ice magic.
Authority of Knowledge instinctively reorganized the process inside my mind while I started combining the ingredients together through controlled mana manipulation.
Kael stared for a few seconds before realization suddenly hit him.
“Wait… you’re making alcohol?”
“With alchemy, yes.”
The lightning mage looked genuinely emotional.
“Noctis… I think I love you.”
Kael remained crouched beside me the entire time like an overexcited child watching some legendary magical ritual unfold.
“Please tell me this is going to explode.”
“If it explodes, we die.”
“…Even better.”
Faelyn sighed deeply from the other side of the fire.
“How are you still alive?”
“Natural talent.”
“You’re the reason warning labels exist.”
Despite the conversation, the atmosphere around the campfire had become surprisingly warm.
The tension from earlier continued fading little by little while the crackling flames reflected softly across the frozen biome surrounding us.
Even the cold no longer felt oppressive now that everyone had finally started relaxing.
I continued mixing the ingredients carefully inside the alchemical flask while mana circulated through the liquid in controlled waves.
The crushed winter fruits slowly dissolved alongside several warming herbs and fermented mana roots gathered near the Leviathan’s territory earlier.
A deep amber color gradually formed inside the flask while a surprisingly pleasant smell spread around the camp.
Lyra blinked softly.
“Of course it does,” Kael answered before I could speak.
“Master Alchemist over here apparently does everything.”
“I’m starting to think he genuinely might,” Faelyn muttered while watching the process with narrowed eyes.
Honestly…
I wasn’t entirely sure they were wrong anymore.
The more experience I gained, the more fragments of buried knowledge resurfaced naturally inside my mind.
Combat instincts.
Mana control.
Alchemy.
Crafting.
Techniques I had supposedly sealed away before reincarnating into this world slowly returned piece by piece whenever I pushed myself far enough.
And somehow, despite how unnatural that should have felt…
Part of me already considered it normal.
The thought bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
I eventually poured the finished alcohol into several metallic cups before handing them around the campfire.
Thin streams of mana still flowed faintly through the liquid while warmth naturally radiated from the drink itself.
Kael immediately took the first sip.
Then lightning exploded around his body.
“…OH THAT’S STRONG.”
Faelyn burst out laughing while Lyra nearly choked trying not to laugh with her.
Even Varkas looked visibly amused for the first time since joining the group.
Good.
That reaction alone made the effort worth it.
Kael stared down into the cup afterward like he had discovered divine revelation itself.
“You are never allowed to die.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Meanwhile, Lyra carefully tasted hers much more cautiously.
A faint warmth immediately spread across her body while some of the exhaustion visible on her face softened slightly.
“This is actually really relaxing…”
“The herbs help restore mana slowly,” I explained.
“Nothing too strong, but enough to recover a little faster.”
Faelyn raised an eyebrow.
“So you accidentally created magical alcohol.”
“I created it intentionally.”
“That somehow makes it worse.”
The group laughed quietly again while the fire continued crackling between us.
For the first time since entering the Battle Royale, the atmosphere genuinely felt peaceful.
No pressure.
No monsters.
No nobles trying to kill each other for status and pride.
Just five exhausted people sitting around a fire after surviving hell together.
Varkas remained quieter than the others, though unlike before, the silence no longer felt distant.
He listened to the conversation while slowly turning the metallic cup between his hands, the firelight reflecting against the dark red eyes of the demon.
Eventually, Kael leaned backward against a frozen rock while exhaling heavily.
“Honestly… this already feels way better than home.”
The mood around the campfire softened slightly after that.
Not uncomfortable.
Just honest.
“My village was near the eastern front,” Kael continued more calmly now.
“Small farming territory.
Most people there barely care about kingdoms anymore.
The war keeps moving through the region every few years and destroys everything each time.”
Lyra quietly lowered her eyes.
Of course.
She and Kael were from the same place.
“The academy’s basically the only way out for people like us,” Kael admitted while staring into the flames.
“Most commoners who survive this exam join an army afterward.
Better pay.
Protection.
Food.”
“But you don’t want that,” I said.
Kael immediately shook his head.
“No chance.”
For the first time since I had met him, his usual carefree grin faded almost completely.
“I don’t want some noble deciding where I fight or who I kill,” he said quietly.
“I want the academy license so I can become an independent warrior legally.
A mercenary, an adventurer… whatever lets me move freely.”
The fire crackled softly between us while snow continued falling slowly around the camp.
“Why?” Faelyn eventually asked.
Kael remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
“Because I’m going back there someday.” His eyes slowly lifted toward the frozen horizon beyond the campfire.
“And when I do, I’m ending the war destroying my home.”
Silence settled naturally around the campfire after Kael’s words.
Not an uncomfortable silence, but the kind born when everyone understands someone just spoke honestly.
The flames crackled softly between us while snow drifted through the frozen biome in slow silence.
Kael himself seemed slightly embarrassed by how serious he had suddenly become, which honestly suited him far less than his usual reckless energy.
“So basically,” Faelyn eventually said while crossing her arms, “your grand life plan is to become a wandering lunatic with lightning powers.”
Kael pointed at her immediately.
“A heroic wandering lunatic.”
“Ah yes. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Important distinction.”
That instantly broke the tension.
Lyra smiled softly while Varkas let out what was probably the closest thing to a laugh anyone had heard from him so far.
Even Kael relaxed afterward, his usual grin slowly returning as the atmosphere around the fire warmed naturally once more.
Still, his words lingered in my mind.
Not because of the revenge.
Because of the freedom.
Unlike the nobles obsessed with status and power, Kael didn’t dream about ruling anyone.
He simply wanted the strength to protect what mattered to him without chains attached to it.
Somehow, that felt strangely admirable.
The fire burned lower as the night continued while the alcohol gradually loosened everyone’s mood further.
Kael had already become dramatically louder after several cups, which Faelyn openly blamed on “brain damage amplified by lightning mana.”
“It makes perfect sense scientifically,” she claimed.
“You don’t even know science.”
“Correct.
But I feel correct.”
Even Lyra was laughing openly now.
After the violence of the previous days, seeing the group like this felt strangely comforting.
At some point, Kael suddenly stood up beside the fire while nearly spilling his drink everywhere.
“Alright,” he declared proudly, “this celebration lacks one thing.”
Faelyn narrowed her eyes immediately.
“Absolutely not.”
“Music.”
“There isn’t even music.”
“Details.”
Before anyone could stop him, Kael slammed one foot against the frozen ground hard enough for lightning to explode outward in rhythmic pulses through the glacier beneath us.
The crackling electricity echoed surprisingly well through the biome while he immediately started laughing at his own stupidity.
Lyra covered her mouth trying not to laugh again.
“This is ridiculous.”
“It’s genius,” Kael corrected proudly.
A few seconds later, even Faelyn started moving slightly with the rhythm despite pretending not to enjoy herself.
Varkas looked completely lost, standing near the fire with the expression of someone who genuinely had no idea how he ended up in this situation.
Kael immediately pointed at him.
“You too.”
“I would rather fight another Leviathan.”
“That’s not a no.”
Against all logic, the campfire slowly turned into complete chaos.
Kael danced terribly.
Faelyn mocked him while somehow dancing far better than expected.
Varkas eventually gave up resisting after Lyra nearly fell over laughing while trying to pull him closer to the fire.
And somehow, for the first time since arriving in this world, I found myself simply watching the scene instead of analyzing it.
No battle.
No strategy.
No pressure.
Just warmth.
Lyra eventually moved beside me while the others continued embarrassing themselves near the fire.
The orange glow reflected softly across her silver hair while snowflakes melted slowly against the barrier of warmth surrounding the camp.
“You’re smiling,” she said softly.
I blinked once before realizing she was right.
Barely.
But still.
“Maybe the alcohol is stronger than expected.”
Lyra laughed quietly at that before her expression softened slightly.
“You know,” she whispered after a small pause, “I’m glad we met you.”
The words caught me off guard more than they should have.
Before reincarnating into this world, connections had stopped meaning much to me long ago.
Omniscience had destroyed too much distance between myself and everything around me.
People became predictable.
Temporary.
But this felt different.
Messy.
Unpredictable.
Human.
And honestly…
I didn’t dislike it.
“You should probably thank the others too,” I answered quietly while watching Kael nearly fall directly into the fire.
“I’m not exactly easy to deal with.”
Lyra’s eyes shifted toward me afterward, softer than before.
“You protected us,” she whispered.
“Even when it hurt you.”
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
The fire crackled softly nearby while laughter echoed through the frozen biome around us.
Then Lyra gently rested her head against my shoulder for just a second before pulling away slightly, almost embarrassed by her own courage afterward.
“…Thank you, Noctis.”
The warmth spreading through my chest at that moment felt dangerously similar to the thrill of battle.
Except calmer.
Softer.
And somehow…
That frightened me even more.