Maiol desperately held herself together, fighting the overwhelming urge to colpse, as she drank the potion that Kito had specially made. This potion not only restored her stamina but also replenished her magic, albeit slightly.

  When she activated [Detection], the enemy’s presence had vanished.

  It was likely Seneca who had taken them down.

  However, Maiol noticed that Seneca’s magical aura was faint. She feared for her safety and immediately sprinted toward her.

  Although the distance was not long, the weight of her body and the urgency made it feel much farther than it was.

  Finally, she spotted Seneca.

  Seneca was sitting on the floor, drinking a potion.

  "Seneca!" Maiol called out.

  Seneca turned to face her, smiling softly with a tender expression.

  "You did it, Maiol," she said, before losing consciousness.

  ...

  Seneca awoke to a strange sensation. She seemed to be carried on someone's shoulder.

  It felt rough, so she assumed it was a man.

  She shifted slightly.

  "Mm? You're awake?" A familiar voice called out.

  Opening her eyes, she found Maiol’s face looking at her.

  "Seneca! You're awake!" Maiol excimed.

  "I knew you'd wake up. I’ll lower you now, is that alright?" Maiol asked.

  Seneca weakly nodded.

  With gentle movements, Maiol lowered her to the ground.

  Seneca slowly began to move, standing up. There was no pain, and her injuries seemed to have healed.

  Looking around, she saw Maiol and the four members of the "Oak Branch" standing nearby.

  It appeared that Naeus had been carrying her.

  Julia stepped closer.

  "Seneca, are you alright? I managed to heal most of your injuries with my magic, but it was a really bad situation…" she said with evident concern.

  Both Naeus and Julia wore worried expressions, and Maiol, standing some distance away, looked as though she might burst into tears.

  Seneca clenched her fist lightly and took a few steps. Despite feeling fatigued, her body seemed to be fine.

  "I think I’m alright," she said.

  "I’m gd…" Naeus replied with a calm voice.

  ...

  After Seneca had lost consciousness, Maiol had quickly administered first aid. Though Seneca had drunk the potion, providing some recovery, it seemed her internal organs had been damaged.

  Maiol, pale and frantic, had discarded her quiver and bow, carrying Seneca on her back as she ran toward the town. She was ter found by Menon, who apparently heard about the situation.

  The members of the "Oak Branch" had immediately acted after hearing the details. Julia took care of both Seneca and Maiol’s treatment, while Naeus and Menon confirmed the scene and collected supplies. Akalus was tasked with protecting the group.

  Thanks to this, they were able to recover valuable items such as Maiol’s arrows, along with the tusks and tails of the wild monkeys, which could be used as proof of their successful hunt.

  Julia's healing magic had saved Seneca’s life, but she had remained unconscious for some time, causing concern for everyone. Seneca expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

  After waking up, Seneca, following Julia’s suggestion to be cautious, allowed Naeus to carry her once more. However, as they continued, Seneca felt her strength returning, so she asked to be set down.

  She then slowly approached Maiol and, gently, embraced her.

  "We made it back alive, Maiol. Thank you," she whispered.

  Upon seeing the two embracing, Naeus couldn’t help but shed a tear.

  ...

  As they neared the outskirts of Baet Forest, Seneca began to scan the area intently. She soon spotted a small rabbit and swiftly beheaded it.

  The group was accustomed to Seneca’s sudden and unpredictable actions, but they were still surprised by this particur moment.

  "Seneca, what are you doing?" Maiol asked, confused.

  "I felt like if I didn’t take it down here, I’d be too scared to enter the forest," Seneca expined.

  Maiol was still puzzled, but Julia chimed in.

  "After experiencing a brush with death, some adventurers face a sudden wave of fear when the tension lifts. It’s something that can even cause some to quit adventuring altogether," she said.

  Naeus added, "When you say ‘I’ll go when I feel better,’ you can end up never being able to enter the monster’s domain. In such cases, it’s often better to face the monsters sooner, even if you have to push yourself. Seneca must have sensed that instinctively. Maiol, you might want to try it too."

  Hearing this, Maiol began scanning the area.

  Menon used her skill to locate a giant frog, which Maiol quickly dispatched.

  ...

  Thanks to the "Oak Branch," the two finally returned to Baetica. After giving a brief report to the guild, they made their way back to their dormitory.

  There were many things they wished to discuss, but both were physically exhausted, so they decided to talk ter and fell asleep.

  Maiol slept for two whole days without waking.

  Though Seneca had been the more severely injured of the two, she miraculously awoke the following day and began moving around.

  She headed to the guild to report the details, which made Turia extremely worried. Afterward, she went to Julia to report on her condition. Seneca then attempted to pay for her treatment, but Julia refused.

  Afterward, Seneca made sure to thank Kito for the potion and tend to other small matters.

  It was during this time that Maiol finally woke up.

  She had been turning over in bed, so Seneca had expected her to wake soon.

  "Good morning, Maiol!" Seneca said cheerfully, greeting the groggy girl.

  Maiol, still confused, gnced around as if she didn’t understand her surroundings.

  "We’ve returned to Baetica and come back to our room. You’ve been asleep for two whole days, Maiol. How are you feeling?" Seneca asked.

  Upon hearing this, Maiol seemed to fully wake up.

  "Two days?" she muttered softly.

  Just as Seneca was about to respond, Maiol suddenly jumped up.

  "Seneca, I leveled up to level 2…" she said, excitement in her voice.

  But, having jumped up too quickly, she grew dizzy and stumbled back to her bed, barely able to keep her bance.

  Seneca smiled widely and said, "I knew it… Maiol, congratutions!"

  Still a little unstable, Maiol began to cry, her emotions overwhelming her.

  "I thought I was going to die… In that battle, there was no hope of winning, and my mind went bnk. I felt so powerless. But then, in a moment of desperation, I pushed forward with sheer stubbornness, and suddenly, the path opened up. I thought to myself, ‘If this is the end, I must risk everything or regret it.’ And then I fought, and the wild monkey fell… and I leveled up."

  Seneca nodded and held Maiol tightly.

  Normally, Maiol was the one looking after Seneca, but in that moment, Seneca held her as Maiol sobbed in her arms.

  ...

  After several days of rest, Maiol and Seneca set out for Baet Forest once more.

  This time, there was no quest, just a chance to test the effects of Maiol’s new level.

  By the time they arrived, Maiol could already feel a noticeable improvement in her physical abilities. She moved more swiftly, with greater agility, and her strength had clearly increased. She felt she could outpace Seneca in agility.

  Her strength had improved significantly, especially in her arms, which were now more capable of handling a shield and sword.

  It would take some time to fully adjust, but Maiol felt confident that her combat abilities were on the rise.

  She activated her [Detection] skill, noting that both its range and precision had improved dramatically. Additionally, she could now detect people, gaining access to information that had previously been invisible to her.

  Next, she used [Sight: Subjective], and the previously overhead perspective of the information integrated smoothly into her regur vision. This would likely prove helpful for close-range combat.

  Lastly, she activated [Trail], and asked Seneca to move around. As Seneca moved, faint dotted lines remained in her wake, marking the path she had taken. Maiol thought that this might be useful when shooting arrows.

  When she combined [Sight: Subjective] with [Trail], the dotted lines became visible to her as well, marking Seneca’s movements.

  Maiol poured magic into her skills, narrowing their range. As she did so, the visual representation of Seneca’s movements became clearer—she could even track the trajectory of Seneca’s sword swings and arm motions.

  This was a skill she had used instinctively in that earlier life-or-death situation, which had likely saved her. Maiol now realised that she had probably crossed into level 2 territory back then.

  After testing all her skills, Maiol realised that her processing speed had also increased. Compared to before, the amount of information flooding her mind no longer felt overwhelming.

  It was likely that her enhanced physical abilities were also aiding her mental processing.

  She engaged Seneca in a light spar with swords. While her skill was nowhere near Seneca’s, her strength had increased, and she felt the impact of that improvement.

  Maiol had experienced the cruelty and strength that came with leveling up and knew that it was all too easy to become compcent, neglecting the basics in favour of newfound power. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to remain humble.

  Seneca watched intently, fascinated by the way Maiol was adapting.