Chapter 23 - UnLimit

Aric stood alone in the clearing, the fading light of day casting long shadows across the forest floor. His wounds, once fresh and deep, had healed over the past month, leaving only faint scars on his skin.

He could feel his strength returning, his body and mind sharpening like the blade he carried. But despite his physical recovery, the memories of the last month—the battles, the loss of Vire, and the woman's confession—still weighed heavily on him.

He glanced down at his bandage-free arms, flexing his fingers and testing his strength. The pain had subsided, replaced by a simmering resolve. But he knew better than to rush headlong into a confrontation.

He needed to be at his absolute peak, to master every ounce of power within him if he was going to succeed in rescuing Vire and stopping those who sought to exploit them.

For the past week, Aric had dedicated himself to pushing the limits of his technique, which he now names as 'UnLimit'.

This method, which he had honed over years of living in the forest, involved forcing his body to pump blood at an extreme pace, raising his body temperature and allowing him to perceive time as if it were moving slower.

He had started by refining his previous skills, but as the days passed, he found himself venturing into uncharted territory, discovering a new level of power within 'UnLimit'.

It was on the last day of that week, as the sun dipped below the horizon, that he finally broke through.

In the solitude of the forest, Aric focused his mind on a single goal—an attack so precise, so powerful, that it would transcend anything he had ever achieved before.

He cleared his mind of distractions, shutting out the noise of the world around him until only the sound of his heartbeat remained.

Then, in a single, fluid motion, he unleashed it.

The air around him seemed to ripple as his blade cut through the space in front of him.

For a brief moment, time itself appeared to slow, and then, with a sound like tearing silk, the trees in front of him—thick, sturdy trunks—fell away, severed cleanly in half. The power of the slash left a vacuum in its wake, and the force of it fell into the very earth beneath his feet.

He stood there, breathing heavily, staring at the destruction he had wrought. This new level of his technique—he had no other word for it. It was as if all the constraints on his body had been lifted, allowing him to channel every bit of his strength, speed, and precision into a single, devastating strike.

And the attack itself, the culmination of everything he had learned, was a branch of 'UnLimit' he now called 'Split'.

In that one moment, anything in front of him—no matter how strong or solid—would be cleaved in two.

Aric lowered his blade, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He had reached a new stage, one that would give him the edge he needed in the battles to come.

He sheathed his sword and turned back toward the hideout. The woman—now freed from her constraints—was waiting.

Over the past week, he had kept a close watch on her, feeding her enough to regain her strength, but always with an eye on her every movement.

She had behaved well enough, perhaps knowing that any attempt at escape would be futile.

As he approached the hideout, he found her sitting by the small fire he had built, her eyes flickering with the firelight.

She looked up at him, her expression unreadable, but there was a tension in the air, a mutual understanding.

Aric didn't speak as he sat down across from her, the fire crackling between them. He didn't need to. The silence was enough to convey what was on his mind—that it was time to leave, and that he was ready for whatever lay ahead.

The last rays of sunlight disappeared, and the forest was plunged into darkness. 

As the night deepened, Aric closed his eyes, focusing on the power coursing through him. The week of preparation had come to an end. Tomorrow, the hunt would begin anew.