After a good rest, Belle stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders to shake off the stiffness from sitting too long. The break had been refreshing, but she couldn't afford to relax for too long. This world was unfamiliar, and she was still a stranger in it. If she wanted to survive—no, thrive—she needed to push herself further.
She stepped into a clearing, the air around her humming with an energy she was beginning to recognize as hers. It was strange, feeling something so powerful flow through her body, as if she had become something more than human.
Her first goal: master fire and lightning.
Belle extended her hand, focusing on the warmth she had felt earlier. It was like a fire deep within her chest, ready to ignite at her command. She let it build, coaxing it forward. Slowly, an ember flickered to life in her palm, dancing with a mesmerizing glow. The heat was intense, yet it felt… natural, like an extension of herself rather than an external force.
"Fire… I can create fire," she mused, watching the flickering flame.
She experimented, trying to make it grow. The fire responded, expanding into a swirling orb of heat. She pulled it back, shrinking it into a smaller flame before extinguishing it entirely.
"So I have control over its size and intensity."
Next, she tried throwing it. Summoning another fireball, she hurled it toward a nearby tree. The moment it left her hand, the fireball lost shape and fizzled out before reaching its target.
Belle frowned.
"Not enough power? Or am I not stabilizing it properly?"
She tried again, focusing on condensing the fire before launching it forward. This time, the fireball struck the tree, leaving behind a black scorch mark. Smoke curled into the air, the scent of burning wood lingering.
"It worked, but it's still not strong enough."
She repeated the process several times, adjusting her technique. By the fifth attempt, she had figured it out—she needed to concentrate on compressing the fire before releasing it. When she did it correctly, the fireball surged forward with real force, slamming into the bark and leaving a deeper burn.
"Good. Now, what about defense?"
She envisioned flames forming a protective wall around her. The fire obeyed, swirling outward and rising into a ring. Heat radiated from it, but to her surprise, it didn't burn her at all. She reached a hand toward the flames, feeling only a pleasant warmth.
"A fire barrier… this could shield me from attacks."
But fire was only half of what she could do.
Belle closed her fingers into a fist, reaching for the other energy inside her—the one that felt wilder, sharper. The moment she focused, static crackled along her skin, sending tingles down her arm. Unlike fire, which flowed naturally, lightning felt erratic, unstable.
She clenched her fist and threw a punch into the air.
A sudden CRACK split the silence as a jagged bolt of electricity surged forward, striking a large rock in the clearing. The impact shattered the stone, sending fragments flying in all directions. A static charge lingered in the air, making her hair stand on end.
Belle lowered her fist slowly, blinking at the destruction she had just caused.
"Lightning is strong… but unpredictable. If I don't focus, I could end up hitting the wrong target."
Then an idea formed in her mind.
"What if I combine fire and lightning?"
She summoned a fireball in her palm, then focused on adding lightning to it. Sparks flickered along its surface, but the moment she tried to infuse more energy, the fireball collapsed in on itself, vanishing into thin air.
Belle scowled.
"Too much energy? Or are fire and lightning not compatible?"
She tried again, this time adding the electricity more carefully. The fireball flared before sparking violently and exploding in her hand. She stumbled back, shaking her fingers. The heat hadn't burned her, but the force had been too unstable.
She exhaled slowly. Trial and error.
For the next hour, Belle refined her technique. She tested different ways to merge the elements—sometimes the fireball fizzled out, other times the lightning overpowered it, causing wild bursts of energy. She needed to find the perfect balance.
Eventually, she found it.
By focusing on stabilizing the fire first and then gradually weaving in lightning, the two elements merged into a crackling orb of energy. It pulsed in her palm, unstable yet contained.
She took aim and threw it.
The impact was instantaneous. The fireball detonated the moment it hit a target, sending out an explosive shockwave. Sparks and embers scattered in all directions, the force making her take an involuntary step back.
Belle stared at the scorched earth, heart pounding.
"Combining fire and lightning… this could be devastating in battle."
But even with this success, she knew she wasn't done.
"I still need more control. If I don't perfect this, I could just as easily hurt myself as my enemies."
Her fists clenched with determination. This was just the beginning. She had the power. Now, she needed to master it.
And she wouldn't stop until she did.
Several days had passed since Belle had escaped the Forbidden Forest. Though she had yet to find a way out of this unfamiliar woodland, she had managed to survive on her own. The dense canopy above concealed the sky, but she could still tell the passage of time by the shifting light filtering through the trees. Each night, she rested beneath the stars, her thoughts racing with unanswered questions.
How did I end up here? What exactly am I now?
Despite the uncertainty, she had maintained a strict discipline—honing her abilities at every opportunity. Her body had changed, her strength had grown, and her senses had sharpened beyond human limits. But there was one power that remained a mystery.
Her draconic aura.
She had felt its presence since the moment she merged with the Cyber Dragon—a deep, thrumming energy coursing through her veins like a second heartbeat. It was unlike her enhanced senses or elemental magic. It wasn't something she saw or heard; it was something she felt—an undeniable force pulsing from her core.
Sitting cross-legged in the clearing, she placed a hand over her chest and closed her eyes, shutting out the distractions of the world around her.
What exactly is this power? How do I control it?
She focused inward, trying to grasp the energy within. It was raw, untamed, like a storm barely contained. She had felt glimpses of it before—when she had fought the mutated beasts in the Forbidden Forest, when she had sensed danger before it struck. But she had never controlled it willingly.
Belle thought back to a story she had once read—a fantasy novel where a warrior could extend their energy like an invisible web, sensing everything around them. Could she do the same with her draconic aura?
"If I can control this energy… maybe I can use it to sense my surroundings." she uttered.
Taking a slow breath, she visualized the energy within her. She willed it to move—not wildly, but with intent. At first, it felt sluggish, resisting her control. Then, like ripples spreading across the surface of a pond, she felt it expand outward.
The sensation was overwhelming.
Her awareness stretched beyond her body, past the trees, through the shifting undergrowth. It was as if she had grown invisible tendrils, reaching out and brushing against the world itself. She could feel the presence of birds perched high in the canopy, their tiny hearts fluttering like rapid drum beats. The skittering of squirrels along the bark, the twitching of a rabbit's ears as it perked up at a distant sound.
And then—something larger.
A creature lurked at the edge of her perception, just beyond the clearing. It wasn't moving, but she could sense its steady breathing.
Belle's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding. Her vision was normal again, but she knew something was out there. She turned her head sharply toward the spot where she had sensed the presence—nothing but thick foliage. Yet she was certain of it.
This was real.
Slowly, she stood, flexing her fingers. A newfound excitement buzzed in her chest.
This is incredible… I can sense everything around me.
She had just unlocked something entirely new—an ability she decided to call Aura Sense. It was more than just an extension of her perception; it was a form of awareness, a way to monitor her surroundings even without sight.
And if she could refine it further… she could use it in battle.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
Belle took a deep breath and closed her eyes, tuning out the distractions of the forest around her. If her Aura Sense truly worked like an extension of herself, she needed to refine it—to stretch it to its absolute limits and understand its full capabilities.
She began by extending it outward, a thin layer of energy radiating from her body. At first, it was unstable, flickering and wavering like ripples on a pond. She could feel the immediate area—trees swaying gently in the breeze, the scurrying of small creatures in the underbrush, the rhythmic pulse of her own heartbeat. But that was only the beginning.
With deep concentration, she pushed her aura further. It spread like an invisible web, creeping through the forest, weaving around tree trunks, slipping between branches. She could sense the minute details—an ant crawling over a fallen leaf, the way the soil absorbed moisture, the breath of a sleeping deer nestled in the shade.
This is insane… I can feel everything.
Her pulse quickened as she pushed further.
Ten meters… twenty meters… fifty meters…
As the range expanded, maintaining control became harder. The influx of information overwhelmed her senses—the sheer amount of movement, the chaotic symphony of life in the forest. It was like trying to listen to a thousand voices speaking at once, each one demanding her attention.
Sweat formed on her brow as she steadied herself. No—I can't let it control me. I have to be the one in control.
She inhaled sharply, adjusting her focus. Instead of letting the aura flood her mind with random details, she tried something new—she filtered the noise, focusing on movements rather than stillness.
And then—something shifted.
Far beyond what she had sensed before, there was movement. A presence. No… multiple presences.
Belle's brows furrowed. These weren't wild animals or wandering beasts. The rhythm of their movements was too calculated, too synchronized.
She honed in on them, stretching her awareness further. One… two… four of them? No, five. Their movements were steady, deliberate, and heading in a singular direction. She could faintly sense the weight of their steps, the way their bodies carried weapons.
A chill ran down her spine. These are people… and they're not just passing through.
She sharpened her focus. Beyond them, she detected another presence—smaller, more erratic, hurried. A different kind of movement. Desperate.
Someone's being chased.
Her eyes snapped open, the forest rushing back into view. She stood frozen for a moment, heart pounding.
Bandits.
And someone was about to become their next victim.
Belle didn't hesitate. As soon as she detected the victim and the bandits through her Aura Sense, she activated her super speed. The world blurred around her, the wind howling in her ears as she weaved through the dense trees.
The closer she got, the more details her senses picked up. The victim's ragged breaths. The rough voices of the bandits. The metallic scrape of a weapon being drawn.
She arrived at the scene in a flash.
A middle-aged merchant stood cornered near a wooden cart, his trembling hands gripping a small dagger. His face was pale with terror as five armed men surrounded him. The largest of the group—a burly bandit with a scar across his cheek—grinned as he stepped forward, raising a curved blade.
"Just hand over the goods, old man. No need to make this painful."
The merchant stumbled back against his cart, sweat beading on his forehead. He swallowed hard but didn't lower his dagger.
Belle exhaled, letting her draconic aura unfurl around her like an unseen storm. The air shifted.
"Leave him alone."
The bandits turned, startled by the interruption. Their eyes locked onto Belle—a lone girl standing at the edge of the clearing, silver hair catching the sunlight, her expression calm yet unwavering.
A tense silence followed before the scarred bandit sneered. "Well, well. Looks like we found ourselves a lost little traveler." He glanced at his men, chuckling. "And here I thought today was gonna be boring."
The other bandits laughed, one of them cracking his knuckles.
Belle didn't respond. She didn't need to.
In the blink of an eye, she moved.
Before the nearest bandit could react, Belle closed the distance and drove her knee into his stomach. The impact sent him flying backward, his weapon clattering to the ground.
The second bandit cursed and lunged at her with a dagger. Belle sidestepped effortlessly, gripping his wrist and twisting—SNAP!—forcing him to drop the blade. She followed up with a sharp kick to his chest, sending him sprawling.
The remaining three hesitated. Their amusement was gone, replaced by wary disbelief. Belle stood among them, completely unscathed, her silver eyes glowing faintly. The air around her felt charged—an unseen force pressing down on them.
She took a step forward.
"Leave. Now."
They didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling to their feet, the bandits grabbed their fallen comrades and bolted into the forest, their panicked footsteps fading into the distance.
The merchant let out a shaky breath. His hands still trembled as he clutched his dagger, but his face was full of astonishment. "Th-thank you," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Belle gave him a reassuring nod, but before she could respond—
She felt it.
A presence.
Her Aura Sense flared, detecting someone nearby—standing just at the edge of the clearing, watching.
Belle turned sharply, her instincts on high alert.
A lone figure stood beneath the dappled sunlight, his posture relaxed yet poised, as if he were measuring her. His crimson hair fell past his shoulders, tied back in a loose ponytail, the wind shifting a few strands across his sharp features. A katana rested at his side, his hand lightly touching the hilt.
His presence felt different.
Strong. Unshaken.
Belle's draconic aura stirred in response. A surge of energy coursed through her veins, an instinctive reaction to sensing a powerful opponent. The air itself seemed heavier, charged with an intensity that made her heartbeat quicken.
The swordsman's gaze met hers, unreadable yet piercing.
Then, with a smooth motion, he drew his katana. The steel glinted coldly in the sunlight.
"Impressive," he said, his voice calm but laced with intrigue. "But let's see how you handle something more serious."
Belle's body tensed.
This was no ordinary opponent.
End of Chapter 7