His new heart continued to beat, louder and fiercer, sounding less like a man’s pulse and more like something titanic awakening after an eternity of slumber. The transformation had only just begun.
"His heart has stopped," Rolan spoke in shock and dread.
Despite the other party’s body running so hot, he still risked burning his hand to feel his friend’s heartbeat, only to find the despairing truth.
That’s right, with the disappearance of the human blood, Kevin’s human heart had stopped beating. Right now, it was only there as a showpiece.
Be that as it may, it did not mean that he was dead. He might be in a state of limbo, but he was nonetheless alive.
His new heart supported his life, pumping the magma like blood all around his body, continuously refining his bones, muscles, veins, and his very being over and over.
Of course, the changes weren’t visible to the squires. As such, it was no wonder they were worried.
"No, this cannot be. Kevin cannot die," Gwen muttered in a daze.
Without hesitation, she grasped the squire and shook him violently, not caring about the intense heat that was searing her own hand.
"Get up, you hear me?! You cannot die like this. Did you forget what your dream is? You told me that you want to bee a legendary level 10 knight like the mander and free this world of all demons?"
She shook his body repeatedly, desperately holding onto the hope that he would show some signs of waking up. However, no matter how much she shook him, the boy did not respond. It really seemed like he had died.
Scenes from the past flashed inside Gwen’s mind...
After arguing with her father, she chose to follow her dreams and walk on the path her elder sister once walked. She participated in the Magic Knight Entrance Exam, where she met Kevin for the first time.
Ordinary and a moner, the boy did not catch her eye. As the daughter of House Odessa and a noblewoman, she passed the Knight Exam as one of the star candidates.
Given her potential and the track record of all the knights that came from House Odessa, all the knight manders of the Seven Great Knight Orders raised their hands. They all wanted her to join their order.
In the end, through coincidence or fate, she joined the Temple of Light, the same order as the boy.
On the day of their inauguration, the new recruits were made to participate in the annual tradition of the order. Also known as what they finally understood now was the Newbie Crushing Ceremony.
To contain their ego and show them that there was a ceiling above that ceiling, the new recruits were pitted against the squires of the order.
Needless to say, as the genius of House Odessa, she defeated her opponent, a squire who was at the same level as her.
Just when she thought that no one could beat her record, another recruit did the same and defeated his own opponent.
It was that inconspicuous boy who was allowed to join their order as an act of benevolence from their mander when all the other knight orders rejected him.
That moment was their first encounter.
Gwen felt annoyed when the boy, whom she thought was just a random person in her story, suddenly stole the attention of the high ranking knights of the order.
On the first day of their training, all the squires were made to run ten laps of the training ground, pull weights, do squats, and perform all physical training.
Needless to say, many of the recruits who had only relied on their skills in their early lives fell behind or were unable to continue after a while.
Except for one. That same boy again. Not only did he plete the training, but he did so at a blitzing speed.
While it was difficult for her to admit, she lost to him that day. As a noblewoman who was inherently prideful, she despised losing, especially to a moner. What’s more, she had a pressing reason to get stronger and increase her level.
Her elder sister. She wanted to avenge the person she idolized most of her life and defeat the demon who killed her with her own sword.
For that, she needed to separate herself from the rest and stand out. It was the only way she could catch the attention of the mander of the Temple of Light, the legendary hero with power and skills she sought.
At that time, she believed it was the only way.
And so, starting from the next day, she trained harder, participated in all the group battles, and pleted her missions dutifully. Nevertheless, the boy showed her up on every occasion.
In the Toto Village Expedition, he even fought demonic monsters while aiding the knights. He never hesitated, never feared, nor thought about the consequences of his actions. He just dove right in.
Maybe because of that straightforward personality or something else, she noticed that he caught the attention of the mander. What’s more, he got to duel the latter, something that only the Holy Knights were privileged to.
Seeing him getting stronger day by day, Gwen was quite jealous. However, she couldn’t find herself to hate him, as she knew he had a fatal flaw.
He was unable to use even the easiest of the skills. That said, he never let that bother him and sprang back up from every setback life threw at him.
At some point, she started paying more attention, and before she knew it, his positive attitude started affecting her too.
When she finally talked with the boy, she realized that he was not that different from her. In fact, it could be said that his life was harsher than hers.
Born as an orphan, he only had his master to rely on. However, even that master disappeared one day, leaving that sword behind for him. He had ridiculous dreams, to defeat the demon king one day and bee the legendary hero.
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