Jelo woke up—

And immediately knew something was wrong.

It wasn’t obvious at first.

Not pain.

Not injury.

Something deeper.

His body felt… off.

Heavy.

His head throbbed slightly, like a dull pressure building behind his eyes. Sweat clung to his skin despite the cool morning air, and his breathing felt uneven—too shallow, too forced.

He sat up slowly.

“…Not now.”

He already knew what it was.

Then—

The system activated.

[Energy Reserve Low]

[Immediate replenishment required]

Jelo exhaled.

“…Yeah. I figured.”

This wasn’t new.

It had happened before.

Whenever his energy reserves dropped too low, his body reacted like this—fever-like symptoms, headaches, weakness. It wasn’t illness.

It was depletion.

But something about this time felt different.

Stronger.

More noticeable.

“It’s been a while…” he muttered.

He hadn’t needed a Daba’s heart in some time. His body had adapted, drawing energy from other sources—slower, more stable, less demanding.

But that didn’t mean the need was gone.

Just delayed.

And now—

It had caught up.

Jelo swung his legs off the bed and stood up.

His balance wavered slightly—

Then stabilized.

“…I need to fix this fast.”

He went through his usual routine quickly—washing up, getting dressed, clearing his head just enough to function properly.

Then he left.

Master Olmo’s quarters weren’t far.

But today—

The walk felt longer.

When Jelo arrived, he didn’t waste time.

He knocked once.

Entered.

And explained everything.

Olmo listened without interrupting.

His expression remained calm—but focused.

He understood.

Low energy reserves weren’t something to ignore.

For someone like Jelo—

It was dangerous.

Olmo exhaled quietly.

“…This is bad timing.”

Jelo didn’t respond.

He already knew.

The academy was busy.

The tournament was close.

Too many responsibilities.

Too many moving parts.

Olmo leaned back slightly, thinking.

Then forward again.

“I can’t leave right now,” he said.

Direct.

Honest.

Jelo nodded.

He hadn’t expected otherwise.

But then—

Olmo continued.

“You won’t go alone.”

Jelo looked up.

“You, Ken, Atlas, and Mira,” Olmo said. “You’ll go together.”

Jelo frowned slightly.

“…All of us?”

Olmo nodded.

“I’ll open the portal for you. Give you authorization.”

He paused.

“But you’ll handle the rest.”

Jelo didn’t like it.

Not really.

He had planned something simpler.

Quick.

Controlled.

Go in alone.

Find a Daba.

Take it down.

Take the heart.

Leave.

Efficient.

But now—

It was a team operation.

“…Alright,” Jelo said.

Olmo nodded once.

“When you’re ready, meet me at the portal room.”

Jelo turned and left.

He found the others quickly.

Atlas.

Mira.

Ken.

He explained everything.

And surprisingly—

They weren’t reluctant.

They were excited.

Atlas grinned immediately.

“Finally. Something real.”

Mira crossed her arms slightly, thoughtful.

“A Daba hunt… makes sense.”

Ken simply nodded.

“I’m in.”

That was enough.

They prepared quickly.

No delays.

No hesitation.

And soon—

They stood before the portal.

Olmo was already there.

Waiting.

He handled everything efficiently—authorization, instructions, security protocols.

The portal activated with a low hum, energy folding inward before expanding into a swirling gateway.

Before they entered—

Olmo spoke one last time.

“Jelo.”

Jelo looked at him.

“You’re in charge.”

There was no hesitation in Olmo’s voice.

No doubt.

Jelo paused for a second.

He had expected Mira to be chosen.

She was the most analytical.

The most precise.

But—

Olmo had chosen him.

“…Understood.”

Olmo nodded.

“Go.”

And they stepped through.

The world shifted instantly.

The portal closed behind them.

The air here was different.

Heavier.

Dry.

The landscape stretched out in uneven terrain—rocky ground, jagged formations, sparse movement.

A hunting ground.

Jelo stepped forward.

“…Alright.”

They looked at him.

Waiting.

He took a breath.

Focused.

“Here’s the plan,” he said.

“Using my enhanced vision, I’ll locate a Daba as fast as possible.”

He paused.

“Once we find one—we take it down, extract the crystal from its head, and leave.”

Simple.

Direct.

Atlas nodded.

“Works for me.”

Ken didn’t speak.

But he was ready.

Mira added quietly—

“We should stay alert. Stronger variants might exist.”

Jelo nodded.

“I know.”

They moved.

Time passed.

Minutes stretched.

Then longer.

No sign of anything.

The terrain didn’t change much.

The silence pressed in.

Jelo’s condition worsened slightly.

The longer they stayed—

The more his energy drained.

“…We need to find one soon,” he muttered.

Then—

Something shifted.

Jelo stopped.

His eyes narrowed.

“…Wait.”

He focused.

Deeper.

There—

A signal.

Strong.

Then—

Another.

His eyes widened slightly.

“…Two.”

Atlas frowned.

“What?”

“I can sense two Dabas,” Jelo said. “Ten o’clock.”

That changed everything.

“Let’s move,” Ken said immediately.

They picked up speed.

Energy returning.

Purpose restored.

As they got closer—

They heard it.

Impact.

CRACK!

Then—

They saw them.

Two Dabas.

Clashing.

Their bodies were larger than usual—reptilian skin, rough and layered, their forms twisted and powerful.

They moved fast.

Faster than expected.

One lunged forward—

A heavy strike slammed into the other.

The second staggered—

Recovered—

Countered immediately.

The ground shook with each impact.

Atlas let out a low whistle.

“…Those aren’t normal.”

Jelo nodded.

“…Stronger variants.”

The two creatures continued exchanging blows—brutal, relentless, neither backing down.

Jelo turned slightly.

“Alright. We split.”

They focused on him.

“Mira and I take one,” he said.

“Atlas, Ken—you take the other.”

Atlas grinned.

“Perfect.”

“But first,” Jelo added, “we separate them.”

Mira stepped forward slightly.

“I’ve got that.”

Jelo glanced at her.

“I’ll hit them with a wide-range attack,” she said. “Something strong enough to disrupt both.”

Jelo nodded.

“Do it.”

Mira stepped into position.

Her energy gathered instantly.

Hot.

Focused.

“Infernal Dragon Claw.”

She released it.

BOOM!

The attack struck between the two Dabas—

Exploding outward.

Both creatures recoiled.

Forced apart.

They landed separately—

Then—

Stopped.

Their heads turned.

Scanning.

Searching.

They had noticed.

And then—

Something changed.

The hostility between them—

Shifted.

Gone.

Now—

They were alert.

Aware.

Of a new threat.

Jelo stepped forward.

“…Now.”

They moved.

Four against two.

The hunt had begun.

And this time—

It wouldn’t be as easy as they thought.

But they had no choice but to go for it, especially for jelo’s sake, since he was the one that needed the dabbas heart.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep