Ben stood at Hauxwell’s bedside.

  A steady stream of magic was being pumped around the old knight, keeping him suspended in time. The mages who kept the spell going appeared to be sweating from the strain it was taking on their bodies.

  Jerry had been asked to keep his bow ready if things got out of hand.

  “Slowly decrease the amount of magic.” The mage commander ordered. “Keep going. Only keep enough mana flowing so the spell is only active in minute amounts. Now adjust the spell to target the neck area and keep it suspended.”

  The mage commander removed the cork on the vial before pressing the top to Hauxwell’s lips. “Get ready to pause the spell for a moment. We have to give the potion enough time to flush his body. Then you will wait for my command to continue if things go awry.”

  Once the spell was paused, the mage commander opened Haunxwell’s mouth and poured the liquid in.

  For a brief moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, without warning, the knight's body emitted a dazzling white light. Tiny particles of magic resembling dandelion seeds started to emerge around the body before shooting into the body. The spectacle lasted nearly ten minutes before everything went back to normal.

  The mage commander raised an eyebrow and looked a little gobsmacked. “Surprisingly, his body has absorbed the magic without issue. I know about the stories they used to tell about him, but even this much magic should have taken a visible toll on his body.” He shrugged, “Now we must wait for the second function of the spell, the flush.” He turned to one of the other mages who was free, “You be ready to hold the leech once it comes out so it can be killed.”

  Hauxwell's body then radiated magic spurts before expelling a mana tsunami. The entire room became engulfed as magical sparks shot in various colors in every direction. When the light faded, Hauxwell began to twitch and wriggle as his neck bulged.

  The leech suddenly shot out before being caught by a magical net, before an arrow sliced through the middle of it, causing it to explode.

  The mage commander pointed at the old knight. “All of you, healing spells.” He pointed his staff ahead as beams of beige-colored magic sprinkled out, encasing the body. When his subordinates joined it, he waited a moment. “Stop! Something’s not right. For some reason, his body is rejecting our magic.”

  Jerry moved closer to the bed. “Look, his normal color is returning.”

  The mage commander whizzed the end of his staff around Huxwell’s body. “It appears he is regenerating.”

  Jarry scratched his head. “How is that possible when you flushed all the magic out of his body.”

  “Hang on a moment.” Ben interrupted. “When Le’Vieux and I fought an infected nest mother in the proving grounds, she could regenerate her wounds. I figured that was due to the neck leech wanting to keep its host alive to ensure its survival.”

  Both Jerry and the mage gave Ben a frown as if what he was saying was otherworldly.

  The mage’s eyes lit up as if he realized something. “You could be on to something with that. When I scanned his body, I noticed variations similar to when the leech was in his body. The royal flush must have only removed the leech and left some of the modifications it makes in place.”

  Hauxwell gasped awake, causing everyone to turn. He shot up, looking around in bewilderment. “Did you get that thing out of me?” he asked, frantically patting his neck where the wound started to vanish. Then, his patting shifted across the rest of his body as his skin tightened. His muscles became more prominent, and his physique resembled someone in his twenties.

  Hauxwel squeezed his hands into fists. “This feels great!” He turned to Jerry with a wide grin, “Did you shove a gallon of that youth potion in me?”

  Jerry shook his head. “No, it seems that creature we pulled out of your neck has left some regeneration ability in you.”

  Hauxwell started to laugh as his body tensed up. Yellow flames of magical energy started expelling from all around him, and his eyes started to gleam the same. When sparks started to zap, he dispelled the energy. “This is unreal.”

  The mage commander looked shocked by what he had just witnessed. “Where did you learn to do that?”

  “What? You mean the mana control?” Hauxwell asked.

  “Indeed. My Master Aella could use such a skill, but from what I know, only the most powerful mages could achieve such a feat. I’m a little confused about how you, a former knight, can do it.” The mage enquired.

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  Hauxwell chuckled. “Aella and I have known each other since we were children. We grew up together, joined the Hollow Moon, and were stationed together. You could say I picked up a few neat tricks along the way.”

  The mage nodded. “This is now making a lot more sense. After the royal flush, your body should have been completely devoid of magic. Our magic was rejected when we tried to heal you, and your mana continued to regenerate, which means you also learned the regeneration technique from him.”

  Hauxwell nodded with a grin. “You hit the nail on the head. How else do you think I can take on entire companies of enemies by myself?”

  The mage nodded. “I suppose you’re right about that.” He then let out a huff of relief. “Our work here is done, so we will return to the camp and await further instructions from Le’Vieux.” He motioned the other mages towards the door.

  Once the mages left, Hauxwell turned to Ben and Jerry. “Thanks for saving my… neck back there.”

  Ben and Jerry awkwardly glanced at each other and shrugged.

  “That wasn't us. When Le’Vieux heard about you doing the whole hero sacrifice thing, he rushed like the wind and brought you back.” Jerry explained.

  Hauxwell’s mouth dropped open before he disapprovingly shook his head. “Out of all the people you could have asked to help me. It was HIM!”

  It was early morning the next day, and Ben stood on the grassy clearing beside the inn. He leaned on the handle of his hammer like a walking stick and waited for the Hauxwell to emerge.

  While eating breakfast, everyone contributed to explaining the events that had occurred while Hauxwell was out of the loop. The former knight had asked about Alfred and was told he survived, minus the arm, and had gone to be alone.

  Ben asked for some training but was shot down. Luckily, Jerry was there and managed to speak some convincing words before Ben was told to wait outside.

  Full of confidence, Hauxwell marched out in his steel plate armor and stood before Ben. Raising his hands, his sword and shield appeared. “So you want to be trained?” He asked with a grin before his helmet appeared. “I’ve been itching to test my newfound youth out since last night.”

  Ben put his hands out and took a couple of steps back. “Hang on a moment.” He frantically stammered.

  The visions of what had happened to Sudfield’s men back at Dimmiwood flashed through Ben’s mind. With Hauxwell looking like he was in his prime and much stronger, Ben felt he wouldn’t be alive much longer.

  Hauxwell chuckled. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “Sure, I want to be trained. But if you’re going to turn me into a puddle of blood like you did to those soldiers at the guardhouse, then I’m not down for that. The best I’ve fought so far is a few Bloodhounds, which didn't turn out too good, and some rocky, overgrown bugs.” Ben explained as sweat ran down his forehead.

  Hauxwell’s chuckles became more prominent as his head started to shake. “Hah, you look like you’ve soiled your pants. Part of being a soldier or a knight will require you to take beatings occasionally. It’s how things are in this life and sometimes the only way to navigate your challenges. Otherwise, what’s the point of being here? Now, I’m not saying I will beat the crap out of you here. I want to see what you’re capable of before I take you under my wing.”

  Ben huffed out a breath. “Alright, maybe say that to me before you go on about testing your newfound youth out. So, what do you want me to do?”

  “You’ve been lugging that hammer around with you since Dimmiwood. Come at me and try to land a blow.” Hauxwell explained with a motion of his hand.

  Clutching the hammer, Ben started running. Using his momentum and all the strength he could muster, he swung it from the back.

  Hauxwell moved lightning fast, dodging the blow. He then continued to hop out of the way as a flurry of attacks were hurled towards him. His movements looked careful and precise as if he knew every move Ben was about to make.

  Ben had kept up his barrage for some time, but it was useless. The constant rushing around had taken its toll as he found himself panting for air, and his movements had become sluggish from all the strain. Not one of his hits had landed, causing him to stumble many times.

  Ben lifted the hammer, which felt like it weighed a ton for one last attack. He scrounged every fiber of his being for that energy and swung. When Hauxwell didn't move, Ben felt a sense of hope he would succeed.

  A second before the blow landed, Hauxwell flicked his shield up. The impact caused the shield to ring like a church bell before the attack was deflected. The resulting momentum had caused Ben to be flung a few feet back, ass first in the dirt.

  Hauxwell disapprovingly shook his head. “You know, you just did that to yourself. I didn't even have to put any energy into that. Swinging that thing like some maniac might work against mindless creatures and enemies weaker than yourself. But against men trained to kill, you’ll find yourself in a heap of trouble which could result in your demise.”

  In confusion, Ben looked up at the knight and scratched his head. Something more was at play, maybe even some skills and abilities. “How was you able to move that fast?” he asked.

  Hauxwell gave Ben a hand and helped him back to his feet. “It takes years of hard work, training, and grit. You’ll learn these things as long as you don’t slack off. You already know the system rewards you with skill points when you level up. You can start unlocking skills and abilities with access to the Hollow Moon faction skill tree.”

  Ben nodded. “Le’Vieux mentioned something along the lines of that. In my system, I don't have access to the skill tree.”

  “Yeah, that sounds about right for Le’Vieux. He should have given you the training and waited for you to unlock the skill tree before sending you out. But with everything that’s gone on, I understand why he was rushed.” Hauxwell explained.

  Ben nodded. “Can’t you help me unlock the skill tree, or does Le’Vieux have to do it from his system?”

  “Before the skill tree unlocks, you must complete the basic training. Now, achieving that is not exactly a hard task. You’ve not done too bad here. I’ve seen much worse from people who became great knights. It shouldn't take you too long.” Hauxwell explained.

  “Really? How long do you think it’ll take?” Ben asked.

  Hauxwell de-equipped his helmet before rubbing his chin. “That depends. If I teach you some techniques, it shouldn't take longer than a couple of weeks.”

  The mention of techniques made Ben curious. “Techniques? What exactly are you talking about?”

  “If you’re a fast learner and eager to learn. I will teach you how to regenerate and control your mana. Then, you will be able to achieve feats beyond your dreams.” Hauxwell grinned.