"I'm very adept at Hymn Magic, especially with blessings-type spells," Kallista said honestly.

"No problem." Kallista wore a silver bracelet on her left wrist, adorned with a small red gem. She held the gem and placed it on her chest, right below her throat. She opened her mouth to sing, maybe chirping. Her voice was beautiful and melodious, but it evoked a sense of a bird's song rather than a human voice.

Christian sensed a power from the song entering his body. A red hue enveloped his body, followed by an intense rush of strength. He clenched his fist: "This is?"

"The Hymn of Strength," Kallista explained. Christian shadow-boxed for a few seconds before jumping in the air. The muscles of his young legs released an intense power that flung him more than 3 meters in the air.

"Amazing," he muttered as he landed. The highest jumping record for humans is a little over 2 meters, but he easily surpassed that record. However, this was not the most significant change. Christian felt his body had experienced a fundamental change due to the spell; it was now perfect, more balanced. However, before he could analyze the source of that change, Kallistan sang again, and a blue hue surrounded Christian's body.

"That's the Hymn of Speed."

Christian ran in the distance. Based on a rough estimate, he ran a hundred meters in less than seven seconds.

"The Hymn of Defense."

Christian immediately noticed his skin was as thick as a cowhide, if not thicker. He rushed into a nearby tree and rammed his body into it. He felt a slight pain, but his skin and other organs remained intact. "Wonderful! Can it increase my magic resistance?"

"No, that requires the Hymn of Greater Fortification, and I haven't learned it yet."

"That's fine. Your previous abilities are enough for the team," Christian nodded.

"I also know a few other hymns, but the ones I have the most mastery over are those and the Hymn of Endurance, Protection, and Magic," Kallista swiftly added.

"Magic? As in, the spell can increase my magical abilities?" Christian asked.

"Well, technically, it should be called the Hymn of Focus since it increases your concentration, which in turn increases the potency of spells. But yes, it can increase magical abilities."

"I don't care about the semantics. Please, show me," Christian nodded. Kallista nodded excitedly, preparing to sing and show her value. However, her belly started bellowing before she could utter a single note.

"I-I…"

"Come, let's feed your belly first." Christian cooked more meat for her. When he was traveling through that nest, he ensured that he packed his bag with enough ant meat to feed them for weeks, so he fed her as much as she wanted. To his and Kallista's surprise, she ate the equivalent of an entire cow.

"Have you always been such a good eater?" Christian finally asked.

"It's the opposite. My diet is usually light and small portions," Kallista explained, her face red due to embarrassment.

"Is this the result of the previous operation?" Christian muttered.

"What operation?" He hesitated briefly before explaining how he saved her. Kallista looked at him, her jaw almost falling to the ground. It was wild enough for someone to think of a way to save someone else, but for another to pull it off.

"I'm sorry, but your life was in danger, and I had to try something."

"No, I don't blame you," Kallista shook her head. "Anyway, I'm alive and that's all that matters."

"That's a good attitude, but tell me if you feel something is wrong. Now, I'll check on the others," Christian replied. He went over to Xin'er and Lucretia to talk to them. However, Lucretia refused to communicate, and Xin'er's effort to play peacekeeper was useless.

Christian sighed and looked at the sky: "It's late, and we are on edge, so let's set up camp for tonight."

"Isn't it a little too early?" Xin'er asked. The sun was not as bright as before, but they could still travel a little before resting.

"We need some rest. I'll set up the ward around our camp and take the first watch. Xin'er, you're after me, follow my Lucretia, and Kallista is last."

"Why does she get to go last?" Lucretia suddenly asked.

"Because she was injured and needs rest," Christian replied before pointing his left palm outward and motioning downward with his wand: "Protego Totalum." An invisible barrier appeared around their camp, and Christian moved his position and cast another spell. The process lasted a few minutes, and once he was done, he conjured tents for the team to rest.

Christian stood on watch and waited until everyone was asleep. He then added a soundproof barrier to the protective enchantments around the camp before walking out. His mouth began to make a strange, snake-like voice as he used his Parseltongue.

An invisible snake nearby suddenly became visible, and Christian approached it. They had a conversation, and the creature led him somewhere. Christian reached his destination about 25 meters from their camp, where someone awaited him.

"I can't believe you're also a Parseltongue," Orphelia said. Their Pytherias Clan is built on serpent and poison magic, so they were all born with the power to communicate with snakes. "How did you wrest control from me?" His Chameleon Snake betrayed him and even led the enemy to his door, so Orphelia was concerned.

"It's all about communication. You force him to do your bidding, and I speak to him as an equal. In the animal world, that's all it takes to receive their loyalty," Christian commented.

"Treating an animal as an equal? This has got to be one of the dumbest things I've heard in my life. If you didn't want to tell me, you didn't have to," Orphelia shook his head.

Christian did not continue this topic. "Leave Kallista alone and walk away."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Orphelia asked with a wide grin. Christian looked him in the eyes, taking in the opportunity to snoop into his mind. He hated reading people's minds because most people cannot control themselves and think of the vilest things. He had long figured out that he would start hating everybody if he kept snooping on people's thoughts.

However, he did not offer Orphelia the same courtesy. He wanted to know what this man was thinking, who he was. "Your personality is truly rancid. You're not only as cold and calculating as a snake but also like a rabid dog. Once you put your sight into something, you won't stop until you've achieved your goal."

"Hmm, your words are insulting, but they perfectly describe me. I want Kallista, and nothing you do can stop me from getting her."

Christian sighed deeply: "I can't believe the first human life I will take is your kind of trash. I know it would be best if it were someone like you instead of someone innocent, but I hoped to keep my hands cleaner for far longer."

This man would never stop. Christian might be able to block him in the trial, but once he is gone, Kallista will be hunted down by this bastard. So, the best way to deal with him was how humans dealt with rabid dogs: put them down.

"Your confidence astounds me, but I'll forgive your insolence. I'll even offer you the same deal. Leave Kallista alone and I'll–"

A snake more than five meters long and one meter wide appeared out of nowhere near Christian and lunged at him. However, he seemed to have anticipated this and calmly raised his wand to cast a dark charm. A terrifying suction force emanated from his wand as he forcefully absorbed all this creature's life force, leaving only its shriveled and dead skin.

Orphelia was shocked by such a display of the dark arts, but quickly regained his bearing. Sadly, it was too late. Christian used the Spirit Suppression Charm created by his professor for the release of the Duel Disk. The spell seemed extra potent when Christian used it, but this was not the end.

Christian used a page from the Hydra's play and cast another dark art, the Fear Curse. With those two spells, he suppressed Orphelia's mind and soul while also overwhelming him with immense fear.

"You should know I never wanted any of this. Avada Kedavra!" Christian's wand released a green light, and Orphelia's body fell on the ground, dead before he even touched it. Christian looked at the dead body for a few seconds before feeling dizzy.

He immediately sat on the ground and meditated. The negative emotions required to use the Fear and Killing Curse were already bad enough; the fact that this was the first human he had killed had a significant effect on his mind. Christian had to meditate to release all the negative emotions brewing in his psyche.

Fifteen minutes later, he opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. "The power of dark magic is more tempting than I thought." Christian had to struggle and prepare for all his previous battles. However, with the dark art, he only killed Orphelia with three spells. Such temptation of power was not something most wizards could resist, especially after years of abusing that power.

Christian slowly stood up and walked to Orphelia. He looked at it for a while, engraving it into his memory. Then, he gently closed it before preparing to bury him.

'This is another period, so their funeral traditions are different. Should I be messing with his body?' He was unfamiliar with the traditions of the time, and his early preparations for this period did not include knowledge of the funeral customs.

'If I leave the body in the open, some animal might eat it, so let's just bury it. Maybe his family will have a way to retrieve it,' he thought. Christian buried him before silently returning to camp by following the invisible shoe print he left with magic.