As Leon worked on carving the cave, Erin pitched in by creating water blades out of the rainwater. On the other hand, Iris looked after Bill, who was resting against the tree, all while maintaining the protective bubble around them as they worked.
Meanwhile, Mako focused on collecting as much food as possible to sustain them for the next two days without having to venture out of the cave for an extended period. Of course, they would need to leave the cave if nature called.
Mako had hit the jackpot for collecting food as not only were there several fruit-bearing trees near where they were planning to stay but there was also a pond nearby that provided them with a source of meat in the form of fish and ducks.
To avoid having to catch fish one by one, Mako opted for a more efficient method. His hand crackled with electricity, pointing it forward with fingers shaped like a gun. By activating his motion sense, he swiftly detected all the small fish swimming in the pond. He summoned a small amount of lightning aura at the tip of his finger and shot it at the fish, killing them instantly.
As the first fish was killed, its lifeless body floated up to the surface for Mako to retrieve. He then proceeded to shoot multiple rapid-fire mini-lightning strikes, killing several more fish with ease. Mako wasted no time in gathering up all the fish and storing them in a plastic bag that was conveniently placed in his backpack.
Plastic was a huge problem in the past as it wasn't bio-degradable and it was filling up landfills and couldn't be burned as it released harmful gases into the air. However, the solution to this problem was discovered in the late 23rd Century after a plastic-eating enzyme was perfected. The enzyme was very efficient and was able to completely eradicate plastic pollution from the world.
The plastic bags provided in the backpack could stretch into really big bags and could hold several kilos worth of weight. Mako only had 2 plastic bags in his backpack and he loaded one of these bags with fish and a few ducks while the other was full of fruit.
Under normal circumstances, the amount of food gathered would be excessive for a two-day stay. However, it was important to remember that the food was for five people, and the boys, in particular, had hearty appetites. Moreover, having extra food was a smart move as they may need it once they leave the cave. Bill was expected to wake up soon after Iris healed him, and he would require a substantial meal to quell his hunger.
Mako hurried back to where the rest of them were digging the cave while carrying the two plastic bags full of food. By the time he arrived back, the wind was started to pick up a lot more, and the rain was getting harsher. Leon and Erin were able to create a small hole in the side of the cave, just big enough for all of them to fit inside.
It was still small and if they were going to live inside there for the next two days, it would have to be a bit bigger. Seeing that there wasn't much time until the rain became too much to handle, Mako told Leon and Erin to clear the area. They didn't know what he was planning but they followed through and got away from the hole.
Mako asked Iris to create a bubble around him because he couldn't do what he needed to do while continuously being drenched by the rain. Iris conjured a small bubble around Mako and he got down on one knee and lifted his right arm. He pointed toward the hole in the wall using his pointer finger which ignited into flames.
Mako conjured a small ball of fire on his fingertip which continued to glow brighter and brighter as he continuously supplied it with more aura. The flame bullet didn't expand in size like the fireball when more aura was provided, it just glowed brighter and brighter as more aura was condensed.
Mako's right arm began to quiver and destabilize as he continued to add more aura to the tiny ball that was already shining very brightly. He quickly used his left hand to stabilize it in place and when he couldn't hold on to it any longer, Mako released the flame bullet toward the hole.
[Flame bullet has been activated]
[-1000 Energy]
The recoil of the powerful flame bullet threw Mako backward. Though he had trained with this skill before and was aware of his limits, he had grown stronger since then and was now capable of condensing significantly more aura. However, Mako didn't stop at his new limit. He continued to add more aura until he was aware that adding any more would result in the bullet exploding. Finally, he unleashed the skill.
The bullet traveled at high speed and collided with the wall at the back of the cave almost instantly. As soon as the bullet came into contact with the wall, all the condensed aura started to release outward with great force.
Typically, fire-related skills are not known for their force as they primarily deal with pure elemental damage. However, the massive amount of aura condensed into the flame bullet was so intense that it generated an incredible force. The surrounding earth even rippled from the shockwave, similar to the way ripples form in water when a stone is dropped in it.
*BOOM!*
A huge explosion took place that was able to create a much bigger hole that could now be termed a cave. The entire group was left stunned after Mako's shocking display of power. Leon gulped down as he felt that maybe Mako didn't fight him with his full strength because if he had used this move against him, he would have been toast.
Leon acted quickly to stabilize the structure of the cave and smooth out its walls using his Earth ability. Erin rushed over to check on Mako, who was lying on the ground with a blackened and smoking arm. She helped him up and allowed him to lean on her shoulder as they made their way inside the cave. Similarly, Iris carefully carried Bill inside the cave, carrying him on her back.
All of them had made it inside and could finally take a breather. Iris laid Bill down on the smooth flat ground and quickly rushed back out to bring in the plastic bags that Mako was carrying.
She was amazed at the strength of her new friends as she could believe the amount of damage Mako was able to do in one go. One of her friends, Andrew was also a level 4 fire ability user and even he couldn't pull off something as insane as that.
Unbeknownst to Iris, Mako had used up more than half of his energy bar in that one move. It was important to note that Mako had a larger energy pool than other fighters at his level, but that was not the only factor in play.
The gap between two fighters with the same level of power could also depend on how well they had honed their skills and strength. In a battle between two fighters with similar abilities and levels, the one who had mastered their skills and strength would typically emerge victorious.
The storm picked up right on cue as now the winds started to blow a lot more fiercely and the rain began to fall like needles from the sky. All of them had successfully made it inside and could now relax. Iris tried to heal Mako's injured arm, but he respectfully refused to say that it wasn't a big deal and that it would be healed on its own.
Leon used the Earth ability to raise a small one-meter wall at the entrance of the cave to make sure water didn't rush in as it started to collect from all this rain. He and Erin were both quite exhausted and decided that they were going to go to sleep to recover some energy.
Mako wanted to stay guard near the entrance of the cave to make sure that no beasts were able to attack them while they were staying inside the cave; however, Iris didn't let him do so. She argued that Mako had done enough already and that he should also get some rest. and that she will stay guard instead.
Iris wanted to begin healing Bill anyway so she could heal him while keeping an eye out and make sure that no beasts would attack them while they rested. Mako was reluctant at first, mostly because he was used to doing everything himself and wasn't comfortable with letting people do work for him, not even Bill.
Unfortunately, Iris wasn't backing down this time as she insisted that he get some rest. Mako was pretty exhausted at this point so he reluctantly agreed with Iris and decided that it would be best if could get some sleep as well. He didn't want to sleep for too long so he asked Iris to wake him up when Bill was all healed up.
Iris accepted Mako's terms and watched as he quickly drifted off to sleep. Now with everyone asleep, Iris's hands glowed green as she began healing Bill while also simultaneously keeping watch at the entrance. Since she could close her eyes and use the same healing skill she used on Leon, it would take her longer to heal Bill, but this way Iris could let everyone else rest up and was happy that she could make her useful.
