Hope still remains(3)

Darting through the dense foliage of the woods, Nova exerted every ounce of his strength, strategically employing a myriad of physical enhancement spells to shave precious seconds off his journey time. Yet, despite his efforts, life remained obstinately challenging.

"I should've heeded Erza's advice and trained a bit more diligently," he chided himself between breaths.

Among mages, physical conditioning often took a backseat, especially for someone like Nova, whose prodigious mana reserves compensated for his relative lack of physical prowess. Nevertheless, the urgency of his current mission impelled him to push his limits further, propelling him towards the fabled forest of titans.