Page 462 of Axis of Fire

One was covered in violet blossoms.

The other bloomed with bright red flowers.

I stepped toward the violet bushes, expecting the map to react.

Nothing.

I tried the red ones instead.

Still nothing.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. "Could you be a little more specific?"

A tiny violet dot appeared on the map in response.

I headed toward the violet bushes.

Not a single instructor had bothered to mention that the maps actually responded to us.

Some time later, my map was blinking over Point B, while I stood face-to-face with a transparent sphere suspended in midair.

It shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

And there wasn't a single damn clue telling me what I was supposed to do.

"Could you please tell me what I'm supposed to do?" I asked the map.

It didn't even flicker.

The marker at Point B remained exactly as it was.

Maybe...

it was only meant to guide me here.

With a quiet sigh, I lowered my hands and looked back at the sphere. I started to step toward it—

but the moment I moved, the sphere drifted backward.

I froze.

Trying to make sense of what had just happened.

It looked like we were supposed to keep our distance.

Several possibilities flashed through my mind, each one quickly drowned out by doubt.

But if I kept listening to that doubt...

I'd never move forward.

Setting the map on the ground, I raised my hand and summoned a tiny flame.

I intended to fire it straight at the sphere.

The only problem was...

I had no idea how much force to use.