All the beasts that Michael could see were of different species. Basilisks were in trees beside krackens (though he had no idea how it got up there), and so on and so forth. Despite their cold gazes, none attacked him. They watched from above, but didn't attack even when he was directly below them.
Thanks to this, Michael was able to move through the trees, looking for the one he wanted. The system hadn't told him what species it was, but it did give him rather good directions.
[System scan indicated the best route for multi-talented mages is to go...50 meters to the south-east.]
So close! He was so close! With all the powerful and rare beasts above him, there was no doubt he'd get an awesome familiar. He marched on, never taking his hand off his sword. They may not be attacking yet, but this was a place even a talented mage could die easily. He recognized some of the beasts as even being Rank 6 or 7. Hopefully the one the system led him to was a bit weaker than that.
At last, he arrived at a small, knobby tree. The wood was like dried paint and the leaves were sparse. Though he could sense something watching him, Michael could not see it. Still, he knew it was likely Rank 3 or 4, one of the weaker beasts in the strange forest.
Since it didn't seem to be coming down, he decided to climb up the tree in search of it. But just as he touched the wood, an angry howling began to descend the tree. The screeches hurt his ears and he was forced to cover them. Then, a shadow appeared above him.
It ran straight at him, yet he still didn't see the creature itself. Worried, he quickly began listening to the magic in the air. A dull warmth spread through him, like he was sitting in the sun on a spring day. It filled him and he recognized it for what it was. This beast didn't just have an affinity, it could use magic.
He send a focused blast of air at the beast, hoping to knock it from the tree. His plan seemed to work, for the air shimmered for a moment and the shadow fell a few meters away from him. Then it was on top of him. Gnashing jaws snapped at him. He couldn't see them, but he could feel them just inches from his face.
He continued to dodge the attacks and soon felt something, likely claws or a tail, swish by him. With the increased danger, Michael decided it was time to fight back. He pushed his magic sense to the maximum, outlining the creature in a gleaming light. It seemed to be using light magic to cloak itself. He could sense other elements swirling inside, but his view was blocked by the light magic.
He swung with his sword, aiming to injure the creature without killing it. He scored a nasty wound on its flank, but suffered a slash on his left leg. His movement was slowed, but his enemy's was slowed more. He became more confident, imbuing his blade with water magic to increase its speed and slashing strength. He was like the ocean itself, moving wherever his enemy was not.
After nearly half an hour of combat, the beast fell and stopped moving, save for a ragged panting. Michael cast air magic on the beast, carrying it into the cage his master had prepared for him. He placed the bait inside, in case it woke up hungry. This was to be his familiar, after all.
Just as he was about to leave, his master flew into the tree. When he came back down, he was holding a silver fruit that looked like an orange.
"These fruits are quite important to a mage. They can increase any unlocked affinities. Most mages wait until they have at least two or three, but you might as well take it now. You won't have a chance to get another for quite some time."
Michael accepted the fruit, placing it in his bag. The cage was placed in the cart and together they began to leave the basin. However, this time there were monsters blocking their path. They were mostly low ranks, but one or two Rank 5 creatures could be seen as well. Michael was tired and injured and in no condition to fight. He continued forward regardless, but his master stopped him.
"You have done as you were asked to do. Now, I will handle the rabble." With that, Master Robin took a step forward. When he did, it felt as if the whole world moved around him. The lower rank beasts lost their balance and the stronger ones swayed side to side. When he drew his blade, it seemed to cut the very air.
Numerous beasts were cut in half despite some being over 10 meters away. Moreover, it didn't matter what rank they were. One of the rank 5 beasts, several rank 4 beasts and all the lower level ones died instantly. Those left alive did their best to run away. Rather than chase them, Master Robin simply placed his sword away in the same manner he had drawn it.
The forest was silent. Michael's jaw hung open. He knew his master was strong, but he'd never seemed nearly that powerful in their training sessions. "Come on boy, let's go. I'll harvest their magestones, so just get moving."
True to his word, each monster that Master Robin went to seemed to produce a glowing gemstone. Not all of them dropped a stone, and most were low quality quartz, like the ones his master had bought him in the store. However, the rank 3 and 4 beasts dropped sapphires, and the 2 rank 5 beasts both had emeralds. Now that he knew how hard they were to get, Michael decided it'd be a while before he tried to use his rarer magestones.
They descended the staircase unopposed and soon made it back to campus. Master Robin arranged for Michael and his soon-to-be familiar to get treated and returned to his room. The healing mage was nice and did her best to make sure he was comfortable. Her attempts at small talk failed, however, as he seemed to have no idea what his familiar actually was or why he was in a master's bedroom.
After she left, Michael fell asleep, glad his day of hunting had gone well. Next, all he had to do was figure out what it was and make the bond.