Tyler stared at the crystal for quite a while. Just looking at it made him feel refreshed and energized. A Magic Crystal was a concentration of the purest and strongest mana stored within a magic beast.
Magic crystals could only be found in magic beasts, while ordinary beasts and monsters possessed what was known as a beast core. These cores were used to forge weapons and armor back in the Human Continent. Not only were they hard yet flexible, but they also possessed attributes that added special effects to the equipment based on the beast the core was taken from.
Although there was a lot of information about beast crystals or cores that he didn't know, he knew even less about Magic Crystals. They were the cores of magic beasts, formed of pure mana, and could be used as an energy source. Using a magic crystal to forge a weapon was considered wasteful, as most of its energy would be lost during the forging process.
Although he could sense a lot of energy emanating from the magic crystal, the mana inside was wild and chaotic. It wasn't compatible with humans—or even demons (and possibly other races as well). The fundamental structures of beasts and humans were completely different, and the way they used their mana was also distinct. If he tried to use the crystal in its current form to recover his mana, he would most likely damage his mana body.
The refreshed feeling he experienced from the crystal's aura was mostly superficial. It was a passive effect caused by the insane amount of concentrated mana inside the crystal. In the end, his fatigue hadn't disappeared, and he was still drained of energy.
His growling stomach reminded him of this fact. Since he couldn't find any fruits by simply looking around, his only option was to go back and hunt one of the Red Hawks he had seen at the forest's entrance.
Venturing deeper into a forest that housed a magic beast was not a good idea, especially in his current state. He soon walked over to the magic crystal and picked it up. It felt cold and lacked the hard texture of a typical crystal.
After picking it up with his left hand, he glanced at the dagger in his right. He felt awkward. He would need to use the dagger for hunting and for preparing the animal to satisfy his hunger. Only then would he be able to rest and ease his exhaustion. However, one of the ladies was badly wounded, and he didn't know any healing spells. He had considered leaving them behind and returning to the castle, but he hesitated.
As a self-proclaimed gentleman, he couldn't leave two beautiful ladies unconscious in the middle of a forest. Hopefully, if he saved them, they would be grateful and provide him with information. At least, this was the best possible outcome from such a dangerous situation—and his only hope of gaining the aid of actual demons if he played his cards right. It seemed like he was trying to convince himself in their favor. "Sigh…"
Still, his arms were weak, and he could barely move, much less carry two girls. To be honest, he wanted to just lie down and sleep. It took all his willpower just to stand.
Yup, I need help to provide help.
He considered various solutions, none of which seemed feasible. Every time I use magic, something bad happens. But luckily, it seems like I'm not a sorcerer, as I can use various forms of magic. After all, both elemental magic and control magic were that powerful. Hmm… should I try? If I'm not careful, I might pass out on the spot, he thought to himself, deliberating as he eyed his surroundings anxiously.
After weighing the pros and cons of using magic to save the two girls from becoming monster food, he finally decided.
He didn't know much about demons, so he wasn't familiar with their characteristics. If he were to base his assumptions on what he had heard in the Human Continent, this would be a bad idea. But it was hard to trust humans now after what they had done. Besides, it was better to take a chance now with those who would owe him a favor—or at least be grateful for not leaving them to die—than to wait or seek out another option, which carried a greater risk of danger.
Gritting his teeth, he decided to try. He took a few steps closer to the girls and raised his hands above them with difficulty.
"Lesser Minimize Magic: Gravity Walk."
This was a Tier 1 spirit magic spell. It would almost perfectly negate the effects of gravity on a target, making them nearly weightless. Normally, this spell was only used on inanimate objects, mainly to transport heavy loads. It wasn't used on living beings because it could harm them, but Tyler didn't have any other options.
Flight magic was a Tier 3 spell, and at this moment, he only knew Tier 1 spells. He had to make do.
The moment he uttered the spell, a magic circle appeared beneath the two ladies. Tyler immediately focused on suppressing his energy. He may not know how to control his mana, but he had felt the energy leave him several times now. He now recognized the sensation, so all he needed to do was suppress that feeling and hope for the best. Besides, he had used both "lesser" and "minimize" metamagic—even though he had just made up one of those terms. He felt it would help him limit the strength of the spell. Either way, there was no harm in trying.
The magic circle completed and disappeared. The girls slowly rose, hovering a few feet above the ground. They were practically weightless, but this also meant their internal organs were weightless as well, which would affect their bodies after some time. At that moment, Tyler felt his consciousness draining as he lost his balance and fell to one knee.
Luckily, he was able to recover much quicker this time. His body was covered in sweat, and his breathing was heavier, but a smile slowly crept across his face as his eyes sparkled. "Looks like I can use magic." Even though he already knew that after casting two spells previously, this was the first time he felt excited about it. Still, he knew he needed better control if he wanted to be a decent mage.
Tyler was no longer delayed. He had limited time until the effects of the spell ran out. He needed to get them to the castle ASAP.
He decided to pick up the dark-skinned lady first. She was the most in need of medical attention, being grievously wounded and still bleeding. It seemed like the wounds weren't infected, which was a good sign. He didn't know any healing spells, so there wasn't much he could do.
All he could do now was stop the bleeding. He tore a piece of his shirt—which was most likely dirty—but so was the girls' clothing. He applied pressure to her wounds to try to stop the bleeding, tearing another piece to wrap around her injuries and tying it tightly.
He regretted not doing this before casting the spell, but he made sure the makeshift bandage was firmly secured. After all this, he was finally ready to leave.
He picked up the dark-skinned girl and placed her on his left shoulder. Then he picked up the blonde girl and held her under his right arm. They were practically weightless, so it wasn't a problem for him. To be honest, since they wouldn't touch the ground, he could have just dragged them by their hands, but he felt that would be a bit rude.
He was still tired and felt a little dizzy. He slowly walked back the way he had come, heading in the direction of the castle. The entire walk was hectic, and keeping his arms suspended like that was becoming harder and harder.
Even though the ladies were practically weightless, he felt like he was holding several tons of heavy luggage. It took him a considerable amount of willpower not to drop them.
It took him longer to reach the outskirts of the forest than he had originally thought. He could finally see the Red Hawks perched high up on the tree branches, several meters above. After arriving at the outskirts, he set the girls down, making sure their bodies were upright to prevent any issues from his spell.
Holding the exquisite dagger in his hand, he looked up at the birds. His neck was beginning to hurt from how high up they were.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax a little. There were a lot of birds in the trees, and he could tell most of them were asleep since it was the middle of the night. He hadn't noticed the time earlier; being able to see so well in the dark had its disadvantages.
All he needed to do was aim for the most densely packed area and, with one good throw, he might be able to kill one of them.
His arm felt heavy. He knew it would be hard to lift it, let alone throw a dagger, but he had to try. Raising his right arm, he swung it around with all his might, releasing the dagger as he aimed for a flock of Red Hawks.
The blade sliced through the air, missing the birds completely and hitting the branch above them.
"Damn it."
Tyler frowned at the sight of such a sorry throw, but before he could complain further, the dagger fell back down and stabbed one of the Red Hawks in the back, sending it tumbling from the tree.
Thud…
Seeing this, Tyler felt a little embarrassed. He turned left and right, making sure no one had witnessed that, and cleared his throat as he walked over to the large bird that had just fallen.
Just as planned.
Tyler pulled the dagger from the bird's back and, surprisingly, there was no blood on the weapon. It seemed this dagger wasn't an ordinary one. He tried lifting the bird, and although he succeeded, it felt like his arms were going to fall off.
He had no choice but to deal with it. He went back and, just like before, picked up the girls. This time, he also held what felt like a five-ton bird in his right hand. Continuing his return trip, he struggled to walk back to the castle. He seemed to be getting weaker and hungrier as time passed.
He was soon close to the castle. Still trekking slowly, he felt himself pass through something. It was the same as last time, but he had assumed it was his imagination. Now, with his curiosity piqued, he wanted to investigate, but this wasn't the right time. The spell he had used on the ladies would soon time out. Not only had he used a lesser version of a Tier 1 spell, but he also hadn't been in a good state of mind at the time.
It didn't take long for him to reach the castle and follow the same path back to the seventh floor of the West Wing. He found a room close to the king's chambers and placed the two girls on the bed.
The instant he did so, the spell timed out, and the girls fell onto the dusty bed. He tried to find some clean clothes for them but couldn't. The only clothes left in the castle were a few brown shirts, some gray pants, and a couple of pairs of ordinary boots.
He didn't really have time for this, though, as his stomach reminded him of his body's predicament. Walking out of the room after placing the clothing on the sofa, he changed out of his torn brown shirt into another one.
He soon arrived at the yard by the West Wing with the dead bird in tow. He didn't know where the kitchen was and didn't have time to waste searching for it. There were trees in the courtyard, so he had no trouble gathering dried wood. He spent a long time trying to start a fire with two rocks and finally succeeded.
Plucking the feathers and draining the blood wasn't as taxing as he had assumed. The dagger cut through the meat like butter, and he found water in the well. Although he could create water with magic and obtain a cleaner, purer source, he wasn't in a position to be picky. With the dagger, everything seemed much easier than it would have been otherwise. He was starting to think about keeping it.
With things going smoothly, his roasted meat was done within an hour. He brought a piece to his mouth and took a bite. Even though he hadn't added any spices or even salt, the tenderness and juiciness of the meat made his mouth water. It's no wonder this was considered exotic and so highly sought after in the Ruz Kingdom.
It didn't take him long to eat more than half of the large bird. With his hunger quenched, he could feel strength returning to his muscles. He still felt exhausted, so he went back to the Demon King's chambers to sleep, with the door to the library—where he wanted to be—as close as possible.