After a rejuvenating session of mana breathing, I emerged from my meditative state with a sense of clarity and purpose. The time had come to put my newfound power to the test in the forest. With a surge of anticipation coursing through my veins, I made my way to my closet, selecting a set of sleek black garments that allowed for optimal maneuverability.
"Ah damn, there's nothing in here to cover my face, I really need to learn transformation magic"
Donning my chosen attire, I opened the window of my third-floor bedroom. With a series of precise hand signals and a soft incantation, I invoked a spell I had mastered—Ethereal Descent. As I leaped out the window, a gentle current seemed to cradle my descent, granting me a grace akin to that of a drifting feather.
Landing effortlessly on the ground below, I formed a diamond shape with my thumb and index finger, whispering the words of a spell I had crafted myself—Vulmin Acelerato. With each step, the ground seemed to swallow the sound of my footsteps, leaving behind nothing more than the faintest trail of dust.
As I sprinted through the dense forest, the landscape was only blur in my eyes, so I had to keep my senses heightened. After around ten minutes, a tingling sensation crept up my spine, alerting me to a nearby presence. I focused my senses, extending my mana perception to detect the energy signature of a creature half a mile away.
With a swift leap, I propelled myself onto a nearby tree branch around 12 meters high, showcasing the agility and strength that now coursed through my veins. Vaulting from branch to branch, I navigated the treetops with a precision unknown to me before I broke through a minor realm and In a matter of seconds, I positioned myself directly above the source of the energy signature.
My eyes widened as I surveyed the scene below. There stood a colossal monster comprised of skeletal remains, towering at height of around twenty feet. It viciously stomped on a Southern dire wolf who was formidable in his own right, its snarls belying a fierce spirit. "A Gasha," I whispered, recognizing the beast for what it was, a ruthless, brainless, 2nd Order beast, barely noteworthy in the grand scheme of things, with beasts ranging all the way up to the 15th order.
Intrigued by the potential spoils, I mentally noted the value of its core—twenty thousand aurum, an insignificant sum for a family as affluent as mine, but I desired my own money, to purchase items without rousing suspicion, and from what I understood about the currency system 1 gram of gold here was around 60 aurums which means that 1 Aurum was equivalent around to 1 US dollar, so those cores were worth quite a lot to me.
I knew that facing such a creature required strategy and precision.
Utilizing wind magic, I created a diversion in the opposite direction of where I lurked, diverting the attention of the Gasha. As it turned, bellowing in response, I conjured two fire javelins, each five meters in length, aiming them at its legs. With a flick of my wrist, I unleashed the projectiles, prompting the Gasha to quickly move its giant body but not before one of the projectiles struck its mark, albeit only injuring the leg.
Undeterred, I gracefully descended from the tree, landing with my right arm and knee upon the earthen floor. Ice spread forth from my arm, rapidly enveloping the creature's legs, momentarily trapping it in an icy prison.
Seizing the opportunity, I conjured five fire javelins above my head, a fiery revolver in constant motion. The javelins were launched in rapid succession, piercing the skeletal frame of the Gasha, eliciting a resounding roar.
RAAAHHHHHRRR!!!!!!! RAAAHHHHHRRR!!!!!!!—the Gasha bellowed refusing to yield and ultimately it broke free from the ice, It charged towards me, launching a devastating kick. In a display of agility, I propelled myself skyward, avoiding the lethal assault. As I descended, I conjured a water javelin, aiming for the Gasha's ribs. However, it swiftly caught me in its massive hands, ensnaring me within its iron grip.
Maintaining my composure, I encased myself in a thin layer of air, a testament to my mastery of wind magic and conjured flames all around me, the Gasha however didn't falter when met with the scalding hot flames, but I wouldn't falter either, I increased the amount of pure oxygen that I fed to the flames by isolating the air molecules and feeding it into my flames, amplifying the heat to the point where it melted the tough metatarsals of the Gasha.
After freeing myself, I started falling back to the ground and so I cushioned my fall with earth magic, the soil beneath me softened like a gentle embrace, giving me the opportunity to resume my relentless assault.
I utilized all four elements at my disposal, I created projectiles of ice and fire and increased the speed of their flight using wind magic, and strategically targeted the creature's vulnerable legs, while using earth magic to soften the ground beneath its feet, allowing the Gasha to sink then hardening the very same ground to prevent the creature from escaping. With each strike, the Gasha faltered, its once-mighty frame succumbing to the onslaught. Bones shattered under the force of my attacks, reducing the beast to its knees.
It sat there, kneeled infront of me, with its ribs still intact, I needed its core and for that, they needed to be shattered.
Maintaining a safe distance, I conjured four massive arms of ice, transforming my appearance to one similar to the Hindu God Vishnu.
Two arms served as a barrier to impede any retaliatory strikes by immobilizing the Gasha's remaining limbs and I used the remaining two arms and started hammering punches at the ribs of the creature with no hesitation, I struck the monster and any piece of ice that flew off I immediately regenerated it, my mana was endless and I had no reservations about showing it off.
RAAAHHHHHRRR!!!!!!!- it roared with an almost deafening scream as I finally broke through after a minute of relentless punching and with precision and finesse, the icy limb closed around the core, removing it from the body causing the Gasha's movements to cease. It was then I realized the delicate balance between the two cores—one for power, the other for cognition. One rendered useless without the other.
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I surveyed the lifeless body of the fallen Gasha. A mixture of satisfaction and self-reflection filled my being.
"That creature would have been dispatched by someone of the 2nd Kosmos in a matter of minutes," I muttered, berating myself for taking longer than I had expected.
I knew it in that moment, I wasn't strong, I was only a pebble at the bottom of this vast world, but I had time and I wouldn't waste it.
With a heavy sigh, I rose to my feet, preparing to make my way back to the palace.
Click!*—A sound coming from the darkness that lay beyound the trees infront of me graced my ears and with it an overwhelming sense of foreboding engulfed me, suffocating the air around me. Dread gripped my heart, eclipsing the anger that had consumed me moments ago. Something unfathomable, something beyond my current capabilities, lurked nearby.
Instinctively, I turned on my heels, sprinting back to the safety of the palace with all the speed I could muster. The minutes felt like an eternity as I raced against an invisible threat, the suffocating aura dissipating as I distanced myself from its source.
Returning to my room, I found solace in the cool darkness and in that moment sleep was a mere afterthought as my mind was preoccupied with thoughts my earlier experience.
I knew I had to become stronger to face whatever malevolent force awaited me and magic alone wouldn't suffice.