Ackster wasn't even surprised by how he breezed through the city gate this time since it was obvious the Guild was pulling strings. He was a little worried that it would have the opposite effect and that people would take note of the special treatment, but no one seemed to pay him any attention since they were focused on their own businesses this early in the morning.
He looked at the wide fields stretching across the horizon and took a deep breath while admiring the view before continuing. He had a lot of ground to cover if he wanted to arrive at his planned destination before the sun set.
The Cloven Grasslands.
According to the information Wilma had given him when she gave him the skill texts, the Cloven Grasslands would be the perfect place to acquire several of the skills he wanted. It was a large, flat, and grassy area on the western half of Lill, and it homed several different types of beasts and monsters that would be the perfect aides for his training.
The monsters were strong enough to challenge him, even if he didn't wear his training equipment, and they were meaty, so he would never risk running out of food, which he was likely to do when he started practicing Nold's secret technique.
The Grasslands also didn't have any mountains or tall trees that could obscure his vision of the sky, so if Ackster was close enough, he could see Karandiel's Fall when it happened. They were also located relatively far away from the closest city. And while it was a popular hunting ground for adventurers, it was so big he wouldn't have to worry about it being crowded.
It didn't take long before Ackster left the fields of Ilto, but he wasn't at the grasslands yet as a young forest lay between them. But since he was following the road, he made good time without even being attacked more than a couple of times. But it was nothing he couldn't handle since it was only a few starved goblins and kobolds that attacked him.
And as soon as he passed through the forest area, an ocean of grass filled his eyes and stretched as far as he could see. The road he had followed grew less clear as the grass of the grasslands was too stubborn to let humans pave their way through the Grasslands.
There were signs of people traveling with carriage through the grass since there was a trail of flattened or short grass, but it was far from being enough to call it a proper road.
Ackster was eager to get started with his brutal training as quickly as possible so that when Karandiel showed up, he would be capable of doing what he wanted. However, he had to set up camp and get his bearings before he could start going crazy. Otherwise, he would probably end up getting himself killed.
It had taken a couple of close calls, but Ackster had finally learned from his mistakes. While he grew quickly by almost killing himself, he wouldn't grow stronger at all if he died. So, he had to practice his suicidal practices in moderation, even if his growth became a tad slower. After all, he still had almost ten years left. Getting impatient and himself killed already would be embarrassing.
But Ackster wasn't used to setting up camp in the middle of an expansive grassy steppe, so he went with his gut feeling and waltzed right into the place. He could stay close to the forest and use its natural cover and wood to set up a camp and campfire. But that was too safe and too close to civilization.
Ackster wanted privacy, especially if he was going to practice Nold's secret technique. If it were as painful as promised, Ackster didn't think he could clamp his mouth shut. He would probably be screaming now and then, regardless of his wishes to stay low-key.
Ackster's hand brushed against the green straws that occasionally reached high enough. He plucked a flower at the tip of one to distract his hands while he scanned his surroundings for any signs of wildlife. But maybe he was too close to the forest and the road to encounter anything just yet.
While he itched for a fight, it was a good thing that he got some time to look for a place close to water.
Since he was going to be doing some wilderness training, he didn't care too much about shelter. He would become one with nature, or something like that. But he needed food and water to live. He didn't think that was something he could train himself into not needing, at least not yet.
Once he awakened his mana, things might be different, but it would still be a while until he got his hands on the Sea God Manual. So, that would have to wait.
Eventually, Ackster found tracks paving a way through the grass. Since the grass was still flattened and parted to the side, they were fresh. He didn't rush to catch up to the beast since he hoped he could follow it to a place with water. It could take a while, but Ackster didn't feel secure in starting a fight or commencing his training until he had something he could fall back to.
At the very least, he would need something to wash down the spoils of battle with. He could drink the blood of his prey if it got to that, but blood wasn't as refreshing and hydrating as water.
If there was a chance that whatever this creature was would lead him to water, Ackster wanted to take it.
Unfortunately, even after the sun said goodbye and napped beyond the horizon, Ackster still hadn't found any traces of water of any kind. So, he picked up his pace and started trying to catch up to the beast.
The tracks he could piece together from the imprints on the ground and the grass told Ackster that it was a hoofed creature, and if the cloven design was any indication, it might belong to one of the trademark beasts of the Cloven Grasslands.