After several attempts, I finally caught a fish. I coated my spear with mana to keep it sharp and sturdy, then channeled mana to enhance my body, increasing my throwing speed. I wasn't the most accurate spear thrower, and it took several attempts, but I got my first true meal in this place.
I fashioned a knife out of stone and attached it to a wooden handle using resin from a tree. Then, I decided to cook the fish over a fire. I tried creating one by firing a weak Magic Missile at a pile of twigs, but they disintegrated upon contact with the spell. I also tried carving fire runes on a stick, but that didn't work either.
After those failed attempts, I resorted to the primitive method of creating friction between two pieces of wood. The process was expedited by using mana to enhance my physical attributes. Once the fire was going, I gutted the fish, skewered it, and cooked it.
After that satisfying meal, I continued my ascent, following the stream uphill to maintain a viable source of water for my journey. I've been on the move for several weeks now, running all day and stopping only for a quick meal and a few hours of rest. Strangely, I hadn't encountered any beasts for a while, which was suspicious yet convenient, so I didn't dwell on it and kept going.
The more I used my Mana Arts' physical enhancement while running and doing other tasks, the more my body grew accustomed to it. I could now use the buff passively without manually activating it.
It was almost sundown when I decided to rest and catch some fish in the stream I'd been following. As I was about to throw my spear at my prey, a loud explosion occurred not far from where I was.
I rushed to gather my belongings and went to the site of the explosion. There, I saw two beasts fighting – the white wolf that appeared back in the cave and a creature resembling a grey bull, but as big as a truck, with its body covered in black armor plates.
I hid behind a tree, observing them from a distance. It seemed like a mismatch. The wolf used its speed to attack the armored bull, but its attacks couldn't penetrate the armor. The bull, on the other hand, could cast lightning attacks from its horns, and although the wolf was quick on its feet, it wasn't fast enough to evade the explosions caused by the bull's attacks.
It wasn't looking good for the wolf; any more of those attacks would be its demise. I thought it might be time to repay my debt to the wolf, so despite my hesitation, I dashed between them and faced the bull with my spear and shield.
The bull looked at me and started pawing the ground, then suddenly charged. It was faster than I anticipated, and I had no time to dodge, so I gripped my shield and braced for impact.
The bull was strong; even though my shield was covered with mana, I was still blown away and rolled on the ground.
I stood back up as quickly as possible and fired Magic Missiles at the bull, but they didn't leave a mark. Was it impervious to magic attacks?
My attack infuriated the bull, and it roared loudly. It then started channeling its lightning attack and fired it toward me, but I easily evaded the blast radius.
The wolf was looking at me, growling as if angry for intervening.
"I'm sorry, but it didn't look like you would defeat that on your own, so I stepped in," I told the wolf.
Interestingly, as if it understood me, the wolf turned its gaze on the bull and prepared to attack.
We were in a deadlock with the bull until darkness enveloped the forest. We couldn't land a clean hit, even though we were working together. I tried looking for any openings and areas of the bull's body with little to no armor, but it still didn't work. I activated the rune on my spear to increase its penetration, but it only left a scratch.
It became clear that the odds weren't in our favor from the beginning. Our combined efforts weren't enough against the bull's impregnable armor and destructive skill.
We were already showing signs of fatigue, but the bull stood its ground and looked like it had infinite energy. It charged at me again, and I barely evaded it, but then the bull fired a lightning attack, and I couldn't dodge it any longer. I took the hit directly and lay on the ground.
It was painful, my body was numb, and I was starting to lose consciousness. The wolf started calling me as if asking if I could still stand up or warning me to brace for another attack.
I couldn't allow myself to die here and had all the time I spent climbing the mountain go to waste. I needed to get out of this place and return to my companions as soon as possible.
Before I blacked out, I decided to bet everything on this skill.
"Activating 'Shadowdancer.'"
Upon activating the skill, two black-feathered wings emerged from my back and cocooned me. A few seconds later, the wings dissipated, and a dark aura enveloped my body. I stood up from the ground, feeling refreshed. The pain and fatigue were gone, and my physical attributes were enhanced even further.
'Shadowdancer' is a skill that can only be used in darkness. It boosts my strength, speed, and regeneration. The downside is that when the effect wears off, whether by deactivating the skill or the arrival of daylight, the accumulated fatigue returns, potentially causing me to pass out from exhaustion or, in the worst case, death.
The bull was preoccupied with fighting the wolf and didn't notice me. I fired a Magic Missile to get its attention. Curious about the regeneration speed, I decided to let the bull hit me with a lightning attack. When it fired at me, the pain was intense but quickly faded as if it had never happened.
Next, I tested the strength and speed enhancements. In the blink of an eye, I was in front of the bull, punching its jaw. My fist left a deep dent in its armor and forced the bull to take a few steps back. I jumped back, picked up my spear, and threw it with such force that it created a sonic boom before piercing through the bull, which eventually collapsed.
Seeing the beast gasping its last breaths, the wolf quickly pounced and bit the bull's throat until it was no longer moving. Confident that the bull was dead, I deactivated 'Shadowdancer'.
I only used the skill for a few minutes, and when it disappeared, it felt like I was hit by a truck. My body was sore, and I couldn't lift a finger as I collapsed and blacked out.
I woke to the sensation of something licking my face—it was the white wolf. I didn't know how long I had been unconscious, and I was no longer in the same place. It was high noon, and I found myself beside the stream where I had been trying to catch fish before the fight with the bull. My body ached severely, and I was dehydrated. I could lift my arms slightly but couldn't stand. Desperate, I slowly crawled toward the stream, gritting my teeth in pain with each movement.
Finally, I reached the bank and drank as much water as I could. Exhausted, I could no longer lift my head from the water and began to drown. Fortunately, the wolf noticed and dragged me away from the stream. It then ran back to the forest.
Lying motionless, I wondered if the wolf had been protecting me during my travels, or if it was just a coincidence. As I pondered, I fell asleep.
I woke up later in the evening and found the wolf lying nearby. It approached and dropped something beside me—a fruit I had never seen before. Perhaps it had ventured into the forest to find me something to eat. Starving, I couldn't refuse the wolf's offering. I reached for the smooth, bright yellow fruit and bit into it. It looked like a yellow apple but tasted like a sweet mango. I ate it whole, leaving only the seed.
The wolf seemed pleased and ran back to the forest, returning a few hours later with more of the same fruit. I ate until I was full. This routine continued for several days until I could finally stand and catch fish on my own. If this is the consequence of using 'Shadowdancer', I would reserve it for life-threatening situations only.
A few more days passed, and I finally felt ready to continue my journey to the top of the mountain. After preparing my things, I approached the white wolf, which was sitting not far from me, to express my appreciation.
"I know you've been clearing the way for me ever since we met. Thank you for everything you've done," I told the wolf.
It barked and wagged its tail playfully, then ran in the direction I was supposed to take. I guessed it wanted to join me, so I hurried to catch up with it.
I named the white wolf 'Blanc,' obviously because of its color.
Time blurred as we traversed the mountain together for several months, fighting beasts and sleeping side by side. Blanc was incredibly helpful, often pointing out edible leaves and fruits along the way.
From time to time, Blanc would leave to hunt small animals and bring them back for me to cook. After trying cooked meat, Blanc seemed to enjoy it more than having it raw.
Finally, after a little over a year since I started my ascent, we made it to the top.