It has been three days since Rain started moving in a straight line away from the mountains.
To speed up his journey, he's been using Magic and Qi.
Wind magic to propel himself forward and space magic to track the forest's geography, ensuring he remains on course.
During these days, he didn't sleep as one would normally. Instead, Rain rested while meditating in a lotus position, like a cultivator.
However, compared to the rapid growth he experienced during his battle with the goblins, his progress now feels slower.
His martial power has only increased to 85, and he has only just reached the 8th realm of Qi refinement.
The forest is vast, but Rain is grateful for the abundance of wild fruits that has kept him nourished along the way.
"This forest is full of giant trees that bear different types of fruits," he mutters while continuing his path.
But, as he notices, the energy in the air here isn't as dense as it was near the elven village or during the goblin fight.
Due to this, the magic he's gathered over the past three days isn't enough to expand his inventory to 2 square meters, which would allow him to hide his staff.
"I've already covered over 1,500 kilometers! How can I still be trapped in this forest?!"
Frustrated, Rain propels himself upwards and climbs one of the massive trees, which towers over 300 meters tall.
"These trees... they're massive, ranging from 50 to 300 meters high. I feel like I'm in a scene from Att*ck on Ti**n," he chuckles to himself, making a reference.
Reaching the top, the sunlight bathes his skin, and a cool breeze brushes past him. He scans the horizon, hoping to spot the forest's edge, but all he can see is more forest stretching endlessly.
He uses water magic to form two small water spheres, creating an improvised telescope. "Hmm? Smoke?" With his enhanced eyesight, even aided by cultivation, it's faint but unmistakable.
There's thin smoke in the distance, nearly impossible to see without his makeshift lens.
Rain estimates the smoke is about 14 to 16 kilometers away. He considers moving toward it but realizes, "Wait, my staff is still visible.
I only managed to stretch my inventory to 1.5 square meters." He frowns and calculates. 'The staff is about 180 cm long and 30 cm wide because of the crescent head and the prism core.
What if I change the shape of the inventory into a rectangle?' Concentrating, he attempts to alter the shape of his inventory.
However, this process alone consumes a significant amount of mana.
"Why does it drain so much mana just to change the shape?" he grumbles, but eventually, he stretches it to 1.85 meters—just enough to fit the staff.
With the staff now safely tucked away in his dimensional inventory, Rain heads toward the smoke, cautiously preserving his remaining mana while relying on his nearly full Qi reserves.
After roughly 20 minutes of moving at high speed, Rain nears the location of the smoke. The atmosphere around him suddenly grows dense with mana.
'There's a battle happening,' he realizes, hearing faint explosions in the distance.
Yet, the sounds aren't too loud, and the ground isn't shaking. Pushing forward, he finally spots a road and a group of people battling wolves.
Rain's heart races as he approaches the road. 'Finally! A sign of civilization,' he thinks, noting that the group is struggling against a pack of wolves.
'But why are these knights having so much trouble? These wolves don't seem particularly strong to me.'
From a distance, Rain spots a carriage, with a lone female mage perched on top, casting a fireball. It takes her a full 10 seconds to cast it, and when the fireball finally lands, it injures barely three wolves.
"That's it?" Rain mutters, astonished. "Even the goblin mages were faster and stronger than that."
Seeing an opportunity, Rain analyzes the battlefield. There are eight knights fighting 14 wolves, with one knight in the back, likely the leader.
The female mage, cloaked in brown, is casting from the safety of the carriage. 'She must be a noble, but her knights are weak! If I don't intervene, one of them might die,' he realizes.
His grip tightens around the wooden dagger he's been infusing with magic, runes, and qi during his journey.
Without hesitation, Rain leaps from the tree, ambushing one of the wolves by stabbing it directly in the head.
His dagger pierces through the skull, killing the wolf instantly.
He then jumps to another wolf, slicing its neck cleanly.
The sudden attack startles the knights, but they quickly use the distraction to rally and push back the remaining wolves.
Seeing they can't win, the wolves retreat, most of them injured, and two killed by Rain's ambush.
The battle leaves the knights bruised. Three of them are seriously injured, though not critically, but they might struggle to recover fully.
The remaining knights suffer minor wounds. As Rain catches his breath, three knights immediately surround him, swords drawn.
"Who are you? State your business!" one knight demands.
Rain remains calm, but before he can respond, the female mage steps forward with a smile.
"Stop! He's a friend. He means no harm, right?" she asks, her voice soothing.
The knights lower their swords, though they remain cautious.
Rain takes a moment to observe the mage up close. She's young, with striking black hair and gray eyes, and her beauty is unmistakable.
She extends her hand for a handshake, still smiling. "Thank you for your help. My name is Leonara, just a wandering mage. And you?"
Rain notices the slight hesitation in her words and smirks internally. 'A wandering mage? Anyone can tell she's a noble,' he thinks but decides to play along.
"My name is Doran. Doran the explorer," Rain says with a practiced business smile. They shake hands, and Rain chuckles inwardly. 'If she's not revealing her true identity, then neither will I.'
Leonara tilts her head slightly. "An explorer? Not an adventurer?"
Rain nods, keeping his story straight. "Yes, I explore the world, not hunt monsters like adventurers do."
She smiles, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"Thank you again for your help, Mr. Doran. Since you saved us some trouble, I can offer you a reward. Mages tend to be wealthy, you know? Tell me what you'd like," Leonara offers, her tone friendly.
One of the knights interjects immediately, "No! He's dangerous. He should stay away from us!"
Leonara quickly responds, "Oh my! Even if he is dangerous, he isn't hostile, is he? Besides, having someone reliable with us could be useful."
Rain considers his options. "If you're offering a reward, I could use some money... and maybe let me accompany you."
The knight protests, "He's a stranger! We can't trust him."
But Leonara remains firm. "He helped us, didn't he? Having another skilled fighter with us could make the journey safer."
Rain, sensing an opportunity, adds, "Aside from money, I also need information. I've been living in an isolated area training with my master, so I'm unfamiliar with the world's current state. Can you help me with some general knowledge?"
Leonara's eyes brighten at the request. "Of course! I'd be happy to help. Come, join me inside the carriage. We can talk more." She pulls Rain toward the carriage while a knight attempts to block their path.
With a single glare from Leonara, the knight steps aside, allowing them through.
Inside the carriage, a maid greets them, dressed formally. "Her name is Chloe, my servant," Leonara introduces, but the maid fumbles, "But My name is Sunny..." sensing the gaze of Leonara, she corrects herself "M-my name isn't Sunny! I-It's Shloe!"
Leonara signs at the mistake of her close aide "The cat's out of the bag because of you Sunny."
"M-My apologies Princess Nara!" Sunny bows repeatedly
Rain chuckles softly. "It seems she spilled a bit more than intended. Don't worry, I won't say anything about your real identity, Princess Nara."
Leonara sighs but smiles. "Fine, you've caught me. But do keep it a secret. Out here, I'm just 'Leonara', the wandering mage."