Departure

The splintered wood blasted outward, shredding the broad leaves of the surrounding bushes. Small trees thirty centimeters in diameter were snapped clean in half, and the pebbles, carrying tremendous kinetic force, flew more than fifty meters after breaking through the trees before finally striking a small mound, kicking up a cloud of dust, and vanishing from sight!

"This is almost as powerful as a heavy sniper rifle!"

Punk examined the broken stumps and thought in surprise.

According to the system's analysis, this Minor Telekinetic Projectile had consumed less than one-tenth of Punk's total mana. Within just three seconds, all his mana had recovered. Punk knew his recovery speed was indeed faster than that of an ordinary mage, but not by much—only ten or twenty percent at most!

So...

"This world's power level is pretty high. This is only a low-level spell. I wonder how powerful high-level spells are."

Without realizing it, Punk's resolve to grow stronger became even firmer!

Afterward, Punk practiced several more spells. Following repeated casting practice, he finally reduced the casting time to within one or two seconds. These spells also gave Punk flexible and varied methods, especially Minor Mage Armor. According to the system's analysis, its defensive power was no weaker than a three-centimeter-thick steel plate!

Now that Punk possessed offensive and defensive power comparable to an armored vehicle, he finally had sufficient means of protecting himself. It was time to begin his journey.

His first goal—find a village or town!

Punk was no mage of the Hermit faction, and the knowledge his parents had left behind was only enough to carry him to Formal Level. Communication and study were therefore indispensable.

However, Punk had no idea how large the forest he was in was, or how far away the nearest village or town might be. On the Faerun plane, vast lands and sparse populations were no exaggeration! Punk had no desire to wander this humid jungle for ten days or half a month!

At times like this, Divination Spells could always help a lost traveler.

Punk searched through his memories and found a spell whose description seemed fairly reliable. Though it was only Apprentice Level, its ability to obtain information was worth considering. The information Punk wanted had not been shielded by magic, and the object indicating it possessed no unusual power, so this "Viscera Divination" should be enough!

Punk stared blankly at the puddle on the ground... something that was now called a lump of meat, and had once been called a rabbit.

"Sure enough, magic isn't suited for hunting..."

Punk had wanted to "borrow" the organs of a small animal. Although Viscera Divination was theoretically more effective when using the organs of a higher-level creature, all Punk could find right now were rabbits...

"According to system analysis, the host is advised to use the method of 'manually throwing stones' to capture small mammals."

"...Shut up."

Though he was reluctant to admit it, the facts proved... the system was right!

Punk was now standing in a small clearing, holding a little rabbit by the ears. Blood seeped from the little rabbit's head, and dangling in midair by her ears, she seemed to sense that disaster was imminent. Ignoring the pain in her ears, she struggled desperately!

But even though Punk was a mage with little physical strength, there was no way he would let a rabbit escape.

Using the silver knife he had found in his clothes pocket, Punk swiftly sliced open the rabbit's belly. With the system's precise assistance, the knife neatly cut through the rabbit's skin and muscles without harming the organs in the slightest.

Punk hurriedly began chanting an obscure incantation. The principle of Viscera Divination was to use the organs of a living creature as a shortcut to connect to its soul, then use another creature's soul to amplify his own soul's perception of the mysterious information hidden in the unseen, thereby obtaining intelligence.

Therefore, the more of the rabbit's soul dissipated, the worse the spell's effect would be!

As he murmured the lengthy incantation, Punk opened his mind to receive the information. He felt as though a layer of mist had descended before his eyes. The emerald forest began to blur, while something viscous seemed to burrow into his brain and stir ceaselessly within it. Then... he sensed information that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Walk west for one morning, and you'll find a small river. Follow the river downstream for one morning, and you'll reach a village."

The next second, the mist and viscous sensation vanished. Punk discovered that he had somehow crouched on the ground, his staff tossed aside. He was holding a huge mass of rabbit organs in his hands, seemingly about to smear them over his face!

Punk tossed aside the organs and stood up, his brows knitting slightly. No wonder this magic leaned toward Evil alignment; the casting experience was truly bizarre. Punk guessed that the spell had probably been invented by a very powerful mage, and the principles it employed were highly advanced. Even though it could be used at Apprentice Level, it was like a child using a firearm—merely following the steps without understanding any of the true mysteries involved.

"Even low-level magic is full of charm. This world is truly wonderful."

A fire called excitement ignited within Punk's heart. He casually cast a conjuration cleansing spell, converting the friction on the filthy bloodstains into Aether Energy and dispersing it. For the next few seconds, the friction on the blood would be "aetherized." The blood covering Punk's hands quickly fell to the ground, leaving his hands clean and pale once again.

He cut several small pieces of fat from the rabbit as possible spellcasting materials for later use and placed them in the pockets built into his mage robe, which had been designed with many pockets for convenient storage. He ignored the rabbit still twitching on the ground. Ever since his rebirth, he had found his appetite for fruits, vegetables, and other plants far greater than his appetite for meat. That was thanks to Punk's Primordial Elf bloodline.

After casting Minor Mage Armor on himself, then adding See Invisibility—allowing him to see through thinner objects and discover enemies; anyone thinking otherwise should go face the wall—Punk happily headed west.

"Only cautious mages can live long lives."

Punk thought.

The forest was not actually very large. In only two or three hours, Punk had left it behind and entered the borderland between forest and plains.

With the system's navigation, Punk easily kept to the west without straying off course. It was still early morning, and the two suns had just risen in the southwest—yes, the Faerun World had two suns, both rising in the southwest and setting in the northeast. The grass beneath his feet creaked with remarkable toughness. It was currently Greenleaf Season—Faerun had six seasons each year: Greenleaf Season, Evergreen Season, Sunscorched Season, Harvest Season, Rising Wind Season, and Winter Season. Dew from the grass wet Punk's leather boots, but he did not care. Carrying his staff, he walked briskly onward.

Because Punk deliberately quickened his pace, he saw the river mentioned in the divination after only half a morning. Calling it a river would be generous; it was more like an oversized stream. The entire riverbed was at most four meters wide, and the water was shallow. Yet, untouched by industrial wastewater, the water was crystal clear, and Punk could see the pebbles on the riverbed through it. There were few fish in the river. Punk only spotted scattered slender fish with tiny horns on their heads that emitted a faint blue glow, swimming through the water. Everything looked elegant and tranquil.

But... "I need to clear out some annoying little monsters before I can continue enjoying the scenery!"

Punk looked toward an abnormally large bush by the river. In his eyes, enhanced with See Invisibility, faint magical radiance circled around his pupils!