Breaking Through to Level Seven

For the past month, Garen had spent most of his time practicing basic blade techniques. A ten-thousand-foot tower rises from the ground; if the foundation is not laid firmly, then dreaming of comprehending higher realms in the future is simply delusional.

Having been chased by a swarm of rats to the outer perimeter of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Garen had no choice but to head back toward the depths of the mountain range.

After walking for only a few minutes, Garen discovered a Cat-Bear sprawled on a thick tree branch not far away.

When the red dot appeared on his Map Function, Garen hadn't paid much attention, assuming it was just another level three or four magical beast and preparing to walk right past it. He never expected to encounter a level nine magical beast in the outer perimeter.

The moment Garen spotted the Cat-Bear, the Cat-Bear spotted him as well.

The Cat-Bear's fur was currently somewhat disheveled, and there were several bloody gashes on its body.

Could this Cat-Bear have been chased here by the swarm of Stone-Slaying Rats as well? Seeing the Cat-Bear in such a sorry state, Garen made a rough guess; after all, the teeth of the Stone-Slaying Rats were notoriously sharp.

Given the Cat-Bear's strength, the only thing in the Magical Beast Mountain Range capable of forcing it into such a state would likely be a swarm of Stone-Slaying Rats. In a one-on-one fight, a Cat-Bear and a Stone-Slaying Rat of the same level would likely be unable to do much to each other, each having their own strengths and weaknesses.

Although the Cat-Bear had "bear" in its name, it possessed the agility and speed of a cat. Although it had "cat" in its name, it possessed the strength and explosive power of a bear. It could be considered a top-tier existence among level nine magical beasts.

"Roar..."

Seemingly wanting to vent the frustration of being chased by the rat swarm earlier, the Cat-Bear let out a roar and charged directly at Garen.

Garen dared not be the least bit negligent; he immediately transformed into a Tiger-Striped Warrior, drew his long blade, and slashed out.

The bear claw collided with the blade edge, leaving a bloody gash on the claw, but the force of the blow was so immense that Garen was sent flying, blade and all, crashing into a large tree and coughing up a mouthful of blood.

The Cat-Bear and the Tiger-Striped Warrior were quite similar—both had high speed and strong attack power—but one was at the peak of level nine, while the other was at the peak of level eight. With a base difference of over ten times, they were simply not in the same league.

Watching the Cat-Bear charge again, Garen didn't hesitate to use his spare primary experience card. His warrior level, which had been only a little over 100 points away from leveling up, instantly rose to level seven.

A surge of power erupted from within his body. Garen's speed evolved once more, and with a powerful kick off the ground, he dodged the savage pounce.

Garen's Tiger Blood Battle Qi surged throughout his body, his strength and battle qi exploding tenfold, forcing an involuntary tiger roar from his throat.

"Awoo..."

The tenfold increase in strength filled Garen with overflowing confidence, and he clashed head-on with the Cat-Bear once more.

"Roar..."

"Bang!"

The Cat-Bear's claw was slashed with a deep wound, drawing a cry of pain from the beast.

However, Garen was sent flying once again. The injuries he had just recovered from due to his level-up were now severe once more.

Only after being sent flying did Garen's head clear. He was only at the early stage of level nine; compared to a peak level nine Cat-Bear, his strength was still lacking by quite a margin.

He flipped himself up.

Man and beast both watched each other with vigilance, neither daring to make a rash move.

The Cat-Bear was, after all, a solitary magical beast. If it were severely injured in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, it would become extremely vulnerable and could even die. After all, level eight magical beasts could potentially advance by absorbing a level nine Magic Crystal Core, and a severely injured level nine magical beast would be the primary target for numerous level eight magical beasts.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned eerie; neither side dared to initiate an attack.

After a standoff of over ten seconds, the Cat-Bear suddenly turned around and bolted.

Garen was actually panicking inside, but he knew that the instinct of animals was to bully the weak and fear the strong. If he had run first, his momentum would have weakened, and the Cat-Bear might have pursued him relentlessly.

"Whew."

Seeing the Cat-Bear run off into the distance, Garen let out a sigh of relief. If he had truly fought to the bitter end, Garen might have been able to severely injure the Cat-Bear with the God-Slaying Blade, but he himself would likely have faced death. If he had taken a few more swipes, he truly wouldn't have been able to hold on. Although the Tiger-Striped Warrior's defense was much stronger than that of an average human, it was only slightly better when compared to a magical beast of the same level.

His realm was still too low. If he could master the ability to make heavy objects feel light, he should be able to easily defeat the Cat-Bear. If he could master "intent," he might even be able to kill it in one strike. His leveling had been too fast, and his foundation was too thin; he still had a long way to go before his basics were perfect.

Feeling the state of his body, he estimated it would take at least half a month to recover from his injuries.

"With the Stone-Slaying Rat tide causing such a ruckus, I'm afraid many high-level magical beasts in the central region have been driven to the outer perimeter. For safety's sake, I'd better return to the academy to heal. If I run into another level nine magical beast, I'll be in real trouble."

Garen carefully made his way back to the academy. With the system's Map Function, avoiding combat was quite simple for him.

Now just turned 13, a level seven warrior and a late-stage level six mage, he was already leveling up quite quickly. It was the perfect time to return to the academy, learn some basic magical knowledge, and spend a few years properly settling down to refine his blade techniques to the realm of perfection.

Upon returning to the academy, Garen immediately notified Yale and the others, inviting them to the Wald Hotel for a good meal.

The group was extremely curious about the Magical Beast Mountain Range and kept asking questions incessantly. Garen smiled and answered them one by one. Although he hadn't spent much time in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had experienced quite a lot and had killed many different kinds of magical beasts—things that could only be seen in books back at the academy.

Listening to Garen's account, the other three were fine, just listening as if it were a story, but Linley possessed the heart of a powerhouse, which made him yearn for the Magical Beast Mountain Range even more.

Of course, Garen couldn't possibly tell them everything or reveal his full strength. After all, it was always best to keep a few trump cards, and they were all just teenagers. If someone accidentally let something slip, it could bring him quite a bit of trouble.

He knew that when Linley became a level seven mage, the Dark Alliance had wanted to kill him when they couldn't recruit him.

If the Light Alliance were to discover his true strength now, he would either have to join them or face death.

After the meal, Garen forcibly returned two level seven Magic Crystal Cores to Yale, claiming he had found them by luck in the pack of a corpse killed by a magical beast.

The others all envied his good luck; no one would ever suspect that he had killed the level seven magical beasts himself. A 13-year-old killing level seven magical beasts was something no one dared to imagine.

A level seven Magic Crystal Core was worth 50,000 gold coins; the debt for the Purple Dragon Bow was now completely paid off.

Just like that, Garen began his peaceful campus life once again: waking up in the morning to practice Tiger Blood Battle Qi, fire-element magic classes in the morning, practicing blade techniques at noon, wind-element magic classes in the afternoon, and meditation to refine magical power at night.

Every day was incredibly fulfilling. Although his leveling speed had slowed down significantly, he was improving steadily every single day.

Time flowed by, spring departed and autumn arrived; in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

On this day, after fully consolidating his cultivation as a level five magus, Linley sought out Garen.

"Garen, I have reached the level five magus rank and have applied to the academy for an expedition to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. What do you think? Are you interested in going together?"

Garen was somewhat surprised; he had not expected Linley to invite him to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. However, thinking back on these past few years, the group had often eaten, drank, and chatted together, and their bond had become incredibly close. The two of them shared the same mindset, both aspiring to become powerhouses.

Furthermore, Garen had been to the Magical Beast Mountain Range two years prior and possessed a great deal of experience. Having the two of them look out for one another would be a good arrangement.

(End of chapter)

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