Hunting in the Forest

After a good night's sleep, Dago was alive again.

After a simple wash and simple breakfast, he should have gone running and practiced by the lake as usual.

But this morning, Dago planned to visit the Wizard Hall in town first.

First, to follow up on his report of the shady potion dealer last time. Second, to get certified as a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice at the Wizard Hall.

He only had thirteen magic stone fragments left and urgently needed to find a way to earn magic stones in town.

He put on the apprentice robe that his predecessor had been too reluctant to wear. It was far better than the linen robes he usually wore.

The apprentice robe was soft and fitted well. The emblem of Ainak Wizard Academy was embroidered on its chest: a five-pointed star enclosing a mountain peak.

His predecessor had spent a considerable sum buying it at the Wizard Hall.

Dago straightened his robe, fastened his money pouch and waterskin to his waist, then turned and left. Before going, he did not forget to lock the shelter door.

The wind kept him company along the way.

He arrived at Aina Town again. It had only been four days since his last visit, and he made his way familiarly to the Wizard Hall.

Just then, a group of people emerged from the hall, chatting and laughing as they headed directly toward Ainak Wizard Academy on the mountain.

They all wore beautiful new clothes. Whenever they raised their hands, the gleaming rings on their fingers—rings that occasionally revealed fluctuations of energy particles—would catch the eye.

The wizard leading them looked especially noble and untouchable. He glanced at Dago, murmured a few words to someone beside him, and then burst out laughing.

"Looks like the academy has its own privileged elite too!"

Dago stepped aside by the street and muttered.

Only after that group of academy wizards had left did he stand in the street and properly appreciate the most luxurious building in town.

From outside, the Wizard Hall looked as though it had been carved from a giant champagne bottle. Looking in through the entrance, golden bubbles seemed to float amid the cold gleam of countless marble slabs.

Even the air carried the scent of money evaporating—the aroma of polished metal, aged wood, and rare spices, a fragrance exclusive to wizards and nobles.

Dago adjusted his robe again at the Wizard Hall entrance, then strode inside.

He found the same counter he had visited last time and walked over. The pretty girl behind it was still the one he had seen before, and Dago's eyes lit up.

Since there were not many people in the hall at the moment, she was holding a book and reading with great interest.

Dago quietly crept up to the counter and loudly rapped on the tabletop several times.

The girl was startled out of her wits and hurriedly hid the book in a cabinet beside her.

When she looked up and saw Dago, she recognized him. She glared at him with faint anger, already cursing him dozens of times in her heart.

"Did you catch that shady potion dealer I reported last time?"

Dago spread his hands with a smile and asked casually.

"We caught him. He's squatting in a prison guarded by wizards now."

The girl answered irritably.

"I'm also here for something else today. I've advanced to a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice. Please help me process the certification."

She gave Dago a surprised look. Advancing from a First-Level Wizard Apprentice to a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice was no common matter.

She took a coin-sized badge from the cabinet beside her and handed it to Dago.

"This is an apprentice badge specially used by the Wizard Alliance to test Second-Level Wizard Apprentices. Activate it with your spiritual power."

Dago accepted it and examined it for a while. It was a silver badge. One side bore an open book, with a fingernail-sized crystal embedded in the middle.

The other side was engraved with a rune he could not understand.

After turning the badge over in his hand, a deep blue glow appeared in Dago's azure eyes.

The crystal embedded in the middle of the badge immediately began to emit a faint blue glow as well. It seemed to have detected the spiritual power leaking from Dago.

The girl watched Dago's movements the entire time. Only after seeing the crystal on the badge light up with a faint blue glow did she look away.

She pulled several sheets of paper from a drawer beneath the counter and handed them to him, looking at Dago with a professional fake smile.

"Mr. Dago, congratulations on becoming a newly advanced Second-Level Wizard Apprentice of Ainak Wizard Academy. You may now register your information."

Dago stopped channeling spiritual power, put down the badge in his hand, and carefully read the papers on the counter.

The first sheet was an official wizard registration form from the Wizard Alliance. He only needed to fill in his personal information.

But the academy student loan forms afterward were a real scam. Their general contents were that if a student could not afford academy tuition during enrollment, the academy could provide a loan.

However, the condition was that the academy could forcibly arrange five years of work for the academy wizard.

Never mind the annual tuition of ten low-grade magic stones; that compulsory clause alone was enough to make Dago hesitate.

"This is a loan provided by the academy for impoverished Second-Level Wizard Apprentices. The price is a little high, but if it lets you graduate smoothly and become a respected wizard, isn't that worth it?"

Noticing Dago's changing expression, the girl explained gently.

Dago waved a hand without responding, then used the quill on the counter to write down his information on the first sheet.

He then handed all the papers back to the girl. She instantly understood what Dago meant and did not try to persuade him further.

She only took back the papers, while returning the badge to Dago.

"The badge is an identification token given by the Wizard Alliance to every Second-Level Wizard Apprentice. Replacing a lost one or repairing a damaged one costs five low-grade magic stones."

Hearing that, Dago carefully placed the badge in his cloth pouch for safekeeping.

After thanking the girl, he got up and left the Wizard Hall.

"Trading the future for the present? Too bad I'm a man with a cheat."

Dago stood on the street, watching the people coming and going as he murmured inwardly.

He did not regret his choice. Though he could not receive the academy's formal education and could only attend as an auditor, he had the Progress System. To him, there was no difference.

For now, his two minor spells were enough. Once he had earned enough magic stones, he could go to the academy and learn new spells.

His most urgent task now was finding a way to earn magic stones.

He had considered things from his previous life, like soap and lime, but actually putting them into practice was not so simple.

Perhaps the basic physical laws of the two worlds were different. This world even had gods and ghosts; his previous world had none of that.

He discarded the unnecessary thoughts in his mind and strolled through the town's bustling streets.

At a secluded antique shop, he bought an old brass pocket watch, spending a full two magic stone fragments. It hurt so much his heart cramped.

But from now on, he could tell the exact time and would no longer need to estimate it by looking at the sun. The pocket watch's markings were not much different from those in his previous life, and he understood them at a glance.

He continued wandering aimlessly, until he finally discovered a possible path: selling meat.

He observed the business at the town's butcher shops and found it extremely brisk.

There were two main reasons. First, the townsfolk did not eat animal organs because they found them too gamey. Second, they all did manual labor and needed protein from meat.

So he made a decision: after returning to the shelter, he would begin hunting wild animals in the forest and become a wizard hunter.

He already lived in the forest and had discovered traces of many wild animals there.

That would give him a new source of income without affecting his spell practice. It could even increase his combat experience. It was simply a win-win situation.

The only ones who would suffer were the wild animals of the Emerald Forest.

He hastily dealt with lunch at a restaurant in town, putting some much-needed grease and meat into his empty stomach, then set off for his shelter in the forest.

Inside the shelter, Dago changed into a set of lightweight hunting clothes and strapped a meat-cutting dagger that gleamed coldly at his waist.

These were old belongings given to him by the old hunter Roland before he left. Unfortunately, Roland had grown too old to hunt in the forest any longer and could only go enjoy his retirement in a large city.

Before leaving, Roland had also taught Dago about dangerous things in the forest and a few tricks for hunting wild animals.

Thinking about it now, Roland had truly treated him very well.

Dago summoned the system panel in his mind.

[Universal Wizard Meditation Method (Beginner 49/1000); Air Bullet (Novice 23/100)]

As the Air Bullet spell improved, its power had increased considerably.

Dago had tested it. At present, the impact of an Air Bullet was roughly equivalent to being hit by a motorcycle traveling at forty kilometers per hour in his previous life.

It was more than enough for hunting small wild animals in the forest.

With his current total spiritual power, he could probably cast Air Bullet two or three times before needing to meditate and recover his spiritual power.

So he had to strive for a one-hit kill. Of course, if he missed, he could always just run.

He organized his supplies, slung the cloth pouch over his back, and headed into the forest to search for prey.

The ancient trees of the Emerald Forest towered overhead like a green ocean. Dago pushed aside a patch of shrubs, casually pulled an old brass pocket watch from his chest, and checked the time.

Nearly an hour had passed since he left the shelter. Several patches of skin had accidentally been scratched by branches, leaving streaks of blood.

Dago heard the sound of a stream not far ahead and gradually slowed his pace.

In the wilderness, water sources were places where danger and opportunity coexisted.

He hid in the shadows and observed for a long time. Only after finding neither prey nor danger did he plan to go over and wash his face to refresh himself.

When he reached the pool formed by the stream, Dago scooped up some water and washed his face, immediately feeling much more alert. Just as he comfortably prepared to take off his shoes and wash his feet—

Rustle!

A sudden sound came from the bushes not far away.

Dago swiftly turned his head in alert. Crouching low, he quietly hid behind a tree near the stream.

A fawn resembling a spotted deer slowly approached the stream pool. It was a Swift Deer, which Roland had told him about.

Named for its speed, countless Swift Deer lived in the forest, making them one of the most common animals encountered by hunters there.

The young Swift Deer wrinkled its nose and sniffed the air. Perhaps it caught an unfamiliar scent, for it raised its ears and listened for a while.

Its peaceful life in the forest had made it forget danger. Unconcerned, it lowered its head and continued drinking the sweet stream water.

At that moment, Dago barely dared to breathe. Seeing that it had not noticed him, he raised his right hand. A halo lit up in his eyes, and the airflow around him suddenly changed.

A dense ball of air the size of a basketball rapidly gathered in the palm of his right hand.

Only then did the Swift Deer sense that something was wrong with the airflow. Its animal instincts warned it that danger had arrived, and it raised its head to look around.

In the space of a breath, Dago flashed out from behind the tree and hurled the dense ball of air in his palm at the Swift Deer.

The Swift Deer was instantly terrified and leaped straight into the air in fright.

Bang!

The dense ball of air struck the lower abdomen of the jumping Swift Deer with perfect accuracy and exploded violently. The fierce impact sent it flying several meters away.

Its body kicked up fragments of grass, leaves, and dirt as it hit the ground. The Swift Deer lay there, crying out in agony.

Dago hurried over to inspect its injuries and see how powerful his spell had become.

The Swift Deer's ribs around its abdomen were almost completely shattered. Dago's heart jumped. It seemed that this strike had crippled it outright.

Seeing the Swift Deer struggling painfully on the ground, Dago chose to end its suffering quickly.

He drew the sharp dagger from his waist, covered the Swift Deer's eyes with one hand, and decisively slit its throat.

Awkwardly removing the bones, organs, and hide, he went to the stream to wash the dagger and the blood from his body.

He packed up the edible venison and hide together. After lifting them, he estimated they weighed around twenty or thirty pounds. He heaved them onto his shoulder with effort and headed back to the shelter.

Near dusk, Dago returned to the shelter, panting as he tossed the hide-wrapped venison onto a wooden stump.

Before long, he had lit a fire in the open space outside the shelter. Beside it were skewers of venison threaded onto branches.

Fat from the venison dripped onto the charcoal, sending up small flames with a sizzling sound.

Dago stared at the fragrant roasted venison. His uncooperative stomach rumbled wildly, and saliva kept flooding into his mouth.

Not long after, he grabbed a slightly charred skewer of venison, sprinkled it with a little fine salt, and began wolfing it down.