Hunting in the Forest

After a good night's sleep, Dago was revived once more.

After a simple wash and simple breakfast, according to his usual routine, he should have gone for a run and cultivated by the lake.

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

First, he wanted to follow up on the report he had made against the black-market merchant last time. Second, he wanted to get certified as a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice at the Wizard Hall.

He only had thirteen Magic Stone Fragments left, so he 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 comfortably. The emblem of Ainak Wizard Academy was embroidered on its chest: a five-pointed star encircling a mountain peak.

His predecessor had spent a fortune buying it from the Wizard Hall.

Dago straightened his robe, fastened his money pouch and waterskin at his waist, then turned and headed out. Before leaving, 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 found his way to the Wizard Hall with ease.

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

All of them wore brand-new, elegant clothes. Whenever they raised their hands, the glittering rings on their fingers would occasionally be revealed, each one carrying fluctuations of energy particles.

The wizard leading them looked especially noble and untouchable. He glanced at Dago, whispered a few words to the person beside him, and then burst into laughter.

"Looks like the Academy has its own celestial dragons too!"

Dago stepped to the side of the street and muttered under his breath.

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

From outside, the Wizard Hall looked as though it had been built from an enormous bottle of champagne. 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 mixture of polished metal, aged wood, and rare spices, a fragrance belonging exclusively to wizards and nobles.

Dago adjusted his robe again at the entrance to the Wizard Hall before striding inside.

He found the counter he had visited last time and walked over. The pretty girl sitting behind it was the same 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 engrossed in a book.

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

The girl was so startled that she hurriedly hid the book in the cabinet beside her.

When she looked up and saw that it was Dago, she remembered him. She shot him an annoyed glare, having already cursed him dozens of times in her heart.

"Did they catch the black-market potion seller I reported last time?"

Dago spread his hands with a smile and asked casually.

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

The girl answered irritably.

"There's one more thing. I've already advanced to Second-Level Wizard Apprentice. Please help me register for certification."

She looked at Dago in surprise. Advancing from a First-Level Wizard Apprentice to a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice was no common occurrence.

She took out a badge the size of a coin 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 depicted an open book, with a crystal the size of a fingernail embedded in its center.

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

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

The crystal embedded in the center of the badge immediately began to emit a faint blue radiance 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, wearing a professional fake smile.

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

Dago stopped channeling his spiritual power, set down the badge in his hand, and picked up the papers on the counter to read them carefully.

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 behind it were quite a scam. Their rough meaning was that if one could not afford tuition while studying at the Academy, the Academy could provide a loan for their education.

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

Never mind the annual tuition fee of ten Low-Grade Magic Stones; that compulsory clause alone was enough to make Dago hesitate.

"This is a loan the Academy offers to impoverished Second-Level Wizard Apprentices. The price is a little high, but if it lets you graduate from the Academy smoothly and become a respected wizard, isn't that worthwhile?"

The girl noticed the change in Dago's expression and explained it to him gently.

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

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

She only took back the papers and returned the badge to Dago.

"The badge is an identity marker 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."

Upon hearing that, Dago carefully placed the badge into his cloth pouch for safekeeping.

After thanking the girl, he rose and walked out of the Wizard Hall.

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

Dago stood in the street, watching the people passing by as he muttered to himself.

He did not regret his choice. Although he could not receive the Academy's formal education and could only become an auditing student, he had the Progress System. To him, there was no real difference.

His two minor spells were enough for now. Once he had earned enough Magic Stones, he could go to the Academy and learn new spells.

His most urgent task now was to find a way to earn Magic Stones.

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

Perhaps the fundamental laws of physics differed between the two worlds. This world even had gods and ghosts, unlike his previous one.

He cast aside the unnecessary thoughts in his head and wandered through the bustling streets of town.

At a secluded antique shop, he bought an old brass pocket watch. It cost him two Magic Stone Shards, and the pain made his heart twitch.

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

He continued wandering aimlessly and finally discovered a possible path: selling meat.

He observed the business at the town's butcher shops and found that demand was extremely high.

There were two main reasons. First, the townspeople did not eat animal organs because they were too gamey. Second, commoners did physical labor and needed meat protein to replenish their strength.

So he made a decision. Once he returned 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 plenty of traces of wild animals there.

That way, he would gain a new source of income without affecting his spell cultivation. He could even gain practical combat experience. It was simply a win-win situation.

Only the wild animals of the Emerald Forest would have to suffer.

He found a restaurant in town and hastily dealt with lunch, adding some grease and meat to his empty stomach before setting off for the shelter in the forest.

Inside the shelter, Dago changed into a set of light hunting clothes and strapped a meat-cutting dagger that gleamed with a cold light to his waist.

These had once belonged to the old hunter Roland, who had given them to Dago before leaving. Unfortunately, Roland had grown old and no longer had the strength to hunt in the forest, so he had chosen to retire comfortably in a large city.

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

Thinking about it now, Roland had truly treated him 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 sufficient 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 restore his spiritual power.

So he needed to make every shot count. Of course, if he missed, he could always just run.

He sorted through 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 into the sky like a green ocean. Dago pushed aside a clump of shrubs, casually took out the old brass pocket watch from his pocket, and checked the time.

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

Dago heard the sound of a stream somewhere 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 decide 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 more alert. Just as he happily prepared to take off his shoes and wash his feet—

Rustle!

A sudden sound came from the trees not far away.

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

A small deer resembling a sika deer slowly approached the stream pool. It was a Swift Deer, the kind Roland had told him about.

Named for its speed, countless Swift Deer lived in the forest, making them one of the most common animals hunters encountered 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, clear 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 solid mass 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 air currents. Its animal instincts warned it of approaching danger, and it raised its head to look around.

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

The Swift Deer was instantly terrified and leaped straight up in fright.

Boom!

The solid air mass struck the underside of the leaping Swift Deer's abdomen with perfect accuracy and exploded violently, sending it flying several meters away with the tremendous impact.

Its body sent broken grass, leaves, and dirt flying as it hit the ground. The Swift Deer lay there, crying out in agony.

Dago hurried over to check its injuries and see how powerful his spell had been.

The ribs in the Swift Deer's abdomen were almost all broken. Dago was startled. It seemed that single 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.

After 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 its hide together. After lifting it to gauge the weight, he estimated it was around twenty to thirty pounds. He laboriously hoisted it onto his shoulder and headed back to the shelter.

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

Before long, he had lit a fire in the clearing outside the shelter. Beside it, skewers of venison threaded onto branches were stuck into the ground.

Fat from the venison dripped onto the charcoal, sending up little flames with sizzling sounds.

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

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