The February wind, though it carried tidings of early spring, still cut to the bone as it blew into the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Loa tightened his worn leather armor and checked his supplies one last time: the pouch of medicinal powders Bob had given him tucked close to his body, a full waterskin, several packets of dried meat and hard biscuits, a whetstone, a fire steel, and his longsword. He put on his inner armor. He glanced back the way he had come. Fenlai City's outline had long since vanished behind the hills, leaving only an increasingly deep, seemingly timeless sea of forest before him.
Drawing a deep breath of cold air scented with earth and rotting leaves, Loa stepped forward, formally entering this land that harbored countless dangers and opportunities.
For the first half day, the trees were still fairly sparse, and he could just make out trails trodden by hunters or adventurers underfoot. But the farther he went, the taller and thicker the trees became. Gnarled branches wove a net overhead, filtering the light into dim, mottled patches. Shrubs and thorn bushes crowded the ground so densely that there was almost nowhere to step. Loa kept the advice he had heard from old mercenaries firmly in mind: better to take a detour of another quarter mile than casually swing his sword to clear thorns that seemed to block the way. Who knew whether a venomous snake lay coiled in those impenetrable brambles, or a ferocious beast lurked there, waiting for prey to stumble into its trap? He kept his footsteps light, his sharp gaze sweeping ahead and to either side, his ears catching every unusual sound in the forest.
"Rustle..."
A thick patch of ferns ahead and to his right suddenly stirred without a breeze. Loa stopped at once, his hand resting on his sword hilt as he looked closely. An enormous boar, nearly the size of a young calf, ambled out. Coarse, grayish-brown bristles covered its body, and its hide had formed thick, uneven patches like natural stone armor. Its two curved tusks gleamed with a cold, yellowish-white light.
A Rockskin Boar with Rank 3 strength. Judging by its size and bearing, this one was far stronger and fiercer than the one he had encountered outside Wushan Town.
Loa's gaze shifted slightly. A trace of familiar nostalgia rose within him, but stronger still was his eagerness to take on worthy prey. Perfect. I'll warm up with this fellow and test the results of these past few months of hard training.
The Rockskin Boar also noticed the uninvited guest who had entered its territory. Ferocity flashed in its little eyes, and two streams of white vapor puffed from its nostrils. Rather than immediately fleeing or attacking like an ordinary beast, it regarded him with a sort of appraising arrogance. When it discovered that this two-legged creature actually stood still without showing the slightest fear, its simple animal thoughts were swiftly replaced by hunger and anger. All food for piggy!
"Snort!"
The Rockskin Boar gave a low growl. An earthy-yellow glimmer flashed around its body as its innate magic, Rock Armor, activated. A rough, stony sheen seemed to coat its already thick hide, multiplying its defense. Then its powerful hind hooves slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying. Its enormous body charged headlong at Loa like an out-of-control war chariot amid a heavy rumble! Its two tusks pointed straight ahead, capable of snapping a small tree as thick as a bowl's rim.
A few months earlier, Loa might have relied on nimble footwork to maneuver around it and look for an opening. But now, watching this roaring "stone chariot" charge toward him, he felt an urge to meet force with force. A perfect chance to test my strength!
He lowered his waist slightly, planting his feet as though rooted in the earth. The Lightning Element battle-qi cultivated through the "Rushing Thunder Art" and his unique weapon combat battle-qi instantly began circulating at high speed, converging on his arms like two torrents, different in nature but equally turbulent. His muscles bulged under the infusion of battle-qi, brimming with explosive strength.
No dodging, no retreating!
Just as the Rockskin Boar reached him, its tusks about to strike, Loa exhaled with a shout. Both hands shot out like lightning, each seizing one thick tusk with flawless precision!
Thud!
Amid the dull impact, Loa's feet slid half a step backward, plowing two shallow furrows through the ground, but the charge had been stopped completely! His arm muscles trembled violently as he contended with the boar's savage force.
For the first time, something resembling "astonishment" appeared in the Rockskin Boar's little eyes. This two-legged creature actually stopped my charge head-on? Piggy won't accept this! Piggy, push harder! Its four hooves scrabbled madly at the ground, and it thrashed its head, trying to toss Loa into the air or shake him loose.
Yet the hands gripping its tusks remained as immovable as iron clamps. Feeling the tremendous strength coming from his opponent, Loa instead curved his lips into a slight smile. About enough.
"Up... you go!"
He growled, and the battle-qi within his dantian erupted. He twisted at the waist, linking the strength of his entire body in succession. Using the lingering momentum of the boar's charge and his own terrifying arm strength, he hauled the enormous creature, weighing several hundred pounds, clear off the ground, swung it through the air, and slammed it behind him to one side in a clean back throw!
Boom!
The ground shook violently, scattering dead branches and fallen leaves. The Rockskin Boar was left dazed by the throw, its Rock Armor cracked in several places and its most vulnerable belly fully exposed.
An opening! Without pausing, Loa stamped his right foot against the ground and lunged forward like lightning. His right fist clenched tight, lightning element battle-qi and weapon combat battle-qi compressing and entwining to their limits around his knuckles. Faint threads of silvery-white electricity flickered.
"Thunder Collapse!"
His punch blasted out without a flourish, bearing nothing but penetration and explosive force concentrated to the utmost! His fist struck the Rockskin Boar's unprotected, soft abdomen, and a terrifying shattering force pierced its body, driving straight into its internal organs!
"Squelch..."
A dull, teeth-grating sound rang out. The boar's enormous body convulsed violently, and it let out a brief, shrill wail. Its four hooves kicked wildly a few times. The ferocious light in its eyes swiftly scattered and dimmed, finally sinking into lifeless stillness.
Loa slowly straightened and released a long breath clouded with white mist, his chest rising and falling slightly. He flexed his faintly aching wrists, savoring the exhilarating rush of battle-qi during the fight, quite satisfied with his current strength. Combining the explosive power of lightning element battle-qi with weapon combat battle-qi's precise amplification of strength had produced striking results.
He wasted no time, drawing the homemade dagger at his waist to process his spoils. He deftly skinned the boar's hind legs, sliced off several large cuts of the fattiest, tenderest meat, and wrapped them in oilcloth. Next, he cut open its enormous skull, felt through the brain matter for a moment, and extracted a bloodstained, diamond-shaped crystal emitting a faint earthy-yellow glow-a Rank 3 earth element Magic Crystal Core. It felt slightly heavy in his hand and was worth ten gold coins.
"Good eating today. Grilled pork chops." Loa wiped the Magic Crystal Core clean and put it away, then stuffed the meat into his pack. He could not carry away the rest of the enormous carcass and could only leave it where it lay. Before long, the forest's scavengers would clean it up. Such was the law of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, efficient and cruel.
Once everything was packed, he continued deeper into the forest. Evening approached, and the light among the trees grew dimmer. He found a relatively open, level spot on slightly higher ground, with reasonably clear views around it, and decided to spend the night there.
He carefully gathered some dry branches, cleared a patch in the middle of the open ground, and lit a campfire with his fire steel. Orange-red flames rose, driving away the surrounding chill and some of the darkness, bringing a small measure of reassurance as well. He skewered the boar meat on sharpened branches and set it beside the fire to roast slowly. Fat dripped into the flames with a sizzle, and an enticing aroma gradually spread.
Several days of travel followed by a fight had indeed left him somewhat tired. He sat with his back against a large tree, tending the meat while keeping a wary watch on the darkness beyond the firelight. Beneath him lay a thick accumulation of decaying leaves from who knew how many years, soft and springy, giving off a complex smell of damp earth and decomposing organic matter. Apart from the crackling wood and faint insect calls in the distance, everything was silent.
Just as the meat was nearly cooked, and the warmth and aroma of food caused Loa's vigilance to slip ever so slightly-
Without any warning!
Less than three feet to his right, a peacefully resting heap of rotting leaves, indistinguishable from its surroundings, suddenly burst apart! A slender, withered-yellow shape, almost the same color as the fallen leaves, shot out like lightning, striking straight at his calf! It was astonishingly fast and utterly silent!
A snake! Loa's pupils contracted sharply, his hair standing on end! Combat instincts honed over years of training acted before he could even think. He braced his left hand against the ground, the muscles of his right leg tightening instantly as he drew it back. At the same time, the longsword he had kept within reach sprang up as though alive, a cold gleam sweeping swiftly upward!
Swish!
The blade sliced precisely through the middle of the withered-yellow shape, cutting it in two in midair! Foul-smelling blood splattered.
Yet the severed front half of the snake, driven by momentum and its dying nerve reflexes, still lunged forward to bite. Its venomous fangs, gleaming with an eerie blue light, grazed the outside of Loa's left calf, which he had hastily drawn back but failed to move entirely clear!
A white scrape appeared on the leather armor, but it had not fully blocked the fangs. A faint sting came, followed immediately by rapidly spreading heat and numbness!
"Dead Leaf Viper!" Loa's heart sank as he recognized this Rank 2 magical beast, notorious among mercenaries. Its venom did not kill the instant it entered the blood, but its neurotoxins spread extremely quickly, rapidly paralyzing the limbs and causing difficulty breathing. Without prompt treatment, it could easily prove fatal in the danger-ridden wilderness.
Without hesitation, he tore open the leather armor and trouser leg over his calf. Around two tiny punctures, the skin had already begun blackening and swelling at a visible rate. Numbness was spreading upward along his calf.
Forcing down the alarm rising within him and his worsening dizziness, Loa swiftly pulled the little gray cloth pouch Bob had given him from inside his clothes. He tipped out several packets of medicinal powder, quickly identified the one marked "antidote," emptied all its pale green powder into his mouth, and swallowed it dry. Then he took out clean water and cloth strips, tied a strip tightly above the wound toward his heart, cut the wound open, and squeezed hard around it, trying to force out the poisoned blood. He rinsed it with clean water, then applied a thick layer of another powder to stop bleeding and reduce inflammation, binding it tightly with cloth.
When he had finished, he leaned against the tree, breathing rapidly, his forehead covered in cold sweat. After taking the medicine, the numbness in his left calf seemed to spread more slowly, but the leg still felt heavy and would not obey him. The campfire's light swayed before his eyes, and even the fragrant, browned boar meat had lost its appeal.
Looking at the Dead Leaf Viper's severed corpse on the ground, still twitching faintly, its withered-yellow, brown-spotted scales almost blending into the surrounding rotten leaves, Loa felt a surge of lingering fear and deep chill.
There had been no warning of this attack. No killing intent, no sound, not even the slightest unusual movement of air. It had simply lain perfectly concealed in its surroundings, waiting for the moment its prey lowered its guard.
I'm still too green. I thought lighting a fire, choosing open ground, and keeping a vigilant watch would be enough. But I overlooked the most ordinary, inconspicuous "ground" beneath my feet. The dangers in this forest go far beyond large magical beasts charging in with a roar.
"My detection skills and experience are still far too lacking," Loa said quietly, his gaze sweeping the seemingly peaceful darkness around him. Beyond the firelight, every shadow, every shrub, and every heap of fallen leaves now seemed to conceal some unknown deadly threat.
He shifted his body with difficulty and used his sword to extinguish the campfire completely and bury it, leaving only a trace of residual warmth from the coals. The rich aroma of meat might attract other things, and light was the most conspicuous target in the night. Without the campfire, the cold immediately enveloped him again, but far more biting than the chill was the unease of losing control over his surroundings.
Dragging his numb left leg and enduring his discomfort, he quickly moved among the gnarled roots of another large tree a dozen or so meters away. This spot was better concealed, and the huge tree at his back offered some protection. He no longer dared settle down fully to rest. Instead, he leaned against a root with his longsword across his knees, forcing himself to stay awake.
The night was still long. The faint howls and rustling of unidentified beasts drifted through the woods. Loa kept his eyes wide, striving to adjust to the darkness, his ears pricked for any hint of unnatural silence, any strange scent carried on the wind, or the slightest tremor in the ground.
This lesson had come at no small cost, but it had left a deep enough impression.
The spring chill still cut to the bone, while the forest's fangs had only just revealed their most insidious edge to him.
Before you continue