As Zane and Maria reached the border line of the Demon Mountains, their surroundings took an ominous turn. The air here grew heavy with unruly mana pressing against their chests. With each step that Zane took towards the mountains the dense mist of the mountain began to gather around him.
"Hey Maria?" Zane spoke not looking at Maria’s direction.
"Yes Young Master?"
Zane stopped and looked at Maria’s direction. "Can you drop the ’Young Master’ business and just call me Zane?"
Maria blinked twice before giving a soft smile. "As you wish Young... Zane."
"Much better," Zane replied with a smile. "By the way... you’re an assassin right?"
"I am."
"Then will you watch me fight from stealth while I fight alone?"
Maria’s smile vanished only for a calculating look to replace it. "Mmm... why do you ask Zane? Are you not afraid of dying?"
"I am," Zane admitted tightening the strap along his shoulder.
"But if I constantly rely on a safety net then I’ll never reach the height I need to get to. So... please."
Maria sighed noticing the seriousness in the young prince’s eyes. "Very well but I will still step in at times to prepare your meals and set up camp."
"Before you answer," Maria took a step backwards only for the shadows to swallow her whole.
Zane gave a small smile while adjusting the heavy burden on his back, The God Slayer Sword wrapped in thick white linen to conceal its form.
For an hour Zane wandered the terrain searching for something, anything to kill. "This is getting boring," Zane muttered to himself as he surveyed the spiky black bushes. He had been walking for hours and had not seen a single...
Krrr... grrrshhh...
Zane turned to the direction of the sound. "What was that?"
From the thicket of overgrown briars a beast like creature came bounding towards him. Its body was much like a wolf but its body was encrusted with bark like substance and its fur had been replaced with sharp fern fronds.
Zane’s heart pounded like a war drum against his chest. This was it, his first close encounter with a wild monster. Naturally his body tensed and he took a cautious step back.
CRACK!
A dry branch snapped beneath his boot sending the monster’s glowing amber eyes to bear straight into Zane’s. With a guttural wooden growl the beast lunged forward!
Reflexes kicked in as Zane threw his body sideways into a nearby bush. The monster skidded to a halt with its serrated snout pointing in Zane’s direction.
’Zane.’
A whisper filled his head.
’Maria?’ Zane thought.
’Yes it’s me. I am communicating with you telepathically’
’Right got it.’
’That monster is a Fern Wolf. They are known to have incredible bursts of speed and always hunt in packs. Meaning seeing one alone means you are in the midst of their territory.’
Zane clenched his teeth as he felt the surge of adrenaline stabilize. ’That explains why it was so fast... Don’t interfere!’
’Understood,’ Maria said her voice vanishing from Zane’s head.
FWOOSH!
The blaze rocketed past the monster but it failed to so much as flinch. With incredible speed the beast bounded sideways dodging the oncoming spell with ease before the fireball exploded against a boulder showering the surrounding area with scorched rock fragments.
Zane gritted his teeth watching the beast circle him with glowing eyes. ’It’s too fast for a straight attack...’
Suddenly Maria’s lessons with Sofia echoed in his head.
"Zane, when fighting a monster never plays by their rules. Don’t fight according to their style, force them to play by your rules and dictate the battlefield."
A small confident smile graced Zane’s lips. ’Force them to play by my style... got it.’
Instead of targetting the beast Zane slammed his hands together sending forth a wide mana circle beneath the creature’s feet.
"Fire Tornado!"
Booom!
A roaring column of fire erupted from the ground sending a wave of heat that scorched the damp underbrush instantaneously. The whirling vortex of heat and force caught the nimble beast by surprise sending it airborne across the clearing until it crashed against a massive ancient tree.
The beast lay on the ground, its bark like hide scorched and smoking.
Zane exhaled a trail of steam as he lowered his hands. "Well... that was weaker than I expected."
[DING!]
[FERN WOLF DEFEATED]
[REWARD: PASSIVE SKILL ’SELF REGENERATION UNLOCKED (5% RECOVERY RATE)]’
Zane felt a strange coolness run through his veins as he looked at the status window. ’Self-Regeneration... Perfect for long fights.’
He didn’t get the chance to look at the status window however.
Rustle... Rustle... Rustle...
From within the leafy canopy eight pairs of glowing amber eyes snapped open one after the other. Growls reverberated from the underbrush as the whole pack had silently surrounded the young prince.
Zane’s smile grew into a sharp grin. "Mmm... looks like it was just the bait."
Three Fern Wolves lunged forth at Zane’s left, right, and back. Their wooden jaws snapping with crackling sounds.
Rather than reaching back for the cloth wrapped weapon on his back Zane kept his hands free. ’I need to test my mana control, not strength.’
FWOOSH!
With a heavenly dragon step Zane vanished from the cross pounce into the canopy.
Maria’s hand had already gone to her hilt before realization hit. Her heart pounding in her ears until her assassin instincts registered the flicker of golden mana running through the air. ’He didn’t step back, he compressed his weight and vanished completely. That’s high-tier imperial movement footwork! Executed flawlessly by a child!’
The three wolves slammed against the dirt where Zane’s body had been a fraction of a second before.
Reappearing five meters back Zane thrust his right palm forward sending forth a wind mana sphere.
"Wind Impact!"
The air pressure plummeted momentarily before erupting forward. The compressed wind detonated right against the leading wolf’s ribcage shattering its wooden hide and blasting it backward into two other beasts.
Without breaking his stream Zane spun on his heel. A fourth beast leapt at Zane’s throat from the shadows of a large boulder.
Zane raised his left hand to conjure a water element spell circle.
"Water Bullet!"
THWACK!
The compressed water expelled with the power of a cannon ball struck square in the snout of the leaping beast sending it flying.
Maria watched from the canopy her breath catching in her throat. ’He isn’t merely firing off spells, he is chaining his elements together instantly without incantations! His mana efficiency is incredible for a ten-year-old.’
Two more beasts charged from opposite directions to flank Zane.
Zane’s lips curled into a small smile as he remembered Sofia’s lessons. ’Control the battlefield.’
Zane slammed his boot onto the ground flooding it with localized earth mana.
"Earth Spike!"
The ground buckled under the beasts feet as sharp jagged stone pillars erupted impaling their legs before they could leap. As they tumbled onto the dirt Zane raised both hands conjuring a sweeping low-altitude flame arc from fire and wind.
"Flame Sweep!"
A wave of intense heat rolled over the remaining beasts burning away their wooden hides sending them scattering in pain.
Within minutes the clearing fell silent with the scent of charred wood, ozone, and wet earth filling the air.
[DING!]
[8x FERN WOLVES DEFEATED]
[STRENGTH +12]
[AGILITY +18]
[MANA +25]
Zane exhaled a long trail of mist as his hands relaxed while the spell circles vanished from his palms. He didn’t feel tired, his refined mana pathways handled the output effortlessly.
’Not bad for a first live test,’ Zane thought surveying the pack of defeated beasts.
From the tree line, Maria stepped out of the shadows her eyes wide with astonishment. "Your element swapping... you didn’t hesitate for a second."
Zane looked over his shoulder with a grin. "Told you I could handle it."
AWOOOOOOOOO... KRRRRSH!
From the craggy peak of the small mountain overlooking the clearing a deep earth shattering howl reverberated through the mist.
The air temperature dropped as the remaining wild mana in the clearing grew turbulent. Zane’s eyes shifted to the mountain ridge as a large silhouette with glowing crimson eyes loomed from the fog.
A small thrill-seeker’s smirk graced Zane’s lips.
"Mmm... looks like the boss finally decided to show up."