The most common type of tree in the Frostwood Forest was the pine tree. Both sides of the road were lined with pine trees covered in a blanket of snow.
Although Sai enjoyed the cold, even he found it uncomfortably chilly as he traveled through the icy and snowy forest.
The ground was blanketed in a layer of snow, and the forest's pine trees were also draped in snow. Everything was coated in a thick layer of the frozen precipitation.
Sai glanced at his companion, who was driving the carriage, and asked, "How are you not cold?"
Rowana was wearing a thin dress in weather that would give a normal human hypothermia.
Rowana raised an eyebrow and replied, "By raising the temperature of the air around me."
"That sounds convenient. Can you teach me how to do that?"
"You haven't achieved mastery in the Modification category with your Magic Attribute. Raising the temperature using a different element will prove to be significantly more challenging. Unfortunately, this is not a skill I can impart to you."
"I wish there were some kind of secret or technique I'm overlooking," Sai lamented. Despite investing weeks in rigorous training and unwavering dedication, he found mastering the art of Modification to be an unattainable goal. While he had quickly grasped Hactor Martial Arts and achieved proficiency suitable for combat, his progress in Magic Arts had come to a frustrating standstill.
"It's not uncommon for individuals to spend many years, even decades, working to overcome the challenges of the Modification category. Don't be disheartened and continue your practice."
Sai continued to be deeply troubled by his situation. He made an effort to soothe his emotions, but it proved to be a challenging task. In addition to his current concerns, he couldn't shake the worry about the Red Mana Crystal's location. "I hope the Red Mana Crystal is where Mitton said it would be. It's been twenty years, it might have moved. It would be disappointing if this journey was in vain."
"Let's test your luck child. We've arrived," Rowana said.
Rowana stopped the carriage in front of an old battlefield that had become a graveyard. Skeletons and rusted knight armors lay scattered on the ground, and swords were used as tombstones for the fallen.
Sai disembarked from the wagon, and Rowana moved it to a tree to tether the horses.
Sai wore a somber expression. "I knew the rebellion was violent and brutal, but the true scale of the war didn't hit me until I saw all these desecrated bodies."
"You'll get used to it," Rowana replied.
"You know, I've never killed another person before."
"Then you're luckier than most."
"Yeah, in some ways. Let's go. We need to find the sword with a wolf-shaped handle."
Sai began examining the swords that served as grave markers. It didn't take long for him to locate a sword with a wolf-shaped handle, with a metal wolf's carving serving as the hilt.
"Could I have a shovel?" Sai asked Rowana.
"I can move the dirt with magic."
"That doesn't feel right. I'm already desecrating a grave, let's do it properly."
Rowana retrieved a shovel from her Kibisis and handed it to Sai.
Sai began to dig, and soon he uncovered the skeletal remains of the deceased. The Red Mana Crystal was found within the skeleton's chest cavity.
Sai had often pondered why Hero Mitton hadn't taken the Red Mana Crystal for himself and had instead left it where it was. Now, he had a better understanding. There was something disconcerting about taking something from a deceased person, as if it carried a certain unease. It even crossed his mind that there might have been a connection between this individual and Mitton. Perhaps they were enemies or friends.
Sai carefully retrieved the Red Mana Crystal and wiped off the dirt with his hand. "I found it," he said happily, then turned to Rowana. "Can you hold onto this while I rebury our friend?" He handed the Red Mana Crystal to Rowana and continued to bury the skeleton properly.
When Sai glanced back, he saw Rowana covering the ground with a cloth that looked like a language was written upon it. Slanted lines, lines that were vertical and lines that were horizontal. The lines were the letters to the alphabet of the mysterious language.
"What are you doing?" Sai asked, moving closer to inspect the magic circle.
"You never seen a Magic Formation before? Basically a Magic Formation is written in the Ancient Magic Language. This one here, is called Enchant Magic Formation. This will transfer the power of Slow Orb into the Red Mana Crystal," Rowana explained.
Rowana placed the Red Mana Crystal on top of the cloth. She held the Slow Orb above the Red Mana Crystal.
Closing her eyes, the magic circle began to glow, ceasing a few seconds later.
"It's complete," Rowana declared, opening her eyes.
Rowana pulled out another cloth from her Kibisis and a different Magic Formation was written on it, “Please stand on the Sour Armament Magic Formation. I am going to make the Red Mana Crystal into your Soul Armament.”
"Wait! Let me prepare myself mentally first!" Sai exclaimed as he backed away. Someone messy with his very soul, sounded very dangerous. It was similar to fear one might experience before undergoing open-heart surgery.
Rowana patiently waited, and Sai took a deep breath before exhaling. He stepped on the Magic Formation, "Alright, I'm ready."
Rowana nodded and placed the Red Mana Crystal on Sai's forehead. The Magic Formation underneath Sai feet glowed before dulling. The crystal disappeared.
"Did... Did it work?" Sai asked anxiously.
"Yes," Rowana replied with a bright smile. "Yes, it worked. Now, with your thoughts, try to slow down time."
Sai activated Slow. As he exhaled in the cold air, his breath moved sluggishly through the atmosphere. His new ability, Slow, could reduce the speed of any object within a short range, shrinking the time it took to reach its destination.
Rowana nodded approvingly. "With time, your Soul Armament will grow. But for now, let's begin the test."
"Test? What kind of test?" Sai inquired cautiously.
"It's time to test your combat abilities," Rowana said with a grin that had a mischievous edge to it.
"I don't like where this is going..."
"Your task is to navigate your way out of the Frostwood Forest. Do your best, child," Rowana said enthusiastically as Sai's face pale.
----
Sai was alone in the middle of the Frostwood forest. His only companion being Horned Dogs that wanted to eat him alive.
"It is far too soon to see all you guys ugly faces," Sai calmly addressed the pack of Horned Dogs blocking his path. "Wouldn't it be better to let me go in peace?"
Growl!
The Horned Dogs responded with menacing growls. There were more than a dozen of them, each at level 10 or lower, waiting for Sai to make his move.
Sai took a step forward, seemingly unfazed.
Without hesitation, the Horned Dogs launched their attack. Some conjured Magic Balls, while others charged with intent to bite and tear Sai apart.
In response, the Greedy Jar hanging from Sai's hip released a relentless stream of green poison that hit the Horned Dogs one at a time.
Sai wielded the Greedy Jar like a firefighter wielding a hose to combat a blaze. However, in his case, he was using it to douse demonic dogs with the deadly green poison.
Within moments, the Horned Dogs succumbed to the effects of the Abyssal Pufferfish poison. Boils erupted on their skin, their muscles spasmed, and ultimately, they perished.
All the Horned Dogs met their demise.
Sai could sense his Mana replenishing thanks to his new Soul Armament, the Red Mana Crystal.
"This is rather unusual. Is it truly alive?" Sai wondered aloud. "Well, I suppose I'll adapt. At least I won't have to worry about running low on Mana anytime soon."
With his newfound power, Sai continued his journey through the chilly forest.
---
Initially, Sai found himself ambushed by Horned Dogs roughly every twenty to thirty steps he took. These creatures had an insatiable thirst for battle and wasted no time attacking as soon as Sai entered their range.
This frequent onslaught significantly impeded Sai's progress through the forest. He even began to worry that he might deplete his poison reserves or run out of Mana if he continued to engage in combat with every Horned Dog he encountered. Navigating around them without being detected proved to be a challenging task.
After enduring three battles with the Horned Dogs, Sai had a brilliant idea, he could use the sky to escape the forest.
With the Cloud Step technique at his disposal, Sai gained the ability to traverse both the ground and the sky. It was a liberating experience to walk upon the very air itself, allowing him to evade the relentless Horned Dogs and expedite his journey.
A high-speed Wind Ball raced toward Sai. Instinctively, Sai sidestepped, allowing the Wind Ball to whiz past him.
Sai caught sight of his enemy. "You're a really big dog," he remarked. A Level 25 Brutal Dog.
The Brutal Dog, initially on the ground, leaped into the sky with ease, standing on wind.
It growled menacingly before launching a barrage of Wind Balls, each one translucent and swift. Sai skillfully dodged the Wind Balls, running in circles around the Brutal Dog as it kept sending more and more Wind Balls.
In retaliation, Sai unleashed a stream of green poison aimed at the Brutal Dog. However, the very wind seemed to form a protective barrier, preventing the poison from reaching its target.
Sai realized that he needed to get up close and engage the Brutal Dog directly. With determination, he charged toward the adversary. Despite being pelted by a continuous onslaught of Wind Balls, Sai powered through, channeling extra Mana into his Cloud Step technique to maintain his ability to walk on the sky.
Reaching the Brutal Dog, Sai struck the wind barrier with a punch, shattering it, and followed up with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick aimed at the Brutal Dog's face.
Pow!
Sai's roundhouse kick connected squarely with the Brutal Dog's face. He didn't pause and followed up with a rapid series of punches aimed at the canine adversary. Sai managed to land three solid punches on the Brutal Dog's face before swiftly stepping back to evade a claw attack that was targeting his chest.
With a menacing growl, the Brutal Dog unleashed a powerful wind-assisted charge, hurtling its entire body at Sai with its mouth wide open, poised to deliver a deadly bite.
Sai managed to evade the Brutal Dog's bite by shifting his position, and then he used his entire arm to seize the canine's neck, choking it like a wrestler.
As Sai grappled with the Brutal Dog in mid-air, the two combatants descended towards the ground. Sai continued to rain a series of powerful hook punches onto the side of the Brutal Dog, blow after blow, as they drew closer to the earth.
Crash!
The Brutal Dog and Sai collided forcefully with the ground.
Without delay, Sai swiftly disentangled himself from the Brutal Dog and got back on his feet.
Growl!
The Brutal Dog emitted a menacing growl, its body bleeding from the earlier attacks.
Sai, exasperated, couldn't believe it. "How are you still standing?"
In response, the Brutal Dog charged at Sai, and Sai dashed toward his adversary simultaneously. The Brutal Dog attempted to bite Sai, but he executed a swift uppercut that forced the canine's head and body upward.
Sai unleashed a flurry of precise punches, targeting the dog's shoulders, legs, and neck. However, he had to dodge another swipe of the Brutal Dog's claw.
The Brutal Dog retaliated with a barrage of claw swipes, attempting to strike Sai repeatedly. Sai employed a combination of techniques to evade the attacks. He ducked beneath the claw aimed at his head, stepped back when the attack targeted his chest, and sidestepped when the claws came at him from the right or left.
Sai spotted an opening and delivered a powerful cross punch. He didn't let up, the rhythm of his punches wore down the Brutal Dog with each strike.
The Brutal Dog, now a bloody mess, collapsed onto the ground after the final punch.
Sai was left panting from the intense battle.
Sai summoned poison and splashed it onto the Brutal Dog's battered body. He was going to make sure the enemy was dead.
Weep.
The Brutal Dog made one last sound as it was finally dead.
A ring sound alerted him. 'Level up!'
'Level up!'
Sai didn’t enjoy his victory or reward for long.
Horned Dogs began to encircle Sai, and within their ranks emerged three Brutal Dogs. All three Brutal Dogs were at level 25.
Sai gazed at the formidable assembly of Horned Dogs and Brutal Dogs with a sense of disbelief. "This is unfair!"
The most common type of tree in the Frostwood Forest was the pine tree. Both sides of the road were lined with pine trees covered in a blanket of snow.
Although Sai enjoyed the cold, even he found it uncomfortably chilly as he traveled through the icy and snowy forest.
The ground was blanketed in a layer of snow, and the forest's pine trees were also draped in snow. Everything was coated in a thick layer of the frozen precipitation.
Sai glanced at his companion, who was driving the carriage, and asked, "How are you not cold?"
Rowana was wearing a thin dress in weather that would give a normal human hypothermia.
Rowana raised an eyebrow and replied, "By raising the temperature of the air around me."
"That sounds convenient. Can you teach me how to do that?"
"You haven't achieved mastery in the Modification category with your Magic Attribute. Raising the temperature using a different element will prove to be significantly more challenging. Unfortunately, this is not a skill I can impart to you."
"I wish there were some kind of secret or technique I'm overlooking," Sai lamented. Despite investing weeks in rigorous training and unwavering dedication, he found mastering the art of Modification to be an unattainable goal. While he had quickly grasped Hactor Martial Arts and achieved proficiency suitable for combat, his progress in Magic Arts had come to a frustrating standstill.
"It's not uncommon for individuals to spend many years, even decades, working to overcome the challenges of the Modification category. Don't be disheartened and continue your practice."
Sai continued to be deeply troubled by his situation. He made an effort to soothe his emotions, but it proved to be a challenging task. In addition to his current concerns, he couldn't shake the worry about the Red Mana Crystal's location. "I hope the Red Mana Crystal is where Mitton said it would be. It's been twenty years, it might have moved. It would be disappointing if this journey was in vain."
"Let's test your luck child. We've arrived," Rowana said.
Rowana stopped the carriage in front of an old battlefield that had become a graveyard. Skeletons and rusted knight armors lay scattered on the ground, and swords were used as tombstones for the fallen.
Sai disembarked from the wagon, and Rowana moved it to a tree to tether the horses.
Sai wore a somber expression. "I knew the rebellion was violent and brutal, but the true scale of the war didn't hit me until I saw all these desecrated bodies."
"You'll get used to it," Rowana replied.
"You know, I've never killed another person before."
"Then you're luckier than most."
"Yeah, in some ways. Let's go. We need to find the sword with a wolf-shaped handle."
Sai began examining the swords that served as grave markers. It didn't take long for him to locate a sword with a wolf-shaped handle, with a metal wolf's carving serving as the hilt.
"Could I have a shovel?" Sai asked Rowana.
"I can move the dirt with magic."
"That doesn't feel right. I'm already desecrating a grave, let's do it properly."
Rowana retrieved a shovel from her Kibisis and handed it to Sai.
Sai began to dig, and soon he uncovered the skeletal remains of the deceased. The Red Mana Crystal was found within the skeleton's chest cavity.
Sai had often pondered why Hero Mitton hadn't taken the Red Mana Crystal for himself and had instead left it where it was. Now, he had a better understanding. There was something disconcerting about taking something from a deceased person, as if it carried a certain unease. It even crossed his mind that there might have been a connection between this individual and Mitton. Perhaps they were enemies or friends.
Sai carefully retrieved the Red Mana Crystal and wiped off the dirt with his hand. "I found it," he said happily, then turned to Rowana. "Can you hold onto this while I rebury our friend?" He handed the Red Mana Crystal to Rowana and continued to bury the skeleton properly.
When Sai glanced back, he saw Rowana covering the ground with a cloth that looked like a language was written upon it. Slanted lines, lines that were vertical and lines that were horizontal. The lines were the letters to the alphabet of the mysterious language.
"What are you doing?" Sai asked, moving closer to inspect the magic circle.
"You never seen a Magic Formation before? Basically a Magic Formation is written in the Ancient Magic Language. This one here, is called Enchant Magic Formation. This will transfer the power of Slow Orb into the Red Mana Crystal," Rowana explained.
Rowana placed the Red Mana Crystal on top of the cloth. She held the Slow Orb above the Red Mana Crystal.
Closing her eyes, the magic circle began to glow, ceasing a few seconds later.
"It's complete," Rowana declared, opening her eyes.
Rowana pulled out another cloth from her Kibisis and a different Magic Formation was written on it, “Please stand on the Sour Armament Magic Formation. I am going to make the Red Mana Crystal into your Soul Armament.”
"Wait! Let me prepare myself mentally first!" Sai exclaimed as he backed away. Someone messy with his very soul, sounded very dangerous. It was similar to fear one might experience before undergoing open-heart surgery.
Rowana patiently waited, and Sai took a deep breath before exhaling. He stepped on the Magic Formation, "Alright, I'm ready."
Rowana nodded and placed the Red Mana Crystal on Sai's forehead. The Magic Formation underneath Sai feet glowed before dulling. The crystal disappeared.
"Did... Did it work?" Sai asked anxiously.
"Yes," Rowana replied with a bright smile. "Yes, it worked. Now, with your thoughts, try to slow down time."
Sai activated Slow. As he exhaled in the cold air, his breath moved sluggishly through the atmosphere. His new ability, Slow, could reduce the speed of any object within a short range, shrinking the time it took to reach its destination.
Rowana nodded approvingly. "With time, your Soul Armament will grow. But for now, let's begin the test."
"Test? What kind of test?" Sai inquired cautiously.
"It's time to test your combat abilities," Rowana said with a grin that had a mischievous edge to it.
"I don't like where this is going..."
"Your task is to navigate your way out of the Frostwood Forest. Do your best, child," Rowana said enthusiastically as Sai's face pale.
----
Sai was alone in the middle of the Frostwood forest. His only companion being Horned Dogs that wanted to eat him alive.
"It is far too soon to see all you guys ugly faces," Sai calmly addressed the pack of Horned Dogs blocking his path. "Wouldn't it be better to let me go in peace?"
Growl!
The Horned Dogs responded with menacing growls. There were more than a dozen of them, each at level 10 or lower, waiting for Sai to make his move.
Sai took a step forward, seemingly unfazed.
Without hesitation, the Horned Dogs launched their attack. Some conjured Magic Balls, while others charged with intent to bite and tear Sai apart.
In response, the Greedy Jar hanging from Sai's hip released a relentless stream of green poison that hit the Horned Dogs one at a time.
Sai wielded the Greedy Jar like a firefighter wielding a hose to combat a blaze. However, in his case, he was using it to douse demonic dogs with the deadly green poison.
Within moments, the Horned Dogs succumbed to the effects of the Abyssal Pufferfish poison. Boils erupted on their skin, their muscles spasmed, and ultimately, they perished.
All the Horned Dogs met their demise.
Sai could sense his Mana replenishing thanks to his new Soul Armament, the Red Mana Crystal.
"This is rather unusual. Is it truly alive?" Sai wondered aloud. "Well, I suppose I'll adapt. At least I won't have to worry about running low on Mana anytime soon."
With his newfound power, Sai continued his journey through the chilly forest.
---
Initially, Sai found himself ambushed by Horned Dogs roughly every twenty to thirty steps he took. These creatures had an insatiable thirst for battle and wasted no time attacking as soon as Sai entered their range.
This frequent onslaught significantly impeded Sai's progress through the forest. He even began to worry that he might deplete his poison reserves or run out of Mana if he continued to engage in combat with every Horned Dog he encountered. Navigating around them without being detected proved to be a challenging task.
After enduring three battles with the Horned Dogs, Sai had a brilliant idea, he could use the sky to escape the forest.
With the Cloud Step technique at his disposal, Sai gained the ability to traverse both the ground and the sky. It was a liberating experience to walk upon the very air itself, allowing him to evade the relentless Horned Dogs and expedite his journey.
A high-speed Wind Ball raced toward Sai. Instinctively, Sai sidestepped, allowing the Wind Ball to whiz past him.
Sai caught sight of his enemy. "You're a really big dog," he remarked. A Level 25 Brutal Dog.
The Brutal Dog, initially on the ground, leaped into the sky with ease, standing on wind.
It growled menacingly before launching a barrage of Wind Balls, each one translucent and swift. Sai skillfully dodged the Wind Balls, running in circles around the Brutal Dog as it kept sending more and more Wind Balls.
In retaliation, Sai unleashed a stream of green poison aimed at the Brutal Dog. However, the very wind seemed to form a protective barrier, preventing the poison from reaching its target.
Sai realized that he needed to get up close and engage the Brutal Dog directly. With determination, he charged toward the adversary. Despite being pelted by a continuous onslaught of Wind Balls, Sai powered through, channeling extra Mana into his Cloud Step technique to maintain his ability to walk on the sky.
Reaching the Brutal Dog, Sai struck the wind barrier with a punch, shattering it, and followed up with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick aimed at the Brutal Dog's face.
Pow!
Sai's roundhouse kick connected squarely with the Brutal Dog's face. He didn't pause and followed up with a rapid series of punches aimed at the canine adversary. Sai managed to land three solid punches on the Brutal Dog's face before swiftly stepping back to evade a claw attack that was targeting his chest.
With a menacing growl, the Brutal Dog unleashed a powerful wind-assisted charge, hurtling its entire body at Sai with its mouth wide open, poised to deliver a deadly bite.
Sai managed to evade the Brutal Dog's bite by shifting his position, and then he used his entire arm to seize the canine's neck, choking it like a wrestler.
As Sai grappled with the Brutal Dog in mid-air, the two combatants descended towards the ground. Sai continued to rain a series of powerful hook punches onto the side of the Brutal Dog, blow after blow, as they drew closer to the earth.
Crash!
The Brutal Dog and Sai collided forcefully with the ground.
Without delay, Sai swiftly disentangled himself from the Brutal Dog and got back on his feet.
Growl!
The Brutal Dog emitted a menacing growl, its body bleeding from the earlier attacks.
Sai, exasperated, couldn't believe it. "How are you still standing?"
In response, the Brutal Dog charged at Sai, and Sai dashed toward his adversary simultaneously. The Brutal Dog attempted to bite Sai, but he executed a swift uppercut that forced the canine's head and body upward.
Sai unleashed a flurry of precise punches, targeting the dog's shoulders, legs, and neck. However, he had to dodge another swipe of the Brutal Dog's claw.
The Brutal Dog retaliated with a barrage of claw swipes, attempting to strike Sai repeatedly. Sai employed a combination of techniques to evade the attacks. He ducked beneath the claw aimed at his head, stepped back when the attack targeted his chest, and sidestepped when the claws came at him from the right or left.
Sai spotted an opening and delivered a powerful cross punch. He didn't let up, the rhythm of his punches wore down the Brutal Dog with each strike.
The Brutal Dog, now a bloody mess, collapsed onto the ground after the final punch.
Sai was left panting from the intense battle.
Sai summoned poison and splashed it onto the Brutal Dog's battered body. He was going to make sure the enemy was dead.
Weep.
The Brutal Dog made one last sound as it was finally dead.
A ring sound alerted him. 'Level up!'
'Level up!'
Sai didn’t enjoy his victory or reward for long.
Horned Dogs began to encircle Sai, and within their ranks emerged three Brutal Dogs. All three Brutal Dogs were at level 25.
Sai gazed at the formidable assembly of Horned Dogs and Brutal Dogs with a sense of disbelief. "This is unfair!"
