《Forging of a Battle Mage》 Chapter One. A New World. I can hear myself. Or maybe I feel myself? I can¡¯t say for sure, as my consciousness flickers¡ªappearing, vanishing¡ªnever allowing me to grasp what is happening around me, or even if I still exist. A cold surface beneath me. Steel? Stone? A buzzing noise, the sharp clatter of metal nearby. Piercing touches all over my body, something stabbing into my skin and muscles, reaching my very nerves, my bones¡ªthen unbearable pain, fading my consciousness away again. Is this the first time? The tenth? I don¡¯t know anymore. I don¡¯t understand. Orange light slashes through my closed eyelids. A voice speaks right into my ear. The words are unclear¡ªno, wait. Some of them I recognize¡­ ¡°you can¡± ¡­ ¡°we did¡± ¡­ ¡°you know¡± ¡­ ¡°don¡¯t forget¡± ¡­ ¡°become¡± ¡­ ¡°God.¡± The words sound¡­ strange. Their meaning? Their form? What madness is this?! Who am I? Where am I? I try to open my eyes, to turn my head toward the voice whispering to me, but I can¡¯t. The surface beneath me jolts violently, slamming my head against metal. Then¡ªweightlessness. I am falling. In the last moment, I glimpse impossibly large black eyes on a white, furry face. And then¡ªcold wind, snow¡ªcarrying me away. And I fall. I fall into the night, surrounded by a raging blizzard. The wind howls in my ears, countless gray snowflakes whirl around me, sometimes flying beside me, sometimes breaking away below. Terror. Raw, unrelenting. Because when you fall, there is always¡ªsomewhere below¡ªa surface waiting for you to smash into. And survival is not guaranteed. No time to think¡ªdamn it! A white wall of snow crashes into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. It softens the blow slightly but hurls me sideways, down again, and again, and again¡­ Like a ragged sack of cloth, I tumble down the slope, grunting each time I slam into the ground¡ªif I still have breath left to grunt. At last, a deep snowdrift catches me¡ªnot stopping me completely, but slowing me down as I punch through it, like a boulder through thin spring ice. I no longer tumble but slide, until finally¡ªstillness. ¡ªOooohhh!¡ªI groan, whether in relief or in fear of what I don¡¯t understand. I move my arms. They hurt, but they work. I move my legs. They work too. I run my hands over my ribs, my head¡­ ¡ªWhat the hell?!¡ªI shout. I¡¯m bald?! It doesn¡¯t take long to realize¡ªI¡¯m completely bald. Everywhere. ¡ªDamn it!¡ªI blurt out, no idea why, and push myself onto my knees, scanning my surroundings. Behind me, the looming presence of cliffs¡ªbarely visible through the blizzard, but I feel them, feel something watching from above¡­ lazily, condescendingly, as if observing a bug. A shudder runs through me. I start descending, toward what looks like towering trees shrouded in a strange mist, flickering with blue and green light. It makes no sense¡ªless sense than the snow and cliffs behind me¡ªbut it pulls me. ¡°Like a trap,¡± I think absently, yet I quicken my pace. Partly to warm up¡ªbeing stark naked in the cold is far from pleasant. But also¡­ something is calling me. The journey takes longer than I expect. I feel no exhaustion, yet impatience burns in my veins, making my muscles itch with urgency. I don¡¯t remember ever feeling this way. Hell, I don¡¯t remember anything before plummeting into that storm and seeing those enormous black eyes. Damn it. Never mind the eyes¡ªfirst, I need warmth. So I run. At last, I break into the sparse underbrush. Strange, frail shrubs and small trees glow softly, making the mist around them shimmer. I stop, stepping closer to a tree trunk. Its bark is laced with delicate veins, tiny colorful specks flowing along them in neat lines. Every so often, some of the specks detach and float into the mist, briefly illuminating it before fading. A slow, colorful firework, repeating over and over. ¡°Enchanting,¡± I think¡ª Something lashes across my legs. Sharp pain¡ªred welts strip my skin as if whipped. ¡ªBastard!¡ªI snarl, whirling to find my attacker. Translation: The attack was absolutely silent; not even the air stirred. Snow! There must be tracks! And indeed, on the ground, I saw two parallel grooves passing right next to my legs. Again! Something low and long, with thick silver whiskers, was quickly approaching me. Not a chance! I thought and kicked the creature straight in the snout with all my might. Its head exploded from the impact, scattering droplets of blood and fragments of bone. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡ª ¡°That was a glorious victory,¡± ¡ª I hummed to myself and crouched down to examine the remains of the creature. There was almost nothing left to look at after my strike. I concluded that it belonged to the chordate family, as its spine was clearly visible, but the number of legs was beyond my understanding¡ªthere were a lot, at least four dozen. Trying to determine how those legs were attached to its back, I tore the carcass open with my bare hands and saw something that grabbed my attention far more than the creature¡¯s anatomy. A stone! A small, red, transparent gem, about the size of my fingernail, lodged in the creature¡¯s chest. It seemed so necessary, so familiar! I knew¡ªknew what I had to do with it! I knew, but¡­ had forgotten?! ¡ª ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± ¡ª I screamed loudly, clutching my head, as images like faded negatives began surfacing in my mind¡ªfamiliar drawings, like pages from an old notebook. Yes, a yellow first-class magic circle, then filling it with runes, embedding another yellow first-class magic circle inside. Good, now rotate it¡­ synchronize the first and second circles¡­ good, now duplicate and stretch it vertically, forming a cylinder with rune-inscribed walls flowing downward¡­ And sit inside, holding the stone before me. I knew what I had just recalled. And yet, I had recalled something I had never known. How was that possible? The stone before me crumbled to ash, which turned into golden mist and swiftly entered my palms. ¡ª ¡°Ooooh,¡± ¡ª I groaned. ¡ª ¡°That feels amazing!¡± It was a fantastic power, surging through my veins, flooding every cell of my body. I saw thousands of tiny yellow lightning bolts flash over my veins, sinking into my muscles and granting them incredible strength. More! I definitely needed more of these stones! If this creature was a predator, others like it would come, drawn by the scent of its blood. And if not, other predators would. I decided at once, breaking off a hefty branch from a tree to fashion myself a staff. I couldn¡¯t keep fighting these creatures with just my feet, could I? Whether it was sheer luck or my own cunning, as soon as I had my weapon, the creatures began swarming one after another. They were astonishingly swift, their silver whiskers leaving countless crimson gashes on my skin, but I was far, far stronger than them. Unfortunately, my makeshift club didn¡¯t last long¡ªafter half an hour of slaughter, only splinters remained. And then, I had to fight with my bare hands, which was hardly ideal given that these creatures barely reached my knees in height. Over time, the toll became evident¡ªmy legs started swelling, reducing my mobility. My wrists and forearms lost their former speed. In short, I was beginning to lose, though I hadn¡¯t yet realized it. Even a pack of rats can bring down a lion if they put in enough effort. At some point, I caught myself on a troubling thought¡ªI was only defending myself now. This couldn¡¯t go on¡ªI had to either run or fall here, buried under these creatures. ¡°Just a little more, just a bit longer,¡± ¡ª I kept telling myself. They seemed to be thinning¡­ or were they? The sky began to lighten, and where there had been dozens of them, now there were only a few. And the more sunlight crept across the land, the more of them slunk into the dark undergrowth. The moment the first rays touched the leaves, all movement ceased. Ah, so they were nocturnal predators, I concluded. After waiting a bit to make sure no other creatures would come, I collapsed onto the ground, littered with gore, and burst into laughter. ¡ª ¡°Ha! Ha-ha! Ahahaha! Die, you damned vermin! Today, victory is mine! And so it shall always be, no matter how many of you come!¡± After resting for a while, I got up to collect my spoils¡ªand there were over a thousand of them! That lifted my spirits. Quickly skinning one of the more intact carcasses, I packed the stones inside and headed deeper into the forest, away from the site of this brutal battle. After a few hundred meters, I stopped in what seemed to be a safe clearing and immediately began drawing magic circles with runes. This time, it was as effortless as breathing. I didn¡¯t even think about the size or the speed of the circles¡ªthey formed instinctively, like a reflex. The moment I sat in a lotus position, the pile of stones rose into the air before my face, crumbling into sand, which instantly transformed into golden mist, flowing into my palms. Within seconds, the pain vanished, and all my wounds healed without a trace. But then, even more incredible things began to happen. I could feel my blood changing. The golden mist I absorbed started condensing into tiny golden droplets within my bloodstream. They could grant me an ocean of unimaginable power at a mere thought. My hearing picked up the rustling of insects dozens of meters away. My sight discerned the finest patterns on each individual snowflake resting on the leaves and grass around me. And beyond that, I gained an entirely new sense. I could feel every living creature around me. In the forest, meters away. In the sky. Even beneath the ground! More than that, I could estimate their strength, their size, and whether they bore any hostility toward me. Hell, I even realized the trees around me were alive¡ªsome of them were carnivorous and wouldn¡¯t mind feasting on small creatures. It was utterly fascinating. I played with my new senses for a while before dispersing the magic circles and rising to my feet. Now, I had to decide what to do next. I didn¡¯t know where to go. I had no clothing¡­ though I could feel the cold, it didn¡¯t bother me. I wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty¡ªyet. Maybe it was temporary, but most importantly, I had no goal. For a moment, I thought that if I just sat still and went nowhere, nothing would change. It was a destructive thought, one I forced out of my mind, knowing it would lead nowhere good. There was only one thing left for me to do¡ªmove forward, hunt, and grow as strong as possible. Whatever happens, happens. I turned my back on the mountains I had come from. The morning sun was to my left, so I headed south, away from those ominous peaks. Days passed. Despite my heightened senses and attempts to navigate by the sun, I most likely wandered in zigzags. As a result, I covered far less distance from the mountains than I could have if I had a fixed landmark. During these days, I learned that I could feel hunger and thirst, though faintly. So, I ate snow and raw meat from creatures whose scent didn¡¯t disgust me. In essence, my behavior didn¡¯t differ from that of other predators in this forest¡ªexcept that I killed every creature weaker than me for the stones in their chests and hid from those stronger than me. I also discovered stones of orange and yellow hues. I obtained the orange ones from a pack of creatures resembling large black cats, nearly a meter tall at the shoulder but with two pairs of hind legs, which made their attacks unbelievably fast. However, their endurance in long chases was poor due to the increased strain on their muscles. The battle against them was fierce, but in the end, I emerged victorious. Their meat, by the way, was quite decent. I found the yellow stone in the half-eaten carcass of a massive winged beast hanging from the tree branches, its stench lingering for hundreds of meters. What struck me most was the difference in energy¡ªthe orange stones held far more power than the red ones, and the yellow stones contained even greater reserves. Every stone I acquired, whether by hunting or sheer luck, I immediately absorbed. While no drastic changes occurred, my strength and senses steadily solidified and intensified. So I continued, without hesitation, convinced I was on the right path. And then, one morning, I woke to distant cries of people and the roars of beasts. Instantly shaking off my drowsiness, I sharpened my senses to their limit and, at their very edge, distinguished voices¡ªstructured speech! This was a battle between intelligent beings and the monsters of the forest¡ªI was certain of it! Springing to my feet, I raced toward the commotion, completely unconcerned whether these intelligent beings would be my friends or foes. If they were friendly, I¡¯d learn about this world from them. If they were hostile, I¡¯d beat the information out of them without remorse. Either way, it worked for me. Chapter Two. Hek and Company. So, I was rushing towards the sounds of battle when I suddenly burst onto a dirt road. A regular dirt road, with wheel ruts and a strip of grass growing in the middle. Just a few dozen meters ahead, two familiar six-legged cats were tearing apart a human body! A human, just like me, with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head. The corpse was clad in plate armor reinforced with thick leather, protecting him from the neck down to almost the knees. Unfortunately, against these beasts, that armor was of little help¡ªthree parallel gaping wounds stretched from his chest all the way down to his belly. Without thinking, I rushed forward, instantly snapping both creatures¡¯ necks, grabbed something resembling a short spear that lay nearby, and ran further. A second later, I saw the whole battle scene¡ªit was nearly over. And not in the humans¡¯ favor. Despite the fact that about a dozen monsters had already been slain, seven warriors lay dead or dying, their bodies already being devoured. Two more fighters¡ªone a burly red-haired man in his forties, the other a lean black-haired bearded man of the same age¡ªwere retreating with swords raised, shielding an old man with a short gray beard and a boy of about ten. The black-bearded fighter looked to be in terrible shape. Even from here, I could hear the bubbling of air in his punctured lungs, and red threads of blood clung to his beard. Five beasts had formed a semi-circle around them, gradually closing in. Realizing that one of the cats was about to pounce, I hurled my spear at it with all my might. The weapon struck its side, but to my surprise, it shattered into splinters without causing any serious harm. Cursing under my breath, I made an incredible leap straight into the fray, breaking their formation. Crushing one beast under my feet, I simply smashed another¡¯s head with my fist. The remaining three, along with several others that had been feasting on the fallen, quickly regrouped. They must have identified me as the primary threat now, though it did them no good¡ªthe fight ended in mere seconds. ¡ª Are you all right? ¡ª I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡ª Hold on, I¡¯ll be right back! While the four survivors stared at me in shock, I quickly ran to the first two beasts I had killed and ripped the stones from their bodies. I also retrieved the fallen warrior¡¯s corpse, laying it carefully beside the others before methodically extracting the stones from the dead creatures. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the survivors¡¯ expressions widen in horror each time I punched through a monster¡¯s ribcage and instantly tore out a glowing orange gem. Finishing this rather pleasant part of the hunt, I approached them, carefully counting the stones in my palm. ¡ª Twenty-two in total, ¡ª I said, sitting down beside them. ¡ª Ten are yours, and twelve are mine, since I hunted them myself. Agreed? In truth, these four looked terrible¡ªpale and, it seemed, even more frightened than when they had been surrounded by monsters. I quickly glanced at myself. Well¡­ not the most reassuring sight. A naked man, covered head to toe in blood, standing in the middle of the forest¡ªhardly an image that inspires trust. Just as I was about to come up with some story to ease the tension, the less-injured warrior weakly croaked, ¡ª P-please, sir, calm your bloodlust and suppress your aura¡­ We can¡¯t withstand it much longer! ¡ª Bloodlust? Aura? ¡ª I had no idea what he was talking about. Somewhere in my subconscious, I had some guesses, but nothing concrete enough to understand what I was supposed to do. ¡ª Sorry, but could you explain? ¡ª The battle¡­ the battle is over. We are not your enemies. Please, try to suppress your killing intent as best you can¡ªthere are no more foes here. ¡ª Wait, ¡ª I said, trying for the first time in days to relax and stop sensing the dangers lurking in the forest. ¡ª Is this better? ¡ª Hoooh¡­ ¡ª the old man exhaled after a few minutes of my struggle. ¡ª Thank you, sir. It¡¯s much better now. Allow me, as the eldest, to introduce myself and express my gratitude for saving us. And also, please, take this, ¡ª he added, handing me a large embroidered sheet. ¡ª It seems you could use it. Oh! Now this old man knew how to start a conversation! I quickly wrapped one end of the sheet around my waist, tossed the other over my shoulder, and tucked it into the waistband, making a makeshift toga. Then I sat back down. Meanwhile, the others tended to the severely wounded warrior, pouring some light pink liquid on his wounds. He seemed to be feeling a bit better, though he still looked terrible. ¡ª Well then, ¡ª I began again. ¡ª These ten stones are yours. Now, may I ask you a few questions? ¡ª Gato cores? ¡ª the old man shook his head. ¡ª No, they do have value, but we don¡¯t need them. In any case, without you, we wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to collect them¡ªor to live, for that matter. Ah, so these stones were called cores. ¡ª Gato? ¡ª I repeated the unfamiliar word. ¡ª Yes, that¡¯s what these second-class monsters are called. They¡¯re already quite strong for their class, and here we had an entire pack. We¡¯ve never heard of them forming packs before. These cats usually live and hunt alone, ¡ª the old man sighed, turning to the warrior. ¡ª We must report this to the prince¡¯s court and the guilds. ¡ª But this isn¡¯t even a large pack. A few days ago, I encountered one twice this size. I decided not to mention that I had already wiped them out. It seemed wiser for now. My words drained the color from their faces. ¡ª You said these were second-class monsters. Are there stronger ones? ¡ª Of course, ¡ª the warrior nodded. ¡ª Monsters are classified into seven ranks, from first to seventh. The first rank is the weakest, while the seventh is the strongest. Their cores are distinguished by color: first-class monsters have red cores, second-class have orange, third are yellow, fourth are green, fifth are blue, sixth are indigo, and seventh are violet. In our principality and its surroundings, you can only find first- and second-class monsters. But I¡¯ve never heard of them gathering in such numbers¡­ ¡ª But, ¡ª I interrupted, ¡ª there are many monsters in this forest stronger than these gato. I can¡¯t describe them exactly, but I can feel them¡ªI know they¡¯re here. ¡ª If what you say is true, then we may be doomed¡­ ¡ª the old man lowered his gaze in despair. ¡ª By the way, my name is Hek. I am the head of the merchant guild in our principality. This boy is my grandson, Tuno. The warrior is my chief guard, Marj, and the wounded man is one of his soldiers, Bern. And you, sir? The question wasn¡¯t unexpected, but I didn¡¯t have an answer. So I decided to stick to a half-truth. ¡ª Well, the thing is¡­ ¡ª I scratched my head with a goofy smile. ¡ª I don¡¯t remember. I woke up in this forest a few days ago and have no memory of who I am or where I came from. You are the first people I¡¯ve met. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Hek and Marj exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. ¡ª You are a powerful warrior, ¡ª Marj said. ¡ª At the very least, you are at the mid-tier of the third class, perhaps higher. Maybe you lost your memory after being attacked by monsters, just like we nearly did. If we make it back to the principality, we might be able to learn something about you¡ªthere aren¡¯t many warriors as strong as you. If you¡¯re from our land, someone will surely recognize you. But looking at our situation¡­ the chances of returning are slim. They all fell into gloom again. This was starting to get on my nerves¡ªpessimism wasn¡¯t exactly helpful right now. ¡ª Hey, hey, hey, people, what¡¯s with those faces? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning a group suicide! Because if you are, I¡¯m not joining in, and I won¡¯t even bother burying you! Now, where is this principality of yours? Which direction, and how long will it take to get there? That seemed to help a little. ¡ª Alright! ¡ª Heck suddenly spoke loudly. ¡ª A contract! If you, sir, do everything in your power to protect us on our way to the capital of the Atun Principality, then I, Heck, guarantee you a payment of two hundred gold coins and will also assist in helping you establish your identity. I will do everything in my power to make that happen! ¡ª However, ¡ª he continued, ¡ª there is one small catch¡ªyou, sir, need to take on at least some temporary name for the duration of the contract. Do you have any in mind? I shrugged awkwardly, making it clear that I had no idea. ¡ª Then let it be Aney. In the old language of our people, it means ¡°lost.¡± Do you agree? ¡ª Fine by me, no objections. Out of nowhere, a scroll of parchment appeared in the old man¡¯s hand. As he unrolled it, a red magical circle with a strange pattern inside flared up on it. ¡ª Before the Eye of the Judge, this contract is made, and thus it shall be fulfilled! I, Heck, henceforth referred to as the ¡°client,¡± and the contractor, temporarily named Aney for the duration of the contract, henceforth referred to as the ¡°executor,¡± hereby enter into this agreement for escorting from this place and time to the city of Atun, the capital of the Atun Principality. The executor is obliged to make every effort to ensure the safety of four individuals¡ªthe client and three others¡ªuntil they reach the gates of Atun. The client is obliged to pay two hundred gold upon the fulfillment of this condition and to assist Aney in establishing his true identity and name. The contract shall be considered fulfilled upon the mutual agreement of both parties. In case of arbitration, a penalty of three percent of the remaining lifespan shall be imposed on the guilty party. If any contract violations threaten its completion, a fine of ten percent of the remaining lifespan shall be imposed on the offender. All requirements and regulations by which this contract is drafted comply with the statute of the God of Judgment, are not subject to appeal, and will be reviewed solely within the scope of this statute! After Heck¡¯s words, a magical seal in the form of an eye appeared in the sky above us, and a voice proclaimed, ¡ª The contract is now in effect! The text appeared on the parchment, while the magical circle transformed into two red ribbons that immediately wrapped around our wrists. Truth be told, all of this unsettled and frightened me because I had just realized the existence of a higher power¡ªa God! One that could shorten the lifespan of people like me at will. And on top of that, it seemed He already knew how much time each of us had left. So, fate exists? And everything is already decided for everyone? No, now is not the time. I¡¯ll think about this later. ¡ª Interesting, ¡ª I said, examining the ribbon, which had adhered tightly to my skin. ¡ª So, will you tell me now where we¡¯re heading and how long it will take? ¡ª Our main goal is to reach the outpost at the forest¡¯s edge¡ªabout five days on foot. From there, hiring a carriage should be easy, and in three or four days, we¡¯ll be in Atun. Unfortunately, Bern can¡¯t walk on his own right now, and we¡¯ve run out of healing potions. But¡­ But I still can¡¯t leave him here! ¡ª Marj clenched his massive fists in frustration. It was clear he was struggling with the situation. ¡ª Hey, no one¡¯s getting left behind. I¡¯m bound by contract, so I¡¯ll get you all out of here. Tell me, how long can you run with the boy on your back? ¡ª If I run, I can make it to the outpost by evening. Why? ¡ª Then I¡¯ll carry Bern. That only leaves Heck. We both turned to look at the old man. ¡ª I have two scrolls of light-foot enchantment, but that won¡¯t be enough¡­ I had no idea what he was talking about, but I hoped it would at least help him keep up with Marj. ¡ª Alright, I¡¯ll run ahead with Bern on my back. Heck follows me. Marj, you¡¯ll bring up the rear, carrying Tuno. I¡¯ll gradually increase my speed until I sense your maximum pace, then I¡¯ll maintain that speed. If I deviate from the road, follow me without question¡ªI¡¯ll be avoiding monsters if I sense they¡¯re stronger than me. Everyone clear? They all nodded. ¡ª Wait a moment, ¡ª said Heck. ¡ª I need to retrieve the bodies of the fallen. I must return them to their families. He put on a ring with a black stone and aimed it at the bodies. In an instant, they were absorbed into it. Moments later, the monsters¡¯ corpses vanished as well. ¡ª I¡¯ll sell them to the artisans¡¯ guild for you. After all, they¡¯re technically your spoils. Oh, this is a storage ring, ¡ª he added, seeing my puzzled expression. ¡ª A rare thing. I handed him the monsters¡¯ cores. ¡ª Can you store these for me too? My clothes don¡¯t have a single pocket! ¡ª I laughed. ¡ª Here, ¡ª Heck handed me a small leather pouch with a belt. ¡ª It¡¯s a storage pouch, though of a lower grade. ¡ª Oh, thanks. ¡ª I quickly fastened it around my waist and dropped the cores inside. ¡ª Now, help me secure Bern to my back. If he loses consciousness along the way, I won¡¯t be able to hold him. I crouched down, and Marj and Heck placed the semi-conscious Bern onto my back, fastening straps around his thighs and underarms, then securing them over my shoulders. I rose and lightly bounced on my toes to distribute the weight more evenly. Bern groaned slightly. ¡ª Easy, easy. I promise I won¡¯t let you die here. Alright, ready? Then let¡¯s go! Heck pulled out a scroll, muttered something, and tore it. The air around his boots shimmered with a heat-like mirage. I leaned forward slightly and started running, gradually increasing my speed. At the same time, I listened closely to the breathing and heartbeats of Heck and Marj behind me. When I sensed they were nearing their limit, I slightly slowed down and stabilized the pace. Our speed was fairly high¡ªthe bushes and trees on either side blurred as we passed. As an experiment, I tried spreading my bloodlust forward, avoiding my companions behind me. It worked surprisingly well¡ªI felt weaker monsters dozens of meters ahead scattering in all directions. Confident now, I unleashed my full bloodlust, amplifying it with my aura. The result was fantastic¡ªmonsters of the first and second class fled from us even hundreds of meters away! The sun was nearing its zenith when Heck started slowing down. I glanced back and caught a glimpse of him pulling out another scroll and tearing it, his speed stabilizing once more as we continued our race against time and distance. Bern had gone completely limp on my back¡ªeither he¡¯d lost consciousness or had fallen asleep. Marj was holding up well, but I knew that if not for Heck, we could have been running even faster. Damn! The longer we stayed in motion, the higher the chances of running into trouble. If I were alone, I could take down a third-class monster or escape from a fourth-class one. But with this group? No chance. And abandoning them wasn¡¯t an option. Then suddenly¡ªlike a lightning strike¡ªa touch! A foreign bloodlust, possibly as strong as mine, brushed against me and vanished instantly. Where? Ahead? Left or right? No¡­ Again! Above! Damn it. No point diving into the underbrush now. There¡¯s only one option left. Would it work? I focused and gathered all my bloodlust into a thin beam, striking toward the monster. I almost physically felt resistance¡ªthen, a snap! The beast roared in fury and hovered in place, flapping its massive wings. ¡ª It¡¯s a Kmaro! ¡ª Marj shouted. ¡ª A third-class monster! ¡ª Holy hedgehogs! Is it dangerous? ¡ª Very! That thing could tear me apart in a second! ¡ª Then move it! Faster! Stop crawling like sunbathing slugs! I pushed my speed to Heck¡¯s limit, holding the pace until I felt the monster give up its pursuit. ¡ª Suck on that, you ugly bastard! ¡ª I yelled. ¡ª Ahahahaha! The others chuckled quietly. By sundown, Heck¡¯s light-foot spell was wearing off, and we stopped. ¡ª How far to the outpost? ¡ª I asked. ¡ª A couple of hours running or a full night if walking. Marj was fading. There was only one option left. I scooped Heck into my arms and roared, ¡ª Run! Heck began to struggle and loudly protest against it, while Marj behind me laughed like a horse. ¡ª Hey, old man, ¡ª I said. ¡ª Calm down, or I¡¯ll break your ribs. Have you forgotten that, according to the terms of the contract, I must do everything in my power to get your wrinkled old ass to Atun? But nowhere does it say it has to be in one piece and unharmed. I didn¡¯t know if my threat worked or if the old man simply accepted the hopelessness of the situation, but he stopped struggling and cursing. And that was good enough. Our speed had dropped¡ªrunning while carrying a half-dead man strapped to my back and an old geezer in my arms was anything but comfortable. But it was still better than nothing. Night was falling, and the vegetation around us once again lit up in various hues, while the road ahead remained almost completely black. The forest ended abruptly, as if it had been cut off with a single straight line. We simply burst into pure darkness, where, a few hundred meters ahead, a cluster of lights flickered. ¡ª The outpost! ¡ª Marj croaked. Chapter Three. The Road to the Capital. We stopped, and Marj and Tuno collapsed onto the roadside. I, on the other hand, helped Heck stay on his feet but couldn¡¯t sit down myself¡ªBurn, hanging off my back, was in the way. There¡¯s no justice in this world! ¡ª No way, ¡ª I said. ¡ª Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯ll rest at the outpost! The outpost turned out to be a collection of several dozen one- and two-story stone buildings of various purposes, all enclosed within a shared palisade with a sturdy gate, right where the road we were traveling on ended. The old Heck showed a silver plaque to the soldiers at the gate, and they let us in without question. Within minutes, we arrived at a large two-story building¡ªan inn. ¡ª We need a healer, the three best rooms, and dinner! ¡ª Heck started barking out orders the moment we stepped inside. ¡ª Oh, and inform the outpost commander not to let any caravans through toward the forest. There are packs of second-class monsters and a few third-class ones. There¡¯s even a possibility of a fourth-class monster! ¡ª he added immediately. A short middle-aged woman in a gray servant¡¯s uniform hurried up to me. ¡ª Please, follow me, sir! She was clearly both terrified and disgusted, which wasn¡¯t surprising given my appearance. The blood and mud on my skin hadn¡¯t gone anywhere, and I probably reeked too. So, with Burn and Marj following behind, I headed upstairs. Marj remained in one of the rooms with his half-dead body, while I continued on with the maid. The room was spacious, with a wide bed covered in a thick gray blanket, a table, two chairs, a wardrobe, and¡­ a large wooden tub. On top of the wardrobe lay a sizable stone emitting bright light. ¡ª Can you fill it with water? ¡ª I asked, gesturing toward the tub. ¡ª Of course, sir. Would you like it cool, warm, or hot? ¡ª Hot, please. The maid knelt beside the tub, extended her hand over it, and almost sang: ¡ª Spirits of water, grant me strength, so I may fill this vessel with hot water! ¡ª M-m-magic! ¡ª I whispered. A white magic circle appeared beneath her hand, and steaming water gushed out in a thick stream. I quickly picked my jaw up off the floor and thanked her. ¡ª Could you come back in ten minutes to change the water? ¡ª There was no way I could wash off all this grime in one go. The maid walked to the wardrobe, took out a small green sphere, and handed it to me. ¡ª When you¡¯re done, toss this into the water. It will become clean and hot again. Also, use it for the night pot under the bed. I think I even blushed under all that filth. ¡ª Thank you again! ¡ª I said, closing the door behind her. Finally! I tore off the rag that had been serving as my toga and sank into the water. Pure bliss! For the first time in as long as I could remember, I could just relax and enjoy myself. I had to cleanse the water not once, but twice. Later, as I lay on the bed, reflecting on how I¡¯d already completed the hardest part of the contract, there was a knock at the door¡ªMarj calling me down for dinner. Everyone was at the table, including the still-pale but smiling Burn. ¡ª Whoa! Welcome back from the dead! ¡ª I said, taking a seat beside him. I don¡¯t think they quite understood what I meant, but I didn¡¯t care. The mood was high, with everyone joking and toasting with strong liquor. Everything was going well¡ªuntil the doors suddenly burst open, and in strode a pudgy middle-aged man in leather armor, gaudily painted gold and red. Utterly tasteless! That was my instant assessment of both the armor and its owner. ¡ª What the hell is this eyesore?! ¡ª I blurted out before I could stop myself. ¡ª Oooooh, ¡ª Marj drawled. ¡ª That¡¯s the outpost commander. Looks like we¡¯re in for¡­ ¡ª Who the hell is spreading nonsense about monsters and telling me how to run my outpost?! ¡ª His shrill falsetto was like knives in my temples. ¡ª Step forward! I want to see you! I turned toward him, still sitting on the bench, just as I was tearing into a well-roasted leg with my teeth while gripping the slick bone with both hands. Naturally, grease and saliva flew straight onto the commander¡¯s pristine white collar. Oh, this is going to be a disaster! I had barely thought it when Heck spoke up: ¡ª Commander, I am Heck, head of the Merchant Guild in the Principality of Atun, and it was we who reported the monsters. Heck pulled out the silver plaque again, but the commander wasn¡¯t looking at him anymore¡ªhis bulging, bloodshot eyes were locked on me. I swear, if that vein on his forehead popped, it would be a mess. ¡ª Y-youuuuuu! ¡ª he bellowed, jabbing a finger at me. In an instant, Heck was at his side, grabbing him by the elbow and pulling him away, murmuring something soothing. A few minutes later, they both returned to the table. ¡ª You claim there are fourth-class monsters in the forest? How would an ignorant fool like you know that? I might believe third-class¡ªHeck and his guards saw those firsthand¡ªbut stop lying about the fourth! There have never been such creatures here! How do you explain to an idiot that he¡¯s an idiot? Quietly, I assessed his strength¡ªabout the same as Marj, certainly no higher. It was worth a try. I stood up and walked straight up to him. Then, without warning, I unleashed my full aura. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The effect was perfect¡ªthe dishes on the tables rattled, and the commander himself was thrown back a few meters, landing hard on his ass. Without giving him a moment to recover, I crouched beside him and whispered: ¡ª Listen to me, Commander. I could kill a third-class monster with my bare hands, and yet I ran from those creatures, leaving a trail of piss behind me. Is that enough proof for you? Silence filled the hall as I returned to my seat. ¡ª You shouldn¡¯t have done that, ¡ª Heck said quietly. ¡ª He¡¯s a distant relative of the prince. This will have consequences. ¡ª Whatever, ¡ª I replied. ¡ª He brought it on himself. I was trying to act tough, but even I knew I¡¯d let my temper get the better of me. Anger is when your mouth and hands work faster than your brain. I should have just ignored him. ¡ª This¡­ this is an attack on the prince¡¯s family! ¡ª the commander shrieked. ¡ª I won¡¯t let this slide! I¡¯ll report this to the prince himself! That killed the mood for dinner, so we finished in silence. The next morning, Burn woke me, saying it was time to leave and that the driver was waiting downstairs. Outside the inn stood a covered wagon with a white canopy, harnessed to two massive blue lizard-like beasts, their bodies speckled with red circular spots. The moment I climbed in, we set off. ¡ª Well, gentlemen, ¡ª I began. ¡ª I believe you now have plenty of time and inspiration to tell me everything about the Principality of Atun. Thus began a three-day lecture on the structure of this world. The Principality of Atun belonged to the weakest type of states and, like other principalities, was subordinate to the Kingdom of Lygote, which was classified as a mid-tier state and, in turn, was under the dominion of the Northern Empire. Power in the principality was held by the prince and was inherited by the eldest of his children¡ªor by the one who managed to outlive the reigning prince. His authority rested on the landlords who ruled the regions of the principality and on his personal army, whose warriors were bound to him by a lifelong contract of protection and service. The principality¡¯s main sources of income were agriculture and mining. Yet, due to the fact that the majority of this world¡¯s population possessed magic of either the first or second circle (even Hek wielded second-circle magic), their labor was not excessively arduous, and the standard of living did not provoke uprisings or mass unrest caused by dissatisfaction with the unchanging elites. However, the principality also had other forces that had to be reckoned with. First and foremost were the Merchant Guild and the Craftsmen¡¯s Guild¡ªeternal rivals for dominance in influence. Right behind them came the Mage Guild and the Alchemist Guild, followed by the Healers¡¯ Guild, and, lastly, the weakest but still significant, the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. The latter could lend its support to one faction or another¡ªor even several at once¡ªdepending entirely on who could afford to pay. A separate power was the Church of the White Twins, the continent¡¯s primary faith, which influenced the politics of its empires. However, the principality was so small that the church took little interest in it¡ªunless its adherents were being persecuted. Because of this, all guilds, landlords, and even the prince himself sought to maintain the best possible relations with the clergy. Between lectures, Marj and Bern taught me the finer points of aura control. Although they were weaker than me overall, they had decades of experience. Marj was a second-class warrior of the high rank, while Bern was second-class of the middle rank. There were three warrior classes in total, ranked from first to third, with each class divided into three tiers. Above them stood the Battle Master, who also had three tiers, and beyond that¡ªthe Battle Ancestor. I quickly mastered all the exercises and techniques, usually perfecting them after just one or two attempts, even improving on some. The guys assumed I was merely recalling skills I already knew, but I decided to play the humble role and refrained from bragging about how easily I learned. We also trained with weapons¡ªbow, spear, sword, shield, dagger¡ªeach of which they wielded masterfully at their level. Through this training, I realized that weapons in battle must also be enhanced with aura. Without it, even scratching a second-class high-tier warrior with ordinary steel would be difficult. Of course, there were rare weapons capable of harming even a third-tier Battle Master without aura, but such weapons were exceptionally rare and cost a fortune. So, aura was everything¡ªI came to that conclusion. If before I had wielded my aura like a drunkard swinging a club, now I thrust it like an experienced fencer with a rapier. By the fourth day, Marj and Bern no longer dared to spar against me, even together. ¡ª Who¡¯s stronger? ¡ª I asked them one day as we lay resting in the shade after a sparring session. ¡ª Warriors or mages? ¡ª That¡¯s not a straightforward question, ¡ª Marj replied. ¡ª Typically, warriors don¡¯t engage mages in direct combat. But I¡¯d say a Battle Ancestor¡¯s strength is roughly equivalent to that of a fifth-circle mage. Meaning that mages of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth circles are undoubtedly stronger. ¡ª Whoa! ¡ª I propped myself up on my elbow. ¡ª That makes them living weapons of mass destruction! ¡ª Do you think such powerful mages are common? There are only a handful of third-circle mages in our entire principality. You¡¯d have to go to the imperial capital to find truly strong ones. ¡ª And where can I check if I have magical abilities? ¡ª To determine the exact strength and type, you¡¯d need to visit the Mage Guild. But if you just want to know whether you have magic at all, even Hek can tell you. Hek! ¡ª Marj shouted. ¡ª Can you check if Aney has any magic potential? A drowsy Hek climbed out of the cart and walked over to us. He asked me to stand still and placed his hand on my chest, over my heart. He remained like that for a few minutes with his eyes closed, then sighed quietly and said: ¡ª Unfortunately, I am only a second-circle mage and have many limitations. I can definitely sense that you have a considerable amount of mana, but unfortunately, it¡¯s unstructured. And more importantly¡ªyou don¡¯t have a single formed magic circle. I have no idea how that¡¯s even possible. ¡ª And how does one form one? ¡ª As far as I know, it¡¯s impossible. ¡ª Hek spread his hands. ¡ª The first circle naturally forms around a person¡¯s heart when they are about a year old, and it also determines the type of magic they will wield. Only later, through training, can additional magic circles sometimes form. But as for someone creating their own first circle¡ªI¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. Ugh! The fragile sprouts of hope were mercilessly trampled by old Hek! In this world, only strength mattered, and from his words, my potential ceiling was that of an average fighter at best¡ªand only if I reached the rank of Battle Ancestor. As of now, I was scraping the bottom of the food chain. But visiting the Mage Guild still seemed worthwhile¡ªmaybe they knew something more. On the fifth day of our journey, we arrived in Atun, the principality¡¯s capital. It turned out to be quite large, with a population exceeding two hundred thousand. Its stone buildings averaged three or four stories high. Since I was new here, Hek offered to let me stay at his estate for a while until I decided on my next steps, and I gladly accepted. Hek¡¯s estate was located almost in the city center, right behind the massive building of the Merchant Guild. It consisted of several houses enclosed by a shared wall of yellow stone, with a cozy inner courtyard featuring a decorative garden and a pond. That¡¯s when I realized¡ªHek was clearly a very, very wealthy man. Upon our arrival, he was immediately occupied with urgent matters, so Bern took it upon himself to show me to one of the small guest houses in the garden before disappearing, promising to send my personal maid for the duration of my stay. The single-story, three-room house with large windows was built from the same yellow stone as the rest of the city and looked cozy¡ªperfect for some quiet rest. Left alone, I explored the rooms and kitchen, found a real bathroom with a large tub full of hot water, stripped down, and climbed in to bathe. On the wall next to the tub, I noticed a magic circle. After a bit of study, I figured it out, adjusted the water to be slightly cooler, and lay back, closing my eyes. I woke up to the sensation of small hands trying to lather the short hair on my head. Mmm, what a pleasant dream. Or was it a dream? I slowly opened my eyes and saw a cute girl¡¯s face¡ªwith large cat ears on top of her head. ¡ª Holy hedgehogs, ¡ª I murmured. ¡ª A cat-girl¡­ ¡ª Has my lord never seen a catfolk before? ¡ª my ¡°dream¡± asked softly. ¡ª Bloody hell! ¡ª I shot up, splashing water everywhere. ¡ª You¡¯re real?!