Departure

Leonard did his best to make a creamy soup out of his ingredients. The amount of supplies he has right now is enough to last them a week.

Other than that they would need to forage. Leonard watched as Jai gulped down the bowl of soup, he made enough for seconds but he didn't know that Jai would eat a third bowl.

Not like he was annoyed, the nutritional value of the soup was higher than normal so it was enough to energize Leonard through the whole evening. Well, as long as he uses a technique to digest the food efficiently.

In this case, he doesn't.

"How is it?"

Leonard asked with a warm smile, he had been watching Jai inhale the soup since earlier, and just when Jai realized she smiled as well.

"Your cooking is always delicious! Where did you learn such a thing?!"

Leonard cannot mention his past life as a student so he just made up an excuse.

"I just watch people cook from back home."

"Home…"

Jai stares at Leonard for a moment, countless emotions dwelled for a second before she looked down at the bowl she held. Leonard scratched his cheek before comforting Jai.

"Don't worry. I'll visit you sometime, we'll… it's going to be hard every year though."

"It's not that."

Leonard tilted his head at Jai's reply, he knows that this girl is attached to him but with a look in her eyes, he can tell that it was not the case.

"You're the only family I have…"

"Ah…"

Jai had a brother, but that brother went to war against the Xyn so the both of them had no idea what is the situation with him right now.

"Well, Don't worry. I'm pretty sure your brother is fine."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, isn't the Jakari pretty strong?"

"Uh-uh-huh!" Jai nodded gently.

"And the Jai I know are both pretty and strong! So cheer up!"

"No flirting!"

Leonard laughed heartily as he packed up, they rested for a while before they started moving, at the first few hours there wasn't any sort of danger, all the monsters encountered were avoidable. But they encountered their first hurdle at the deepest part of the forest.

All things were dense, bushes, trees and their branches, vines, and more. Leonard and Jai sat hiding in an enclave of a tree, avoiding a giant bird monster. It was by far the biggest thing Leonard and Jai had seen. Jai normally wouldn't go deep after all she's still young, however, today is special.

"That thing is huge!"

The widely known large bird on the surface belongs to the family of vultures. Having a wingspan of 14 metres, the biggest on a monster would be 50 metres belonging to a family of wyverns, the ones that could dwell on the surface. One would argue that dragons would have the biggest wingspan. They would since they are extinct.

What Leonard and Jai are witnessing right now is watching a giant falcon-like bird scoop down its prey. Leonard could surmise that it has a wingspan of 40 metres, and since it's under the dungeon that thing would easily become an invasive species if it ever was brought to the surface.

And it's just one of many predators in the area. Leonard wanted to know the feeling of those feathers, he had the urge to know but that wasn't his job as of now. He needed to go and hunt a centipede the size of a dozen school buses together.

"It is."

Leonard and Jai stay put in the enclave of the massive tree waiting for the giant predator to leave, Leonard on the other hand leaned back. Jai seemed to be enjoying the view so he didn't bother her during her viewing time. Instead, Leonard thought of something else.

He closed his eyes and visualised the magic circle, each strand of intent, each line strengthening the intended result of the magic, and each diagram to be finished with instructions defining the purpose of the circle.

He held out a hand and the magic circle he had memorised for a year appeared just for it to disappear once more.

'Tsk, another dud.'

Leonard couldn't help but click his tongue, he had no idea if it was his magical power or if he had yet to properly decipher the circle.

But no matter, since he can materialise the dud he could soon construct a successful circle. Though he felt a bit dry thanks to that. He would need the core of further experimentation, he surmised easily that teleportation spells aren't so simple that he could use it with his amount of mana. In fact, he knew this will happen. The atmospheric mana is abundant but if he can't use it then it's for nothing.

He could make a magical tool to assist him but that would take time, his quest as of now is to do exactly that, it might take a while but to accomplish what he wants he needed to do so.

"Look, Leo!"

Jai pointed out that the bird monster leaving, Leonard nodded and sat next to Jai, watching the ever-changing surroundings. The two stayed put while watching the monster leave beyond their sight. Just after that, they set out to leave.

Once again they ventured out to the dangerous terrain of High Bark forest. They encountered little to no monsters so far. Leonard had to hold his breath from the ever-changing scenery he had to see.

For one they passed through trees that had houses in them, Both Jai and Leonard were surprised they didn't know that someone was living in the forest deep enough. Leonard wanted to form a connection with them but it seems that the foreign race seems to be isolationist like the elves. So they just left them alone.

The other scenery they encountered is a small part of the forest filled with colourful trees, like sakura, cherry and magnolias. The colour was so vibrant for the eyes that it made them stop for a moment. It made Leonard wish he has his phone so he could take a picture, he could make a magical tool, however, he had no knowledge about magic circles that could capture images.

So he could only lament at such a wasted opportunity. Well no matter, even that he couldnt take a picture of it his brain was already developed enough to remember it when mentioned. It wasn't like this. It only became like this once he met Zhar'kerut. He has no regrets meeting him but it leaves a sliver of bitter feeling in him.

It hurts whenever he develops his brain through magic circles that he had to memorize, enlarging his brain then placing more efficient wiring of his braincells before it went back to its size hurts more than anyone could think. Zhar'kerut brute forced this type of training to Leonard, making him use his brain more than necessary for a 12 year old.

But no matter. Once he properly decipher the teleportation circle he would get out of here.

"? why are you looking at me like that Leo?"

But now he might use it to come back once in a while.