A Greeting From The Wild

Sitting upon the smooth, horizontally shaved trunk of the tree, I began to draw upon the mana in the surrounding environment.

Swiftly, the two Circles at the peak of my power began to spin with frenzied intensity. As they filled to capacity, I pushed them still further, coaxing more mana from the world around me.

With the excess energy surging through my body, the mana began to coalesce around the spinning Circles.

Focusing my mind, I called forth the spells of the 3rd Circle, each one etched into the mass of mana surrounding the Circles as glowing runes.

As I drew in more and more mana, a sound echoed through the air, signalling the breakthrough I had been striving towards.

"Click!!"

Exultant, I spoke aloud, "It's done!"

This experience was smoother and more efficient than previous ones, and the familiar process was made easier by my prior knowledge.

My body was covered in a sheen of sweat and a residue of black filth, a clear sign of my body being purified from within.

I leaped down from the tree, utilizing my affinity for wind to soften my landing. While mages below the seventh Circle can't fly without external assistance, my elemental mastery allowed me to manipulate the wind currents around me.

As I descended towards the ground, I slowed my descent until I touched down unsteadily, but safely.

The mana within me stirred and responded well, despite the fact that my three Circles hadn't yet fully synchronized. One shouldn't underestimate the output of a Third Circle mage.

However, my elation was short-lived as I realized that the surroundings had grown dark. The sun had set while I was consumed by my excitement for the breakthrough.

Nevertheless, my control over light elements, in addition to my mastery of all other elements, allowed me to see clearly even in the dark which would be difficult for mages without Light elemental affinity.

Realizing that it was not safe to linger in the area for too long, I made my way back towards human civilization. While there were few beasts that could pose a threat to a mage of Third Circle, caution was still advisable.

The nocturnal ambiance of the forest possessed a different aura, ranging from the pin-drop silence to the ear-piercing growls in the far-flung distance.

As I treaded along my path, I was suddenly impeded by the eerie vibes that encircled me. With alacrity, I heightened my senses to determine the source of the feeling.

Subsequently, multiple crimson dots began to glimmer amidst the foliage, and in no time, a huge monster emerged, followed by several more of its kind. It was a mammoth entity, towering up to four meters, shrouded in a pelt of thick, ivory fur that looked anomalous in the abyssal forest. Adding to the peculiarity, it bore three eyes, with the third one situated on its forehead.

"It's a Three-eyed Hopper," I muttered under my breath, "and a horde of them at that."

These creatures, akin to rabbits, were the most abundant beasts in the outer precincts of the forest. Our valiant soldiers had to engage in regular skirmishes with these feral creatures to safeguard the bordering settlements. It appeared that the horde comprised of around twenty-five to thirty Hoppers.

Acting swiftly, I assumed my battle stance as the rabid Hoppers hurtled towards me. I launched a condensed Zephyr Blade at the horde, effectively slaying two Hoppers simultaneously. With the augmentation of my mana and an additional circle, the potency of my spells had amplified significantly.

With the sudden demise of their two companions, the Hoppers appeared to be momentarily confounded, gazing silently at the lifeless bodies. Suddenly, they erupted into a frenzied state, emitting an unnerving screech.

Just as I was about to ready my spells, an intense wave of nausea struck me, causing me to nearly lose my balance. The surrounding forest seemed to twist and rotate in a dizzying manner.

"Aghhh!!!" I screamed as I narrowly evaded the sharp claws of one of the Hoppers. I quickly jumped away and employed the only Light elemental spell I knew, "Restoration Light." As I cast the spell, I gradually began to regain my senses.

"They are capable of using illusions? This means that they have evolved into Mana Beasts. This is problematic," I muttered to myself. Illusions are a dark elemental ability that should not be present in ordinary Hoppers.

The fact that they were able to utilize mana indicated that they had evolved into a much more dangerous form of creature.

In Edren, beasts are typically classified into three categories: normal beasts, found in the outer regions of the forest; Mana Beasts, found in the middle regions; and Magical Beasts, found in the inner regions. This system differs from that of the Empire, which has a ranking system for beasts.

Perhaps bewildered by my sudden recovery, the Hoppers were confused as they stopped for a moment, affording me some respite from the dark ability that had assailed me.