The islands of mana.
The Boss Weasel Became Clear.
With a body over 4 meters long and 2.5 meters tall, its fur had a metallic gray hue with slight black undertones, blending almost seamlessly with the surrounding rocks.
....
Weasel Trei (Boss)
Race: Metallic Earth Weasel
Level: 26
Description: A unique monster that conquered this valley a few years ago. It became the ruler of the entire region and is extremely dangerous, known for its powerful control over the earth and metallic elements. Be cautious, or your body will be crushed by rocks like mashed flesh.
....
The Boss noticed my presence and immediately growled at me, taking action at the same time. Its paws struck the ground, and earth spikes laced with traces of metallic elements shot toward me, aiming to pierce my body.
Sensing imminent danger, my blue wings propelled me into the air, but one of my legs was still impaled by an earth spike. Furious, I used my whip to break the spike while my wand in my right hand cast another spell.
Three orbs of darkness materialized in the air and advanced toward the enemy at high speed. The weasel created a stone wall to shield itself, but I wasn't intimidated. One of the orbs had a thin thread of mana attached to it, allowing me to redirect the spell and hit its back.
"Acckkk!" It cried out in pain, and I smiled faintly, savoring my small revenge.
Of course, as soon as I broke free from the spike, I used my wings to accelerate sideways, especially since more spikes were forming from the ground and walls.
Alongside these, clusters of rocks began to form and hurled themselves in my direction. The sheer volume was irritating, forcing me to dodge mid-air while creating water walls for protection.
Following my movements, I swung my whip to deliver physical blows to the rocks. Unsurprisingly, its resistance to physical attacks was high, as evidenced by the minimal damage, but it served as an excellent distraction. Additionally, mana flowed from my body, enveloping my weapon and expanding the water on my whip.
My wand generated dark energy, casting traps at the Boss's feet. However, I felt a slight urge to cough up blood and irritation as I used two distinct elemental magics simultaneously. Thankfully, my title eased some of the strain of combining different elemental energies.
The Boss was immobilized for a few seconds, and that was all I needed. I maneuvered my whip with precision, controlling the surrounding water to create a raging tornado that engulfed the enemy. Deep cuts and other forms of physical, magical, and natural damage tore into it.
Once the tornado enveloped it, I landed softly behind a rock, maintaining control of the attack. Consistent damage was being inflicted, but of course, the Boss wouldn't remain trapped for long.
"GRRRRR!!!"
A deafening roar echoed as a surge of energy typical of Boss monsters shattered my water tornado with metallic-element rocks.
I wasn't fazed and avoided any backlash by cutting my connection to the attack. Twirling my wand in a dance before me, I conjured a storm of blue, water-like arrows mixed with the dark hues of shadow magic. Over fifty arrows floated in the air, imbued with dark elemental energy to increase damage and inflict curse-like negative effects.
With a command from my weapon, the arrows pierced its body, specifically targeting its open wounds. Upon impact, explosions of energy erupted, amplifying the damage.
I checked the Boss's health.
The amount remaining was significant, making me realize how challenging Boss battles would become as their levels matched or exceeded mine.
"Joining a group sounds irritating..." I murmured, brushing the thought aside. It wasn't that I was antisocial, but my past as a political figure had required me to navigate countless relationships. Group activities often turned out to be complicated.
For now, I cleared my thoughts. If necessary, I could always form a temporary team or join Lívia and her guild.
The battle continued for several grueling minutes. My hair and clothes were disheveled, and various wounds covered my body. My left wing, in particular, looked slightly tattered, dampening my once beautiful appearance.
In my hands were two bottles—one red and one blue. I quickly gulped them down, restoring my MP to 30% and my HP to 20%. Tossing the empty bottles aside, I glared at the Boss with resentment.
During our fight, not only had it inflicted significant damage, but upon reaching 25% HP, it activated a skill called "Rock Monster."
This ability increased its defense by 50%, making it even more annoying to deal damage. Its entire body became coated in an earth-like armor, including its claws, and when one of its attacks landed, it felt like being crushed by a truck or smashed by a pile of boulders.
Now, the Boss had only 5% HP remaining, and it glared at me with as much hostility as I directed at it.
Taking a deep breath, I put away my wand and retracted my wings. Drawing from 10% of my mana, I created a large quantity of water, forming a small pool in front of me. Without hesitation, I leaped into it.
My body underwent minor transformations, taking on aquatic mammal traits, particularly around my legs and abdomen. Swimming rapidly through the water, I prepared a different strategy for my whip. Infusing it not only with water elemental energy but also with the element of darkness, I expended the rest of my mana. Weakness spread through my body, and a sharp pain coursed through my mana circuits.
The water in my whip darkened, tainted by the influence of shadow energy.
Sensing the imminent threat, the Boss roared and unleashed a storm of rocks and metallic elements, obliterating all the water I had created. However, the effect I aimed for had already taken hold.
I soared into the air, appearing dangerously close to the Boss. My empowered whip coiled around its body, targeting its wounds and weak spots. Using the water on the ground to enhance my speed, I maneuvered swiftly.
"Annoying weasel... bye-bye," I muttered before delivering the final blow.
Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief, resting for a brief two minutes.
Taking advantage of the situation, I approached its body and recovered the items it had dropped.
Among the usual items, I noticed an additional one that emerged from its body.
This one was larger than others I had encountered before.
It resembled a large crystal, an enhanced version of the soul fragment I had been collecting.
As this crystal floated in the air, I felt items leaving my body—or rather, my inventory.
They gathered in the air and fused with the gigantic fragment hovering before me.
The fusion grew more intense, drawing energy from the surroundings.
Natural energy, mist energy, and soul energy all began to converge around it. The quantity kept increasing, and small waves of energetic shock were released, lightly pushing my body back.
Soon, a complete crystal was formed. Its outer layers seemed to be composed of mist energy and another unidentified type of energy.
Inside, I saw a large amount of mist and a small, slumbering serpent.
The crystal hovered before me, appearing to present a choice.
I also noticed an unusual door open in front of me. For some reason, I felt fear, as if the door had the ability to capture my very soul.
At that moment, my mission rewards were updated.
Mission: Recover the final soul fragment.
Objective:
Retrieve the last soul fragment of the ancient guardian of the valley.Ensure all fragments are gathered.
Reward:+5 levels, Class skill book, Gold pouch.Summoning skill: Spirit Serpent of the Mist [Special Reward]. (The white serpent hopes you'll choose this!!)
...
Upon seeing the updated second reward, I decided to check if I could view a more detailed description. Luckily, I managed to.
Summoning Skill: Spirit Serpent of the Mist
Type: Summoning
Rank: Special
Effect:
Allows the summoning of the Mist Serpent at any time (non-combat mode). In this state, certain skills are enabled.Allows the summoning of the Spirit Serpent of the Mist for active combat. MP Cost: 2% of your mana for the initial summon, with increasing costs based on its time of presence.
Description: A great opportunity!!! Or is it? Remember, if you choose this, it's important to name it.
...
Honestly, I was quite torn. The first reward seemed much more tempting and powerful, but the second one intrigued me.
It was a special summon, offering not only unique support but also a constant companion in combat.
After pondering for five minutes, I chose the second reward.
"The second one."
As soon as I made my choice, a screen appeared before me, followed by new notifications.
"I will call you Marfim."
This name had always appealed to me, enchanting me deeply. I truly cherished it.
The moment this happened, I felt mist and various other energies envelop my body.
I sensed a strong and beautiful connection being formed within me.
The world around me began to shift, and I found myself in another space.
In this environment, when I looked behind me, I saw something like a grand hall—or perhaps a massive palace that appeared colossal.
After a few seconds, I recognized its exterior.
It was the inheritance site for my class.
To my right, I saw a small island made entirely of water mana. The entire area seemed to be composed of pure water energy.
In another region, an island formed of dark energy appeared, as though it belonged to a realm of shadows.
"Where am I...?"
I asked, intrigued. Then, my small companion Levi appeared beside me in the air.
"These are mana islands. Every magic user has this area, but generally, only mages can access it more deeply."
"These islands are formed at the core of an individual's soul and serve as the source of their magic and existence."
I nodded, beginning to understand. I also noticed that my mana islands seemed to be connected to the grand palace by small bridges.
While admiring the area, I saw a serpent emerge in the air.
Its body was mostly made of mist and seemed somewhat immaterial—similar to Levi, yet different.
The small Marfim opened its eyes and met mine. When this happened, I felt a genuine happiness emanating from it, along with a gaze filled with affection directed toward me.
As we locked eyes, it smiled and cried out:
"DADDY! DADDY!"
It called out with a strong tone of affection and care, tinged with a hint of dependency.
Moving through this soul space, it flew straight toward me.
...
STATUS
Name: Alan
Race: Half Aeros (Blue Macaw) / Half Aquos (Humpback Whale)
Title: Innovator, Little Scholar, Heir of the Primordial Mage, Great Enemy of Wolves.
Class: Elemental Mage
Subclass: None
Level: 26
Persona: 0
Physical Stats:
Vitality: 27Strength: 35Agility: 35
Magical Stats:
Wisdom: 40Intelligence: 45
Special Stats:
Luck: 5Dexterity: 5
Skills:
Racial Skills: Aerial Race, Sea Being, Transformation, Water WhipClass Skills: Mage's SpaceWater Magic: Water Bubble, Water WallDarkness Magic: Dark Orb, Dark TrapSubclass Skills: NoneSkills Obtained Through Special Means: Inspect (N), Magic Arrow (N), Multiple Mana Arrows (U), Mana Control (R)
Special Helper: Levi (Skill: Magic Assistant)
Summoning Skills:
Marfim (Skills: ???)