It Falls To You

The other mages quickly sobered at the prospect, their expressions hardening into masks of grim determination. Their lives could be in grave peril if they faltered or made even the slightest misstep in their plans.

The Ember Forge group leader quickly outlined their strategy, his voice carrying the weight of hard-earned experience. "Now then, the beast we're hunting is at the Nascent Appertience stage – a level higher than us. Its body will be sturdier, and its prowess will be several times greater. But we have the advantage of our brains and formations. Remember to stick to the plan, and if anything goes wrong, we'll be the ones to quickly adapt and change tactics." 

He gestured towards himself and the grizzled Gale mage, making it clear they would take charge in any crisis.

Gladius felt a prickle of curiosity at this new information regarding the Magical Realms. Before they departed, he decided to seize the opportunity and quickly asked, his piercing gaze boring into the leader's as he spoke, "Nascent Appertience? You all mentioned something about being Nascent Novices earlier. So I'm assuming once you manage to awaken your Innate Spirit, you will immediately enter the Magical Realms at the Nascent Novice stage, correct?"

The leader briefly narrowed his eyes, clearly harboring thoughts of addressing Gladius's ignorance more directly. However, he swiftly reconsidered, remembering that this Manaless Common Mortal was far from ordinary. Instead, he opted to offer a succinct explanation.

"That's correct. Our Innate Spirit awakening is our connection to the force of Magic. Our Mana Senses are developed enough to absorb the Nascent Magical energy of the world and fuse it into our Innate Spirit, allowing us to reach higher levels of Magical Power."

The leader paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the other mages as if seeking their silent affirmation before continuing in a grave tone. "Of course, Magical absorption is far easier said than done. Even those mindless Nascent Beasts need to remain in a completely relaxed environment for dozens of years to reach a higher stage. But the power that comes with ascension is more than worth the sacrifice, which is why I must impress upon all of you the absolute necessity of caution. Do not take any unnecessary risks."

"Understood," the other mages solemnly nodded, their expressions grim, fully comprehending the gravity of the situation they were about to face.

With their preparations complete, the mages swiftly readied themselves and departed the inn, Gladius following a step behind, his sword gripped tightly in his hand. 

They made their way out of the small town, directly taking the path that led back into the heart of the Ashen Woodlands. 

As they left the comforting warmth and familiarity of the town behind, an ominous, bone-chilling sensation of danger seemed to permeate the very air, sending a shiver down Gladius's spine.

Yet, he couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through his veins. After this fateful journey, he would finally be able to take the necessary steps to seize control of his destiny. This was merely the first step on a path that would shape the course of his entire existence.

At this point, the Gale Academy mages took the lead, guiding them along a straightforward path through the woodlands to reach the dense thicket of Spiritual Trees as swiftly as possible. 

During their travels, Gladius sought to glean more insights into the intricacies of Magical Theory from these experienced mages. 

However, their reactions were perplexing, to say the least.

Rather than providing direct answers to his seemingly simple questions, the mages deliberately skirted around the subject, avoiding delving too deeply into the matter. They didn't outright dismiss him, but their evasiveness was palpable, almost as if they were deliberately withholding information.

The leader of the Ember Forge group offered a terse response, his tone brooking no argument. "We should focus more on staying attune for any sign of danger. That Nascent Appertience beast or not, there are still many other dangers lurking about here that could catch us unawares."

Gladius couldn't deny the logic in the leader's words, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that these mages weren't being entirely forthcoming. Perhaps they felt unsettled, even threatened, by the notion of a being without Mana soaking up information at a rate no ordinary common mortal should be capable of comprehending.

Either way, Gladius refused to be deterred. He didn't care what obstacles lay in his path – he would unravel the mysteries of this Magical World through sheer determination and relentless study, one way or another.

The road towards the dense thicket of Spiritual Trees went along relatively smoothly, at first. 

However, various magical beasts soon began to emerge, impeding their path with increasing frequency. Many came in groups, attempting ambushes or catching the mages off-guard, but none truly posed a significant threat.

Gladius, for his part, was more than eager to engage these savage Nascent Beasts in combat. 

Although he didn't outwardly display it, whenever he slashed his spirit sword into one of the beasts, he exuded the frozen force of an ice sword. Trails of sharp, icy sword energy wrought havoc through their internal bodies, rapidly freezing apart organs and bones as they died slow, brutal deaths.

Gladius felt only a slight numbing sensation in his hand with each strike. Yet, with every beast he slew, that icy numbness receded bit by bit. His control over the Ice Sword Force was growing exponentially now that he was in active combat. Being at one with the worldly forces came far more naturally when he found himself in various situations, rather than merely practicing in the same, stagnant environment.

Being exposed to diverse situations forced Gladius to manipulate and flow his sword force in dynamic ways to efficiently slay the beasts. This allowed his comprehension of sword force to expand rapidly to accommodate the need for greater control and flexibility. The battle experience was far more conducive to his growth than the isolated practice environments he had used previously.

The Ember Forge mages had already expected Gladius to pull his weight in battle, but the Gale Academy mages were somewhat surprised to witness his prowess firsthand. 

They had been informed of his great physical abilities and capacity to slay Nascent Beasts, but the shock of seeing a Common Mortal go up against foes that would effortlessly slaughter ordinary humans was jarring, to say the least. It was as if Gladius operated on an entirely different plane of existence, defying the very boundaries that should have constrained him.

This pattern continued until the Nascent Beasts suddenly ceased appearing after a certain point. They didn't encounter another living soul for dozens of meters.

An oppressive stillness gripped the forest, the eerie silence only broken by the faint whispers of unfurled leaves caressing the air.

Then, it hit them - an intense convergence of Mana, a beacon of unrestrained power pulsing with a ferocious vitality that dwarfed anything they had sensed before. Their senses led them inexorably towards the source of this overwhelming magical aura, a radiant tree shimmering with an otherworldly majesty mere hundreds of meters ahead.

Even from this distance, the tree's divine magnificence was unmistakable. Its towering boughs seemed to defy the gloomy pall smothering the Ashen Woodland, exuding an aura of pristine, uncompromised vitality. Not a single blemish or char marred its resplendent bark, which bore intricate runes etched deep within, thrumming with primordial energies that whispered of realms beyond their comprehension.

The sight would have been awe-inspiring and breathtaking, if not for the massive, terrifying presence that lay before the tree itself. 

There, lazily sleeping in front of this sacred Spiritual Tree, was an immense Lion Beast, its sheer size dwarfing even the mightiest of its mundane counterparts.

Even in its slumbering state, the beast radiated a sickening pulse of bloodlust, its aura so vibrant and potent that it would undoubtedly strike fear into the hearts of even the most veteran warriors. 

This was no mere Nascent Beast – it had surpassed the Nascent Novice stage, a true powerhouse at the Nascent Appertience realm, its might elevated to dizzying new heights.

"There he is..." the Gale mage murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible over the thunderous pounding of his heart. "A beast of this size and realm is already formidable enough. But its species makes it all the more dangerous...Lions are particularly swift and vicious in their strikes."

The mages grew solemn, knowing they would need to bring the full brunt of their efforts to bear in this pivotal battle. 

Only Gladius maintained his tranquil calm, truly not feeling any sense of threat from the sleeping behemoth before them.

It was at this moment that the mages suddenly flickered their gazes onto Gladius, their eyes alight with a particular gleam that immediately set him on edge. That woman mage, in particular, seemed a bit too gleeful now that they were faced with confronting the slumbering beast.

The leader of the Ember Forge group bore his gaze directly into Gladius's eyes as he spoke, his voice carrying a subtle undercurrent of something darker lurking beneath the surface. "Now then, before we try anything, we at least want to assess the beast's condition. Perhaps he's healing from injuries or exhaustion? We can't know unless someone tests its strength for us, which will fall to you."