Lenor City

Wei counted at least six figures approaching rapidly from the sky. Fixing his gaze on the one in the center, he clenched his fist, which began to glow with a vibrant blue energy resembling a burning flame. As the figures drew closer, their forms became clearer—giant eagles with piercing eyes and powerful wings. Wei wasted no time and activated his Water Gun skill. "Water Gun!" he shouted, and from his fist erupted a torrent of glowing blue energy, shooting with incredible force. The blast struck the central eagle, sending it plummeting from the sky. The remaining eagles screeched loudly as they scattered into different directions, their aerial formation broken. Wei turned his attention to the remaining giant eagles, aiming his Water Gun skill at them. However, the agile birds evaded his shots with swift, precise movements

"What?!" Wei exclaimed, startled that he had missed his shots.

Suddenly, one of the eagles dove toward him, its sharp talons outstretched and glinting in the sunlight. Reacting quickly, Wei summoned his sword, gripping it tightly as the massive bird closed in. The giant eagle lunged, attempting to seize him in its powerful talons, but Wei countered with his Liquid Slash skill. With a decisive swing, his blade, glowing with fluid energy, cleaved through the eagle from its head to its tail. The bird let out a final, piercing screech before splitting cleanly in half, its remains falling toward the earth below. Now, only four giant eagles remained, and it seemed like they had no plans of retreating as they returned to their aerial formation.

"All right, time to finish this!" Wei smiled with excitement as he activated his skill.

"Liquid Blades!" Wei shouted, swinging his sword repeatedly. Multiple spinning arcs of liquid blades shot out from his weapon, flying toward the giant eagles' direction. However, the eagles evaded all the liquid blades with incredible agility.

"What?! How could they possibly do that?!" Wei exclaimed, stunned by their evasive maneuvers.

Just seconds later, three of the giant eagles lunged toward him, while the fourth attacked the wild bird. One eagle grabbed the wild bird by its neck, while the other three seized Wei by his shoulders and arms. However, as the three eagles tried to pull Wei away from the wild bird, their sharp talons liquefied upon touching his body. Reacting quickly, Wei slashed at the eagle gripping the wild bird's neck with his sword.

"Don't strangle my friend!" Wei shouted.

The eagle let out a piercing cry as the blade struck it, its body plummeting to the ground. Despite its desperate attempts to recover by flapping its wings, the damage was too severe. The remaining three eagles let out loud cries, flapping furiously as they distanced themselves from Wei. Meanwhile, the wild bird was gasping for breath, weakened by the eagle's attack. It struggled to stay airborne but appeared to be slowly descending toward the earth below. Wei turned his gaze toward the retreating eagles.

"Let's see if you damn birds can avoid this," he said coldly.

Raising his left clenched fist, Wei shouted. "Water Gun!" Torrents of glowing blue energy erupted from his fist, shooting toward the fleeing eagles. The blasts struck all three, and they let out harsh cries before falling lifelessly from the sky. Wei glanced at the wild bird and grew worried when he noticed it looking weak, gasping for air, and slowly descending toward the ground.

Wei activated his skill, Holy Water. A shimmering blue pearl emerged from his palm. Gently, he placed his hand on the bird's head and crushed the pearl in his grasp. Water flowed from his closed hand, quickly healing the wild bird.

The bird looked up at Wei and let out a cheerful quack in response. Wei smiled, feeling both happy and relieved, and began to gently pet the bird.

"You really had me worried! I thought you wouldn't make it!" he said. A screen appeared above the wild bird's head:

**********************************************************

YOUR WILD BIRD HAS JUST LEVELED UP!

PRESS THE OK BUTTON TO UPGRADE THE

WILD BIRD'S FORM.

--------OK--------

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"I never thought wild birds like you could level up too." Wei said, a mix of surprise and curiosity in his voice.

Without hesitation, he tapped the OK button. Instantly, the bird's body began to glow, radiating a warm, golden light as it transformed. Its size increased, with its wings growing larger and more powerful, resembling those of a majestic eagle. Wei watched in awe, a wide smile on his face.

"Wow! You look incredible—just as fierce as those giant eagles from earlier!" he exclaimed.

The wild bird, now in its new form, took to the skies, soaring higher and faster than ever before. Together, they climbed above the clouds, their spirits soaring just as high.

It took two hours for the two to reach Fenix River. If not for the wild bird's upgraded form, it would have taken them much longer to travel through the air. Wei glanced at the sky and noticed that the sun was already setting.

"I think it would be safer for us to set up camp by the riverside until tomorrow morning. The sun is already setting, and it would be difficult to continue flying if we can't see anything in the air. We might become an easy prey for other flying creatures." With that, the two descended from the sky and landed by the river. Beside the flowing water, Wei set up a camp and built a bonfire. Using the utensils, canned food, bottled water, and a frying pan he had purchased at the marketplace, he prepared his meal. The wild bird happily munched on its pellets, while Wei enjoyed his pork and beans. Both were satisfied with their meals and had a good night's sleep. The wild bird rested on the ground, while Wei slept in his sleeping bag. Fortunately, no wild creatures or monsters attacked during the night.

Morning arrived, and Wei didn't waste any time lying on his sleeping bag. He was determined to reach Leonora City. After packing all his belongings back into his magic box, he quickly took to the skies with the wild bird.

"Hey, you know what? After everything we've been through, I just realized I haven't given you a name yet. Let me think of a good one for you," Wei said thoughtfully. After a moment of careful consideration, he brightened up.

"Aha! I've got it! This name is perfect for you—Garbaru!" Wei exclaimed cheerfully. The wild bird responded with an enthusiastic quack, as if it approved of its new name.

An elf princess named Jewel had been searching for the swordsman who once saved her from an ambush while she was trekking through the forest of Geneva. The harrowing ordeal left her traumatized, making it difficult for her to recall the face of her rescuer. However, there was one detail she could never forget—the swordsman's weapon. She was certain that the sword he wielded did not belong to the world of Birigan. Its design and aura were unlike anything she had ever seen, marking it as something extraordinary, perhaps even otherworldly. This princess is now in Leonora City, hoping to find even the slightest trace of the mysterious warrior.

Igor, a male dwarf and Princess Jewel's assistant, was accompanied by knights as he walked through the city, searching for the swordsman the princess had spoken of. He raised his megaphone and began shouting through it.

"Listen up! Princess Jewel of Geneva is inviting all swordsmen in this city to come to King Eleazar's palace later at seven in the evening. There will be a contest of swords, and the lucky winner will receive a prize of a lifetime!"

A passing swordsman stopped in his tracks and asked, "A contest of swordsmanship?"

"No, there will be no fighting," Igor replied with a smirk. "It's actually a contest for the most beautiful sword."

Igor continued his walk, announcing the contest as he went.

"Listen up! All swordsmen in this city! You are invited to King Eleazar's palace at seven this evening. There will be a contest of swords, and the lucky winner will receive a prize of a lifetime!"

As he made his way through the streets, Igor noticed an ordinary weapon dealer wearing a hood and sitting against the wall of a bakery. Spread out on a blanket before him were daggers and basic swords. Curious, Igor stopped to take a closer look.

"Oh, you've got some nice blades there. Are you a swordsman too?" Igor asked.

The weapon dealer shook his head humbly. "No, sir. I just sell ordinary blades for a living."

Igor studied the items on the blanket carefully but found nothing remarkable about them. The swords and daggers were simple and plain. He was about to leave when something caught his eye—a curved, slender scabbard with a circular guard and a long grip, leaning against the wall next to the dealer. Assuming it was a sword, Igor pointed at it and asked,

"That thing beside you, what kind of sword is that?"

The weapon dealer glanced at the object and then back at Igor.

"It's a katana," he replied simply.

"Ka-ta-na?" Igor repeated, furrowing his brow. "I've never heard of such a strange name for a sword. Can you unsheathe it?" Asked Igor.

The weapon dealer picked up the katana beside him and drew it. Igor was surprised when he saw the blade.

"Woah! The way that blade-- shines. It looks intimidating!" Igor exclaimed.

"But I don't think it's as powerful as the other swords I saw earlier." Igor thought.

"You know what? I really appreciate you showing me your beautiful sword but I think I have to leave now." With a polite smile, Igor turned and continued on his way.