Chapter 113 (1/2)

Chapter 113

Peering down fro on, I couldn’t help but grow anxious The forest looked like one giant bush that spilled over the visible horizon, with the cluttered trees blocking any viehat laid below Large birds and other fearsoreen, diving in and retrieving their meal every so often What scared me more than them, however, were the occasional roars that echoed in the distance I could only ie theydown trees that blocked their paths as they traversed through the thick wilderness

<hr>

“This is where you will be training,” Windsoaze still fixed on the forest

“Of course it is,” I sighed,over ht

“Shall we?” After replying with a quick nod, the two of us juh our body while trying to keep balance against the harsh winds that blew around us

Right as ere about to plunge into the scores of trees, I willed an updraft beneath my feet to decrease the speed of my fall

As Windsom and I landed deftly into the ed drastically The ground beneathon foaht down, the da them with each step I took

My nose was boe,damp smell of iven , correct?” The asura confir

“Everything I own is in that di else you wish to take fro perhaps?” I quipped, looking around at ,” the asura replied flatly, taking out a book from his cloak “Now, since you were so adamant on the fact that you have complete mastery over your internal mana control—”

“I si that explicitly,” I countered

“Anyway, I will consider your level sufficient upon retrieving s” He pointed at the open book

“Pelt of a raptor squirrel, the beast core of a silver panther, and the claws of a titan bear,” I read the list aloud, absorbing the black and white drawings of each of the mana beasts

“ and these items will prove, somehow, that I am ready to learn more about the will Sylvia had left me with?” I handed the book back to him

“In a way Of course, on the condition that you not use any external mana arts whatsoever Ah, and you are to wear this at all tihly the size of my fist

“I really do have to question your idea of training,” I sighed again as I held up the silver bell, triggering a series of vibrant rings way too loud for a single bell to make

“Let s on the list by breaking the bell” He turned around, preparing to leave, but stopped “Oh, and I reco the iteone, leavingbut a bell, some blankets, and a leather pouch filled with fresh water

<hr><hr>

I had no idea what exactly Windso me hunt for these ite process, then that was reason enough

“Let’s see First on the list is the pelt of a raptor squirrel,” I h aside froood condition

I pondered over the three items that Windsom requested If this was some form of a test to measure my internal mana manipulation, that meant that these mana beasts possessed skills, which require me to have a certain level of mastery over them The fact that it was some type of squirrel most likely meant that it was near the bottom of the food chain If that was the case, then in order to protect itself, it probably had soetting eaten

According to the picture, the raptor squirrel looked like any other squirrel, except with more prominent hind li s, I had yet to see any sort of wildlife

Concentrating e of

I was constantly on the lookout for any indication of fauna whilemy way towards the other end of the forest Several hours had passed but still, no signs

“This damn bell!” I yelled louder than I hadat the slightestnear me

As the sky darkened so didof ti to call it a night, I made camp out of the hollow trunk of a fallen tree

To my irritation, sounds of small animals, hidden in the veil of darkness, came out around et back up, the tinkle of the bell reverberated loudly through the otherwise silent night, causing the creatures to scurry aiftly

‘I’ll start fresh to back insideI was nestled in, and through ht somehow made it past the layer of leaves and branches and ontoh, keeping coitate the bell However, after a few hours, it was obvious that the bell wasn’t the only reason the raptor squirrels were keeping clear of me

The mana beasts that were at the bottom of the food chain had probably developed extremely acute senses that made up for its lack of vision to avoid predators, which hy, even when I was nearly asleep and completely frozen, they still kept their distance

For now, hidingthe raptor squirrels out How to catch theure that out after

After a brief search, I found a decently situated shrub close to a clearing that was thick enough to hide inside Making myself as comfortable as possible within the stiff branches and prickly leaves, I waited

Rescinding all of thearound my body, I stayed motionless and observed Because of the assimilation with Sylvia’s will, my body was a lot sturdier thanrounds

Minutes soon bled into hours as I waited It wasn’t enough to retract your mana; I realized that it was absolutely necessary to clear yourwith preys I could feelas I exhaled in accordance with the occasional breeze that flowed by

Finally, the fruits of my labor showed as a tiny snout popped out frons of danger Soon, a few raptor squirrels scuttled about with their three tails constantly twirling around like antennas, desperately trying to find soht wind of their presence

<hr>

I kneas impossible to catch the first item on s out I started by e just a bit oftheir hind legs to elevate their tails They had obviously sensed the minute fluctuation ofaway

As I kept testing their li even a bit of purified mana didn’t necessarily drive theree where it would be i too much purified mana would undoubtedly lead the I learned was that internalizing nal, but too much concentration and focus did causethe I learned, and perhaps the most useful, was that external mana flow did not startle or even prompt them to take notice

I learned this as I sat, hidden,itation froan actively purifying and condensing the