"Take action!"
Oliver sent the command through their mental link, directing his two beast companions to charge in from the left and right toward the Aqua Bubble. Meanwhile, he advanced straight at the creature from the front.
Alarmed, the Aqua Bubble tried to flee, but Oliver and his companions closed in from all three sides, cornering it against a solid rock wall.
The creature was trapped.
Pop!
Its body expanded suddenly, and with a burst of power, it shot a jet of water directly at Oliver. Infused with magical energy, the water jet carried enough force to severely injure, if not kill, an ordinary person.
But Oliver was far from ordinary. He swiftly dodged to the side, muttering a quick incantation under his breath:
"Sar-to-nek!"
To ensure success, Oliver threw a stone in his other hand, aiming to disrupt the water’s flow.
His training paid off: as the chant finished, elemental forces gathered in the air, and a barrage of stone bullets formed.
Rock Magic—Stone Spike!
Success!
The Aqua Bubble’s powerful water stream collided with the stone projectiles, blocking the attack and leaving Oliver unharmed. He quickly closed the distance.
Sensing the danger, the Aqua Bubble charged at Oliver with surprising force.
Though it appeared to be nothing more than a bubble of water, its impact could break bones in an ordinary person. But Oliver’s strength was no small matter. He reached out and caught the creature in his arms.
Boom!
The force of the collision pressed Oliver’s heels deep into the soft riverbank mud, creating a small crater beneath him.
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The Aqua Bubble squirmed, thrashing to escape, but Oliver’s unyielding grip, bolstered by a surge of magic, kept it firmly in place.
The Aqua Bubble was his.
But Oliver faced a new challenge.
His magical reserves were rapidly depleting.
While his Super Magic Core granted him immense magical capacity—far beyond that of ordinary people—he was still not even an apprentice mage. His internal mana storage was limited, and only through continuous training could he expand his capacity. Though the Super Magic Core made him stronger than his peers, it wasn’t without its limits.
Moreover, the Aqua Bubble was a fragile creature.
Oliver’s magic had invaded its body, disrupting its energy and immobilizing it, but if he held it for too long, it would simply dissipate.
"They say Aqua Bubbles are hard to preserve... now I see why," Oliver thought. This wasn't something he could sell; he'd have to consume it on the spot.
Lesser magical creatures could be eaten with minimal preparation, their potent magic providing significant benefits to the consumer.
For Oliver, it also granted precious life essence points.
Sitting by the riverbank, he took a deep breath and bit into the Aqua Bubble.
Its texture was like a pudding with no sweetness, but it carried a cool, refreshing chill.
In some cities, nobles paid a fortune for drinks made from slimes and Aqua Bubbles, prized for their unusual flavor and revered by mages.
As he devoured the creature, his tiger and wild boar companions sat nearby, their eyes locked on him with drooling anticipation.
"Heh! You two want some too?"
Oliver chuckled, tearing off two chunks and tossing one to each of them.
The Aqua Bubble dissolved quickly, especially once torn apart, but the two beasts were swift to catch the pieces. They snapped them up eagerly, letting out satisfied growls as they ate.
"Hm?"
Oliver noticed both creatures looked bigger than when he first met them. His tiger, already five meters tall, was now almost six.
How could a tiger grow an extra meter in such a short time?
His **Beastmaster’s Lineage** must be enhancing their growth.
And better yet, he noticed that the life essence needed for their evolution had dropped—from 150 points to 147 points. (It was originally 50, but that felt unbalanced, so it’s now adjusted to 150 points for evolution.)
The Mandrake roots and Aqua Bubbles he had fed them must’ve contained life essence!
Three life essence points had made his tiger grow by an entire meter.
If he collected all 150 points, what would it become?
Perhaps even a magical beast!
Tales of ordinary creatures transforming into magical beasts after extraordinary encounters were common. The stronger the original creature, the more powerful it became upon transformation.
A magical tiger would be terrifying indeed!
Thinking this, Oliver tossed them another piece of Aqua Bubble. But he kept most of it for himself—strength was best when it was his own.
After finishing the creature, Oliver felt a surge of raw magical energy coursing through him. Standing by the river, he began chanting spells repeatedly, using the excess energy to fuel his training.
"Vyr-kal-en!"
As he released the energy, his magical capacity expanded, and his body became more attuned to magic. Each session now felt like three, even five, of his usual practices.
No wonder people said magic was an expensive pursuit. Wealthy mages could accelerate their progress by consuming magic potions before every training session.
"At this rate, I’ll likely become a full-fledged mage in three months," Oliver thought.
At Oakridge Academy, advancing to apprentice mage status in three months would earn him the favor of a professor. But Oliver would achieve full mage status in that time!
Besides the magical boost, consuming the Aqua Bubble granted him a hefty amount of life essence—25 points! As before, he absorbed them immediately.
His fusion with the Super Magic Core’s wild boar form reached 95%, increasing his strength from 140 kg to 200 kg.