By a clear stream, a strange chirping and cooing emanated from the bushes, home to an unknown magical beast resembling an oversized frog with three eyes. The extra eye on its forehead, a deep green pupil, was what Felix identified as a sign of a magical creature.
Perhaps it was once a normal frog that had evolved into a magical beast due to some unique circumstances.
It was a notably powerful beast, as Felix had witnessed it poison a dire wolf to death within three seconds—a rare and highly toxic magical creature.
In the realm of magical beasts, the most troublesome weren't those with immense strength or partial draconic lineage, but those evolved from poisons. These creatures concentrated their internal toxins as they grew stronger. Once evolved into a magical beast, their poison couldn't be neutralized by simple purification spells.
The key factor was the rapid and fierce potency of their venom. For a regular human spellcaster, being poisoned meant they wouldn't even have the chance to complete the incantation for a purification or antidote spell!
This territory belonged to the magical frog. It was a peaceful area, as the frog showed high hostility to any large creature invading its territory. Over time, this place became a no-go zone for other beasts, except for Felix. The frog seemed intelligent, as it warned him but didn't attack upon his entry into its domain.
Ignoring the odd noises from the bushes, Felix scooped up some water to wash his face and then took out the now cold rabbit meat from his cloak. Cold and flavorless, but Felix wasn't in a position to be picky. He quickly finished the remaining meat and began exploring the area.
He had now entered Mistwood Forest. Visibility dropped significantly within the forest's boundaries, and even with Felix's sharp vision, he could only see up to twenty meters ahead. Based on his estimation, he was in the southeast corner of Mistwood Forest.
Following the river to find a lake would lead him out of the forest and closer to the bugbear's location.
A thick tongue shot out from the bushes, swallowing a bird flying overhead without even a chance to cry out. After consuming the bird, the magical frog seemed unsatisfied and shot its tongue out again, this time plucking a ripe, red fruit from a tree filled with small, bright fruits.
The frog was an omnivore, eating both animals and plants.
Felix looked up at the bright red fruits. He had noticed the tree earlier. Unremarkable in height or size, its distinction lay in the vibrant red fruits hanging from its branches, each about the size of a thumb and a striking crimson color.
Felix, who preferred meat, initially didn't pay much attention to the fruits. Forest fruits were often poisonous, so he had no intention of eating them. However, seeing the frog eat one piqued his interest.
The fruit's vivid color, though lacking any special fragrance, was eye-catching in this area. After wandering the forest for a day and a half and not seeing any other tree like this, Felix grew curious.
"It's either something extraordinary or extremely poisonous."
Whether valuable or poisonous, it was something worth investigating, as either could be converted into shiny gold coins, which Felix urgently needed. Initially, he considered killing the magical frog, but since it showed no aggression, he let it be.
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Moreover, in the elven domain of Snowdrift Hollow, without human alchemists or spellcasters, the frog's venom wouldn't be of much value.
Transporting it to the human world was impractical. Precious items required specific conditions, and without the proper equipment, they would likely lose their effectiveness before reaching the human world.
At the very least, he would need a crystal bottle enchanted with a constant magic spell, which would cost at least twenty-five gold coins.
After a moment's hesitation, Felix cautiously approached the tree with the bright red fruits, wary of the magical frog. If the fruits were indeed special, the frog might attack to protect them.
His only concern regarding the frog was its venom; its attack speed and agility posed no threat. Larger creatures inevitably lost agility, a fact true even for dragons.
As Felix neared the tree, the frog's croaking grew more agitated and chaotic. Suddenly, the bushes parted, and a massive, dark green frog, half the height of a man, emerged.
Indeed, it was a highly intelligent magical beast, as it had learned to walk.
The large, dark green frog stared intently at Felix as he approached the tree. Its three eyes bulged, and it emitted a series of rapid, warning-like croaks!
The cold wind blew, and as the magical frog made its warning-like call, the surrounding chorus of insects and birds suddenly ceased, creating an eerie, deathly silence around Felix.
It seemed that over time, this magical frog, though not possessing an aura akin to a dragon's, had developed a passive intimidation over the nearby creatures.
Its bulging eyes fixed intently on Felix. Its thick, granulated tongue hung partly out of its mouth as its belly inflated with each croak, eventually forming a large round sphere.
Felix watched the frog's actions with interest, his instincts telling him that this magical frog was not yet a significant threat to him. Perhaps its only somewhat challenging aspect was the highly concentrated venom inside it. But that was just a minor concern.
"Shield of Ice!"
A shield made of shimmering ice crystals formed in front of Felix. With the emergence of the icy barrier, the temperature around plummeted, frosting the grass and branches nearby.
Shield of Ice was the only spell Felix currently remembered. Back at the Snowcharm Inn, the explosion had been an uncontrolled release of his Frost Power, a test to gauge the extent of his strength. It seemed his past self was already adept at controlling this power.
Over the past two days, Felix had made some meaningful progress in understanding the energy within him. He could now flexibly control the Frost Power, a hidden energy in his blood, capable of any transformation at his will, surpassing even the dexterity of his hands.
The only puzzle was the deep gray energy that had appeared once but never since, despite his efforts to sense or search for it within himself. It was as if that energy never existed in his body.
He remembered clearly the sensation when that energy had surged out, taking control of his body, making his heart race. Then, that deep gray power had emerged, entering the Fiendish Monster and draining its vitality.
Felix felt a strange mix of emotions, recalling the Fiendish Monster's soul-wrenching cries of agony.
The gray energy had vanished after entering his body, but the sparkling green life force extracted from the Fiendish Monster had rejuvenated him, erasing all signs of fatigue from the intense battle.
The drop in temperature caused by the Frost Power made the previously wary magical frog lethargic, eventually lulling it into a light sleep. This hibernation effect, despite the frog's evolution, still adhered to its basic biological instincts.
As frost formed on the grass and the frog's eyelids drooped heavily like someone overcome with sleep, Felix realized it was just emerging from hibernation and hadn't yet adapted. Caught off guard by the artificial temperature drop, the frog entered a shallow hibernative state.
When Felix ceased the Frost Power, the ground around him was covered in a layer of ice, and his power had depleted by nearly half. The green magical frog, now enveloped in frost, had a slow heartbeat and faint breathing.
Felix, somewhat amused and surprised by this outcome, decided to spare the frog. If he needed gold coins, he could hunt other magical beasts.
Such frogs-turned-magical beasts were rare across the continent. Killing one would mean one less of its kind. The evolution of creatures into magical beasts always followed nature's strict laws.
Stronger creatures evolved more easily, while many like this frog were often preyed upon before evolving. This frog's transformation was likely due to some fortunate anomaly.
Could it be related to the bright red fruits on the nearby tree?