Magnus here, I've always hated artifact making, it's never been my forte. Remries and Demries absolutely defeat me in that regard. The weapons they create can make even the most common of men to become heroes and demon lords. Unfortunately for me, I've never created anything that's worthwhile for the mortal race, except maybe the Blade of Longinus. It was a very powerful weapon created from my essence. Little known fact, is that when gods create powerful artifacts they create it with a sliver of their divine mana but when a god creates an especially powerful artifact, we call them divine treasure, we imbue them with our divine essence. High gods and lesser gods can only create one divine treasure but we true gods can create an infinite amount of them, as long as we wait for our essence to replenish. Anyway, I think I babbled long enough about the past, back to the story.

"Magnus be careful!" Absolution advices me, as I immediately focus on the task at hand.

Earlier, when I was fighting Dead-eye I realized something, my body is too weak. I managed to defeat him because of my complete mastery of magic and if it wasn't for that, I might have died.

When I realized my weakness, I knew that I needed to strengthen my body. 

"Haaa!" I shout with resolve as I strike a tree with a branch, inscribed with weight changing alchemical circles. 

My hands feel numb, as I continuously strike this tree with precise attacks. I know for a fact that creatures can develop extra skills by continuously acting them out.

An example of a normal extra skill like this is the [Heavy Slash]. It's learned by continuously striking with heavier force than usual. Eventually the constant practice will develop a skill that allows the user to attack with an even stronger force than usual.

I take a look at my status and notice that my body power is slowly growing. 

Name: Magnus

Race: Fallen God 

Ability Level: 2 (↑1)

Magic Power: 20/20 (↑10)

Max Magic Power: 20 (↑10)

Body Power: 12 (7+5) (↑2) 

Defence: 2 (↑1)

Agility: 11 (↑1)

Resilience: 2 (↑1)

Magic: 2 (↑1)

Magic Defence: 8 (↑4)

Unique Skills: Creation (Sealed) (Ultimate) | Indestructible Essence (Ultimate) | Endless Mana Capacity (Legendary) | All Magical Knowledge (Partially Sealed­) (Legendary) 

Innate Skills: God's Eye (Sealed) (Godly) I God Senses (Sealed) (Godly) I God’s Stare (Sealed) (Godly)

Extra Skills: Pain Tolerance V (Normal) I Martial Knowledge from the Goddess of War (Partially Sealed) (Legendary) 

Magic Skills: N/A

Custom Skills: N/A

Affinities: N/A

Resistances: Hunger Resistance I

Weaknesses: N/A

Titles: God of Magic | The Fallen God | The one who wished for more | Masochist | Friend of the wyvern | Hunter

Blessings: Sealed (Indeterminable) | Cursed Eyes 

Equipment: Bear Fur Clothing (Normal) | Wooden Branch (Normal)

Items: N/A

I chuckle a little after I notice that my magic stat and magic power grew ever since I cleansed my mana veins.

Eventually, I tire out and let go of the branch and sit down with my back leaning on the bullied tree.

This training stuff... is tiring... but it's so invigorating.

If soldiers heard me right now, they'd beat the shit out of me. While resting, I notice Absolution floating besides me.

"What?" I ask Absolution why she's staring at me.

"You seem too happy for your situation Magnus."

"... Yeah, I am"

"Why? Isn't your family in danger?" She asks concerned.

"Absolution, I have full faith in my family. They would never be defeaten by the firstborn."

"What about the being who managed to do this to you?" She gestures all over me.

"If they're able to this to another true god, they would have done it already but it seems they only targeted me..." 

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"You do have a point." 

"Enough, we can tackle the topic once I'm strong enough." Absolution agrees.

I use my resting period to meditate and increase my magic power. This forest is teeming with living things and the mana here is quite thick but according to my calculations, I'll start to slow down later on. 

Magic Power: 30/30 (↑10)

Max Magic Power: 30 (↑10)                                                                                                                                               

Magic: 3 (↑1)

Magic Defence: 12 (↑4)

After 30 minutes of resting and meditating, I stand up and stretch. I pick up the branch and resume my training. 

I start bashing the tree once more with my weighted branch. It's been a day since I've started bashing this tree and I haven't even come close to earning a skill. I can see that talent truly trumps effort...

Unfortunately, despite all my talent in magic, I am completely average in my physical talent. If Remries or Demries was in my position, they wouldn't even bother learning extra skills, they'll just create custom skills and be done with it. 

A few hours pass and eventually I finish my training. I check my status and notice that my body power grew a little.

Body Power: 15 (9+6) (↑3) 

I would love to train more but I'll need to eat too or I'll starve to death.

I return back to my humble abode. I say abode but it's literally a cold and damp cave that I've managed to warm up with alchemical circles. 

At the outside of the cave, I've set up a small perimeter of wooden fences, created from a bunch of branches. I tie the intersecting branches using grass fiber I found in the forest. It is only at this time I truly enjoy my companion. She's helped me survived almost everything. 

Before I enter the cave, I check the rabbit traps, I set earlier, to see if they caught something. Immediately I manage to find one rabbit caught in one of my traps.

"Sorry, little one. Be proud in the knowledge that your body will be used to sustain a god." I painlessly twist the rabbit's neck and tie its legs with grass fiber, then put it in on of my fur pouches. 

"Poor little rabbit" Absolution prays for the rabbit's soul.

Once I'm done resetting the rabbit traps, I return to my mancave.

During these past few days, I've manage to make the cave a little more cozy. 

I've installed pelt carpets on the floor and I created a makeshift bed out of wooden branches, soft pelt and cotton from some nearby cotton plants. The bed is reasonable comfortable and the floor is a thousand times better than before. I've set up four drying racks, so I can dry more meat than usual.

Once I'm done setting my items down, I take the dead rabbit and go towards another rack. It's a rack that's meant to hold animals upside down and let them bleed out. The rack has a small wooden basin that I carved from a dead tree. 

I cut the rabbit's neck and hang it upside down. Since I've got nothing else to do, I start tidying up the place. I collect the bones from the many animals I've hunted. I already removed all the flesh from the bones and I've been drying them under the alchemical circles. 

I take some of the dry bones and start sharpening them with a dull rock. Everytime I finish sharpening a bone, I put them inside one of my pouches. I've collected a lot of makeshift weaponry, ranging from, but not limited to, bone knives to sharp wooden spears.

After sharpening the last of the bones, I lie down on my makeshift bed.

"I've got nothing to do..." I mutter to no one in particular but the spirit besides me immediately replies.

"Maybe we could hunt Magnus!" Absolution is trying her best to help me kill time but there are days where I've got nothing to do. I sigh and stretch my body. I can go and train again but if I hurt myself by overexerting, I'll be wasting days recuperating.

Eventually I spend the rest of the day resting and tending to my bodily needs.

*A day Later*

The next day, I decide to go hunting and foraging, since a diet based on jerky will surely kill me.

During my stay here in the forest, I've been slowly expanding my territory. Ive been careful enough not to disturb the territories of the alpha predators, such as the white wolf. I've realized my mistake and I've been avoiding enemies I can't kill or beat.

I still wonder why that white wolf left me alone.

I wander the forest a bit more, exploring the deeper parts of the forest until I suddenly see a road.

"Wait... is that a road?" I ask Absolution in surprise. I haven't seen a road in a long time.

Absolution gasps in surprise as well. "You're right! That's a mortal-made road!" 

I order Absolution to hide back in her coin and I start to approach the road.

I go down the forest and stay behind some bushes, literally a few meters away from the road.

I study the rough path and realize it's a commonly used pathway. I see many carriage tracks and horse hooves. 

I study the surrounding area and my [God Sense] picks up a creature close by. I look around and I see the familiar eyes of a wolf staring at me hidden in the foliage. 

It's that accursed wolf again.

I slowly back away from the forest, just to avoid that demon wolf.

While backing away, I hear another familiar sound and I immediately look to my left. On my left, I see a horse trotting down the road while pulling a caravan. They haven't seen me so I leave and enter the forest through another way.

I hide in the safe part of the forest, safely avoiding the demon wolf and the caravan. 

When I'm finally clear, I start to walk back towards the deeper parts of the forest.

Suddenly I hear a bone chilling sound.

"Ahhhhh" I hear the collective scream of a dozen people.

I stand still with my back turned around the road.

I sigh and continue to walk forward, ignoring the screams. It's not my job.

"Ahhhh" I stop.

I grip my hands.

What are you doing? You're too weak. You'll die. Do you think, they'll give you a chance once they see your eyes? 

You will die.

I close my eyes and try to block the sou- 

"AAHHHHHH"

Goddammit.

I turn around and start running.

I'm going to regret this.