At their destination, Jonn and his animals found many footprints concentrated in a small area, something that went beyond the mere passage of creatures through the area. The circular pattern of tracks suggested the creatures had either stopped there or performed some kind of ritual, a theory supported by the scattered carcasses throughout the area.
Alongside massive dinosaur droppings and smaller, unidentifiable animal waste, lay the remains of various creatures. Some had decomposed, reduced almost entirely to bone, while others were more recently deceased, their flesh and skin merely shriveled and discolored.
Though the Barren Hills of Deepshadow’s lack of microorganisms might have slowed some decomposition, the toxic mana itself could break down dead flesh even without the presence of scavengers.
Jonn knew this from village members’ observations of toxic mana’s effects on corpses. Living beings, even those unable to control mana, possessed some basic resistance and protection against its toxic form. They could flee from heavily concentrated areas and, if not too severely affected, eventually recover. Dead bodies, however, had no such defenses. Just hours of exposure to toxic mana-rich environments could trigger visible changes, while weeks of exposure could strip a corpse completely of flesh.
Prolonged exposure to toxic mana without biological protection led to tissue disintegration. Soft tissues deteriorated first, but eventually even bones would be consumed by the effect.
These dead people are from different weeks... Jonn concluded from this information.
Among the creature's remains lay luminous stones of different colors. Some radiated intense mana, but their colors and characteristics differed from the Aether Tears Jonn was familiar with.
Each stone had a unique shape, and under the Celestial Magnifying Glass’s inspection, they proved to be more than simple mana crystals. They were indivisible and possessed unique energy signatures.
“Beast core,” Annabelle announced, using her beak to lift one of the glowing stones for her master’s examination.
“Mooo!”
“Roulf says he wants to consume it,” Annabelle translated as the large bull sniffed at one of the mana cores.
“Let me examine these mana cores before deciding,” Jonn replied, taking the stone from Annabelle before collecting the other cores scattered nearby.
If these are indeed mana cores, then multiple beasts, or at least creatures on the verge of becoming beasts, died here… Jonn thought, studying the carcasses and the stones’ positions. It appears these cores came from the dead here.
After using [Analysis] on each stone, Jonn employed [Projection] to better assess these magical pieces’ value. Several minutes and over 100 mana units spent later, he discovered that mana cores were even more valuable than Aether Tears!
That explains why Roulf wants this blood-red core… Jonn realized, watching his animals.
Mana cores could be directly absorbed by beasts or used to create resources for mages. However, they proved most effective when used by beasts, especially those with matching affinities.
If I’m not mistaken, beasts are naturally drawn to elements matching their affinities. Since Roulf specifically chose that mana core, his affinity likely matches my primary element: fire.
Using the Celestial Magnifying Glass, Jonn saw the elemental affinities of each mana core.
But this raises a question. Why would anyone leave these valuable mana cores behind?
If these creatures had been murdered or used in some ritualistic practice, why would their mana cores be left untouched?
Perhaps none of the creatures in the group had an affinity with those mana cores? That would explain why they abandoned these essences... They contain little mana either. Even the best of these stones contain around 60 units of mana.
But... that’s just a hypothesis. A weak hypothesis, to be honest. According to Annabelle, most of the creatures we’re following aren’t even classified as beasts. For such beings, 60 units of mana would represent a significant improvement. And even without natural affinity, these stones held value, didn’t they?
His human mind made him consider that beasts would act like humans in such a situation.
A human would never abandon these mana cores; they would collect them for trading, either exchanging them for more suitable cores or bartering for other valuable resources.
He sighed, unable to distinguish what had happened there.
To me, it would make more sense to say that the exotic creatures were frightened away from the area before they had a chance to collect the mana cores. But that would be one more worry for me. What could possibly terrify a dinosaur?
He rose to his feet, clutching the six magical gems—treasures of immense value to the village’s animals.
Only Roulf showed interest in consuming one of them, though the other animals remained attentive, despite showing no natural affinity with the cores.
“Very well, I’ll let you have your way,” Jonn said, glancing at the large-horned bull, who responded by lifting his lips to reveal his teeth, something he had learned from horses.
Roulf advanced three steps, stopping mere inches from Jonn, letting out a happy moo. He opened his mouth, silently pleading with his master for the essence he craved.
“Before that, tell me, will you be incapacitated after consuming it?” Jonn asked, causing Roulf’s expression to turn uncertain.
Jonn looked at Annabelle, and the hen grasped the situation. “Annabelle doesn’t know, master. Roulf simply yearns for the beast core.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Then we’ll save it for you to consume when we return home.” Jonn tucked the essences into his spatial ring, consoling the now-disappointed bull with a gentle head massage.
“For now, let’s proceed. We’ll return to the village later.” He made his way back to Windy’s side, his animals comprehending his instructions.
Ice took the lead, demonstrating his prowess in tracking the scent of the strange animals. Annabelle perched atop Roulf’s head just behind him, confirming the white wolf’s chosen direction.
”The beasts are not far ahead,” the hen announced after several minutes of traversing the dark, monotonous terrain.
Before they could reach a safe distance to observe their targets, birds appeared in the sky nearby, catching the beasts’ attention even before Jonn noticed them.
The three quadrupedal beasts gradually halted their movement, while Annabelle adjusted her gaze, squinting as she peered up at the clear early afternoon sky.
Jonn spotted the birds moments later as they soared ahead of the group—six creatures resembling eagles. While his distant vision was excellent, his knowledge of avian species remained limited. However, his mana detection ability was a different matter entirely.
A beast? And a level 3 beast at that!
Jonn swiftly retrieved his [Spirit Wand] from his spatial ring while circulating his mana.
He couldn’t detect the status of any of the six creatures. They clearly harbored no positive [Relationship] with him despite their lack of prior interaction. In fact, they exhibited immediate hostility upon spotting him, evidently even without his recent kill. By the time his group noticed the birds, the creatures had already identified them and launched their aerial assault!
“Fall back!” Jonn said to his group, his gaze darting between the birds, his animals, and the direction Ice and Annabelle had been leading them.
Fighting near a potential horde of dinosaurs and multiple beasts would be suicidal!
His heart hammered in his chest as sweat beaded on his skin. Windy and the animals responded instantly, wheeling around to sprint southward, opposite to Ice’s original path.
Their retreat only seemed to embolden the birds. The alpha of the group, the level 3 creature, surged ahead of its companions, descending rapidly while maintaining its aggressive trajectory toward them.
When Jonn realized he couldn’t outpace the creature—which easily moved at twice Windy’s speed—he pulled the reins, halting their escape to confront the bird, now less than 100 meters away.
Raising his wand skyward, he executed a precise motion, channeling his mana into the artifact while activating one of his {Spells}.
This marked his first experience fighting a beast, engaging an avian opponent, and employing that {Spell} in actual combat.
[Delusion of Force]!
-50 Mana
The {Spell}’s activation affected not only the senses of those nearby, but transformed the user’s own perception. Jonn experienced this firsthand as a distinctive aura enveloped his body, while euphoria blossomed in his chest.
His senses heightened temporarily, and despite knowing the {Spell}’s properties, for a brief moment he entertained the possibility that his strength had actually increased.
If he felt enhanced, the bird—approaching with its elongated, razor-sharp talons poised to tear into its target—experienced something even worse. Suddenly, the enemy, previously appearing mundane, emanated an otherworldly pressure, casting a vibrant shadow that seared the creature’s vision.
The bird’s narrowed eyes widened abruptly, forcing it to alter its attack strategy and attempt retreat when merely 30 meters from its target.
The creature’s heartbeat faltered, overwhelmed by an intensely negative, crackling anticipation. Its earlier confidence evaporated, replaced by the recognition of a superior magical entity, as it desperately tried to evade the human’s arcane weapon.
Jonn initiated another spell, selecting what he deemed most appropriate for his current crisis.
[Meteor] might be my most powerful {Spell}, but it’s hardly ideal for targeting a creature with avian mobility.
[Air Palm]!
-40x3 Mana
He channeled sufficient mana to activate the {Spell} three times simultaneously, conjuring before him a palm larger than Roulf, so dense that anyone within hundreds of meters could witness the formation of a massive, cloud-colored hand materializing in the air.
The palm strike pursued the creature relentlessly as it attempted to evade the horse-mounted ‘monster’, while the attack generated a unique sound of air rushing between the colossal fingers.
Moments later, the creature found itself unable to escape the grasp of the enormous hand. It was struck forcefully, its body overwhelmed by the air and mana construct, instantly altering its trajectory.
Jonn observed as the eagle’s face and wings collided with the air palm before being hurled to the ground, leaving a trail of feathers in its wake and forming a small crater upon impact.
[Hex of Silence]!
-25 Mana
He swiftly cast another {Spell}, capitalizing on the brief window of advantage before the creature realized that his attack didn’t carry the devastating power that [Delusion of Force] had implied.
Meanwhile, Ice and Roulf sprang into action, with Annabelle taking flight from atop the large bull’s head, hovering as she proudly displayed her exquisite plumage and razor-sharp talons to the approaching birds.
As the white wolf clamped its jaws onto one of the grounded eagle’s wings and the bull threatened to trample the creature, the white, and yellow chicken moved its wings with guillotine-like precision, launching a mana blade toward the level 3 creature’s neck.
Even Jonn was taken aback by Annabelle’s maneuver, witnessing something akin to a {Spell} being executed by his hen—a shocking revelation he hadn’t known was possible.
The fallen and disoriented eagle in the ground crater looked up, sensing the imminent threat to its life. Disregarding the wolf that had just latched onto one of its wings, it used its powerful legs to spring upward, leaping backward into the air to narrowly evade the long-range assault.
Annabelle’s blade sliced through the air towards its target but missed by a hair’s breadth at the last moment, striking the ground and carving a deep gash in the center of the small crater.
The eagle, in its desperate escape, dragged Ice along, hurling the wolf—several times its own weight—into the air in a bizarre and perilous manner for Jonn’s beast.
“Ice!” He cried out as he watched his companion plummet after soaring nearly ten meters, his face contorting with concern before spurring Windy into action.
“Prevent it from taking flight!” Jonn shouted, his wand still firmly in hand, as he found himself in this dangerous situation—five other birds finally within striking distance and a wounded but formidable level 3 opponent still capable of endangering his companions!