“I couldn’t help but think that we are the bad guys here,” said Davis. His arms crossed as he looked at the smoke coming from the town in the distance.

Veles, too, looked at the same sight. He’d just applied the medicinal paste on nasty bruises that covered the left half of the body. His back was against an oak-looking tree, his gaze carefully scanning the burning town from above. The small hill they were currently on provided them with a perfect view.

“We didn’t have many options to begin with. And this town was destined to fall one way or another,” Veles said before further explaining. He felt no need to justify the current situation of the Koria city. “It was either this, or we get enslaved, perhaps even killed by the unknown party. I’ve underestimated how much heat there was in a simple town…”

“You know, we could’ve pretended to be two wanderers passing by,” Davis said judgingly. “Buy the information we need and get on our way. Your show-off against those goons who tried to rob Fagor’s group was unnecessary.”

“I agree,” Veles admittedly said. He was aware that everything would be much smoother if he didn’t display his spatial affinity.

“But…” His voice turned cold. “I felt the presence of the demons… So, I would’ve probably done the same. If that scum was pulling the strings behind the scene, I don’t care if the whole city was burned to the ground.”

Davis mumbled. “Demons?”

“Yes, and not the type that could coexist with others. But the aura I sensed was the one of pure malevolence, belonging only to those who strive to corrupt. The worst kind. You probably heard stories about them back in Osvalen, right?”

“I’ve heard a bunch of them,” Davis affirmed. “They really exist?”

“They do. And that’s the problem. I can’t allow myself to get in contact with any of them, or it will be ugly,” Veles said and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Nobody does,” Davis added. “If the tales of their evil were true, we should get away from this place as far as possible.”

“You got it wrong,” said Veles. “I’m not worried because they are evil or dangerous. I’m worried because the moment they see me, they would do anything to get rid of me.”

Noticing all the confusion on Davis’s face, Veles continued. “When demons stand in my presence, they feel threatened, which usually drives them mad. Forcing them to fight or flee. And since they are extremely arrogant and crazy, most of them chose to fight.”

“So, in short, any demon that sees you will attack without prior notice?” asked Davis.

“Most of them, yes.”

“I guess that has to do something with your bloodline?” probed Davis. “Is there something I need to be careful about? You said I’m what, a half-spirit?”

“It is an effect caused by my bloodline, yes. However, the fact that I’ve killed a lot of them further enchants the effect,” replied Veles. “As for you. I don’t think you will have any problems. Well, the only thing that could occur is you being recognized by the other half-spirits or pure spirits. Nothing over the top.”

“Good to know,” said Davis then added after a slight pause, “So, what are we going to do now?”

Veles again looked at the town of Koria. Even if it was the middle of the night. The clash between the beast horde and town defenders still raged on. He couldn’t get every detail, but he’d seen that the defenders started using destructive formations, which forced the beasts to considerably slow down their advance.

Formations could be very deadly. They require a very experienced person to first write the runes, then a skilled operator who knows how to work with them, and of course, monstrous amounts of mana. With his talk with Zunna, Veles learned that the formations were a field of study done mainly by Wizards. And that they were basically very powerful spells.

The flaming cyclone currently cutting through the beast horde had to be a result of formation. It was mowing down everything in its way—mainly because the majority of the beasts were wood-attributed.

Veles had no idea why the Squirrel even allowed his underlings to suffer like this. Nor why their attacks were still ongoing. Had the Overlords of the forest finally decided to show they weren’t the force to be messed with? Or was there something else?

“We are weak,” said Veles. It was the hard truth he’d learned. “Our top priority right now is to reach the Fourth Stage and get our class. I’m pitifully weak and can’t do anything if the person I’m facing already knows that I can dash and perform a mental attack. And…I’m pretty sure you can defeat me right now.”

Davis decided not to say anything.

“How far have you reached with opening your Mana Pathways?” asked Veles.

“Half there, the crucial ones are already opened, but I took my time with small and dangerous pathways…” replied Davis concerningly.

“Just brute force it. The chance of you ending as Mana Abuser is zero. Your body has no impurities. Since they are the main cause for complications caused by mana, you have nothing to worry about.”

Davis nodded with a thoughtful look on his face.

Seeing this, Veles decided to focus on himself. He was almost done with opening all Mana Pathways. It did take him around four weeks to achieve this. Which truthfully wasn’t that big of a deal. Even those in Osvalen could do the same if they invested a good chunk of resources in themselves.

Still, he had to be careful. For him, it was a different story.

The First Stage required a person to hone their senses, enabling them to grasp the atmospheric and body mana. This process could be frustrating and annoying for those less gifted. Trying to sense something that you couldn’t feel created doubts. That was the reason why the Mana Sensing stage was also called the Test of Persistence. It was supposed to teach a person not to give up even if the result wasn’t immediate.

The Second Stage—also called the Mana Core creation stage—was the one that consumed a lot of time. Creating a core required a lot of mana. If someone had a poor Mana Sense, it would make this process extremely tedious. It was like filling a barrel with just a single drop of water every day. And the catch was, during this stage, a person could use this mana to cast their first spells. Which further slowed down their progress. This stage was also called the Test of Patience.

The Third Stage was when things got complicated. Mana Pathways were like a set of veins growing from the Mana Core. Opening them was very tricky. It was akin to pushing fine mana threads throughout the body. With one wrong push, a nerve could be damaged or the muscle permanently deformed. Luckily, there was no need to guide them personally. It was a delicate process guided by pure instinct. However, overusing the mana or sustaining a serious injury would lead to possible life-threatening circumstances. This was also the stage that tested Cautiousness.

For Veles. The first two stages were a joke. Sensing energies around him was his nature, and he used crystalized mana as fuel to create his cores—there were no dangers during the Second Stage, and using resources to speed it up was even better than wasting time.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

But, with the Pathways, he could experience some trouble, mainly due to his use of the dash skill that required huge bursts of mana. His body was also different. He already housed enormous amounts of mana. And all that mana coursing through his body can disturb their expansion, possibly damaging them.

However, he’d checked the moments ago, and nothing unusual happened inside his body. Hopefully, it would stay this way.

His torso was currently exposed with the medicinal paste smeared all over it. So, he had to grab his robe on the side and check something.

He pushed his hand inside his left outside pocket. Grabbed a piece of paper and unfolded it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Davis staring in interest. So, he decided to read it out loud.

“First of all. I want to say that I’m the only one who knows about this and will not speak a word.

The essence of the Wood you and your friend carried matched those of the beasts that attacked the city. My experience after centuries of working with different mana attributes never betrayed me. And I believe my speculation was right about you having very close contact with those same beasts.

I have no idea who you are or what exactly. But the only thing that comes to my mind is that you came from the forest or possibly beyond. And honestly, I don’t care about any of that…

You might be wondering why I’m writing you this letter. Well, like every Witch, I seek knowledge, and I firmly believe you can provide plenty…

So, expect our next meeting soon.

High Witch of Borsa, Ditta Laturias.”

“She even drew a sunflower with a smiling face…” mumbled Veles as he watched a small drawing at the lower right corner of the letter. For some reason, he felt like he’d gained a stalker that would watch his every step.

His shoulders slumped.

“Do you think she will keep her word and not spread this around?” asked Davis.

“If the personality of the Witches here matches the ones I’ve met before. She won’t. She will be extremely annoying, though,” said Veles as he placed the piece of paper inside his ring.

“What was she talking about the Wood essence?” Davis asked. He looked at his own hands strangely.

“Chemical properties of plants are usually called essences. Flora, in general, has a vast variety of species, with each having their own differences. It’s like having two different colored roses next to each other, and one of them releases a pleasant smell, while the other is foul and poisonous. It means they have different essences.”

“As to what she figured out,” Veles frowned. “She most likely noticed the remnants of healing done by the Squirrel. That little rat nurtured all those beasts that attacked Koria, which helped her connect the dots. How troublesome…”

Veles could hardly believe it. Did he really need to be careful about every step he made? He wouldn't even leave the forest if he knew it would end up like this.

“No, that’s not it…” Veles mumbled. He was currently in the dangerous zone. Where everyone was wary and suspicious…

“We need to find a place to settle down,” Veles informed. Then, he looked at Davis. “Do you mind cutting your hair?”

Davis raised his eyebrow. He touched a strand of his brownish hair and looked at its deep red ends. “Not really. Why?”

Instead of answering, Veles took a small stone mortar and a couple of flowers from his ring. Then he crushed them into bits until they turned into a black gel-like substance.

After checking if everything was done, he handed it to Davis and said, “Cut your hair short and make sure to rub in this gel hard onto your scalp. I will get everything else ready.”

Taking two large backpacks from his storage ring, Veles filled them with beast parts that weren’t very heavy but had some value. He then took a new set of clothes he’d bought in Koria. They were classic shirts and pants made of sturdy dark leather. Travelers usually wore this attire because it provided steady protection and didn’t disturb any movements.

Before dressing up, he touched the paste he’d applied. Noticing it dried up, he gently brushed all of it away. Their healing properties should’ve already reached through his skin, and later, just to make sure, he would apply it again.

After wearing the clothes, he carefully hid a couple of daggers beneath, for safety of course. He also took a classic saber from his ring and placed it on his belt. He kept his blades strictly short, so this one was just for show.

His attire now should match that of a normal traveler. However, there was another problem. His eyes.

He quickly scanned the contents of his ring. Unfortunately, amongst the mountains of random stuff, he found nothing that could help him. After thinking about something, he took a large wooden bowl and a carving knife.

At this moment, Davis had finished with his hair. He unexpectedly managed to shorten it nicely despite doing it with a sharp knife. Also, the gel he’d applied turned his hair pitch black. And for some reason, he looked more mature and serious.

Veles took similar clothes he wore and tossed them at Davis. “Wear this. From now on, we are two mercenaries who are returning from Koria after successfully earning our fair share.” Then he showed him the bowl and the knife. “I will carve myself a mask that should cover the color of my eyes, and I will pretend that the Colus Snake spat its poison on my face, which made an ugly scar. As for our names, just say whatever comes to your mind.”

Davis grabbed the clothes and checked them. “We aren’t going with the merchant and his guard play?”

“Well, if we encounter someone and take a fight. If we go like this, we both have excuses as to why we can handle ourselves,” replied Veles.

Davis nodded. He clearly didn’t care much. But when he looked at the sky, he frowned. “It’s night. I guess no sleep for a few days?”

Veles also wasn’t thrilled by this. “Who knows if bandits lurk in these parts… And the faster we reach a peaceful place, the better.”

***

Fagor added another twig to their campfire. It disturbed the gentle flame and sizzled, slightly killing their camp’s silence.

“I think we just escaped a great disaster,” said Valyo. Regardless of his imposing looks, his words sounded very serious.

The instincts of a Barbarian shouldn’t be taken lightly. On the battlefield, their words held a lot of weight.

“How long was it that this emergency state near the forest was released inside the guild? Two to three weeks? It’s long enough for a number of complications to appear,” said Fagor. His back leaned against his trusty shield.

“Maybe,” added Valyo. “But I think this one was deadly.”

“Well, makes sense,” Fagor added, “Sir Veles did say we should urgently leave. And even Ditta was very adamant about it.”

“Did ssssomeone call me?” A voice reached them from behind the trees, but hearing the unique way of speaking, everyone relaxed… well, everyone except Fagor, who hugged his shield like his life depended on it.

“Aunty Ditta, how did you find us?” asked Zunna. Her tone carried a fair amount of respect.

Snake woman neared their camp. On the first look, she seemed fine, but the small traces of burn around her exposed arms gained everyone’s attention.

“I can always find my little cat,” she said and sat next to Fagor. She looked at him with a warm smile. “Misssssed me yet?”

“What happened to you?” Fagor asked in concern despite his current cowardly appearance.

Happy about his care, Ditta looked at herself and explained, “There wassss another horde attacking Koria, sssso I decided to help a little. Don’t worry about me. It will heal until morning.”

Fagor’s expression switched from concern to doubt. “You helped? There is no way you would do that without getting anything in return.”

Ditta’s smile widened. “Of courssse, I’ve gained something! I met a very interesting sssquirrel.”

Everyone, in unison, tilted their heads to the side. Even Ulhe—the uncaring archer guy—had given her a weird eye.

The snake woman seductively pouted. Exposing the inner part of her forearm, she pointed at the particular tree tattoo. However, as she held her hand straight, it was shaking. The tattoo was obviously brand new, proved by the small traces of blood around its edges.

“I made a new friend. What more can I wish for?” said Ditta like it was an obvious answer.

Fagor rolled his eyes, he knew her pretty well, thus he knew they would get nothing more from her about this. “Whatever, tell me about the beast attack…”

They spent a good half hour talking about the matters surrounding the attack until the topic switched to their plans for the future.

“You are going all the way to the Acelia’s capital to get the class?” Fagor asked Zunna

“Mhm,” she nodded. “I have to consult my master and give her money I earned to get myself the best materials for the Grimoire.”

Ditta blinked a few times in confusion. “Don’t you already have the materialssss?”

“Excuse me?” Zunna adjusted her round glasses, not knowing what Ditta was talking about.

Raising her slender index finger, Ditta pointed at the giant supply bag Valyo was responsible for carrying. “Aren’t thossse for your Grimoire?”

Valyo, being nearby, curiously shoved his hand inside the bag. After checking numerous items, his brows perked up. He pulled outside something thick folded inside a piece of leather. Just as he was mid-motion, the leather unfolded. Two big scales fell down—they were beautiful crimson with traces of black. However, the mana pressure they released made everyone take a step back.

“Put that leather over them!” Ditta immediately instructed, practically yelling at him. Even if shocked, the brute of man skillfully covered two scales with leather. The mana pressure lessened. Still, the earth scales were on started drying up due to the heat they released.

“What the hell is that,” said Fagor. He instinctively took his shield and stood in front of Zunna.

“How lucky,” Ditta enviously said, her focus on Zunna. “Congratulationssss. You got sssomething many would kill for.”

“W-what is going on?” Zunna asked, not knowing what was going on.

“A ssscale of a Tenth Sssstage beassst.” Ditta’s thin tongue flickered numerous times. She looked disturbed. “I wouldn’t allow even your massster to work with this material…”

Hearing the Tenth Stage, everyone froze in fear.

At this moment, Vaylo shakingly said, “I found another…” His hand held another similar piece of leather…