Ackster wasn’t even surprised by how he breezed through the city gate this time since it was obvious the Guild was pulling strings. He was a little worried that it would have the opposite effect and that people would take note of the special treatment, but no one seemed to pay him any attention since they were focused on their own businesses this early in the morning.

He looked at the wide fields stretching across the horizon and took a deep breath while admiring the view before continuing. He had a lot of ground to cover if he wanted to arrive at his planned destination before the sun set.

The Cloven Grasslands.

According to the information Wilma had given him when she gave him the skill texts, the Cloven Grasslands would be the perfect place to acquire several of the skills he wanted. It was a large, flat, and grassy area on the western half of Lill, and it homed several different types of beasts and monsters that would be the perfect aides for his training.

The monsters were strong enough to challenge him, even if he didn’t wear his training equipment, and they were meaty, so he would never risk running out of food, which he was likely to do when he started practicing Nold’s secret technique.

The Grasslands also didn’t have any mountains or tall trees that could obscure his vision of the sky, so if Ackster was close enough, he could see Karandiel’s Fall when it happened. They were also located relatively far away from the closest city. And while it was a popular hunting ground for adventurers, it was so big he wouldn’t have to worry about it being crowded.

It didn’t take long before Ackster left the fields of Ilto, but he wasn’t at the grasslands yet as a young forest lay between them. But since he was following the road, he made good time without even being attacked more than a couple of times. But it was nothing he couldn’t handle since it was only a few starved goblins and kobolds that attacked him.

And as soon as he passed through the forest area, an ocean of grass filled his eyes and stretched as far as he could see. The road he had followed grew less clear as the grass of the grasslands was too stubborn to let humans pave their way through the Grasslands.

There were signs of people traveling with carriage through the grass since there was a trail of flattened or short grass, but it was far from being enough to call it a proper road.

Ackster was eager to get started with his brutal training as quickly as possible so that when Karandiel showed up, he would be capable of doing what he wanted. However, he had to set up camp and get his bearings before he could start going crazy. Otherwise, he would probably end up getting himself killed.

It had taken a couple of close calls, but Ackster had finally learned from his mistakes. While he grew quickly by almost killing himself, he wouldn’t grow stronger at all if he died. So, he had to practice his suicidal practices in moderation, even if his growth became a tad slower. After all, he still had almost ten years left. Getting impatient and himself killed already would be embarrassing.

But Ackster wasn’t used to setting up camp in the middle of an expansive grassy steppe, so he went with his gut feeling and waltzed right into the place. He could stay close to the forest and use its natural cover and wood to set up a camp and campfire. But that was too safe and too close to civilization.

Ackster wanted privacy, especially if he was going to practice Nold’s secret technique. If it were as painful as promised, Ackster didn’t think he could clamp his mouth shut. He would probably be screaming now and then, regardless of his wishes to stay low-key.

Ackster’s hand brushed against the green straws that occasionally reached high enough. He plucked a flower at the tip of one to distract his hands while he scanned his surroundings for any signs of wildlife. But maybe he was too close to the forest and the road to encounter anything just yet.

While he itched for a fight, it was a good thing that he got some time to look for a place close to water.

Since he was going to be doing some wilderness training, he didn’t care too much about shelter. He would become one with nature, or something like that. But he needed food and water to live. He didn’t think that was something he could train himself into not needing, at least not yet.

Once he awakened his mana, things might be different, but it would still be a while until he got his hands on the Sea God Manual. So, that would have to wait.

Eventually, Ackster found tracks paving a way through the grass. Since the grass was still flattened and parted to the side, they were fresh. He didn’t rush to catch up to the beast since he hoped he could follow it to a place with water. It could take a while, but Ackster didn’t feel secure in starting a fight or commencing his training until he had something he could fall back to.

At the very least, he would need something to wash down the spoils of battle with. He could drink the blood of his prey if it got to that, but blood wasn’t as refreshing and hydrating as water.

If there was a chance that whatever this creature was would lead him to water, Ackster wanted to take it.

Unfortunately, even after the sun said goodbye and napped beyond the horizon, Ackster still hadn’t found any traces of water of any kind. So, he picked up his pace and started trying to catch up to the beast.

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The tracks he could piece together from the imprints on the ground and the grass told Ackster that it was a hoofed creature, and if the cloven design was any indication, it might belong to one of the trademark beasts of the Cloven Grasslands.

Wilma had included just enough information when she gave Ackster the information about how to acquire new skills to get him started, which meant he knew about the Cloven Grasslands and what kind of beasts or monsters he could expect. The name of the place also hinted about what kind of beasts thrived there, even if it could also mean it was divided, as in, literally cloven.

But since the beast he was tracking had clear cloves hooves, Ackster concluded it was most likely one of the kinds of beasts that were part of the Cloven Grassland’s famous wildlife. And he hoped it was one that would be suitable for his skill training.

It was a little concerning that it was alone since, according to what he knew about the different kinds of beasts, few of those he could take on at the moment were solitary. But he would find out what it was as soon as he caught up to it. And he could then decide whether to fight or take it easy during his first night in this place.

Ackster kept a look over his surroundings as he pursued, but he didn’t notice any obvious signs of other creatures or of water. But he gradually started to hear the beast. A snorting and grunty breathing that showed the beast’s bravery in the middle of the night told Ackster how close he was.

And with the cloudless night sky letting the light of the stars and moons shine upon the world, Ackster could soon see the hulking silhouette roving through the grassy field. The dark, glossy fur shimmered in the moonlight with enough shine to show Ackster how its muscles rippled with each step it took.

Ackster took note of the wind direction before starting into a circular motion to keep himself downwind of the bovine creature. It was possible the beast was already aware of his presence but didn’t feel threatened because Ackster smelled weak or because he was still far away. Though, considering the bull’s brazen attitude in walking around alone in the middle of the night, it probably wasn’t the type to easily be scared. The snorting and grunting as it occasionally grazed also sounded more like invitations to battle than heavy breathing.

Ackster wondered if this was a time to take it slow and hang back or if he should try and find a delicate balance between life and death and challenge the beast. He couldn’t be sure about the specifics, but it looked like the perfect target to use to train Fortify and Iron Wall.

It was just that it might be too perfect.

“Wait here.”

Ackster unslung his backpack and put it on the ground. It would only get in the way during the battle, and if it got hit, he might lose both Mio and the secret technique, which wouldn’t be worth it.

Although the bull, which appeared to be black, was threatening and oozed with danger, Ackster had only shied away from danger once after his transmigration, and that was during his battle with the poison goblin. Even if it had been suicidal, he had thrown himself headfirst into danger at every opportunity that presented itself in a desperate wish to grow stronger by enduring adversities. He had done it without knowing what he was doing or what would happen. As long as he came out stronger on the other side, he was satisfied, even if it meant almost dying in the process.

And while the bull that towered over two and a half meters tall was dangerous, Ackster wasn’t a meek sheep, either. He had grown a lot recently, and he could feel his body itching to test his limits before breaking through them. He could also feel his stomach rumble in excitement over such a juicy beast to devour. Monster Muncher was whetting his appetite.

‘Monster Muncher works on beasts as well?’

Ackster had only thought about Monster Muncher’s effects on monsters and eating them, so he hadn’t considered the possibility that it would work on all generally uncivilized or humanly hostile creatures. But since many beasts and monsters were similar, even if their origins differed, it made sense.

They were both creatures that grew by existing, eating, and breathing. They could train and become stronger, but generally, the richer their diet and climate were in mana, the stronger they became.

But beasts were ordinary animals native to Millmeria that had developed superanimal strength or traits by awakening their mana. And monsters were remnants of past Calamities that had outlived their source and managed to snag a foothold on Millmeria. There had been attempts at rooting out all monsters and restoring Millmeria’s native ecosystem a couple of times. But those attempts hadn’t gone very far.

First of all, it would be futile. After a couple of Calamitous Cycles, they would be back, most likely.

Second, monsters weren’t all bad. The Calamities that spawned them were, but the monsters themselves contributed to Millmeria and the civilizations on the planet. Well, their deaths did, to be more exact. As monsters lived and grew stronger, they nurtured their existential power.

And when they died, that existential power seeped into the world and their killer unless they died naturally. Granted, part of the monsters’ existential power came from Millmeria since they grew by consuming the life of the planet, but existences generated their own existential power just by existing. So, overall, the monsters gave back more than they took from the world.

Third, killing monsters helped humans and other races and beings grow stronger, especially if they used Nominus Cards. It was an essential part of The Hero’s journey to expedite his growth by killing strong monsters. It also served as good publicity since The Hero would be revered by the people as a savior.

But it wasn’t only The Hero that grew stronger by killing monsters. Everyone did, and if they had a suitable profession, they would grow even faster.

There was also a fourth reason that made many reluctant to eradicate monsters, despite the threat they posed to humans.

Wealth and resources.

Numerous monsters, especially high-ranking ones, were walking treasure troves. There were a few extreme examples where every single part, piece, and crumb of the monster could be used. But even the worst monsters, like goblins, had something that could be used to make items. And when selling items, one could make money, and so on.

Monsters like the rock lizard also provided excellent building materials. Which country, power, or organization would be willing to give up on things like that for the sake of a false sense of peace?

Beasts were the same in that aspect. They were also valuable sources of material and existential power that strengthened their killers.