The dizzying amount of mana that entered his body with each breath both helped Jonah clear his mind and put him in a daze. But it was a comfortable daze, and it helped ease Jonah’s headache enough for him to open his eyes.
The drizzling rain forced him to squint, but he could still catch glimpses of his surroundings. And with the little he saw, Jonah quickly realized that he had somehow ended up in a forest.
‘That’s just great.’
Jonah sighed and shielded his eyes with a hand as he tried to get a grasp of the situation before sitting up.
He had lost consciousness after being struck by lightning, and either the storm itself or someone had transported Jonah to the middle of a forest. It could have been a cruel prank if not for the density of the mana in the air.
There was no way someone would put him in such a mage’s paradise for a simple prank. Jonah doubted there was even such a place on Earth. But in that case, he had somehow ended up in a place that wasn’t on Earth.
He had heard rumors about pocket dimensions in the olden days. But as the mana waned, those became rarer and rarer before eventually collapsing. It could be a space sealed so tightly that it was unaffected by the outside world. But Jonah doubted it.
If the storm had somehow opened up such a place and sent him into it, it would have collapsed as soon as it made contact with the real world.
Jonah’s thoughts were interrupted by a small rumbling sound that wasn’t part of his throbbing headache. He couldn’t tell if it was thunder, an animal’s roar, or a landslide. But he knew he couldn’t lie around and guess what had happened to him.
The rain wasn’t as heavy as it was when he got struck by lightning, but Jonah still had to find shelter, preferably one with food, extra clothes, and heat. Unfortunately, Jonah doubted something like that would happen to exist nearby as convenient as a convenience store.
He sighed again and tried to move his numb limbs, still tingling with electricity.
Jonah managed to sit up and take a better look around the forest.
Tall trees with trunks like pines but dense crowns of leaves that did nothing to block out the rain surrounded Jonah as far as he could see.
“Well, shit.”
The ground was covered in grass, fallen branches, and bushes clinging to the trunks. Fortunately, the ground between the trees wasn’t that densely covered in greenery, so it wouldn’t be too tough to walk.
But after standing up, Jonah’s problem wasn’t how troublesome it would be to actually move around the forest. It was which direction to take. It would obviously be best if he could find a stream and follow it to civilization and find help. Or even better, find civilization directly.
However, the forest looked untouched by human hands, and the only water he could hear nearby was the rain pattering against the tree leaves. Jonah would probably have to walk a fair bit before encountering something that wasn’t another tree. And he would have to do it with soaking clothes and the company of soft rainfall. At least he wasn’t in the middle of a great storm anymore.
Another rumbling interrupted Jonah’s thoughts again. It also decided what direction he should take.
It had been too indistinct and far away last time for him to discern what it was. But whether it was because it was louder or the source was closer, the sound was unmistakably the sound of an animal.
Jonah glanced up toward the treetops and sensed the density of the mana again.
“Fuck me.”
It was only natural the wildlife in such a mana-dense environment would be scarier than he was used to. He didn’t know what animal had made that sound, and contrary to the inquisitive nature of mages, he wasn’t inclined to stick around and find out.
While throwing looks back toward the source of the sound, Jonah headed in the opposite direction with hasty steps.
His body was still stiff from having been struck by lighting. But it didn’t seem to have done any permanent damage, and each step he took became lighter than the previous as he worked the electric shock out of his system.
However, despite Jonah’s haste, the next roar was significantly closer than it had been before. And the source of it was still headed in Jonah’s direction. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and it wasn’t because of the cold water trickling down his back.
Jonah sped up until he was running instead of walking quickly. He was still tired from the mad dash through the storm before he got hit by lightning. But with an unidentified and most likely dangerous animal roaring and traveling in his direction, Jonah couldn’t be bothered by something as trivial as his fatigue.
However, he didn’t sprint at full speed. He wouldn’t last long if he did and would just end up caught in the end.
After another roar that was even closer than before, Jonah bravely threw a glance backward. And he faintly saw a dark shadow making its way through the trees far off in the distance.
Jonah was already panting, but he started sprinting as quickly as he could.
Running from a predator was supposedly not a wise thing since it painted him as definite prey.
But after hearing the roars that echoed through the forest like earthquakes, Jonah didn’t want to bet on the animals in this strange place following the same rules as the ones back home.
However, since it was clear he wasn’t going to be able to outrun the beast, he started preparing himself to fight back.
The storm and the lightning bolt had both caused a turmoil in Jonah’s mana, especially the mana in his heart. But each breath he took was quickly stabilizing it again. And with how heavy he was breathing and how dense the mana was, Jonah was quickly getting his mana back under control.
However, as he tried to use his magic, he realized another thing.
The magic circles he knew and used were all based on the mana conditions on Earth. They were optimized and relied on the minimal interference the sparse atmospherical mana provided.
Jonah dreaded trying to use his own mana to push through the dense cotton-like sea of mana that surrounded him. But he didn’t have a choice.
By now, it was clear that the animal, whatever it was, was after him. And Jonah’s only defense and means of survival was his magic. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well-suited for defense, so he would have to go on the offense as soon as he got an opportunity.
Thankfully, he was at least somewhat used to attacking with his magic, despite the Institute’s rules about offensive magic.
But Jonah knew that attacking stationary training dolls and a live animal hunting were two different things, even if it was his first time experiencing the latter.
Jonah panted hard now, and his feet bounced against the springy forest floor like jackhammers as he did his best to concentrate on forming the magic circle while running.
He wouldn’t be able to use it against the animal since it was still too far away. But he had to find out how effective his magic was before he could even think of defending himself.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The translucent ring of magic light that was the foundation of the magic circle sprung up almost instantly in Jonah’s hand before just as quickly dying out with a sparkle of fizzling mana.
“Fuck.”
It was even worse than Jonah had expected. The mana was so dense that it was difficult for Jonah, who wasn’t used to it, to even condense the magic circle.
Before trying again, Jonah threw a quick glance back to see how much time he had. He could almost begin making out the animal’s figure. And it was close enough that Jonah felt as if he could hear the beast’s snarling.
Since looking back slowed him down, Jonah focused on sprinting full speed ahead as he tried to make another magic circle.
It wasn’t impossible. Jonah just wasn’t used to the heaviness of the surrounding mana weighing on his magic. As soon as he got some practice in, he should be able to at least make the magic circles as usual.
Though controlling his magic after that would probably be a pain.
Jonah couldn’t even sigh in exasperation since he was breathing so hard. At least his lungs were still keeping up, thanks to the mana surging through them with every breath. Unfortunately, since he wasn’t concentrating on it, none of that mana stuck to his heart.
On his third attempt, Jonah finally finished the circle.
The palm-sized magic circle’s beautiful runes glowed slightly in the cloud-covered forest, and Jonah began conjuring his signature magic.
The dark, metallic black point peeked out of the magic circle, and it continued growing as Jonah supplied more and more of his mana. However, even before it was halfway out of the magic circle, it collapsed and turned into glittery dust that faded into thin air.
“Shit.”
Jonah didn’t waste time and tried again.
This time he got a little further, but it still crashed before the triangle was completely outside the magic circle.
Once again, at the third attempt, Jonah succeeded.
‘Fuck yeah. Third time’s the charm.’
Using his arm to boost the momentum behind the magic circle, Jonah threw the shiny black triangle, thinner than paper, backward in a reverse bowl.
It wasn’t an attempt at attacking the animal. Jonah just needed to see how badly the mana hindered his triangle.
The magic triangle flew through the air like a piece of cardboard. It pierced forward steadily before catching the air at a weird angle that thwarted its path before sending it tumbling down to the ground like a feather.
Jonah dispelled the triangle before it could hit the ground and clicked his tongue. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but he would have more success taking off his shirt and throwing it at the animal than trying to scare it away with his triangles. But there wasn’t much difference between zero percent and zero point one percent, so Jonah didn’t consider it.
Instead, he began constructing another magic circle.
Jonah wasn’t well-versed enough to modify the circle to the point that his triangle could ignore the thick mana in its path, especially not on the fly while running for his life.
But he could tweak it just a little. He could also anticipate and prepare for the mana’s obstruction.
When Jonah tried again, he had indeed gotten a little better since his control wasn’t instantly wrestled away by the mana in the air. However, he would be lucky if the triangle even scratched a block of butter. It wouldn’t even bend a hair on the beast that was strong enough to make Jonah’s ears buzz with a single roar.
Jonah told himself to continue looking forward while he fiddled with his magic circle. But his curiosity drove him to look back. If not for anything else, it was to help him find any potential weak spots he could use to his advantage.
Unfortunately, the glimpse he caught of the beast before he whipped his head forward again told him that he should give up.
Naturally, he didn’t listen to that, but he found it hard to find the motivation to continue.
The tedious but important mandatory lesson at the Academy, then the storm, then the mad dash, and the lightning bolt that struck him as if he was a lightning rod. It had all drained Jonah. And that was before he woke up in a strange place and was forced to flee from a weird rock-clad beast minutes after waking up.
However, if he gave up that easily, he would have never gotten into Gyza Academy, one of the most prestigious magic academies.
With a sudden burst of energy inspired by Jonah’s strengthened resolve, Jonah stopped sagging.
His legs were tired, but he either had to deal with exhaustion or death. He didn’t even have to think before making a decision.
Another magic circle sprouted in his hand, and it gave birth to a third triangle.
Jonah didn’t know whether it was because he cleared his mind and sharpened his resolve, but his magic felt significantly smoother than the previous attempts. And he didn’t care.
He could hear the animal’s four legs crashing against the leaves and branches on the ground with deceptive lightness.
From what Jonah had seen, the beast didn’t look like the type to prance soundlessly across the forest floor. But he didn’t have the mind to complain about how a weird animal in a weird place should or shouldn’t work.
It made him rethink his plan. But since he didn’t come up with another, he still decided to go through with it and he took aim at a tree straight ahead that looked a little sturdier than the rest.
He almost wanted to change target to a closer one when he felt the heavy breathing of the animal brush against the nape of his neck. But it was too late. Doing that would jeopardize his plan.
Fortunately, at the speed they were running, it didn’t take long before Jonah and the beast chasing him to arrive within a few meters of the tree.
Jonah wanted to take a deep breath and brace himself, but he was panting way too hard for that.
Right before he crashed into the tree face-first, Jonah dove to the side while making sure to keep the triangle in his hand away from his body so that he didn’t stab himself.
The beast’s head followed Jonah and snapped at the tail of his shirt. But the rest of the body suffered from the animal’s momentum, and the beast crashed into the tree. Its neck took the brunt of the impact. But Jonah couldn’t tell if the cracking sound was from the beast or the tree. He hoped it was the beast but didn’t have the leeway to assume it was.
So, from his position, lying on the ground, Jonah turned his palm toward the hound’s neck.
Like the rest of the dazed beast’s body, it was covered in rock-like armor. Flat boulders adorned the muscular hound’s shoulders, and long plates protected its sides and back before another set of stone plates shielded its hind legs.
However, there were gaps in the armor, especially where the joints were.
And from where he lay, Jonah had a clear view of the hound’s nearly unprotected throat.
Lying on the ground with the drooling hound towering above him was frightening enough to make Jonah gulp despite the heavy panting. But he forced his mind and mana to move. The hound was one step away from achieving its goal. It just needed to clear its head from the collision with the tree.
Jonah had to make his move before that happened.
He shot the triangle in his palm forward with as much force as he could give it. It hit the hound’s neck before shattering and disappearing in a rain of colorless glitter. He didn’t wait to see if it was enough before raising his other hand and unleashing another triangle. He tried to pin it at the exact same spot but didn’t know if he succeeded.
With a rhythm matching his stampeding heart, Jonah sent another burst of mana into his palm and conjured another triangle. The triangle pierced through the air toward the same place on the hound’s neck the same instant it left the magic circle.
Another heartbeat and another magic circle formed, and when Jonah’s heart beat again, the triangle shot into the hound’s neck.
It was the first time he was using magic in rapid succession like that, and he felt his heart and body ache. But it was also exhilarating.
He had never been so close to death, so desperate to use magic as he was at the moment. His eyes shone as triangle after triangle shot into the hound’s neck before dispersing in a shower of glitter.
Jonah’s triangles had pierced the hound’s thick skin, and blood gushed out.
Even if the animal was different and merely looked like a hound, it was still a carbon-based life form, and it had a similar anatomy to other vertebrate animals Jonah was used to.
Cut its neck, and it will bleed out.
The solution to Jonah’s problem was simple, and he could implement it by throwing another string of black triangles at the hound. Preferably before the hound’s sharp teeth reached his face.
Jonah locked eyes with the hound, and the hound snarled, ignoring the pain in its neck before charging toward Jonah.
Despite not looking, Jonah’s aim never wavered, and each of his triangles pierced deeper and deeper into the hound’s muscular neck. The hound’s charge toward him only helped push them even further inside. But the hound’s proximity prevented Jonah from cheering.
It was only when one triangle struck an important vein, and blood flooded out like a dam had burst that Jonah let himself feel hope.
The hound struggled to stay on its feet and leap toward Jonah, but it quickly lost its strength.
The collision with the tree had probably done more damage than Jonah dared hope.
However, even while losing its strength like a bottomless bucket loses water, the hound still made its way toward Jonah. The hound’s eyes were dimming rapidly, but they never moved away from Jonah for even a second.
When it was close enough, the hound opened its maw and revealed a broad jaw brimming with white teeth glistening with saliva. The hound’s head tilted forward toward Jonah’s head, and Jonah was no longer in a position to launch triangles into the hound’s neck. Not that he had enough mana to do so.
Jonah let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion as the hound’s gaping mouth closed in and planted itself around his head.