Kael couldn't suppress a grin as the fruits of his newfound gravity magic expertise materialized before him. "Ah hah! I can manipulate gravity to reduce the weight of these marbles, making the task significantly more manageable!"

Seated on a bench beneath the warm, late morning sun, he immersed himself in Beth's latest assignment: making the marbles spin while maintaining an equal distance between them. As he labored away, he felt a sense of gratitude for the progress he was making with his magical abilities. However, his magical reverie was abruptly interrupted when he sensed a man being hastily carried by two others, rapidly approaching the clinic.

Kael swiftly rose from the bench and headed into the waiting room, with Beth arriving just before him. Once inside, he hurriedly opened the front door to allow the men to enter. Beth did the same for the exam room, clearly accustomed to such emergencies. As the men walked past Kael, he could see the man being carried was bleeding profusely from his midsection. He appeared unconscious, and his pallor was ghostly white.

Beth immediately took charge of the situation. "Alright, place him on this table here. You, stay. You, head to the waiting room." She gave them instructions before they even had a chance to ask any questions. Once the one directed to leave reentered the waiting room, Kael grabbed the log book and began questioning the man about the incident.

"How did he get injured?" Kael started simply.

When he didn't receive a response, Kael looked up at the man. The man stared down at his trembling hands, and finally spoke up, his voice quivering with fear. "I-it was a monster! I've never seen anything like it... so massive... so vicious... we barely escaped with our lives."

Kael retrieved a chair from against the wall, placed it behind the man, and instructed him to sit before continuing his questions. "What did it look like? And how did it injure the man?"

"It was like a boar, but it was larger than me! And its eyes... its eyes burned with an evil red glow. It gored Jamie with its tusk, right in his guts! The poor guy was injured pushing me out of the way... he didn't deserve that... We only managed to get him out of there because the monster got its tusk stuck in a tree."

Kael jotted down the relevant details in the logbook. He fetched the man a cup of water from the kitchen and mulled over the situation. The only creature that could possibly match the man's description would be a mana beast. Mana beasts are creatures that have absorbed enough mana to evolve. Since the world is filled with mana, living organisms have evolved to harness it. For most plants and animals, this simply means using it as an additional source to sustain themselves. However, sometimes a creature can take in enough mana to form a mana core.

Once a mana core is formed, the monster evolves. Mana beasts are far more powerful than their non-evolved counterparts, and their abilities depend on their species. Since this mana beast was originally a boar, it likely just grew stronger and more resilient. However, mana-enhanced offense and defense are no laughing matter, even for a wild animal. Kael couldn't help but sigh at the situation. The mana in this area wasn't very dense, so the few mana beasts that evolved here typically stayed deeper in the forest, enjoying their dominance over their territory.

Boars weren't very intelligent, however, and they were notoriously aggressive creatures. The village could request help from the nearby city, and they would dispatch soldiers to subjugate the beast, but that would take at least a week to arrange.

Well, there's no use fretting over it, Kael mused. I should focus on my training; I trust that Beth will devise an effective solution.

With that in mind, he picked up his current book, informed the man to alert him if he needed anything, and immersed himself in studying within the waiting room. After half an hour elapsed, the door to the examination room creaked open. Beth emerged, limping slightly, followed by the man who had accompanied her. Holding the door ajar, the man allowed the unconscious patient to float out, evidently moved by Beth's magical prowess. Kael surmised that using magic was a safer option than having someone physically carry the injured man.

Beth instructed the two conscious men to trail her as she led all three out of the building. Kael sensed their movements towards the patient building before Beth returned alone and began her interrogation.

"What did you glean from him?" she asked.

Kael heaved a sigh before answering, "Apparently, there's a mana beast lurking in the forest near the edge—a boar variety, it seems."

Beth clicked her tongue disapprovingly and shook her head. After a moment's pause, she regarded Kael with a slow-spreading grin that sent an icy shiver down his spine and beads of cold sweat forming on his brow. He couldn't discern why, but he felt a sense of imminent danger. However, Beth merely chuckled to herself before disappearing into her room, soon reemerging with a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Kael as she spoke, "Give this to the blacksmith."

Kael anticipated a more detailed explanation, but none came. Raising an eyebrow in bewilderment, he sought clarification, "Is this related to the mana beast issue?" he inquired.

Beth flashed that same unsettling smile as she replied, "Yes, yes it is. Now, hurry along. The more you dawdle, the greater the risk of someone getting hurt." She playfully swatted him with her walking stick until he took his leave from the clinic.

By now, Kael had memorized the village's layout, and he navigated to the blacksmith's shop without difficulty. Relief washed over him, grateful that Beth had a solution to the predicament. She was right; it was refreshing to rely on someone else for a change. However, his relief was short-lived as he suddenly sensed a rock hurtling towards him from the other side of the path. He deftly caught the projectile before it struck him and turned to identify the source—a small group of children, presumably aged between seven and ten, who gawked at him while murmuring amongst themselves.

Kael managed to catch snippets of their conversation.

"See! I told you he was a freak."

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"Yeah, why else would he be with that witch?"

"What do we do about him?"

"Here, watch me."

The last speaker, a larger kid sporting short black hair and green eyes—apparently the leader of the gang—stepped forward and addressed Kael, "Hey, freak! Why are you showing your ugly face in the town? You should stay in your witch house where you belong!"

Kael couldn't help but chuckle at the spectacle. A group of children attempting to bully him seemed nothing short of comical. Yet, he also felt a pang of sadness for their inability to accept those different from themselves. After all, these youngsters were part of the future he sought to protect. Kael merely shook his head and proceeded on his way. As he walked, he sensed another rock flying towards him from behind. Effortlessly dodging it, he continued towards the blacksmith's shop, faintly overhearing the leader saying, "Let's deal with him later.”

Upon his arrival, Kael noticed the blacksmith attentively supervising his apprentice as they crafted what appeared to be horseshoes. Catching sight of Kael, the blacksmith instructed his apprentice to carry on and approached him with a warm greeting.

"Hey there, Kael. How's the old healer treating you?"

"Just about as well as she treats anyone. How have things been?" Kael responded.

"Oh, you know. Business has been consistent, which is good. Thankfully, no accidents at the forge. But I must admit, I'm somewhat uneasy about this monster situation."

Kael's eyebrow lifted at that last comment. "You've already heard?" he inquired.

The blacksmith chuckled. "It's a small village, lad. Word travels fast. Incredibly fast. Don't expect to keep any secrets here in Riverbend." He laughed a bit more before addressing the matter at hand. "So, what brings you here? In need of more acupuncture needles?"

Kael handed him the note. "Beth told me to give this to you."

Taking the note, the blacksmith read it, his face a mixture of confusion. "Uh, alright. I can have this ready for you shortly. Not quite sure what you need it for... but asking questions isn't part of my job." Having said that, he placed the note down and headed towards the forge to commence his work. Kael found the sweltering heat of the forge overwhelming, so he opted to step outside for some fresh air.

Spying a few pebbles nearby, Kael decided to practice some shaping exercises with them. An hour later, the blacksmith reemerged, a short spear in his hand. Handing it over to Kael, he remarked, "I'm not sure what an old healer needs with a spear, but here you go. It's of pretty good quality, if I do say so myself."

Kael didn't respond. His jaw hung open in shock. The moment he laid eyes on the spear, his heart and mind began racing. A beat after the blacksmith had finished speaking, Kael stared down at the spear in his hands and blurted out, "That damned old woman!" The blacksmith appeared taken aback, glancing around uncertainly as he searched for an appropriate response. Eventually, he found his words. "Uh, well... if that's all, I'll be returning to work now..." Casting one last wary look at Kael, he retreated to his forge.

With a sense of determination, Kael trudged back to the clinic to confront the old woman. He discovered her in the library, nonchalantly perusing a book. Upon his entrance, she glanced up at him with a smile, saying, "Ah, I see he finished your new toy rather swiftly."

Kael immediately reproached her, "This was your plan? To arm a child and throw them at the mana beast?" His voice dripped with incredulity.

"Why do you keep referring to yourself as a child? You know you aren't fooling anyone. And I have my reasons. Firstly, you've been itching to stretch your legs anyway, haven't you? Plus, this is the perfect opportunity for you to test some magic in combat. And what's your alternative? Wait for relief from the soldiers while the beast ravages our poor little village?" She finished with a harrumph and returned to her book.

Kael gazed at her in disbelief. "Aren't you supposed to be some all-powerful mage? Can't you handle it with your magic?"

Beth's head snapped back towards Kael, feigning horror on her face. "You would send a frail old lady to confront a colossal monster? Oh, the youth these days, lacking in morals and responsibility. Wanting to send an elderly woman to her demise." She emphasized her act with a rueful shake of her head.

Kael opted to relent and find out precisely what she had in mind. "So much for being able to rely on others. So, what's your plan? I just sprint into the forest, locate the behemoth, and slay it? I don't really know any magic suited for combat. I can conjure some fire, but I'm not certain I want to do that in a forest. I can manipulate gravity slightly, but there's no way I'm adept enough to levitate that creature; I couldn't even lift myself if I wanted."

Beth pursed her lips, pondering for a moment. "You know, employing gravity magic on yourself isn't a bad idea for a warrior. Since you can adjust the output, you'd be able to set yourself at the ideal weight to enhance your speed. You'd have to time it so that you regained your weight just before striking, though. That's something you should practice later. Using magic during a battle is challenging, so begin simply. As rudimentary as you can. Reflect on when you first started learning magic. Apart from that, you're essentially correct. Go find it and kill it. Oh, and try to retrieve the mana core; I'm running low."

When he first started learning magic? That was before he met her. It was a catastrophe; he caused a massive explosion—oh… That actually made a lot of sense. Using magic during combat was likely much, much more difficult than employing it in a tranquil environment. He should focus on successfully utilizing one thing to adapt to it. She was right; he could work on integrating other elements later. However, he was curious about one thing.

"What do you want the mana core for? I know they're valuable, but I don't know much about them other than mages use them."

Beth turned from her book again. "Huh? You're still here? Well, at least you're finally asking a proper question for once. Mana cores are a concentrated source of mana that replenish themselves naturally over time. I'm sure you can understand why that would be useful on its own. Mages can use them to add a little extra power to their spells. In addition to this, however, you can utilize them as an energy source for magical artifacts." She returned her attention to her book, dismissing Kael with a casual wave of her hand.

Kael found her answer satisfying. Although it did provoke another question. "Is that what the lump of mana I sense from the freezer is? A mana core? I assumed the freezer was an artifact, considering there wasn't that much ice in there."

Beth nodded her head, not diverting her gaze from her book.

Now that Kael understood the uses of mana cores, he held a newfound appreciation for them. Although he doubted he'd have time to learn how to craft magical artifacts, he certainly wanted to obtain the mana core from the beast for experimentation.

This boar would be the first adversary he faced since his return, other than the bandits who intended to attack the farm. He couldn't help but frown as he recalled that night. He was still disheartened by the outcome of that skirmish. He was weak and needed to improve. He required experience with his new weapon—magic.

Despite his earlier protests against having to hunt the mana beast, he was starting to get excited. This was going to be a new kind of fight for him. The start of a new road. A magic warrior. His heart was already pumping in anticipation. And he set off to find the first victim of his magic.