James had made it to the last chapter of Lone Wolf: How to Survive in the Wild, titled Creatures to Look Out For. The first page of the chapter was dedicated to a zeroth circle spell called mana sense used to detect movement around the user using mana. “Mana Sense is one of the most essential basic spells, used by nearly every mage until they reach the rank of a third-circle mage. When cast, it creates a field of the caster's mana that extends outward, with its size determined by the amount of mana the caster possesses. Any movement within the field is detected through the interaction between the moving entities and the caster's mana, which permeates the entire area of the field. This makes Mana Sense an invaluable tool for detecting nearby creatures or objects, providing enhanced awareness of the surroundings and ensuring the safety of novice and seasoned mages alike.”
"ihsv mhtdfg, ysxhsz hsz chjzy,
ugtejkme qyvtam, mvh hsz dfgjzy.
mrth jkty wejmjk, jkty ugyxw, jkty vjh—
teterevh vgf ittereixnbjk, ykqwvdfgeqwy!"
(ADD MANA SENSE PIC)
After the spell’s description and incantation, the rest of the chapter was dedicated to races that are dangerous and ones that are helpful. In big, bright red letters, it said
DANGEROUS: DON’T APPROACH ANY RACES ON THIS LIST
1. Demons: Demons are creatures from the hell plains who love pain and fear. They use souls as a money system, so they are always looking to trick others out of their souls. Most demons are unable to cross planes, but the few who can lose their power once they cross for an unspecified amount of time but are sped up by consuming souls. Whatever you do, avoid any demon you see. A few of these demons include vampires, werewolves, undead, and void stalkers. Each demon sub-race has a unique specialty, like werewolves are good at being physical, including fighting and labor. image [https://i.imgur.com/30VpV8R.jpeg]
2. Fey: Fey are mischievous creatures invisible to the naked eye. They delight in causing pain, with their favorite act being the death of their target. Fey are exceptionally skilled in magic and share a deep connection to nature. This connection is more akin to that of dryads, as both draw from the same magical energy—wood energy. However, dryads, being superior at controlling nature, are exceptionally effective at countering fey. The fey are ruled by a queen who resides in the Spirit Plane, governing their chaotic yet intricate society. They possess a pair of otherworldly wings that shimmer with an ethereal glow. image [https://i.imgur.com/TMGDxee.jpeg]
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
These two were the most interesting of the list James had read. James kept reading and found himself in the helpful races section with the title in bright green letters.
HELPFUL WON’T ATTACK UNLESS PROVOKED
1. Angels: Angels are one of the most benevolent creatures that exist in the planes. Angels can’t stand injustices, so if they see one, they will rush headfirst in to help without thinking, even if the opponent is stronger than them. Angels excel at holy magic due to their connection to the holy sea, their birthplace. The holy sea is where most of the plane's holy energy comes from. The Holy Sea gives birth to one hundred angels every year. Angels are ranked based on their wings, with the highest ranking being an archangel, followed by seraphim, then principalities, and finally ending with the lowest rank of angel. A type of angel that other angels hate are fallen angels, who are more akin to demons. Archangels have sixteen pairs of wings, with seraphim having eight pairs, followed by principalities having four pairs of wings, with the lowest-ranked angels only having two pairs. image [https://i.imgur.com/1K9iol6.jpeg]
2. Dryads: Dryads are the protectors of the forest their tree is in. They also are in charge of maintaining balance in the forest in case any invasive species find their way into the forest. Dryads are willing to help fight against the forces of evil like ghosts, demons, etc., and their number one enemy, the fey. If you harm one of the plants or creatures in the forest unprovoked, the dryads will do their best to wipe you out and use your body as fertilizer for the plants. image [https://i.imgur.com/UHcGTee.jpeg]
James had found the natural enemy to the two of the races he thought were most dangerous. Keeping in mind all the different helpful races he could encounter when going on missions. After finishing this last chapter of his book, James got up, putting both his books back where he got them. Checking the time, James noticed that it was getting late and he was starting to feel hungry, so he started to make his way towards the cafeteria. James had reached the cafeteria and walked in. Once he stepped into the cafeteria, James found himself in a whole different dimension. The dimension was full of other members eating their food. James walked towards the food and noticed that the workers in the cafeteria and kitchen were puppets with soulless eyes. James was surprised again. How many different applications are there for magic, and how has something this powerful stayed hidden from the public? James was curious about how magic had stayed hidden for so long, so he decided to ask his teacher during his next lesson. With that out of the way, James put his focus back onto the matter at hand, eating his food. Once it reached James's turn to get food, the puppet said in an emotionless manner, “Will you be eating the free food, or do you want to choose one of the paid options?” James just realized he had no form of money to use here, so he just told the puppet, “I’ll take the free meal.” After which he found a table to sit down at. The free food wasn't anything to write home about. All the food given to James was a few pieces of bread and a glass of water, which for the time being James wasn’t going to complain about after having eaten that mush for three months. James was tired from all the learning he did today, and after he stuffed his stomach full of bread. So James went back to his own room, using his watch to find which room was his in the dormitory. Once back in his room, James passed out on top of his bed.