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When the sunlight hit the tops of the vine-covered forest, the lush green leaves gleamed brilliantly. The mana beasts seemed to greet the sunrise.
However, a strange green mist appearing on the horizon began to disturb the peace. At first, it looked like an ordinary fog carried by the wind. But as it spread through the forest, it didn't take long for them to notice the leaves wilting and the vines twisting and drying out.
The chimpanzees roared nervously, warning each other. But before they could escape, yellowish-green threads, like poisonous touches, brushed against their skin from within the mist. Their fur fell out, their eyes watered. Breathing became difficult, and their lungs burned. Panicking, they leaped from the branches, only to find that the ground had cracked and dried as well. The mighty trees, vines, and flowers had all become nothing but ash-colored, decaying trunks.
Amidst their cries, they pushed and carried the weakened, trying to flee from the depths of the forest. The green mist crept silently behind them, and those who dared to look back saw their birthplace destroyed. Once lively branches had become silent, leafless skeletons. By the time the last chimpanzee crossed the tree line, the forest behind it had already turned into a dead swamp.
"Ah, so you're the first one here."
A young figure with short black hair smiled with joy. Standing before him was one of the monsters that had once given him trouble.
Before the chimpanzee could even react, the child leapt at it.
He held his mana in the "Enn" form. A solid punch crushed the chimpanzee's face. The fallen mana beast disintegrated, turning into blue mana particles.
At that moment, a message appeared in Kaelen's mind:
[You killed the mana beast "False Monkey." Corrupted Rank 1]
Curiosity flickered across Kaelen's face.
He had thought from the beginning that these mana beasts were created with Pheniyet's mana—but that wasn't entirely true. These were low-tier monsters. In other words, they were essentially artificial magic seeds. Corrupted beasts.
Kaelen was genuinely curious how Pheniyet had accomplished this.
"That damn witch still surprises me with her abilities."
The magical message in his mind was real. This was a trait that could only exist in the magic world.
Kaelen had two thoughts in his current situation.
The first: Pheniyet's mana field existed somewhere between the real world and the magic world.
The second: Pheniyet was powerful enough to create an artificial model of the magic world.
The second possibility seemed impossible, even for Kaelen. So he focused on the first.
In other words, the chimpanzees had been brought here like them. They later established their own ecosystem, fought each other, and claimed territory. That's why killing any monster rewarded you, just like in the magic world, and whispered magic to your ears.
"This is really interesting," Kaelen said with a smile.
The forest was dying at the start of the second day.
The green mist spread within the forest, killing every living being indiscriminately—human or mana beast.
Of course, some would survive. They were coming from deeper inside, moving toward where Kaelen currently stood.
Another mana beast emerged from the forest, injured by the mist. Its fur was burned, and one eye was blinded.
Then another appeared.
Then another.
Kaelen smiled. Today was going to be quite fun.
As the mist settled in the forest and a gentle breeze shook the branches, Kaelen tried to steady his breathing. He clenched his fists tightly, and the mana core in his body vibrated faintly. He looked at the mana-corrupted monsters before him.
One was a wolf—or something that had once been a wolf. Its fur was patchy, black veins visible beneath its skin. Its eyes were completely white, seemingly blind in the dense fog, yet Kaelen sensed it wasn't truly blind. The mist only covered its eyes; its perception worked in a different way. Perhaps through sound or vibration… but one thing was certain: the creature could sense its prey perfectly. It growled at Kaelen.
Another was a massive wild boar. Its black hide was covered in bristle-like stiff hairs. Its muscles were hardened like armor, its tusks unnaturally large and twisted, lined with venomous spikes.
The Mist-Eyed wolf prowled around impatiently, while the boar stood directly before Kaelen, exhaling hot steam and clawing at the ground. Kaelen had to predict where the attack would come from.
A vibration… then, the Mist-Eyed wolf moved like a ghost. Pushing off with its hind legs, it lunged forward. Its body almost invisible in the fog, Kaelen barely dodged to the side. But at that exact moment, the boar lunged forward!
Kaelen struck the ground and jumped into the air. The wind from the ground helped him maintain his balance for a moment. The wolf's attack missed, but the boar's strike smashed a tree in place. The crashing tree gave Kaelen an idea.
He spun around and landed, immediately channeling his mana. He sensed the flow of the air, tensed his muscles, and waited for a moment. When the Mist-Eyed wolf approached like a shadow again, Kaelen stepped back just in time. The wolf swiped its claws, but Kaelen slid aside using the wind's push and struck the wolf's exposed neck!
The hit, empowered by his mana, had to be effective.
The wolf staggered back but regained its footing.
Kaelen muttered a curse under his breath.
At that moment, the boar attacked for the second time. Kaelen sidestepped to use the momentum of the massive creature's charge. Just as he expected, the Mist-Eyed wolf reflexively leapt to the side. But Kaelen concentrated his mana precisely there and struck.
This mana technique was the "Mef" form. The fifth method of mana usage, "Mef," involved compressing the user's mana into a specific body part.
Compressed into the eyes, the user could see incredible distances. Compressed into the limbs, the user could perform powerful attacks and move faster.
Kaelen used it to amplify his movements. He compressed and exploded his mana for more momentum.
The Mist-Eyed wolf screamed. One of its previously white eyes shattered. It was now blind.
Seizing the opportunity, Kaelen crouched low, concentrated his mana in his feet, and launched into the air. Iron Post struck the foggy wolf for the third time, but Kaelen, aided by the wind, made a move just before landing.
He swung his arms in a circular motion, and the concentrated mana cut through the boar's thick hide like a blade. The hide initially resisted, but eventually, a red streak appeared. The boar roared in rage, but its movements had slowed.
Kaelen quickly turned back to the Mist-Eyed wolf. The creature now relied solely on its senses, but the blood loss had weakened it. Kaelen hesitated for a moment. These creatures had once been ordinary animals… but now, they were monsters twisted by mana.
With a moment of respect, he delivered the final blow.
When the silence fell, the fog began to dissipate. Kaelen exhaled slowly. This was only the beginning.
He waited for the magical whisper in his mind.
[You killed the mana beast "Mist-Eyed." Corrupted Monster Level 1]
[You killed the mana beast "Iron Post." Corrupted Monster Level 1]
[You received a reward.]
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