Lian walked beside his father Torren, the iron sword that had weighed heavily on his hip the previous day now feeling light.
Even his leather armor no longer felt cumbersome.
He had changed.
Lian and Torren were silent as they headed toward the same area as the day before.
Lian was thinking about how to use his magic without arousing suspicion. He had no idea what magic looked like—there were no mages in Dustwall.
"Still brooding?" Torren asked, breaking the silence. He had been observing Lian the whole time. Despite now having access to mana, making him a mage in every sense, his expression was odd, as if he were pondering something deeply important.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about magic? Boy, that's serious stuff, studied in academies," Torren added, locking eyes with Lian.
"You've just gained access to mana; you need to get used to your new body before anything else," he continued.
Dustwall was too small a city to handle a mage. There weren't even academies where one could study magic.
The nearest city to Dustwall with a magic academy was Grimreach. Mages were rare even there, but they existed.
The academy was where mages studied magic under powerful experts of higher levels.
Mages were divided into different ranks compared to Knights.
However, Torren only knew about Bronze and Silver mages. He had no idea what lay beyond.
"From what I know about mages, their power depends heavily on the type of affinity they possess and the variety of spells they use. But—"
Torren's gaze grew serious as he stared at the boy. "Don't think you're strong just because you're a mage. Remember, arrogance is your first enemy."
Lian nodded at his father's words. "Yes, Father! Arrogance only leads to death. And I'm not old like you; I can't die so young."
"Exactly!" the man laughed. Despite Lian's constant teasing about his age, Torren had turned 36 this year. He was still in his prime. "Besides, don't think you're stronger than me just because mana surrounds you. Remember, I have plenty of experience."
The two continued chatting as they returned to the clearing from the previous day.
"Here, there are more Stone Bulls, as I expected…" Torren muttered under his breath. The energy emanating from the Gate and the monsters emerging from it had scared off the local wildlife, driving creatures away from the surrounding areas.
"Alright, Lian. Today, it's your turn. Good luck with that group. I'll watch from here!" Torren said suddenly, pushing the boy toward the group of Stone Bulls.
"Not again, old man!" Lian shouted as he was thrust into the fray once more, drawing the monsters' attention.
There were four of them, the same formation as the day before: one Iron 2 and three Iron 1s.
"Damn it!" he cursed, unsheathing his sword. The look in Lian's eyes burned with resolve. This time, he wouldn't run. Maybe…
"Come on, monsters!"
Then, he roared and charged toward them.
He felt much stronger than the previous day. The sensation was so different that Lian thought he could slice an Iron 1 Stone Bull in half with a single strike.
His plan was simple: take out the weaker ones first, then the pack leader.
And, fortunately, the pack leader seemed to hesitate. It didn't charge at the boy first but sent its underlings forward.
Lian moved with a speed that surprised even himself, his sword slicing through the air with a lethal whistle. The three Stone Bulls charged at him with guttural roars.
But Lian was ready. With a lateral leap, he dodged the sharp horns of the monster on the right while striking with a precise slash, aiming for the creature's exposed flank.
Unlike the previous day, the blade sank deep, and the monster roared in pain, blood soaking the dusty ground.
The wound was deep enough to disable the monster, which tried to retaliate by lunging its neck toward the boy.
At the same moment, the second and third Stone Bulls charged at both of Lian's exposed flanks, left vulnerable from his previous attack.
But with precision, Lian stepped back, dodging the fangs of the wounded monster, then raised his sword to redirect the close-range charge of the monster on the right toward its companion.
A dull thud echoed through the clearing. Due to Lian's deflection, the two monsters had collided with each other.
Without pausing, Lian decided to finish off the wounded monster, then drove his sword into the heads of the two remaining Iron Bulls.
"That was easier than I expected!" Lian muttered, observing the carnage on the ground. "To think that just yesterday, I was scared to fight…"
"Well done, Lian. Only one left," Torren said, watching his son with joy in his eyes. His teachings were bearing fruit; Lian was moving well on the battlefield.
With a fluid motion, Lian flicked his sword in front of him, shaking off the blood clinging to it.
The Iron 2 Stone Bull, the pack leader, stared at him with glowing eyes, its nostrils steaming with rage. It was larger and sturdier.
A deep roar shook the ground, and the monster charged, making the earth tremble with each step.
But Lian was ready. If he could use the terrain to his advantage, why not? His father's teachings kept resurfacing in his mind as he positioned himself in front of a tree large enough to block the monster's charge.
The beast lowered its head, aiming its horns directly at him as it charged.
Lian waited until the last moment, then dove to the side, rolling on the ground to avoid the devastating charge. The beast struck the tree, snapping it like a twig, and turned with surprising speed for its size. But Lian was already on his feet, exploiting the opening.
With a shout, he leaped onto the monster's back, grabbing its horns to avoid being thrown off.
The beast thrashed furiously, trying to shake the boy off, but Lian held firm. With a decisive strike, he drove his sword into the base of the creature's neck, where the skin was thinner.
The monster roared in pain, staggering but not yielding. Lian pulled out the blade and struck again, and again, each slash deeper than the last. Blood sprayed everywhere, hot and sticky, but Lian didn't stop.
At this point, it was clear.
Lian had truly become stronger.
And with one final strike, the Stone Bull collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Well done, boy! I think we're ready now."
Lian looked at his father as he approached, his eyes a mix of curiosity and anticipation. "For what?"
"We're going to meet the mage from Grimreach. I heard he's looking for Knights to join him for the Gate raid. And you're a mage now—who's a better candidate than you?"
"Are you serious?!" Lian's eyes sparkled with excitement. He couldn't wait to meet a real mage. He'd always heard about them from his father, but he'd never seen one in person.
"Of course, we'll need to get there in time. But first, let's continue our hunt. You need to gain experience and face monsters stronger than you if you want to grow."
Some time earlier, near the Gate.
The entire forest was devastated.
The carcasses of monsters told a gruesome story. Some were burned, others hacked to pieces.
These monsters were nothing like the Stone Bulls. They were called Shadow Wolves. Agile and strong, they hunted in large packs and were highly intelligent.
"Good. Based on the information we've gathered so far, this seems to be a low-level Steel Gate…" The mage from Grimreach observed the portal with scrutinizing eyes.
"The five of us should be enough to handle it. However, it wouldn't be fair to the people of this city to keep them in the dark. Let's head back and let them join this raid."
The three Knights behind the mage nodded in agreement as they began preparing to return to the city.
The last member, however, wore a frown.
"Mage Patrick, why don't we just take care of it ourselves? Why do we have to stay in this forgotten place for so long? Couldn't we have just entered the moment we arrived?"
A barrage of questions assailed Patrick, the mage from Grimreach.
"Sera, how many times do I have to say it? We mages can't act arrogantly. The world is vast; a single mistake can mean death. Tell me, do you want to die?"
The girl, Sera Firecloak, a Bronze 1 mage, was a new student at the academy, while Patrick Dawnstrike, a Bronze 5 mage, was one of the veterans.
Sera had always been arrogant. Her father was a powerful mage, so she had always believed herself superior to others. She had awakened mana at 16, making her neither exceptional nor mediocre.
On average, most people awakened at 17.
Seeing Patrick's eyes, sharp as two blades, Sera fell silent. However, the aura around her made it clear she had no respect for the people of this place.
She had come with Mage Patrick to gain experience as a mage and clear her first Gate.
She was excited, but now, the idea of sharing the task with common citizens of a small city like Dustwall infuriated her.
"Enough, let's head back," Patrick continued, turning and walking toward the city with Sera at his side.