Crouching behind a massive rock, Karion spread out the parchment scroll in his hands.
The scroll was a dull yellow, inscribed with a circular magic circle.
As a theory-crafting nerd, Karion recognized it immediately. It was a fusion of Fire, Wind, Lightning, and Darkness elements—the [Howling Flame Blast].
A Tier-4 spell. Mid-to-close range AoE (Area of Effect).
Karion had noticed Horus clutching this scroll earlier, like he was holding onto his ult. But he never used it.
He was probably waiting to bait the enemy into melee range.
But the short guy in black robes didn't take the bait. He just spammed [Element Explosion] from a distance.
If Karion hadn't accidentally spawned in and tanked the hit, Horus would have been gg ez.
After double-checking the scroll, Karion decided not to mess with it yet. He stashed it away.
Better to read the manual (wiki) when I get back safely.
Speaking of getting back...
Wait, how DO I get back?!
Karion frantically patted himself down.
Where's the bead?!
Oh god, oh no.
Panic Level: Critical.
He sprinted back to his spawn point and crawled on the ground, searching like he'd dropped his contact lens in a mosh pit.
Thankfully, he found it.
The glass bead was lying in the grass. But something was weird.
Mist was swirling around it, being sucked in like a vacuum.
Is this bead... farming mana?
Karion remembered the first teleport. It happened right after the bead absorbed Elder Allison's magic crystal.
So, every teleport costs a ton of mana. Pay-to-win mechanics, huh?
He picked it up. The core of the bead was changing color.
When he first transmigrated, it was mostly transparent with a tiny sliver of silver.
After eating the crystal, the silver part filled up most of the bead.
Now, it was empty again, but the silver core was slowly growing.
It's charging!
Once the mana bar is full, he can fast-travel again!
Karion was hyped. As long as it charges, he can get back to Palos Magic School.
But why was it auto-charging here?
Does this place have insane mana density or something?
Then he remembered what the skinny youth, Horus, said.
The Demon Mist Forest.
Wait.
THE Demon Mist Forest?!
One of the three "No-Go Zones" of the Durant Kingdom.
Forget normies like him—even high-level mages enter this place and get deleted.
Even the Magisters at his school only dare to farm in the beginner zones (the outskirts).
Judging by the mana density here... he was in the deep end.
Hell no.
Karion's fear spiked. He was terrified a monster would jump out and turn him into a snack.
He stared at the bead, whispering aggressively:
"Faster! Come on, load faster!"
But no matter how dense the ambient mana was, it couldn't beat a concentrated magic crystal.
At this rate... it would take at least 30 minutes.
30 minutes?!
I can't survive 30 minutes in this server!
He scurried back behind the big rock like a frightened rat and pulled out Horus's scroll again.
Before, he was too lazy to figure it out.
Now? Survival Mode activated.
He had zero mana talent, sure. But his theory knowledge was S-tier, and his meditation practice gave him decent Spirit stats.
He focused his mind, scanning the magic circle on the scroll.
Aha.
It was just like a standard recording scroll. Special materials, condensed mana.
There was a "trigger rune."
All he needed to do was inject some Spirit energy to flip the switch.
Thank god.
This was his lifeline.
These scrolls were expensive AF, requiring master crafters and rare mats.
Thanks for the loot, Horus.
Knowing how to use it, Karion relaxed a bit.
He checked the bead. 20 minutes left.
Fine. I'll just camp here.
A few minutes passed. Karion got bored and started looking around.
The plants nearby looked... familiar.
He squinted.
"Holy sh*t. Is that White Leaf Orchid?!"
For mages, this was top-tier loot. Essential for many potions.
And yeah, it only grows in the Demon Mist Forest.
Adventurers risk their lives every year to farm this stuff.
And right now?
It was everywhere.
Karion stood there for a second, then jumped up.
"STONKS!"
He started gathering herbs like a madman.
In ten minutes, he had over a hundred stalks.
No inventory bag? No problem. He took off his shirt and bundled them up.
He was about to grab more when he heard a rustle.
shhh...
He looked up.
Through the tall grass, a pair of giant eyes were staring right at him.
Karion froze for a second, then immediately whipped out the scroll and aimed it.
ROAR!
A massive beast lunged from the hillside.
It looked like a lizard, over four meters long, covered in purple veins and oozing dark mana.
Terrified but reacting on instinct, Karion focused his mind and triggered the rune.
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
The scroll erupted like a cannon. A torrent of violent flames blasted out, covering everything in front of him for a dozen meters. Trees were instantly turned to charcoal.
The lizard monster was engulfed in the inferno.
But when the fire cleared... Karion's jaw dropped.
The lizard was basically unharmed.
It opened its mouth and roared again.
Karion tried to run, but his body locked up.
Crowd Control (CC)!
It's a mental attack!
Paralyzed, he watched the lizard slowly crawl toward him, mouth opening wider and wider, savoring the kill.
Game Over.
Just as despair set in, that cold, robotic voice rang in his head:
[Please set coordinates.]
The clutch save!
Karion gasped, struggling to force two numbers out of his paralyzed throat:
"(0, 0)!"
He didn't know his home coordinates. He just gambled that (0, 0) was the default spawn point where he first arrived in this world.
Better to teleport into a wall than die here!
[Coordinates input: 0, 0]
[Initiating Teleport.]
Just as the lizard monster opened its abyss-like maw to chomp down...
Bloop.
The human vanished.
SNAP!
The lizard bit down on empty air.
Bamboozled.