Chapter 9 - Journey

The Journey to the Magical Beast Mountain RangeThe next morning, after entrusting his Magic Rabbit "Xiaobai" to Lilia's care, Baruch slung a sturdy leather pack over his shoulders and set off on the journey to the Magical Beast Mountain Range."Magical Beast Mountain Range—the largest mountain range on the Yulan Continent, and one of its three most perilous regions!" A thrill he could barely contain sparkled in Baruch's eyes. "Thirteen years since I came to this world, and this is my first time heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range! Here I come, Magical Beast Mountain Range!""Still, I must tread carefully. Traveling alone, I might run into bandits lying in wait," Baruch reminded himself.He was already a peak Seventh-Rank Warrior—after Dragon Transformation, he would even reach the peak of Eighth-Rank. But he had no desire to meet an ignominious end, taken down by some underhanded trick.He had read countless tales in books of powerful warriors and mages who perished at the hands of nameless nobodies.Baruch was dressed in tough linen trousers and a sleeveless vest. His bulging muscles made him look every inch the warrior from the outside.Why the warrior's disguise? First, it was a classic case of hiding one's strength to catch the enemy off guard. Second, a mage's robe would be nothing but a hindrance in the rugged terrain of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, restricting his movements.Baruch moved at a brisk pace. Even though the path from Ernst College to the mountain range was rough and uneven, his peak Seventh-Rank Warrior physique allowed him to cover fifty li with ease every hour. Just then, he spotted three figures ahead."Hmm?" Baruch's gaze suddenly fixed on one of them.That man was wearing the standard-issue robe of Ernst College. Of the other two, one was burly and shouldered a massive battle saber; the other was lean and wiry, with a short blade sheathed at his waist. The lean young man sensed him and turned to look at Baruch sharply.Baruch had no intention of engaging with them. He quickened his pace, planning to overtake them on the side."Baruch? Is that you?" A voice suddenly rang out. It was the youth in the Ernst robe, who called out with a smile. "I never thought you'd be heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training too!""Rand," Baruch halted his steps.Nearly everyone in the fifth and sixth years of Ernst College knew each other—their combined numbers were small, after all.Even though Baruch kept a low profile, it did not stop others from recognizing him.Rand walked over with the two warriors in tow, grinning warmly. "Baruch! I never would have recognized you in this getup—you look like a warrior, not a mage! If it weren't for the fact that you're the most muscular student in the academy, I might have missed you entirely.""Walter, Wayne, let me introduce you. This is Baruch, a student of Ernst College. He's only thirteen years old, but he's already a Fifth-Rank Mage—quite famous in our school," Rand said enthusiastically.Walter was the burly man built like a bear; Wayne was the lean warrior.The two men nodded at Baruch in greeting, but did not say a word—they were clearly men of few words.Baruch nodded back, then turned to Rand. "You're heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range too?"Rand nodded. "We are. You know the academy's rules—us upperclassmen have to scramble for points if we don't want to fall behind. Walter and Wayne came with me on a training trip last year; we work well together. We're planning to stick to the outskirts of the mountain range this time. Why don't you join us, Baruch? Safety in numbers."Mages were never meant to venture into the Magical Beast Mountain Range alone. Their bodies were too frail; one wrong step, and they could fall prey to a Magical Beast's ambush. That was why mages almost always teamed up with warriors—so the warriors could protect them."Thanks for the offer, Rand, but I prefer to train alone," Baruch declined with a smile. "You know how strong my body is—I can lift a thousand jin boulder without breaking a sweat.""Ugh, your physique is insane. I wish I knew how you trained like that," Rand sighed, looking genuinely envious. He did not take Baruch's refusal to heart."Well, Rand, I'll be off. Catch up with you later!" Baruch said with a wave, then continued his journey alone."I heard rumors that Rand killed a Sixth-Rank Magical Beast not long ago and got its core. Looks like those rumors were true," Baruch thought, glancing back at Rand's retreating figure.Magical Beast Cores only formed in the skulls of beasts of Third-Rank and above—they were the essence of a Magical Beast's power. Cores below Sixth-Rank were not particularly valuable, but a Sixth-Rank Core could fetch around a thousand gold coins on the market.And a single Sixth-Rank Core could be exchanged for thirty thousand academy points!"Rand is twenty-two and only a Sixth-Rank Mage. His limit will probably be Archmage. Becoming a Saint Mage? That will be an uphill battle, if not impossible," Baruch mused. Rand had been one of the first students enrolled at Ernst College, joining many years before Baruch. Yet here he was, still stuck below Seventh-Rank, unable to graduate.On the Yulan Continent, First and Second-Rank Mages were called Elementary Mages; Third and Fourth-Rank, Intermediate Mages; Fifth and Sixth-Rank, Advanced Mages. Seventh-Rank Mages ascended to the rank of Archmage; Eighth-Rank, Mage Lord; Ninth-Rank, High Archmage. Those who transcended to the Saint Realm were known as Saint Mages."But for me, training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range is the real goal. Magical Beast Cores? They're just a bonus. If I really wanted them, I could collect as many Sixth and Seventh-Rank Cores as I pleased," Baruch thought to himself.With his strength as a peak Seventh-Rank Warrior and his formidable physique, slaying Sixth or even Seventh-Rank Magical Beasts would be child's play.From start to finish, Baruch's only objective was to temper himself in battle!He still felt too weak.He had immense power at his disposal, yet he could not fully unleash it—it was a waste!After walking for about an hour, Baruch suddenly stopped, frowning as he glanced to his left. Emerging from the forest was a man clad head to toe in green, his face painted with green sap. He held a powerful compound bow, his cold gaze fixed on Baruch. His lips moved silently, as if chanting a spell.In the blink of an eye, he drew the bowstring back to its full extent. With a sharp twang, the arrow shot forth. The arrowhead glowed faintly with cyan light, cutting through the air at terrifying speed. It covered a hundred meters in the time it took to blink."Foolish man. Robbing the wrong person... If you're bent on suicide, I'll be happy to oblige," a cold glint flashed in Baruch's eyes. He moved with lightning speed, snatching the arrow out of the air with his bare hand. Then, with a powerful flick of his wrist, he hurled it back.The man's eyes widened in horror. He spun around and tried to flee, but the arrow was faster. He had taken only two steps when the arrow pierced his back, pinning him to a tree with the force of the impact."A measly Fourth-Rank Mage, and he dares to waylay me? What a death wish," Baruch scoffed, noticing the Fourth-Rank Mage insignia pinned to the man's chest. He searched the man's body thoroughly.Unfortunately, the bandit was a pauper. All Baruch found on him were ten gold coins, a shoddy low-grade magic wand, and a short dagger.Baruch pocketed his meager loot and continued on his way.Half an hour later, the sky suddenly darkened. A deafening crack of thunder echoed overhead. Baruch looked up—lightning snakes coiled across the clouds, and the rumble of thunder rolled endlessly in the distance."Looks like a heavy downpour is coming," Baruch frowned.He immediately picked up his pace, speeding toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range. When he was still about ten li away, the first raindrops began to fall. Moments later, a torrential downpour erupted, drenching the entire world.BOOM! CRASH!Thunder roared continuously, and the rain fell in sheets, blurring the landscape into a misty haze.Yet Baruch, racing forward at full tilt, remained almost completely dry. Suspended ten centimeters above his head was a water shield several meters wide—a simple Second-Rank Water Spell Baruch was using to keep the rain off.About twenty minutes later, Baruch finally laid eyes on his destination: an endless mountain range stretching endlessly north and south, splitting the Yulan Continent almost in two. This was the Magical Beast Mountain Range—the greatest mountain range on the entire continent.Gazing at the vast, unbroken expanse of peaks before him, Baruch's breath caught in his throat."It's... colossal."The range was so long that as far as the eye could see to the east, there was nothing but rolling mountains. To the north and south, the mountains stretched on into infinity. Looking at the endless Magical Beast Mountain Range was like staring out at an ocean without shores.Boundless!"This is it—the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The continent's greatest mountain range, home to countless Magical Beasts... and even numerous Saint-Rank Beasts," Baruch thought, awestruck. The Yulan Continent was only three or four times larger than Earth, but its majesty and depth were far beyond anything his previous world could compare to.At that moment, a blazing fire of excitement ignited in Baruch's eyes. This place would be his proving ground—his paradise for growing stronger!It was true that his father Horry had ventured into these mountains and never returned. It was true that he knew full well the dangers that lurked within. But none of that could dampen his resolve to conquer the Magical Beast Mountain Range."Magical Beast Mountain Range—I, Baruch, am here!"Filled with boundless ambition, Baruch charged forward through the overwhelming downpour. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished into the endless curtain of rain, merging with the vast, imposing Magical Beast Mountain Range beyond.