Leon POV :
I woke up with a start and immediately grimaced in pain at the slightest movement of my left arm.
Bloody bandages were wrapped around my wounds, and I barely resisted from throwing up just imagining the gruesome sight they hid.
Fuck! Yesterday wasn't just a bad nightmare and it really happened.
Fuck! Fuck! I barely survived that encounter with the monster.
What was I even thinking of trying to fight the Grass Wolf on my own? With just a knife at that?
I knew why I did it.
I did it because I expected my ability to do something to the monster, but all I got in return was an injured arm and a leg.
Biting my lips, I just lay on the haystack and stared at the ceiling of my shack.
The wounds I got were bad.
Real bad.
I've seen a hunter from the village who was gouged by a rampaging boar.
It was a couple of years ago, and yet he still couldn't walk properly on his injured leg, forced to use a cane to support himself for the rest of his life.
Was that what awaited me now? I should've just turned around and found a simple animal or something.
So much for building my future… Now I wouldn't even be able to do the odd jobs around the village to earn some food.
At least… at least I was still alive.
Even if I could barely move my left arm, I was still alive.
My eyes snapped to attention as I realized that my leg felt fine. I didn't even feel a sting of pain from it.
Immediately, I pushed myself with my health arm and looked down.
My thigh was covered with bloody bandages as well, but I felt no pain from it.
Quickly, I tried moving it and hope bloomed inside me as it raised up with no issues.
With bated breath, I unwrapped the bandages, and I couldn't believe my eyes.
There was no wound.
Hell, there was even no scar! It was perfectly healthy.
How? I couldn't understand how I healed so fast. Maybe it wasn't as injured as I thought it was, or maybe it was due to my Magic?
I pursed my lips in frustration at how little I knew about my own Magic.
It showed up as some invisible text that only I could see as if it was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't read!
Only a few of the village elders knew how to read and they didn't like me much, so I couldn't even ask someone to teach me!
I was forced to rely on my instincts to figure it out.
It worked for the most part.
Grab something, push it into the invisible box and it will get stored inside if. And if I wanted to take it out, I just had to grab the picture and pull it out. Simple and easy.
The other part of my Magic was a different story.
I had a vague idea I had to use it on something, but that's as far as it went. I thought it'd be some method of attack, but it definitely didn't do that.
The only weird thing that happened was that bright flash of light that turned into a Book and Scroll after the Grass Wolf died.
I've never heard of that happening when a monster was killed, so it must've been my doing.
The worst part was that it gave me things I couldn't even use!
My entire Magic seemed to be based on text, and I couldn't even read!
With a sigh, I dropped back onto the stack of hay.
I thought I should probably take out the cloth from my invisible box to make this more comfortable, but my mind kept returning back to my Magic.
Would my arm heal just as quickly as my leg? Or was that a one time thing?
What about the Book and Scroll? What do I do with them?
I considered sleeping for a while longer, thinking and hoping that my arm would heal just as fast as my leg. But I wasn't sure if it would happen. I could've just imagined it all and that my leg wasn't as injured as I believed, despite that it was covered in bloody bandages.
Still, it didn't hurt to try. I would really like to be able to move my arm without wincing in pain. Plus, I enjoyed sleeping on my left side, and I couldn't do that with it being injured.
I took out the cloth from my invisible box, placed it on top of the hay stack and tried going to sleep. Unfortunately, I had no such luck since I kept trying to turn on my left side and the pangs of pain kept me awake.
"Ugh!" In frustration, I got up and sat on my bed. This just wasn't working.
Taking a deep breath, I tried thinking of what to do next, but my mind kept going to the items I got from killing the monster.
They must be important if my Magic felt the need to give them to me.
Summoning the invisible box, I reached in and took the two objects out, text flashing in front of my eyes the moment I touched them.
Clearly, they were important if my Magic flared up like that, yet I had no idea what I was supposed to do here.
I unfurled the Scroll first. It was filled with letters that were different from the ones my Magic showed me, and it had a few weird drawings on it with a picture of a blue wolf at the bottom of it.
It made absolutely no sense to me, and I couldn't understand what it was trying to teach me.
After closing the Scroll, I looked at the Book, hoping that it would have more pictures and give me an idea what it was about.
I had no such luck as the pages were filled with nothing but text and text and more text. I kept going from page to page until I realized that I had checked… I didn't know how many, but the Book was too thin to have so many pages!
"Is this some kind of joke? Is my Magic fucking with me?" I asked, letting my frustration get to me. Not only did the Book have no pictures, but the invisible text of my Magic kept flashing in front of my eyes.
"Yes, this…" My mouth closed shut as the Book suddenly lit up in a bright light before flying right into my head.
"Gah!" I dropped on the bed, wincing from the pain from my arm and the piercing headache I was suddenly assaulted with.
For the briefest of moments, I blacked out. There was just too much information being tunneled right into my head.
How to speak in just the right way and tone so everyone could understand me.
How to look at text at a certain angle to understand exactly what the writer was trying to convey with his words.
How to listen to the right frequency to understand anyone speaking, no matter what language they were using. That and so much more…
I gasped for breath as I suddenly knew and understood so much. After taking a few moments to calm down, I immediately looked at everything about my Magic. I checked the Status first, which was an entire page that tracked everything about me.
It was… disappointing to see how little there was, but that was fine. I was certain I would fill it all in due time. My Stats also looked low, but I wasn't sure if that was really the case.
It was also good to know that the invisible box was called Inventory and that the other ability was Boss Battle. This also confirmed that it was the reason I was given those two items and that it wasn't something that naturally happened.
After looking through everything, I finally checked the Scroll again.
[Would you like to absorb the Spell Conjure Wolf]
[]Y/N]
Ah, so it was a Spell, and I could learn it by just accepting? Was that how Magic worked? I was pretty sure that wasn't the case, but I also knew very little.
Nevertheless, I agreed to absorb the Spell without hesitation.
The same scene from earlier happened again and the Scroll turned to bright light before flying into my head.
This time, the headache that followed wasn't as bad. Or I just managed it better now that I was prepared.
Still, I barely even thought about it since I had an actual Spell now! One that could help me fight that is.
Shaking my head, I decided not to think about that and focus on my new Spell.
Checking my Status, I noted that it took exactly 100 Mana, Mana I wouldn't be getting back until it died.
So I could summon–or conjure that is–one more, but then I wouldn't be able to use my Boss Battle ability.
If I was in a pinch, I'd definitely try to bring out two of them, but I had to make use of Boss Battle.
How could I not after seeing what it gave me the first time I used it?
However, I was currently in my shack, so why not try it out? I focused and intoned again.
"Conjure Wolf."
I felt my Mana surge, but nothing happened. I felt like I could do it, but it seemed I was missing something. Perhaps I needed some training with it?
Well, let's see what I could do with it. I turned my attention back to the glowing wolf, which was motionless standing in front of me.
"Sit," I commanded, and it followed dutifully, immediately plopping its ghostly butt on the ground.
"Come here." It walked over next to me, and I reached out, my hand touching it despite it looking like a ghost. It felt weird to touch. Kind of like water, but more physical in a way.
Definitely weird.
"Hmm." Looking at the wolf up close, it didn't seem that dangerous.
It was still an extra way for me to… fight–I wasn't sure if I had the courage to go to the forest again–but perhaps I could make it stronger somehow? I could try shaping my Mana differently in an attempt to make it bigger?
That seemed like it might make it stronger. I would also have to figure out how to control it better since I relied on my voice at the moment.
Then again, maybe just using a simple instruction as "Attack" and aiming it at a monster would be enough.
I nodded to myself and began giving some simple orders just to get used to controlling the wolf.
I was so lost in it, I didn't realize someone had arrived at my shack and opened the door.
"Monster!" A woman shrieked as she flung my door open, nearly toppling my poorly built shack. Before I could even correct her, she ran away.
I got up to go after her and tell her it wasn't a monster, but I realized I was wearing just my undergarments and a bunch of bandages.
It took me a moment to dress up after I took out my clothes from my Inventory.
Just as I stepped out of my shack, I was met with a trio of hunters. Rorak, the leader, was in the front, bow at the ready to fire at any moment.
He looked at me oddly for a second before his eyes began scanning around and searching for the monster.
"Where's the monster?" He asked while still searching the surroundings, the other two following his example.
"There's no monster," I said, trying to calm the hunters down. "I was just, uh, practicing with my Magic?"
The three froze, eyes snapping towards me in surprise. "You have Magic?"
"Yes." I nodded and decided to show them.
"Come here," I said without even looking back, just focusing on my wolf.
They immediately aimed their bows at my conjured creation but didn't fire at it.
"Sit," I commanded, showing them I had control.
"Well, I'll be," Juro whistled with wide eyes, looking at my obedient wolf in wonder.
Rorak stared at it only for a second before focusing on me. "You can walk?"
There was something odd in his voice, but I nodded. "Yes."
"The village elders want to speak with you," he said, stepping closer as he looked straight into my eyes.
"I also want to speak with you, but that can happen after."
I really had no desire to speak with the elders, and I thought of refusing, but I decided to go along with him.
They didn't like me much, but that was fine.
I wouldn't have to deal with them for much longer. "Let's go then."
Rorak turned around to lead the way, but he stopped and looked at me.
"Is the wolf… permanent?"
Briefly considering how to respond, I decided to tell the truth and shook my head. "No."
Rorak grunted with a nod and asked. "Can you make it go away? Some of the villagers might panic due to it looking…"
"Like a ghost?" Juro asked with a scoff before pausing, his eyes widening as he looked at the wolf.
"That's… not the ghost of the Grass Wolf, right?"
"No," I quickly replied, realizing how this might look to someone else, so I said, "That's not how my Magic works."
"Of course, it's not!" Chapa said loudly and pointed at my conjured creation. "It looks like an actual wolf and not those elk humpers."
"I can make it disappear if you want to," I offered.
"That would be for the best." Rorak nodded, the stiffness in his shoulders relaxing.
With a wave of my hand and an intonation of "Dispel" my wolf dissolved into Mana that disappeared shortly after. I didn't mind dispelling it since I could always just re-summon it with a simple command.
Rorak grunted and we continued on our way to the biggest house in the village, where the village elders apparently wanted to talk with me.
On the way, I summoned my Status just by thinking about it and watched as my Mana ticked up.
It was going up relatively fast, gaining 15 more just as we stepped inside the village elder's house.
Loya has a total of four elders, with one of them acting as the leader of the village. Two men and two women sat behind a long table, all staring daggers at me while the three hunters stood behind me. I felt boxed in, but I calmed myself by knowing that I can summon my wolf at a moments notice if I felt threatened. Though I wasn't sure how helpful my creature would be in this situation.
"Do you know what you've done?" Goran, the village leader asked with a nasty frown. I knew he didn't like me, but this was not what I expected to hear first.
"I–"
"Of course, you don't!" He interrupted me, not giving me the chance to even talk.
"It's what I'd expect from someone who wasn't taught properly," one of the other elders said before clicking her tongue.
"Is this how you repay us after we took you in and gave you a home?" The other female elder asked.
Fire erupted inside me as I grit my teeth. I grew up in this stupid village, living in it for sixteen years, and no one taught me anything! I had to work hard for the other villagers to just earn scraps to eat! I built my shack on my own without any help! I gathered whatever clothes others decided to throw out!
No one had taught me anything even when I asked! Too afraid I'd steal their trade! Like I wanted that! All I wished was for a way to feed myself and figure out a way to earn some Jewels so I can go out and see the world. Not like I was wanted in Loya, to begin with.
"And because of your actions, we now have to clean up the mess you made!" Goran said, huffing and puffing.
"What mess?" I growled, trying to keep my anger in check. All I did was nearly get myself killed. How was that a mess they had to clean up? I even seemed to have healed on my own, so they definitely hadn't used some Magic medicine on me, if they even had such a thing.
"What mess, he asks." Goran covered his eyes and leaned back against his chair.
"The mess…" Volgar–the elder I liked the most since he mostly ignored me–paused, thinking of how to explain.
"There is a reason why Rorak, Juro, and Chapa hunt only the animals in the forest and steer clear from any of the monsters. The monsters tend to ignore us as well. Our village might be small, but it still has nearly a hundred villages and that is a sizeable number. But…"
"But you went ahead and poked the monsters!" Goran stood up, pointing a finger at me. "You should've just died for your stupidity, but no! You got lucky and somehow killed a young Grass Wolf! And now they got your scent and will come for the village at some point!"
Goran sat down, taking deep breaths, while I just stood there, not knowing how to respond. Part of me felt like summoning my wolf and commanding him to attack, but I knew how that would end for me.
"And because of you, the village now has to send a request to one of the Guilds for a Mage to come and clean up your mess. Do you even know how much it will cost us? Of course, you don't! Why am I even asking?"
I took a deep breath and balled my right hand into a fist.
"It's not my fault! How was I supposed to learn when none of you taught me anything!" I yelled back, finally having had enough of this.
How was I supposed to know that attacking a monster might attract more to the village? The hunters regularly went to the forest, so I assumed they killed whatever they found.
The only fault I had was of not being prepared enough and nearly getting killed.
"You!" Goran looked like he was about to burst out yelling again.
"Let's all calm down." However, Rorak spoke up, stepping up next to me. "We can discuss this like adults."
Goran was huffing and puffing, but he stayed quiet after Rorak's words. I felt the urge to go and punch his old face. I really did, but I stopped myself from acting out.
"Leon… might have caused a mess as you put it." Goran rolled his eyes and scoffed at those words. "But he did awaken his Magic. Instead of paying a Mage to deal with the situation, we can pay him to do it?"
Silence followed Rorak's suggestion. All the elders stared at me with open mouths and wide eyes. They were surprised, for sure, but I also noticed a bit of fear.
I almost laughed at how quickly the situation changed. One moment, they looked at me like I was a speck of dirt on their shoes. The next, they felt fear knowing that I was now a Mage. None of them even dared to utter a word and continued watching me in silence.
"What do you say?" Rorak asked me. "Do you think your Magic is good enough to deal with the monsters?"
Of course, my Magic was good enough! If I could use Boss Battle a few more times and get some good rewards–another good Spell or two should do the job–I would easily deal with the monsters… I think.
But do I really want to help them? I could ask for Jewels and for them to provide me with food and a better place to stay while I deal with the monster.
Or I could just leave the village right now. After all, everything I owned was already in my Inventory. Though my arm was still injured…
"I'll deal with the monsters on my own," I said after making a decision. The stupid elders gaped at me in shock, as if they didn't expect me to accept.
I scoffed in my mind. I wasn't doing this for them. This was just a good opportunity for me to learn how to use my Magic and fight better. The forest was pretty close to the village, so I didn't have to travel that much, and the monsters weren't that strong. Otherwise, Loya wouldn't be standing if they were.
Once I deal with the monsters, I'd leave. There was no point in staying here. I might've grown up in this village, but this was definitely not my home. I would go out into the world, explore it, and find or even build my own home.
Rorak nodded at me with approval, and he opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. They would pay me for the job, yes. However, I wanted something specific.
"I do have a request," I said and paused, observing how everyone now patiently waited for me to continue. "I want any books or scrolls on Magic that you have."
There was no way I wouldn't try to make use of my ability to just absorb books or scrolls. One of them gave me the ability to speak any language in existence while the other granted me a Spell.
"As if…" Goran began speaking with his condescending tone but quickly caught himself. "We don't have anything like that. Not like we have any use for it. And if we did, we would've sold it to the Magic Council already."
That was disappointing. Though it wasn't that bad, no matter how much I wanted to learn some more Magic. I just had to earn some more rewards through Boss Battle.
"Magic we might not have, but we," Rorak pointed at himself and then the other two hunters. "Can teach you how to track in the forest and about the creatures living in it, how to fire a bow, or… how to properly wield a knife."
"That's good." I nodded. Maybe if I had some skill with the knife, I wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Plus, learning how to use a bow might guarantee I'd never have to get near a monster to kill it.
"How soon can you start hunting the monsters?" Rorak asked, looking at my arm.
"I will need another day or two to fully heal before I start," I answered with the truth since this would've become obvious once I decided to take them up on their offer for training.
"I see, I see." Rorak nodded his head.
"It's decided then." He clapped his hands and briefly glanced at the elders. They stayed quiet, not uttering a single word in response.
"Good," Rorak continued. "I'll come visit you in a few hours to get you some food. And, Leon." He took out a hunting knife and offered it to me. "Keep that with you, eh?"
I looked at him for a moment, studying his eyes carefully before I grabbed the weapon with a mumbled, "Thanks."
I then walked out of the house, thinking about what I should do with the rest of my day.
There wasn't anything for me to do for the rest of the day, so I returned to my shack and decided to work on my Magic. The Conjure Wolf was my only attacking spell at the moment, so I felt the urge to make it better. Or at least understand what were its limitations.
Very quickly, I discovered that the conjured wolf was… weak. There was no way to put it. I ordered it to stay put and stabbed it with my knife to test its durability. It took two hits before it poofed into Mana and that just wouldn't do.
If it was so weak, it would end up being completely useless against any of the monsters in the forest. Even the Grass Wolf could ram into it once and end it for good.
But how would I go about improving this? That was a hard to answer question since I was so new to Magic. I had no idea what actual Mages did to improve their spells, and the village had no books about Magic.
I was left to figure out this on my own. Fueled with nothing but spite to prove those villagers how wrong they were about me, I began experimenting with my Spell.
Summoning it over and over again, I studied how my Mana flowed and how it formed into the wolf. Whenever I ran out of Mana, I sat quietly and pondered on everything I had observed.
At first, I tried pushing more Mana into the Spell, but that didn't work at all. I was disappointed, but I didn't let that bother me too much. I wanted to clear the forest of monsters way too much, not for the reward, but to show the villagers exactly how strong I was… could be, how strong I could be.
So I continued without resting, barely paying attention when Rorak came over with some food. He asked me something, but I was too focused on improving my spell.
Biting my lips, I watched as Mana formed the wolf once more, studying how it was evenly spread out throughout all of its body. Then it hit me. The wolf has no organs. That was obvious since it was see-through. So what if I directed more of the Mana to its hide?
And it worked!
The Mana wasn't as evenly spread, but I made him stronger. I even somehow managed to direct some of the energy to its claws and fangs in the process, making it that much more dangerous. The wolf even looked slightly bigger, but not by much.
That night, I fell asleep on my bed with a peaceful and happy expression.
I even remembered to take out my cloth so I didn't need to sleep directly on top of the hay stack and even ordered my wolf to watch the door and bark if anyone tried entering during the night.
Had to make sure none of them would attempt something sneaky while I was sleeping.