The two suns vanished beyond the horizon, both an intense, unwavering red. Marius found this quite surprising, as he had half-convinced himself that if there were two suns, there would be two distinct sunset colors.
His magic training was progressing smoothly for now. He had tested all one-star and lower-level spells, confirming his ability to use each one. As expected, the higher the level, the more difficult it was to control the power. He had to be careful, or he risked devastating the surrounding environment. Though, he had to admit, the area was already close to being halved. About ten percent of the trees within his sight were felled. He wished he had a spell to promote plant growth.
Marius’s ability to cast spells repeatedly without running out of magic power was due to his high stats and equipment. However, he was disappointed that no one seemed to be coming to check on him. He was casting spells excessively not just to practice control and reduce collateral damage, but also with the intention of attracting attention. But it seemed that the latter objective might not be achieved. Of course, it was also possible that people were simply too scared to approach, or that there were no individuals with an aptitude for magic nearby who would notice the anomaly. Alternatively, someone might have been hired to investigate, and they simply hadn’t arrived yet.
(I might have to go look for them myself.)
Fortunately, he had discovered a goblin nest. If he left it alone for a while, a subjugation quest would eventually be posted, and people would come. He could then contact that person or group. His decision not to hunt down the goblin nest wasn’t solely due to his aversion to killing; the desire for more opportunities to interact with people of this land was a much larger, albeit self-serving, reason. However, he wasn’t sure how long it would take for the goblins, who had lost ten of their kin in a single day, to multiply to the point where a subjugation request would be issued. His livelihood couldn’t continue like this forever, so having more options was always better.
(But maybe I should practice a bit more first.)
He was anxious about his inability to master advanced magic of five-star level and above. He strongly desired to master it, not because he intended to dive headfirst into battles, but because he never knew when he might get caught up in one. He thought about this while making a campfire and eating “Grilled Meat.” The environment, devoid of any life, felt lonely, but it might be suitable for practicing magic.
Eventually, the sun set, and a silver half-moon rose. The previous night, a blue half-moon had risen, so the FAO’s setting of “alternating blue and silver moons” seemed to be active. He wondered if the moons and suns looked the same across different continents. Gazing at the brilliantly shining silver moon, he musued. Despite the absence of clouds around the moon, only about twenty stars were visible. It had been the same last night, so perhaps there weren’t that many stars in this world. Or was it seasonal? Marius couldn’t determine.
A breeze picked up, but it wasn’t cold. In his previous world, it would have felt like spring or autumn. The climate was pleasant, so if there were nocturnal creatures, they should be active. He had already confirmed their absence around his camp the previous day.
(I wonder if there’s anything over there. I should check.)
He decided to investigate an area he hadn’t checked yesterday. It was where he had encountered goblins and an Armor Deer earlier that day. He wasn’t sleepy yet. Frankly, encountering creatures wouldn’t change much. At best, he’d gain some combat experience. Still, he wanted as much information as possible.
“Teleport.”
He pictured the spot where the Armor Deer had fallen and uttered the spell. A moment later, he was there.
“Hoo hoo.”
Immediately, he heard what sounded like bird calls. It seemed there were nocturnal creatures here as well.
“Detection.”
Using magic, he detected multiple signals.
(If that’s the case, why is nothing in that area?)
There had to be some terrifying reason why creatures avoided it. Since Marius was unharmed, it didn’t seem like the area was filled with poison.
(There’s no point in panicking now.)
Marius quickly refocused, adjusted his equipment, and approached the direction of the creature signals. The calls stopped, and he felt a jolt, like a mild electric shock, around his neck. It was the same sensation he felt when he was discovered by goblins. However, the darkness made it difficult to see the enemy clearly. The moonlight wasn’t sufficient to illuminate everything.
“Light.”
He created a fist-sized orb of light, illuminating the surroundings. The light, which almost blinded Marius himself, was also effective against the nocturnal bird monsters. After a small groan, he heard the sound of something falling. Looking in that direction, he saw a black bird, about a head larger than Marius, stunned. That much was within his calculations, but a snake-like monster that leaped at him from its side was unexpected.
(This is bad!)
He reflexively thought “Warp.” The next instant, Marius was transported far behind, and the snake-like monster’s attack missed. Warp, a spatial magic, was a seven-star spell for emergency evasion, allowing the caster to transfer to a location within their line of sight.
(Good thing I practiced.)
He doubted he could have dodged it if he hadn’t confirmed he could use it just by thinking, or if he hadn’t experienced the real combat atmosphere against the goblins. Despite his overwhelming abilities, Marius himself was a person unaccustomed to combat or dangerous situations. Even if his level wasn’t high, he was facing monsters whose special abilities were unknown. It was best to avoid attacks. Lions, they say, give their all even when hunting rabbits. In the wild, where there were no hospitals, a moment’s carelessness or an injury could be fatal. Marius realized this now. Although healing magic existed, he didn’t know how reliable it was. In essence, he was in the same psychological state as a wild beast.
The snake-like monster lost sight of Marius for only a moment before quickly reacquiring him and glaring. It seemed to possess excellent detection abilities. The black bird on the ground, having recovered from its daze, flapped its wings and took to the sky. It seemed there was no time to use “Scan.” With a cry, it charged at Marius. In sync with it, the snake-like monster also lunged. Whether they were coordinating, or it was pure coincidence, Marius didn’t know. But the simultaneous attack from the sky and the ground was advantageous for him.
“Fire Storm.”
He cast the spell with the same image in mind as he had during the day, reproducing a pillar of fire of the same size. The bird and snake, like moths to a flame, flew into the pillar of fire and evaporated instantly. Marius didn’t consider a swift end to combat to be anticlimactic. As an amateur, prioritizing safety was only natural. Besides, both the bird and the snake were monsters he had no knowledge of. It was a relief that they were defeated in a single blow.
(But wait…)
If he could examine their materials, he should at least be able to identify their names, shouldn’t he? The thought struck him, and Marius was dumbfounded. Of course, there were cases where one needed specific knowledge, like with certain berries.
“Detection.”
His magic scan revealed no monsters nearby. They had apparently fled during the recent battle. Marius clicked his tongue and took out the short sword he had taken from the goblin leader. When he appraised it using “Appraisal,” only the words “Goblin’s Short Sword” appeared in his mind. He couldn’t immediately tell if it was because it was equipment, or simply because it belonged to a goblin.
(Damn it.)
Unlike in the game, the goblins had dropped nothing. In this world, monsters apparently didn’t drop items, and perhaps they had to be salvaged from their corpses. This meant that incinerating them with fire magic was a mistake. At least, until he could reduce the power to leave corpses behind. He didn’t want to walk through the night forest relying solely on magical light. It wasn’t too late to wait until morning. He decided that from now on, when fighting monsters, he would use wind or earth magic. With these thoughts, Marius used “Teleport” to return to his base.
