The Hui Wai Realm, north of Eldos Village, at the edge of the strong magic zone separating the Clover Kingdom and the Spade Kingdom. A little further north and they would be out of the Clover Kingdom's borders.
Affected by the strong magic zone, the natural Mana here was powerful and volatile, and the environment was quite harsh. The cracked earth looked as if it had been exposed to the sun all day, dry and without a trace of moisture.
There was no vegetation, it was quite desolate.
Luck, Magna, Bai En, and Fragil dismounted their flying brooms, landing from the sky and surveying their surroundings. Magna's lips curled into a grin: "Heh~~~ This really looks like an utterly impractical place!"
Luck turned to look at Magna, his face showing the same fanatical expression as when he was fighting: "La la~ Magna, are you scared?"
"Who's scared?"
"I'm even more excited!"
Fragil and Bai En observed the towering structure directly ahead. Although the surroundings were dry and barren, the buildings were covered in white snow, giving off an indescribable strangeness.
"Is this the Magic Palace? It's my first time exploring a place like this!" Fragil's blue eyes showed the innocence and curiosity of a young girl.
"Haven't you taken on such missions before?" Bai En walked a few steps forward, using his Mana Sensing to observe the area ahead.
Fragil shook her head, "The missions I've done before were either Royal Capital Guard duties, or dealing with invading Mages from the Diamond Kingdom or the Spade Kingdom. This is my first time seeing a Magic Palace."
"Is that so... In any case, try to be careful later. A place that can produce such evil magic tools... and with such a unique environment, it shouldn't be simple. We might encounter all sorts of traps and trouble."
"Okay." Fragil nodded.
"Alright~ Since we've arrived at our destination, let's go!" Magna strode forward, "Wait for us, Asta!"
"We'll definitely bring back a way to heal your arm!"
Bai En and Fragil followed behind Luck and Magna.
As they walked towards the frost-covered buildings, the surrounding temperature plummeted. Winds formed by natural Mana periodically swept through, carrying heavy cold.
"Hachoo~" Magna, at the very front, hugged himself tightly, rubbing his hands occasionally. Suddenly, he let out a loud sneeze. He complained: "What kind of hellhole is this? It's freezing cold, and the wind won't stop blowing."
"There looked like a lot of entrances from outside just now, but why can't I see any now?... Also, it's really strange, weren't we quite close just now? At our speed, we should have already reached the base of the Magic Palace."
Listening to Magna's complaints, Bai En stopped. He called out to the two in front.
"Wait."
"We're walking in the wrong direction."
"Wouldn't that just take us further away?" Magna asked, puzzled.
"The cold mist stirred up by the wind seems to affect our perception. We need to amplify our Mana Sensing to see the true 'path' and 'direction'."
Luck concentrated, sensing his surroundings. Although he was a commoner, his Mana Sensing was quite excellent, even stronger than most royals and nobles. With Bai En's hint, he also saw the correct direction.
The few of them changed direction in the cold mist.
They hadn't walked far when the direction and path became correct, but the temperature ahead grew increasingly low, as if it had dropped below freezing. While Mages' physical fitness was not weak, they couldn't endure such an environment for long periods.
Magna simply used Flame Magic to release flames, raising the temperature around them considerably.
"If you use Flame Magic to maintain the flames and temperature all the way, your Mana will be almost depleted by the time you enter the Magic Palace..." Bai En kindly reminded him, "Have you ever heard of Mana Skin?"
"Mana Skin? What's that?"
Luck looked back, hearing something new and interesting.
"Mana Skin is a state Mages achieve by refining their Mana and continuously using it to enhance their physical functions. Simply put, it's about strengthening the body's functions through precise control of Mana."
"Of course, most Mages don't care about Mana Skin due to their fighting styles."
"Take you, Luck, for example. Since you can significantly increase your speed and attack by arming yourself with Lightning Magic, and this speed and attack are greater than what Mana Skin can maintain, Mana Skin seems to be of little significance to you."
"However, in reality, Mana Skin is extremely important. It's the key for Mages to master Mana Zone, and it can also provide considerable help in harsh environments, such as now: you can use Mana Skin to regulate your own state and combat hypothermia."
A faint, glowing white light emanated from Bai En's body.
Observing Bai En, Luck and Fragil imitated him, learning by example. Deep blue and light blue lights diffused from around them, appearing and disappearing intermittently, showing their lack of proficiency.
Magna, holding a ball of flame in his palm, stared wide-eyed at the two. His glasses slipped down slightly, looking somewhat astonished: "Didn't he just explain it once, and he hasn't even told us yet? Why do you two already know how?"
"Could it be... I missed something just now?"
"It shouldn't be, I was listening quite carefully."
Luck, glowing with a deep blue light, looked at Magna, his golden eyes reflecting the light and shadow: "Magna, such a simple thing, don't you know how to do it yet?"
"Simple?"
"..."
Magna stood silently in place, a sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart. Logically, he should have been accustomed to this feeling of helplessness by now, as the fact that he was only a genius from a remote village and not a genius from the Royal Capital had happened to him countless times.
'I am, after all, just a commoner...'
"You should remember the feeling of casting a spell, right? Use the method of casting a spell to mobilize Mana, but remember that this time the Mana is not meant to be released, but to be stored within your body, letting it flow... circulating throughout your body, and then continuously maintaining the cycle..."
Bai En's sudden words surprised Magna slightly, and a hint of gratitude appeared in his upward gaze. He followed Bai En's instructions, circulating Mana within his body.
A few seconds later, a red light flickered on his body.
"Haha~ Luck, look closely, who said I couldn't do it! Isn't it working now?"
"Is that so, is that so, it's pretty good, just not as fast as me. Magna, you're too slow."
The group continued to move through the cold mist. "Operating Mana Skin is just the first stage. Next, you need to try to manipulate the surrounding natural Mana while in the Mana Skin state..."
Bai En provided a short period of guidance. With the dangerous Magic Palace ahead, if they could get a little stronger, his own combat would also become relatively easier.
Soon, the group walked out of the cold mist and arrived directly in front of the Magic Palace...
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