Chapter 8 - Days of Cultivation 2

On a Desolate Mountain in Ernst CollegeA dense forest blocked the view, a waterfall cascaded straight down, spraying water droplets in all directions, and playful fish swam freely in the pool below.On a boulder at the base of the waterfall sat a thirteen-year-old boy, bare-chested and clad only in shorts, with his eyes slightly closed.The boy had well-defined, rippling muscles, a sturdy and powerful build, and stood at around five feet seven inches tall. His brown hair cascaded over his shoulders, and though water droplets splashed onto his body constantly, he paid them no mind at all.On the bank, a snow-white Magic Rabbit frolicked about, chasing butterflies and thoroughly amusing itself.Childhood is always fleeting. Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and it had already been five years since Baruch entered Ernst College. This was the spring of his fifth year at the academy."Freeze!" Baruch's eyes snapped open as he chanted an incantation at lightning speed. Not far in front of him, a fish swimming back and forth suddenly froze mid-movement. The water around it turned to ice at an incredible rate, trapping the fish inside!It was the Fifth-Rank Water Spell—Freeze!"Tomorrow, I'll head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to gain enough points," Baruch nodded in satisfaction. His magic had already reached the level of a Fifth-Rank Mage, but he had no access to Sixth or Seventh-Rank spells. To learn higher-level incantations, he would have to exchange academy points for them.A single Sixth-Rank spell cost roughly 100,000 to 200,000 points, while a Seventh-Rank spell demanded 200,000 to 500,000 points. As for spells beyond that, one could only learn them by joining one of the major factions across the continent.There were two ways to earn points: completing missions issued by Ernst College, or exchanging Magical Beast Cores for them.A single Fifth-Rank Magical Beast Core was worth a mere 10,000 points.In other words, to afford a Sixth-Rank spell, Baruch would have to slay at least ten Fifth-Rank Magical Beasts!"Ernst is ruthless. To boost the academy's strength, it forces students to go out and undergo life-or-death trials! In the past two years alone, at least twenty students have lost their lives in the Magical Beast Mountain Range." The point system for exchanging magic spells had been implemented two years ago, on the direct order of Pope Ernst of the Bright Holy See."Father ventured into the Magical Beast Mountain Range with his comrades four years ago and hasn't been heard from since. I can look into his whereabouts while I'm there this time," Baruch thought. A year after he entered Ernst College, his father Horry had left for the mountain range with old war buddies for unknown reasons, never to return.The Magical Beast Mountain Range was an extremely perilous place. Even as a Seventh-Rank Warrior, Horry was by no means a top-tier fighter there. It was entirely possible that he had fallen to a Magical Beast and become its prey. Yet Baruch clung to a tiny glimmer of hope in his heart.His mother had died giving birth to him in this world. Horry was his only family. If Horry was truly gone, he would be utterly alone in this foreign land."The Dou Qi within me has already reached the peak of Seventh-Rank Warrior. If I undergo Dragon Transformation, I'll be at least the peak of Eighth-Rank Warrior—strong enough to take on a Ninth-Rank Warrior in battle," Baruch felt the surging Dou Qi coursing through his veins, a surge of confidence welling up inside him.A year ago, his Dou Qi had finally liquefied, elevating him to the rank of Seventh-Rank Warrior. In terms of pure strength, he far surpassed his father Horry.However, having spent all his time within the walls of Ernst College, he had little actual combat experience. His only fights had been sparring matches with fellow students or swinging a wooden branch aimlessly in this desolate mountain clearing."I wonder what I look like when I transform into a dragon? Will I be hideous?" Baruch mused. Though he had long been capable of Dragon Transformation, he had never dared to attempt it. A constant sense of danger lingered in his mind—he feared his transformed form would be too shocking, that the commotion would draw unwanted attention.Ever since he discovered his superlative affinity for water elements, he had suspected he might be a Azure Dragon, a Divine Beast. After the fall of his ancestor, the Azure Dragon, it was entirely possible for another Azure Dragon to be born into the world.Super Divine Beasts like the God-Eating Rat, the Four Divine Beasts, and the Amethyst Beast were almost one-of-a-kind, making the birth of a second one extremely rare.But not impossible. For example, besides the Amethyst Divine Lord, there was her son Reisjing; besides Beirut, the God-Eating Rat, there was also Beibei who appeared later."I still have a class this afternoon. After that, I'll make thorough preparations," Baruch picked up his clothes from the bank, put them on, called out to the frolicking Magic Rabbit "Xiaobai," and turned to leave."Awoo~~" A low roar echoed through the air.Baruch followed the sound, his eyes lighting up. "A Magical Beast!"It had flowing mane, sleek cyan fur, and powerful, muscular limbs. Its wild, cold eyes glinted with the innate ferocity of a wolf, and its sharp claws, gleaming with a metallic sheen, sent a chill down one's spine.It was a Gale Wolf, a terrifying Magical Beast renowned for its wind-like speed.The most dangerous encounter in the Magical Beast Forest was stumbling upon a pack of Gale Wolves. Once surrounded, their blinding speed made escape nearly impossible.Though Gale Wolves were only Third or Fourth-Rank Magical Beasts, a sneak attack from them could easily kill even a Fifth-Rank Warrior.At that moment, a handsome black-haired youth sat astride the majestic Gale Wolf. He scanned his surroundings, his expression oozing pride at owning such a magnificent beast."It's Alonso, a sixth-year student," Baruch recognized the youth. Alonso was a member of the Finlay Kingdom's royal family and had already attained the rank of Sixth-Rank Wind Mage."I should find a chance to tame a Magical Beast as my familiar during this trip to the mountain range," Baruch resolved.Not many students at Ernst College owned Magical Beasts—fewer than twenty had them as mounts.There were only two ways to subdue a Magical Beast as a familiar: through sheer overwhelming strength, or by using a Soul Contract Scroll.Soul Contract Scrolls were exorbitantly expensive, costing at least ten thousand gold coins apiece. Baruch had no way to raise such a large sum of money in a short time.Inside the Fifth-Year ClassroomBaruch had just walked into the classroom when he heard someone calling his name. Without looking, he knew it was Lilia. He smiled and said, "Lilia, you're here early. There's still quite a while before class starts." He then took a seat next to her.Lilia was a beautiful girl with curly golden hair, four years older than Baruch, and also a Fifth-Rank Water Mage."I knew you'd be here early too," Lilia grinned, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.As they chatted, time flew by quickly. Before they knew it, class had begun.The lesson was taught by a forty-year-old female instructor named Audrey. As a Water Mage, Audrey looked no more than twenty-something despite her actual age.Baruch chatted quietly with Lilia beneath his breath. This class was of no use to him anymore. As the saying goes, "A teacher can only lead the way; the rest depends on one's own efforts." He was already a Fifth-Rank Mage—with continued cultivation and access to higher-level spells, his power would only keep growing."Alright, that concludes today's lesson. But before we dismiss, I have an announcement to make," Instructor Audrey said with a smile.A murmur of discussion immediately broke out among the students below."You've all been at the academy for years, so you should know that the Inter-Grade Tournament will be held next month. It's the most exciting event of the year at our academy—His Holiness Ernst might even grace us with his presence in person. What's more, the top three winners of the tournament will receive generous rewards. I hope you'll all sign up enthusiastically," Instructor Audrey explained.Ernst College had a small student body—even with all grades combined, there were only around two hundred students. Thus, each grade was not further divided by magic attribute."Baruch, are you going to participate in the Inter-Grade Tournament?" Lilia asked in a low voice. "I heard the first-place winner gets ten thousand points as a reward.""Lilia, I've already decided to head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training tomorrow," Baruch shook his head. Even if he wasn't planning to go to the mountain range, he still wouldn't join the so-called Inter-Grade Tournament. If he wanted to, he would have won the first place so many times in the past few years that it would have become boring."You're so frustrating! You're obviously incredibly strong, but you insist on keeping a low profile. Everyone says Holt is the strongest student in the fifth year, but I know you're far more powerful than him," Lilia rolled her eyes at him.Baruch let out a sheepish chuckle and said nothing. He had always kept a low profile at Ernst College, and few people really knew him. He spent most of his time either attending classes or cultivating, rarely participating in dances or socializing with others."But you're only thirteen! Isn't it a bit too early to go training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range? And who are you planning to team up with? Let me warn you, you have to be careful around others. I've heard from some senior sisters that the most dangerous things in the Magical Beast Mountain Range aren't the Magical Beasts—they're humans," Lilia said, looking worried.Most students at Ernst College didn't venture into the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training until they were fifteen or older. Even so, many had lost their lives there in the past two years."Don't worry, I'm plenty strong. Besides, I only plan to train in the outer regions of the mountain range—I have no intention of going deep inside!" Baruch whispered. He was quite fond of Lilia; she was one of his few friends at Ernst College, and she never looked down on him for being a country boy despite her noble background.Lilia let out a sigh of relief. The outer regions of the Magical Beast Mountain Range were mostly inhabited by Magical Beasts below the Fourth-Rank, with very few Fourth-Rank or higher beasts venturing there. Thus, a Fifth-Rank Warrior or Mage would be relatively safe there."It's a shame my father won't let me go out for training. Otherwise, I could go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range with you," Lilia said regretfully. Her father was a Duke in the southern part of Finlay Kingdom, wielding great power, and he kept a tight rein on her.For someone born into such a prominent noble family, venturing into the Magical Beast Mountain Range for training was almost impossible.Their birth determined that they could never enjoy the same freedom as ordinary commoners.