The world exploded into purple light.
Jedi's outstretched arms were now inside the yeti's mouth, but before the beast's jaws could clamp shut, its momentum violently reversed. At an almost imperceptible speed, the creature's massive body flew backward, crashing into the snow with a thunderous bang.
For a moment, Jedi smiled.
Did I actually do that?
The moment didn't last.
A stabbing pain tore through his skull, dropping him to his knees. A system message appeared in front of him.
"You have exhausted your MP. Further use of spells will come at a cost."
Exhausted? How was that possible? Push only cost two MP, and he had twenty.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, the yeti stood up again. Patches of bloody fur clung to its coat, but the creature didn't seem to care. It roared and charged once more, mouth wide open.
Is there really nothing I can do? Jedi thought. If I cast another spell, that pain will just kill me. And even if I do, the spell isn't lethal. It'll just get back up.
He racked his brain for a solution. Anything that didn't end with him dead.
Nothing came.
Before the yeti reached him, Matt stepped casually into its path.
"Clearly, we've got some work to do," Matt shouted back. "That fighting stance was cringe-worthy. For now, just watch and learn."
As he spoke, Matt extended his arm. Something began to materialize. First a handle, then the impossibly long blade attached to it. He gripped the sword with both hands, lifted it above his head, and took a deep breath.
The yeti didn't slow. It lunged headfirst at Matt.
Matt didn't move.
He simply whispered a single word.
"Cut."
In an instant, the blade that had been raised above his head was now buried in the snow. The yeti, still mid-air, split cleanly from head to toe. Each half slid around Matt and came to rest in front of Jedi.
So that's the power of a champion, Jedi thought.
Matt turned around with a devious smile as his sword faded from existence. He walked over and helped Jedi to his feet.
"Your force spell was pretty good. Too bad it almost killed you."
"But why?" Jedi asked. "When I created the spell, it said it would only cost two MP."
Matt shook his head, disappointed.
"It costs two MP to create a force similar to what you could produce with your own two hands. If you pushed that thing with all your might, do you think you'd move it?"
Jedi shook his head. The beast was at least three times his size.
"In order to move it, you had to cast your Push spell at least ten times in an instant. Maybe more, considering the state you're in."
The explanation clicked. Jedi realized he'd have to be far more careful with mana management in the future. The fact that other champions had to kill beasts like these just to awaken made his head spin.
"All that being said, you did a good job killing the first one," Matt added, pointing behind him.
Jedi had completely forgotten about the first yeti. He turned to see its body limp in the snow, skull smashed open against the rock it had crashed into.
"Congratulations!" the system chimed.
"You have slain your first beast: Yeti Log.
Rewards: +1 stat point, +1 soul point."
Suddenly, it made sense how beginners could defeat beasts like these even without magic.
As his MP replenished, Jedi felt much better and followed Matt up the mountain once again. They encountered a few more beasts along the way, but none were aggressive. Overgrown white foxes, four-winged birds, and rabbits with glowing red eyes went about their business as if the humans weren't even there.
When they finally reached the mountaintop, Jedi expected a giant monster waiting for Matt to fight. Instead, there was an oversized cave. Inside, sitting in the center, was a large rectangular block of ice. Chunks were missing from random spots, giving it jagged edges.
"Behold!" Matt shouted dramatically. "A Slugberg!"
Jedi squinted. No amount of staring was going to make the ice block look like anything other than an ice block. He looked at Matt with a puzzled expression.
Matt chuckled slyly. "Just watch, kid."
He approached the object, materializing his sword again. With one quick swing, a fist-sized chunk of ice flew off and landed at Jedi's feet.
Jedi tried to pick it up but couldn't. He bent down, put his back into it, and managed to pry it off the ground for a moment before dropping it.
"What's this ice made of? I know I'm not the strongest, but this thing's gotta weigh a ton."
He looked up to hear Matt's explanation—and froze.
Two long antennae had emerged from beneath the block of ice. At the ends were round yellow eyeballs, each pupil locked onto one of the intruders.
Jedi stumbled back.
"I told you to watch," Matt said, as Jedi tripped. "That chunk on the ground is an ice crystal. Great for crafting armor if you can carry it. Strong champions come here all the time and strip pieces off this thing. But what I'm after is something better."
Matt took the same stance he'd used against the yeti. The slugberg didn't move. It knew what was coming but it didn't seem to care.
"Cut."
The sword fell, slicing cleanly through the creature's shell and ending its life instantly. Matt checked his system, then reached into the slug's body and pulled out a transparent crystal.
"This slugberg crystal is one of the most durable materials on the planet," Matt explained. "Under all that pressure, the slug produces only one in its entire life. And now that I've got it, I can finally get out of this place. I'm sick of mountains."
Jedi inspected the crystal. It didn't look like anything special, but if it was tougher than the shell, it had to be incredibly dense.
"Can I keep the ice crystal?" Jedi asked. If it was as powerful as Matt claimed, it could be useful someday.
"Sure, but I don't think you can carry it. I'll hold onto it for now." Matt touched the chunk of ice, and it faded into nothingness.
"Alright, how are you doing that?" Jedi finally asked. After seeing Matt make objects appear and disappear repeatedly, he couldn't hold the question back any longer.
"It's a job-class ability. You don't have access to those yet. Just wait a little longer. I promise this will all start making sense."
Jedi sighed, accepting the unsatisfying answer, and walked out of the cave. He looked down from the peak with disgust.
"So… do you have a teleport ability or something? No way we're walking all the way back down, right?"
Matt looked at the mountain range with an equal amount of disdain.
"Unfortunately, that's exactly what we're doing. But hey, look on the bright side. You started at the top. I had to climb all the way up from the bottom. Plus, on the way down, I'll start answering your questions."
Jedi took a deep breath, preparing himself for the long journey ahead. He wasn't thrilled, but he was finally going to get some well-deserved answers.
He would soon learn the unfathomable secrets this world held.