"Do you have the time, discipline, and more importantly talent to learn both?" Kade asked with a mocking smile.

"Sure, why not?" Walter replied pridefully.

Kade shook his head "This is all so new. I don't even have the confidence to claim that I have the time to do so. I'm already a mage, and from what a friend has told me, I show a talent for the path. However, I'm not sure how much more difficult this will become later down the line, and it already takes up a good portion of my time and effort. That would be the largest factor that prevented people from doing both. Not everyone has the talent and dedication needed to become a mage, and while that might not be apparent in the beginning, it likely will the further you progress."

Cal frowned "So we shouldn't try to follow both paths?"

Kade shook his head "That isn't what I'm saying. I'm just pointing out that if you do, you should be smart about it. If you're stagnating for a long time as a mage early on, it might be better to just focus entirely on your cultivation as a warrior. Discipline is great and absolutely vital to cultivation, but just don't overdo it."

"Alright, enough for now. eat and cultivate." He said before they could ask any more questions.

He took his beast core from Ben before retreating to a nearby tree and sitting with his back against it. Explaining everything to them would take far more time than he was willing to spend. He tried to cultivate, but he couldn't clear his mind.

He had learned a lot since becoming a cultivator. He had gained a lot of knowledge from reading books and asking Wompus questions, but as he found today, it was possible to learn through teaching. Everyone had their own perspective and even the most simple questions could lead to a discovery.

Even more so in this case, as he had been contemplating walking both paths to a certain extent. So, looking at Rangers, who did exactly that, made him wonder if there were benefits to doing so for pure mages.

Would infusing Altaris into his brain improve his mental faculties? Could he enhance his Altaris channels? If so, how much would it help? Was it worth it when compared to enhancing things like his bones and muscles?

There was still so much that he didn't know. It could take years to find the specific information that he was seeking, and that's assuming that someone had already tried such methods.

The safest solution was to wait until he returned so he could ask Wompus, but it only took a moment to decide otherwise.

He didn't want to have to seek out his teacher every time he had a question. In fact, doing so could be detrimental. Wompus was strong and incredibly knowledgeable, but he wasn't omniscient. No doubt, he had a method to walk far on this path, but he hadn't reached the peak.

Kade had his own path to walk. For better or worse, he would do things differently. Maybe he would crash and burn, but he might reach new heights. All great breakthroughs were made after many failures and mistakes.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed everything else to the back of his mind as he roused his Altaris and shrouded his brain. He already knew the method used to imbue Altaris into his body in order to strengthen it, and he would try the same method but contained on his brain.

The Altaris slowly sank into the soft tissue of his brain and was absorbed within. Time ticked by as he continuously provided energy.

By the time he decided to stop, hours had passed. Most of the others were asleep, while Jay took first watch.

He tried to feel for any changes. Other than a clear mind, there seemed to be very little benefit. Frowning, Kade took out the book on formations which he hadn't been able to understand so far, and tried to comprehend the first few pages.

Thirty minutes later, he slammed the book shut in irritation. It was no easier to understand now than it was before. Either, enhancing his brain didn't work the way he had hoped, or it was an incredibly slow process.

The latter was most likely, but he couldn't discount the fact that he saw very little to no progress where he hoped. It was discouraging...

'Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will my strength be.' He thought, calming down. It wasn't that big of a deal. He would just have to invest a bit more time and experiment. The worst-case scenario was that it wouldn't work, and nothing will have changed. If so, he would just ask Wompus when he returned.

Running his hand through his hair, he flipped open the book on Altaris fundamentals and began reading.

...

"Ugh." Cal rolled over "Five more minutes." He mumbled before receiving a kick to his ass.

"Get up already." Jay growled

Kade looked up from his book due to the commotion and frowned. Looking toward the sky, he could see light peeking through the canopy, signaling morning.

'Did I really stay up all night?' He thought. He wasn't tired, but it wasn't a good idea to hunt without having slept. A single misstep could cost him dearly. Unfortunately, his time was limited and he needed to make the most of it.

Closing the book, he stood up and dusted himself off before doing some light stretches. After a short workout, the others were packed up and ready to go.

"Captain, we are ready to hunt!" Walter called out enthusiastically.

Kade shot him a scornful glare "Captain? Call me Fearless leader." he rebuked before letting out a chuckle.

"Let's get a move on." He said before leading them out of camp and deeper into the wilderness.

They had ventured far enough that beasts were no longer a rarity, so now it was just a matter of finding the right prey. However, they needed to retain a measure of vigilance twenty-four-seven.

"Cal, take the front. Keep your head on a swivel and move stealthily." Kade commanded, hoping to give the kid some practice.

"Yes, Fearless leader!" Cal replied before jogging to the front.

Kade rolled his eyes while following "Remember to call out any beasts nearby."

"Black dog beast coming from the right!" Cal retorted

Looking over, Kade noticed Obruo trotting up with a few new wounds. He raised a brow in confusion, he remembered Obruo being in camp last night but didn't notice the pup leaving.

"Where have you been?" He asked as he lightly slapped the pup's shoulder. Obruo had a habit of disappearing, but he always returned so Kade didn't dwell on it. However, this was the first time the pup returned with injuries. Briefly inspecting the wounds, he found that they were long cuts, likely from the claws of another beast.

"Don't get greedy, punk." Kade rebuked lightly to remind Obruo before continuing forward.

He didn't have to be a genius to understand that Obruo was hunting on his own because he wanted more beast cores. That was okay, but Kade didn't want him to bite off more than he could chew.

"Uh, Fearless leader. Do you not find Obruo... Unsettling?" Walter asked, averting his gaze.

Kade furrowed his brow in irritation "Because he looks scary? No. The pup has saved my life. Regardless of his look, or species, in my mind he is family."

"I didn't mean any offense..." Walter replied sheepishly

"Beast, directly in front." Cal said quietly as he stopped.

Kade turned his attention forward and squinted. In the distance, he saw a large beast with robust antlers.

"Is that a deer?" Trey asked skeptically.

"Definitely not. It kind of reminds me of a Qilin." Ben said

Kade shook his head "Not exactly. Qilins have hooves. But most beasts here do seem Chimerical like a Qilin would be."

All of them were correct in a sense. The antlers and its body were huge like a moose, it had sharp features and teeth as one would expect of a Qilin, but it also had feline Esque paws with sharp claws.

"This one is mine." Kade said before breaking away from the group with Obruo following behind.

He moved through the vegetation as quietly as possible, displaying his skill in covert movement. He only stopped when he was within sixty meters of the beast. Any farther, and he couldn't guarantee perfect accuracy.

Gesturing Obruo to get ready, he began forming a spell. A translucent ball appeared in his palm. Spirit chains, his go-to opener. Finding the right moment, he cast the ball forward.

He watched his spell approach the beast at a rapid speed, and without dallying, began casting his second spell.

Surprisingly, the beast's head turned in his direction when the ball came within twenty meters. With an insane reaction time, it attempted to dodge, but its large body couldn't get out of the way in time.

Kade frowned but continued forming a Yisik's arrow while watching the chains bind the beast. Moments later, he aimed the arrow and released the spell.

The arrow flew far faster than the spirit chains and bore a hole through the beast's leg before Kade could even begin preparing another spell.

Of course, the beast wasn't idle. It struggled against its bindings with an intensity Kade had never seen from a beast. He watched the Antlers of the beast light up with a faint purple hue before streaks of electricity were released and coiled around the beast's body and struck at the chains.

This was disconcerting, but Kade had already surmised that this beast was different from the rest. No other beasts had ever sensed his spell as this one had. He knew from the moment he looked in his direction that he had to make the most of his spirit chains.

'C'mon!' His thoughts raged as a white ball of fire formed in his palm. He needed to hit this attack.

Motioning as if throwing a baseball, he sent the Procyon forward, aimed at the same wound he created with his arrow.

The beast shifted its attention to the ball of fire while releasing the purple electricity and thrashing like a fish out of water. Finally, it broke the chains less than a second before the fireball hit. With a stark display of its intelligence, it reared back while moving the electricity into place to block the fireball.

'What the hell is that electricity?!' Kade's eyes widened. His fireball had hit slightly off target, and while the electricity didn't block his Procyon, it appeared to be able to weaken it. He had used the spell enough to know that its power was rapidly diminishing.

He cast his next spell, a water cannon, at the beast's head. He watched as a portion of the electricity returned to the antlers in the blink of an eye, causing them to shine with purple light again.

The beast lowered its head and accepted the blast of water with its large antlers. The beast stumbled backward as the spell rocked its body, but otherwise uninjured.

Kade focused on the antlers and didn't know whether to smile or frown. His attack was blocked effortlessly, and the purple light on the beast's antlers had even grown brighter!

It seemed that his spell had empowered the beast. Intent to test it, he released another spell. This time, an air blast aimed at the beast's torso. This was his lowest cost spell, and the one he could cast the quickest.

The beast responded as expected, by releasing electricity from its antlers and guiding it to the location of impact. Once again, the beast was sent stumbling. However, this time Kade spotted a small difference.

The electricity that blocked his spell had grown in size and intensity marginally.

Kade didn't bother forming another spell, as he would just be buffing the beast. Instead, he focused all of his energy to find a way to subvert the electricity.

'The beast is slow, but its electricity is insanely fast...' His thoughts were broken when he noticed the Procyon deform and fall from the beast's legs in chunks. In its place, was a thick mass of electricity brimming with energy.

'Fuck...' He watched all of the electricity gather around and disappear into the beast's antlers, which lit up like a light bulb. Then, for the first time, the energy left the beast's body and formed a ball between its antlers.

Kade's instincts went haywire warning him of danger, causing him to form Aegis as quick as he could as he ran to his left.

A loud buzz sounded in the wilderness as a thick purple bolt of lightning streaked through the air.

Kade panted heavily as he watched the lightning strike his Aegis. It quickly encased the breastplate, wrapping around it and releasing a loud cracking sound as it seemingly ate the breastplate. After a few seconds, his eyes widened as he quickly dispelled the Aegis, causing the electricity to burst out.

'Damn!' His inner voice screamed as he dodged to the side.

The electricity shot out like shrapnel from a grenade, scorching the trees and dirt.

Kade groaned as his body coiled involuntarily, his muscles contracting from the remnant electricity that struck his leg. Sharp pain radiated through his body, along with a dull burning.

After a few seconds, he realized that the electricity coursing through his body wasn't losing energy, it was gaining it!

'It's feeding on my Altaris!' His inner voice screamed. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to find a solution. Instinctively, he roused his Altaris and channeled it with everything he had.

The Altaris coursed through his channels and clashed with the electricity, trying to overwhelm it with quantity. The electricity, seemingly sentient, gathered together to fight back, giving the rest of his body reprieve from the torture.

Taking a deep breath, Kade pushed himself up and sat crossed-legged. Glancing at the beast, he spotted Obruo on top of it with his maw clamped around its nape. Realizing he wasn't in immediate danger from the beast, he returned his focus to battle raging in his chest.

He sensed the Altaris within his body, smashing against the source of the infernal heat radiating in his chest. The electricity wasn't growing any stronger, but it wasn't diminishing either. His Altaris, however, was quickly depleting. If this continued, he would run out of energy and the lightning would ravage his body once again until his organs failed.

Acting quickly, he controlled his Altaris and circulated it toward his hand before releasing a mental sigh when the electricity followed. Thankfully, there was an easy solution to rid himself of the raging energy.

He released the Altaris outside of his body, causing it to shroud his hand, and waited for the electricity to follow before quickly cutting the connection as he lowered his hand to the ground.

The electricity arced from his fingertips into the ground and dissipated.

He released a relieved sigh before turning his gaze back to the beast. Obruo was still on top of it with his teeth sunk deep into its flesh. The beast had responded by releasing its electricity to supply Obruo with a constant shock.

Kade stood up, his legs aching and shaky, before rousing what remained of his Altaris and forming a spell trace. He walked toward the beast, slowly picking up the pace until he reached a fast jog.

A few seconds later, he was in front of the beast with a blue sword in his hand. Drawing back, he aimed the tip of the sword at the beast's eye and thrust forward.

The beast was preoccupied with Obruo and couldn't spare its electricity to retaliate, so it responded the only way it could. By dodging. It pulled back and twisted its head to the left, causing the sword to glance off of the side of its skull, creating a long laceration.

"Ugk." Kade groaned out. His body was stiff and his muscles sore. A single thrust had taken more out of him than he would like to admit and he definitely didn't have the energy and willpower for many more attacks.

Thankfully, the location that Obruo was biting heavily restricted the beast's movement. As such, he didn't need to worry about physical attacks. If the beast did attack, it would be easy enough to dodge.

Taking aim again, he thrust his palm up into the beast's chin while stepping in and thrusting the sword from beneath where the beast couldn't see it.

The beast attempted to struggle, but it was far weaker physically than other beast's. A tradeoff for its innate magical traits. Not to mention, it had a hole in one of its legs and a beast chomping on the nape of its neck.

So, without the means of escaping its fate, it could only lament its end as the abyss swallowed it.

Kade's Altaris sword entered from the bottom jaw, splitting the muscles and tissue as it bore to the brain.

Kade took a step backward as the beast toppled over and crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Though the beast was dead, the struggle wasn't over yet. Obruo's jaw was still locked onto the beast's nape, with his body twitching.

Stumbling over with difficulty, Kade fell to his knees beside his pup before placing his hand on Obruo.

"Hold on, buddy. I've got you." He mumbled between heavy breaths. Rousing his Altaris, he shrouded his hand and waited. "Damn!" He cursed after a minute. The electricity wasn't attracted to his Altaris.

'It must not be intense enough.' He thought as he frowned at the pitiful amount of Altaris covering his hand. This fight had depleted nearly all of his Altaris, leaving none to cleanse his pup of its plight.

'It will take too long to regenerate my Altaris... Damnit, think!' He roared to himself frantically. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he made a decision. 'I'm not letting him die!'

Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out the smallest beast core he could feel and stared at it for a brief moment before popping it into his mouth and swallowing.

This was a reckless, dangerous, idiotic thing to do. Though beast cores contained energy that was similar to Altaris, not only was it in a chaotic, unrefined form... it wasn't his.

Wrapping his remaining Altaris around the beast core, he dissolved the crystal Esque shell, releasing the ferocious energy inside.

"ARRRGGGG" Kade's body curled as the energy raged through his body uninhibited. "Haah, ugh." He struggled to fight the intense pain while doing what he could to contain it.