Kim attacked me from the side using hand equipped with wolf’s like paw. I blocked it almost effortlessly, not because his attack was slow or weak – no, quite the opposite, the movement was a blur that only most experienced warriors could see. The only reason I managed to do block the strike was that his attacks were very easy to predict.

“Good speed, but you are attacking in a patter! Try something like this!”

Smiling I took over the initiative. I attacked from left, then right, then left again, gathered some distance and repeated the sequence. Left-right-left. Did that once again, just to change the pattern slightly. I attacked from left, right…

And then quickly gathered a distance to kick him in the stomach. He didn’t manage to avoid it nor block. He landed on the ground.

“Are you all right?” I came to him offering my hand for support.

He accepted it with gratitude.

We were already in the place where no one could see us, so I decided to check his battle potential. In the end, he already proved to be quite a dangerous creature, at least for some drunkard in the back alleys.

“Big bro is too strong!” he pouted, just like a child would “Remember that I live longer than you. Because of that, I have seen more battles than you and thus I am simply a more experienced warrior. But fear not, with time comes experience. One day you would be as strong as I am now.” “Really!?”

His eyes shined

“Yes, but then I will be as strong as dragons!” I messed his hair with a huge smile plastered to my face. “Not fair. Zari cheats.” “What do you mean that I cheat?! I have been working really hard, you know!” “Zari. Cheats.” “Ok. I will give you one last chance to appolo…” “Cheats.” “Ok. Fine. You asked for it. I will give you a handicap. Charge at me with everything you got. I will stay in human form. If you would land a single attack on me, it would be your victory.” “Really?” “Sure.”

His eyes burned with passion. Beast or not, he was just recently born and his mind is still that of a child. He loved winning for the pure sake of winning, handicapped or not.

Poor fella has no idea I am about to pulverize him into the dirt.

“Here I come! BIG BROTHER!”

While saying so he dropped on all four and morphed into some cat-wolf hybrid. His muscles bulged, his eyes narrowed, his whole body tensed. And then he bolted onward turning into a blur.

Almost in an instant, he managed to shorten the distance between us. He prepared to jump on me extending his claws… Yet, in a split of the second, he dug his feet in the ground stopping his charge. His claws left long scratching mark on the ground about two meters long when he finally stopped in front of me, with nothing but a distance of two arms between us.

“Something wrong, Kim?” I asked innocently

The fur that was covering his body bristled as if electroshocked. His eyes were opened wide as if he himself didn’t understand why he stopped.

He quickly jumped back, picked a pebble from the ground and threw it on the ground in front of me.

The pressure of the stone activated the fire rune I placed on the ground when Kim was too busy pouting and calling me a cheater. Flames that erupted weren’t really tall of focused but emitted quite a powerful shockwave of hot air. If Kim was to walk into it, or even better – run into it – he would be flying a few meters up.

“Nice instincts.” I praised him “… now, will you continue?”

He appeared to be completely lost, having no idea what has just happened. Apparently, he had no knowledge regarding what magic is.

He kept looking both at me and at the scorched ground, yet after a few seconds, he regained his composure, shook his head to the side and started running in circles around me looking for openings.

I was full of them, I was just casually standing with one hand in my pocket and the other on my waist, had even my eyes closed. Yet, in reality, I have entered the meditation state. My mind was filled with the magical vision of the nearest area. To me, Kim was burning like a small sun with his powerful life essence.

He jumped from my back targeting my neck, yet before he managed to reach me, from under his feet a tall thickset of rapidly growing trees emerged. In very last moment he managed to rotate in the air, land on the still-growing tree vertically with all his limbs and jump away with a backflip. Yet I was just starting. Again and again the trees and vines kept sprouting from the ground in rapid succession like phantom hands trying to catch him, and again and again, he was forced to keep jumping away in a desperate escape.

“What’s wrong, Kim? You were supposed to attack me, yet now you are standing even further than before!” I mocked him

The frustration bloomed on his face.

I considered playtime to be over. I turned in his direction and started walking toward him raising my hands in the air.

“I pray to thy, celestial rages,

Written on Codex endless pages,

Be bound to my will and hear my command,

Spread my will upon this wild land!

Joined spell: Infernal Eden!”

I channeled my powers into this single spell. With every passing second, I felt as my mana resources were being drained in an awful tempo. This spell was, in its current state, wasteful. The damages it caused were relatively low and could be quite easily put down by every other mage. This spell was good for only one purpose – villages burning. Unfortunately, until now, I didn’t have too many opportunities to see it doing its deed.

The flowers and trees started growing all around the valley, creating an orb-like structure which trapped us inside. Then, in a single moment, it all was set ablaze. Everything near the edges would burn to the ground – if you would try to physically escape by cutting your way through the palisade of trees – you would be turned into the ashes, if you would try saving yourself in the center, you would be suffocated by the lack of oxygen which was burned by raging inferno. Kim acted like every animal would do, he started running away from flames, looking in all directions for a possible hideout. Eventually, he morphed once again into some mole-like creature and started rapidly digging a hole.

Great, another way you could escape this mana-inefficient spell. Digging your own bloody tunnel away.

Yet, before Kim could actually dig himself into freedom, I dispelled the structure of the spell. Flames ceased in the instance and trees suddenly deprived of mana which forced it growth collapsed.

Kim let his head out of the whole scouting the area surprised by the flames that disappeared as rapidly as they appeared.

“Oh, I am sorry, Kim, did I scare you?”

I could have overdone it a little while showing which one of us was an alpha. Poor thing was actually trembling

“Now, there-there. Everything is all right now, isn’t it? Come here.”

Instantly he became quite obedient approaching me on trembling legs.

“B-big brother, what was that?” “Magic.” “What is Magic?” “You see, there are many kinds of powers. That of the muscles is just one of them. There is also the power of mind and will. Some skilled or blessed individuals can bound the world to their will using just their thoughts. We call them magicians. Warlocks. Wizards. Witches. Shamans and so on. Each of them specializes in bit different branch of magic. Just like animals – some are using fangs, some claws, wings or venom. Magicians may bound to their will elements, light, and darkness or even nature itself. I specialize myself in flame and nature, it takes a bit more focus to manipulate darkness. I could also order the water, wind, and earth if I would focus hard, but the effects wouldn’t be nearly as impressive as what you saw just now.”

His eyes opened wide

“The higher is the intelligence of the race the higher number of mages in the society. This is also one of the reasons humans, elves and other races managed to seize control over the world even though they are physically weaker than bears or other beasts. Of course, you can’t keep on casting magic forever. It drains your power, just like every physical activity.” “Can I… Can I use magic too?”

I have seen in his body. Unfortunately, he didn’t have even a single mana vein. He got my DNA – my genotype. And I was not born blessed with magic. I got it via class-picking. If he wanted to obtain the same gift, he would have to go through either intensive training of mediation – which could take even many years or via terrifying magic-related stress, like almost drowning in a mana-infested lake. Of course, the last one could just overload his nervous system which would end his life or force him into a vegetative state.

“Maybe one day, if you would get much, much smarter. I will try to teach you but pay in mind it makes takes lots of time. Like really, lots of it.”

His eyes shined in anticipation.

“I can’t wait to…” his stomach grumbled “… have dinner?” I ended for him

He actually blushed and covered his belly.

“Kim doesn’t have to eat! Kim can fast for months! It’s just Kim’s body reaction to…” another grumble

We could indeed refrain from eating. We can feast with no end, for the food we devour is being turned into pure, raw power which later circulates in our body. Our regeneration was naturally boosted and so was each of our senses. Once our body starts lacking the food, it can take some of the power to use as a raw fuel.

In other words – we could eat hundreds of meals in a single day and then not be forced to eat for hundreds of days… but our stomach would remain empty and kept on demanding food. In a painful way.

“Or we could just get back to the city and eat some delicious smoked pork.” “W-w-what is smoked pork?!” “It’s quite delicious cooked meat of a pig….” “COOKED! Terrible! Pointless! No essence!” “… which tastes truly divine.”

For a second he was taken aback

“Kim may reconsider eating this pointless meal.” “Good. Care to join me?”

He nodded

“That’s a good boy!”

Look how cute he is! Like a puppy!

Before we faced toward the city, a notification appeared in the corner of my vision.

Your [Fire Magic] skill has leveled up. [Fire Magic] is now [level 12]

The overall [mana-cost] spell of [Fire] related spell is being reduced

Your [Fire] related spell's effects will be increased

New [Spell/s] is/are being added: [Hellfang]

Your spell [Coat of Imp] has a new form: [Coat of Heilling]

Finally, one could say. After level 10 it became simply painful to master these skills. I would also have to spend some time grinding a few levels with other abilities. That's the purpose of this little journey god damn it! Once we would find sufficient location for training, Gis would surely give a good work out.

My training starts todaa…. Tomorrow. Today I will spoil Kim and annoy Giselle. Just a little thought. Let's consider it the last day of my vacation, shall we?