Hours past and the two slaves hadn't stopped even once. The sun had reached its apex and Kalon knew what that meant. He had slowed his pace to match Terrance's after seeing how exhausted he was. Kalon was feeling it too, he felt as if his legs would give out any time now.

"I think we've covered enough distance from the apprentices. We should make camp soon, we only have a few hours of daylight left, " he told Terrance.

"Thank the Gods. I'm tired, thirsty and starving. I need some bloody rest, any chance you have some fancy way to get us food while we're at it Kalon?"

"It just so happens I do, let's find a clearing first and I'll get to work."

The two walked for a minute longer before they found the clearing they were after, on the way Kalon had been collecting various things to use for the trap. The moment the two stepped into the clearing he took a seat cross legged and started to work. Terrance looked on out of curiosity as he saw Kalon fiddle with various twigs and fibres. In just a few minutes Kalon had created a small trap roughly the same shape and design as a bear trap, without all the spikes.

"What the hell is that gonna catch, it looks too flimsy to catch anything," Terrance interrupted.

"It's a bird trap, doesn't need to be strong to catch a bird, they're weak," Kalon said in defense of his work.

"I'll bet you two copper that you won't catch anything," Terrance said with a smug smile painted on his face.

"Terrance...you don't even have any coppers...what are you even talking about?"

"Yeah well, I will one day, consider it a promise for the future. If you win, sometime in the future I'll give you two copper." Terrance continued in a smug manner.

"Ok, ok. Whatever you say. I'll accept your stupid bet."

The two shook on it and then Kalon went and set the trap, he had chosen a stone that he knew was targeted by aurum sparrows for nest building. The two didn't have any food on hand to use as bait; if that were the case the trap would be obsolete anyway.

The boys then went and waited outside the clearing hidden among the trees. They looked on for ten minutes without any action, but then finally a bird appeared. The yellow bird hopped and chirped as it approached the stone before finally reaching to grab it with its beak. As the bird lifted the small maroon stone the trapped was triggered and snapped down onto to the bird, snapping its neck instantly.

"FINALLY! HAHAHAH! WE GOT ONE!" Terrance yelled in joy.

"Yeah..." Kalon replied while giving terrance a side eyed glare.

The two went and collected their catch.

"Now how do we cook this thing?" Terrance asked in anticipation while rubbing his hands together.

"Not yet, you think one of these could feed us both? It's the size of my hand! We need a couple more before we start cooking."

"Awww man, I'm staaarvviiing."

"Just be patient Terrance."

Kalon set the trap once more and the two walked back to their previous positions.

----------------

After two hours the boys sat in the clearing with a total of five aurum sparrows. It was a small meal but it would have to do.

Kalon then eagerly stood and handed the birds to Terrance and said "Take care of our catch I'll go get us some firewood." Before Terrance had a chance to object he had already taken off into the forest.

Terrance sat in silence listening to the forests noises while he waited, he was scared and he wished he had went with his friend.

----------------

Kalon wandered through the forest picking up any dry pieces of wood he could find. He was so eager to eat that he had completely forgotten that the forest was inhabited by more than just harmless birds and deer. He was in the domain of a strong mana-beast and he didn't even know it.

Even though Kalon had wandered a couple hundred metres away from his friend, he had no fear of getting lost because he had made sure to remember his route.

Suddenly he froze, he couldn't move. Not because of a spell of some kind, but because of fear. He had become cold and with every heavy breath a mist was produced. He was filled with despair as the sound reached his ears.

"Grrrrrrrr"

The low grumble sent shivers down his spine. This was undoubtedly the growl of a mana-beast with extreme power, and it had found it's prey.

Kalon summoned all of his willpower to try break free from the paralysing aura the beast exuded. All he could muster was a single step before the beast entered his line of sight. It was too late and Kalon knew it.

Glowing blue eyes swayed towards him, seconds later the beasts head rose from the shadows. The beast was covered in white fur, with a blue rune on its forehead. It had to be at least two metres tall and possessed a mane of blue crystals that exuded an icy mist.

Kalon remembered his father telling him stories of such a beast, it was an elder frost wolf, an A-Rank mana-beast and Kalon knew what that meant for him.

He wasn't going to make it out of this forest alive.

"Please! If you so called gods are listening right now. I'm begging you, save me! I will do anything you ask of me! I swear it!" Kalon cried out in his head as tears ran down his face.

The wolf snarled at the boy exposing its large canines and dug its hind legs into the ground in preparation to attack.

*bang* *crack* Thunder was heard followed by a crack of lightning so loud and sharp that Kalon felt as if his head would explode.

What Kalon had seen was unbelievable in an instant from the sky came down what looked to be an arrow made of pure electricity. The arrow struck the wolf directly between its shoulder blades and passed through into the ground leaving a crater with a three metre diameter.

Kalon stood there just as frozen as he had been while the wolf's killing intent was bearing down on him. He stood staring dazed and confused, the boy still hadn't regained his hearing after the sound he had just heard.

The elder frost wolf lay there with smoke rising from its unmoving body. The animals had a large hole all the way through its chest and out it's shoulder blades.

Kalon's eyes were bought away from the smouldering hole in its chest and towards the glimmering object within. It was the beasts core.

Kalon broke what seemed to be an eternal freeze on his body and started to slowly step towards the carcass.

In a few seconds the boys arrived the body. He stood there in awe for a minute before he reached his hand out for the beast-core. "With this I'll be rich! I can sell it at the nearest town and flee to another continent. One like Varnoq home of the beast people. Their people can't use mana, Terrance and I can finally live a life free from discrimination at the hands of those wretched mages." he thought to himself with glee.

As the boys hand got closer to the beast-core he felt a strange sensation flow into him and as he grabbed a hold of the core the sensation only got stronger.

The core had started to lose its physical form and turned into a blue glistening energy, an energy that Kalon's body was absorbing rapidly. His body started burn, he fell to his knees, his muscles felt as if they were tearing and his mind became fuzzy.

Minutes past, but to Kalon it felt like an eternity of agonising pain. As the pain reached its apex he felt something welling up inside of him, as if he was becoming something new, something better.

Many more minutes past and suddenly "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" he screamed out in agony. The energy exploded out of his body only to condense itself back into his chest.

Kalon felt relief, he felt changed, he felt power, for the first time in his life.

Suddenly Kalon saw words enter his blurred vision.

[ELDER FROST WOLF CORE SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED]

[SYSTEM HAS BEEN AWAKENED]

[WELCOME, KALON QUILL]

Before Kalon could react to the mysterious words shrouding his vision, he fell face first to the ground passing out instantly.