V3 Chapter 83

“Ha, Haa, Haa,”

Rain leaned against a tree and took a deep breath, panting for a long while as if he had just run a marathon all day long. His face was pale, and the bags under his eyes were a little bit blackened.

Though the battle was not that difficult, nor was it life-threatening, still, it took quite a lot of him, especially trying to follow Jonathan and the other's incredible momentum. Trying to not be left behind, nor to be slower than even a second, he desperately chased after them with all he’s got.

With an incredible display of skills and power, fighting techniques, amazing tactics, and teamwork, Jonathan and the others displayed proof of their claims of being great Elite warriors of their Country. They were so amazing that Rain can’t help but watch them in awe a dozen times.

He has a hard time following their movements and actions, on the other than, they don’t have any of those problems at all. Rather, they were even able to follow his movement as if they were able to understand what he was thinking. It was unfair. He was desperately doing anything and everything just to follow their tempo but they were just doing it easily and even able to incorporate him into their circle before he, himself, noticed he did.

But this was not the first time he felt this kind of gap. Even when fighting with Drova and the others, they showed this kind of incredible power. Often he even realized, it was not that he was able to follow their pace, but instead, it was them who lowered their speed for him to catch up. He’s very grateful for such consideration. But as a man, somehow he felt inferior, and he wanted to grow stronger, faster.

Though with his numerous skills, he was far more versatile than other people, especially in many sudden situations- however, comparing pure power, skills, and experience, he realized he was still far from a real powerhouse.

Compared to real elites, he’s still far from being an indomitable warrior.

This is quite a blow to him since despite not showing it, being able to fight against Drova and the other strong Lamians, as well as having numerous cheat skills, he’s confident that he has already surpassed most human elites. Sometimes he would even wonder if he is still considered human. But meeting the princess, and now Jonathan and his group, he realized he still has more to learn.

Of course, not in the sense of skills, since he had already a lot of them. Right now, what he needs is fighting experience and honing his combat instinct.

Monsters fight like monsters, Lamians fight how a Lamian would fight, and Humans also have their way of fighting.

This is one of the things that Rain realized during the battle against the [Ground Devourer]. There are a lot of differences in how Humans fight with what he had learned from the Lamians. That’s why, though, the others remained steady, he, on the other hand, was rushing up to match their momentum.

Of course, it’s not like he was inferior to them.

Despite the massive level difference, it was a miracle already that he was able to follow their pace. It was to the point that Jonathan and his group assumed that his level is at least 2, or 3. Though difficult to believe, it was not uncommon.

In this world where Gods are much closer to humans, there would always appear people who stood above others, in both talent and power. God’s Children or so they call them- are geniuses who grew strong so fast they leave their peers in the dust. And perhaps, Rain could be one of them.

‘Still, this monster, [Ground Devourer] is truly very strong. If I’m alone, I can only escape, perhaps.'

Rain had used many magic skills against the monster during the fight, including weakening defense, increased damage, and so on, and yet the monstrous worm remained almost invincible against all of their attacks.

If he was alone, he might not be defeated, but would surely be exhausted, and can only run away in the end. Not only does it possess scales harder than metals, but also its vitality and regeneration ability is top class. It almost recovered any injuries and wounds it received.

Breathing hardly, Rain leaned against a tree, and calm his nerves.

“You’re truly incredible, aren’t you little brother?”

Jonathan said as he walk over to his side.

Though the [Ground Devourer] might be troublesome, it was not something impossible to defeat for his team. Though, killing it is difficult since they would have a hard time chasing the monster the moment it decided to escape- after all, it’s underground. Without any ability to chase after it, or monitor it beneath the earth, they can only wait for it to appear first.

But with Rain’s help, the battle became much easier.

This black-haired mysterious boy is truly stronger than Elite Knights of the Kingdom. At least, that’s what Jonathan thinks. He’s much stronger than even the known geniuses he knows of, nurtured carefully by the Great Noble Families.

“Not as amazing as you think, that’s for sure.” Rain said with a faint smile.

“You don’t need to be so humble. But are you a Master rank Mage?”

Though, casting a 3rd Tier Spell doesn’t necessarily mean that one is already a Master Mage. However, if one puts the [Chantless] skill into the equation, it would be hard to deny the chances of him being a true Master rank Mage. And if this was real, then who knows how the countries would react- a very young Master Mage existed, this could rattle even the old guys who settled in the summit of power.

This is a true Genius.

A 23 years old Genius who had reached the Master Mage before had even caused a wild commotion in the entire Continent, as many countries tried to recruit him, even competing for him. Now, a young man barely twenty years old is already a Master Mage? Just hearing that alone is already absurd.

[Novice Mage], [Mage Apprentice], [Elite Mage], and the 4th rank, the [Master Mage]- this corresponds to the level of magic one had attained. Lv1, Lv2, Lv3, and Lv4 Magic respectively.

The 4th level [Master Mage] is already an elite powerhouse in the continent. It’s already a status where even Royal Families needed to be respectful. Rain, being able to reach the Master rank at such a young age shows how much potential he has, and how limitless his future will be.

There’s even a strong chance of him becoming an Arch Mage in the future. Just how many Archmages existed on the continent?

Among millions of people, there are only less than a hundred of them.

A hundred is already plenty enough?

Don’t be absurd.

In the mainland, the Archmage is considered by many as the peak existence of magic. And they are adored by countless people. But in the course of history, only a selected few can reach that realm of power.

Within a hundred people, it's not absolute that a single one of them would reach that level, no matter how much effort and hard work, or even talent they have.

Furthermore, an Archmage is considered a trump card in every country. The more they have the stronger they become. An Archmage can rival an entire army in firepower. And so, with that kind of ability, even royalty would need to be reserved in front of them. In the Mainland, an Archmage possesses an incredible authority among the populace.

Rain shrugs his shoulder and deny it, “No, I’m not,”

But he didn’t say anything more than that.

Truthfully, he’s not yet Lv4. Currently, he’s Lv3- an Elite Mage. But with how high and pure his mana is, and more so, with his incredible control of his Magic Power, a 3rd Tier rank spell is nothing hard.

Not to mention, a Lv4 [Mana Manipulation] skill, a Lv2 [Magician’s Knowledge] that support and improved his understanding of Magic, a Lv2 [Chantless Magic] skill that helps him easily omit chants at the 3rd Tier spell and under, a Lv2 [Decreased Magic Consumption] that decrease the mana consumption during magic casting, and lastly, Lv2 [Composition by Imagination]- a Unique Skill that covers the entire aspect of magic and let him rely on his imagination to manipulate mana and create spells- With all these skills combined, he wouldn’t even lose against a real Master-rank Mage.

Of course, Jonathan didn’t believe him. So were the others. Still, they didn’t have the reason to press forward and force him to admit it.

Though, if I use the power of the Aquarian Family, I might be able to make him say the truth...

Jonathan thought for a moment and then sighed deeply. If he does so, their relationship would surely be strained, and they might even become enemies.

Never mind, if he doesn’t want to say, it isn’t good for me to ask more.

Jonathan decided to give up without a second thought.

Normally, if it was someone else, he would have done it. After all, even he was feeling somewhat interested and even threatened by the mysteriousness of the black-haired boy in front of them. If he would become the enemy of the Kingdom, especially in this warring state, even the Delouria Kingdom which still retained its stability despite the chaos, might feel rattled for the first time.

As a protector of the Kingdom, that would be something he wanted to prevent.

It sounds absurd, not to mention, that he was talking about a small boy. But he had a feeling that it might be the case- that this is not just absurd anxiety or paranoia. And yet, despite these worries, for some unknown reason, Jonathan found it hard to raise his hand against the boy in front of him. He just couldn’t understand why…

What’s stopping me…?

Once again, Jonathan and the others waited as Rain started to dismember the enormous [Ground Devourer], all while taking the opportunity to rest.

No wonder, there were almost no powerful monsters in this part of the forest. It’s because this is the territory of the [Ground Devourer]. This kind of monster is rarely seen, but it’s without a doubt, extremely powerful, and deadly.

If it was the Princess group that encountered it, perhaps, even they would have a lot of casualties. They were only able to easily defeat it, mostly because of Rain and his detection ability, not to mention, that this boy displayed a lot of controlling skills that caused the cowardly monster to stay on the surface. He even seems to surpass Roel on this aspect. Though the taunting force was weak, he was still able to control it using a variety of abilities, making him even more effective against the monster.

Really, Jonathan and even the other three members of his group couldn’t help but feel anything but admiration and awe in the abilities he had showcased in the battle. No wonder he was so confident of recklessly raiding a Monster Lair alone… It’s not just recklessness but he has something to back it up.

I wonder what kind of family was able to nurture this kind of monster.

Jonathan and the others continued watching Rain dismantle the body, and their expressions turned to amazement time after time. Rain skinned the monster easily and even chopped it off little by little before storing them in his [Inventory].

One must know, despite the Ground Devourer being a horrifying and ugly monster, every part of this monster is a treasure.

Not only its meat can be eaten and give a temporary/permanent buff when cooked properly, but also its bones, teeth, and carapace are good materials for crafting, especially its carapace that can be used to create high-grade armors. Its flesh, blood, and internal organs not only can be used for cooking but also can be used as fertilizer- that even an infertile land, would flourish when this is used. Even on the spilled blood on the ground, new plants and weeds are starting to regrow on top of it, proving its potency and magical powers.

But though Jonathan was tempted to ask for a part, in the end, he shook his head. It’s just a Ground Devourer. It’s best not to tarnish his noble reputation for a monster corpse.

“...here, this is your part, I took 1/3 of it. I hope you don’t mind.”

However, contrary to his expectations, Rain said pointing at the parts set on the side neatly.

Complete with carapace, flesh, a jar of blood, and a giant worm head. Though a few sets of teeth were missing, and the head was opened as well, its brain completely scooped out, it’s still a lot.

Even though Rain took 1/3 of the monster, with the monster’s giant size, he was able to obtain almost 10 meters worth of flesh, carapace, and bones, not to mention he also set aside blood, organs, and teeth. It took quite a lot of trouble pulling the longer part of the monster out of the ground.

“Are you sure?”

Jonathan asked, though somewhat surprised.

“A Ground Devourer is quite a mini vault of treasure. If you don’t know what to do with it, you can ask for those who did when you return.” Rain simply said. His surprised question seemed to have made him misunderstand that Jonathan didn’t seem to know the value of the Ground Devourer. But, of course, Jonathan knows of it. He was only surprised Rain had given him a share of it… not to mention, a bigger share.

“We killed it together, so of course, you also have a share. I’m not shameless enough to take it by myself. Though, if you are worried about how to carry it, I can store it in my inventory for now, and just give it to you before we separate later…”

Jonathan thought for a moment- well, although he doesn’t need the Ground Devourer, since Rain has gone his way to give it to them, it would be a waste and rude manner to refuse it. And besides, the monster’s flesh and blood could really be used to enrich the farmland his father loved, so he would surely reward him if he gives him these ‘good fertilizers’ as a present. That is really hard to miss.

“It’s fine, I have a Storage Ring,” Jonathan smirked thinking about the ‘reward’ he could make the stingy old man coughed out. He happily walked toward the piled-up materials and points his ring toward them. Immediately, the piled-up materials turned into light flew toward the ring.

Rain stared at the ring and felt a bit envious. Though, he had the Grimoire’s Inventory, possessing a Storage Ring is also quite cool, doesn’t it?

Furthermore, the magical power of his Grimoire’s Inventory is not something to display in front of strangers. It would only birth trouble. Though Storage Rings are also precious, they are not uncommon, and can even be said as a token of status. It was common to not mess with someone who has it, as they could be someone powerful, or from a Noble Family.

From the ancient records that Miyabila has, though not complete, the basic recipe for a Storage Ring is a Space stone.

If I wanted to make one, I need to at least find a Space Stone… but the problem is where to find it.

After much rest, they continued their journey.

After leaving the territory of the [Ground Devourer], a large number of monsters and magical beasts immediately attack them. However, they were easily killed.

Along the way, they had no pressure in battling those elite monsters. Jonathan displayed his incredible swordsmanship and water-type combat arts. Though he was not a Mage, his water-based combat arts coupled with his swordsmanship were strangely elegant to watch, as if he was dancing casually, but the power behind his every attack was horrifying.

He even summoned a translucent image of a giant jar that caused a flooding wave of water, knocking away dozens of powerful monsters at once and even a simple swing of his sword could cut a monster into pieces. This man is a monster.

Rain didn’t even need to put more effort, as Jonathan and the others easily overwhelmed even the most powerful monster that he knows he was still unable to defeat alone. It seems like letting them join this Quest was a good decision.

Though Rain had planned to charge alone, actually, he was just going to scout first while waiting for Zarda and the others to come. He’s not so foolish to think he would be able to complete this mission alone. He was not some kind of protagonist in a novel with some incredible deus ex machina trump cards. But now, he really had to change his plan. This could be fun~

The whole way, any monsters, and magical beasts were slaughtered and of course, harvested by Rain, all while never stopping observing Jonathan’s group, analyzing their powers and abilities. Through them, he was able to learn many things, and even able to improve his own powers.

Especially Jonathan and Zia’s fighting skills, and Jin’s incredible magic capability. It’s quite different from how the Lamians do it. Lamians used [Origin Magic] along with their Elemental Affinity. According to Syphy, it’s an Ancient Magic Technique that has been long forgotten by the current generation.

Though, a few Monster Tribes still used them- one of the factors why they were able to do it is because of their superb magic power control, an innate ability granted by being a Magic Being. And one of these Monster Tribes is the Amani Lamians with their incredible history as one of the direct descendants of the Ancient Monster Ancestor: Medusa.

Without chanting, they can invoke a magic spell just by imagining it. Though it consumes more mana than a normal magic spell, the casting time and power output have become rather faster and stronger than normal as well.

But because Humans are not as gifted as Magic Beings in Magic, they are incapable of doing it. In this sense, the current Rain with his magical beast physique, through Physical Cultivation, is abnormal.

Though currently weaker compared to real magical beings, he’s still above that of Human Beings in terms of magical abilities. With how dense and potent his mana was, he can use both [Origin Magic] and [Imagination Magic] to some extent. But still, [Chanting] Spells also has their charms and convenience, especially about raising the magic output while minimizing the mana consumption. It’s not only practical but also very efficient.

…it seems like I’m underestimating [Chanting] spells too much. How interesting.

Rain's interest in Magic once again reignited.

This time, he would learn proper spells!