Chapter 3: A New Spell

“Shall I take care of it?”

Feather gazed at the demonic wolf before him, showing no trace of fear; instead, there was an eager glint in his eyes.

This was understandable—after all, Feather was a level six creature, completely overpowering the enemy before him.

Qin Yuan nodded. The creature ahead was only level two, a discovery that brought him relief. He had been curious to see how this owl would perform in actual combat.

“Watch closely!”

Feather flapped his wings and, just like in the demonstration earlier, unleashed a blade of wind that shot straight toward the beast.

The black-striped demonic wolf’s pupils contracted sharply. Its acute senses instantly raised the hairs on its body as a terrifying aura of danger enveloped it. Driven by instinct, it tried to dodge.

But the wind blade was too fast; before it could even move its muscles, it was sliced cleanly—flesh and blood splattered.

The imposing black-striped demonic wolf was severed at the waist into two lifeless halves, which collapsed weakly onto the ground.

Impressive... Qin Yuan replayed the scene in his mind; the wind blade’s speed was extraordinary.

Putting himself in the wolf’s place, he feared his own reflexes would have been even slower.

[Notification: Owl Feather has slain the black-striped demonic wolf (LV2). This unit cannot carry experience points. As the whistle’s bearer, you receive all experience gained.]

A timely message appeared.

Qin Yuan opened his status panel and saw that his experience bar had increased by nearly a third. At this rate, after killing two more gray wolves, he would level up.

Stepping forward, Qin Yuan was about to check the creature’s remains for loot when a strange phenomenon occurred.

The two halves of the corpse gradually became translucent and ethereal. Within seconds, they dissolved into a cluster of tiny white starlight particles that dispersed into the air.

Other than some traces of blood, nothing remained.

This surprised Qin Yuan.

“What are you daydreaming about?”

A voice sounded beside him. Turning, he saw the owl watching him curiously.

“No loot, huh...” Qin Yuan nodded thoughtfully, then said, “Alright, let’s keep moving.”

...

[Notification: You have encountered a swamp demon frog (LV1).]
[Notification: Owl Feather has slain the swamp demon frog (LV1).]

...

[Notification: You have encountered a flying winged serpent (LV1).]
[Notification: Owl Feather has slain the flying winged serpent (LV1).]

...

[Notification: You have encountered a silver-winged ladybug (LV1).]
[Notification: Owl Feather has slain the silver-winged ladybug (LV1).]

There were no shortage of wild beasts in the forest. Along the way, Qin Yuan occasionally met some, but they were all low-level creatures—mostly level one except for the initial gray wolf—and Feather dispatched them with ease.

The experience bar was nearing the threshold for leveling up.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a body lying quietly not far ahead.

It was an adult man, his internal organs showing signs of being gnawed by beasts, though his face remained relatively intact.

Nearby on the ground lay a scattered bundle.

The Eye of Revelation brought forth a new notification.

...

[A hapless mage who died in the forest... but those dim-witted monsters didn’t recognize the value and left his belongings untouched.]

...

Qin Yuan’s eyes brightened. He hurried forward and picked up the bag.

Undoing the drawstring, he emptied its contents: several pale blue potions, a purple potion, and some shimmering coins.

[Magic Mana Potion ★*2: Potions made from magical herbs that slowly restore mana when consumed.]
[Antidote Potion ★*1: Potion made from magical herbs that can neutralize some common poisons.]
[Silver Coins *22: Common currency.]

Not bad at all...

After happily counting his loot, Qin Yuan called Feather, who was on guard nearby, and they continued toward the village.

...

[Notification: You have encountered a venomous toad (LV1).]
[Notification: Owl Feather has slain the venomous toad (LV1).]

With Feather’s aid, every monster encountered along the way was easily dispatched.

The experience bar finally reached its peak.

As another monster was cleanly cut down by the wind blade, a refreshing sensation instantly spread throughout his body.

[You have reached level two. Your profession is detected as “Mage.” Influenced by the “Soul Pact,” you may now choose one of the following three magical runes to learn.]

[Magic Missile ★Common: Launches a magical missile forward, dealing minor damage and marking the enemy to increase all subsequent damage taken.]
[Summon Illuminating Sprite ★Common: Summons a glowing sprite that cannot stray more than ten meters from you. Very useful for cave exploration. Lasts thirty minutes.]
[Swift Step ★Common: Self-cast spell that greatly enhances movement speed for one minute.]

[Note: The chosen rune will be learned immediately and can be used directly.]

Three options appeared before him.

It seemed he could pick a magic spell to learn right now!

Qin Yuan took a deep breath, carefully read through the effects of the three spells, and quickly made his decision.

Magic Missile!

Without Feather’s assistance, he had no combat ability of his own and desperately needed an offensive skill.

Relying entirely on others wasn’t a good strategy.

Besides, this spell increased damage taken by marked enemies—perhaps it could be combined with the owl’s wind blade for a perfect synergy.

Truly a win-win choice.

[You have learned the magic—Magic Missile ★Common.]
[When you reach level four, you may choose another magical rune.]
[Note: Manually casting spells only applies 80% of their effect; it is recommended to obtain a staff as a casting medium.]

With a thought, he made his selection. A mysterious warmth surged within him. Suddenly, his fingers tingled. Looking at his palm, a mysterious purple rune flickered for two seconds before vanishing.

“Level up?”

The owl noticed the subtle change as well, hovering midair and watching Qin Yuan’s magical rune with great interest.

“Yeah, thanks to your help,” Qin Yuan said sincerely.

Feather nodded, seemingly indifferent to the details and never prying further.

This was a relief to Qin Yuan.

Eager to test his newly learned spell, Qin Yuan focused on releasing it.

The moment he acquired it, he already understood the casting method.

He soon found himself in a clearing, channeling his internal “mana” toward his right hand.

The intricate rune appeared again, and in the next moment, a purple missile roughly the size of an egg materialized in his palm and shot forward.

The missile grazed a nearby tree trunk and landed with a dull thud.

Missed the mark…