[14] Ronoa Country

Wyrm's Whiskers is a forest that Ash traverses alone. During his journey, after discovering a village, the beastman boy continues to practice magic and expand his knowledge of Earth's magic, rather than the magic of this world.

This world is called the Six-Faced World. Although the reason behind this name is unclear, it is evidently another world with a different magic mechanism. Ash has chosen to study Earth's magic mechanisms.

Ciel, who was once the wisdom of Raphael, possesses deep knowledge of Earth's magic and teaches it to Ash. The reason is that Ciel was once an angel involved in both internal and external conflicts of humans. As a being of light who has existed since the creation of humanity and witnessed many ages, Ciel has extensive knowledge.

But why did Ciel not teach Ash this from the beginning when they first arrived in this world? The reason is simple: Ash never brought up the topic, so Ciel prioritised only what Ash discussed.

In just a few days, Ash has inscribed a Tier 3 magic circle into his Mana core, enabling him to exploit magic even more extensively.

If known by the mages of this world, such an accomplishment would be the talk of the town and a target of interest. An effective method of Mana manipulation could revolutionise the perspectives of mages on an entirely new scale.

Speaking of demons, I am currently facing a tree monster called the Icefall Treant, according to Ciel-sensei.

The characteristics of this ancient tree monster resemble a mutated mass of flesh. This monster can use ice magic, allowing it to throw large blocks of ice at its targets and conjure layers of ice armour to protect itself. It can move, ensnaring other creatures with its roots instead of killing them to drain their nutrients slowly. Due to its lack of intelligence, it can only repeat simple attack patterns and will feign death when it realises it cannot defeat its enemy or cannot attack.

At present, I am confident using magic as I have reached Tier 3, making it easy for me to launch attacks. Placing my large bag on the ground, I quickly moved to draw the monster's attention so it would not destroy my belongings, and shifted to the other side swiftly.

"Ciel, does this monster have a core?" I asked in my head to Ciel-sensei.

[Certainly, Ash. The Icefall Treant has a core hidden within its body. This core is both its source of power and its weakness. If you can destroy it, the monster will be incapacitated.]

I nodded, even though Ciel could not see it. Knowing that the monster has a core, I began to plan a more strategic attack. I gathered Mana energy in my hand, feeling the flow of power coursing through my body. With full concentration, I visualised the magic circle in my Mana core and recited the incantation to create fire.

Fire appeared in my hand, shimmering with the power I had just learned. I had to ensure the fire was strong enough to penetrate the ice layer protecting the monster's core. Quickly, I added more oxygen to the fire, making it larger and hotter. The fire looked like a blazing red orb, ready to consume anything in its path.

"Let's see how strong your ice layer is, Treant!" I shouted, hurling the large fireball at the monster. The fire shot swiftly, hitting the ice layer around the Treant. The ice began to melt, emitting a deafening hiss as the heat pressed in.

The Treant tried to retaliate, swinging its large, powerful roots towards me. I dodged agilely, keeping my distance to avoid being caught in its deadly grip. With one swift movement, I launched a second attack, in the form of a Mana Bullet.

Blue energy formed before my palm, emitting a bright light that illuminated my surroundings. I directed my hand at the monster's core, now clearly visible behind the melting ice layer. With incredible speed, I fired the Mana Bullet, which streaked like a bullet.

The monster's core shattered instantly into fragments like broken glass. The Treant was defeated in just two attacks; its body collapsed with a heavy thud, its leaves rustling as it fell to the ground.

I stood there, panting but victorious. "Speaking of being overpowered, it seems I am indeed overpowered in this life," I muttered with a slight smile on my lips, feeling satisfied with my effort.

The surroundings fell silent once more, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves on the forest floor. I examined the remnants of the Treant, searching for materials that might be useful for the journey ahead. Though the battle was brief, I knew that every victory is a step forward in my adventure in this Six-Faced World.

However, I felt a bit unfair. Normally, magic requires pauses and sufficient concentration. In battle, focusing is difficult; hence, a mage often needs protection during the incantation break. Even silent spellcasters still require time to gather energy. But what I did was simply move quickly, concentrate slightly, visualise, and then launch the attack.

The pause in incantation was non-existent, which made it special. The ability to cast magic immediately without a break provides an undeniable advantage in combat. Ciel-sensei has truly taught me how to fully utilise this potential.

As I collected the useful remnants from the Treant, such as pieces of ice-imbued wood and fragments of the core still faintly glowing, I pondered. If this power continues to develop, who knows how far I could go? With practice and guidance from Ciel, I could become stronger and master even more types of magic.

With renewed enthusiasm, I placed the materials into my bag and continued my journey. The Wyrm's Whiskers forest is still long and full of challenges, but I am ready to face it. With this new power, I feel more confident and prepared to confront whatever comes my way.

After walking for two hours, I finally saw a city fort in the distance. The sight was like an oasis in the desert, offering new hope amid the forest's silence. According to the information I had received earlier, this city is Ronoa.