One Day, I Will Defeat You!

A group of quadricorn sheep grazed leisurely on the grassland, occasionally raising their heads to survey their surroundings, unaware of the lurking presence of Mateo.

Mateo remained hidden in the thicket, not making a single sound. He was waiting, waiting for that moment of vulnerability in his prey.

A skilled assassin didn't necessarily need the most top-notch marksmanship; what mattered was having an abundance of patience.

An unsuspecting quadricorn sheep ventured closer to the thicket where Mateo lay concealed. In the glint of Mateo's wolf-like eyes, he pounced forward, biting down on one of the sheep's legs.

The group of quadricorn sheep scattered in alarm.

The one that had been bitten managed to struggle free with a forceful kick, leaving Mateo to mutter a curse under his breath.

While the quadricorn sheep might be a second-level earth-type spirit beast, its speed rivaled that of a wind-type spirit beast of the same level.

Moreover, Mateo wasn't allowed to use magic in his current wolf form.

Though the quadricorn sheep managed to escape, its injured leg slowed it down.

Under Mateo's determined pursuit, the initial gap between them quickly closed. Mateo lunged forward, biting the sheep's throat.

Warm blood flowed into his mouth, and with a gentle twist, the sheep convulsed a few times before succumbing to death.

Mateo carried the sheep carcass back to the grassland beside the cave. Landon had been waiting for quite a while, having bitten another quadricorn sheep.

With a swift motion, Landon Wind Blade sliced through the sheep's head and body, leaving only the head intact.

He tossed the sheep head to Mateo and instructed, "Cook it until it's about 70% done."

Mateo blinked in confusion and asked, "You want me to eat this?"

"No, I just want to see how well you can control magic," Landon replied.

Using a gust of wind, he ignited the sheep's body, demonstrating the process.

Seeing Mateo's bewildered expression, Landon suddenly realized his mistake. "Ah, I forgot. Wolves don't cook food."

"I wouldn't recommend you learn human magic. What I hope you can achieve is change. Fire is just the basic Fireball spell, while Wind is the basic Wind Blade spell. Spirit beasts and humans differ in their use of magic."

"Humans communicate with the elements through incantations to shape them into desired spells. Spirit beasts, on the other hand, absorb and utilize magic."

"They can modify existing spells, increasing or decreasing their power. In theory, it works like this, but I'm not entirely sure about the practice. My magic core is different from other spirit beasts."

"So... ah, I understand now," Mateo exclaimed, a realization dawning upon him.

"By weakening the power of Wind Blade, I can make objects float, and Fireball can be controlled and altered. Hmm? In theory?"

"Ah... I've wanted to ask for a long time – do you only have proficiency in two magical elements? Do you possess multiple magic cores?"

"That's why I said I'm different from other spirit beasts. Focus your spiritual power," Landon replied as he summoned elements of six different elements around him, even opposing ones like Fire and Water, Light and Darkness.

With a glance from Landon, the elements dissipated.

"I have only one magic core, but it's not one of these six elements. It's the Space element. I can absorb any element, but I can't store it. I must use it within a short time, and it's quite draining. As for using magic like other spirit beasts, I only know the theory."

"I see." Mateo became even more curious about Landon's identity, but since Landon didn't disclose it, he decided not to ask.

He continued cooking the sheep head, imitating Landon's manner, and said, "Like this, right?"

"Exactly," Landon affirmed. Unlike Mateo, he controlled the fire effortlessly.

Once the cooking was done, he lay lazily on the grass.

For the past few days, Mateo had been focusing on physical training, like capturing the quadricorn sheep without using any magic and then practicing magic afterward.

His body had become much stronger. The previous owner of this body had died from severe injuries, though Landon had treated him, leaving behind some internal injuries. Those injuries had gradually healed during these days.

"Is this good enough?"

"Hmm, you can discard it," Landon said, glancing at the sheep's head.

"Eh? Not eating?"

"Do you want to eat a head with barely any meat?"

Mateo shook his head, and they proceeded to dispose of the remains.

Mateo looked at the body of the quadricorn sheep with longing eyes, answering Landon's unspoken question through his gaze.

Landon tossed a cooked hind leg to Mateo, who happily howled before increasing the flames to reduce the sheep head to ashes. He then used the wind to bring the cooked leg to his front.

Ahwoo... indeed, cooked meat was much more delicious than raw.

However, the joyous moment was short-lived. While Mateo was still gnawing on the bones, he heard Landon say, "Let's spar. Show me how much you've improved, of course, without using magic."

Mateo paused his gnawing, his excitement growing. He had been wanting to spar with Landon for a while now.

Landon observed the green glint in Mateo's eyes as he stared intently at him. Hmm, having enthusiasm was a good thing, but there was no way Mateo could defeat him.

Landon wasn't far from Mateo; he raised his head slightly, indicating for Mateo to make the first move.

Mateo wasted no time and charged toward Landon at his fastest speed. He opened his mouth, revealing sharp wolf teeth, and without hesitation, aimed to bite down, intending to establish control over the fight.

However, in the instant Mateo's teeth were about to clamp down, Landon skillfully evaded, leaving only his tongue to graze against the sensation of wolf fur.

Before Mateo could recover, Landon leaped up and pinned Mateo down.

Mateo struggled against Landon's hold but couldn't break free, exposing his vulnerable belly.

The two wolves stared at each other, teeth bared, low growls escaping their throats. Their pupils narrowed to pinpricks, the tension between them ready to ignite into a battle.

Yet, Landon suddenly relaxed, leaning in to groom Mateo's fur. He stood up and remarked, "You're not ready to beat me yet."

Mateo was left infuriated by his realization, thinking to himself, "One day, I will defeat you!"