His opponents numbered three.
One of them was a fully mature adult.
The situation couldn’t be called favorable, but if he could create a one-on-one scenario with that one, it would be manageable enough.
Cain concentrated his mind.
“Fire Ball. Fire Needle.”
Double casting.
A technique that simultaneously implements and controls different spells.
No matter how basic the magic, it was an unthinkable technique for a mage who had just achieved the 2nd Circle.
No, even as circles increased, proper double casting and multi-casting remained equally difficult to find.
Even using just one spell appropriate to one’s skill level at full power required complete mental concentration.
That’s why multi-casting was generally known to be properly controllable only when casting spells one or two circles below one’s current level.
Whoosh!
However, that rule didn’t apply to Cain Sears.
With the mental strength and experience of an Archmage who had reached the 9th Circle, handling multiple spells of the 2nd Circle and below was a simple matter.
‘I could perform calculations for even higher circle spells, but…’
Magic was the result of calculating formulas and implementing them as actual phenomena through the conversion device called a circle within the heart.
In other words, no matter how accurate the calculations, without the performance of the conversion device to support them, the desired results couldn’t be achieved.
To use 3rd Circle magic, at least three mana rings had to exist within the heart.
This was why the magic that could be used was determined by each magical realm.
In his previous life, Cain had rapidly built up circles to use higher magic, which ultimately caught up with him in the end.
‘I can’t repeat the same mistake.’
What Cain needed to do now was use the magic available at his current stage more densely and accurately.
Whoosh!
Three fireballs the size of human heads were created and flew toward the three Snow Leopards respectively.
At first glance they appeared to be ordinary Fire Balls, but behind them, dozens of Fire Needles followed in overlapping formation like the tail of a meteor.
“Kyauuu!”
“Grrruk!”
Having seen their companion burn to death, the two smaller Snow Leopards running ahead seemed to have developed some wariness, attempting to dodge to the side instead of taking the Fire Balls head-on.
However.
‘Coordinate change.’
When Cain tilted his index finger and thumb while extending them, the Fire Balls that had been flying straight bent as if ignoring inertia and headed toward the Snow Leopards’ heads.
This was an impossible feat unless one maintained perfect mental control over magic already cast.
“Gruk?!”
The Snow Leopards trying to dodge had no choice but to raise their sharp front paws to strike down the Fire Balls.
The large one seemed to have no intention of dodging from the start, immediately swinging its front paw toward the Fire Ball.
Smack!
Almost simultaneously, all three Snow Leopards struck down the Fire Balls with their claws.
If they had been ordinary animals, it would have been like plunging hands into burning fire, but being magical beasts with mana flowing through their bodies, the Fire Balls scattered in all directions when hit by the claws.
And then.
Immediately after, dozens of Fire Needles that had been following right behind the Fire Balls struck the Snow Leopards.
Thud thud thud thud thud.
“Fire.”
Whoosh!
This time the distance was too far for direct mana injection, so he used the Fire Needles that hadn’t penetrated deep into the hide as instant fuel, injecting them into the Snow Leopards’ interiors to create flames.
With just one sequence of attacks, two of the three Snow Leopards that had been charging fiercely ended up in the same state as the Snow Leopard at Cain’s feet.
“Kaooo!”
The large Snow Leopard also screamed with Fire Needles embedded all over its body like a puppy that had poked a beehive out of curiosity.
However, what caught fire from Cain’s ‘Fire’ incantation was only one eye and part of the outer thick hide.
‘…As expected.’
A single Fire Needle wasn’t enough to penetrate a fully mature adult’s hide in one go.
“Fire Needle.”
While controlling his existing magic, Cain continuously summoned and shot another dozen Fire Needles with the mana he had steadily gathered.
Thud thud thud thud
However, half of them fell scattered by the Snow Leopard’s claws, and even the Fire Needles that embedded in the hide again didn’t penetrate to the interior.
The Snow Leopard that had closed the distance flashed its one remaining eye and charged at Cain.
‘This is as far as I can go with ranged attacks.’
Cain kicked off the ground toward the side.
Whoosh
“Gruk?”
When its swung front paw missed, the Snow Leopard paused in confusion.
Cain had already escaped to a distance of about six or seven steps away.
It was hard to believe that a small fifteen-year-old boy had leaped such a distance in that short time.
Of course, this wasn’t because Cain’s physical abilities were exceptional.
Cain exhaled deeply.
The mana that had flowed through his legs like a flash of lightning gradually subsided after fulfilling its role.
‘It’s really been a long time since I used this.’
The mana he had just used wasn’t the refined fire-attribute mana stored through circles.
It was natural mana gathered in his dantian to supply circles and extract attribute mana at any time.
This method of enhancing the body using the power of mana itself without separately extracting attributes was the method used by warriors—knights, mercenaries, and martial artists.
In his previous life, Cain had researched anything related to mana to find answers about the 10th Circle realm, and had learned their methods of using mana as well.
“Fire Needle.”
“Kaooo!”
Though Cain, having gained distance, poured out Fire Needles again, the beast broke through them and charged at Cain even faster.
Slash
“Fire Ball.”
Cain flowed mana through his legs like before to dodge the Snow Leopard’s claws, and simultaneously shoved a high-density Fire Ball into its gaping maw at close range.
Though it was a single Fire Ball, it contained more mana than the three Fire Balls he had shot earlier compressed together.
Chomp
But the Snow Leopard closed its snout and caught the Fire Ball before it could burrow into its throat, clamping down hard.
The Fire Ball, which had been holding out like a tough rubber balloon, finally scattered in an explosion.
Having dispersed even this decisive blow launched from close range, the Snow Leopard charged even more triumphantly.
Whoosh
This time too he succeeded in dodging by enhancing his body and leaping, but unfortunately his luck wasn’t good.
“…!”
On the snowy mountain mixed with snow and ice, he had stepped on slippery ice and lost his balance.
Cain slid across the icy ground against his will, and the Snow Leopard didn’t miss the opportunity.
The Snow Leopard, embedding its sharp claws between the ice and approached him instantly, raising its front paw.
No matter how agilely one enhanced their body, changing direction while sliding would be impossible.
However, Cain calmly chanted.
“Ice.”
It was the first frost magic he had spoken.
It was only the most basic magic that summoned ice, but for now that was enough.
Click
The ice Cain had summoned caught under his sliding feet, and Cain kicked off with all his strength against the solid ice.
Whoooosh
He actually burrowed under the charging Snow Leopard and passed through it. At the same time, he flipped his body to slide on his back against the icy ground while reaching toward the Snow Leopard.
“Kyarruk…!”
The confused Snow Leopard quickly turned around, but the Fire Ball shot from Cain’s hand was already close at hand.
For a moment, relief flashed in the Snow Leopard’s eyes.
Though it was an unexpected ambush, it seemed to judge that if it was the same Fire Ball as before, there was nothing it couldn’t scatter and eliminate.
The moment the Snow Leopard tried to clamp its maw shut.
“Keng…!”
Thud thud thud
As if made by tearing off the pieces of the Fire Ball’s flesh, Fire Needles separated from it and instantly embedded above and below the Snow Leopard’s snout, fixing its maw for just a brief moment.
And simultaneously, the remaining Fire Ball’s volume compressed and shrank, transforming into the shape of a sharp arrow.
The last thing the Snow Leopard heard was Cain’s utterly dry incantation.
“Fire Arrow.”
Cain’s magic penetrated through the Snow Leopard’s throat.
* * *
Cain cut off the large Snow Leopard’s head with his dagger and put it in the empty sack he had brought.
Since it wouldn’t cut well raw, he had to roast the area around the neck with magic before finishing the cut, so a slight burnt smell rose from the sack.
At first he had thought about taking one of the smaller ones’ heads instead of the adult’s, but decided against it.
He thought the results of this test would help solidify his position going forward.
‘Anyway, I plan to make the result report by visiting the family head’s office separately and quietly.’
There wouldn’t be any trouble from catching other people’s attention.
That’s why he had only quietly told Alice and left the castle.
‘By the way, fire magic certainly works well against them.’
Though Cain had killed three Snow Leopards with 2nd Circle frost magic in his previous life, if a fully mature adult had been mixed in like this time, he wouldn’t have been able to guarantee victory.
‘Of course, even now I could have ended the battle using only frost magic, but…’
‘So I need to build up my strength.’
Both Cain and the disciples currently at the Sears family estate.
‘…I should head back soon.’
As Cain was about to walk away with his sack slung over his shoulder, he felt his legs trembling slightly.
It was because the burden had accumulated from repeatedly using mana to enhance his body.
‘To think I’m wobbling from just this much. When I get back, I’ll need to keep up with physical training too.’
Cain decided to rest a little more before heading back.
* * *
“What!”
Blake Sears shot up from his seat upon hearing the news that Cain had disappeared.
Alice had already searched every corner of the family castle grounds but couldn’t find Cain, so she eventually had to report to the family head.
The family was immediately thrown into chaos.
No matter that his banishment was only days away, he was still the direct descendant of the family head.
At least if he were a mage with circles, he would have some resistance to the cold, but if an ordinary person without a single circle went out alone unprepared for the bitter cold, they would struggle to survive even half a day.
The servant in charge of monitoring the barrier artifacts had no choice but to receive a severe scolding.
“You don’t even know when he left the castle!”
“I’m, I’m sorry!”
“If you don’t find Cain, there will be severe punishment!”
Thinking there might still be a possibility he remained within the castle, everyone from servants to disciples searched for Cain.
But even though nearly half the people in the family estate were mobilized to search, not even a shadow of Cain could be seen.
Time passed, and when everyone except Alice and Nefti had half given up on finding Cain, the servant monitoring the barrier artifacts shouted out.
“Someone has entered the barrier from the northwest!”
At those words, everyone rushed toward the northwest.
Soon they spotted Cain walking toward them with a sack on his back.
“…Oh no.”
Cain glanced around at everyone from the family head to Alice with tears welling up in her eyes, to the disciples and servants, then set down his sack with an expression of dismay.
“Cain…! Where on earth did you go?”
At Blake Sears’ words, Cain had no choice but to take out what was inside the sack in front of everyone.
