Chapter 9
Grey ventured deep into the Volcano Forest, determined to cultivate and awaken a fire affinity. Everything had been going smoothly—until a Level 3 beast with Earth and Fire attributes appeared.
The beast wasted no time, launching a powerful attack that sent Grey flying. It then stood still, watching as its target slowly pushed himself off the ground, clutching his stomach in pain.
Now standing barely five feet away from the elemental wolf, Grey took deep, controlled breaths, circulating his mana in an attempt to steady himself.
'Damn it! How am I supposed to fight an elemental wolf when I don't even have an affinity?' he thought, his gaze fixed on the beast. 'The smart move would be to run. But can I even outrun it?'
Then another thought crossed his mind.
'It has two elemental affinities… If I kill it, I might be able to absorb its power.'
When a magical beast was slain, those that had already formed a mana core could extract its power stone—usually located in the beast's abdomen. By absorbing the stone's mana, one could inherit the beast's elemental affinity.
Although, only those very powerful enough could do this. People at the top of the world since if mere commoners were to try it, their cores could get destroyed.
But Grey was special and he was going to find out.
But doubt crept in.
'What if I die in the process? No! I won't die before giving my mother a better life!'
His hesitation faded as determination surged through him.
'If I keep running from danger, how will I ever become a strong mage?'
He raised his hands and glared at the beast. "I will never run away! And I'll make you pay for interrupting my cultivation!"
The wolf responded with a deep growl before stomping the ground twice. In an instant, two flaming rock shards shot toward Grey at alarming speed.
"Shit!"
Panic surged through him as he struggled to think of a counter. Then, suddenly, a memory resurfaced—his core had reacted strongly when Clark had struck him before. Acting on instinct, he raised his dominant hand, palm facing downward, and flicked his wrist while shouting.
"Aerius!"
A burst of swirling, transparent air erupted from his palm, accompanied by a loud whooshing sound. The force collided with the flaming shrapnel, altering their trajectory and sending them crashing into the ground beside him.
Grey's eyes widened in disbelief. "It worked?" He stared at his hand in excitement. "I… I have an air affinity? That's why my core reacted when Clark hit me!"
The wolf, now furious, pressed its paw lightly against the ground. Suddenly, its body blurred as it propelled itself forward with incredible speed using Earth magic.
'Shit! It's using the ground to boost its movement. How do I counter that? I only have one air skill, and that won't be enough!'
As the wolf closed the distance, its mouth opened wide, releasing a torrent of flames like a miniature dragon.
Thinking fast, Grey pointed both hands downward. "Aerius!"
A burst of air exploded from his palms, launching him backward like a rocket, narrowly avoiding the blazing inferno. As he landed, he spotted one of the rock shards he had deflected earlier.
Without hesitation, he grabbed it, turning toward the wolf as it steadied itself. Before it could attack again, Grey hurled the shard with all his strength. It sailed through the air at a moderate speed—too slow to hit the beast before it dodged.
Grey clenched his fists. 'Not good enough. I need more speed!'
Raising his hands, he swiftly went through the motions of his spell. "Aerius!"
A powerful gust of air struck the shrapnel, propelling it forward at blinding speed. The shard tore through the air and slammed into the wolf in less than a second.
Panting, Grey clutched his chest, feeling his mana drain. "Please, let that be enough…"
As the dust settled, the wolf's silhouette became visible—still standing.
Grey's heart sank. The beast had manipulated its Earth magic, forming a layer of hardened rock armor where the shrapnel had struck. The projectile was embedded in its body, but it had done no significant damage.
The wolf's lips curled, revealing sharp fangs as if mocking Grey's futile effort. Then, with a swift motion, it twisted its body, dislodging the shrapnel and sending it hurtling back toward Grey, now coated in fire.
Grey's breath hitched as he could see the shrapnel fast approaching. "Shit! What do I do now?"
____________
{A/N}
Guys! I know you have been seeing my author's note for so many chapters now. The truth is, I'm not trying to inflate my word count.
I'm going through a heavy mass editing of all my chapters but since I'm not that over good in English like the top authors, I'm enlisting the help of an outside app but the dang app keeps reducing my word count.
Although the content is the same, it refines it down to the process that my word count gets reduced so pardon me guys!
Alright, so if you want more updates on MSS, MS and future works, please remember to follow me up on my social media accounts below.
Instagram: KBKayboy.
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When news on MS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first.
Alright! So our mass release goals have been locked in guys!
500 power stones= 2 extra chapters plus the normal release rate making it a total of 4 chapters to be released.
500 Golden tickets= 2 extra chapters plus the normal release rate making it a total of 4 chapters to be released.
Magic Castle= 5 chapters to be released.
Spacecraft= 10 chapters to be released.
Golden Gachapon= 15 Chapters to be released.