I stood at the border of the safe zone. It wasn't hard; slipping past the patrols was easy for a Shadow magician. I stood before the forest. Beyond this point began the yellow danger zone, meaning Servants could be present, and rarely, a Leader. The city is a green zone, meaning there's no danger. But one must understand that nowhere is safe in this world, and the best way to protect yourself is to learn how to defend yourself. Taking another look ahead and sighing heavily, I stepped forward. The worst that could happen is that they kill me. Not the first time!
The forest greeted me with greenery and occasional birdsong. Initially, I flinched at every rustle, but I gradually calmed down. I moved in bursts, always sticking to the shadows of trees to hide quickly. Orienting myself wasn't an issue; I lived near a forest as a child and went hunting and fishing with my uncle—he was a great guy.
I moved almost silently, with only the occasional small twig snapping under my feet.
After about half an hour of wandering through the forest searching for someone, I heard a low growl ahead. Approaching closer, I saw a rather unpleasant sight. An ordinary mongrel dog was being eaten with satisfied growls by an awkward creature about a meter and a half long, with a thick rat tail, short legs, an elongated snout more like a cockatoo's beak than a rat's, and a red eye in the middle of its small forehead, more blood than white. What a disgusting beast.
As far as I know, this is the dominant monster species in this area. They dominate not through strength, but through numbers; there should be plenty of them in these forests. Also present are One-Eyed Magic Wolves, which are middle-tier Servants—physically stronger and faster than rats but not as numerous.
Colossal Rats are very agile and have fast reactions. Despite their apparent clumsiness, they are quite nimble and can fire a heat beam, like a laser, from their eye.
The monster was so engrossed in its meal that it didn't notice me hiding behind the trees, continuing to tear chunks of meat from the poor dog and swallowing them.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, I formed the Shadow star map and sank into the now-familiar black haze. Despite the lack of light, I could see everything clearly. Every shadow on the ground was like a portal to the ordinary world of danger, but here I felt safe. Sinking into the shadow, the existential sense of fear that hindered my focus receded. I remembered that all monsters in this world possess a bloody aura that can easily break the resistance of a magician with weak spiritual boundaries. By killing monsters, a person also gains such an aura, making weak monsters flee in fear. It's no wonder that a person meeting a real monster for the first time falls into terror. This is why field practice is held in the second year—so future magicians can face real monsters and resist them.
Moving to a distance of three meters from the monster while remaining in the shadow, I prepared the Poison star map: Poison Spit. Holding my spell ready, I quickly jumped out to the right of the monster. It only had time to turn its head toward me before a dark green haze hit it directly in its eye.
A wild shriek erupted. My half-formed Shadow spell failed. Without thinking, I performed a roll to the left, narrowly missing the rat as it lunged at me. It flew a few more meters, landed in liquid mud, and rolled further. While it struggled in the mud trying to stand, I managed to form the seven stars and sink into the shadow.
Inside the safe space, I breathed heavily. My hands were shaking violently, and cold sweat covered my body. I had never been so scared. Lying on my back, I watched the rat crawling on the ground. It approached the spot where I had vanished and started digging, likely thinking I had hidden underground. After lying there for about a minute, I noticed the rat starting to drag its back left leg. Its eye turned grey and it began shaking its head wildly; the necrosis must have hit the eye and part of the brain. But that's how monsters are; even with a hole through their head, they can live and barely lose combat effectiveness. A minute later, the rat heavily slumped onto its belly, breathing raggedly.
Preparing a new Poison Spit, I emerged from the shadow about five meters from the monster. It didn't react at all, still breathing heavily and growling softly.
Aiming carefully, I threw my magic directly at its throat. The fur where the poison hit began to fall out quickly, the throat deformed, and the rat started wheezing. Unable to take another breath, it began to thrash wildly. It no longer reacted to me; the first hit must have damaged the part of the brain responsible for its senses.
Standing for a few more minutes near the now-still rat and regaining my composure, I saw a small glowing orb fly out of the monster and get absorbed into my amulet ring. I felt a light purr from it, like a satisfied cat.
Returning to the city, the nervous tension wouldn't let go. Walking down the street, I kept looking around tensely, constantly expecting a new fight. Then my gaze fell on some local thugs. If I recall correctly, these were the idiots Mo Fan beat up when he learned to release Lightning because they were harassing his disabled sister—moral degenerates.
"Hey, scumbags, get over here now!" I shouted at them, forming the Shadow path with my right hand.
Seeing the magic in my hand, the idiots approached on shaky legs.
"What do you need, Lord Magician?" one of them stammered.
"Are you the filth who harassed my friend's sister, Xinxia?"
"Forgive us, Lord Magician, Lord Mo Fan has already punished us enough for that."
Those four idiots looked at me with such haunted eyes it was clear Mo Fan had given them a good beating. They stared at my hand, where a black mist was swirling.
"Listen up, scumbags. Bring me a bottle of good single malt whisky and a meat platter right now, or I'll unleash my dark magic on you."
Terror burned in the eyes of the local thugs. Taking off like Formula One cars, they raced to the nearest store. After standing at the entrance for five minutes, I waited for them to come out. Their leader handed me a bag with a bow.
"Please, Lord Magician, accept this as an apology for all your inconveniences."
Looking into the bag, I saw a bottle of decent local whisky and platters of spicy meat and seafood.
"Forgive us, this is all the money we had. Now we won't even have anything to eat."
The idiot looked at me almost crying, probably thinking I'd pity him.
The punch to the nose came unexpectedly for everyone. The leader of the gang lay flat, blood gushing from his broken nose. Broken, I thought with satisfaction.
"I hope you all die, bastards. You're brave when bullying a defenseless disabled person, but you whine like children when answerable for your actions. Childhood is over! If I see you again, I'll kill you!"
Turning around, I headed to a nearby park. Reaching a swing, I sat down and took a good swig. It burned my esophagus, and a warm lump settled in my stomach, washing away all nervous tension with a warm wave throughout my body. I had some spicy chicken, rested a bit, and decided to repeat the drink.
After sitting there for half an hour and feeling quite buzzed, I decided to stop. I didn't want to start on the path of alcoholism again. Realizing about half the bottle was left, I closed it and put it in the bag with the remaining snacks.
Leaving the park, I gave the bag to some drunks hanging around nearby, hearing more kind wishes in return than I probably had in my entire life. Yes, drunks are the same everywhere; give them a little, and they'll take it all. It even felt somewhat familiar. I called a taxi and went to the dorm, then fell asleep. To hell with it. Everything tomorrow.