Chapter 11

This is my second post today.

Ricardo's day begins the moment the sun peeks out.

When the light from the window creeps into the attic, his body reacts and he wakes up. This was a habit ingrained in him from living for a long time in a remote mountain village.

He washes his face and brushes his teeth. Even in this world, there are toothbrushes, which he bought and uses despite the cost.

After getting ready, he goes out to the yard and does some stretching exercises. Then, he takes two sticks from the shed where the garden tools are stored.

He holds a stick in each hand and swings them, imagining the movements of the Masked Rats and the Headbutting Rabbits. He steps to avoid the attacks of the monsters and strikes with the sticks.

He alternates between his left and right sides, performing similar movements. This training is not for practicing dual-wielding; it is to ensure he can use both hands in case one of them gets injured.

After about an hour of training, he wipes the sweat off and returns to the attic. If it were summer, he would take a bath, but it is winter now.

Back in the room, he starts drafting a research paper on the "Molten Flame Bullet." The format of the paper is flexible, as long as the content is easy to understand.

Writing a paper after a long break would take some time. Additionally, he needs to conduct experiments to choose the optimal catalyst.

In the morning, he writes the paper and conducts experiments, then heads to the nearby mixed forest after lunch.

He instantly kills the Masked Rats living near the entrance of the mixed forest, collects their fangs, and proceeds. When he reaches the intermediate area where the Headbutting Rabbits are, he searches for prey.

Rabbits do not hibernate, and it seems the same applies to the Headbutting Rabbits. In the winter-decayed mixed forest with fewer green leaves, finding them is easy. The rabbits, moving in the withered, brown grass, are more noticeable.

Ricardo quickly hunts and dissects two Headbutting Rabbits.

Afterward, he continues deeper into the mixed forest and finds a small stream about four meters wide flowing from north to south. The area beyond the stream is called the Forest of Enchanted Trees, where the small version of the Enchanted Tree Elbir, the Enchanted Tree Trill, claims its territory.

Ricardo's next target is this Enchanted Tree Trill. The weak point of the Enchanted Tree is the knot on its trunk. A "Flying Spear" magic can pierce this weak point, but hitting the small knot from a distance is difficult.

He starts moving upstream along the stream. The Enchanted Tree Trill dislikes entering the stream and does not invade the mixed forest. However, it needs water and is often seen standing by the stream, extending its roots into the water.

After walking for about five minutes, he spots an Enchanted Tree Trill on the opposite bank. It is extending its roots into the stream, shaking its two branches. The knot on its trunk is blackened, resembling a large eye, with many small branches and leaves extending above it, forming an afro-like shape.

"…Pfft, hahaha… The afro tree is glaring at me. It seems the god here has a sense of humor."

It looks like a tree with an afro glaring with a single eye, and he hasn't laughed so hard in a long time.

Enchanted Trees do not have eyes, but scholars have studied how they identify objects. It turns out that Enchanted Trees have sensory organs to detect smells and magic.

The Enchanted Tree Trill on the opposite bank seems to have noticed Ricardo's presence and started extending and swinging its ribbon-like vines called "Flash Whips."

The Flash Whips are only about a meter long, so they cannot reach Ricardo.

Diego, the catalyst merchant, warned him to be careful of the Flash Whips when fighting the Enchanted Tree Trill. The Flash Whips look like whips but have the sharpness of a blade.

He throws a fallen branch at the Enchanted Tree Trill to test it. The Flash Whip bends and strikes the branch, cutting it in half and sending it into the stream, where it flows away quickly.

"Whoa… This is dangerous."

According to Diego's advice, he can defeat the Enchanted Tree Trill by blocking the Flash Whips with a shield and striking the weak point with a weapon. The Flash Whips' attacks are not fatal unless they hit major blood vessels.

He doubts if the injuries would be minor and throws a thicker branch. The Flash Whip strikes it, but it does not split in half and falls into the stream, flowing away.

"The sharpness is high, but the cutting power is weak… It's like a razor."

It seems safe as long as he doesn't accidentally cut himself. However, the Enchanted Tree Trill has two freely moving branches, and if he is knocked down and hit by the Flash Whips, he will die.

Ideally, he would like to defeat the monster from a distance with magic.

"Let's try the 'Flying Spear' first."

He aims at the Enchanted Tree Trill and casts the 'Flying Spear' for the first time in a while. A short stone spear appears in the air and flies toward the Enchanted Tree. The spear easily hits the weak point, the knot on the trunk.

"Ah!"

He is surprised by how easily it hits.

Normally, hitting such a small knot should be extremely difficult. Thinking about the reason, he realizes that his magic control training might have improved his ability to control the trajectory of the 'Flying Spear,' significantly increasing his accuracy.

The Enchanted Tree Trill, which had been swaying, falls into the stream, splashing water. It floats to the surface and starts drifting downstream.

"Damn, I can't let the prey get away."

Ricardo looks around the mixed forest, cuts a vine, and makes a loop. He starts chasing the floating Enchanted Tree Trill. When he catches up, he throws the loop at the Enchanted Tree.

The first throw misses, but the second one catches on a branch. He pulls the vine and retrieves the wood of the Enchanted Tree Trill. This can be sold to the catalyst merchant for about a hundred times the value of the Headbutting Rabbit's materials.

The wood of the Enchanted Tree Trill is in high demand. It can be used as a catalyst for fire when turned into charcoal, and as a material for staffs and rods when processed.

Ricardo remembers the magic-infused rod. He wonders if he can make one himself.

It was difficult to bring the Enchanted Tree Trill back. It was too heavy to carry, so he dragged it back to the town gate and asked a familiar guard to hold it for him. He then borrowed a cart from the catalyst merchant and brought the Enchanted Tree Trill to the shop.

Diego comes out, looks at the Enchanted Tree, and grins.

"Wow, you did it alone, didn't you?"

"It was more difficult to bring it back than to defeat it."

Ricardo speaks honestly, and Diego looks surprised. A young monster hunter is considered a full-fledged hunter when they can defeat an Enchanted Tree Trill.

"Did you use magic to defeat it?"

Ricardo nods and says he used the 'Flying Spear.'

"From the looks of it, you want to sell it as material, right?"

"Please buy all the parts except the branches."

"Except the branches… What will you do with the branches?"

"I want to make a rod."

Diego knows Ricardo is short on money. Ideally, he should have a proper craftsman make it, but he accepts the situation.

Diego cuts off the two branches with a saw and hands them to Ricardo.

"What about the Flash Whips?"

"Can they be used as a catalyst?"

"They burn and turn to ash."

Ricardo decides to take them back in case they can be used for something.

The purchase price was two silver coins. It would have been a bit higher if the tree sap had not leaked out.

After leaving the catalyst shop, he goes to a cart workshop to look for a convenient cart to transport the Enchanted Tree. The cart he is looking for is a frame like a backpack with two wheels, used to carry and pull heavy loads.

When he asks the master of the cart workshop, he says:

"We don't have that. If you want it made, it will cost five silver coins."

He considers making it out of iron, but it would be expensive, so he decides to make it out of wood. He hands over the two silver coins he just received as a down payment.

He then discusses the details with the master, requesting that it be sturdy, able to navigate narrow paths, and usable as a backpack.

"Hmm, that sounds quite convenient."

They agree to deliver it in five days, and Ricardo leaves the cart workshop.

Next, he goes to a blacksmith and asks for the creation of a hook, similar to three large fishing hooks tied together. He wants to make a 'hook rope' like the ones used by ninjas to pull the Enchanted Tree Trill out of the stream.

"It will cost one silver coin. I'll have it ready by tomorrow morning, so come back after that."

He hands over one silver coin, leaves the blacksmith, and buys a strong rope at a general store before returning to his house.

In the evening, Ricardo returns to the attic and uses a knife to process the branches of the Enchanted Tree Trill into a rod about 60 centimeters long.

Normally, a rod is made from dried wood, but it is said that fresh materials are better for a magic-infused rod.

After about two hours, he finishes the rough shape of the rod. He remembers the magic-infused rod he saw earlier and holds the end of the rod, pouring magic into it. He feels resistance as if something is blocking the magic, and the surface of the rod turns amber, with patterns faintly appearing.

The patterns consist of six lines extending from the center, with small protrusions branching out from these lines. The patterns are simpler than those on the magic-infused rod he saw earlier, but he continues to pour magic into it.

He becomes excited and inadvertently increases the magic flow. The patterns become slightly more complex halfway through.

He considers stopping, thinking it might be a failure. He decides to test it in battle, thinking it might be a failed magic-infused rod.

After pouring magic for about 30 minutes, he feels his magic reserves depleting.

He stops the work. About 20% of the rod has been processed.

He recovers his magic through probe meditation and resumes the work. However, the patterns change slightly. The output of his magic has changed, and controlling it is difficult.

He continues the work, alternating between pouring magic and meditating.

By around 10 PM, the work is complete, and the magic-infused rod is finished, though it is incomplete.

He is tired, so he goes to sleep.

The next morning, he writes his paper in the morning and heads to the mixed forest in the afternoon with the magic-infused rod.

He encounters a Masked Rat. Instead of using a war pick, he holds the magic-infused rod and a buckler and faces the monster. The Masked Rat leaps at his face.

Ricardo infuses the rod with magic and strikes the Masked Rat with it. The moment the rod hits the rat's body, a loud "Pang" sound echoes, and the Masked Rat is blown away.

"Whoa!"

He only lightly struck it, but the rat flies about three meters. The shockwave Patrick mentioned must have occurred.

He confirms that the Masked Rat, which has fallen and is not getting up, has a crushed side and damaged internal organs.

"This is the shockwave… It has enough power to be a weapon."

Next, he spots a Headbutting Rabbit munching on grass.

He infuses the rod with magic and scatters an earth catalyst around it. He aims the rod at the Headbutting Rabbit and tries to cast a spell. The magic starts to behave erratically around the rod. He manages to control it and cast a 'Flying Spear,' but the stone spear flies off in a different direction.

The stone spear, about 30 centimeters thick, hits a tree trunk and embeds itself about 10 centimeters deep before disappearing. Magic-created objects like stone spears and water blades disappear when the spell ends.

However, spells like 'Summon Water' that gather moisture from the air leave water behind.

The Headbutting Rabbit notices Ricardo and charges at him. He infuses the rod with magic and strikes the rabbit's back, but the rod breaks with a "Snap."

The rabbit is still alive. Surprised by the broken rod, Ricardo is caught off guard, and the rabbit charges and performs a powerful headbutt, hitting his left shoulder.

"Ouch!"

Pain shoots through his shoulder. The buckler in his left hand falls to the ground. He grits his teeth, takes out his war pick, and prepares to fight. The Headbutting Rabbit charges at him.

He swings the war pick at the rabbit's heart from his shoulder. Fortunately, the tip of the pick reaches the heart.

The rabbit lets out a scream, thrashes on the ground, and dies.

"That was close… I didn't expect the rod to break."

He examines the broken rod and notices that it broke at the point where the patterns changed.

"Apparently, a rod with changing patterns is a failure. It's my first time making a magic-infused rod… It's natural to fail."

His shoulder is throbbing, so he decides to return to the town for the day.

Back at his house, Ricardo recovers his magic and heals his shoulder through probe meditation. The power from the source gate, which exists deep within his mind, can heal physical injuries in a short time.

When the meditation ends, the pain in his shoulder is gone.

He suddenly thinks about applying the power of the source gate to making magic-infused rods. Since he usually practices magic control while meditating, it seems possible.

When dinner time comes, he finishes his meal on the first floor and returns to the attic to start working.

He processes the branches of the Enchanted Tree Trill in the same way as the previous day to make a rod. The finished rod has some uneven parts and does not look good, but he decides to complete it as a magic-infused rod.

He holds the end of the rod in his right hand and starts a special meditation to draw power from the source gate.

His consciousness, thanks to his training, can approach the source gate from a distance of five steps. At that distance, the power flowing in is enough to recover an empty magic reserve in a few minutes.

However, he can only control magic from a distance of six steps. If he gets within five steps, he cannot push back without using his full strength.

For this magic-infused rod, he plans to work from a distance of seven steps from the source gate. Since it is his first time, he decides to try it with some leeway.

He starts the meditation and sinks his consciousness deep into the mental structure. When he starts to feel the source gate, he proceeds cautiously. His consciousness moves slowly, like walking, and reaches a distance of seven steps from the pitch-black source gate.

He receives power from the source gate, converts it to the amount of magic needed for a basic spell, and pours it into the rod.

The surface of the rod turns amber, and patterns resembling snow crystals start to appear from the end where he is pouring magic.

He continues pouring magic for about three hours without a break and completes the magic-infused rod.

When he checks the finished magic-infused rod, beautiful, uniform patterns float on its surface. This is proof that the magic coating was successful.