Sword God in a World of Magic

A majestic stag slowly walked through an icy forest. The trees around it had a blue sheen, and some of their needles had seemingly transformed into icicles.

The Stag's body was only 1.5 meters high, making it only a bit taller than a normal stag. However, its antlers were majestic beyond compare. The antlers were a deep blue, and white veins seemed to travel through them, releasing a blue glow periodically.

The antlers stretched upward and to the side like a tree, making one believe that this Stag was some sort of envoy sent by nature.

Whenever the Stag passed an icy tree, the blue color of the trees slowly subsided until the trees no longer shone in any color, and after that, they simply looked like normal, almost lifeless trees made of ice.

The Stag absorbed the Ice Mana in the Ice Wood Trees as it passed them. The Ice Mana in the trees acted as the Stag's sustenance and energy.

Humans weren't afraid of this Stag.

Why?

Because this was a peaceful beast.

It was one of the few beasts that didn't consume meat.

One of the few?

But weren't there many herbivores?

Well, one had to differentiate between animals and beasts.

Beasts were animals that took their first step towards power. Beasts were the animals that managed to come into contact with the Mana in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, animals were just animals.

As beasts became more powerful, their diet slowly transitioned into one mainly made of meat. The reason for that was that there were not as many plants that came into contact with Mana.

Yes, the Ice Wood Trees were one of these kinds of plants, but the Ice Wood Trees were not powerful. A beast in the First Realm could become more powerful by consuming them, but they would be useless for beasts in the Second Realm.

This Stag would also only consume these trees while still being in the First Stage.

As soon as it became an adult, it would change its diet to water beasts.

This Stag was the very beast that the Elder had asked Alex to kill.

It didn't injure or endanger the villagers, but it consumed all the Ice Mana in the Ice Wood Trees, making them nearly worthless.

So, while the Stag didn't directly threaten the villagers, it was essentially softly pushing them into stagnation and poverty just by existing.

'That's it!' Alex thought as he narrowed his eyes.

distance, Alex saw the Stag consuming the Ice Mana of the

the Frozen Lake

watched the Stag for

peaceful gait of the Frozen Lake Stag gave the surrounding

place

sucks for you. I

antlers closer, and a

Elder's fears have proven to

words the Elder had spoken to

Lake Stag's antlers pulsate with a white aura, it is close to becoming a beast of the Second Realm. This would essentially make

looked at the white aura emanating from the

The God said that I should push myself, and

this Frozen Lake Stag came at just

kill the Frozen Lake Stag if

Yes!

Why?

Mana to reach the Second Realm, and it was gathering this Ice Mana

a big part of this forest was without

Alex checked his equipment.

coat was

was numb

was in

Everything was ready.

took a deep breath to

BANG!

forward with

at it. As soon as it

but its gigantic antlers made it difficult for the Frozen Lake Stag to navigate. It was powerful enough to ram through thick branches, but every branch destroyed

that, Alex was slowly gaining ground, even though his body was weaker

Was it fleeing?

No!

It was fighting!

jumped to the side as he felt Ice Mana

SHING!

of the ground, and Alex had just barely evaded

It transferred its Ice Mana into the ground and made it

was also how it would kill water beasts in the future. A water beast that came close to the shore would suddenly be penetrated by a gigantic

had

the forest, the Ice Mana

was fighting the Frozen Lake Stag in its most favorable

as there were Ice Wood Trees, it wouldn't run out of Ice