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.

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

be the Frozen

watched the Stag for

Lake Stag gave the surrounding forest a kind of peaceful

place

you. I need

Stag's antlers closer, and a frown spread over Alex's

have proven to

the Elder

it is close to becoming a beast of the Second Realm. This would essentially make it a Peak-Grade beast. We haven't seen

the white aura emanating from the Frozen

I should push myself, and

this Frozen Lake Stag came

Lake Stag if he knew that it was about to change

Yes!

Why?

Lake Stag needed an incredible amount of Ice Mana to reach the

wouldn't stop consuming Ice Wood Trees until a big part of this forest was

Alex checked his equipment.

was

was numb due to its low

in his

Everything was ready.

breath to ready himself,

BANG!

forward with

sound and saw Alex charging at it. As soon as it saw Alex, it turned away and ran into the

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 by its antlers

slowly gaining ground, even though his body

Was it fleeing?

No!

It was fighting!

side as he felt Ice Mana gather below

SHING!

the ground, and

its Ice Mana into the ground and made it explode into

also how it would kill water beasts in the future. A water beast that came close to the shore

but he had expected it. After all,

through the forest, the Ice Mana of the

Lake Stag

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