Sword God in a World of Magic

Shang's eyes narrowed.

'Is that thing following me? Why is it continually circling me? Am I near its nest?'

After a bit of deliberation, Shang continued walking towards the northeast.

Sure enough, the thing kept circling above him.

'Shit! That thing's actually following me! Why is it following me when it doesn't attack me!?' Shang thought with frustration.

Shang moved around in senseless patterns to test if that thing was truly following him, and, sure enough, it kept following Shang, no matter where he went.

Shang's frown intensified. He definitely didn't feel comfortable with something like that circling above him.

'If it decides to attack, I have to be ready. If I don't notice the very moment it charges down, I won't be able to react.'

'The thing is very fast, but it doesn't displace enough Mana to be a General Stage beast. It feels a bit stronger than the beasts I saw before, but it doesn't give me the feeling of overwhelming dread that a General Stage beast does.'

Shang remembered that spider he had hidden from on his way to Warrior's Paradise. That thing had been in the General Stage, and Shang had felt absolutely helpless.

In comparison, the thing circling above him felt more like an extremely powerful Soldier Stage beast.

Shang guessed that the thing was probably just like Astor, someone a level below him that could threaten him.

However, in comparison to Astor, this thing was a beast, not a human.

While Shang knew that he couldn't win against Astor, everything was different when his opponent was a beast.

Shang specialized in killing beasts.

If Astor were a beast, Shang was confident in winning, but he would have to be very careful and not make any mistakes.

So, even though the thing was very fast, Shang knew that he had a chance. If it was a flying creature with a lot of speed, its defense and pure power probably weren't that powerful. That meant that Shang could end the fight with one strike. He only had to hit it when it charged at him.

And what if the beast was on the blacklist?

Fuck that!

Shang could run from all manners of beasts, but that thing was far faster than him. Running would most likely end in his death since one wrong dodge would kill him.

So what if he had to pay a huge fine?

He had to stay alive!

Suddenly, Shang stopped.

Another Vanishing Snake had appeared.

Shang continued standing on the spot and concentrated on his Darkness Vision.

His instincts were shouting at him, and Shang saw the Darkness Mana being displaced.

WHOOOSH!

Shang frowned.

Just like last time, the thing above Shang swooped down and killed the Vanishing Snake.

had barely looked in the direction of the Vanishing Snake before

to see much detail, but he

'A green bird, huh?'

Shang thought of the mission he

'Capture a Spear Stork.'

Stage, and Shang had guessed that this might be a Spear Stork. That would explain

seen any beak due to the speed of the green bird, but

if the green bird had a long beak, Shang would have seen it. He had only been able to see prominent features, and a long beak would have been a prominent feature, but since he saw nothing, it meant

this event, Shang also had an inkling as to why the green

Shang thought. 'It only strikes when I can feel the Vanishing Snake too, which probably means that

Snakes when they hide, which is why it follows me. The Vanishing Snakes see me as their prey, which gives the green bird an opening

took a deep

really is terrifying. Vanishing Snakes are at the Late Soldier Stage in general, and the

'I came here to hunt Vanishing Snakes, but if this thing keeps

forest if the most valuable prey in the northeastern forest

Shang weighed his options.

already too far in the northeastern forest. Turning around now would waste a ton of time.

widened eyes. 'Aren't Vanishing Snakes multiplying by being eaten?

furrowed brows. 'Why do

it isn't eating the

on his Darkness

searched through the surroundings

couple of seconds later,

headless corpse

only eating the heads? I mean, the eggs should be in the belly at the back, not

like the bird knows that it can't eat

Then, Shang sighed.

in that corpse. It has obviously been killed by a beast, and the academy

flying above my head the entire time, but it probably doesn't care

this a smart

Probably not.

green bird was a huge unknown factor that could potentially end their lives. It was too

for some reason, Shang enjoyed this feeling

edge of a cliff

He felt alive.

excitement brought Shang a unique feeling that he had missed

What was this feeling?

wasn't sure, but it was the feeling of

seem to

Shang's destiny was in his own

would be

external factors like on Earth. On Earth, other, higher-ranked people often decided one's fate. If Shang were the most competent person for

easily enough to succeed, but

abilities to enter the MNFA.

it taken

they see how he

wilderness, everything

were the only things that would

was confident in his

knew that he

to prove that

wanted to prove that he was in control

his surroundings, the more powerful he would feel after coming out

this. He only knew that