Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 43: Beast Forest

On the morning of the second day, inside the library east of the academy’s War Tree.

Ashura was happily reading a botanical atlas of Beast Forest, a warm smile on his face that was a world apart from the dejection of a few days ago.

Because his heart felt lighter, after hearing yesterday about Jin Ze and Arthur’s family power, Ashura decided he had to cling tightly to their thighs.

He also told the other three about his own family matters, that is, the reason he had come to the far-off Saint Gobban Academy.

Jin Ze and Arthur, enraged after listening, intended to send word home and wipe out the Black Water Clan to vent Ashura’s anger, but Ashura stopped their kindness because he wanted to protect his loved ones with his own strength.

If he did not return to the academy in 1 year, then he begged the two of them to eradicate the Black Water Clan and shelter his family.

With that burden lifted, Ashura’s mood brightened at once, and Beast Forest no longer seemed so frightening.

He was now leafing through every kind of book about Beast Forest in the library, making final preparations to venture into it.

He did not plan to visit the Magic School or the training field again; during these days he focused solely on studying Beast Forest books.

The vast collection in Saint Gobban Library boosted his confidence, and the introductions to beasts and plants plus partial maps of Beast Forest eased his mind a great deal.

Relying on his exceptional memory he quickly scanned and memorized the relevant knowledge, and he already had a general route through Beast Forest in his head.

Several messages came through his badge, the top one from the chubby Na Wei, who used his last few credits to buy Ashura some credit foods for the road.

Clara also asked why he had skipped class today and when he planned to leave.

She said she could lend him her magic staff provided he promised to return early and give it back.

Lan Yu wrote that she had prepared a dagger for him to carry for self-defense because his Twin Swords were not strong enough.

Magina’s message said she had a set of soft armor for him to borrow as protection and urged him to come back soon to be her sparring partner.

The three dorm mates even pooled the latest profits from their gossip cards and bought Ashura some food and emergency medicine.

Ashura was deeply moved, realizing that besides family so many people still cared about him.

He secretly swore he would return alive and repay them when he had the chance.

After spending 3 full days in the library, and an all-night heart-to-heart with Instructor Yuan Da, he was ready.

At dawn the next day Ashura changed into a neat black close-fitting warrior uniform, wore the soft armor Magina had lent him underneath, fastened the dagger from Lan Yu at his waist, slung the Twin Swords given by second brother Asubo across his back, and strode through the academy’s rear mountain toward the entrance of Beast Forest.

He did not take the magic staff Clara offered, first because the item was too valuable and he feared he could never repay that favor.

Second, he had never used a magic staff to assist spellcasting and trusted the Twin Swords in his hands far more.

After passing through Saint Gobban Academy and reaching the entrance of Beast Forest, he found a small town that was more a camp than a settlement, populated mostly by mercenaries and adventurers.

The town was called Triumph Town, and it had only one main street; besides eateries there were weapon shops, potion stores, herb stalls, pawnshops, bars, casinos, and brothels.

There were also storefronts that purchased monster cores and rare natural treasures, and many adventurers and mercenaries sold the valuables they had risked their lives to bring out of Beast Forest here.

The money they earned was then squandered in the town’s bars, casinos, and brothels because they lived as if there were no tomorrow.

Powerful mercenary companies also existed, taking missions or hunting specific beasts in Beast Forest for reward, and such groups were not to be underestimated.

Camps like this stood at many Beast Forest entrances; countless people tried to gain wealth there, yet every day others stayed in the forest forever.

Ashura took a deep breath, did not rush into the woods, and instead headed for the adventurers’ tavern.

The library books told him the tavern yielded the most information about Beast Forest, and many forest missions were posted on its quest wall.

Of course entry required buying a glass of rum, the adventurers’ favorite drink, though Ashura disliked the cloudy liquor that turned his stomach.

He sat at a table beside a pillar and scanned the motley crowd of adventurers and mercenaries around him.

Most were brawny warriors in all sorts of leather and plate armor whose rough workmanship was obvious at a glance.

A few magicians in tattered robes still maintained the noble bearing of their class.

The tavern was deafening, its shouts and curses assaulting the ears with coarse language.

Fearing that his youthful face would attract unwelcome attention, Ashura pulled a warrior’s cloak over his head and hid his features in the shadows.

He then looked at the quest board on the wall, which listed every kind of task, from beast cores, hides, and herbs to beast eggs and juveniles.

Others sought treasure, missing explorers’ remains, cargo transport, mapmaking, or even someone to kill a personal enemy in Beast Forest.

The dazzling array of quests made Ashura click his tongue internally; his first impression of the town was sheer chaos.

He sat in the tavern for a long time without collecting any useful information, hearing mostly bragging and idle chatter.

A few shifty-eyed men tried to sell him strength pills and beast repellents, but he drove them away.

While it was still early, he rose, left the tavern, walked through Triumph Town, and gradually disappeared into the dense woods.

Ashura followed a narrow trail at the forest’s edge; the outskirts were not very dangerous because frequent traffic had beaten a path.

He carried his Twin Swords and did not relax his vigilance just because it was the periphery; he had wilderness survival experience from his trip to the academy, so he was not overly nervous.

Whenever he heard footsteps or voices nearby, Ashura hid behind a tree and waited until the others passed before emerging.

He remembered a sentence from a Beast Forest chronicle: “In the Beast Forest, humans are more dangerous than beasts!”

This was a place beyond human law and morality, and Ashura knew that with his current strength and life experience he could not yet avoid danger from his own kind.

So he decided that this training journey was destined to be lonely…

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie