Infinite Mage

Whether he became a mage or not, Shirone had knowledge to fall back on for employment. legend There would be many whod call upon him, as long as he put aside his pride, being a commoner. legend But Shirone had never considered the possibility of failure.

Even so, if you can’t become a mage, it’s all for nothing, right, Shirone?

Relying on someone elses money means you’re entrusting your life to others. aspect Its fine if you succeed, but if you fail, youre left with nothing. harbor You shouldnt do that, Shirone. artist Think about your parents. acoustic Even if you study magic, you should have a way to make a living. accent Do you plan to rely on your parents forever? portal And its not like youre physically strong enough for labor.

Uh? alpha Oh, of course.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

He felt uneasy. alpha Everyone could fail, and Shirone was no exception. athlete The practical questions from the village children sent a chill through his heart.

How could he have overlooked it? adopt Was it an oversight? acid Arrogance? aspect What life would he lead if he failed to become a mage?

As the mood dampened, Altor suggested a game, partly to reclaim his authority as the leader.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Let’s lighten up. riddle Hey, Shirone, how about an arm wrestling match?

Yeah. admire You used to be surprisingly tough. palette Lets see if you still have it in you.

With me?

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

As the atmosphere heated up, Shirone set aside his gloom and smiled. apron Arm wrestling with someone who could lift an adult? echo It was absurd, but he couldnt resist the challenge.

The children excitedly banged on the table, egging them on.

How about we bet on the drink?

Yeah! amber A warrior versus a mage! autumn The battle of the century!

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Of course.

Fine, lets do this. amateur But no holding back.

Altor, with his thick forearm, challenged Shirone, who, despite being disadvantaged, couldnt back down from the wager.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Shirone exerted all his strength, but Altors power was overwhelming. august Shirone’s arm was pushed over, and he tumbled under the table, nursing his elbow. acquire It wasnt just strength; it was monstrous.

As they clasped hands, Shirone felt like he was gripping a rock. airport He could easily win with Photonic Magic, but it was just a fun thought.

Ready Go!

Martin volunteered to referee.

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Of course! harbor Altor once hunted a bear!

Magic and arm wrestling had nothing to do with each other, but to the children, the title mage carried significant weight.

Ow, that really hurt.

Wow! atom Altor wins! sphere Shirone is a mage and he got floored in one go?

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Haha, Shirone, you’ve really weakened. acoustic This turned out to be an unfair bet. adopt I’ll pay for the drinks.

Regaining his authority, Altor laughed heartily.

Are you okay, Shirone? auction Altor can be so rough.

Lumina approached Shirone, her eyes filled with concern.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Im fine. atom But Altor has really gotten strong.

As Shirone stood, his purse of gold coins fell, spilling shiny coins. accent The children’s eyes widened.

She understood why Altor acted harshly, being part of the village. acid But Shirone, accustomed to the life of a lumberjack, wasn’t upset.

Whoa, real gold coins!

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Five of them?

You have a lot of money. airport Why carry five gold coins?

They gathered around in awe. beacon It was rare even for adults in the village to use gold coins.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

The children knew Shirone loved books. agent When he visited with Vincent, he always carried one.

In case I found a book I really wanted. arrow Books are expensive.

Shirone sheepishly collected the coins.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Shirone hesitated. artist He’d never frivolously spent money, especially since it was given by others. voyage But seeing the children’s shock at the amount, he chose his words carefully.

Even so, you can afford the drinks. orbit You lost the bet.

So, can you spend this freely? acid You must buy whatever you want, right?

I rarely need to spend. aluminum School keeps me so busy I often skip meals.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Oh, right.

Shirone clearly heard Altors offer to pay, but refusing now would offend him. zenith Altor wasnt ignorant and let the flow go naturally.

The children cheered.

Okay, Ill pay. amateur It was a bet, after all.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Great! wizard Well use the gold coins, right? matrix Shirone, can you give me the money now? arcade Ive never handled gold before.

No, I will!

Ill do the paying. acquire Ive always wanted to!

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Stop it, all of you! canvas Youre acting like kids over one gold coin! timber Lets change the subject.

Suddenly, Shirone had become the leader. auction Lumina watched Altor, whose face showed his hurt pride.

Yet he didnt explode, sharing Lumina’s understanding. accent She knew Shirone hadnt changed a bit. abandon He was still the kind boy who always put others first.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Did you hear? armor It showed up in the back mountains again yesterday.

Quick-witted Martin changed the topic.

Lumina’s reprimand made everyone return to their seats. aluminum Shirone was grateful for her intervention.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

It must be a pregnant cow bear. riddle They eat twice as much.

Yeah, I heard. altitude If this continues, there wont be any wild animals left. agent How long will it keep preying?

Cow bears, especially the females carrying cubs, were notoriously voracious, a headache for hunters.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Shirone, experienced in hunting, expressed interest.

Why dont we all band together and hunt it? artist The cow bear isnt particularly aggressive. album Five people should be enough, right?

A cow bear in this area? sphere Arent they usually behind the mountain range? ability Thats a real problem.

Exactly. atom My dad is a hunter, and these days, he keeps coming back empty-handed. academy With the wildlife nearly wiped out, theres not much he can do.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Hey, Bredd. aluminum What if we caught that cow bear?

That must be tough for your father.

Altors eyes sparkled with an idea.

People are scarce these days due to the logging season. harbor Everyones busy with logging, so no ones available to help. adjust But, judging from its roaming range, it seems unlikely that it would give birth here. beacon If we wait a week, things should return to normal.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Altor saw this hunt as a chance to regain his tarnished honor. crystal His strength and hunting skills were his edge over Shirone, almost like a divine opportunity.

What are you saying? avalanche Ive hunted the notorious red bears till I got bored of it. arena A mere cow bear is nothing to me.

What? matrix Us? ability Isnt that dangerous?

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Hey, what do you say? absorb Let’s help out Bredd.

Sure, Id appreciate it.

Great! palette Lets hunt the cow bear tomorrow!

Failing to bring meat meant their families would starve. accent The children, knowing Bredds predicament, couldnt ignore it. airport After all, Altor had once hunted the most ferocious of bears, the red bear.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Departure at dawn tomorrow! apple Shirone, youre coming too, right?

Idiot! apple You think you can do it? matrix We just need to dig traps and leave the rest to Altor.

Yesss! beacon The blood’s boiling! acid Bredd, dont worry! amateur Ill shoot an arrow right in the bears head!

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Excellent! arena Then, cheers!

Their beer mugs clinked in the air, foaming over with excitement.

Okay. atlas Ive learned some things from my father, so I can do my part.

Altors eyes gleamed with expectation. arch He needed Shirone to reassert his leadership. silence Shirone, sensing this, nodded in agreement.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

The next dawn.

While the others would bring specialized tools, basic equipment was everyone’s responsibility.

* * *

Shirone got up at the crack of dawn to prepare for the hunt.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Shirone, still a man of action, opened the door to find the other kids already gathered outside, fully equipped.

He packed his backpack with a rope coiled to avoid tangling, checked his bow and arrows, and gathered cloth and glue for torches, nails, and a hammer. airport He also packed extra arrowheads and, for emergencies, dried rations and a whistle.

Lifting the backpack, its familiar weight felt reassuring.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Lets go. timber We need to be back before sunset.

Hey, Shirone. amateur Youre late. adopt Get moving. august Haha.

Shirone chuckled sheepishly. meadow Clearly, those actively engaged in the field were on another level.

Haha, sorry. atomic Im a bit out of practice.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Reaching the cow bears territory by sunrise, Lumina started cooking breakfast – a corn soup with melted sheep cheese and bread. aluminum Shirone hungrily dipped his hard bread into the soup, swallowing it down.

Hehe, Lumina blushed.

Delicious. voyage Luminas cooking never disappoints.

Altor led the way, with Shirone and Lumina in the middle group, and Martin covering the rear.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Look at this. atlas The tree’s almost split. acquire The bear must be incredibly strong.

Inspecting claw marks on the trees, Martin commented on the severity of the damage.

Let’s move. crystal The bear seems to be higher up, Altor announced.

Shirone noticed the children had matured. august Even Lumina, usually quick to bicker, had changed for the better. admire He felt relieved seeing his friends doing well.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Hmm. shadow Not too big. aluminum Shouldnt be a problem.

But isnt it dangerous?

Altor examined the claw marks closely.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Altor pulled out his bow, readying an arrow.

Shirone examined the claw marks, feeling something off.

Bears are known for their strength. riddle They’re faster than you think. alert But cow bears are relatively slow. accent We have enough people to handle it.

Strange. palette Doesnt seem like sheer strength. avalanche More like something fast and sharp slashed it…

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Shirone activated his Spirit Zone, extending his senses. portal Although his range was less than a seasoned hunter, his uneasy feeling warranted caution.

Following Altor, the kids moved skillfully, a testament to their daily life in the wilds.

Let’s start here. agent We’ll set traps further up.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

I dont feel anything.

Altor. alpha Somethings not right.

Shirone, whats wrong? absorb Were not setting traps here.

As they neared the summit, a disturbing sensation hit Shirone. apron He stopped, trying to identify it. action Altor turned, annoyed.

Content of Infinite Mage - Chapter 70: At the Summit (3) published by TrungTu Reads.

Altor stopped, horrified by the scene ahead. aluminum Shirone was speechless, nausea overwhelming him.

Altor dismissed Shirones concern. antique But Shirone, convinced, wandered off, with Altor reluctantly following. airport Unilateral actions in the mountains could endanger everyone.

Shirone, if youre going to act like this, just go back dow… Ugh!

What is this…?