The Brown Elephant Horse moved steadily along the broad wilderness road extending outward from White Ring Saint Academy. Although its speed couldn't compare with that of the Dragon Horse or the Shadow Leopard Horse, every step it took was powerful and steady . Even while carrying Ivan clad in full-plate knight armor together with his large satchel, its breathing remained calm and unhurried, displaying the remarkable endurance inherited from its ancient bloodline.
Beneath its heavy hooves, the wide wilderness road stretched endlessly toward the distant horizon. It had been specially constructed by White Ring Saint Academy, serving as the main route connecting the academy's territory with the numerous Resource Zones under its control. Thanks to this road, wizard apprentices could travel safely between the academy and the outer resource zones without becoming lost in the vast wilderness.
On both sides of the road, towering ancient trees stood like silent guardians, their enormous branches weaving together into a magnificent emerald canopy overhead. Warm sunlight filtered through countless layers of leaves, scattering patches of golden light across the ground and painting the forest with a tranquil beauty.
At first glance, the surrounding scenery appeared calm and peaceful. However, Ivan understood far too well that beneath such tranquility often lurked the greatest dangers. In this world, magical creatures were masters of camouflage, and a single moment of carelessness could easily cost one their life.
Maintaining the Brown Elephant Horse's steady pace, Ivan silently called out within his mind.
"Nova."
"Gather all available information regarding the Poison Fang Spider."
"Yes, Master."
A familiar blue screen quietly materialized before Ivan's eyes. At the same time, Nova retrieved the corresponding chapter from The Myriad Magical Beast Compendium, displaying every piece of information related to the Poison Fang Spider.
Ivan calmly began reading.
According to the records, the Poison Fang Spider was one of the most common magical creatures cultivated within the Academy's D-4 Resource Zone. The numerous Resource Zones surrounding White Ring Saint Academy had all been divided according to terrain, danger level, magical environment, and the species inhabiting them.
The D-4 Resource Zone, together with several neighboring zones, primarily housed poison-attributed magical creatures. Among them, the Poison Fang Spider was considered one of the most troublesome opponents for Wizard Apprentices. Although it wasn't particularly powerful compared to higher magical beasts, its poison and group tactics made it exceptionally dangerous.
According to the illustrations recorded within the compendium, an adult Poison Fang Spider possessed a body roughly the size of a large hunting dog from Ivan's previous life. Its eight powerful legs were covered with coarse dark-green hairs, while numerous emerald-colored poisonous markings spread across its abdomen like strange tattoos.
Its most terrifying feature, however, was its enormous mouth. Rows of razor-sharp poisonous fangs filled its jaws like countless tiny daggers, capable of tearing flesh apart with terrifying ease.
Besides its physical attacks, the Poison Fang Spider possessed several poisonous abilities.
The first ability was Venom Spit.
By compressing poison inside its body, it could launch highly concentrated venom several meters away. Although the venom wasn't instantly fatal to powerful beings, once it entered the bloodstream, it rapidly weakened the victim's body while steadily reducing combat capability.
Even direct contact with its body wasn't entirely safe. A mild poisonous secretion constantly covered its exoskeleton. Brief contact usually resulted in numbness and skin irritation, while prolonged exposure gradually worsened the poisoning.
Ivan carefully memorized every detail.
Knowledge often determined whether a battle ended in victory or death.
Continuing through the records, Ivan soon reached the section describing the creature's combat strength.
An ordinary mature Poison Fang Spider generally possessed strength comparable to a High-Level Knight Apprentice. Among them, stronger individuals occasionally appeared. These Elite Variants possessed combat power comparable to a genuine Low-Level Knight and were significantly more dangerous than ordinary members.
More importantly...
Poison Fang Spiders almost never hunted alone.
They naturally lived in groups.
A small group generally consisted of ten to twenty spiders, with the strongest individual usually remaining at High-Level Knight Apprentice strength.
Medium-sized groups typically contained between fifty and seventy spiders. Besides ordinary members, they almost always included several Elite Variants. Even a Low-Level Wizard Apprentice would find confronting such a group alone extremely dangerous.
The most dangerous, however, were the large groups.
Such swarms often numbered between one hundred and two hundred Poison Fang Spiders. Within these massive groups, there existed a certain probability that a Leader Variant would naturally evolve.
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Nova immediately enlarged the corresponding section.
The Leader Variant represented a qualitative evolution of the species.
Its combat strength generally ranged between a Mid-Level Knight and a Low-Level Wizard Apprentice. Unlike ordinary Poison Fang Spiders, the Leader Variant naturally possessed two innate magical techniques.
The first innate technique was Poison Mist.
The Leader Variant continuously released poisonous mist throughout its surroundings. Within the mist, every ordinary Poison Fang Spider experienced a noticeable increase in combat ability. Meanwhile, creatures without poison affinity suffered weakened physical strength, slower reactions, and gradual poisoning.
The second innate magical technique was Poison Fog Bomb.
The Leader Variant compressed an enormous quantity of poison into a dense spherical mass before launching it nearly fifty meters away. Upon impact, the sphere exploded into an extremely concentrated poisonous cloud. The poison possessed frightening corrosive properties, rapidly corroding flesh and skin. Ordinary creatures caught within the poisonous fog would often die within only a few seconds.
The records also mentioned another extremely dangerous characteristic unique to every Leader Variant.
Every Leader Variant possessed the ability to command and control ordinary Poison Fang Spiders through special sound-wave signals. It could remotely coordinate every spider within its territory, allowing the entire swarm to attack with astonishing precision.
Therefore, when encountering a Leader Variant, the highest priority was to eliminate it as quickly as possible before it summoned the surrounding swarm.
Ivan silently absorbed every piece of information.
He had absolutely no intention of underestimating any magical creature.
After reaching the final page, Nova displayed the section titled:
Weaknesses
First Weakness — Fire.
Poison Fang Spiders naturally feared flames. Fire not only greatly weakened their bodies but also significantly reduced the effectiveness of nearly all their poisonous abilities.
Second Weakness — Abdomen.
Among the Poison Fang Spider's entire body, its abdomen remained the softest and most vulnerable area. A sufficiently powerful strike directed at the abdomen could often kill an ordinary Poison Fang Spider instantly. Even Elite Variants could withstand only several direct attacks before suffering fatal injuries.
As for the Leader Variant, although its body was considerably tougher, its abdomen still remained one of its greatest weaknesses.
Seeing the final conclusions recorded inside the compendium, Ivan gave a slight nod.
Although he couldn't cast offensive spells yet, every piece of information remained invaluable. In battle, even the smallest weakness could become the key that decided life or death.
"My current physical strength is comparable to that of a Mid-Level Knight who has fully stabilized after breaking through."
"Combined with my mutated heart, my combat techniques, and the Rune Sword..."
"I should be capable of fighting a Leader Variant in a one-on-one battle."
After carefully comparing his current strength against the information Nova had gathered, Ivan slowly reached his conclusion. Even after confirming that he now possessed the strength to contend against the strongest creature within the D-4 Resource Zone, his expression remained as calm as ever.
Confidence...
Was entirely different from arrogance.
Ivan understood this distinction very well.
Even if he could defeat a Leader Variant in a one-on-one battle, that didn't mean he could survive being surrounded by dozens—or even hundreds—of Poison Fang Spiders. If an entire group launched a coordinated assault simultaneously, even he would find it almost impossible to escape alive.
Therefore, throughout his entire journey, carefulness remained his greatest weapon.
Calming his thoughts, Ivan gently urged the Brown Elephant Horse onward once more.The sturdy horse continued advancing at an unhurried pace, its heavy hooves rhythmically striking the hardened wilderness road stretching away from White Ring Saint Academy.
As the journey continued, Ivan quietly observed the surrounding scenery.
The climate gradually became warmer as the Brown Elephant Horse continued forward, while the forests on both sides of the wilderness road grew increasingly dense. Countless unfamiliar plants gradually appeared throughout the surrounding wilderness, and far in the distance, towering mountain ranges rose beneath the bright morning sky.
Ivan wasn't surprised by the changing environment.
Within White Ring Saint Academy and its surrounding territory, enormous climate-control magic arrays continuously operated beneath the ground. Those high-level formations maintained the academy's climate at a comfortable temperature throughout the year, ensuring it was neither excessively cold nor unbearably hot. Only after leaving the range of those high-level formations did the surrounding environment gradually return to its natural state.
Along the journey, Ivan occasionally spotted small magical beasts darting through the undergrowth before vanishing into the depths of the dense forest. Feeling the gradually warming temperature and observing the increasingly dense forests together with the distant mountain ranges rising along the horizon, the geographical and continental records that Nova had meticulously compiled from the academy library naturally surfaced within his mind.
According to those records, White Ring Saint Academy was situated in the eastern region of the Central Continent.
As one of the Three Great Wizard Academies of the Wizarding Plane, it possessed overwhelming authority throughout the entire eastern region. Hundreds of kingdoms, countless cities, towns, villages, Resource Zones, and innumerable small organizations associated with the academy all existed beneath its jurisdiction.
Its influence extended into nearly every aspect of life throughout the eastern region.
Whether ordinary kingdoms, noble families, merchant guilds, or independent wizard organizations, all ultimately acknowledged the authority of White Ring Saint Academy. Although many retained a considerable degree of autonomy in managing their own internal affairs, none dared openly challenge the academy's supremacy.
Its foundation had stood for countless years.
Its influence had long since become deeply rooted throughout the eastern region of the Central Continent.
The southern and western regions, however, presented an entirely different situation.
Unlike the eastern region, those lands weren't ruled by a single supreme wizard organization. Instead, numerous small and medium-sized wizard organizations jointly governed their respective territories. Every organization possessed its own magical inheritance, cultivation methods, traditions, and research specialties.
Although none of them individually could rival White Ring Saint Academy, together they maintained a delicate balance of power across the southern and western regions of the Central Continent.
Naturally, this had once caused Ivan to wonder about something during his lessons.
If White Ring Saint Academy was one of the Three Great Wizard Academies...
Then where were the other two?
After giving the matter some thought, however, the answer became rather obvious.
One mountain could not accommodate two tigers.
Let alone three.
If the Three Great Wizard Academies of the Wizarding Plane had all established themselves upon the same continent, conflicts over territory, magical resources, talented apprentices, and strategic locations would have become inevitable. Even with the Wizard Council acting as the supreme authority governing all wizard organizations, countless small-scale conflicts and territorial disputes would still occur.
Large-scale wars might be prohibited.
But minor skirmishes...
Would become almost impossible to avoid.
Therefore, countless years ago, the Three Great Wizard Academies had each chosen different continents upon which to establish their foundations. In this way, they greatly reduced unnecessary conflicts while simultaneously allowing each academy to fully develop its own sphere of influence.
Within the Central Continent...
White Ring Saint Academy stood alone as the supreme ruler of the eastern region.
Although the southern and western regions weren't directly governed by the academy, their countless wizard organizations still maintained diplomatic relations with White Ring Saint Academy. Together, they formed the backbone of the Central Continent's wizard civilization, maintaining its stability for countless years.
However...
Although the eastern, southern, and western regions of the Central Continent remained prosperous, the northern region was an entirely different world.
The northern lands stretched across endless plains, towering mountain ranges, frozen forests, glaciers, and harsh wilderness that remained largely untouched by civilization. The climate there stayed bitterly cold throughout almost the entire year, with only a few brief months offering relatively warmer weather.
Powerful magical beasts roamed freely throughout those lands.
Many of them possessed terrifying bloodlines that ordinary wizard apprentices couldn't hope to confront.
Because of the dangerous environment and the relatively poor concentration of magical resources suitable for large-scale development, very few wizard organizations had ever chosen to establish permanent territories within the northern region.
Even after countless years...
Large portions of the northern continent remained completely unexplored.
Some areas contained no trace of human civilization for hundreds of kilometers.
Numerous adventurers, explorers, and wizard expeditions had ventured into those unknown lands throughout history.
Very few...
Ever returned.
Fortunately, after the beginning of the Era of Plane Colonization, the importance of territory within the Wizarding Plane itself had gradually diminished.
Unlike the ancient era, where an organization's strength largely depended upon the amount of land and resources it controlled within the Wizarding Plane, modern wizard organizations had shifted their focus toward conquering and developing other worlds.
Today...
The true measure of an academy's strength no longer lay solely in the territory it governed.
Instead...
It depended upon how many foreign planes it controlled...
And how many magical resources it could continuously extract from those conquered planes.
That...
Was the true foundation of a top-tier wizard organization.
As everything recorded within those books resurfaced in his mind, Ivan slowly looked toward the distant horizon.
The world beyond White Ring Saint Academy was unimaginably vast.
With his current strength, he had only just earned the qualifications to leave the academy and enter a beginner Resource Zone. Compared to the great wizards who traversed countless planes and explored unknown worlds, he had merely taken his first true step upon the path of wizardry.
The road ahead was still incredibly long.
Nearly two and a half hours passed.
The Brown Elephant Horse, which had maintained its steady pace throughout the journey, gradually slowed under Ivan's control. According to the mission guidance recorded within his identity badge, he had already reached the outskirts of his destination.
Ivan calmly removed his identity badge. With a faint pulse of mana, a translucent blue projection unfolded before him, revealing the mission map suspended in midair. He carefully compared the projected terrain with the surrounding landscape.
After confirming that every landmark matched perfectly, Ivan quietly dismissed the map projection.
"D-4 Resource Zone."
"I've arrived."
The wilderness road continued stretching deeper into the forest.
However, compared to before, warning markers now appeared with increasing frequency along both sides of the road. Dense poisonous vegetation gradually covered the surrounding forest, while strange vines climbed the ancient trees. Even the air itself felt noticeably heavier, carrying a faint scent of poison that lingered with every breath.
Ivan dismounted from the Brown Elephant Horse.
Rather than leading it directly into the poisonous forest, he guided it toward a relatively concealed spot beside the wilderness road, where several ancient trees grew close together. Their dense branches and thick undergrowth naturally shielded the area from the view of passing travelers. After selecting a sturdy ancient tree, Ivan securely fastened the horse's reins before gently patting its neck.
To an outsider...
This decision might appear somewhat reckless.
Wasn't he worried that a magical beast might suddenly emerge from the forest and attack the horse?
The answer...
Was no.
Every major wilderness road extending outward from White Ring Saint Academy had been personally constructed by high-ranking wizards countless years ago. Hidden beneath the seemingly ordinary road were enormous protective formations that had operated continuously ever since, day and night without interruption.
Those high-level formations radiated an invisible deterrent that instinctively repelled magical beasts.
Within approximately ten meters on both sides of the enchanted road, magical beasts simply refused to approach.
To them...
That area was an absolute forbidden zone.
Even if an exceptionally fearless magical beast ignored its instincts and stepped into the protected area, the defensive formations beneath the road would activate instantly. Depending on the creature's strength, it would either be annihilated on the spot or completely paralyzed before it could advance another step.
Because of these powerful protective formations, wizard apprentices could safely leave their mounts beside the wilderness road while carrying out missions within nearby Resource Zones without worrying about attacks from magical beasts.
After confirming the knot one final time, Ivan adjusted the straps securing his large satchel.
His left hand rested lightly upon the hilt of his semi-finished Rune Sword, the faint crimson runes shimmering quietly beneath the warm sunlight.
Taking a slow breath, Ivan stepped away from the safety of the wilderness road.
One step.
Then another.
As he advanced deeper into the forest, the towering trees gradually blocked out the sunlight. A damp scent of earth mixed with the faint smell of poison lingered in the air, while the peaceful atmosphere from earlier vanished without a trace.
Every rustling leaf... Every distant sound... Seemed to conceal unseen danger.
Ivan remained calm.
His sharp eyes continuously scanned every direction as he steadily advanced deeper into the D-4 Resource Zone.