The jungle was hotter and more humid than the valley, even in the shade of the ancient trees. Leon's linen robes were soaked with sweat within an hour, but he didn't mind—he was too busy staring at the strange plants and animals around him, scribbling notes in his leather journal.
"Look at those flowers," he said, pointing to a cluster of bright blue flowers growing on the trunk of a massive oak. "They're similar to the moonlit grass we grow in the herb garden, but their petals have a silver sheen. Maybe they have stronger calming properties, or can enhance meditation."
Im nodded, pulling a small glass vial from his backpack. "I'll collect some samples later. We can test them when we get back to the valley. If they're as potent as they look, we can sell them to the Mage Guild for a good price."
Flower was walking ahead, his crossbow held ready, his eyes scanning the dense underbrush. "Teacher, do you really think we'll find magical beasts here? I've only read about them in books."
Im smiled, his eyes sharp and alert. "You will. The Transverse Mountains have all kinds of magical creatures—most of them are harmless, like the glow squirrels that live in the treetops, but a few are dangerous. That's why I brought you here: to learn how to tell the difference, and how to defend yourselves if you have to."
A few hours later, they heard a low, guttural growl from the bushes ahead. Leon froze, his hand going to the crossbow slung over his shoulder. Dahlia and Flower tensed up, their mana flaring faintly around their hands as they prepared to cast defensive spells.
Im held up a hand, signaling them to stay quiet and still. "Wait. Let me assess it first. Don't make any sudden movements."
He stepped forward slowly, his hand glowing with a faint blue light that pushed back the shadows. A large, cat-like creature emerged from the bushes—its fur was jet black with silver stripes, and its eyes glowed bright green in the dim jungle light. It was bigger than a lion, with long, sharp claws and fangs that glinted like polished metal.
"A Shadow Panther," Im said, his voice calm and steady. "It's a mid-level magical beast. It uses shadow magic to hide and ambush prey. It's curious right now, not hostile—don't give it a reason to attack."
The Shadow Panther stared at them, its tail twitching slowly. It didn't move forward, but it didn't back down either, as if it was trying to figure out if they were a threat or a potential meal.
Leon slowly reached for his crossbow, his eyes never leaving the panther. "Can we kill it? Its pelt would be worth a lot of money, and its claws and teeth could be used to make powerful magical items."
Im shook his head firmly. "No. We're here to learn, not to hunt. Unless it attacks us first, we won't harm it. Magical beasts are an important part of the jungle ecosystem—killing them unnecessarily disrupts the natural balance."
The Shadow Panther let out another low growl, taking a single step forward. Dahlia tensed, her hands glowing with fire magic. "It looks like it's making up its mind to attack."
Im raised his hand, and a bright blue burst of light shot from his palm, hitting the ground in front of the panther. The Shadow Panther hissed, stepping back quickly. It knew Im was a stronger mage, and it didn't want to fight a losing battle. It turned and ran into the jungle, disappearing into the shadows within seconds.
Flower let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, his shoulders slumping with relief. "Wow, that was close. I thought it was going to pounce on us."
Leon grinned, putting his crossbow back in its sling. "That was awesome! I've never seen a real magical beast before. Did you see its eyes? They glowed like green lanterns."
Im smiled, clapping Leon on the back. "That's why we're here. You need to learn how to handle dangerous situations calmly. If you'd panicked and attacked it, it would have fought back, and we would have had to kill it. Now you know how to read a magical beast's behavior."
They continued walking, and by late afternoon, they found a small clearing near a crystal-clear stream. Im decided to set up camp there. "We'll stay here tonight. The stream gives us fresh water, and the clearing is open enough that we can see any threats coming. Tomorrow, we'll go deeper into the mountains, but we'll stay away from the central peaks—there are more powerful, aggressive beasts there."
Leon helped set up the small canvas tents, while Dahlia collected dry firewood and Flower fetched water from the stream. Im started a fire with a small, controlled fire spell, and they cooked a simple dinner of dried venison, hardtack bread, and preserved mushrooms.
As they sat around the fire, Leon pulled out his journal and started writing about the Shadow Panther, drawing a rough sketch of the beast and noting its size, color, and magical abilities. "I wonder if its shadow magic can be replicated with runes," he muttered to himself, tapping his chin with a pencil.
Dahlia leaned over his shoulder, looking at his sketch. "You're going to try to make a rune array that uses shadow magic? That sounds really hard—shadow magic is one of the trickier types to master."
Leon nodded, grinning. "Maybe. But if I can figure it out, it could be useful for stealth or protection. Imagine being able to create a shadow shield that blocks magical attacks."
Im listened to their conversation, smiling to himself. Leon's curiosity and creativity were his greatest strengths. He knew Leon would go far as a mage, if he kept working hard and staying humble.
That night, Leon woke up to a strange rustling sound—like something small moving through the bushes outside his tent. He quietly got up, grabbing his crossbow and a small magical lantern. He peeked out of the tent flap, and he saw a small, furry creature stealing dried fruit from their supply bag.
It was about the size of a house cat, with big, round ears and a long, bushy tail, and its fur was covered in glowing green spots. Leon recognized it immediately—a Glow Squirrel, a small, harmless magical beast that ate nuts and berries, and sometimes stole food from travelers. Their glowing fur was used to make long-lasting light potions.
Leon smiled, watching the squirrel. He didn't want to scare it away—he'd seen Glow Squirrels in books, but he'd never seen one in real life. He quietly went back to his tent, deciding to let the squirrel have the fruit. It was just a little thief, not a threat.
The next morning, they packed up their camp and continued their journey. They found several new types of herbs, including a rare healing herb with purple leaves that Im said was used to make high-level antidote potions for magical poisons. Leon collected samples of each herb, labeling them carefully with their location and appearance.
As they walked deeper into the mountains, they saw more magical beasts—a herd of Silver Deer, whose antlers were used to make lightweight magical wands; a group of Fire Frogs, whose skin secreted a flammable liquid that could be used as a fire starter; and a large, slow-moving Rock Turtle, whose shell was so hard it could withstand a direct Fireball spell.
Leon was fascinated by all of them, taking detailed notes and sketches in his journal. He even tried to communicate with a young Silver Deer, using a small animal charm spell he'd learned from an old book. The deer didn't run away—it just stared at him, its big, dark eyes curious, before slowly walking back to the herd.
"Did it understand you?" Dahlia asked, amazed.
Leon shrugged, grinning. "Maybe. Or maybe it just thought I was weird. Either way, it didn't attack me, so that's a win."
By the end of the week, they had collected a large amount of magical herbs and materials, including a Shadow Panther claw that had fallen off a dead beast they found near a rocky outcrop, and a Glow Squirrel pelt that Leon had found (the squirrel had died of old age, he insisted, not from anything he'd done).
Im decided it was time to head back. "We've found enough good materials, and we've seen plenty of magical beasts. It's time to go home before the summer monsoons start— the jungle will be flooded and impossible to navigate."
They started the journey back to Linden Pine Valley, taking the same narrow, magic-carved path they'd used to get there. Leon was tired, his feet sore from walking, but he was happy—he'd learned a lot on the expedition, and he couldn't wait to start experimenting with the new herbs and materials.
When they got back to the valley, they found the protection array still active, and the herb garden and greenhouse were untouched. Leon immediately went to the mushroom building, checking on the growing mushrooms. Everything was growing well, thanks to the automatic watering system he'd set up using a small water rune array.
Im went to his workshop to start analyzing the new herbs, while Flower and Dahlia unpacked their backpacks and washed the jungle mud off their robes. Leon sat down at his desk, pulling out his journal and the samples he'd collected.
He looked at the Shadow Panther claw, turning it over in his hand, thinking about the shadow magic rune array he wanted to make. "I'm going to figure out shadow magic," he muttered to himself. "One day, I'll be able to cast shadow spells just like that panther."
He smiled, feeling excited about the future. He was one step closer to becoming a real mage, and one step closer to fulfilling his promise to Eldrin to explore the ancient ruins in the mountains.