Only a few moments after he tossed the meat into the water.
"Oh—here they come."
A school of fish appeared beneath the surface.
They were all monsters, each so large that Ren would have struggled to wrap his arms around one. Their bodies were protected by thick, azure scales, and their mouths were lined with rows of fangs as sharp as any predator’s.
They were known as Berserk Fish.
The sight of them swimming in such a massive, concentrated school was slightly unsettling.
A wry smile twitched on Ren’s face as he tossed another piece of meat into the water.
"Ka-ka-ka-ka!"
"Ka-ka!"
The sound was the result of the Berserk Fish grinding their fangs together.
As if launched from a barrel, several of the monsters lunged from the water toward the meat with the speed of a bullet. Ren watched them come and swung his Iron Magic Sword. He repeated the motion over and over, striking every time a fish breached the surface.
One, two... then ten, then fifteen. In the blink of an eye, a small mountain of harvested Berserk Fish grew atop the ice.
By the time the momentum finally slowed, he had claimed nineteen of them.
"Seriously, was it really alright for things to be this easy?"
The monsters known as Berserk Fish entered their breeding season during the winter. In this lake, that period began once the surface was sealed under a thick layer of ice. The juveniles that hatched from the eggs were famously cannibalistic, growing by devouring one another whenever their hunger became unbearable.
They were notorious for an aggressive nature backed by the lethal power of those serrated fangs. This ferocity during their youth was exactly how they had earned the name Berserk Fish.
Surprisingly, however, they became much more docile upon reaching adulthood. While they might occasionally snatch a bird from the water's surface once the ice thawed, they rarely went out of their way to attack humans.
"The lack of a struggle makes the sense of accomplishment a bit thin... but as I thought, it was Evolution."
——————
Ren Ashton
[Job] Ashton Family Eldest Son
[Skill] · Magic Sword Summoning (Level 1: 0/0) · Magic Sword Summoning Arts (Level 5: 95/5000) Level 1: Can summon 【one】 Magic Sword. Level 2: Gains the effect of 【Physical Ability Boost (Small)】 while a Magic Sword is summoned. Level 3: Can summon 【two】 Magic Swords. Level 4: Gains the effect of 【Physical Ability Boost (Medium)】 while a Magic Sword is summoned. Level 5: Unlocks Magic Sword Evolution. Level 6: Gains the effect of 【Physical Ability Boost (Large)】 while a Magic Sword is summoned. Level 7: ＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊.
[Acquired Magic Swords] · Great Tree Magic Sword (Level 3: 114/2000) Enables attacks equivalent to Nature Magic (Medium). Attack Effect Range expands as the level increases.
· Iron Magic Sword (Level 3: 3039/4500) Sharpness increases as the level increases.
· Thief's Magic Sword (Level 1: 0/3) Steals a random item from the target at a fixed probability.
· Shield Magic Sword (Level 2: 0/5) Deploys a Mana Barrier. Effectiveness and effect range increase as the level increases.
· Flame Magic Sword (Level 1: 1/1) Its hellfire is the Dragon's Anger and the Incarnation of Power.
——————
There were two significant changes.
The first was the level-up of his Magic Sword Summoning Arts, which had finally unlocked Magic Sword Evolution. While the proficiency required for the next level was so distant it made him feel a bit melancholy, the reward for Level 6 apparently involved Physical Ability Boost (Large).
The second change was the one he had been waiting for.
With Evolution unlocked, the Wooden Magic Sword—which had remained stagnant despite his efforts—had finally reached its next stage. It had evolved into the "Great Tree Magic Sword."
"Oh, it looks... actually kind of cool."
He found himself talking to his own reflection more and more these days.
Ren tried to plant his Iron Magic Sword into the ice, but its sheer sharpness shattered the frozen surface, causing the blade to start sinking. He quickly unsummoned it and summoned the Great Tree Magic Sword in its place.
It was a wish finally granted.
The Great Tree Magic Sword that manifested in the air bore no resemblance to the simple wooden knife of the past. It had transformed into a stunning blade adorned with intricate engravings, a weapon that would have looked perfectly at home in a royal ceremony.
One other detail caught his eye. The power that had been listed as Nature Magic (Small) was now Nature Magic (Medium).
It was simply in Ren's nature to test it immediately.
"Go!"
After scanning the area to ensure he was truly alone, Ren swung the Great Tree Magic Sword. He visualized the usual roots and vines, but he focused intensely on the idea of wielding a much greater power, trusting that the "Medium" rank would deliver.
Even so, he tried not to get his hopes up too high. It was just one step up from "Small," after all. He didn't want to be disappointed.
And then——
"Oh?"
The tip of the Great Tree Magic Sword pointed toward the Great Pit he had opened in the ice. A low rumble vibrated up from the depths of the earth. Ren tilted his head, watching the surface, and a few seconds later...
"Wh—Whaaaaaaaaaat!?"
Thick, gnarled tree roots erupted through the ice, each one writhing with such massive girth that they looked capable of binding even a Giant Mana Eater. They surged up all across the vast lake. Without question, the attack range and sheer potency were on a completely different scale than anything he had used before.
Startled by the unexpected level of destruction, Ren hurriedly unsummoned the blade. The power he had unleashed was entirely out of proportion to the mana he had spent; he realized he would have to reconsider his "just one step up" theory.
"I guess that's why they call it 'Evolution.'"
It made sense when he put it that way, but he was still stunned by the jump in strength. The thick ice covering the lake was shattered in multiple directions, and the broken slabs were already drifting quietly on the water’s surface from the force of the roots' impact.
Ren exhaled a long breath, feeling like he could celebrate this evolution for hours.
However, one thing reminded him that he still had a long way to go: the Flame Magic Sword. He had tried to summon it many times since the spring, but every attempt had resulted in a blinding headache and a sense of exhaustion similar to total mana depletion.
"Is it because the base form is just that powerful, even without becoming the Flame Sword Asval?"
He tried to focus on summoning it now, and he felt that the strain was slightly more manageable than before. Still, there was no reason to push himself here. Having confirmed his progress, he took a breath and let the focus on the Flame Magic Sword fade.
Ren laid out several large hemp bags on the ice and stuffed the hunted Berserk Fish inside, not leaving a single one behind. Once the bags were bulging, he shouldered them and began the trek back toward the lakeshore.
The deep snow made for difficult walking, but Ren headed home with a light heart.
"The efficiency is great, but I can't really do this every day."
In the era of The Legend of the Seven Heroes, this specific farming method was only available for a limited time. It had to be winter, so players could only exploit it during a specific part of the story.
In this world, however, things were different. It wasn't a game, and the number of monsters was likely finite. If he kept this up, he would eventually drive the Berserk Fish to extinction and wreck the local ecosystem.
Realistically, that was something he needed to avoid.
"Anyway, there's really no one around."
While there were monsters specific to the season, they rarely appeared in this region. Since most monsters stayed hidden in the winter compared to the warmer months, adventurers who hunted winter-exclusive prey rarely bothered to travel this far. Furthermore, no one in their right mind would come all this way to fish for aggressive juveniles on dangerous ice.
That was exactly what made this place such a perfect hidden gem. And, of course, merchants and travelers had no reason to be here at all.
Ren considered these factors as he walked, feeling satisfied with the day's haul. Since he had nothing else to do but walk, his thoughts drifted back to the Great Tree Magic Sword, and he almost unconsciously reached into his breast pocket. He pulled out the small bottle Edgar had given him, gripping it firmly in his palm.
"Should I go to the Guild to sell these, or... I did hear the meat is supposed to be delicious..."
Just as Ren was debating the fate of the fish.
A soft sound, like the tinkle of breaking glass, echoed from his hand.
"...Hm?"
Startled, Ren stopped and looked down. Since he was only holding the small bottle, his first thought was that he had accidentally crushed the container itself.
But that wasn't it.
When he opened his hand, he saw the truth.
"Ah—it broke."
The crystal ball inside the bottle wasn't just scratched or cracked. It had shattered into dust.
The suddenness of it was a surprise, but this was the tool he had been using to practice his mana manipulation for the Enshroud technique. Edgar had told him that once he achieved a certain level of control, the effect on the crystal would be instantaneous.
A wave of emotion washed over him as he realized his hard work had finally borne fruit. Between the evolution of his magic sword and this breakthrough, it was an undeniably successful day.
As Ren continued down the snow-covered animal trail, his footsteps felt lighter than ever.