The Ancient Genes

" It feels good...but it's not enough..I have to get stronger..", Max mumbled as he clenched his fist.

Max moved through the forest as he challenged his body's limits to its utmost.

" I can't accurately calculate my strength. But it's more than twice of what it used to be. If I could find a beast to fight. It would really give me an idea.", Max mumbled.

Before this boost, his strength was around the beginner of Mid level mage without the use of his boosting skills.

" Hm…"

Max looked ahead feeling a presence and increased his speed.

Finally, Max saw a black colored beetle. It was a head smaller than him but was wider than him. It had caught another beast in it's pincer.

" How rare? It's a Black Iron Beetle. I thought they moved in groups.", Max murmured in surprise.

The Black Iron Beetle around it's maturity was a peak level Ferocious Beasts while it's defenses were said to be as strong as that of a low level savage beasts. 

" A perfect opponent! ", Max smiled as he felt his blood pump and adrenaline rush through his body.

The next instant, Max kicked the ground with an explosive force. The Black Iron Beetle seemed to have sensed Max approaching. But it clearly wasn't fast enough. 

Max reached the beast and took a deep step forcing his feet below and gathering all his strength from his body. He wanted to see what he could do at his level. Releasing a shallow breath, he struck letting all his moment through the punch within a second.

A loud boom resonated and Max was forced to take a step back with a bit of aching in his hand.

' Did I take it too far?', Max wondered. But the next instant a smile leaked out on his face as a cracking noise entered his ears followed by the beast's miserable screech.

The Black Iron Beetle's shell cracked and blood and puss leaked out of it as the beast struggled to move.

There wasn't much fight left within the beast. Max took out his dagger and ended its life.

" It's my first beast core.", Max said with a smile as he looked at the black color core around the size of a fist radiating mana fluctuations.

"I should take it's meat. I don't even know how longer the supplies in my inventory will last. Besides, it's good stuff."

The core of beasts were helpful in refining one's own mana core while their meat was good for health. Hence, many people ventured into orena as mercenaries to make money.

When Max was done, he began moving once again. But the further he moved, the stronger the beasts became. But he still could take care of them. Only after a dozen of fights, he had to run away.

But in all this, he had confirmed at least one thing that his strength has entered the realm of High level Mages.

" Looks like I am moving deeper into the Orena.",  Max mumbled as he changed his direction thinking of checking whether his hypothesis was correct.

After a few minutes, Max sensed a living creature towards his right. It wasn't too far away, only 50 meters away from him.

" Let's see whether it's weaker than the previous ones."

Max subconsciously commanded the system to activate stealth since he didn't want to take any risks this time. But after a while, he remembered the system couldn't be used right now.

" Well, it might not be as good as the system's but it won't be that bad.", Max said as he closed his eyes and remembered his past experiences.

All those times when he had used his skill flashed before his eyes as clearly as day. Even he himself felt surprised at his own memory power.

Max opened his eyes a minute later tilted his body a bit forward before taking a step forward at a certain angle. 

And there wasn't a single sound.

He moved like a wind and within a minute, he had arrived at the place.

It was a tree….and not an ordinary one.

Max gasped as he looked at the blue colored fruits hanging on the trees.

Elemental fruits 

' F*ck! This would be worth it, if I can get out of this place with those fruits.'

Max thought as he looked at the fruits. It was his first time ever looking at a Mana treasure in real life.

He only knew that people ventured in Orena in search of these things and it was very rare to be able to find something as precious as elemental fruit. 

These fruits could help one in refining their core and break through. But there was another thing which it could do, because of which it was sold at such a ridiculous price. This fruit had 10% chances of increasing one's elemental affinity. These chances could further be enhanced if some other rare resources could be consumed together with it.

" It is blue in color. It must be water in nature after all, the Water element mana is definitely stronger here because of the river.", Max mumbled as he looked at the three blue colored fruits hanging on the tree.

"Hiss!"

Suddenly a hissing noise interrupted, Max's train of thoughts as he looked at the creaturing emerging from the hole beside the tree.

'So it was hiding in there, no wonder I couldn't find it.', Max thought as he looked at the snake.

At first it looked small. But after it was out of its hole, Max looked at it with wide eyes.

' Damn it's huge! Isn't it a Water Cobra? I was almost fooled by its size. '

The snake didn't seem to have noticed Max who was hiding behind the bush. It lazily moved its body before coming in front of the tree and laying down.

" So, it was out for a sunbath. Well, it gives me a perfect chance to strike."

An evil grin leaked out on Max's face. The water cobra was a Mid-level Ferocious beast and it dared to dream of those fruits. That evil beast had to be punished.

Max stealthily moved and circled around the snake getting behind him. 

'You are dead!'

Max screamed in his heart as he slowly crawled towards the snake. He had already taken out his dagger. When he was right onto the snake, his hands moved like lightning and blurred.

" Clang! "

A metallic noise rang leaving Max shocked. The Water Cobra opened its eyes and hissed in rage.

Max immediately went in for a second strike as he tried to ignite his flames along with his dagger.

But the snake was much faster than Max. It twirled it's the body and launched a strike using its tail.

Max felt the huge force behind the Water Cobra's strike and instinctively moved his dagger to block the attack.

"Clang!"

The collision gave rise to another metallic noise and Max felt a tremor jolting through his body before he flew out like a rocket and collided with a tree.

" Shit! It looks like this dude has been eating those fruits for quite a while.", Max mumbled as he noticed a crown on the snake's head.

It was an evolved creature.