Chapter 338: Travelling to World Tree [2] "How are you feeling?" Lola asked as they walked, making conversation to pass the time. "Your combat capabilities seemed significantly enhanced compared to when you first arrived in this place, are you accustomed to your body?" Lola was clearly trying to do some small talk since Noah wasn’t. "The advancement to adept rank made an enormous difference," Noah replied honestly. "The way my attributes and skills interact now creates synergies I couldn’t have achieved before. My body tempering reaching that level especially transformed my durability and physical capability." They continued their journey, unaware of the ripples in the elven kingdoms. The wilderness grew increasingly hostile as Noah and Lola ventured deeper into the untamed forest surrounding the World Tree’s territory. The ambient mana concentration had risen noticeably with each mile, creating an environment where magical beasts thrived far beyond what normal ecosystems could sustain. Their first encounter came within thirty minutes of leaving the surveillance zone. A pack of wolves materialized from the dense undergrowth, their fur glowing with mana. The beasts carried the aura signature of apprentice-rank creatures, dangerous to ordinary humans but manageable for trained practitioners. Lola dispatched them with casual attacks that demonstrated the vast gulf between their capabilities and hers. A single gesture conjured flames that consumed the entire pack before they could close half the distance to their position. The wolves didn’t even have time to howl before being reduced to ash that scattered on the wind. "Apprentice-rank wolves," Lola observed calmly as they continued walking. "Common predators in high-mana environments. Their presence confirms we’re approaching an area of significant magical concentration." Noah nodded, impressed by the effortless nature of her combat magic. The flames had appeared and disappeared so quickly that he barely registered the casting process, demonstrating control that bordered on instinctive reaction rather than conscious spellwork. A few minutes later, they encountered something more powerful. A massive earth bear emerged from behind a cluster of trees, its body covered in stone-like armor that marked it as significantly more dangerous than the shadow wolves. The creature’s aura indicated solid apprentice rank, possibly approaching the threshold to adept level. The bear charged with surprising speed for something so massive, its footfalls shaking the ground and sending small tremors through the forest floor. Each step left deep impressions in the packed earth, showcasing the tremendous weight behind its armored form. Lola responded with a compressed fire ball that carved through the stone armor as if it were soft clay rather than hardened rock. The technique penetrated deep into the creature’s chest cavity, burning critical organs and dropping the massive beast mid-charge. It collapsed in a heap barely ten meters from their position, dead before its momentum fully ceased. "Earth bears are normally quite resilient," Lola commented as she examined her work. "But concentrated elemental attacks targeting structural weaknesses make armor largely irrelevant regardless of thickness or material composition. I didn’t even use adept rank strength, the strength of that attack was approximately the same as the bear." They continued their journey, encountering more dangerous creatures as they ventured deeper into the magical wilderness. A venomous serpent with scales that shimmered with toxic energy tried to ambush them from an overhanging branch, only to be incinerated by a casual fireball from Lola before it could strike. Twin lightning hawks descended from above, their bodies crackling with electrical discharge that marked them as high apprentice-rank threats. Lola destroyed both simultaneously with mana spears that pierced through their elemental defenses, the projectiles moving too fast for the aerial predators to evade. Noah watched these encounters with growing appreciation for Lola’s combat capabilities. Each monster fell so quickly that calling them "fights" seemed generous. She was easily eliminating threats before they could pose any actual danger, her peak archmage abilities rendering apprentice-rank creatures completely irrelevant. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 The pattern continued for the next hour as they progressed through increasingly dangerous territory. A mantis with blade-like forearms that could cut through steel died to a precisely placed earth spike through its vulnerable thorax. A pack of dire wolves coordinating their attack strategy fell to a magical shockwave that ruptured their internal organs simultaneously. Then they encountered their first adept-rank beast, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The creature that emerged from the forest depths was a crimson panther, its eys radiating intelligence and concentrated magical power. Unlike the previous monsters that had attacked through instinct or hunger, this beast assessed them with calculating awareness that suggested thinking. Its aura signature marked it clearly as early adept rank, comparable in raw power to a skilled human practitioner who had recently achieved breakthrough. The panther’s muscles rippled beneath fur that seemed to absorb and redirect light in unsettling patterns, making its exact position difficult to determine through vision alone. Lola raised her hand to conjure an attack spell, prepared to eliminate this more serious threat with the same efficiency she had shown against the weaker creatures. But before she could complete the casting, Noah stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Wait, I want to handle this one." Noah said slightly excited. Lola turned to look at him with surprise and concern visible in her expression. "Noah, that’s not a normal adept-rank beast. They’re significantly more dangerous than anything you’ve encountered so far. Their combat capabilities can match trained practitioners of equivalent rank." "I know," Noah replied, his eyes never leaving the circling panther as it maintained a cautious distance while evaluating these new threats. "That’s exactly why I want to fight it. I need to test my new strength against a serious opponent." The tournament had provided some experience in dealing with shrewd people, but those matches had been constrained by rules and dull weapons that limited what techniques he could employ. Kenzo and Saika had both been skilled fighters, but neither possessed magical abilities or the kind of power that this beast represented. "I’ve reached adept rank across most of my primary skills," Noah continued, his hand moving to the hilt of the blade at his side.