After what happened, Ken didn’t go back to town. He stayed in the forest. Why? Well, he simply didn’t see the need to head back since his job was done already. What mattered to him now was getting stronger and finding a solution to what was headed their way.

He had spoken to the attacker more in depth about the formations that they had. It is said that the formations, unlike normal magic that used internal mana, used mana from the environment, but it was an extremely difficult thing to learn due to the fact that your body needed a certain level of sturdiness that many could never reach and a soul strength that was beyond what was normal.

Luna also chipped in to help Ken. She explained what she knew about it, and that helped him know more about the system and how it worked.

Magic, despite being beautiful, was a very, very dangerous thing, and the safest being the spell magic like the one Luna used, it came at a cost, but the cost was not as much as the one from using the formation.

Ken also learned that mana pools were mostly decided at birth, meaning the amount of mana that one had was what followed them till they grew up, and no one had been capable of increasing the pool that they had.

It was the bitter aspect of magic that stopped many from reaching higher heights. Good genes allowed massive pools, and very good training could teach a mage how to use their pool in the best way possible, but there was no increasing the amount.

This showed Ken that he was stuck with the little mana that he had, which meant there was no way he could learn and use the type of magic that Luna had.

It meant his only option was to use the same route the attackers used, and that was to engrave formations on his body if he ever wanted to use magic. But that brought back the greatest issue, mana madness, which led to one turning into an abomination as well.

Mana madness was the risk that existed when it came to using the rune formations on the body. The mana surged into you for a moment, but it also came with the voice of the world as well, and the voice of the world led to madness. If your mind was not strong enough and trained enough, you would fall into its grasp, and that would be the end of you, turning you into an abomination fueled by natural mana.

It was the reason many warriors never did it, and as for those that did, they ensured that they trained as much as possible, their minds and bodies, in order to ensure that they could cast a lousy one-star spell and not succumb to the cruel hands of Orion.

Spells in this world ranked from one star all the way to seven stars, but the highest people with engravings could go was three stars, not because they could not get more, but because even the greatest minds fell when they tried to go higher.

With all the information Ken gathered, he didn’t even think for a while. He made a decision.

"I’ll get engravings to the highest possible level."

"What?" Luna asked, seated under the glow of the moon and a flame that he had made. She had a piece of meat in her hands and more roasted above the fire.

"I’ll be getting formations engraved on me. That way, I can use magic," Ken said before biting into his food. He looked over to the attacker that was still tied to the tree, evidently tired and hungry. He stared at them like a puppy.

Ken got to his feet and walked to him. He grabbed the vines, and with one hand, he completely ripped them apart. The attacker fell to the ground immediately, his knees and hands completely weak.

"Get up and run. Take this."

The attacker looked up. He saw Ken handing him meat. His eyes lit up. He grabbed the meat and struggled to his feet. He looked at Ken and gave a bow before turning and running, too weak to even speak.

Ken watched as he vanished into the darkness, and then he turned to look at Luna.

"You absolutely cannot do that," Luna said the moment he turned.

"Why not?" he asked.

"You heard everything that could happen to you. The risk is not worth it at all. Very few people survive even using a mere one-star spell." She tried to get through to Ken.

"Haha, you don’t have to worry about that when it comes to me. There is no way I’d die from something like that or become an abomination. I stand above all states of mind, so there is nothing that the planet can say to shake me," Ken declared, looking completely confident in himself.

She looked at him and wanted to say that was all baloney, but when she saw his eyes, she saw someone who had no doubt, but that wasn’t what stopped her. It was the fact that she got lost in his eyes and forgot what she wanted to say.

"I was thinking, I want to meet your people," Ken said.

Luna choked on meat out of shock. She coughed loudly until it got out, and then she looked at Ken with wide eyes.

"Don’t you think that’s too fast?" she asked.

Ken heard her, then he realized the way he said it sounded like he wanted to marry her.

’Seriously? Can’t hate it, though. Her reaction was funny.’

"I meant to meet your people concerning what’s coming. I want to ask for their help."

"Oh," she replied, pretty disappointed.

"I doubt they would want to help humans, though. I’m sure they would stay hidden when the demons come and allow them to do what they want."

Ken frowned. "Tch, normally I’d not ask for help, but this time it is needed, so my pride aside, I need you to help me."