Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

”This can’t go on.” Aiko was sitting back inside the library, looking over the spells.

She retrieved all those marbles and raised her Level as much as possible, but it was still not enough to even break the 500 Mana barrier.

”What do I do now...” Aiko could try using advanced magic, while it did consume more Mana, it was quicker and could deliver more powerful blows to squads.

”Right, it’s decided.” Aiko decided to buy more powerful magic while keeping her current outfit.

She didn’t have nearly as many Soul Points as she hoped, but she also didn’t want to give up on this class.

Magic was fun, the casting and everything looked pretty, but it was just that, pretty. Most of it was quite cumbersome, meaning she had to deal with her declining Mana while also maintaining distance from enemies.

”Magic that can solve both things.” Aiko browsed through all the books to find anything that would help her remedy that.

”Glacial Formation.” It was a mixture of magic and cultivation, but mostly magic. It had two effects.

First, it would change the terrain into glacial, making movement difficult, but those things would quickly melt away in this climate.

The second part was more important. It lowered the temperature and actually reinforced the ice that she would create. It would also give her a small buff to ice magic at the cost of duration of the Glacial Formation.

”Okay.” Aiko was looking through spells that needed to be maintained.

Their consumption was ridiculous, but at the same time it should be able to solve most of her issues.

”I will take the Fire Sea spell.” Aiko nodded her head. That fucker cost her 10K alone, but its effects were hard to pass.

The first effect was that it would flood a certain area. This was important since it applied slowly that was hard to ignore, especially for those uglies that were smaller.

Then the flood would turn into a sea of fire, as long as she maintained the Mana.

”But it doesn’t end there.” Aiko chuckled sinisterly.

What she didn’t like about the Glacial Formation was the fact that the ice would melt. However, the same thing would happen over here.

The flood would stay for some time, so it would provide a debuff for much longer!

Nodding her head in appreciation, Aiko immediately went over to the village to test it.

...

”I swear that teleport is the first thing I learn after getting 1,000 Mana!” Aiko swore, but she also forgot to mention that it cost over 100k Soul Points...

Aiko was at her usual location, but then she had a devilish idea.

”Wait...” Aiko chuckled. ”Can’t I just flood the whole village?” She laughed like she was some kind of genius.

She immediately started casting the Fire Sea spell.

A small bubble appeared in front of her as it floated some distance in front and above her.

The bubble burst, flooding her location and spreading the flood.

”Oh, you gotta be kidding me.” Aiko was almost swept away, since she didn’t expect the torrent that didn’t happen inside the safe area.

’Next time, test spells outside first.’ Aiko groaned, but she couldn’t really do that, since she would have to pay for those spells first before even testing them.

Aiko endured the flood, but then she paused.

”Wait, hold on-” Aiko immediately started running as the water behind her suddenly lit up.

She completely ignored the fact that something like that might happen, and now her ass was on fire until she jumped into her caravan.

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As she expected, while her caravan was warm, it didn’t seem like it would burn at all.

Aiko was concerned about the wheels, but they should be fine, since they cost her a lot. If not, she would just demolish that shop back in the safe area!

...

[You have died.]

Aiko was staring at this message for a while. She was just about to completely flip out, since she only went to sleep to recover as much Mana as possible and keep the spell going, but she woke up inside the safe area!

”What the fuck!” Aiko almost made a bridge out of her body, that’s how upset she was.

”What happened!?” Aiko demanded an answer.

[You have choked on fumes.]

Aiko blinked. She rubbed her eyes a few times before grabbing the system message and throwing it into a nearby rubbish bin.

”WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN I CHOKED TO DEATH?!” Aiko yelled up to the sky with exaggerated motion. She was livid that that was even a thing!

”I demand compensation!” Aiko huffed.

[Tip: Do not spend time in enclosed space while fire is-]

*Bang*

Who knows where Aiko got that cannon, but she would use all the ammunition to drill holes into that damned message!

She kept firing the cannon until the message gave up and disappeared.

”Phew...” Aiko breathed out in relief. It was time to bring out the bigger gun.

While she did die, she harvested a lot too!

[You have killed Goblin.]x543

[You have gained 130 Soul Points.]x543

That’s 70k Soul Points! Not only did she get return on investment, but-

”Wait, I didn’t pick those marbles...” Aiko bit her lips like she was suffering.

”Gimme pet that collects things!” Aiko yelled out.

[Spirit Slime is currently growing and can’t be used.]

”UGH!” Aiko groaned, massaging her neck as her face was distorted. She couldn’t believe she was suffering this much just because-

”You know what? I will save 1 million Soul Points and buy that.” Aiko pointed at the missile launcher and something that was called ’fat boy’.

”And you know what more will happen?” Aiko cackled sinisterly. ”I will stand just outside the safe area as it blows, and before the shock wave arrives here I will jump in!”

Not only would she avoid all damage from it, but she would also obtain all the points she needed!

”And since the Wave would reset, then that means there would be no repercussions!” Aiko laughed even more as she was fed up with this.

[System donated one-time city-scale spell.]

”You won’t convince me.” Aiko snorted at it, but she still took the spell.

She read what was on the parchment before her eyes widened. ”You are so biassed!” This spell cost more than a freaking teleport!

”Don’t mind if I do~” Aiko bought the flight spell, which would consume a lot of Mana, but her other spell was for free, so everything would be fine~!

...

Aiko arrived at her caravan in record time. Thanks to the flight spell that cost a whopping 50k Soul Points.

However, the spell that she was holding in her hand was so much more that she was wondering if she was even allowed to use it. The scale was simply off the charts!

But then she saw her caravan and its sorry state, and she immediately descended.

Her bed and everything cloth-like burned away, leaving only the skeleton, but the skeleton was still in a good shape or rather it was in almost perfect shape!

”At least something.” Aiko snorted unhappily as this place was still flooded.

”I will have to pull this heavy-ass thing in water, huh...” Aiko’s lips twitched. It did say the water would be left behind, but for this long!?

”Whatever.” Aiko abandoned the caravan as the spell might wipe her too, so there was no need to risk her caravan getting obliterated too.

”I’m looking forward to it~” Aiko hummed as she flew towards the next village.

...

”The scale is like this...” Aiko narrowed her eyes. She would try to take out this village and possibly cause some damage to the other villages.

She ripped the scroll, which had the spell on it.

”Hm? Clouds?” Aiko tilted her head. She did read that this would descend a dragon calamity, but... that was just a metaphor, right...?

”Ummmmm...” The clouds turned dark and Aiko suddenly had a feeling that she would be in the safe area sooner than she expected.

The clouds were as dark as they could get, which never happened inside this place, so it was part of that spell.

”R-right, I should go.” Just as Aiko turned around. The clouds were wiped all at once, or rather wiped out clouds made large circles above her.

The water that was supposed to be inside those clouds were now outside of it as if waiting for something

”Oh...” Aiko could see the individual droplets before they gathered in one place. The water turned into a whirlpool as if trying to form something.

”Oh fuck...” It actually manifested a huge dragon that was more like a mountain, and it came crashing down. It was not really well shaped, but it should’ve been a dragon considering the description.

”City-scale my ass...” Aiko cast the most powerful barrier above her to at least survive for a bit longer, but it was all for naught. Her barrier caved at the moment it was touched by that mountain. There was no resistance, nothing.

The mountain crashed into her and kept going towards the ground.

*BOOOOOOOOM*

The earth was overturned and smashed apart, everything under the dragon was completely flattened, and it didn’t matter if it was an ugly or elite ugly.

None were spared!

As the dragon crashed, the water acted normally for a moment until caving into itself and gathering into the middle. It made a huge pillar into the sky that formed a large tree.

At this point Aiko was floating half-dead on the residual water when she saw a huge tsunami coming her way.

”This... is just unfair...” Aiko cried gently as she closed her eyes...

...

[You have died.]

”No shit.” Aiko kept lying on the floor, not because she was depressed, but because of the other messages...

[You have killed a Goblin.]x11477

[You have gained 130 Soul Points.]x11477

[You have killed an Elite Goblin.]x1024

[You have gained 195 Soul Points.]x1024

[You have killed a Goblin Champion.]x49

[You have gained 260 Soul Points.]x49

[You have killed a Goblin Chieftain.]x4

[You have gained 390 Soul Points.]x4

Aiko was grinning like a child, looking at those amazing numbers, but soon, reality hit her again.

”Wait...” Aiko’s whole face twitched. ”WHOSE GOING TO COLLECT ALL THOSE MARBLES?! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”