Chương 87: B2 Chapter 9

The young generation had lost too many good people since the Rite. Young warriors. Four of Hakon's team had died, and almost ten younger warriors who had been with Ulfar when the Pearot hunters surprised them hadn't witnessed the end of the fight. That was too much no matter how Hakon looked at it. Some of the deaths had been unnecessary as well. But he couldn't let that consume him. The young warriors had died with pride. They gave their utmost to help Tribe Taskur emerge victorious on the battlefield.

If one could call it that. I will have to talk to Ulfar. Hakon mused but shook his head after a moment. Talking to Ulfar would come later. The fool of a man wouldn't listen to him either way, except if he crushed him with overwhelming force. Even then, he may not, but it was Hakon's chance. And that meant he had to ascend sooner rather than later.

"I'm ready." But first, he had to find his father. The chieftain was in the hut, talking to Astrid's mother and some of the strongest warriors of Tribe Taskur. Astrid's mother, Mera, glared at Hakon when he stepped inside, but she walked out after a curt nod aimed at the chieftain. No words were exchanged, but Mera's behavior said more than most of the old parchment scrolls did. The other warriors glanced at each other before leaving as well.

They greeted him with faint smiles, yet the expressions didn't reach their exhausted eyes. Their arms were covered in cuts, their bare chests in black-and-blue bruises. One of the warriors looked like his rib cage had been crushed and caved inward not too long ago. As if it were still recovering from whatever had been strong enough to shatter a 3rd Ascension warrior's ribs. Turning to look at his father, it was apparent that while the chieftain was not injured, he was tired.

The bags beneath his eyes were larger than usual, his hair was unkempt, and the light in his eyes seemed to scream for sleep.

"You left the training ground." It was more a statement than a question. A trace of disapproval laced the chieftain's voice, which only deepened as his eyebrows furrowed.

"You have not yet returned to the dark forest."

"I will. Soon." Hakon responded, keeping his voice steady.

"I focused on training to prepare for my Ascension. Because that is what I am going to do once I step back into the forest. I won't return before I ascend." The chieftain nodded slowly. That was acceptable.

"Do you want me to hunt the Pearot or to seek out the challenges of the forest?" He did not know why he asked his father, but it felt like the right thing to do. His father might not have been there for him whenever he needed him; however, when Hakon's life was in danger, he was there. If he hadn't exiled Mother, he... Hakon shook his head, discarding the thought. It didn't matter how pleasant his father had been recently. He'd discarded Hakon's mother, taking away the person he needed the most when he was younger.

She had been the only one who understood him. She taught him how to read and allowed him to do what he liked most rather than pushing him to fight all day long. With his mother by his side, Hakon had been able to–...

"Huh?" He muttered, his father's words no more than muffled noises in the background. Whatever his father said couldn't be as important as this. This being that he did not have the faintest inkling about what he did with his mother in the past. Hakon tried to summon the fragments of memories swirling through his mind, yet the only things that came to him were snippets of his mother's face, blurred and hard to discern, and her soothing voice talking to him, teaching him something. Something that wasn't reading.

There was more to it, and he knew it, but it wouldn't come to him no matter how hard he searched his mind. What is going on? Hakon wanted to scream, only to be pulled out of his downward spiral by a flick to his forehead. His father flicked him hard enough to make his head ring. [Vitality Stream] flowed toward his forehead, filling it with the warmth needed to recover within heartbeats, but the effect was the same.

"What? Did you say something?" Hakon rubbed his forehead, grimacing.

"You did not listen." Not a question but another statement.

"Do not ask questions if you do not listen."

"Of course, Father." He nodded, discarding the thoughts and doubts plaguing his mind.

"Like I just said, Tribe Pearot will not cause you any trouble. The older warriors keep Pearot in check." The chieftain said, though what he really meant was that Tribe Pearot didn't dare attack Tribe Taskur with full power. Not after what happened a moon ago. Tribe Pearot realized that they stood no chance against Chieftain Ragna. Being the only living Barbarian at the 5th Ascension gave him strength unlike anyone else.

"You could conquer them. Defeat them, once and for all. Why are you not doing that?" It would be a great Feat, no doubt. Conquering Tribe Pearot as well as the remaining tribes would certainly entice the Ancestors. Hakon did not doubt for a second that the Ancestors already loved his father, but he could do so much more. He knew his father was strong enough to tear Tribe Pearot apart, forget about the other tribes. They wouldn't stand a chance.

His father's gaze drifted away to a nearby window, his mind no longer with the conversation. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, the only sound that shattered the silence hanging in the air. It only confirmed that the chieftain was hiding something. That he did not want to talk about it.

"It's the will of the Ancestors." He said after dozens of heartbeats, his gaze fixed on the far distance.

"That's all you need to know for now." His father's words created more questions than they answered. Hakon wasn't convinced, but it was not like he could force his father to do anything about it. For now, even if only for a little longer, he would accept that answer.

"Focus on your own tasks." The chieftain looked back at his son, their eyes locking.

"Take care of your human and your warriors. Your second Ascension awaits you. Grow stronger and you shall learn more about the Ancestors and our connection to them." Hakon's eyes widened, but he nodded slowly. He could feel the Wall of his Ascension. It would shatter soon.

"The powers of the forest are stirring. Strong monsters that lived in the mountain range before it erupted. They came and acted as the challenges the Ancestors promised. The older generation has been fighting Tribe Pearot's hunters and the monsters of the forest to protect the tribe. Now it is your time to do the same." More older warriors had left the tribehold for a while now. Hakon had noticed as much. Just like he'd noticed the older warriors sustaining more injuries that took much longer to heal.

But he also noticed them growing stronger. Tribe Taskur was no longer stagnating. They weren't growing weaker. No, Hakon shook his head slowly. The entire tribe was growing stronger, and if he didn't want to fall behind, he would have to work even harder. Stronger monsters migrated from the mountain range. That reminded Hakon of the gargantuan creature whose eye contact nearly killed him. It made him shudder, but not in fear.

He was excited, hoping the mountain's monsters were as terrifying as the gargantuan creature. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. A little weaker, maybe. He chuckled, knowing very well that he was nowhere near capable enough to even dream about fighting the gargantuan silver-scaled monster. But that was exactly what he dreamed about. In the past, he could only think about growing strong enough to shove his father from his throne.

Hakon wanted to become the next chieftain and remove his mother's exile to find her and bring her back to the tribe, returning everything to how it was always supposed to be. The Rite changed his dream. It expanded on it and made him want to unite the tribes even more. He desired to become the next Warlord to return the Barbarians to their former glory. And now… now Hakon wanted Tribe Taskur to grow strong enough to face the silver-scaled creature head-on. That was how strong he wanted to be.

Mighty enough to defeat a Divine Beast. Just like the other Barbarians of Tribe Taskur. Surely enough, Tribe Pearot was in awe of the Divine Beast's power. The 'Silver Dragon' as the older warriors called it. Their eyes sparkled whenever they reminiscent the power of the Silver Dragon. They, the toughest of all the tribes, froze up in shock when the Silver Dragon emerged from the broken mountain. Their bodies wouldn't move even when their minds screamed at them, telling them to leave.

Most hadn't had such a horrifying experience for many cycles, and they savored the experience. They… wanted to experience it again, even if it meant they would have to die. For, that they would once they encountered the Silver Dragon. Or they would survive and emerge on the brink of death, their weakness oozing from their wounds. Maybe they would even ascend, breaking the shackles that had them rooted for so many cycles. Hakon did not want to end up like the older warriors, stagnating for many cycles.

While it may not appear like they gave up on growing stronger, their will hadn't been strong enough to push them to greater heights. That would not happen to him. Hakon had a Will strong enough to break through the Walls of Ascension. As he reaffirmed once more that his will was strong enough, something within him stirred. Almost like his body was in agreement with his assessment. But there was more to it as well. His body wanted to tell him something, yet he failed to understand what it was.

The forest parted around him as he skulked through the undergrowth in utter silence. [Stealth], [Silent Steps], and [Unhindered Movement] transformed him into a silent killer, which he leveraged to his advantage instead of dismissing it. If the Pearot hunters could move around stealthily, showing clear signs of using Skills bestowed upon them by the Ancestors, Hakon may as well do the same. The Ancestors were adapting, and he swore to take full advantage of it.

Nonetheless, he didn't use any mana in the effort to augment [Stealth] or [Unhindered Movement], even though it felt like Enhanced Comprehension wanted him to move that way. His Ancient Power usually wanted the best from him, but using mana for everything didn't feel right. For he did not always have enough mana left to use for other things. And, of course, he could only split his attention so often. Most of his Magic Skills affected his mind more than the Skills that had become more like muscle memory.

[Evasion] was the closest to being etched into his muscle memory, and Skills like [Throwing] were not that far off either. It wasn't like [Mana Bolt] affected him greatly either, but by using multiple Magic Skills simultaneously, he had to pay a lot more attention to their structures as well as the mana coursing through his pathways. Relying on mana was not the way. It was not his path to walk even if Enhanced Comprehension thought differently. Why do you want me to add mana everywhere?

Hakon knew instinctively that mana would strengthen his Skills. It would make them much stronger and a lot more efficient than they used to be. Upgrading them was likely easier by adding mana in the process as well, but did he really want to walk down the easy path? If it makes hunting easier. He mused, wondering how [Tracking] would perform if mana were added. [Scent of Lifelight] was not all that unlike [Tracking], yet there was more to it. That 'more,' however, was not mana. Lifeblood? Hakon chuckled.

Lifeblood was mana. Mana was Lifeblood. He'd established that already thanks to Enhanced Comprehension, but it no longer felt correct. The sound of it no longer rang true in Hakon's ears and heart. That too was thanks to Enhanced Comprehension. The Ancient Power was clearly not perfect either. It was learning. No, I am learning. The Mind's Power did exactly what it should. Enhanced Comprehension enhanced Hakon's understanding.

It pushed him in certain directions and showed him what he could have done better, sometimes even how, yet it did not create the brightly glowing particles of [Mote of Light] for him. That was Hakon, under the guidance of all the things he learned through his own understanding – empowered by Enhanced Comprehension. The sound of a branch snapping yanked him out of his train of thought. He discarded the idiotic thoughts, reminded himself where he was and what his task was, and lowered his body.

Refocusing on the sounds around him, Hakon skulked through the forest. His steps were fast and deliberate, yet deadly silent. It was almost like he wasn't trying to be silent and as if he was shifting through space as he moved around all obstacles without making a sound. With the Maulaxe Crusher strapped to his back, the first daggers and handaxes made from the Metal Field's metal attached at his belt, and a sword in hand, he should have been much louder.

The additional weight would normally have been more than enough to make crunches in the dirt underfoot, yet his rhythmic breath was all that rang in his ears. And, of course, the target up ahead, its lifelight flaring up in warning. [Stealth Lv. 7 → Lv. 8 Scent of Lifelight Lv. 3 → Lv. 4 Unhindered Movement Lv. 7 → Lv. 8 Edge of Awareness Lv. 4 → Lv. 5] Hmm? Hakon's eyes narrowed at the latest message. He dismissed the Scripture with a thought and moved around the shrubbery, his eyes never leaving the target.

A creature with blue fur. It was hard to make out more but it was a monster, one that failed to camouflage itself among the dark forest's undergrowth. It smelled like mana rather than life, which was odd considering that it still triggered [Scent of Lifelight]. The monster's presence was well-concealed which rang some alarm bells, but that sounded alluring rather than a problem. The more dangerous an opponent the higher his chance at the second ascension.

Then again, leaping at certain death was not part of his mission. Taking that into consideration, Hakon slowed and moved even quieter through the forest. His steps were as silent as death, and he made sure not to release any bloodlust. The blue-furred monster ought to think it was safe and sound until the very end. But as time passed, Hakon realized that he never got close enough to the beast to attack.

[Weakness Detection] didn't pick up any openings and his other heightened perception was not particularly helpful either. All he knew for sure was that the dark forest's monsters avoided his target. They–.. Where did it go?!? He stopped right in his tracks. One moment, the monster had been there, and in the next it faded away. The scent of mana disappeared at the same time, making it seem like the monster had never been there. Instead, another scent, one of life, reached me.

That too was accompanied by several intricate sensations. Pushing the confusion aside, Hakon checked out the source ot the new sensations – not without studying his surroundings intently, trying to find the blue-furred monsters. Rather than the blue monster, he found something else. A familiar scaled, muddy-brown head entered his field of vision. It was not the monster he'd been targeting but the thought of fighting a Drake rang pleasant in his ears. Changing his target on a whim, Hakon studied it intently.

The Drake was unlike the Drake mounts he'd seen before. It had a long neck covered in the very same muddy brown, and so did its massive body. It was not as massive as its fully matured counterpart, yet the oversized lizard was most certainly dangerous. And Hakon had been given the golden opportunity to hunt one for his ascension. [Young Drake – Extreme Threat] His hair stood on end, adrenaline surged through his veins, and mana threatened to leak from his Core, yet he remained exactly where he was.

Instead of rushing straight into the fight ahead, Hakon watched. Battlelust threatened to overcome him, but his senses heightened through [Sensory Expansion], [Flow Observation], and [Edge of Awareness] showed him things he wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Something blue flashed through the bushes behind the Young Drake once more, filling his heart with irritation. There it was, the blue monster he'd initially target! It caught his attention and made him stop once more. Then, the monster disappeared again.

[Edge of Awareness Lv. 5 → Lv. 6] Yet, rather than reconsidering his attack, Hakon prepared for a much greater fight. Whatever the creature was, it felt like it knew that he was present, and it didn't mind his presence. For a moment, it almost felt like Enhanced Comprehension wanted to show Hakon something he failed to understand, but it wasn't the first time the Power of the Mind eluded him. Still, he hesitated for a moment, trying to understand the prodding in the back of his mind. It wants me to attack.

Is that it? Even if that wasn't the correct conclusion, Hakon's plan was not going to change. Was that stupid? Probably. However, the creature in blue didn't feel like a threat. No matter what was about to happen, he was stronger than it. As for the Young Drake… only the Ancestors would know.

"Watch me, Ancestors." He intoned under his breath. It was time to slay a Drake.