Chương 8: The Hunt’s Path

The morning dew still coated the tall grass when the stone gates of Oakhaven were left behind. Ren walked with a steady rhythm. The three-silver-coin short sword beat rhythmically against his thigh, secured in a simple leather scabbard. His hands were covered in fresh bandages, hiding the blood blisters from the previous night's training. Beside him, Selene kept her staff resting on her shoulder, using her worn cloak to shield herself from the cold dawn wind."

You still hasn't told me exactly what we're hunting," Selene broke the silence, kicking a stone on the dirt road.

"If it's just a pack of filthy goblins, I can deal with them in a single blast." Ren didn't shift his gaze, keeping his eyes on the dense forest trees that were beginning to rise on the horizon." Goblins only pay a few copper coins, Selene. We're after a mid-tier Razorback. A giant boar with tusks infused with earth mana." Selene stopped abruptly in the middle of the road. Her crimson eyes widened slightly." A Razorback? Are you insane? The hide of those monsters is as tough as wrought iron!

How do you even know that, to begin with?" Ren stopped two steps ahead and turned around slowly. The slight, confident smile—his social mask—appeared on his face with complete naturalness." Last night, while you were complaining at the counter, I bought a cheap ale for a one-eyed warrior who has faced one before," Ren replied, his voice calm yet firm.

"He told me that experienced warriors need heavy swords to break through their defense. My short sword wouldn't even leave a scratch. Neither would your ordinary flames, if you just shoot blindly." Selene frowned, surprised that he had gathered information so coldly and well in advance." If its hide is like stone, what are we supposed to do then, genius?"" The one-eyed veteran gave me the secret: the hide is tough, but the neck and the underside of its legs are soft. That's the weak point.

The problem isn't your firepower, Selene. It's where you aim." Ren took a step back, closing the distance between them." How long does it take you to chant and focus the mana at the tip of your staff for a piercing spell?" Selene looked away, her pride slightly stung at having her tactical capabilities questioned by a newbie." Four seconds. Three, if I don't need to aim with absolute precision." Four seconds of casting, Ren calculated. For a beast running at thirty kilometers per hour, four seconds is an eternity.

That's why the previous parties rejected you, hot-headed mage. They tried to charge straight at the monster and expected you to hit a moving target. An amateur miscalculation I won't commit." Perfect," Ren said, lightly tapping the pommel of his short sword.

"Four seconds is exactly the time I need. My job is to draw its charge, make it miss the target, and expose its soft neck."Selene looked at his build, which didn't look like that of a brute warrior capable of withstanding such an impact."If you miss the timing by a fraction of a second... its tusks will pierce straight through your chest, newbie.""Then it's a good thing you won't miss your shot when I create the opening," Ren replied with a light laugh, turning back toward the road.

"Let's go. Its territory begins just past the tree line." They crossed the boundary into the forest. The sunlight dimmed drastically, filtered by the massive canopy of the arcane trees. The sound of birds vanished, replaced by a heavy silence. Ren drew his short sword from its scabbard, the common metal reflecting the faint light. He took a deep breath, smelling wet earth and ancient blood. The stage has changed, Ren noted silently. No modern safety regulations.

If I die here, I don't know if the board resets again or if it's the definitive end. But the logic remains the same. The monster acts on instinct. I act on strategy. The hunt has begun. In the distance, the sound of thick branches being snapped in half echoed through the trees, followed by a low, guttural growl that made the ground tremble slightly. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.