Chapitre 14: First hunt
Victor was in his car, heading towards Wildwood Forest. The destination was quite far from his house, about 70 kilometers away.
An hour-long drive later, he rolled into a quaint settlement known as Fusu, situated on the fringe of Wildwood Forest. This village was commonly used for parking vehicles before entering the forest.
Victor parked his car in the village. Although parking was free, he paid 10 buck for security assurance.
From afar, Wildwood Forest loomed with an air of enigmatic allure - its dense flora both enticing and intimidating.
Victor smirked, his voice heavy with anticipation, "Wildwood Forest... better offer good powers."
*********
As Victor approached the forest's threshold, he spotted an elderly man resting comfortably on a mossy boulder.
"Pardon me, sir," Victor ventured, breaking the quietude. "Is this the path leading into the Wildwood Forest?"
The elderly man glanced up, his eyes sparkling with a kind of age-old wisdom. He managed a weak smile. "Indeed it is, young man. Tread lightly, it's a vast wilderness teeming with untamed threats."
"Thank you," Victor acknowledged, gratitude filling his voice, before taking his first steps into the forest's unknown.
As Victor disappeared into the forest's enveloping greenery, the old man squinted, observing his retreating figure. His hands idly stroked his beard as a sudden thought struck him.
"He bears an uncanny resemblance. Have I seen him before?" he mused.
After a few moments of contemplation, he dismissively shook his head. "Probably just a passing resemblance. Nothing more," he concluded.
With that thought cast aside, the old man returned to his solitary meditation, the rock serving as his tranquil sanctuary.
**********
As Victor ventured deeper into the forest, he marveled at the lush greenery and the abundance of trees and plants. Everything was stunningly beautiful.
However, he was not yet satisfied since he had not encountered any monsters or beasts. Victor had only been exploring for 25 minutes and could still see the giant tree with warning markers indicating that he hadn't ventured far enough into the forest.
Resolute, he quickened his pace into a run, the tree markers disappearing in his wake.
***********
"Pant! Pant!"
Panting for breath, Victor leaned against a tree. He didn't know how long he had been running.
The forest had become eerily quiet, with only his heavy breathing to break the silence.
Despite his efforts, Victor still hadn't encountered a single monster or beast.
"Did I pick the wrong spot? This forest doesn't seem any different from a regular one," Victor muttered to himself, a twinge of disappointment in his voice.
His choice of Wildwood Forest wasn't influenced by any direct recommendations. Instead, he was swayed by a news item that reported the death of a Magus after exploring the forest.
"Tch, I need to do something," he decided, feeling a sense of urgency.
He withdrew the Durandal sword from his spatial ring, keeping it close for safety.
With renewed resolve, he sprinted further into the labyrinth of trees.
But even after half an hour of running, he had yet to encounter a single monster.
His frustration grew, "Come on! Where are you, monsters?" He shouted.
Rustle!
Rustle!
Victor had barely finished his sentence when he heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. His heart raced with anticipation, hoping he had finally attracted the attention of a monster or beast.
And sure enough, a Warg emerged from the underbrush, a giant wolf-like creature with menacing eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
Victor's pulse quickened as he realized this was the challenge he had been seeking.
"All right! That's more like it," said Victor with a grin, trying to mask his nervousness. "Let's see what you've got, big guy."
"Graagh!" The Warg snarled and lunged at Victor, who quickly drew his Durandal sword.
Victor managed to block the Warg's initial attack, but the force of the impact sent him staggering backwards. He struggled to maintain his footing, knowing that a single misstep could be fatal.
"Is that all you've got?" Victor taunted, hoping to regain some control over the situation.
The Warg circled Victor, its predatory gaze never leaving him. Victor held his Durandal sword tightly, sweat dripping down his brow as he prepared for the next assault.
As the Warg charged at him again, Victor mustered all his strength and swung the sword, releasing a powerful energy wave.
Slash!
The attack connected, causing the Warg to howl in pain and momentarily slow down.
"Not bad, huh?" Victor said, gasping for breath. "But I can tell you're still holding back."
The Warg, now visibly angry, attacked again, this time with even greater ferocity.
Clank!
Victor barely managed to deflect its powerful blows, each one pushing him closer to his limits. He could feel the Durandal sword's energy building, but he couldn't quite harness it effectively.
"Come on, Durandal!" Victor shouted, urging the sword to unleash its power. "Slay it!"
He attacked by moving swiftly and slashing. The Warg casually dodged all of his attacks.
With each passing moment, Victor's body grew weaker, and his movements became slower.
"Pant! Pant! I can't go on like this," he said earnestly, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
The Warg seemed to sense Victor's fatigue and prepared for a final, devastating strike.
The Warg lunged at him and prepared its Razor-sharp claws.
The attack was so fast that Victor didn't have time to dodge.
The Warg's claws tore into his flesh, leaving deep claw marks and staining his clothes with blood.
Victor took a few steps back and gritted his teeth. "You won't beat me that easily!" he shouted.
In this dire moment, Victor closed his eyes and focused his mind, feeling the power of the Durandal sword coursing through his veins.
Though he had never wielded it before, he knew that this legendary blade had been tempered in the fires of countless battles and had been passed down through generations of warriors.
Something shifted within Victor. He felt a surge of adrenaline, and his eyes snapped open, filled with fierce determination.
Slash!
The sword struck the beast with incredible force, unleashing a blinding surge of light that enveloped the creature. The Warg stumbled back, stunned by the attack.
Victor didn't waste any time. He charged forward, raised his sword, and struck the beast again.
Slash!
The blinding light surged again, engulfing the Warg in its fiery glow.
As the light faded, the Warg lay defeated at Victor's feet, its once-mighty form reduced to a mere shadow of its former self.
Exhausted and heavily injured, Victor fell to the ground. He smiled while panting, grateful for the durandal's power and the knowledge that he had survived his first encounter with a monster.
After a while, he regained his strength and slowly sat up, surveying the aftermath of his battle with the Warg.
His eyes landed on the dead beast, "Can you steal Its power?" Asked Victor.
[Yes, I can]
[You don't need to ask if you want to steal someone's power, just touch and imagine it]
"Good," Victor nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face.
With a dark glint in his eyes, Victor stood up and approached the fallen Warg.
"Let's see what you will give me,"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone