Chương 18: Hunt [1]
The sun was slowly rising in the sky, with only half, then a quarter of its body visible.
"Huff... Hurff..."
The echoes of a person's panting reverberated through the dense forest below the edge of the mountain.
"Azer, why on Earth are we here? Just... what's going on in that senile mind of yours?"
Azer simply shrugged, giving a look that said, 'Isn't this obvious?' before finally responding.
"Of course, we are here for the final test of your training, which will also be your first hunt of mana beasts."
"And, of course, your mission is to kill more than a thousand beasts within a month."
Noir looked at him with a hint of disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Hunting mana beasts? After just a few weeks of training? And that many too? Do you really think someone will be able to do it?"
"What? You can't do something so simple?"
"Wha... Huh?! When did I say I couldn't? I just said an average person couldn't do it. And who do you think I am?"
"I am one of the few Onyx in this era, something only the few choosen ones have achieved. And you think I, the great Noir, can't do this little thing?"
"So, you can do it within a month?" Azer asked, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, along with a subtle smile that Noir didn't notice.
"What one month? I will do it within half a month! And if I can't, then this King will accept any demand you make."
Azer chuckled lightly, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "So, it's a deal, and don't forget what you said. I don't like people who can't keep their word."
"So, go for the hunt. Now..."
As he said that, Azer simultaneously pushed Noir off the mountain cliff.
***
"Whooo... Hooo..."
Whaaaaa... What the hell?
What the actual hell just happened?
Did I just accept that impossible task?
Why?
Why on earth did I agree?
Was it because of my surging adrenaline? No, it wasn't, and I'm sure of it.
That fucker... he must have used some magic; it wasn't just a wild guess, but something I believe wholeheartedly.
"You bastard..." My loud voice reverberated across the space as I fell from the sky.
.
Am I falling? Falling from such a height?
Am I going to die?
No, no, no, no, no...
I don't want to die... I haven't even gotten married yet.
What can I do? Wha-
Mana! Yes, I can coat myself; no, not just mana—I can use aura too.
Mana and aura to coat my body so that the impact of the fall won't kill me—or even injure me.
***
A warmth spread throughout Noir's body like a gentle yet powerful current, mixed with a faint, pulsing aura—a lighter, more erratic feeling compared to before.
They were mana and aura, slowly harmonizing with a soft glow that grew brighter with each passing moment, enveloping first his hand, then slowly his whole body.
Thud—!
Noir crashed and rolled on the ground like a ragdoll, a small brush burn marking his skin.
---
Noir stood at the edge of the dense forest, his heart pounding loudly.
The towering trees loomed over him, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze.
The sun had barely risen, casting long shadows across the forest of giant trees.
Crunch! Crunch!
A sound reached Noir's ears—the unmistakable crunching of grass under heavy paws.
His heart skipped a beat; he knew his first hunt had already begun.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound grew louder, closer. Noir tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his muscles coiled like a spring.
From the shadows of the trees, a beast emerged.
It was a massive wolf, its fur mottled gray, and large, jagged horns protruded from its forehead.
Its eyes glowed, its gaze that of a hungry predator eyeing its prey.
Behind it, a pack of seven more beasts appeared.
Noir squared his shoulders and took a step forward, his sword at the ready.
The first wolf lunged, its horn aimed directly at Noir's chest.
Noir swiftly sidestepped, his movements quick and precise.
His sword flashed, striking the beast's side.
But as another beast's horn grazed his shoulder, pain shot through his arm.
He spun around, ignoring the burning sensation, and slashed through the wolf's neck.
Thud—!
The beast collapsed, beheaded in a single strike.
But just as he killed it, another wolf's claws raked across his flesh, and sharp pain erupted in his side.
Noir stumbled, blood seeping from the wound. But gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand.
The third beast charged, its horn aimed low.
Noir jumped, his sword arcing downward to meet the beast's skull.
The horn splintered with a sickening crack, and the beast fell.
Noir landed heavily, his knees buckling from the impact. Pain flared up his leg, but he forced himself to stand and keep moving.
This much pain was nothing compared to what he had previously gone through.
Blood flowed freely from the wound on his shoulder, staining his clothes and dripping onto the green land.
Each movement sent waves of agony through his body, but Noir pushed it aside.
He couldn't afford to stop.
Not now. Not when he knew that one simple mistake would mean death.
As the battle raged on, something within Noir was slowly but gradually changing.
Each swing of his sword felt more natural, more fluid. His senses sharpened, his movements becoming more instinctual.
Experience was flowing into him as he fought.
Even though the beasts were ordinary, this was Noir's first time fighting to the death, and he was constantly becoming stronger as more time passed.
Experience was flooding into him, filling the gaps left by training and sparring alone.
The remaining beasts circled him, wary now.
Even though they were ordinary beasts, they had the instinct to sense death, which they were feeling right now.
Because right now, Noir... had become death.
But barely suppressing their nature, a beast lunged. But this time, Noir was ready.
He stepped into the attack, his sword slicing through flesh and bone.
The beast fell, its lifeless body thudding against the ground.
Pain throbbed in his shoulder, his leg—everywhere—but he didn't give up.
He gritted his teeth and quickly appeared between two of the beasts, slashing his sword in a quick and powerful vertical motion.
Thud—! Thud—!
Both wolves fell dead.
"Haaa... Haa..."
Noir's panting and gasping echoed through the dense forest as he fell to his knees.
The beasts he had hun—
Before he could rejoice in his victory, the last wolf, which had hidden after seeing its comrades die at Noir's hands, attacked, taking advantage of Noir's injuries and lowered guard.
Suddenly, seeing the beast so close to him, Noir quickly tried to sidestep.
But before he could move his entire body, the beast's glowing horn pierced his right leg, seriously injuring him.
"Arghhh... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
'It hurts. It fucking hurts.'
With the beast's horn still embedded in his right leg, Noir quickly slashed his sword at the top of the beast's head, severing the horn.
Thud—!
Just like that, the ever-glowing horn dimmed as it was severed from the beast's head.
GWARHHHH—!
The beast's pained growl reached Noir's ears as its horn was dislodged, after which Noir quickly dragged his injured body to the side.
As soon as he was clear, he thrust his sword into the crying beast's side, penetrating its body and heart.
The beast died, never knowing how.
Noir barely managed to drag his injured and broken body out of the bloody area as the last beast died, not wanting to attract other predators due to the smell of blood.
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