The sun had just risen, shining bright in a cloudless sky. It was shaping up to be a warm summer day. Ignoring the idyllic weather, two teenage boys were rushing up the side of a hill, racing toward the top.
The two of them ran at speeds that would have been impossible for a normal person, even on flat ground. Even so, neither of them had any thoughts of slowing down despite the traitorous terrain. Only after reaching the top, did the winner finally come to a halt.
He was a brown-haired boy with golden eyes. Catching his breath, he bent over with his hands on his knees. He looked back, appreciating the lead he had managed to build during the later part of the climb. By the time his companion joined him, his breath was already steady again.
He smiled at the other boy. "I win again."
His companion, completely out of breath, immediately slumped to the ground. "I hate you so much, Zeke."
Zeke smirked, looking down at his brother. "Hey, it wasn't me who wanted to race."
Leo just turned his head away, too tired to argue. Judging by his heaving chest, it would be a while until he recovered. Meanwhile, Zeke walked to the cliff, inspecting the far side of the hill. From this vantage point, he could make out their surroundings clearly.
As far as the eye could see, hills of various sizes dotted the landscape. The one they were currently on was among the largest, allowing Zeke to see all the way to the horizon. A satisfied smile emerged on his face. They were making good progress.
It had been a week since the two of them had left Tradespire. They exited the city to the south, the opposite direction of the empire. Consequently, they had landed in Invocatia, the country of summoners. Not wanting to draw any attention, they had stayed off the roads for the first few days, before making their way east.
Their eventual goal was to reach Korrovan, which lay to the east of Invocatia. However, Zeke had no intention of hurrying the journey. This was the first time he could truly explore the world, as he had always dreamed. Being undercover, there was nothing keeping him from enjoying the carefree life of an adventurer for a while.
For once, he had no responsibilities. He didn't have to look out for plots or schemes, or to plan ahead. For once, the only thing he needed to concern himself with was where his next meal would come from, and where he would spend the night.
Grrrrrrr!
At the thought of food, his stomach rumbled. They had not had any breakfast yet, and Zeke felt the first pangs of hunger after the long morning workout. Looking over at Leo, who had managed to sit up by now, Zeke considered their next move.
Two days ago, they had finally entered a town for the first time. There, they accepted their first quest. They were traveling under the guise of being wandering mercenaries, so it would have been strange if they didn't accept any missions from the guild. The quest they accepted was a typical monster-hunting quest.
The creature they were looking for was the Steeltusk Boar and according to the receptionist, they were quite common in these hills. However, so far they had not come across a single one.
"Akasha, what do you know about Steeltusk Boars?"
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<p><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Name: Steeltusk Boar</span>
<span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Category: Monster.</span>
<span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Height: 3 steps.</span>
<span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Weight: 900 pounds.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Description: The Steeltusk Boar is a large monster known for its pack-based lifestyle. These creatures form groups of up to 12 members and thrive in hilly terrain, living in caves. Their primary method of attack is a formidable downhill charge, which they execute with great precision. This charge, fueled by their sharp tusks, allows them to overpower even larger predators in a single, devastating strike.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Value: The most prized aspect of the Steeltusk Boar is its razor-sharp tusks. These tusks are highly sought after as materials for crafting weapons and tools, making them a valuable resource.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)"> Danger Rating: negligible.</span></p>
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Zeke nodded contently. It was in moments such as these that he could appreciate how useful Akasha truly was. Quickly going over the information, Zeke took notice of two aspects. First, the value of their tusks. This didn't surprise him much, as the quest had specified that they would be rewarded for each piece they brought back. The second thing was the danger rating. From the overall description of the monster, he would have expected them to be more dangerous.
"Why is the danger rating so low?"
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<span style="color: rgba(236, 240, 241, 1)">The danger rating is not a generalized value but an estimation of the threat posed to host. Given host's superior mobility, the Boar's charge can be easily avoided.</span></td>
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That made sense. Especially if the monsters were charging downhill. If he avoided them once, they couldn't easily repeat the attack. A plan started to form in his mind. Seeing that Leo had gotten to his feet, Zeke approached his brother with a smile. "Hungry?"
"Mmhmm."
"How about some meat?"
Leo looked at him suspiciously. He knew they didn't have any meat. "Is this a trick question?"
Zeke's smile widened. "Not at all. I was just thinking about getting our quest out of the way at the same time. What do you say?"
Leo's eyes lit up. "Boar?"
Zeke nodded, motioning for him to follow. While descending the hill, he relayed his plan to his brother while simultaneously keeping watch for any of the caves the boars supposedly lived in. By the time they had made it halfway down, his search was finally rewarded. In front of the giant mouth of a cave slept four ginormous beasts.
Exchanging a glance, Zeke and Leo approached silently. The boars had a peculiar sleeping posture as they lay on their back while stiffly stretching their four hooves skyward. To Zeke, they looked incredibly silly. Still, he wouldn't underestimate any monster, especially one he had never fought against.
"Four of them outside, with maybe more inside the cave. Do we proceed as planned?"
Zeke nodded. "Yes, this is about what I expected. Worst case, we abandon the plan and just fight them head-on."
Leo's eyes shone. Zeke could already tell that his brother would rather forget about the plan and just fight them head-on to begin with, but he wouldn't allow that. It wasn't a good habit to always rush in without a forethought. Sure, they might be able to get away with it against the boars, but the stronger their opponents became, the more critical a good strategy was. Zeke wanted Leo to realize that. "Can you do it?"
Leo nodded. "I'll be fine."
"Let's do this, I'm getting hungry."
***
Zeke stood a fair distance below the cave, eyeing the sleeping boars. Their preparations were complete, and all that remained was to see if his plan was any good.
"HEY! COME HERE YOU STINKING BOARS!"
Immediately, the peaceful scene was disrupted. Zeke was shocked as he saw how each of the four Steeltusk Boar shot to their feet in an instant. Their silly posture was nowhere to be seen as they whirled around at a speed that belied their massive frames. All four of their heads snapped toward him, their beady black eyes focused on his form.
Compared to animals, Monsters usually had a higher level of intelligence. So, Zeke wasn't surprised as the boars exchanged glances instead of mindlessly charging. However, seeing no sign of a trap and only a single human standing there, they eventually decided to attack.
But even with their charge, the monsters showed a surprising level of forethought. Instead of an uncoordinated rush, they advanced together, shoulder to shoulder. This way, it was almost impossible for Zeke to avoid. Were he to try and lunge out of the way at the last moment, he would get trampled by the flanking boars.
Zeke hummed appreciatively as the wall of flesh closed in on him. No wonder Akasha had said they were able to hunt larger predators. Their sharp tusks combined with the momentum from rushing downhill made for a fearsome sight. As they were closing in, he could feel the ground trembling. At this moment he could truly appreciate why mounted troops were so feared. The psychological pressure alone was enormous.
He made eye contact with the largest of the beasts rushing straight toward him. He saw the rage in the monster's eyes and anticipation. Waiting for the very last moment, Zeke prepared himself. He breathed in deeply, gathering Mana and shaping a Spellform in his Core.
And then, just as the boar lowered his head in anticipation of the collision, Zeke vanished.
"NOW, LEO!"
At the same moment Zeke disappeared, rows upon rows of spears shot from the ground. The sharpened stone pillars formed a barricade in their path. Immediately, chaos broke out.
The largest of the boars tried to continue the charge, but the others lacked the confidence to do so. In this situation, their tight formation became their weak point as the four figures tripped over each other in their attempts to halt. As a result, all four of them tumbled and rolled into the barricade, exposing their vulnerable flanks to the spikes.
"Squuueeeeel!"
The spears pierced deep. Half were killed instantly, while the remaining two were wounded heavily.
Emerging from a shallow ditch, Leo pounced toward one of the remaining boars. Before the monster even realized what was happening, a heavy saber was already descending towards its neck, akin to a guillotine.
Similarly, Zeke dove from his perch in midair, targeting the other survivor. With the long, blood-red spike protruding from his fist, Zeke dove toward the head of the monster, ending its life with a single strike as well.
After making sure all monsters were dead, Zeke smiled triumphantly. "See? That's why planning is so important!"
However, Leo wasn't listening. His gaze was transfixed on the four gigantic piles of meat in front of him. Zeke could almost swear he saw his brother drool. With a sigh, he relented. "Fine, let's eat first."
***
After butchering one of the corpses and dragging it up the hill. Zeke and Leo found themself eagerly watching the rotating lump of meat. Akasha was using [Telekinesis] to sear the meat evenly. The heavenly aroma of the seasoned meat was so enticing that they witlessly stared at the slowly roasting treat.
Most people considered monster meat inedible because of its toughness. However, ever since he had acquired the Dragon heart, Zeke had developed a taste for it. For some reason, Leo enjoyed it just as much, which was fortunate. Like this, the two would never struggle with finding food.
To distract himself, Leo looked over at the pile of tusks they had harvested. His expression turned thoughtful as he looked up the hill they had come from. "Do we return after the meal?"
"Return where?"
"Don't we have to turn in the quest?"
Zeke was puzzled for a moment before realizing what Leo meant. "Ohh that. No, we aren't going back. We'll be able to turn in the quest at another branch of the Adventurer guild as well."
Leo looked dubious. "How does that work?"
Zeke smirked and picked up a stone from the ground. Holding it in his right hand, he showed it to Leo. A moment later, the stone disappeared from his right hand and appeared on his left. He wiggled his eyebrows. "Magic!"
Leo rolled his eyes. "I thought Space Magic was heavily regulated. How come the guild can send goods back and forth as they wish?"
Zeke shook his head. "It's not all Space Magic that is controlled so heavily, only [Teleportation]. The spell that is used to move items around is called [Transposition]. The rules regarding that are far more lax, as every country needs trade."
Leo nodded, following along. "Can you use that spell too?"
Zeke smiled cockily. "What do you think?"
It was at that moment that the meat began to sizzle more intensely, drawing their attention.
Leo gulped. "Do you think it's done?"
Zeke used his knife to slice off a piece, passing half of it to Leo. The moment his teeth sank into it, a rich flavor exploded in his mouth. What was this? Why was this so good? Eyes wide, he exchanged a look with Leo, only to find the same expression on his brother's face.
After a moment of silence, they both pounced on the spinning boar, uncaring of any manners. Luckily, they had more than enough to satisfy their appetite. After a long eating binge, the two brothers found themself lying down in the early afternoon sun.
"Leo."
"What's up?"
"This journey… I want the both of us to use this chance to get stronger."
Leo rolled his eyes. "I don't think you should be the one to tell me this. I use every chance to get stronger."
Zeke nodded. "That's true, but I don't just mean regular training."
Leo turned his head, glancing at Zeke. "Then what?"
Zeke also turned toward his brother, his face serious. "How much do you know about Maximilian's Magic?"