Amidst the illuminated cave, Ezio approached a white crystal. He reached his hand in his leather pouch and pulled out a small pickaxe. It was only as small as his hand.
Pack!
The small pickaxe made a tiny crack on the crystal's surface, and when Ezio made his second swing, the crack became bigger and longer.
He returned the mini pickaxe in his pouch and pulled the crystal, small shattered pieces fell from the ground.
Ezio displayed the shattered crystal at Lev and said, "This is the quid crystal. They are very common and can be easily located in almost every cave. They are the basic necessities for brewing an elixir or a potion which includes the sanatio or any other acidic herbs."
Lev took a mental note on everything that Ezio said. He recalled one by one of the ingredients in his head.
"How about the zereal crystal?"
The hand which held the quid crystal slowly retracted and pushed the crystal on what looked like a small loophole in his leather belt. It held the crystal and at the same time, it also exhibited it.
"Zereal crystals can be found inside the volcano. The warm temperature makes the parasites active inside it.
"The proper way to collect the zereal crystal is, first, wear water-proof gloves and dip it in water, the cooler the water, the better and safer it is. This way, it prevents the parasite from actively spreading on your gloves. After doing so, break it and store it in a cool place to prevent the parasites from activating.
"These are the proper methods on collecting the crystal on a normal basis, but if you have someone who can control the element of ice, then collecting one would make it much easier."
I see... Having an Elemental power is so convenient... Lev inwardly sighed.
After exploring the cave, they entered a tunnel which led to their 'home'. Ezio placed the crystal and the herbs on a corner.
While his back was against Lev, his voice echoed in the cave, "Tomorrow, you will accompany me in hunting. Your next task is to make a bag out of the skin of an animal. You have only a couple of days before completing the task."
Lev was confused about why Ezio wanted him to make a bag.
"What will happen if I fail?"
"Fail first then you'll know what will be the punishment." Ezio's reply was calm but for Lev, he felt a pressuring aura that intimidated him.
The Jäger went back to the entrance of the cave, near the cliff. He guarded and overlooked it, checking if there are any anomalies in the Forest.
The setting sun slowly pulled his light on the face of the forest. Red hues would be seen in the sky if not for the fog that blocked the beautiful art painted in the heavens. The fog blocked the light, but when night came, it accepted the darkness with open arms.
.....
The next day, Lev was thrilled to accompany Ezio on a hunt. But his expectations were quickly turned down when Ezio quickly jogged his way to the forest. For Ezio, it was a jog, but for Lev, it was a sprint.
For 1 hour, Lev kept chasing him, his leg muscles were weak compared to his upper body. Running was totally different from climbing, Lev realized that.
Later, Ezio stopped. He beckoned Lev using his head and sat down behind a brush.
He peeked and took a quick glance before looking at Lev again.
"Northeast," Ezio ordered Lev while he took out a dark violet vial from his pouch and opened the lid. He unsheathed his short sword and poured a drop on the blade. He neatly returned the vial back in the pouch.
Lev took a peek above the brush and tried to make out a figure from the thick fog. There was none in the northeast, or so he thought.
A sinister feeling took Lev off guard. There was something there, but his eyes just could not perceive it.
"W-what is that?" Lev whispered, afraid that the monster might hear them.
"A catobleplas. Its breath is poisonous and its stare could stun you for a while. A strong mind can resist its stare but a weak-minded person can be killed by fear."
Ezio jumped at the trees and his movements were smooth and flexible, but what was more terrifying was the pure silence on every jump he made from branches to branches.
When Lev tried to look again at the fog, a silhouette showed up. Slowly, the fog around it dissipated and revealed a disturbing monster.
Its body was like a cow but it had a long neck and it was covered in hair. There was no nose in its face, just a huge hole, and behind its droopy ears were longhorns. Its teeth were sharp and deadly, and two lower canines protruded out of its mouth.
Luckily for Lev, its red eyes were busy staring down as it grazed the purple mushrooms on the ground.
And from behind the catobleplas, Ezio jumped above the trees, plummeting down towards the grazing monster. He precisely threw the short sword behind its head as he smoothly landed on its back and drew the dagger behind his back and precisely stabbed its spine, resulting in it to be paralyzed.
The expression on Lev's face was full of disbelief. He can't believe that Ezio easily incapacitated a terrifying monster.
Lev came out of the brush and started to walk its way at the laying monster.
"Amazing! What did you do to it?"
"I poured a drop of antidote in my short sword, that way, the poison in its blood would be removed," Ezio explained while looking at the monster who was puking purple mucus from its mouth.
Lev placed his hand on his chin and added, "While the dagger paralyzed it through stabbing its spine?"
"Indeed. Stabbing the lower spine results in paralysis on the lower extremities, making it unable to run or fight."
He—. Lev couldn't contain his excitement. He believed that the person on the front of him was a true assassin.
"Can you teach me how to fight?"