Keir boarded a wagon pulled by a horse and was ready to hunt some monsters. He packed a few potions of healing and inferior quality power boost potions. The difference between the prime quality and inferior potions of power-boosting would be that when a potion of boost is used, it strengthens the muscles and give explosive power but there is a downfall, of course, it puts a lot of strain on the muscles and destroys them and does not last for long. The superior quality of the boost potion keeps the muscle in check and lasts for a good time.
The same goes for healing potions inferior ones heal to a certain level, while superior ones can increase that level, and some healing potions can recover limbs even.
After traveling for a few hours and he hopped off the wagon near the hunting grounds. It is a place where people can come and hunt for extra cash or practice. Trees covered the place. There was a vast wall that seemed never-ending and Keir right now was walking towards a gigantic door on the wall where a dozen of soldiers stand guard. Here there are no rules and no limit to stay. however, there are a few requirements to enter.
Keir neared them and showed them his guild token. They nodded and handed him a paper. Keir read the paper. He was supposed to go in at his own risk and if his life were to be threatened, the guild would not be responsible for it. Keir pressed his token on an ink pad and pressed it on the paper like a stamp.
Keir was able to enter through the large doors after the soldiers opened a small way. The moment he entered the hunting grounds, he smelled the smell of iron and blood. The grounds were so soaked in blood that the smell was now in the air. The air wasn't all, the soil was red and pieces of skeletons were scattered around. Not monsters, humans, they were human skeletons.
Looking at the shattered skeletons Keir felt a cold shaking sense going down his spine, he felt fear for the first time. Maybe it is because of the Cursed item or it might be because of the memories of people and their dying emotions. Maybe the recent emotions of Keir are the pain the women and children felt during their dying moments.
He sensed a weird feeling. He started feeling anxious. His stomach felt like it was moving and his chest burning. It started bothering him and made him feel annoyed. After the annoyance, he started getting angry and burst into a run while screaming loudly.
Keir unsheathed his sword and swung it at an enormous tree and it got stuck.
He pulled it with all his strength but couldn't get it out. He heard a cracking sound behind him and his stomach dropped. When he turned around, he saw a black creature with spiky fur and deep red eyes. It growled at him as its saliva dripped onto the ground.
Keir felt immense fear and trembled at the sight of the beast. It was a wolf, a black wolf. It had black smoke coming from its fur.
What Keir is now feeling is simply fear, but it looked deep into it, it is a demon. Fear is a demon. It will enter a person's mind and paralyze them. If not paralyze them, it will make them run away from their opponent. Running away could be the worst outcome for a warrior. It would bring shame to them.
Keir moved and the first thing was he did not pull back his sword. He ran. He ran away from the fight, but a predator never let its prey run away. If it did, what will it feed on.?
The black wolf followed Keir to catch him.
In that area, Keir and the beast were not the only ones. There was a man seeing Keir, fearing for the first time. As he watched it, he laughed as if it was some sort of entertainment for him. After the beast ran at Keir, the man followed quietly to not interrupt.
"KEIR! Stop running and face the beast."
Abel shouted at him for fearing, for giving in to the demon of fear.
"But-"
"Scream at the beast and charge at him."
Ordered Abel angrily.
Keir was completely afraid. He had a terrifying face, eyebrows knitted, mouth open, eyes slanted. Keir stopped.
But the beast didn't. The beast continued to charge at him.
Keir faced the beast and screamed, roared with all his might, roared like a beast.
'beastly kid, not gon' last much longer, though. The black wolf is physically stronger and much faster than a human. Even its tactics are smarter than what a human could think of in the door of death and, well, I will be the one to take his things.'
the man thought silently in mind with a sinister expression.
Keir jumped and so did the beast but Keir grabbed on a sturdy-looking branched and kicked the mouth off with all the force he got through the jump and swing of body plus his own strength
The beast landed on four of its leg with barely any damage while Keir climbed onto the tree and the beast barked and snarled at him from below since the beast of that type couldn't climb trees. Keir swung from one tree to another until he found the one where his sword was stuck. He jumped off and grabbed the sword while falling and cut through the tree and was on the ground.
The cunning beast had followed him while he swung from the trees and was ready to attack him when the beast saw Keir was unarmed. Keir picked up the bloodstained soil and sprayed it on the charging beast, but it did not affect the beast in the slightest. He then grabbed a heavy stone and smashed the beast's head with it with all his might. He put his life into that hit.
Keir ran for his sword as the beast cried and backed off. The beast shook his head to recover and by the time it had recovered from the blow it saw the tables turn and now Keir was the one to run at him for the kill. The beast ran for its life. Now Keir was the predator, and the beast was the prey.
As Keir ran at the beast, his sword was on fire. It was the black fire. Black fire is a dark art.
What the man in hiding saw was unbelievable. His eyes were wide open while his mouth fell open.
Keir immediately caught up to the crying wolf and swung his sword at his back legs. He couldn't slice off his legs but caused a lot of pain for it to shriek loudly. It tried to run faster, but this time he cut its back legs cleanly while running. The beast fell to the ground, crying.
The legs he cut off disappeared. they were caught in the black flame and were burnt off, leaving no ashes behind. The beast's back was on fire, on black fire.
The beast rolled around but couldn't get rid of the fire. Keir neared it and caught the part that was in flames. The flames didn't seem to harm Keir but give unbearable pain to the beast. Keir ripped off the beast's skin, the beast's skin not fur. And the flames were gone, but what was shown was the blood and the muscles and, in some places, the bones.
The black flames disappeared. Keir was now full of rage and hatred towards the beast and was going to torture it.
He brought a thick branch and shoved it down his throat so that it didn't attack Keir.
He then sliced off one of the front legs and was about to slice off the other when a clap stopped his sword.
It was the man in hiding. As Keir was about to slice off its other front leg, the man clapped on the sides of the blade and turned it. Keir had a firm grip and so the man broke his wrist because of the difference in power. Keir was in pain and his anger increased. He swung his leg, but the man raised his leg and he fell to the ground.
The man now had the sword. He grabbed it by the handle and sliced off the neck of the beast.
"Never...Ever torture a being just because you bear hatred towards it."
The man said as he stared at Keir who was lying on the ground with a disgusted expression.
"This beast might have done the same to you, but that is because it is a beast, it is a monster, but you are no beast, you are no monster, you are a human! And behave like it"
The man said with a tone of knowing.