In the heart of Zerah forest, where no adventurer came, a heated battle was taking place
"No, you don't" Ryu spoke in a low voice as he threw the dagger at the neck of Mist croc that was sneaking upon Jue and Aiena from behind,
Aiena was shocked as the dagger just passed by near her head. Everything was so smooth it looked flawless,
Two mist crocs came rushing towards Ryu. Jue and Aiena were shocked as Ryu wasn't budging in front of two rushing monsters,
'Now is the time to flex!!' Ryu smirked and did a twin side flip in the air summoning his swords, ending the life of both Mist crocs at the same time,
Jue and Aiena were shocked at Ryu's fighting style as they never thought that he will be doing mid-air flips while carrying swords if Felicia was seeing Ryu in the current moment, she would be praising heck out of Ryu as she was the one who taught Ryu these gymnastics along with Twin swords,
"You see this place is dangerous, Jue!!" Ryu shouted as he stabbed through the head of a mist croc,
'They looked stunned. The plan must be working!!' Ryu grinned as he saw both of them stunned just looking at him,
But then Ryu noticed something dangerous came in the middle of Mist crocs
"Aiena open the Light screen!!" Ryu shouted and Aiena was shocked at suddenly being called but she replied
"Okay!!" and moved her hands in front casting [Light screen] in front of her and Jue a glass thin-looking shield appeared in front of them,
'I need to finish it quickly today… no time to play' Ryu judged, the toxic croc is one of the rare monsters in the forest of Zerah and mostly acts as the boss of the mist crocs group, the mist crocs can mostly only use gaseous poison but the Toxic croc is the one who can split poisons toxins at a long-range,
It is one of the few monsters that Ryu has a productive fight with within this forest now.
"Jue use your ground wall skill if this monster tries moving towards you," Ryu instructed as he started channeling his mana in the chant as he moved his hand forward, changing swords back to rings,
"The frost of ender nights, cold and sharp, shatter my enemies apart Icicles strike!!"
As soon as Ryu's chant ends an Icicle appeared in front of his hand, it was a chant he recently learned from snow,
The crocs could sense the coldness coming from the Icicle and stopped in a way but only Toxic croc roared, boosting their morale but it was a waste.
Ryu smiled gently as he tapped the floating Icicle saying,
"Strike" the Icicle rushed and stabbed through the toxic croc, seeing it wasn't dead but heavily wounded the mist crocs were trying to escape as their boss was injured and one of them attacked the toxic croc making sure it won't move so Ryu's attention won't shift from it,
But before they could escape Ryu chanted the water cannon making them immobile.
'You betraying bastards… just like him trying to escape, Ryu thought as he summoned back his swords. Last night he dreamt of the night he lost his father and saw that cable again,
'Betrayers will die first,' he thought in his mind as he slashes one by one all fallen mist crocs. They can actually run or move physically, but the pressure emitting from Ryu was putting strain on them,
Jue and Aiena were both shocked, Jue had seen this look on Ryu once before the day he fought with Naga the look of anger but this time there was disgust in it too.
And Aiena, who was seeing this for the first time, thought
'Since when!? Ryu can look like that!' she was shaken as someone only 12 years old was emitting this much pressure and also had a look that could give a chill in the spine,
The pressure that was being emitted was a combined result of two titles, one being [Revenger] and the other [Dominator of Zerah forest],
[Title: Dominator of Zerah forest- the title granted to one who killed the top predator of Zerah forest, by the effect of the title the user will generate fear in other beings in the forest of Zerah when angered this will give them a chance to run for their life and bearer of title can emit same malignant pressure as Naga once every second day]
Ryu killed every mist croc one by one when he reached the one who wounded the Toxic croc, making it unmovable Ryu slashes both of his front legs and slightly sliced its neck leaving it to die slowly,
Aiena was shocked she didn't know what to say, but Jue's eye was shining as he saw how Ryu was punishing the mist croc.
"You only will have a simple death because I have empathy for you," Ryu said to the fallen toxic croc as he stabbed both swords in its head casting [Dark swipe], it is a new skill Ryu got after leveling up it is also the second mutated skill
[Skill: Dark swipe- a skill that is mutated due to the blessing of Demon God SS, using this skill will envelop the enemy mind in darkness and make death painless if it is killed in a single hit at the time of skill activation] finally every enemy was down,
'Ahh, I need to calm down, I cannot scare them this much damn that dream!!' Ryu thought as he tried calming himself down, usually, Ryu isn't this scary even though he was wondering how he would've been looking doing this all from the side,
'Damn that cable!!' Ryu thought but then tried shifting his thought as he looked back at Aiena and Jue trying to suppress all the pressure.
Aiena spoke with a pale face,
"Ryu that one is still alive?" pointing towards the betrayer mist croc,
"It will die in a while Aiena, no worries" Ryu answered thinking she was scared of croc, a strange silence fell upon them for a while and Ryu spoke in a calm voice with a smile,
"You see, this is how I train,"
Aiena and Jue nodded, Ryu thought his plan to make them not accompany him worked, but both of their thoughts were,
'I have to see more of Ryu's this side' Aiena thought,
'I need to learn a lot from big brother and then someday….' Jue resolved himself,
Unaware of their thoughts, being a bit elated at the thought of this ending as a one-time thing Ryu spoke with a cheerful voice,
"Let's go back!! Mom and Hina sister would be waiting,"
And both Aiena and Jue nodded there weren't many monsters on their way back Aiena just gained a level during practice when in the party the killing gives divided experience to every participant, and even if someone suddenly joins in the fight in cases of saving someone or helping the experience will still divide,
In simple terms, one could say contribution is rewarded,
When they reach the home Lina and Hina were just standing outside waiting for them.
"Your moms were worried, you know," Lana said as she welcomed them back,
"We weren't that late though," Jue replied while jumping towards her, Jue was especially fond of Lana in the family as she always used to read him stories.
"I am back mom!!" Ryu rushed towards Lina who patted his head and said with a motherly smile
"I and Hina made Fel custard for you all, how was the training?"
"It was a bit better than alone but I don't think they would like to…." Before Ryu could say join anymore, Aiena interrupted and spoke in a proactive manner
"It was very productive. I want to do it again!!" Ryu was shocked, and he was the one who was stunned this time, before he could confirm reality Jue joined in,
"I learned a lot of things Lina auntie, it was the best,"
'Wait... wait in the hell, weren't you guys scared of what I did!?' Ryu wanted to shout but held back, he knew denying what he already said isn't an option and Lina spoke with a giggle
"Now that all of you found it positive, make it a regular thing, like maybe alternate days this way. Hina wouldn't have to look for a party at adventurer's guild and you all can have some family time"
Ryu nodded with a frown he can't hide as Aiena and Jue smiled walking inside the house. Only one thought was in Ryu's head
'What family bond over killing monsters!?… especially when Jue is only 9!!' he felt the difference between worlds again,
At the dinner table, everyone was delightfully eating Fel custard, the soft and sweet taste was calming Ryu's mind and relief was taking over his body.
"Back," Snow said as she entered through the door,
"Welcome back Snow I made Fel custard today!! Have your seat" Lina said as she stood up to bring a bowl of Fel custard for Snow too,
Snow sat down and stared at Ryu for a while. Her eyes shined in cyan for a second as the eyes turn back to normal, she spoke calmly,
"Turn it off" Ryu knew she was talking about hiding part of [Hide & Seek] which was altering my mana pool and skills in front of other appraising skills,
"I did it," Ryu replied as he turned off the altering as there was no reason to hide his mana levels from Snow, who is not only his family but also his teacher,
Snow eyes shined in cyan again as she uses [Mana sight II], seeing Ryu's mana pool, she thought
'Reaching the boundary of becoming mage'. After thinking for a bit she finally spoke,
"Ryu, you remain home after a week, special lesson," Snow said deciding on something. Jue was uninterested in this chat as he didn't have talent in magic, and Aiena was lost in custard. Ryu answered with a slight smile,
"Sure Snow teacher!! I will do my best" he tried his best to sound as cheerful as possible, as he knew every one of these special lessons are bringing the day Snow will leave on his adventure journey closer, only a few more months and that is why Ryu tried his best to look cheerful so her resolve would remain strong but Snow knew what he was doing,
'Acting so strong Ryu is growing… I have to pat him!!' She thought and stood up reaching toward Ryu patting him affectionately. Everyone enjoyed the Fel custard and since that day Ryu began training in party with Jue and Aiena every second day.