Nico quickly finished his dinner in the Cafeteria, which comprised a broad selection of meats and an even broader selection of carbs, seafood, and even the famous Sea Trout that was exported all the way from the Wondering Ocean.
He excused himself saying he had to nip urgently to the bathroom. Henry and Leon just shrugged and nodded, turning their attention back to their meals. After a gruelling day of training, this was just what they needed.
Hurrying out of the grey canvas tent, Nico surreptitiously looked around to make sure no one was following him before he swiftly ghosted along the ground. The amethyst firmament sent an ethereal glow that bathed his otherwise dark surroundings in dim light, allowing him not to worry about being unable to see.
Along the way, the boy couldn't help but theorise why Instructor William requested his presence. Was it something related to the mission they had just obtained?
Nico felt this to be the case. Otherwise, he saw no reason for the domineering man to seek him out.
A minute later, Nico arrived near the effigies of the Three Ancient Heroes. There, he spied a figure standing near the statue of the Knight, an amethyst glow shrouding their features.
Nico paused, before calling out tentatively, "Sir?"
The boy saw the figure's neck snap in his direction. William heaved a silent sigh of relief. "Follow me. I know you have questions. I'll answer them later."
Faced with no other choice, the brown-haired trainee agreed and did as he was told. He followed his instructor away from the sculptures and observed that they were heading in the opposite direction from where the huts stood.
Soon, Nico witnessed William stop beside a relatively large thicket of bush - the only part of the Camp that had such thick shrubbery. He realised that this was the 'rear' of the Camp.
Rarely did anyone ever travel to this part.
Nico's eyes narrowed. This would make for an excellent abode away from all the bustle and noise of the trainees. Sure enough, once William pushed aside some thickets, the boy received a glimpse of a hut more impressive than all the others in the Camp.
The white-haired man quickly ushered him inside and opened the light. Nico's eyes scanned the place, his eyebrows rising despite himself. The inside of the cabin was clean, too clean.
Spotless, even.
He felt like even if he tried, he could not find even a hint of dust.
'Impressive. As expected of the person who demands our huts to be clean. He's leading by example.'
Nico saw that the interior of the grand hut mirrored the trainees' accommodations, save for the addition of a plush sofa, a refrigerator, and a monitor connected to a U-shaped device that lay on its side.
Nico's gaze paused on the console. His breath hitched.
'Is that…'
"You have the U-Tron 3000?" Nico accidentally blurted out.
The scarred man gazed at his student from the corner of his eye and smirked. "Of course, it's a handy way of making sure I don't get rusty."
Nico, who now viewed William in a new light, had sparkles in eyes. His instructor chuckled as he saw the amazed expression on the boy's face.
The U-Tron 3000 was a virtual reality console that allowed one to experience whatever game they chose in stunning detail. There were all kinds of games, yet the most popular were the ones where people could vanquish whatever Demon they wanted to their heart's content.
At least in VR, humanity was on even ground and not at a disadvantage. People abused that fact and sometimes used it to blow off some steam, especially those in Nico's generation – who were under a lot of pressure to succeed both academically and physically.
During his earlier years, it was one of Nico's favourite things to pass the time. Until his best friend's death, of course. After that, he had largely left the console unattended.
"Want a game?" the trainee asked after he had composed himself somewhat.
"Unfortunately, not I'm afraid. Business takes precedence." The Head instructor replied.
Nico's shoulders dropped a little, a downcast look appearing on his face, 'It was worth a try.'
William motioned for his student to sit down on one of the wooden chairs. "What would you like to drink? Ginger Tea? Mint Tea? Water? Or Coffee?"
Nico perked up at the mention of Coffee. His eyes sparkled as he immediately replied, "Coffee,"
Gods knew how much he had missed his favourite beverage. Although he hadn't shown it, the first few days in the Camp had been extremely rough without it.
Now faced with an opportunity to savour the heavenly drink, Nico's mouth watered.
Two minutes later, the white-haired man came back with a steaming cup of coffee. The fragrance slowly seeped into the boy's nose as a little trail of drool escaped his mouth.
Nico ignored the sudden change in how his instructor treated him, fully focused on the drink in front of him. Once he brought the cup to his mouth, he groaned as his shoulders sagged in relief.
It was as if they were just relieved from a crushing burden.
William internally shook his head. He never understood how someone could like coffee so much.
Once Nico had his fill with the warm beverage, he set the cup down on the table beside him and turned to face the older man, who had one leg over the other as he sat on the sofa.
"Why did you bring me here?" Nico asked bluntly.
"Getting straight to the point. I see…" William paused, contemplating for a moment before he gave an answer.
"I brought you here to give you more information regarding the Shadow Fang Leopard. I'm aware the difficulty of the quest is on the higher end, because of the beast's rarity and mastery of stealth. Don't worry, this discussion should fully prepare you for what your group is about to face.
"I will also teach you something that will aid you in bringing that animal down, should you encounter it. First, however, you must solemnly promise not to divulge the contents of this discussion to anyone outside this hut. If it's a do-or-die situation, then you will be exempt from this oath." William stared his student in the eye.
His intense gaze caused Nico's mouth to go dry as the young boy finally understood the gravity of the situation.
"I solemnly promise." Nico nodded. His face was the mask of utmost seriousness.
"Excellent," the man responsible for the running of the Training Camp leaned back in his seat, getting more comfortable. He took a moment to ponder on where to start before he sighed lightly.
"To summarise all the information into as few words as possible, Shadow Fang Leopards are masters of stealth. They can use the shadows of the trees, the canopy, or any other shaded part of the forest to their advantage. Always be on high alert and watch your back. You may never know when it could attack you…"
William paused. He scratched his chin as his brows furrowed in deep thought.
"Oh, yes. Another thing. Shadow Fang Leopards are extremely agile and swift. This nimbleness of theirs, combined with their sharp, deadly claws allows them to finish a confrontation within a maximum of one or two attacks. To combat this, your aim should be to stall and prolong the battle for as long as possible to make that infernal beast run out of stamina."
Nico hummed and took a sip of his coffee. Once he put the wooden mug down, he asked, "What are its weaknesses then?"
"I was just getting to that," the white-haired man glared at the brown-haired trainee before releasing an exasperated sigh, "Its weaknesses are very few, however, if used correctly can lower the difficulty of hunting the leopard down."
Nico saw his instructor lean forward, the scowl on his face deepening.
"The first and potentially most fatal flaw is that Shadow Fang Leopards are weak to Sunlight. Not only does it render them blind, but it also takes away their natural advantage of using shadows to hide. The second weakness is a point that I have alluded to earlier. At the price of possessing a frightening set of skills, these beasts lack the corresponding endurance, much like cheetahs, for example.
"The third and final flaw is that Shadow Fang Leopards, much like any other beast, go feral in the presence of blood. If you're careful enough, you could even take advantage of its lack of mental acuity at that moment. I wouldn't suggest it, though. Oh, and if you're worried about the authenticity of this information, then fret not. The Merchant Association has supplied it all…"
'Interesting...'