Lodra looked at Redd who was grinning happily.
"It's time. Remember our little challenge?"
"I do. But, I already told you that you can leave. There is no need for this fight."
It was the truth. Lodra had no reason to stop Redd anymore. The boy had already earned his ticket to the Hunter's World, sealed and delivered by the Hunter's Dream itself. He had no right or ability to stop him at this point.
However, the little boy shook his head and replied. "I want this, Lodra. You were always my goal. I wanted to reach your level so that I could leave this island. However, no matter what I did, you always seemed like an unsurmountable wall and you still are. But, I at least want to try my luck… One last time."
"..."
The old man looked at the proud smile on Redd's face for a while before he chuckled and said. "I see that your confidence is higher than usual today."
"It's always sky high!"
"Sure, kid. I won't go easy on you just because you're leaving."
"That's what I want!" Redd replied.
***
Under the rays of the rising sun, Redd and Lodra stood in the front yard of the house facing each other.
Redd looked at the old man with a wide smile. However, his eyes had a myriad of emotions flashing across them. The fact that he was leaving started to weigh on him, finally.
For how long would he not see the old man? Months? Years? Decades? Or maybe… Would he ever even see him again?
Redd didn't know the answer and didn't want to think about it. Lodra was his master, friend, and his father figure. He raised him alone in this place for 15 years. Took care of him, day in and day out. Treated his injuries, and taught him how to write and read.
He was also the one who opened his eyes to this world and how beautiful it is.
'No, I will definitely come back one day and meet him again. I will definitely do it.' Redd thought as he closed his eyes for a second.
"Snap out of it, Redd. Time to finish what you started." Lodra said with a grin.
Those words shook all the nostalgic feelings away and replaced them with fiery determination. Then, taking a deep breath, Redd channeled Aether.
After that, without hesitation, the boy dashed forward like a flash. His speed was certainly high after leveling up and increasing his Agility. Closing the distance between them, Redd inhaled sharply before he launched a swift jab, aiming at Lodra's chest.
Lodra sidestepped effortlessly, a wisp of a smile playing on his lips. He flowed like water, graceful yet precise. This has always been something that fascinated Redd. The way Lodra moved was so mesmerizing that he could only wish to learn it. Redd's punch barely missed Lodra by a hair's breadth.
But, Redd didn't stop as he rained down on Lodra with punches that were way faster than anything he had done before. The Aether he was using made his punches stronger and swifter.
'Good. You're doing good, kid.' Lodra thought to himself as he kept dodging.
The fight continued in silence, only being broken by Redd's grunts and audible punches that cut through the air sharply.
The front yard seemed to shrink around them, the boundaries of their battleground narrowing ever-so-slightly every second. Redd's breaths grew heavy, and sweat glistened on his forehead, but he refused to yield. He wanted to win. He wanted to finally land that one punch on this old man.
'To hell with losing!'
As the dance continued, Redd's strikes grew sharper, more deliberate, and far more dangerous than ever before. Meanwhile, Lodra continued dodging silently, his smile only growing more and more proud. He could see it with his own eyes, Redd was learning, adapting, and quickly applying what he learned in this fight. He could almost notice the transformation happening in live time.
Redd's eyes grew more and more focused as he felt himself being completely submerged in the fight.
*Swish*
Then, in a moment of perfect synchrony, Redd feinted left, drawing Lodra's attention, only to pivot and launch a lightning-quick strike from the right. This was a trick he had deliberately set for Lodra from the start of the fight.
The old man's eyes widened slightly as he found himself facing the flying punch. The strike connected, a glancing blow against Lodra's shoulder.
Time seemed to stand still. Both fighters froze, eyes locked. Redd's breaths were heavy, but, he didn't seem to care about that. Instead, a wide smile started appearing on his face. His eyes shone with a bright light.
"I… did it."
Lodra's surprised look quickly disappeared and was replaced with a grin of his own. Then, he nodded his head.
"Good on you, Redd."
That's when Redd finally fell down to the ground with a carefree expression.
"I did it! I did it!! I actually did it!!!" He yelled as he started laughing happily.
The old man watched the boy celebrate with a proud smile on his face.
'I guess worrying won't do me any good. Your kid is already growing up, Lian.' He thought to himself with a sigh.
At first, Lodra was worried about Redd. He was barely 15 years of age and yet he was going to leave for a place where one's life is always under threat. However, these last few days had shown the old man that he might've been wrong.
Redd was strong-willed, stubborn, and fiercely tenacious to a shocking degree. He had exceeded his expectations again and again as if it was nothing and he kept a wide, carefree smile during all of that.
Caging such a spirit in a place like this felt more wrong for Lodra than letting him leave on his journey.
'I'm going to let him do what he wants, Lian. I hope you won't hate me for that.' He thought to himself as he approached Redd before he crouched down and looked at him.
"Hey, boy, can I ask a favor from you? One last favor before you leave." His tone sounded serious. Serious enough to make Redd stop his celebration.
"Hm?"
"Sigh, promise me that no matter what happens in the future, no matter what you face or what you see. No matter where you go or what you do… Don't die, Redd. You better come back one day alive and well." He said.
The kid was shocked at first to hear the pleading tone in the old man's voice. It was as if he was begging him not to die. Then, it quickly hit him, Lodra also saw Redd as his son and friend. How can someone not worry about their child especially when they're leaving for a godforsaken realm?
But, even when he understood that Redd still smiled reassuringly before he tapped the old man's shoulder.
"Mm, I promise to come back one day! This place is my home after all!"
***
At the same time, the port of Blue Elephant Island was bustling with people. Since it was still early in the morning, boats were coming back from the sea after fishing so workers were carrying crates down. Workers moved busily through the wooden passages, carrying the boxes in and out. This sight was the norm on an island like Blue Elephant Island since trading with merchants from other islands was one of their sources of income and food.
"Hm?" One of the workers looked at the horizon. "Are we expecting another ship today?" He murmured as he looked at his friend.
"Did Springtown send another ship here?"
"No, not that I know of. That's not a Springtown ship. Look at the size."
"Yeah… It looks rather familiar."
The ship that was slowly approaching the port was gigantic with a dark brown wooden exterior exuding a rich, mahogany hue worn out by the long trip. Even from that distance, it loomed over the dock, its stern rising like a castle's turret, while its bow seemed to stretch out to touch the horizon.
Iron rivets, thick as a man's thumb, lined the hull, each one baring its own tale of stormy seas and distant lands. The ship was magnificent in every way.
"Wait… Isn't that?" The worker finally remembered where he had seen that ship before. "That ship! It did come here a long while ago!"
"What is its name?"
"Uuuh, let's see… I do remember hearing its name." Thinking about it for a while, the man's face finally lightened up. "Oh, right! Its name is 'The Hunter's Reverie'."
(A//N: With that, the prologue arc ends. The first arc of the story will start now.)