Venturing into the depths of the forbidden forest, they eventually halted their progress and ascended a towering tree. Perched upon one of its branches, Kai surveyed their surroundings. From this vantage point, they could see a radius of 30 to 50 meters, providing an advantageous view. Kai turned to Ervin and assigned him a crucial role, saying,
"Ervin, stay here and assist me in case anything goes wrong, alright?"
It was a rhetorical question, leaving Ervin with no choice but to nod in agreement. Kai brandished his gleaming new dagger, taking a moment to appreciate it before raising it high in the air.
"Now, it's time for me to hunt,"
he declared with an excited glimmer in his eyes. For a fleeting moment, his eyes pulsed with a silver hue before returning to normal.
His gaze locked onto the jungle, searching for his first prey. After patiently waiting on the tree branch, they detected movement to their right. Upon closer inspection, Kai spotted a fox-like beast. Without hesitation, he leaped from the tree and dashed towards the creature. The beast, noticing the approaching threat,and emitted an angry growl, preparing itself for the imminent clash. This formidable opponent matched Kai's size, its back adorned with menacing spikes.
As they drew nearer, Kai sprung into the air, clutching his dagger tightly, aiming to end the fight swiftly with a single strike. However, the beast anticipated the attack and rolled forward, evading the blow. It swiftly turned around, readying itself for a counter-attack. Caught off guard, Kai was unprepared to defend against it. The beast's razor-sharp claws nearly reached Kai's back when, out of nowhere, a small stone shot forth and struck the beast in the eye. Momentarily stunned, the creature ceased its assault, searching for the source of the unexpected projectile. It was Ervin, now on the ground, ready to throw an another stone. Seizing this opportunity, Kai's eyes flickered with determination. In a lightning-fast motion, he pivoted and swiftly sliced the beast's throat, causing dark red blood to trickle from his dagger. The creature fell lifelessly to the ground. Processing what had just transpired, Kai dropped his dagger and took a few steps back before collapsing onto the ground. He had never experienced such power and speed before.
Uttering to himself, he exclaimed, "What the...!" Glancing at Ervin, whose mouth hung agape and eyes bulged, Kai waved and said, "Come on, let's get out of here."
They divided the beast's body into two parts and departed from the forest. On their way back to the training ground, carrying the spoils of their hunt, Kai and Ervin remained silent, surrounded by an uneasy atmosphere. Ervin couldn't contain himself any longer and let out a howling scream towards Kai, breaking the silence.
"What's the matter, man?" Kai asked.
"Do you want to discuss what happened during the hunt?" Ervin inquired.
Ervin's question caused Kai to break into a wide smile,
but his Ervin's expression revealed a different expression.
"What... Do you think I don't understand what occurred? Don't underestimate your buddy, okay? I already know it was the power of the dagger your dad made. Thanks to it, we emerged unscathed,"
Kai laughed, moving in closer. Ervin responded with a dramatic smile and said,
"Hehe, yeah!"
Ervin was certain that the power they witnessed wasn't solely derived from the dagger. After all, he knew himself to be a humble blacksmith.
"Hey, Kai, wait up. Let me say this now. Others might not be ready to accept the power you displayed earlier, so I guess we should keep it a secret for now, okay?"
"Really? Damn! I'm so excited to tell them, you know. Ahh, if you say so, I'll keep my mouth shut. After all, it's the power of Uncle Tommy,"
Kai replied, respecting Ervin's decision wholeheartedly.
Ervin's decisions had saved them multiple times in the past. After all, Kai was known as the wildest kid in the village. Kai only revealed his vulnerable side to Ervin, as he was a simple-hearted guy at heart.
Eventually, they arrived at the training ground with the beast's carcass on their backs. The others had already commenced their training without them. Skipping training sessions wasn't an unusual occurrence for Kai and Ervin, given their exceptional skills in combat and tactics. The others didn't mind their absence.
In their training group, there were seven individuals, including Kai and Ervin. There was Peter, the tall guy with curly black hair; Dan, who was incredibly lazy and preferred doing nothing; Hela, a stunning beauty with a perfect figure, wet hair, and green eyes; Anna, the medic who lacked the physique of a fighter but excelled as a supporter in the troop; and Bella, the tomboy with short hair in a radiant shade of light green that seemed to emit its own glow in the dark. Bella possessed a particularly masculine aura.
Currently, all five of them were engrossed in honing their individual skills after completing warm-up exercises. Initially, they had waited for Kai and Ervin to arrive, as Kai was also a skilled trainer. However, their patience didn't last long, as they were well aware of Kai's character. When they noticed Kai and Ervin approaching, they paused their training and gathered around them.
"Where did you find these beasts? Who sponsored this meat?" Peter was the first to speak up.
"I was so angry at you guys for not showing up early, but suddenly, I'm hungry," Bella interjected.
Everyone's attention shifted to the beast, their mouths watering at the sight.
"Wow, wow, wow, guys, just calm down," both Kai and Ervin said simultaneously.
"Forget about how we acquired this beast and focus on how we're going to cook it. That's what's important right now," Ervin persuaded the others to start preparing the beast. After all, they needed to find the best ingredients and Anna was the expert in that department.
They decided to feast on the beast later that night, leaving Anna and Hela in charge of the preparations. The rest of the group resumed their training, ready to lend a hand when needed. However, Dan didn't participate in either the training or the preparations, as laziness seemed to be his defining trait.