A
As the smoke began to clear from the forest, the beauty of nature slowly emerged, inviting the senses to awaken. Just beyond the lingering haze, two figures came into view—Alex and Zein—standing apart. Alex stomped on the ground in discontent over what Zein had told him. Meanwhile, Zein looked slightly amused as he observed Alex stomp on the ground.
"I said no." Alex huffed and looked sideways.
"You will never know unless you try." Zein moved closer to Alex and crouched as he tried to persuade him.
"I refuse, I will not crossdress as a girl for training." Alex inched away from Zein while bringing his arms together in an X-like fashion to show his refusal.
"This is to teach you about infiltration hence why I am having you dress up as a girl." Zein continued to move towards Alex who was even inched further away.
"Why am I dressing up as a girl? Shouldn't there be transformation magic for such cases?" Alex was busy trying to evade Zein who was trying to catch him but failing every time.
"Good point but that would work if we were mages or knights specializing in transformation." Zein once again tried catching Alex but Alex was able to avoid it. The little rascal was too nimble for his own good causing Zein's eyebrow to twitch as he paused his attempts to capture Alex.
"Okay, I have had enough of chasing you. Let's switch activities because we will spend the whole day in this cat-and-mouse game." Zein was busy trying to lessen his irritation as the twitching of his eyebrow decreased.
"So instead what have you planned?" Alex was still keeping his distance from Zein he feared what he would do if he not attentive.
"I have saved the dress-up game for another day (though it would have been hilarious and satisfying to see you in a dress)." Zein grumbled causing Alex to move even further away from Zein.
"Old man your thoughts are leaking out." Alex's eyes narrowed in slight disdain for the statement that Zein had uttered. Zein coughed slightly into his hand as he looked deadset on accomplishing what he grumbled out one day.
"For today I will teach the art of stealth takedowns like an assassin. For our test subject for this training, we'll be using a deer." Zein pointed into the distance where a deer was grazing peacefully.
"This seems relatively easy." Alex looked at the deer with a slight twinkle appearing in his eye.
"Yes, is what I'd like to say but this one is not normal." Zein took up a rock and threw it at unimaginable speeds towards the deer. The deer dodged and the look it had screamed of ' is that all you can do'.
"Wait did that deer smirk?" Alex tried rubbing his eyes in clear disbelief.
"Yes, that wasn't your imagination. That deer despite it being edible is an E-class monster Fast Deer which is incredibly hard to hunt due to its speed. The only way to hunt it is by using stealth to get near it." Zein turned to look at Alex causing the words to ultimately sink in.
"Can you please give a demonstration?" Alex looked at Zein to see if he could prove that the quest he was about to undertake was not impossible.
Zein cloaked his presence to the point he could reach the deer and smack it on its ass causing it to take off at a speed that Alex could barely trace. Alex turned his head and saw the deer grazing somewhere else. Zein casually took his slow strides and returned to where Alex was waiting for him.
"As you see you can do it." Zein took hold of Alex's shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile.
'He is being vague again on how to do it. I guess he wants me to figure it out again for myself.' Alex let out a sigh as he freed himself from Zein's hold.
"By the way here are the daggers we were using during that training session with the phantom goblin." Zein approached Alex and placed the twin daggers in both of his hands.
"Thanks." Alex gave a small gratitude nod as Zein returned to his original position.
Alex silently crept toward where the deer was grazing while doing his best to avoid being picked up by the deer's highly sensitive ears. He reached the deer and tried digging his daggers into the hide of the deer but his attempt was thwarted by a kick from the deer throwing him away from it.
"It seems I forgot to warn him about the deer being aggressive to attempts to hunt it." Zein shrugged his shoulder, not caring that he had omitted some serious information.
Alex saw the deer once upon him as he momentarily lost sight of it pushing his danger senses into overdrive. He jumped backward narrowly missing the kick by the deer's front legs. Alex saw the deer rotate and try to deliver a hind kick. He waited for the kick to be executed for him to use his blades to parry it. The kick hit the blades causing Alex to be thrown away as he groaned in pain in midair. The deer wasn't done as before Alex landed it bashed him with its head causing Alex to be blown away in another direction. Alex rolled a few times on the ground causing his back to hit a tree.
'That deer is only reacting to intent. I can't wait to see how Alex reacts to the foe before him.' Zein's eyes became even more glued to the scene before him.
"That thing packs a punch or rather it has a mean swing," Alex grumbled as he struggled to get up and he stumbled causing one foot of his to move forward to support his body.
Alex saw the deer continue grazing from where it struck him from. The deer slightly raised its head before deciding it was nothing important and continued eating the herbs and grass. Alex climbed up a tree and leaped from branch to branch while scouting for the best area to strike the deer from.
"There." Alex lept off the branch and tried to attack the deer from its blind spot.
The deer sensed the attack and took a step back from the attack effectively dodging the attack and charging forward striking Alex directly on the chest and causing him to cough out some blood as he was thrown even further from where the deer was. Alex rolled on the ground and groaned as he felt the pain in his chest area flare up like a raging torrent. Alex wheezed as he tried to stand while holding his chest area which had been bruised from the previous attack.
Alex wracked his brain as he tried to think up a few solutions that would ensure that the deer's situation was turned from predator to prey. Alex recalled something during his earlier training session that he had with Zein.
'Every attack has intent,' Alex recalled Zein's words.
'If each attack has intent it means it has been sensing my intent.' Alex thought as he tapped his head lightly with his hand as he found out about the final part of the puzzle.
'Let me put that to the test.' Alex crept towards the dear and slashed downwards.
Alex sensed that it was about to rotate and kick him with its hind legs causing him to duck and deliver a slash to the deer's belly. The deer sensed the attack and used its overwhelming speed to avoid the attack aimed at its stomach.
'It seems it is also sensing the intent of my attacks.' Alex thought as he saw the deer rub its hoove on the ground in preparation to charge.
'It seems he has figured out the missing part of the puzzle.' Zein looked at the battle while on the sidelines intrigued by the current development.
Alex jumped out of the way of the charging deer and attacked it in midair. Alex rushed into the forest and quickly climbed up a tree while watching the deer that was roaming around trying to sense his presence. Alex watched as the deer stopped searching for him and continued eating the herbs around it. Alex jumped on a different branch and nearly fell but he regained his balance causing him to sigh in relief.
Alex jumped from the branch gliding as he approached the deer while gripping his daggers slightly and trying his best not to make a sound. Alex masked his intent to kill while stealthily creeping up from behind and dug both of his daggers into its neck. He repeatedly stabbed the deer's neck to ensure it was dead.
"I did it!" Alex fell after proclaiming his victory his chest heaved up and down as he let out a content sigh.
"Yes, you did congratulations." Zein walked up to Alex and patted his head causing Alex to turn his head to look at him.
"For your reward, we will roast the Fast Deer as its meat is said to be sweeter when roasted." Zein slung the deer over his shoulder and started to walk away.
"Food!" Alex immediately stood up and followed Zein while he had a slight drool trailing down his mouth.
'Doesn't he ever get tired of food? Who am I kidding who does honestly?' Zein and Alex's forms were enveloped by the trees as they left the training ground.