Before they left, Luna deliberately took a few sorcery books with her, keeping them close.
Some of them were even written by the sorceress herself.
"What's that noise?"
As they were heading out, Old Mike heard the explosion and hurried toward them, clearly flustered.
When he saw Ed, Ed gave him a cold, emotionless glance. "The old fox-woman is dead."
Hearing those words, spoken without a hint of emotion, Old Mike stood frozen in place. His eyes were a mix of shock, confusion, and fear.
Ed didn't say another word. He simply walked past Old Mike, leading Luna onward.
That night, the moonlight poured down.
Ed gripped Luna's hand, running through the night under the moon's light. Luna, still wearing the thick clothes she had found in the cave, trembled uncontrollably from the cold.
"Be careful!" Ed warned, as they navigated the mountain paths.
The area was surrounded by mountains, and because it was the fox-woman's territory, there were no troublesome creatures lurking about.
Moreover, with the death of the sorceress, the magical barriers she had set up had dissipated on their own. Ed had a clear path and moved swiftly.
After a full night of traveling, Ed and Luna finally managed to leave the mountains behind.
But Luna was exhausted and could barely keep going.
In the morning light, the two of them rested by a river.
"Let's take a break," Ed said, scanning their surroundings. Now that they were out of the mountains, the landscape had become more varied.
One path led toward a barren desert, while another was lined with many trees, likely leading to a forest.
Ed decided to head in the direction of the forest, hoping to find a settlement or people along the way.
Since daytime was precious, they didn't rest for long. Ed urged Luna to get up and continue.
They walked for hours—four or five, perhaps—and the sky was beginning to darken as night approached.
"Ed, the moon's out. Monsters will come," Luna said, her voice tinged with worry.
Ed knew she was right. It wasn't wise to keep traveling through the night. Not only was Luna's strength uncertain, but there was also the looming threat of monsters.
He was still only a low-level demon hunter, and his Moonstone had run out of energy; he had forgotten to recharge it the night before.
"There's a cave over there. We can rest there for the night and leave once the sun comes up," Ed said, pointing to a cave not far away.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the cave.
Just as they were about to enter, suddenly a huge figure charged out from the cave!
"ROAR!!"
A massive wild boar, its size almost as large as a car, stood in front of them, continuously growling and showing its teeth in a threatening manner.
Luna quickly stepped back behind Ed. "Ed, this cave is its territory."
Ed squinted, studying the enormous wild boar that stood between them and the cave. They were about ten meters apart, locked in a tense standoff.
The boar wasn't backing down, fiercely guarding its cave. It was clear that it wouldn't retreat an inch unless driven out.
Ten minutes later.
Ed and Luna sat around a campfire. Ed used his knife to carve a large chunk of fresh boar meat from the carcass, preparing to roast it over the fire.
"Luna, let me do it," Luna said.
Ed paused for a moment. He didn't know how to cook, so he handed the meat over to her. Luna, with surprising skill, used a wooden stick to create a makeshift grill.
Soon, she began roasting the meat over the flames.
It didn't take long before the delicious aroma filled the air. The boar meat sizzled, releasing oil, and Ed added some spices and salt that he had found in the cave.
Not long after, they had a delicious meal. Ed couldn't help but praise, "Luna, you're really good at this!"
Previously, in the cave, they had eaten the most basic of foods.
This was his first real meal in this world, and it was made by Luna, which brought him a sense of warmth.
After finishing the meal, Ed placed the leftover boar meat into the storage pouch. This pouch couldn't hold living creatures.
But since the boar was already dead, it was fine to store it.
"Ed, I've already set up the bed. Come sleep," Luna said, as she had laid out two beds inside the cave using thick clothes.
Ed glanced over. The two beds were nearly side by side, not far apart.
"You can sleep. I still need to meditate," Ed replied. He didn't know what they might encounter on their journey.
So he needed to focus on strengthening himself and stay on high alert at all times.
"Oh, alright," Luna said, completely obedient to Ed. She found a spot in the cave, farthest from the moonlight, and laid down against the wall to sleep.
Here, it was as far from the moonlight as possible! It would be a little warmer.
While the moonlight terrified Luna, Ed didn't seem to care at all. He let the light bathe his entire body without hesitation.
He sat cross-legged by the campfire, holding the Moonstone in his hand, and entered a meditative state.
[Black Iron-level Demon Hunter (Low Tier): 3%]
"After upgrading to Black Iron Low Tier, the progress speed is much slower. I imagine it will continue to slow down as my strength increases,"
Ed thought to himself. "I wonder how far along the others are in their training now?"
He thought about the lucky few who had been chosen by Ailia and the others. They had been taken as apprentices to train as Demon Hunters as well.
Ed hoped that his progress would outpace theirs—faster, not slower!
He hadn't forgotten the people who had sold him and his group into the hands of the sorceress—Kate and Ailia.
That was their plan, and he would make them pay for it!
The next morning, as dawn broke, Ed opened his eyes.
[Demon Hunter Progress: 5%]
In addition to that, the Moonstone had gained four additional runes.
When Luna woke up, she made a large feast of roasted meat for both herself and Ed. After eating, they set off immediately, not daring to waste even a moment of daylight.
They traveled on for hours. As the sun set and the darkness of night returned, the two of them stopped to rest again.
Ed focused on his training. After becoming a Black Iron Low Tier Demon Hunter, his physical abilities had skyrocketed.
Now, he could even use meditation to replace sleep!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At noon on the fourth day, as Ed and Luna were trekking through the woods, they suddenly heard a cry for help.
Ed immediately turned in the direction of the sound. In the woods, a creature resembling a lion but with enormous wings was chasing a villager.
"Help! Please, help!"
The villager cried, running desperately while calling for aid.
Ed narrowed his eyes. It was obvious the creature chasing him was a special monster—a griffin!
"Ed..." Luna said, her mouth agape in shock. She had never seen a flying creature like that before.
"I'll be right back," Ed said as he moved into action.
The griffin weaved agilely through the trees, much like an eagle hunting a fleeing rodent.
It locked onto its target and dove straight down toward the terrified villager.
"Boom!"
The griffin missed the villager by a hair, but its massive body smashed into a large tree, uprooting it entirely.
The villager tripped over the fallen tree, crashing to the ground with a thud. Fear instantly etched across his face.
"It's over... I'm definitely dead now!"
Behind him, the griffin had already adjusted its position, locking onto his back. With the griffin's strength, a single swipe of its claws would be enough to kill the villager.
But just as the griffin's claws were about to reach the villager's back, a figure suddenly appeared and threw a punch directly at the griffin.
"Thud!"
The griffin was struck hard, its massive body unstable. It almost collapsed to the ground, but the figure quickly followed up with another punch.
"Thud!"
The griffin's body flew through the air, slamming into a sturdy tree, breaking it in half. Blood poured from its mouth as it let out a pitiful wail.
Ed wiped his hand, which had just punched the griffin. It was clear from the impact that the griffin weighed over a ton, which made Ed realize how much stronger he had become.
He quickly assessed the situation—he had been at least thirty meters away from the griffin when he started charging. In less than four seconds, he had closed the distance.
That speed had surpassed even the world champion sprinter from the world he came from!
"My god," the villager slowly got up, still shaken. He glanced at Ed and then at the griffin, which was now lying motionless on the ground.
With tears in his eyes, the villager said, "Young man, thank you! You saved my life!"
Ed didn't respond immediately. He quickly ran over to the griffin's side.
The griffin was still lying on its side, blood pouring from its nose and mouth. The sounds it made were growing weaker and weaker. It was clear that it wouldn't survive.
Ed confirmed that it was dead before allowing himself to relax.
"I remember that griffins aren't easy monsters to deal with," Ed thought. "Their strength and wings are formidable. "
"But since I caught it by surprise, I was able to end it in one hit."
The villager, now a bit more composed, approached Ed. "My name is Paul. Thank you so much, you really saved me from that creature!"