Monster Hunting Part 2

Sponsored Content

After departing from Istria, we headed westward toward the forest. Despite the surrounding area being a vast plain, there were numerous flourishing woodlands located just beyond it. Typically, kobolds make their homes in forests, constructing small settlements and living in groups of several dozen.

In general, monsters tend to live in areas that are less frequently visited by people, such as forests, caves, and mountains, rather than on the plains. Humans and monsters are like water and oil; inevitably incompatible.

As we walked towards the forest, my father warned us about the kobolds and gave us some advice. By the way, we were on foot. If you go on horseback, you might be attacked and eaten by monsters, so walking is usually best if it’s not too far.

“First, let’s talk about kobolds. You remember what I told you about Goblins?” My father asked, and both Marie and I nodded at the same time.

Marie’s expression became stiff instantly.

“You may already be aware that kobolds, individually, are weaker than goblins. However, they make up for their lack of strength with their cunning nature and tendency to act in groups, which can make them quite troublesome. They are still easier to handle than goblins, and there are effective ways to deal with them. As such, for adventurers, swordsmen, and mercenaries, kobolds are often the first monsters they face. So that’s why we chose them this time, isn’t it?”

It seemed like my father’s last words were directed towards Glast, but he didn’t respond and just shrugged his shoulders.

“While kobolds are considered to be relatively weak among monsters, it’s important not to let your guard down. Even moderately skilled adventurers have fallen victim to them in the past. Any lapse in attention could prove fatal. So it’s crucial to always remain vigilant and alert, regardless of your opponent. This is an absolute must when hunting monsters.”

To be honest, I didn’t feel too threatened, probably because I had already defeated a goblin once before. Maybe that gave me a sense that everything would be okay. However, as I observed my father and Glast’s reactions, my tension gradually began to increase.

Despite all that, I had no intention of running away. After all, until we grow up, there’s no guarantee that monsters won’t attack us. Testing the magic I learned was necessary to ensure its effectiveness against them. It would be pointless to find out on the spot that it’s not effective. Thus, this was both an experiment and a battle, and I was ready for it.

“Kobolds are about the size of human children and have the strength of adults. They handle weapons like staffs and axes, and are reasonably agile. They come at you in groups, so be careful when dealing with multiples. But if it’s just one, even Marie can win. As long as you fight calmly, there should be no problem.”

Marie nodded in agreement, but her face remained tense.

“Don’t worry, both me and Glast are here. We’ll be fine. We won’t let anyone hurt,” said Father confidently, his smile reassuring. As he spoke, Marie felt her shoulders relax a little.

“Our formation will be Marie, Shion, Glast in that order. I will give instructions, while Glast keeps track of the surroundings and relays information. Make sure not to miss anything he says. If we encounter enemies, I will lead the charge. Deal with each individual attack separately. Marie and Theon should stay close to me or Glast. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” We replied in unison.

Marie and Glast seemed relaxed and dependable. With them around, there was a sense that everything would be alright.

After walking and talking for a while, we came upon a forest that looked like the one near their home, perhaps of a similar size. But there was also something else, a stirring in my chest that I couldn’t quite place.

Sponsored Content

“Is something wrong, Theon?” Marie asked.

“No, it’s nothing.”

It was probably just that my heart wasn’t used to this being my first experience of monster hunting.

“Today, it seems like there aren’t any other adventurers around,” my father said. “In a way, that makes things easier for us. Let’s form our formation as we discussed earlier. Try to avoid talking too much on the way. If necessary, speak in a low voice.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and we entered the forest. Our footsteps and the rustling of leaves and branches were the only sounds. The usual refreshing sounds of nature now seemed eerie. As we walked further, the forest’s distinct scent filled my nose.

We continued without pause, pushing past the foliage, until Father raised his right hand, signaling us to stop. He was crouching down, examining something. When we got closer, we saw footprints – they were about the size of a child’s, but there were only three toes. Could they be kobolds’ footprints?

Father followed the footprints, and after a few more minutes of walking, we came to an opening in the forest. At the same time, we heard a deep, low-pitched noise coming from underground. Was it the sound of conversation? It sounded like a dog’s whimper and echoed throughout the forest.

My father moved slowly and gently stopped his feet. We also stopped and moved to his side, and then a group of kobolds emerged from the bushes. There were dozens of them. They looked exactly as Father had described, with dog-like faces covered in shaggy fur.

The air was filled with a faint animal odor. When I looked closer, I could see that their bodies were faintly glowing, like the goblin, suggesting that they possessed magical power. But the number of opponents was too great. It seemed like it would be bone-breaking to face such a large group of monsters.

Father signaled us to stay put, drew his sword, and charged towards the group of kobolds without any hesitation. We were so surprised that Marie and I let out a small voice. I turned to Glast, who just laughed and said it was okay. We could only watch Father’s movements.

The kobolds noticed Father’s presence and suddenly rushed into a crude tent or picked up weapons nearby. The kobolds that came out of the tent were also holding weapons.

“Gagaugagga!”

They barked like fierce dogs and surrounded my father. Even though there was no escape route, Father didn’t look at all anxious.

Soon, one of the kobolds rushed at him and others followed suit, attacking from all directions. Avoiding or responding was impossible, normally. However, he lowered his posture and slipped through the kobolds’ formation effortlessly. As he broke through the encirclement of kobolds, he swung his sword. With one blow, several kobolds screamed and fell to the ground.

Neither the kobolds nor we could understand what had happened. However, time did not stand still. Every time my father moved, the kobolds died. Dozens of kobolds were wiped out in about a minute. It was a lightning-fast and overwhelming display of power. We had no idea how strong Father was.

The sense of the monsters had disappeared, completely wiped out. Marie and I were left in shock, our mouths gaping open.

“Man, as usual, you’re strong like a monster,” Glast scratched the back of his head in exasperation and emerged from the bushes. We followed suit, exposing ourselves and entering the village.

All the Kobolds had been slaughtered in a single blow. Even an amateur like me could tell that they weren’t ordinary fighters.

Sponsored Content

Father wiped the blood from his blade and sheathed it, saying, “Now we’re safe.”

It was indeed safe, but I was puzzled as to why we didn’t get to participate. We couldn’t achieve our goal, which left me bewildered.

Father smiled wryly, “Don’t worry. I intend to let you fight too, but there were just too many of them. We needed to thin their numbers. Some of them would have gone hunting during this time and would be back soon. Fight them. There won’t be that many of them.”

I was relieved that Father had everything planned out. It was clear that we couldn’t just charge in and defeat the kobolds without a proper strategy.

Before the other Kobolds returned, we cut off the ears of the ones we had defeated and put them in a leather bag. It was necessary as adventurers, but it wasn’t a pleasant task. While doing so, Father’s gaze shifted towards the forest.

“They seem to have returned.”

When we looked over, there were six Kobolds standing there, clearly enraged and threatening us. However, they didn’t attack us immediately. They crouched low, growling, and holding their weapons.

“Kobolds that hunt are more skilled in combat and more wary than others. They’re keeping their distance because we don’t have any long-range weapons. Marie, Theon, take the lead. And, Theon… They think we don’t have any long-range attacks. In other words…”

“Magic will work, right?” I interrupted him finishing his sentence.

I equipped the Thunderflare gloves that were strapped to my waist and immediately switched to battle mode. I positioned myself at the front and began to weave magical energy in both hands.

Initially, the kobolds remained stationary and did not make any moves, but I decided to use a slow-activating magic to see how they would react. With my right index finger, I ignited the magic power and produced the Flare. The sudden appearance of the flames seemed to unsettle the kobolds, but before they could respond, I released the Flare, which hit their position immediately.

With the magic power I had woven in my left hand, I struck the Flare, causing it to explode as it touched the oxygen infused with magic power. The resulting blast threw the kobolds’ bodies in all directions, blowing the half-body of the two kobolds in the center, and scattering their flesh and blood all over the trees.

It was a Flare Bomb spell. Its power surpassed my expectations!

As I was still trying to absorb the excitement of the spell’s success, I quickly focused my attention on the next step. I knew that it would take three seconds to release magic power again, and the kobolds were still struggling to recover from the aftermath of the explosion. Two of them were blown away, and the remaining two were clearly shaken as they tried to flee.

Without wasting any time, I gathered magic power in both hands, but the two kobolds quickly targeted me and charged towards me. With only two seconds left, I needed one more second to release the spell, but I realized that the biggest weakness of magic is the inability to use it continuously.

The kobolds’ axes were about to strike me, but my sister jumped in front of me just in time, creating a sharp metallic sound as their weapons clashed. Her body trembled slightly from the impact, but she managed to protect me from the attack.

“Don’t you dare touch Theon!” Marie shouted as she deftly fended off the attacks of the two kobolds.

Sponsored Content

Even though they were physically stronger and there were two of them, she managed to hold her ground and keep them at bay. I couldn’t help but be amazed by her impressive swordsmanship, but I knew we couldn’t afford to be distracted from the task at hand.

As I gathered the magical energy in my hands, I positioned myself to the side. With a sudden burst of power, I released the spell.

“Lightning Burst!” I called out, unleashing a bolt of lightning with intensified strength from the synergy mana.

The high-voltage current surged towards the two kobolds, striking them with a fierce jolt of red lightning. The impact was blinding, and the crackling sound echoed through the clearing.

“Garuuuaaa!”

The kobolds let out a dying scream. They convulsed for a moment before collapsing on the spot, releasing the stench of burned flesh.

Are they dead?

The Flare Bomb and Lightning Burst spells had never been this powerful before. A single Flare or Lightning Bolt spell could probably only inflict burns, but with the current level of magical power synthesis, it was devastating.

The kobolds were trembling with fear after losing four of their comrades, but they didn’t run away. Their gaze was fixed on Father and Glast. Perhaps realizing they couldn’t escape from such overwhelming strength, the kobolds charged recklessly towards me, taking advantage of the moment of stiffness after using magic.

I quickly jumped back, switching from offense to defense, and my sister bravely stepped forward to protect me. Despite the fear flickering in her eyes, she confronted the kobolds with calmness. Lowering her stance, she evaded their attacks and managed to cut one kobold’s leg, throwing its posture off-balance.

Without wasting any time, Marie moved to the side of the injured kobold and made a flash strike to its neck, killing it instantly. Although it should have been her first kill as an adventurer, she had no conflict or regret about taking a life. As proof, she immediately moved to the remaining kobold, using her swordsmanship to dance around and reach the heart of the second kobold.

Her movements were so fluid that it seemed like a dance, and she dispatched the second kobold with ease.

“Haa, haa, haa!” Gasping for breath, my sister pulled her sword out of the kobold.

She remained alert, not letting her guard down.

“Died. Well done, Theon, Marie,” our father confirmed the kobolds’ death.

My sister finally relaxed her grip on her sword when she heard our father’s voice. I breathed a sigh of relief, and we all felt like it was over. After managing to defeat the kobolds, we were all overwhelmed with fatigue. Despite only fighting a few of them, the tension had been intense.

The battle taught me many valuable lessons. I discovered that magic took a long time to activate and had a long cooldown period. Even though it had a high damage output, if the enemy wasn’t hit directly or if there were multiple enemies, I would be defenseless.

Fortunately, my sister was there to make up for those weaknesses. If I had been alone, I would undoubtedly have died. Still excited from the battle, I patted my sister’s shoulder.

Sponsored Content

“Thank you, sis. You saved me.”

“It’s only natural for me to protect you, Theon. Besides… I was able to fight because you were there. Thank you too. I gained a little confidence.”

“It was really amazing!” Glast exclaimed.

“Yeah, you both did well for your first battle.” Father said. “Marie confronted her fears and calmly demonstrated her strength. Theon showed the effectiveness of magic. I learned that it could be a powerful weapon beyond my expectations.”

“But seriously, magic is really amazing… I wish I had magical aptitude,” Glast muttered regretfully.

I didn’t see any adults with magical abilities, and I started to doubt if Glast was capable of using magic as well. At that moment, I was unsure if there were any other magic users among us besides my sister. However, I knew that her Flare spell had limited practicality.

It was unclear how many people could use magic or what their abilities were. I only knew that Rose had magical aptitude, but there was a distance between us after the goblin incident. The same applied to Maron and Red. It was possible that Father’s instructions caused this, or maybe we didn’t know how to deal with it.

For now, we didn’t need to worry about magical aptitude or the versatility of magic. The present was what mattered.

We gained valuable experience from that one battle, and it made a huge difference. It made me realize that I needed to improve my magic. As we headed back, I thought about what I could do to better myself.

To my surprise, Father spoke up. “Now, listen up. We’ll head to the next nest after we regroup.”

“Huh?” My sister and I were thinking the same thing.

We had fought the first village and it was our first day. We were ready to go home, but Father still seemed to be full of energy.

“Glast and I don’t have much spare time, so opportunities like this are rare. That’s why it’s perfect. We should take advantage of every opportunity for practical training that we can get,” he said.

It might be true, but I was exhausted from my first battle. I was surprised at how much I wanted to go home. But seeing my father’s face, we didn’t give up. No matter what he said, we were determined to continue.

“Let’s go! I found some other footprints earlier!” My father advanced confidently ahead of us, while Glast tapped my and Marie’s shoulders. “Don’t give up. It will be a waste if you do.”

Glast is a long-time friend of my father’s. Like us, as a family, he knows my father well. There must have been various things in the past.

We sighed and gave up, putting on a dry smile as we followed Father.

 

Sponsored Content