Chapter 6 Journey Back II

Night passed peacefully and another day came. The sun rose from the east and early morning light gleamed on the entire forest. The night fog was still visible, but it immediately evaporated after several minutes.

Victor woke up and stood as he saw the girls came out of their tent with messy clothes and disheveled hair, sleepiness still evident in their faces. Victor couldn't help but sighed in his heart, he thought. 'These girls won't survive in the forest...'

Only Amber and Euresha were in best condition. The two blushed in embarrassment as they saw what the other girls looked like. Some were still asleep as though they were in their houses. But since they were in the middle of the wilderness, Victor didn't mind their appearance.

"Amber, wake up the others. We'll depart after eating." Victor said and took out some food in his Magic Storage Bag.

And the third day of their journey began...

The girls followed closely behind Victor, no one wanted to be left behind. Victor told them to be vigilant and cautious. If they saw something, they must immediately told him what they found. If they walked off track and got left behind, it was their own fault for not paying attention.

After walking for around five hours, they came into a clearing and some sort of scent attracted the girls.

"Can you smell it? That sweet scent like a ripe fruit." Euresha said, sniffing the air.

"You're right! Let's find it!" Bionna suggested in glee. "It's time to have a change of taste! We've been eating bread for two days!.... Opps."

Victor just shrugged when he heard her. "Nah. That's all I have anyway. Let's find that tree and see what kind of fruit it bear." Using his sensitive sense of smell, he followed the scenr up ahead and found a not very tall tree with several fruits, some were already ripe.

"There it is!" Daisy delightfully exclaimed.

"Wait." Victor stopped them and used his [Analysis]. He found it to be an [Anglo Fruit], its seed was one of the core ingredient in concocting a [Recovery Potion].

Since the fruit was edible, Victor nodded to them. The girls ran towards the tree like greedy wolves and plucked all the ripe ones.

"Hahaha! So sweet! Yummy!"

"At last, a new taste!"

"The taste of meat is now gone!"

Victor didn't mind their comments and only shook his head. He wasn't someone whom could be swayed easily by words.

Amber came to him, a bit bashful, with a fruit on her hands. "Here, Victor. It won't be good if you only eat meat."

He smiled and took the fruit on Amber's hands. "Thanks, Amber. We'll rest here for half an hour."

"Your welcome. This is not enough for what you've done for us." Amber said and watched the girls laughed and chatted. "Look at them. All of us were still crying and in despair just a couple of days ago, but now we've forgotten about it. It's all thanks to you."

Just a couple of days ago, the girls were wary of him and didn't showed their emotions, but now they would laugh and smile at him. However, for Victor they were only one of the passing experience in life. Looking at the round [Anglo Fruit], Victor took a bite and sweetness spread in his mouth with strong sour aftertaste.

Absentmindedly looking at the fruit on her hands, Amber asked. "What are you going to do after escorting us back to your village?"

"Well... I'll return to my normal routine. Going in the forest for a week and hunt some monsters to sell. I'm a Hunter after all." Victor answered as he thought of what he'd truly do after this. He still hadn't actually made a decision on his own and only gave a satisfying reply.

Now that it came in his mind, he had only been in Luqane Forest and never traveled too far. He became too obsessed in hunting the monsters in Luqane Forest and bent his hatred by killing monsters of the same kind that massacred his parents for far too much.

Bold dreams never crossed his mind as he thought that being a hunter was enough. He could fill his stomach and earn money for himself. A simple, comfortable and peaceful life. He might found a woman and married her somehow, the money he saved from hunting would be helpful in purchasing a plot to plant some crops. Eventually, having two offsprings and die at old age. That's how he envisioned his entire life.

All these were his original thoughts when he left the village more than a week ago, but it seemed to have changed now, specially after miraculously solving the problem of the Phantom City and making him much stronger than before.

'Power pushed a person to changed' this phrase somewhat had some truth in it and Victor was currently savouring the experience.

"How about you?" Victor asked halfheartedly, his mind thinking of other things.

Amber looked at Victor and saw him looking at the sky, she wondered what was going in his mind and answered. "After contacting my grandfather, I'll ask him to train me so I can become strong to protect myself and my friends. When I'm strong enough, I'll travel around the world to become an Adventurer."

'An Adventurer huh... Not a bad idea.' Victor thought. He stood and finished his fruit. "Alright, we've rested enough. Let's continue on the way!"

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Then, he felt something. "Everyone! Get behind me!"

The girls were startled by his shout and hurriedly took cover behind him. Suddenly, they heard several loud growls and shadows jumped out pf the bushes.

"Rwar! Woof! Woof!"

"Gray Wolves!" The girls screamed in fear.

Gray wolves lived and hunt in a large pack compared to other species of wolves, mostly numbered from fifteen to thirty. It was the reason they were feared. And the number of Gray Wolves before them was twenty five! The largest they could found within the outer region of Luqane Forest!

"Were have to run! There's so many of them!" Euresha shouted at Amber.

"W-We're gonna die!" Pestil wailed.

"No! I don't want to die! I'm too young!" Lola cried.

Victor took out two daggers from his ring and shouted at them. "Go climb up the tree! I'll stall them!"

"Listen to Victor! Let's climb up the tree!" Amber seconded and hurriedly pushed the others.

"Sister Amber, I'm scared!" Daisy whimpered.

The other girls started climbing up the tree behind them as Amber pursed her lips and carried the trembling daisy with her.

"Rwaarr!!!"

That's the signal to attack!

"Victor! Be careful!" Amber reminded out of concern as she climbed up on the tree.

The pack leader was much larger than the rest by several inches, while the rest were almost one meter tall. Though, Victor could take care of them alone, he feared that the Gray Wolves would have argeted the girls. Therefore, he told them to climb high up the tree.

In that case, there was no need for him to worry and fight without thinking of their safety, because no matter how high the Gray Wolves jump, their sharp claws weren't made for climbing and would be able to reach the girls.

Five Gray Wolves came rushing towards him at five different directions at the signal of the pack leader, while another pairs circled him and targeting the tree on which the girls climbed unto. Their speed was fast, but still not enough to delude Victor to show fear.

[Power Up]! [Dexterity Up]! [Physique Up]!

Three consecutive use of supportive skills, Victor stamped his feet and threw his daggers towards the pack leader, but got intercepted by two Gray Wolves that exchanged their lives for their leader.

Then, he took out the [Star Fall] and pulled the string, releasing it immediately.

[Triple Shot]!

Three arrows shoot out targeting three different Gray Wolves and killing them. As he dashed backwards and shoot another two arrows to the two circling Gray Wolves. The two were hit at the head and died on the spot.

Five seconds and seven Gray Wolves were killed.

"Rwaar!!!"

Seeing its underlings died one by one, the pack leader gave out another command. All the remaining eighteen Gray Wolves rushed forward and their only target was Victor. They intend to tear him into pieces!

Victor saw them, but didn't panicked and waited for them to come closer. When suddenly worn-out spears, old swords, rusty daggers and dried small branches rained down at the Gray Wolves.

"Die! Bad wolves!"

"Go away!"

"Give more branch!"

"I have thrown all of them already!"

"Then, use your clothes!"

"I'll be naked!"

"Then, only use your panties!"

"Are you for real?!"

"Don't feel lost for panties that weren't replaced for more than a week already!"

"Pestil!"

Victor heard them and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They could still argue in this kind of situation. Well, they could, because it wasn't them that needed to face the Gray Wolves after all!

It was him alone!

'These girl's true selves are now leaking!' Victor sighed in his heart. 'Where are the silent and innocent girls I've rescued?'

At one meter distance, when the Gray Wolves jumped towards him, Victor threw out a punch and roared loudly. His roar was like that of a wrathful beast! The trees vibrated and the ground shook!

[Angry Roar]!

The Gray Wolves were stunned for a second! Before they could fell on the ground. His fist bump onto the body of the nearest Gray Wolf and a powerful force spread around, pushing the Gray Wolves several meters back.

[Blunt Smash]!

This skill could not only be used with a club or a hammer, but also by bare fist. All the Gray Wolves fell on the ground and immediately stood up. No injuries were inflicted, a little stunned, only one Gray Wolf had died from his attack, the one that caught his punch. It died with its internals bursting into pulp.

"Rwaarr!!!" The Gray Wolf Pack leader roared

Victor dashed forward and grabbed an old sword on the ground. He hacked and slashed the Gray Wolves that were still stunned. Blood sprayed as he decapitated each and every Gray Wolves that he saw. One slash for each Gray Wolf, leaving only the pack leader alive. Corpses littered the ground and blood soaked the green grasses red.

The pack leader posed and bared its fangs at Victor with anger and hunger. It never had intention to flee. Rushing up towards him, its movement was too slow for Victor.

However, it did something Victor hadn't seen before. It jumped around him and move in accelerated speed as it bitten him at the left thigh. His pants was ripped and a shallow bite mark appeared, bleeding stopped immediately and healing in speed visible to the naked eye.

Victor had never encountered such thing before, but because he was too weak to confront a pack of Gray Wolves. He would only throw his life away if he did so, but it was different now. And he was certain that it was a skill.

He raised his sword and waited for the pack leader to attack again. Walking slowly around him, the pack leader rushed and the same thing happened, but if it caught him off guard the first time, there would be no second time.

Raising his sword, Victor vertically slashed down the coming pack leader. It managed to evade narrowly, and jumped at the left side, then rushed up to him again. It would stop until one of them was dead!

Victor didn't intend to prolong the battle any longer and dashed towards the pack leader. Caught in surprise, Victor exploited it and used [Full Thrust]. His sword shone, along with him, his sword zoomed towards the pack leader, the sword's penetrating power increased tremendously.

Shiinng! Puchi!

His sword pierced through the forehead of the pack leader, blood trickled down the blade. Victor pulled out the old sword and brain matter spilled from wound. The pack leader fell and died. Victor took a deep breath and stabbed the sword on the ground.

[Your battle performance has been evaluated.]

[You killed 25 Gray Wolf, 1 Elite Gray Wolf (Pack Leader)]

[You gained.... 375,590 EXP]

[Unique Skill: Hero's Gift from the Devil activated.]

[You have killed an Elite Gray Wolf (Pack Leader) | Level: 29]

[Half of the over all Stats of Elite Gray Wolf (Pack Leader) will become yours, as well as all the compatible Skills.]

[Your stats are increasing: Power +15, Dexterity +19, Spirit +13, Physique +16, Vitality +20, Magic +5]

[Due to incompatibility, no skills were learned]

[Unique Skill: Soul Collector activated.]

[26 souls of monsters you slay has been collected. You can choose to absorb them or store them in your Soul Space for future usage.]

'Store them.' Victor thought and the small flames floating around entered his chest.

He turned to the girls and shouted. "It's okay now. You can go down!"

The girls heard Victor and sighed in relief. Amber saw Victor beneath them and smile. Then, she saw that no one moved to leave the safety from the tree.

Victor looked at them and saw something he shouldn't have, dried tree branches rained down at him.

"Don't look up!"

"Pervert! Victor is a pervert!"

"Hey, stop! Stop! I didn't mean it!" Victor walked further and said "Why don't you come down so we can leave now?"

"B-But.... We don't know how to climb down!"

"Seriously?!!! Don't climb trees if you don't know how to climb down!!!"