"What the hell are you doing!?" John couldn't help but scream out.
While he was crouching down to dodge the second knife, he was able to look at the assailant and recognized him as the man he had just saved from the Great Boar.
He thought the man had run far away already. Not only this proved wrong, instead of thanking John, the man sneak attacked him, which naturally made John both angry and confused.
“Shut up you damn beast bait, who do you think you’re talking to?” Tom screamed back as he put away the throwing knives and unsheathed his sword. Now that John was prepared against him, he knew there would be little chance of hitting the boy with another sneak attack.
Tom was able to recover a bit during the fight, while the boy not only was much more tired, as he also just got wounded. In his eyes, there was no way for the boy to defeat him.
John was already angry, anger which increased even more after the man called him ‘beast bait’. John knew this term.
When hunting aggressive magical beasts, some nobles would use slaves, most likely southern children, as bait to lure the magical beasts. It was common for the slaves to die or get gravely wounded, which really wasn't that different to death for a slave, as they rarely received medical assistance.
Hearing the man’s footsteps approaching, he knew he’d have to fight it out.
“Uggh.” John lightly groaned while removing the throwing knife from his shoulder. Although painful, the wound wouldn't stop him from using his left arm.
Now he had to retrieve his shortswords. He was able to pull the first one with a bit of effort, but the second one, the one that killed the Great Boar, barely budged.
In the heat of battle, John used too much force at his last strike, which caused the shortsword to get stuck. Although talented, he was simply too inexperienced at real combat and made such a rookie mistake.
There was no time for him to keep pulling it, as the man was just a few meters away. John wielded the first shortsword with his right hand, and on his left, he took the throwing knife as an improvised dagger.
“You still plan on fighting?” Tom asked with a sneer. “Look at yourself, you couldn't even pull your other weapon.”
“Bastard, I just saved you, and this is how you pay me back? What kind of man are you?” John spoke with a belly full of anger.
“So what if I did attack you? You’re nothing boy. I don't know how you’re so good with those swords, but it doesn't matter, as you’ll die here!”
With that, Tom attacked, his sword slashing down towards john’s head who immediately parried with his shortsword, and thrust forward with the dagger towards his enemy’s chest.
Unfortunately, as he wasn't used to the difference in range, the dagger was barely able to touch Tom’s armor, who stepped back as soon as he felt the dagger touch him.
“Is this all you got? Pathetic!” John taunted.
“Hmph!” Tom snorted before attacking once again. This time he made a horizontal slash which hit nothing as John ducked. Making use of the opening, he slashed at Tom’s left leg, drawing blood in the process.
Not wasting time, he quickly jumped back to avoid the counterattack.
‘Damn it, how is he still able to fight back?’ Tom was beginning to worry. This wasn’t how he expected it to go. In his plan, the boy should be dead already.
Tom continued his series of attacks, but he wasn't able to hit even once.
“Didn't you say I would die here? Because it's looking quite the opposite.” John continued his taunting in between attacks.
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“No wonder you had to sneak attack me. You’re nothing but a weak rat.”
“No, even a rat is able to bite back. You’re nothing!”
“Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” Tom finally snapped and began attacking non-stop.
Although he wasn't very experienced in combat, his attacks up until now still had some technique behind them. Now, he was simply swinging his weapon left and right, obviously full of openings.
Openings such as slashing downwards with all his strength.
‘Now!’ John sidestepped to the left, avoiding the downwards slash, and with the shortsword on the right hand, slashed back at Tom’s wrist.
“Aaaaaargh!!!” Tom cried in pain. It was a clean cut and his hand fell to the ground, along with his sword, spraying the grass with blood.
“No… No, stay back! Stay back, you demon!” Tom started walking backward while holding his forearm to stop the bleeding.
Unfortunately for him, John wouldn't let him escape.
“Don't even think of running away you bastard.” John spoke full of hate while walking towards Tom. If he hadn't been able to win, he would have died today, so naturally, John wouldn't forgive the man.
Tom tried to turn and run, but John was already prepared and slashed at his hamstring, causing him to fall down.
Taking advantage of this, John got on top of the man, knees pressing down on his arms, preventing him from fighting back.
“Pl-Please don't...” Tom begged, but it was in vain.
“Now you want to beg?” John said on top of the man while holding the throwing knife he used to sneak attack John, his shortsword thrown to the side. His anger still hadn't subsided, and it only got worse as he thought about how this man tried to kill him for no reason.
*Bam!* John punched the man hard on the mouth, breaking off some of his teeth.
“Bastard, I should have let the Great Boar kill you. Just be glad that I won't use you as beast bait!”
“No-”
Ignoring the man's pleading, John used all of his strength to drive the knife into his chest.
“Aaaaahhh....” Tom emitted one last sound before his eyes lost focus. He was dead.
John stared at Tom’s now lifeless eyes. He had never been so angry before, never hated someone so much… or did he?
Looking at the dead man with a knife plunged at his chest, John couldn't help but think about his vision from a few years ago. About how he ruthlessly killed that old man, similarly driving a knife through his chest.
‘That old man… who was he?’
Losing track of his surroundings, John was in a trance similar to when he experienced the body awakening and entered the Warrior path.
Without him noticing, the shadows that had risen above the ground silently went back to normal.
------
100 meters away, was a tall, black woman dressed in leather armor and two shortswords strapped to her back.
After seeing her son defeat the Great Boar and kill the man, Dene finally calmed down and canceled her spell.
Although she ordered John to take the trial following the now extinct tribe’s custom, as a mother, she couldn't feel safe sending her only child alone into the world. Therefore, she followed him from afar, watching his performance in this hunt.
Overall, she was quite satisfied. Her son was able to deal with the snake easily and had the ingenuity to use its venom to aid in the hunt.
He had some luck in finding Wind Deer tracks quite early, and the patience to follow it slowly.
When reaching the herd, he planned well and fatally injured the stag, though he would’ve killed it immediately not for the Great Boar interruption.
It was against it that, in her eyes, her son began to slip up. Ignoring when he got his sword stuck, there shouldn't even have been a battle, to begin with.
In his place, Dene would’ve allowed the magical beast to kill the human, and then take advantage of its distraction to jump on its back and kill the Great Boar.
Not only it would’ve been easier to do this, but he would also not have been ambushed later on.
Originally from a southern tribe, she had no sympathy for anyone from the kingdoms, other than John’s father, as it were northerners who invaded her lands and destroyed her tribe.
But in the end, her son was able to defeat the man and didn't make the mistake of sparing him. John didn't get any serious wound, and this should serve as experience for the boy’s future when he no longer has her to help.
She didn't want her son to depend on anyone, for him to be capable of dealing with any danger by himself.
‘All ended well, and it should be easier for him to advance as a Warrior after these battles. I just hope he doesn't struggle too much for killing the man.’
Dene herself had been through various battles on the last days of her tribe, even killing her first enemy in one of these battles. She knew that killing a person was much different than killing a magical beast.
John was angry during the battle, both for the man’s ambush and for calling him beast bait, but after the anger passed, there would come remorse. This was a normal reaction, but to be capable of surviving in this world, he must learn how to ignore it.
‘Hmm? Why is he frozen like that?’
She was expecting him to start trembling, maybe even crying, but strangely he wasn't doing anything.
‘He must be in a state of shock... wait, the mana around him. It’s moving!’
As an Archmage, Dene could feel the mana moving. On the other hand, John was not even a Mage, so he shouldn't be capable of casting a spell.
‘He must be absorbing the mana and quite quickly, which means…’ Dene showed an expression of surprise, then joy.
“A mind awakening!"