Edited by: KenChi死

Back in the deep, dark forest… because why not? It’s not like I am already dead tired with the view of those plants and swamps and mosquitoes and misery and death! Honestly! It is such a nice place to live! With so much entertainment! When you would have some time off… because you didn’t fight to the death with some boar that wished to see you trampled, you can suspect the visit of the friendly assassins! Such a nice play to live in…

* “Kiiitty, kitty, kitty, kitty… easy… see? Nothing to be afraid off… So please, stop running and let me FUCKING STAB YOU TO DEATH!”

You could wonder, why your usually stoic calm hero is acting like a lunatic? Maybe because a few hours after a his bath he was already covered in mud? Or maybe because of some Black Panther, that was so extremely swift and agile that he was running over and over again from already mentioned hero? And it did it in such an annoying way… never run off completely… more like creating few dozen meters distance… and then laying back to take a nap… Or maybe because the already mentioned mosquitoes, that because of the swamps that were their nest not so far away were sting the poor boy over and over again… up to the point that he had to periodically cover himself in fire to burn them? Or because of the weather that looked like it was about to rain? Who knows?

* “MOTHER FUC…” could be heard as the panther while lying on its backs rolled once to the left and once to the right avoiding arrows. “It’s useless! Sebastian for fuck sake?! Why from all possible creatures you have to pick the one so annoying?!”

* “There were multiple reasons to do this. You could really use the beasts agility… while doing so you can also train your skills of dealing with enemies much faster than anyone you met up until now… finishing on the fact that they will not fight you back… as long as it is not a mother with her young… They prefer much smaller targets and ignore the rest.”

Training… and here I thought that Sebastian gave me a day off… BUT NOOO! He simply enjoyed bringing me to the verge of despair!

Yet as we get back to that not-so-little kitty cat… I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT TO DO! It avoids arrows, runs away as you get to close… it simply walks past every trap-hole like it knows that it is there! Fire magic is dodged same as arrows and looks like it can feel nature magic and run away from the spot before it would get bound by vines.

And here I was left helpless, forced to look at the animal that was enjoying itself lying lazily on its back…

You arrogant son of a… You think that you can rest when I was deprived of such a luxury?! Are you mocking me with your relaxed expression?! Your damned fur will lie in front of my chimney… and I do not fucking care if have no chimney… I will fucking carve it in the wood with my own claws if I have to, but you are definitely be the… ah, fuck this. I am done. See ya.

The cat raised its head looking at my back, and I could heard it snort, like making fun out of me… Just wait you little shit… I will be back.

* “M..Master? I hope that you didn’t give up…”

* “Changing strategy. See you in an hour.”

Kitty cat… you made it more personal that it was supposed to be…

POV change

The Magic Academy as the very respectable Academy has its own campus, with many places where students could spend their free time… So many Pub-like facilities serving mostly beer, a few high class restaurants where children of aristocracy were spending their time… and lots of places that were “something between” those two, to elegant to be places to drink ordinary beer, yet to cheap for the snobbish nobles.

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And in one of such pub-restaurants only one table was occupied, in the end it was still the hours when classes were going on.

Ruby, Hanna and Lizzara were enjoying their cup of herbal infused tea and chatting in calm matter over all the things that at the moment needed to be discussed.

* “So, how is she doing? Any improvement?” Hanna started

* “Tsh, barely. I do consider kicking her out every day and every night.”

Ruby had on aworried expression, yet was quickly calmed by Hanna

* “Haha, easy Ruby, Lizzara never compliment anyone before. Actually what she just said was more than polite, maybe even admiring?”

* “Pft, looks like someone put drugs in your cup. Or maybe you have always been delusional… But sticking back to the topic… You were training her for a village witch… a witch-doctor. She can make basic potions, dealing with fever... but making a battle mage… She does have some potential, but up until now she was using mana wrong… excuse me, in different way. Calm, and precise forming of a magical structure… why battle mages, need to make their spells extremely fast and … a bit more violent, even chaotic… last months I was simply bombarding her with magic to teach her a way of rapid casting… with the nice addition of dual casting… She is… ready… I think. Now she knows a few more ways of using her ice… the rest can be achieved only by experience. She has my acceptance to partake in the exam.”

* “Thank you for taking care of her… By the way… it is possible that Zariel will come to the capital… in a few days or weeks.”

Ruby choked on the tea-like drink.

* “The infamous Artificial-Wild-Monster-Mage? I can’t wait to meet him. I do hope you will introduce us”

* “He is not Wild… I mean… he did study under my care… for two weeks… while spending over half of the year in the forest…”

* “W…why would he come here? I mean… not that I mind… but…”

* “Think you little idiot! He is the magician of the same kind as Darion! He posses the codex and is told to be a mythical creature!? A top of that Hanna told me that he is more than good in alchemy… you know how valued alchemist are… and now these all attached to one boy… what possibly could the council want?! EVERYTHING!!! From security reasons, through political up to making him a dog on a leash… Show me someone who would want NOTHING from him, and I will give you a bloody cookie!”

Oh yes, if there is something what Lizzara truly hated, that would be stupid questions.

* “And you better not take a chance and… do whatever you wish. You are no longer a child.”

There was an incomprehensible whisper that left Ruby’s mouth.

* “Pardon me?”

* “…I don’t think I will be able to look him in the eyes…”

* “Stop whining like a spoiled brat. You fucked that shit up. You have to at least apologize… actually you should apologize by slamming your head into the mud in front of him while whipping your own backs…”

* “Lizzara…”

* “WHAT!? You spoiled kid and now she turned into some ungrateful bitch! You can either run and stay a bitch for the rest of your life, or fucking swallow your pride and at least show him you wish to repay for kindness… You can believe me… it’s not every day you meet someone who wishes to sacrifice himself for others… What was he like?”

* “Hardworking, smiling most of the time, talented, repaying for every kindness double… or even triple…”

* “So now we can only pray… Because I knew once a man who entered and left the forest after the month… it was 150 years ago… he was always smiling and joking. He came with a team… bah raid, of 30 total… he came out alone. The men whose mouth would never shut… has spoken 3 times in the whole weak.”

Rubies hands were shaking.

* “He will be ok.”

* “How can you say?”

* “Because he told me… that he was born in it.”

POV Change

The day started so nice… it could be such a nice and lovely day. But after a wonderful, refreshing bath taken in the morning, here I am… covered with mud… even on my face… I was hidden in the nearby bush holding a rope made out of vines… the rope was going all the way through the trees and hanging from the upper branches… separating itself. Each separated part of the rope was connected to different parts of the trap. The trap was something like an arena made out of fence. The parts of that fence were lying on the ground. When the time will come I will pull the rope which will make the fence “stand up” creating a cage opened at the upper part.

But why should our beloved kitty cat come right here? To the ambush? Cuz at the center a bunny was tied up to the big branch burrowed in the ground.

The black panther is a nighttime hunter. And we have dusk. And I am covered in mud to be less visible and, mostly, to stop smelling.

Yeah, I needed to swim in the fucking mud to catch you. You little fuck. You better commit seppuku before I would lay my hands on you… For I am not going t… Here is the motherfucker…

The panther came from the opposite direction, lured by the sounds of the Horned rabbit both struggling to run away… and from pain, because some sick, heartless psycho crippled the bunny by twisting its paws so the “wabbit” wouldn’t ran away.

The big cat was surprised… and in its full alert-mode. Heading slowly, low on the paws scanning its surroundings. A not moving dinner right in front of him… and as it was about 10 meters from the prey, it shortened the distance and jumped at it in the blink of an eye. Completely new level of agility. Even why teasing with Zari it never showed its true capability.

A shriek of pain could be heard as panther dug its fangs in the rabbit’s neck bringing a fast death.

And in the very next moment the rope was pulled. With the rope the parts of the giant fence were raised. The cat tired to ran away, showing its great reflex and speed once again, but this time, it failed.

The druid left his cover and approached the cage. On such a small area catching the beast with vines was only a matter of time. Why to bother with catching with vines instead of killing? Of massacring? OF RIPPING THIS LITTLE FUCKER APART AND THEN DANCING OVER IT CARCAS? Because he wanted a souvenir. And the fur was perfect for that purpose. So all the actions will be done to damage the fur as little as possible.

After a couple of minutes a notification appeared.

You have slain [Black Panther - Swift Lurker] level 21168 exp + 11 exp obtained