Travis took the job, it was going to be his last job of the day officially. After taking it he went ahead and left the town, the gaurds warned him that they'll be closing soon so he needed to hurry.

He nodded and continued down the path. From what the guild worker told him, the monster was last spotted by the river that trailed right by the town on the right. He went there.

As he got there he was met with a beautiful Moonlit river that looked breathtaking. He smiled, appreciating the nice view.

Travis walked around the , wondering where the monster was.

'Is this a prank? Well whatever let me go for a nice swim ' he thought. Travis got naked and jumped inside the water. He began swimming all around, enjoying himself.

While he did this, something underneath the water opened its eyes. The monster saw Travis floating there without a care in the world. The monster began swimming up towards him in quick speeds.

Travis who was lazily floating, felt something approaching him suddenly, making him jump up.

The monster rose out the water with a a giant leaped, water splashed everywhere as it floated staring at Travis. It was big as an elephant , green in color. Travis landed on the water staring at it in surprise.

' This must be the so cold monster 'he thought.

He looked at his stuff back on the ground and sighed ' I mean who swims with a sword?' He thought.

Suddenly he felt his blade in his hand, which shocked him. But he didn’t have anytime to think about that as he the monsters approached him in quick speeds.

The river rippled violently as the monster lunged at Travis, its massive body surging out of the water with incredible speed. Its glowing, feral eyes locked on him, jaws gaping wide, ready to tear him apart. Travis’s heart pounded in his chest as he pushed off the water, moving with explosive speed across the surface. He barely avoided the snapping jaws as they crashed into the water just behind him, sending a splash that momentarily made the water unstable beneath his feet.

“This thing’s fast,” Travis thought, barely managing to keep his footing as another wave rocked him.

The monster’s tail struck the water with a deafening crack, cutting through the surface like a whip. Travis dove to the side, feeling the rush of displaced water as it lashed past him. He was still in the air when the tail smashed against the water in front of him, sending a wall of water cascading over him. His feet slipped, but he quickly regained balance, the wet surface making each movement a struggle.

The beast moved again, its body shifting through the water with unsettling grace. It was fast, too fast for him to react with any real precision, and the waves it created only made the fight more difficult. Travis barely managed to leap sideways as the monster surged at him once more, its tail crashing into the water with a violent whoosh. The shockwave sent him stumbling backward, his feet losing traction on the surface as he fought to stay afloat.

“Come on,” Travis muttered under his breath, frustration creeping in. The waves made it harder to track the beast’s movements, and it was relentless. Each strike seemed to push him further away from his footing. The monster was using the water against him—distracting him with waves, forcing him into the chaos of its attacks.

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With a roar, the creature lunged once more, but this time, Travis was ready. His feet dug into the water, and with a surge of his own speed, he shot forward, ducking under the monster’s snapping jaws and darting to its side. As the creature twisted in mid-air to face him, Travis swung his sword in a swift arc, the blade cutting through the water with a sharp swoosh, just grazing the creature’s thick hide.

It roared in pain, thrashing violently in the water, sending a blast of waves that nearly knocked Travis off balance. The water splashed around him, drowning out his thoughts. He could feel the pressure building, the beast moving faster, stronger with every attack. The waves were a blur of sound, the air thick with the sound of splashing and the creature’s angry growls.

“Gotta end this now,” Travis thought. “I’m not gonna last much longer in this mess.”

He focused, gathering his mana, letting it fill him, and centered it in his blade. The sword began to hum, the air around it vibrating as it absorbed the energy. The creature charged at him again, mouth open, ready to bite.

“Cut!” Travis shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos of the fight.

He swung the blade in a smooth arc, and this time the water seemed to part before him. The screech of the sword cutting through the air was deafening, followed by a deep, resonant crack. The slash wasn’t just through the creature—it cut the very air itself, the blade severing everything in its path.

The creature's body was cleaved in half with no resistance, its form dissipating as the slash continued through the air, slicing into the river itself. The water seemed to freeze momentarily, the path of the cut leaving a jagged scar that wouldn’t heal. The river itself parted, as though the very fabric of the water had been torn apart, leaving a wound that refused to close.

The waves stilled. Silence fell over the scene as the once-mighty monster dissolved into nothingness. Only the faint, eerie sound of water trickling remained as the gash in the river slowly faded, its energy spent.

Travis stood still on the water, his chest heaving as he tried to steady his breath. The blade hummed quietly in his hand, its glow fading as he lowered it, his body shaking from the strain of the fight.

“Cut,” he muttered, his voice weary. “ Pretty cool skill. Wish it didn't suck so much of mana. Sure it doesn't matter but I can literally feel it leaving "

The river around him slowly returned to its quiet state, the stillness broken only by the faint ripples where the creature had once been.

Travis leaped back onto the riverbank, his boots splashing against the rocks as he landed with a soft thud. He took a moment to steady himself, breathing heavily from the intensity of the fight. His clothes were soaked, water dripping from his hair as he quickly pulled his sword back into its sheath. The monster was gone—nothing but a lingering silence and the stillness of the river remained.

He glanced at the water one last time, his fingers twitching from the residual magic still humming in his veins. “It’s done,” he muttered, as if saying it aloud would make it feel more real.

The cool night air felt different now, the weight of the fight lifting off his shoulders. He began to walk back to shore, his thoughts already shifting to what was next. As he reached the riverbank, he pulled off his drenched tunic, quickly changing back into dry clothes, his fingers moving with familiarity. His mind wandered to the upcoming promotion test, a challenge he knew would push him even harder than before. “Time to rest up. Tomorrow’s the real test,” he thought, as he adjusted the strap of his sword and tightened his boots.

With one last glance at the river, Travis made his way back toward the town. The path felt quieter now, the shadows longer in the moonlight. As he approached the gates, the guards waved him through, their faces marked with a bit of awe as they remembered his earlier warnings about the creature. Travis gave a tired wave back, heading straight for the guild.

Inside, the guild hall buzzed with its usual energy. People were finishing up their jobs, collecting bounties, and exchanging stories. When Travis walked in, however, the room quieted just slightly, and several members turned to look at him. The guildmaster appeared from behind the counter, a look of surprise on his face.

“You’re back already?” the guildmaster asked, raising an eyebrow. “I expected you to be gone longer, considering the threat.”

Travis gave a tired but satisfied smile. “I took care of it. The monster’s gone. You can send people to check it out.”

The guildmaster raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “I’ll have some of our best head to the river to confirm. But, Travis... we didn’t expect you to handle it so quickly.”

It wasn’t long before a few guild members were sent off, racing toward the river to see the aftermath. The guildmaster walked over to Travis, patting him on the back. “Thank you for that. You’ve done something most adventurers wouldn’t even consider. That creature was a serious problem.”

A few hours later, the guild members returned, their faces pale with shock. They spoke in hushed tones, recounting the scene at the river. “It’s gone... the creature’s just gone. And the water... it’s split open like a wound. The beast—there’s nothing left of it.”

A carriage was brought in, its wheels creaking as it made its way to the riverbank. The monster’s remains—whatever was left of it—were carefully loaded onto the cart to be brought into town. People gathered to watch as the massive form was transported. Travis could hear the whispers and murmurs rising among the crowd.

The guildmaster returned to Travis, handing him a small leather bag, its contents jingling with silver. He then slid a single gold coin into his hand, a weighty gesture. “For your efforts. You went above and beyond. You’re making us proud, Travis.”

Travis gave a small but genuine smile as he pocketed the gold coin. “Well, it’s my job. ” He gave a respectful nod to the guildmaster and turned to leave, his stride steady despite the exhaustion that clung to his bones.

As he stepped out of the guild and into the cool night, Travis couldn’t help but think ahead. “Tomorrow’s the promotion test,” he reminded himself.

TO BE CONTINUED