Pascal died before telling the Guild what attacked them, and the Instructor never returned to Raewood. That was terrible news. The Guildmaster and staff tried hiding the truth for a while but quickly realized that the townspeople waited impatiently to hear about the Instructor’s return. When the Instructor didn’t return, the news spread like wildfire and the atmosphere all over the town changed.
The mayor decreed a higher danger level, recommending everyone stay in town. He didn’t forbid the traveling merchants and Lumberjacks to leave, but he made sure they knew the unknown danger.
It was challenging to control the townspeople, but the mayor and the Guildmaster were Gold rank Adventurers. They would be safe and sound if they followed the Mayor’s orders. At least, that was what everyone was hoping for. It was the only thing they could grasp desperately.
They relied on the Guildmaster and the Mayor’s protection.
Even the Adventurers were recommended to stay in Raewood until the source of danger was discovered. According to the kingdom’s constitution, all Adventurers would be hired by the crown to fortify its subjects in times of war and danger. Their expenses would be covered and generously compensated in the worst case – if they had to engage in combat to protect the town.
“I’m bored,” One of the Bronze Adventurers cursed loudly. He and his companions could be found drinking beer and hard liquor in the Angel’s Brew Inn every day for the last few days. They were busy filling Bertha’s pouch, “How much longer do we have to stay here?”
“Nobody is forcing you to stay here. You’re allowed to leave. Tell the Guildmaster you’ll search the source of danger, and he will certainly permit you to leave. Knowing him, Guildmaster Lexter would probably praise you to the stars and beyond before watching you jump into your death out there.”
One of the Adventurers shuddered.
“You know how impatient Guildmaster Lexter is. If he wasn’t bound to stay in Raewood in such a situation, he’d be the first to search for whatever killed Pascal and his pals.”
“Don’t forget Instructor Merle.”
A slap echoed through the Angel’s Brew Inn dining room, and chaos ensued. Percy wasn’t sure what was happening, but staying away from the dining room for the night was probably the best. He returned to his room, wondering about Raewood’s future.
I haven’t been out to hunt for a while now. Well, nobody was out there. But maybe that’s for everyone’s best—reinforcement has been requested, and all we have to do is stay here and protect the town. Patience is all it takes.
It was a little scary that almost ten Silver Adventurers were either killed or vanished in the last few days. Something like that never happened in Raewood. Percy couldn’t find similar incidents in the history books about Raewood and the surrounding region either. The entire area was supposed to be a secure place for groups of Silver rank Adventurers.
A sole Silver rank Adventurer might die a stupid death. Something like that can happen. But what is strong enough to kill a group of vigilant Adventurers? Everyone said Pascal and his party were well-equipped and more vigilant than most parties. What happened to them?
Percy did everything possible to grow stronger in the last few days and was bound to do the same in the next few days. Training was all he could do to divert his mind from the looming danger.
He studied his Ego more extensively and did the same with mana. However, comprehending the essence of mana and his Ego was easier said than done.
He tried augmenting his body parts just like he did with his eyes before, but consciously enhancing his body with mana was different from willing his mana to do something instinctively. It was not more difficult, not directly, at least. It was just…different.
Percy didn’t waste his freetime idling around. He studied to fill the massive gaps in his knowledge, worked out to unleash the full potential of his body, and trained his mind to study his Ego and mana. His mana control increased slowly but steadily, yet Percy found himself in tricky situations whenever he wanted to test something.
Testing was what he called the sparring sessions with the bored Adventurers. It might be better to call it a one-sided beating, but Percy liked the term ‘testing’ much better.
The Adventurers beat the living shit out of Percy after reluctantly agreeing to spar with him. At first, they thought sparring with a rookie would be interesting, but everything changed once the spar crossed a certain point. The pressure weighing down on the Adventurers was heavy, and they crossed the line. They lost their composure.
Percy was beaten into a pulp until the Adventurers had de-stressed.
He didn’t like the pain and would much rather avoid getting beaten up, but the sparring sessions with the Adventurers helped Percy improve in several regards.
First, Percy’s understanding of his natural regeneration and mana’s influence skyrocketed. He studied the mana-aided healing process and learned how to control the process. It was challenging and not something he could do naturally, but Percy was learning.
Slightly accelerating his natural healing process decreased the mana consumption drastically. It would take longer to heal his wounds, but Percy managed to use his mana to augment his body while simultaneously accelerating his sore muscles' healing process. That was great, just like the rapid acceleration that Percy learned to use after being beaten black and blue for the first time. It drained his mana reserves rapidly, but his bruises and two rib cracks healed rapidly.
The effect of rapid healing wasn’t instantaneous. It wasn’t even close to that, but Percy was satisfied with his mana control and increased understanding of mana.
His increasing understanding of mana also helped Percy learn how to replenish his mana reserves. He had to learn how to sense and absorb the surrounding mana actively. Why was that so important? The answer was so obvious it was difficult to grasp.
Mana invigorated the body, but it could also temporarily strengthen his body and mind. However, most importantly, mana could be used to wield Artifacts and Monster Cards longer.
According to the legends in one of the books Olivia told him to read, some of the strongest Cardists – Gifted Ones wielding Monster Cards – could replenish their mana mid-battle. Of course, those were just legends written in a book, and even Olivia said it would be near impossible for anyone to reach such a high level of comprehension, but that was precisely what unleashed Percy’s drive to succeed.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
He chose to forsake sleep to keep on training.
Even if he couldn’t get it right at first, Percy was certain that diligence and the drive to grow stronger and improve wouldn’t fail him.
**
A week of gloomy silence passed without any news. It was nerve-wracking and drove the traveling merchants to the brink of insanity. They had important deals to fulfill and decided that the wilderness wasn’t as dangerous as the Guildmaster and Mayor said. The traveling merchants still hired a few Adventurers – forcing them to reach deep into their coin pouches – and left.
Following the departure of the first group, more Adventurers decided to test the waters. Everyone hoped the last week had been a nightmare, and everything would return to normal.
A part of the forest was vigilantly searched through nonetheless. However, nothing was found. There weren’t any corpses and no armaments. The Adventurers didn’t even find a single strand of hair. It was almost like Instructor Merle, his comrades, and the rest of Pascal’s team dispersed into thin air.
For a while, Percy thought everyone would die. He expected none of the Adventurers leaving Raewood to return. Percy wasn’t an Oracle. He would never be one. However, an odd feeling crept up the back of his head when the first Adventurers left with the traveling merchants. The feeling didn’t subside and kept him occupied even after the first groups of Adventurers returned.
However, the Adventurers didn’t return unscathed. Almost everyone was injured, but only lightly. It was still early in the morning – the Adventurers left Raewood less than two hours – when news reached them.
Another problem, a well-known issue, resurfaced.
“The Berserk Rabbits swamped the forest,” Olivia told Percy when he asked what was happening.
“The Berserk Rabbits did that?”
He looked at two Silver-ranked Adventurers and studied their wounds in surprise. Of course, they weren’t seriously injured, but Percy couldn’t imagine Berserk Rabbits harming a Silver rank Adventurer.
“That’s what happens when you charge into a field of hundreds of Berserk Rabbits,” Olivia sighed deeply, “They probably thought it would be easy to deal with the Berserk Rabbits, but there is a major difference in hunting Berserk Rabbits in their den, where the narrow paths restrain their movements, or in the open where dozens can attack from all directions at a time.”
She shrugged and smiled at Percy, “But nobody died. The Adventurers only encountered Berserk Rabbits, which is also why the Mayor had to lower the security level again.”
“Do you think it’s safe to hunt again?”
“Safe? The wilderness? I don’t think the wilderness was ever safe,” Receptionist Tom grunted from the side.
That’s a good point.
“We won’t force any Adventurer to hunt so soon after… However, the Berserk Rabbit plague is something we have to solve soon. They eat everything and will come for Raewood when they’re done with the forest,” Olivia retrieved a small parchment from underneath the wooden counter, “That’s why the Guild released a special mission. You can get one copper coin for every Berserk Rabbit you’ve killed, on top of the other mission rewards.”
The nagging feeling in the back of his head still bothered Percy, but he couldn’t remain in Raewood’s safety forever. He didn’t want to rely on others to stay alive. Not anymore.
“Good.”
Before he could change his opinion, Percy picked a few missions, all related to hunting Berserk Rabbits, and registered them. He left the Guildhall with fast strides, entered the nearest merchant shop, and purchased a few more leather bags.
Ready to hunt, Percy left Raewood. His chest tightened when he walked out of the town, but he calmed quickly. The forest’s appearance didn’t change. Everything looked the same.
Percy skidded left and right to test something, his lips curling upward in satisfaction.
I’ve gotten used to my body. But how much stronger am I now? The Adventurers beat me easily…but what about a Berserk Rabbit or a Hill Hog?
A Hill Hog would be a nice encounter to test his progress, but Berserk Rabbits would also do.
Percy switched into a defensive combat stance and augmented his hearing sense. He used only a little mana, but it was enough to push his hearing to another level. Percy considered perceiving the surrounding mana actively to refill his reserves, but faintly rusting bushes attracted his attention. He grasped the iron dagger tightly and prepared for battle.
Unsurprisingly, a Berserk Rabbit pack of more than a dozen members dashed out of the bushes. Percy was prepared and augmented his eyes and legs simultaneously. Augmenting multiple parts of his body simultaneously wasn’t easy. It forced Percy to split his mana into several streams and circulate them cleanly through his eyes. Fortunately, his will and desires stirred his mana, removing the complexity of doing so.
He scanned the battlefield and kicked the ground once all enemies were exactly where he wanted them to be. One monster charged from the side and pounced at Percy when he dashed forward. Percy didn’t look at the Berserk Rabbit directly, but his dagger whisked to the side without warning, penetrating the monster’s skull in one go.
Foolish beast.
He used his superior speed and weight against the Berserk Rabbits, kicking one Berserk Rabbit into the group behind it before slashing another Berserk Rabbit’s neck. He beheaded another Berserk Rabbit a moment later, using his accumulated momentum to spin around. His other hand shot forward like the lung of a ferocious viper. His fingers coiled around a Berserk Rabbit’s neck. Percy didn’t even eye the creature. Sensing its thirst for his blood was enough for him to act mercilessly.
Percy’s grasp around the monster’s neck tightened and broke it with a resounding snap.
The youthful Adventurer didn’t even realize how ferociously he fought. His mind was focused on the battle, yet he didn’t seem to understand how much his fighting style had changed. Percy’s attacks were deadlier, and his actions were far more ruthless than they used to be.
The youth who’d been afraid to leave the town mere minutes ago didn’t seem to exist anymore.
He only returned when the last Berserk Rabbit dropped dead to the ground, a blade stuck in its chest.
That was…something. Am I losing myself in combat? Not really. I’m just not as scared as I used to be. My attacks are more precise, and I’m more confident to deal with the Berserk Rabbits.
Percy couldn’t be certain where the confidence came from. He’d been beaten black and blue by the Adventurers for the last week, and it hadn't been long since a half-dead Gnoll nearly killed him.
I’ve grown stronger. I know I’m stronger than I used to be and can take a good beating as well. Even if I lose a fight, as long as I survive, I will get back up and grow stronger! Maybe…I’m just not afraid of failing anymore.
He was unsure what it was, but Percy loved how he felt. Regaining freedom was exhilarating, and hunting felt fulfilling.
It was almost like he retrieved what he’d lost after being stuck in Raewood for an entire week, unable to do anything.
Percy didn’t feel helpless anymore.
He grinned foolishly and collected the bunnies. They were stuffed into a leather bag, and his hunt continued.