Binomas sat in the inside of his carriage silent as a statue, with a couple of Clan Elders and Elites around him.

They were heading towards the direction of Beans Village, traveling on a road adjacent to the Western Wilderness. Several of his scouts a couple of days ago had finally delivered to him the news he had dreadfully been waiting for.

The Clans treasured Striped Tracking Bears had finally located Biras’s and his fellow young Masters Primary Weapons, they were buried in a hole deep inside a Western Wilderness Forest. They had yet to find any bodies, but there were indeed signs of a battle near the hole.

He was feeling a Range of emotions he could do nothing to resolve. Devastated, furious, murderous, impatient, and deep frustration, all fuel for the powerful desire for vengeance driving every one of his current actions and thoughts and that he would unleash on the person who was responsible for his son’s disappearance.

He was like a ticking time bomb, except he was holding off his imminent explosion through sheer hate-filled Willpower.

“Clan Leader we have arrived at the location, please follow me, Betaro is on location ready to give you his report.”

“Let’s go!”, Binomas’s patience was running dry, he had no time for formalities his son was waiting for him.

They got off the cart and immediately arrived at the place where the weapons were discovered. Great numbers of Titan Hand Clan members had swarmed and closed off the area.

“Show them to me show me the weapons now!”

A few men came up respectfully and showed him a special open chest that was filled with a sword, a spear, and a chained mace, as well as smaller weapons like throwing knives, and daggers.

Binomas fell to an eerie silence he reached out and grabbed the chain mace, and held it up to his face.

This was the weapon he had gifted his son on the eve of his trip to accumulate Ranker experience.

It was a powerful weapon made of high-grade Titanium Composite and enchanted with three high-grade Spells, “Strength Boost”, “Force Multiplier” and “Magic Break”.

If Biras would have encountered trouble with any Magon Expert this mace would’ve not left him at a disadvantage against them. It was as High Grade as an Unranked weapon could get.

Had Biras perhaps used the mace in a more defensive way, and not left himself unarmed by throwing it at Guso, things might’ve turned out different.

Then again you can’t blame Biras he had yet to encounter anyone that could deflect or dodge his lightning-quick “Force Multiplier” boosted mace fling.

Binomas held in the urge to cry, he looked at Betaro his Clan’s sleuthing and spying specialist and got straight to the point.

“Betaro what the hell happened to my Son, don’t leave out any details.”

“Clan Master, it appears that this is the area where the Young Master and his fellow young masters were collecting resources, according to some of his guards that had kept watch from afar. They had been defeating the pathetic experts of this area and accumulating experience and wealth. It seems that in this specific circumstance they encountered an Expert of a high level and met misfortune. Here where we found the weapons, we found traces of a violent battle. The scent and evidence of blood are scattered all over the field. There are craters and disturbances all around as well. What’s most concerning is that after some investigation and using our premier Energy Detecting Tool we found a high amount of Lightning Element Magic Energy all over the field. We have yet to find the body, but there are vast quantities of ash all over the battlefield, especially in a depression not too far away from here.”

Betaro took a small hesitant pause before he continued.

“My conjecture is that the Young Master encountered a high-level Lightning Element Magon Expert, the only ones in this vicinity who practice Lightning Affinity Magical Arts are the Sparking Light Clan 140 km northeast of this location. Although it would be irresponsible for me to say they are the ones responsible for this tragedy, the level of Magic detected here is so high, I find it highly unlikely that it belonged to a rogue Magon Expert. I say this precisely because of the low-risk area we are in, as independent Magic Practitioners tend to not possess as high a level Magical Arts as legacy groups and institutions that in exception of the Sparking Light Clan, mostly reside in high-risk territories. The Magic residue left here could have only been produced by a mid-high-tier magical attack, something common only among C Ranked Magons and above.”

Binomas listened to Betaros report meticulously analyzing every word that came out of his mouth, after a short while he responded to the report.

“Are you saying Biras is dead?”

Betaros flinched and got extremely nervous, this part of the report was the one he was dreading the most. Even so, he immediately responded with his most honest conclusion.

“We have yet to find any bodies but certain clues inside the ground depression near here, where the most ash is, heavily imply that they are of human and fleshly origin.”

All Clan members stayed completely silent. The atmosphere was oppressive, they were all waiting to how the Clan head would react to this unfortunate news.

“It seems I can no longer lie to myself, it seems our Clan has lost its Heir and with him severely delaying our inevitable rise, but make no mistake brothers this offense will not go unpunished. The ones responsible for this will pay in blood. Betaros collect all the ash, and all the blood samples, as well as any important evidence or clue, and preserve it in the best way that you can. Even if it’s only his ashes I’m giving my son a proper burial, brother Billium Go with Elder Bikus and Elder Biren and demand from the Sparking Light Clan an explanation and proper compensation, Administrator Bipum, inform the representatives of the Viper Mouth and Fierce Nose Clan of what I’ve just been told, offer them our unconditional support and apologies, we will need their help to deal with the oncoming War. Titan Hand Clan members remember this day, as this is the day when our Clan lets all of Volunterra Experts know never to mess with our dignity and honor, today we prepare for Clan Extermination. SET OUT FOR BATTLE!”

“YES CLAN MASTER!!! EXTERMINATE SPARKING LIGHT CLAN! LONG LIVE TITAN HAND CLAN!!!!”

****

I lost track of time as the days went by living with the Toltemic Tribe. I ate their food, did their work, played their games, and socialized with everyone I could.

The tool crafting tasks had become easier to accomplish and I was now doing them in leisure. I even found I had a bit of talent in metalsmithing the weapon tips and small blades.

The way the Toltemic smithed metal was through ground-made pits and ovens. The process didn’t allow for large-scale smithing but it was enough to smith the parts of the weapons that mattered.

Although the Toltemic were adept at living in the wilderness that didn’t mean accidents or tragedies didn’t happen. When someone got hurt or attacked by a dangerous animal I got to observe the tribe Healers do their job.

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Eventually, I started asking questions and observing their actions and in doing so I also learned some of their healing methods. At one point they even let me participate in taking care of an injured tribesman who had been bitten by a poisonous animal.

Their knowledge of the poisonous animals around the area was astounding. They could concoct antidotes that heal most of the toxins that existed in the Western Wilderness.

The Western Wilderness was the official name the Country used for the vast wilderness that made up most of Volunterras southern-western territory. It stretched from the West Coast deep inland for almost one thousand kilometers.

When I had time I studied the progress we had made, in the direction and distance of our travel to the east, towards Will City.

Although I knew about the names of places within Volunterra, and had heard about the vastness and difficulty of travel in its territory, only after studying the map while traveling did I get an idea of how big the country really was.

For that reason I decided to take my time and enjoy my journey with the Tribe, I was in no rush anyways.

In my mind the longer I was absent from populated society the safer I would be once I finally decided to return.

And I’m pretty convinced Roksuma caught wind of my intentions as I sometimes felt we went even slower in the journey East staying at Ancestral camps for weeks on end.

I had started making slingshots like I had when I was smaller, mostly to put my newly acquired crafting skills into practice. But I also wanted to try hunting the small animals that could be found around the area without completely obliterating them with the Elemental Sling.

Little did I know that my slingshots would become all the rave with the tribe’s kids and next thing I knew pellets and stones were flying everywhere, luckily they were mostly aimed at small targets or animals that could be found.

After some time another hunting party was being formed. This time I gathered up the courage to ask if I could be a part of it.

Although they were hesitant at first they finally relented and let me join.

When the last hunting party had returned they had succeeded in hunting down a large Megafauna. It was a massive Mountain Pig and when I remembered the excitement I felt when I imagined myself trying to hunt one of these giants I just knew I had to give it a try.

Before they departed on the journey they instructed me to soak my weapons in magical beast blood so that I would be better prepared for the hunt.

I soaked my combat knife and hunting blade in the beast blood for a week in which time they gained a whole new luster.

The Priests told me once I took them out, that they were now technically magical weapons and to be careful with how I wield them as the type of wounds these weapons inflicted was magical damage, which had a terrible effect on flesh and blood.

The hunting party and I set off deep into the jungle, along the way I saw the Tribesman set up various traps and snares hoping to catch other animals on their way back.

These Tribesmen knew the forest like the back of their hand so taking the same road back was no issue for them. I learned how to make the traps as well since they helped me set some up myself.

Although throughout the expedition a couple of big animals popped out here and there, which the Warriors hunted down, nothing even remotely close to a Megafauna had popped up.

That was until two weeks into the expedition, when we came upon a stalking King Culebra.

The King Culebra was a large viper-like snake that was almost thirty feet long and had a body diameter of around ten feet. This terrifying beast was a King Beast often dominating the area it resided in due to the combination of its size which allowed it to grab and constrict with powerful strength, and its unusually fast bite that was very venomous and painful.

Usually, the game plan for the Warriors was to only try to hunt Megafauna and to avoid or do their best to escape large predators like King Beasts and Feral Beasts.

But the Warriors of the Toltemic highly valued snake meat as a powerful elixir ingredient so they decided to hunt it despite the danger.

Despite its large size, it was a stealthy predator hiding among the thick brush. We had only managed to detect it because the Bulge Nose Hounds the Warriors brought along the expedition had managed to detect its scent.

As soon as the beast was spotted the Warriors immediately got into formation launching spears and arrows at it. The scales of the beast were really thick and slick making it hard to penetrate its skin.

At one point one of the Warriors next to me was grabbed bitten and flung away. It was a horrifying scene. I thought the guy was dead for sure until I saw the Warriors in the surrounding immediately come to his aid and administer the anti-venom they had.

Eventually, the Culebra started to become tired, not being able to shake off its attackers. In its desperation, it set its eyes on me who was for the most part very passive, I started to panic but remembered the game plan the Warriors had set up in advance in case we met powerful beasts.

They told me to use the surrounding bushes and trees to hamper any beast attacks and counter-attack with help from their cover.

I had tied my combat knife to a long stick making it into a temporary spear. As the Culebra struck with its head, I used a nearby tree to take cover.

It struck the tree and missed me and was momentarily stunned, I took the opportunity to stab at it with the knife and pin its head down as best I could so I could pull out my hunting blade and slash at its neck.

But before I could get a clean slash the snake regained its strength and shook its head wildly. I managed to strike parts of its neck but was knocked back in the process.

The magic properties the blade had received did their job though, as the hardened blade cut deeply into the snake’s throat and inflicted serious magic damage.

Enough to make the snake go wild before it suffocated in its own blood.

The Hunt was over and somehow I had managed to inflict the final blow.

Everyone cheered and congratulated me, but impressively almost immediately proceeded to harvest the snake’s body at lightning speed.

From its venom to its meat, to its sinews, scales, and fangs, everything was valuable and the Toltemic wasted no time in properly harvesting and preserving it.

Out of nowhere, the marking on my arm lit up and I heard a noise in my head.

“Impressive young Ranker, you shall be rewarded for your efforts enjoy the feeling of ranking up.”

I checked my surroundings but found that the Toltemic Warriors were continuing the act of harvesting as if they heard nothing.

I remembered the voice that had appeared when I had killed my ambushers but at that time I had decided to forget what it had told me.

But now the things that it had said were beginning to dawn on me.

Was I really a Ranker? Was it really that easy to achieve my dream?