Ezekiel stood ready as the monster emerged from the cave. It stood at twice the boy’s height, at least. Its bulbous torso was a blend of muscle and fat, making it appear even larger. It came to a stop right outside the cave’s entrance. The monster’s misshapen skull pivoted back and forth, scanning the area. When it found no imminent threat, its beady black eyes locked onto Zeke’s figure.
A smirk emerged on the beast’s face. The ghastly sight was marred even further by the many missing teeth as well as the two giant tusks that sprang from its bottom lip. The colossus didn’t consider the tiny human in front of its cave a genuine threat. Even so, the grey-skinned behemoth didn’t let his guard down just yet.
While rubbing its bald scalp, the Ogre looked around in suspicion. It was seemingly convinced there had to be other humans hiding in ambush. But even after sniffing the air repeatedly with its tiny, but deceptively powerful nose, the Ogre still couldn’t detect the presence of anyone else nearby.
Zeke had waited long enough. With all his might, he threw the last piece of rock. His strong body combined with his [Perfect Body Control] made Zeke excel at any physical activity. With a shrill shriek, the projectile ate up the distance instantly. It impacted the Ogre’s face with a deafening crack. The brittle stone burst into powdery debris from the force of the impact.
The Ogre roared again, this time in a mixture of anger and pain. One of its eyes was temporarily blinded by the rock’s shards. Its fat, clumsy fingers were not up to the task of removing anything this granular from its eyes. Its head snapped to Zeke. For the first time, the Ogre took real notice of him.
Now, there was hatred in its gaze as it took a lumbering step toward the boy. There were at least 30 steps between them, but the giant would only need a third of that. Its second step carried its huge form even further as the Ogre was gaining momentum. Zeke, for his part, remained rooted in place. There was a hint of fear in his eyes now, as he watched the wall of flesh closing in.
Even so, the analytical part of his brain kept reminding him that his best chance at survival was to stick to his plan. With a gulp, Zeke passively watched the Ogre build-up speed. At this distance, he was able to make out the malicious anger in its eyes.
One more step, and finally, the moment had arrived! Zeke focused on his core, gathering ambient mana. He didn’t attune it to Blood, however, but Space. His eyes focused on the dominant, right leg of the creature.
“Freeze!” he yelled while clenching his fist.
A couple of things happened in quick succession. First, the monster’s knee rammed into an unseen barrier. The force behind the collision was so violent, that a series of sickening cracks could be heard from the monster’s leg. The Ogre had also been robbed of its balance and spun uncontrollably. The remaining leg was helpless to stabilize the unproportionally large torso, especially at the speed it was going.
Zeke dove out of the way head first. With a practiced roll, he got back to his feet in one smooth motion. Wasting no time, he observed the aftermath of the fall. A dust cloud had been kicked up by the Ogre’s forceful landing. Still, he could easily make out the massive form laying on the ground.
The creature didn’t immediately try to get up. It remained prone on the ground, moaning pitifully. It also appeared to be somewhat dazed, which made sense to Zeke, as most of its momentum had been arrested by its collision with the wall. This was a chance!
Zeke ran toward the monster. With one giant leap, he landed on the beast’s back. A tingling in the back of his head alerted him to the incoming strike long before it landed. Zeke ducked out of the way of the elbow that came sailing in from the right. Finally, he could see his target. After another moment of focus, Zeke froze the space right above the Ogre’s shoulder blades.
Upon noticing that the bug was still on top of it, the Ogre tried to flip on its back. To its great shock, the behemoth learned that it was unable to turn. With all its might, it pushed against the ground, trying to get up. But despite all its toil, the monster was unable to rise.
During all the Ogre’s struggles, Zeke had remained focused. For him to be able to freeze space, he needed a direct line of sight. He had remained rooted to the beast’s spine, pinning the giant to the ground with the might of his spell alone. Gradually, he increased the area his spell covered, stealing even the last bit of freedom from his adversary.
The Ogre felt as though it were at the bottom of the ocean. Every tiny movement took an incredible amount of effort. After being certain that the monster was unable to even budge, Zeke took a step along its back, then another. He came to a halt not far from its head, his gaze still focused downward. He couldn’t afford to release the spell just yet.
Slowly, Zeke raised his staff high. With a loud exhale, he brought it down on the Ogre's head with all his might. The force of the impact dented the beast's skull, but the vitality of an Ogre wasn’t so easily overcome. Again and again, he brought down the metal-reinforced staff on the head of his helpless prey. Only when the miserable wailing finally came to a stop, did Zeke relent in his onslaught.
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Drained, the boy slumped down where he was, right on the Ogre's back. He was panting and covered in the creature's blood. He felt weary down to his very bones. The fight hadn’t been very strenuous physically, but the mental burden of executing a defenseless opponent was not something he would get used to anytime soon — nor did he wish for it. It had helped, that he had seen the viciousness in the Ogre’s eyes only moments before.
Zeke tried to wipe his face clean of the blood but only managed to spread it all over. With a sigh, he got up and approached the Ogre’s head once more with a determined look on his face. He had been sent on a mission to prove his proficiency as an adventurer, and he could not return to the guild without his trophy.
He brandished his knife and cut off one of the creature's long, gray ears. He made his way back, his prize tucked inside the trophy bag on his belt. During the hour-long journey, his roiling stomach finally settled. He was looking much better when he eventually walked through the doors of the guild.
"Ezekiel!" the same receptionist called out from her desk. "Back so soon? Do you want a different quest after all?" The afternoon had turned to evening, and there were significantly fewer people cueing up. Most of the adventurers that were present occupied the connected tavern instead. There were no more students around, only the regulars spent their evenings here. A few of them looked over at the commotion, interested in learning what was going on.
Zeke walked up to her, wordlessly placing his trophy bag on the table. His expectant eyes were clearly urging the woman to open it. With a patient smile, she examined the content of the bag. When her gloved hand emerged with the Ogre’s ear, her movements froze for a second. She looked at the boy in front of her with disbelieving eyes. “Done already? It takes most candidates several days to complete the exam — scouting, tracking, and preparation. How did you manage it so fast?”
Despite her words, there was not a hint of accusation in her voice. It was clear that she was simply curious and didn’t mean to imply that there had been any foul play.
“I’ve come across its lair before,” Zeke explained. “As it happens, my Magic is a good counter against such a beast. I picked it for that very reason, after all.”
“As expected from one of our most promising newcomers, to defeat such a fearsome monster in your first year, you must be at the top of your class as well,” the woman praised, causing Zeke’s face to turn red.
Some stragglers were coming over to investigate what was going on. “What’d the boy do, Linda?” A burly man with a naked torso asked as he stepped up behind Zeke, eyeing him with a sidelong glance.
“Ezekiel just passed his rank-up exam to bronze,” she bragged in Zeke’s stead.
The brawny man seemed slightly impressed. He towered over Zeke by several heads, and with a calculating gaze he scanned the boy’s figure. “Ohh? Not bad, you imp. What did you pick? Let me guess, was it a Forest Alpha? You seem to have some slender muscles under that leather. I bet you could take the wolf on if you’re careful.”
“…Ogre,” Zeke mumbled. He didn’t feel comfortable surrounded by the ever-growing crowd of spectators. He hadn’t wanted to make a spectacle of himself. The last thing he needed right now was for this crowd of strangers to rob him of his good cheer.
“What was that? Speak up, brat!” the man demanded.
“Leave him be, Brian. Can’t you see you’re scaring him,” the receptionist tried to intervene.
“Pa! What kind of a bronze-rank can’t even speak up?” the man countered. “If he wants to join us in the future then he needs to learn to—”
“OGRE!” Zeke yelled in frustration. “I said I killed an Ogre you gangly cunt!”
The noisy crowd fell silent instantly. Disbelief could be seen on everybody’s face. The expression was only partially because of the monster Zeke had named, but more because of the unexpected outburst. A tense moment later, the entire group burst out laughing. It was like a dam had been broken.
“He- He called- He called you a gangly cunt!” A man wheezed, inciting a new wave of laughter from all around.
Zeke was initially afraid that the man he had insulted would take offense. But he soon noticed that Brian was laughing the hardest out of all of them. It took a while for the laughter to die down. Zeke became nervous again as the huge man approached. Had the man only pretended to be amused? Would he take his revenge now?
Zeke flinched slightly at the incoming arm, still, he didn’t dodge. However, the expected strike never arrived as Brian merely slung his arm around Zeke’s shoulder.
“Got some spunk after all, kid!” the man said. “What do you say, wanna have a drink with us? It’s a tradition to pay for at least one round of booze when you advance.”
Zeke wanted to refuse at first but hesitated when he heard it was a tradition. He had come from a farming village, and his family had always taken customs very seriously. With a glance at the receptionist, he confirmed that the man was speaking the truth.
“Here is the reward for your mission, Ezekiel,” the woman said warmly. “Spend it wisely,” she added with a glance at the group of adventurers that were hungrily eying the coins.
Zeke stared down at the fourteen pieces of silver in his hand, his eyes turning slightly moist. He remember the many days he had gone to bed hungry. He remember the struggle it had been to earn a single copper. He remembered the taste of the moldy, hard bread he had to soak in water before eating. He slowly closed his fist around the coins, appreciating their weight in his hands. It only now sank in, that he would never again be poor. With his current skillset, he was already sufficiently powerful to make a good living no matter where he was.
A wide smile spread across his face. He turned to the expectantly waiting crowd. “None of you are allowed to go home!” Zeke yelled, causing the men to look at him in confusion. “Not until every single one of my coins is spent! You hear me! tonight we drink until we drop!”
His declaration was met with a round of cheers. 14 Silver wasn’t a fortune, but it was still the equivalent of 1,400 copper. A tankard of the good ale went for 5 copper here, making his offer more than generous. He would be able to pay for nearly 300 drinks with today’s reward.
Zeke slapped the coins down on the bar and instructed the server to give out free drinks to anyone until the money was spent. During the ensuing clamor, Zeke silently left the guild unnoticed — a content smile on his lips. He couldn't wait to tell his mentor about all that had happened today.
As he entered the living room, he found the old man reclining in his favorite spot next to the fireplace. Maximilian looked up from his book. "Zeke," he said with a warm smile. "Welcome home."