Chapter 62 - Hunting Trip

--- Point of View: Flare Meadowflame ---

Heading out of the weird makeshift wall with Ivy, it feels like we're twelve again.

"Alright, why did you come with me," Ivy said, turning around to face me after we're out of earshot of the Jeralik.

"What do you mean? What's so wrong about going out to hunt like we used to?" I say, playing dumb. It's been irking me all day, and I need to see if it bothers Ivy too.

"Yeah, no. You hate hunting. Hunting is a lot of standing still and tracking, then killing something by surprise, then going home." Ivy said, crossing her arms and seeing right through me. "Spill it Flay, somethings bothering you again."

"Why the fuck are we traveling with? I thought about it all night and even tried to contact my master about it. Nevermind." I say, sighing and dropping my shoulders.

"How's the old dog doing anyway?" Ivy asked, tilting her head yet not letting the conversation go.

"If he ever replied I would know, it's been years since he replied to me," I say, getting another sigh out of Ivy.

Although my master also happens to be my uncle, he rarely acts like it.

As tradition dictates, I have our Blinktree notebook on me at all times, but not once since I left home has he replied to anything I've written on it.

"So, that's pretty much expected. Now, what do you mean? Are you still hung up on Ice Freak and his weird magic?" Ivy said, once again seeing right through me with a scoff.

"It's not right, more importantly, it's not possible. A magician shouldn't be able to erase the cloak of a swordsman, let alone steal and use it. If that magic was possible, then it would have been discovered already." I say, stomping my foot in anger.

This era is also known as the 'Weapon Era', where those who are most proficient with cloak and hand-to-hand combat are at the top of the proverbial food chain.

But that

It just makes me so

"Uhh hello? Am I speaking to a wall here?" Ivy says, suddenly appearing in front of me, waving her hand in front of my face. "You alright there?"

"S-sorry, I must have spaced out for a second." I mutter slightly, what was I thinking about again? "Whatever, forget it. Let's get this game and head back, I'm kinda tired."

///

Uggghhh this is so booooring.

We've been sitting in this fucking tree for like thirty minutes straight.

Letting out a small groan of boredom, I'm immediately hit in the head by Ivy.

"Shut it! Either suck it up or go back to camp." Ivy says in an angry whisper.

"And leave you out here alone? No way." I reply, taking a seat on one of the larger branches and leaning back.

Just as I sat back and got comfortable, our prey arrived. At least what I think is our prey.

Hoping over to the branch Ivy is on, I eagerly whisper and point it out to her.

"Look! A Fiber Grizzly! That's plenty of food right? Right?" I say, drawing my sword in anticipation.

A Fiber Grizzly is a C-rank monster with loose control over plants and foliage, which lets it hunt prey that relies on the underbrush for cover.

"Oh yeah, of course, I'm so looking forward to eating a bear that tastes like dirt and is as tough as leather. We're not looking to eat monster meat, we're after food for the princess." Ivy says, eventually sighing and dropping her stern face. "Alright go kill it. Just stop making that face."

Woohoo!

Leaping from the tree, I apply a Beast Cloak and dash at the Fiber Grizzly. The requirement for being acknowledged as a Dux tier swordsman is developing your own cloaking technique, and this one is perfect for hunting a big slow animal.

In an instant, I'm in front of the bear. Slashing at its neck, I aim to take it out in one quick swipe.

Yet, for the second time in two days, I'm one moment too slow.

The grizzly must have sensed my movement, as the moment my sword is about to reach its neck, my arm is stopped by a thick vine wrapping around it.

In an instant, I kick the bear in the face and pull my arm back with all my might, ripping the vines from the ground.

Before the bear is able to act again, I draw my dagger with my left hand and throw it into its head, ending the fight.

As the bear falls, I stand back up straight and sheath my sword, making my way back to Ivy. But now I'm just in a worse mood.

Fuck! I can't believe it!

I had the drop on it, a full Beast Cloak, and it's a fucking C-rank, and I still wasn't fast enough!

I need more, more speed, more power behind my swings, more practice, a better cloak, fucking everything!

I need to be

After another hour of waiting, finally Ivy acted.

"Hey, that's our prey." She said, pointing at a small figure off in the distance.

"Not all of us have super eyes, what are you pointing at?" I ask, squinting really hard but still now making out anything.

"Just, follow me. I'll point out to you what to attack, just be fast it'll be fine." She said, jumping from our tree to the next.

Ugh whatever, at least I have a target now. We can just hunt this stupid animal and then go back and go to bed.

I'll get so strong during this trip, nothing will ever outspeed me again.

///

After twenty minutes of tree hopping, it took about one second to kill the two deer and thirty minutes to return to camp.

Stepping back into camp, it looks like we caught the monster and the Jeralik on their way out.

"Oh, you guys are back, sorry, I got a little worried there," Antonio says with the same empty smile he's had since I met him.

"Yep! And we've got dinner!" Ivy says enthusiastically, as I set the two deer down and head off towards my tent.

I'm not in the mood for food.