Chapter 53 Mission Report

Chapter 53 Mission Report

Sergeant Rita led them all out of the gymnasium and into a classroom, where the computers had already been brought to the screen for an official mission report.

"I want everything, the General insists on no less than a thousand words, and then you can leave." She announced, and closed the door behind her, leaving Karl and Dana with the bemused special forces team inside.

"So, that's the infamous cousin that you're so afraid of, is it? You know that you're stronger than she is now, and higher ranked, she can't bully you." The team leader joked.

"What does strength have to do with anything? That woman holds a grudge like no other." The man muttered, making his team members smirk.

They had obviously been over this before, though they hadn't met her in person, and the air of friendly camaraderie set Karl and Dana at ease as they sat down to begin their reports.

The tapping of keys filled the air as everyone got to work, ignoring the previous conversation in favour of getting the unpleasant part of their day out of the way as fast as possible. The warriors had a clear advantage here, Karl included, in that their bodies were enhanced, so even if they were not the greatest typists, their hands were so fast that they could still easily type out the entire report as fast as they could frame it in their minds.

The reports from the Special Forces team were more detailed and structured, as they had done them a hundred times before, but Karl and Dana did their best to not forget anything that they had done or seen after they had arrived in that town.

"You two got quite the first mission, didn't you? I can't think of the last time I talked to someone who got to do something as amazing as a pair mission against an entire Goblin Tribe for their first time out." The team leader announced once he was finished his writing.

"Unless you count Jenny, but I think that we all know her story isn't quite as verifiable as this one." One of the others added with a short burst of laughter.

Karl looked up in interest as they joked, and the team leader filled him in.

The bird appeared in the air in front of him, then settled onto the top of one of the monitors and warily stared at the new people.

Dana gave him a slice of jerky from her pocket, and Hawk's mood immediately improved. He would gladly meet more people if there was food involved.

One of the team members nodded his head and whistled in appreciation. "Awakened Rank Windspeed Hawk, Male, and my ability says he's under a month old, but that's far too young for him to be fully grown."

Karl nodded. "My skills helped him grow much faster than usual. I hatched him on the train on the way here, so that's as old as he is. We're just hoping that I can keep him growing at this rate so that he can become a true Elite among magical beasts."

The soldier nodded. "Well, it's not impossible with a bit of energy and some resources. All beasts grow based on what they eat. It's not a precise science, but what I do know, as a Hunter, is that they will instinctively search out stronger creatures or plants to eat, and if they don't get them, their growth will either stagnate or they will get weak from starvation.

The more powerful the beast, the more powerful the food source must be. That's why there are a limited number of truly powerful beasts, there simply isn't enough food for more of them in most regions."

"Oh? That's a useful class skill." Karl noted.

"Yeah, my talent is to know where and how to hunt things that I have seen before. I can see the Hawk, so I know where one would usually find them, as well as some of their habits, and I built up the rest of the knowledge through observation and practice." He shrugged.

"Well, it's still useful to me. I was going to request some higher ranked foods for him, to try to force progression. I started absorbing nutrients much more efficiently a few days ago, so it should be good for both of us." Karl suggested.

"Just don't overdo it. If the difference is too great, you won't be able to absorb anything. It would be like going back to your first few days, before your body adapted, when you couldn't absorb proper nutrition from the foods."