[ Wild Boars Hunting ]

The following day, Aeren secured a horse. Together, we mounted the horse and journeyed beyond the city limits toward an expansive, verdant field outside the gates.

The sensation of the horse's rhythmic gait beneath us was both exhilarating and soothing, the wind carrying away the worries of city life.

The landscape unfolded before us, revealing a picturesque panorama. Lush trees lined the path, their leaves whispering the passing breeze.

As we rode toward the expansive green field, my parents delved into a discussion about the specifics of employing water magic for the hunt.

Aeren's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Raul, envision using water magic to create a barrier. This is to block the boar's potential escape paths, you must manipulate water to form a temporary wall, blocking its route. That is your first task,"

I nodded in agreement. "That's a smart approach. By limiting its escape options, we can control the boar's movement and guide it toward a more favorable position for us." Viora added.

My father raised a practical point. "However, we shouldn't solely rely on barriers. Wild boars are agile and might attempt to break through. The strike will be dealt by your mother,"

The conversation flowed as smoothly as a gentle stream, each idea building upon the last.

Upon reaching the vast green field, a sense of serenity enveloped me. The field stretched out like an endless carpet of emerald, meeting the horizon in a gentle embrace.

Tall grasses swayed in harmony with the wind, creating a mesmerizing undulation. The air was perfumed with the earthy scent of nature.

"Alright, Raul. The time has come for your inaugural hunt," Aeren proclaimed, his voice brimming with encouragement.

As our horse came to a halt, Aeren dismounted gracefully. He secured the horse by tethering it to a sturdy stick anchored firmly into the earth, allowing us to focus entirely on the task at hand. Viora helped me get down from the horse.

With a graceful gesture, Aeren employed wind magic to rustle the grass, scouting for signs of the elusive boars hiding amidst the medium-tall blades. After a brief pause, his eyes lit up with discovery as he pinpointed a pair of boars grazing to the north.

Gathering us around, Aeren's voice was composed but filled with purpose. "We approach with caution. Prepare yourselves for my signal. When I give the command, conjure a water barrier around the boars. Understand?"

"Understood," I nodded.

Aeren confidently led the way, forging a path through the expanse of medium-tall green grass, and we followed closely behind. Our anticipation grew as we approached the wild boar, its presence becoming more palpable with each step.

Just as we closed in on the boars, Aeren's commanding gesture caught my attention. With a subtle lift of his hand and a knowing nod, he communicated his plan for me to employ the water barrier to ensnare the boar.

Summoning my focus, I extended my arms before me. A rush of energy coursed through my fingertips, and with a fluid motion, I invoked the water barrier.

It materialized in a breathtaking display of aqueous artistry. Imagine delicate tendrils of water intertwining and weaving together, as if choreographed by nature itself.

The barrier emerged with a soft, melodic hum, its surface exhibiting an otherworldly luminosity that seemed to dance in response to the ambient light. The sunlight filtering through the grass blades refracted upon the barrier, creating a mesmerizing play of prismatic colors that shimmered and swirled like liquid gemstones.

As the water barrier enveloped the wild boar, the tendrils encircled the creature. The boar's movements became increasingly constrained, its attempts to break free met with the resilient resistance of the water barrier.

With purposeful determination, Viora unfastened her sword from the scabbard secured around her waist. Aeren's directive was clear – he instructed me to fashion a pathway within the barrier, allowing Viora to step inside. "Now, create a path for your mother to enter it," Aeren's guidance resonated in my ears.

Focusing my intent, I manipulated the water barrier, parting it like a curtain to form a designated passage. As the barrier yielded to my command, Viora turned her gaze back to acknowledge my accomplishment before confidently stepping through the created entrance.

A sense of pride swelled within me as Viora's voice reached my ears. "You did very well, Raul," she praised, her smile radiating warmth and encouragement.

With our roles established, I fixed my attention on the scene unfolding before me. Viora, now inside the barrier, poised herself for action. The anticipation was palpable as she readied her sword, her resolve casting a determined glow upon her features.

"Now, watch closely as your mother faces the boars," Viora's words drew my focus. Aeren, utilizing his wind magic, lifted both of us slightly above the barrier's surface. The wind's gentle embrace lifted us, allowing us to observe Viora with heightened clarity.

My attention was fixed on Viora's unwavering posture and focused expression as she confronted the charging boars. In the face of their oncoming assault, her stance exuded an unshakable confidence. As the boars lunged forward with swift determination, Viora remained motionless, her poise a testament to her seasoned expertise.

In a heartbeat, the air was charged with tension as the boars closed in. Viora's stillness was a calculated mastery of timing.

At the precise moment, as the boars hurled themselves towards her, she sprang into action. Swiftly sidestepping, she deftly avoided their ferocious charge.

Undeterred by the boars' attempt, Viora's response was swift. Her sword gleamed as it sliced through the air with precision, targeting the limbs of the boars. The blade's edge met flesh with remarkable accuracy, severing tendons and muscles in a single, practiced motion.

The boars' movements were instantly limited, their momentum disrupted, and they tumbled to the ground with a cacophony of pain-filled screams.

As they writhed on the ground, unable to rise, Viora's strikes had effectively rendered them immobile. Despite the pain and the cacophony, Viora remained unflinching, her focus unbroken.

She approached the incapacitated boars. One by one, she delivered calculated strikes to end their suffering swiftly and mercifully.

What was perhaps most remarkable was the fact that Viora accomplished this feat without the use of mana enhancement.

As the final moments of the encounter played out, I couldn't help but be in awe of her skill and the quiet, yet profound strength she exuded with every deliberate motion of her blade.

I mustered up the courage to approach my parents about my desire to try hunting a wild boar on my own. Although they initially hesitated at the thought, I managed to persuade them, assuring them that they would supervise me closely to ensure my safety.

With their approval, Aeren employed wind magic to scout for the closest and smallest boar in the vicinity. After a while, we successfully located one. Following the guidance of my father, I cautiously advanced towards the position of the boar.

"Be extra careful, Raul, always remember that,"

As I drew nearer, my heart raced with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Remembering what my father had taught me, I enacted the same technique as before. With the expertise I had gained, I conjured a protective barrier of water, effectively entrapping the unsuspecting boar within it.

Holding my breath, I focused on manipulating the water barrier that enclosed the boar. With a gentle but precise motion, I parted the water as if drawing open curtains, revealing the startled yet determined boar.

Time seemed to stand still as the boar stared at me with its keen eyes, a mix of curiosity and wariness in its gaze. Every ounce of my being was concentrated on maintaining the water barrier while ensuring I remained steady and resolute.

In that fleeting instant, a connection seemed to form between me and the wild creature. It was a moment of raw vulnerability shared between predator and prey, a dance of survival and instinct.

With Aeren and Viora maintaining a watchful gaze from above the protective water barrier, I unsheathed my sword, emulating the poised stance that Viora had demonstrated. The anticipation was palpable as the wild boar charged towards me, its snorts and hooves pounding the ground, a fierce determination in its eyes.

As the distance between us closed, I concentrated on timing and technique, readying myself to sidestep the boar's charge at just the right moment. The clash was swift, and I swung my sword with all the force I could muster, aiming to sever its limb. Yet, my strike turned out to be shallow, only grazing the boar's leg, causing it to rebound swiftly and charge once more in my direction.

Viora's panicked scream echoed in the air, but Aeren's steadying presence kept her in check. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through me, I rolled just in the nick of time, narrowly evading the boar's deadly trajectory.

'Fuck swordmanship, my body aren't fit for this yet,'

Frustration and self-doubt surged within me, a realization dawning that my skill in swordsmanship wasn't yet finely tuned to match the demands of the situation.

Gritting my teeth, I acknowledged my limitations and swiftly shifted tactics. My fingers danced through the motions as I conjured a ball of water, imbuing it with energy akin to a cannonball. With calculated precision, I launched the water projectile at the boar's head, a direct hit that left the creature momentarily dazed and disoriented.

Seizing the opening, I drew upon another layer of mana enhancement, my body thrumming with magical energy. With newfound strength and agility, I leaped toward the boar.

In my right hand, a small sword, almost comically mismatched to my size, was poised to strike. With a determined battle cry, I descended upon the boar, every fiber of my being focused on the task at hand.

Meanwhile, my left hand was prepared to unleash another spell, a water ball poised to burst upon impact and obscure the boar's vision. The world seemed to slow as I neared my target.

Summoning my resolve, I hurled the water ball spell first, watching as it burst upon the boar's head, obscuring its vision in a cascade of water droplets. Seizing the moment, I sprinted forward with all the determination I could muster, closing the gap between us swiftly.

With a deep breath, I swung my sword in a fervent strike, aiming to disable the boar's mobility. The blade met its mark, cutting barely half through both of the creature's front legs in a less-than-graceful but effective maneuver.

The boar's pained grunt resonated through the vast land, its movements hindered by the loss of its limbs.

Undeterred, I pressed forward, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and purpose. My sword gleamed as I executed a final, decisive strike, ending the boar's life.

[ You have hunted a boar! ]

[ You have earned +1 Essence Point! ]

'Huh? I haven't seen this in a while, oh yeah right, I turned down the notification setting last month since it was quite bothersome during my whole training. Maybe I should check my recent achievements when I get home.'

Though my victory was marked by less finesse than Viora's demonstrations, there was a newfound sense of accomplishment that coursed through me.

The cacophony of emotions that had accompanied the hunt slowly settled, leaving me standing amid the remnants of the animal.

With the hunt concluded and the boar's life extinguished, I focused on disassembling the water barrier that had served as both my protection and my strategic advantage.

The water barrier, which had shimmered like a transparent veil between me and the boar, began to ripple and waver. The droplets that composed the barrier gradually lost their cohesion, melding seamlessly with the environment around them.

With one final, deliberate motion, I gestured, and the water barrier dissipated entirely, vanishing like morning mist beneath the sun's touch.

As the adrenaline of the hunt subsided, Aeren and Viora swiftly made their way to the scene, their presence a reassuring anchor amidst the aftermath.

Viora was the first to reach me, her arms enveloping me in a tight embrace. "Raul, did you hurt yourself? Are you alright?" she inquired, concern evident in her voice.

Her words were tinged with a mixture of worry and pride. "But anyway, you did great," she added, a warm smile crossing her lips.

Aeren approached next, his steps measured and his expression composed. He regarded me with a nod of approval.

"That's a good way to use the water cannon," he complimented, his voice carrying a note of genuine admiration. We did another few more hunts before going back to the city.

You did well. Garen sent his thoughts to me.

'I knew but this tiny body hindered a lot of what I wanted to do,'

There's no need to rush things out, by the time you are older, you would be alright on your own.

'Yeah, obviously,' I allowed my gaze to drift downward as my head found a comfortable spot nestled against the back of Aeren. Viora, positioned behind me, gently ran her fingers through my hair as we rode the horse on our way back home.