Monster Hunting

I glanced at Linnie, who had already taken her first step. The girl bent both knees, extending her arms forward, palms wide open as her lips softly chanted a spell I couldn't quite catch. 

A blue magic circle appeared in each hand, featuring a star pattern at its center and ancient runes lining its edges. A wide, confident smile spread across her face. 

When a dozen goblins charged toward her, Linnie pulled her arms back, inhaling deeply before thrusting them forward with all her might. 

"Frosset elvestrøm!" Linnie shouted the name of her magic with enthusiasm. 

The two magic circles in her hands surged forward, merging into a single, much larger circle—about twice her body. From its center erupted a torrential wave of water, sweeping over the goblins like an unstoppable flood. 

But she wasn't done yet. After the circle vanished and the water soaked the entire area, Linnie moved her hands as though clutching at invisible air. 

"Isspyd."

As soon as she uttered the follow-up spell, razor-sharp ice spikes erupted from every spot drenched by the water. The spikes were so swift and sudden that no goblin had a chance to evade them. 

Not a single goblin was left standing. Each one lay pierced through with countless ice spikes, their bodies riddled with holes. Raising the spires higher, Linnie displayed the goblins' lifeless green corpses to intimidate the remaining foes, asserting her dominance. 

"Better leave now unless you want to end up like the rest of your comrades, little goblins," she declared, her voice cold and threatening. Her usually sweet expression had twisted into something dark and sinister. 

Even I felt a chill run down my spine, realizing Linnie was capable of such a terrifying look. Damn, she's actually kind of scary right now.

While I was captivated by her performance, a few goblins lunged at me. But with a single swing of my spear, I sent them flying to my left without even looking. 

To my surprise, the wind from the swing alone tore open the bellies of two goblins, spilling their insides onto the snow. I hadn't even intended to injure them so badly—I'd only wanted to knock them back. 

"Khii..." 

The two goblins whimpered in agony, coughing up green blood. Slowly, they collapsed to the ground, writhing weakly atop their own entrails until they finally let out one last, gurgling breath. 

The eyes of the remaining goblins were filled with undeniable terror as they looked at me. One by one, they fled, leaving me standing there without breaking a sweat. 

The same thing happened with Fenrir when I glanced her way. The goblins chose to run rather than face her, their instincts warning them not to challenge an unmatched wolf. 

"It seems like it's over," I said, scanning the area. Not a single goblin was in sight. 

"Grrr, I didn't even get to show them what I'm capable of," Fenrir growled, stomping her foot in frustration and sending snow flying. 

"Calm down, Fenrys," I said, trying to soothe her. "I didn't do much either. They ran after just one swing of my spear." 

"You don't get it. I haven't had a proper workout in ages. I wanted to stretch my legs a bit." Fenrir's ears drooped, and her tail swayed listlessly, heavy with disappointment. 

"Alright, alright," Linnie interjected with a cheerful smile, breaking the tension. "Let's keep moving. Up ahead, we're bound to find monsters much stronger than these goblins. I'm sure Fenrys will have her moment to shine." 

"Really?" Fenrir's ears perked up instantly. 

Linnie simply nodded, but that was enough to make Fenrir bounce around excitedly. I couldn't help but smile, feeling the warm camaraderie surrounding us. 

We continued our journey deeper into the forest. Fenrir hummed happily, skipping like a child eager to reach a playground. 

*****

The flora and fauna of this world were vastly different from those of my previous one. Well, perhaps "vastly different" wasn't quite right. It was more like an overlap, blending prehistoric creatures with fantastical ones. 

Take what stood before us now, for instance. Two massive, ancient beasts covered in long spikes that ran from their necks to the base of their tails. At the tip of each tail was a much sharper, pointed spike. 

At first glance, I thought I recognized the creatures. But what puzzled me was the fiery red glow of their bodies and eyes, accompanied by small crystals growing between the spikes on their backs. 

"Are those... Stegosauruses?" 

"Correct," Linnie replied. "They're mid-tier monsters, similar to the Alpha Smilodon you fought before—or perhaps even stronger." 

"Their bodies are so tough that neither magic nor ordinary weapons can harm them. On top of that, with their glowing red bodies and the mana crystals covering their backs, they can likely use fire magic for defense." 

"This is going to be troublesome. And there are two of them," I sighed heavily. 

"You're right, Yata. This is going to be tough," Linnie echoed my sentiment with a sigh of her own. "Should we find another target instead?" she suggested. 

Clack. Clack.

"Why are you two so pessimistic?" Fenrir raised her voice from behind us, cracking her knuckles audibly. 

"Don't worry," she said with a wide grin, showing off her sharp claws glinting in the sunlight. "I could handle both of them on my own, but wouldn't you two like to give it a shot and grow stronger?" 

I knew it was a provocation, but her words lit a fire in me. She was right—I wanted to grow stronger, to surpass my current self by facing something more powerful. 

I stood tall and readied my spear. "Alright, Linnie and I will take care of one of them, then." I glanced at Linnie. "What do you say?" 

Linnie exhaled, relaxing her tense shoulders. "Fine, if that's what you both want. I'll do my best to help." 

We all leaped from the four-meter-high cliff and landed near the two Stegosauruses. Fenrir immediately charged forward, lunging at one of them. 

Without a second thought, Linnie and I ran in the opposite direction, launching small attacks with magic and knives at one of the Stegosauruses. The attacks struck its body, drawing its sharp and furious gaze towards us. 

The beast started seeing us as a threat. It separated from its companion and began chasing us with its massive legs. Despite its size, who would have thought it could move so fast? In no time, it had almost closed the distance between us. 

Soon, we reached a wide-open area devoid of trees—perfect for a battle. Linnie's magic would surely be more effective here, and my spear swings wouldn't be hindered by obstacles like branches or shrubs. 

"Here's good," Linnie said, seemingly sharing my thoughts. She stopped and turned, taking a battle stance. A magic circle appeared in her hands as she chanted a spell, just as she had done before. 

I did the same, turning to face the charging Stegosaurus, holding my spear forward in readiness. 

"I'm a mage. I don't have much physical strength, so please cover me, Yata," Linnie explained. 

"Understood." 

Without hesitation, I dashed toward the Stegosaurus. My footsteps sent snow scattering, leaving a trail across the ground. I positioned myself on its left side, my spear aimed at its thick hide. 

I thrust the spear with all my strength, but its tough skin resisted, allowing the blade to penetrate only halfway. 

"Damn, his body is so hard!" 

The Stegosaurus turned its enraged gaze on me. It opened its mouth wide, and I caught sight of fiery energy gathering inside. My mind flashed to Linnie's earlier warning: these creatures might be capable of fire magic. 

Realizing what was coming, I quickly yanked my spear free and jumped backward several times, putting distance between us. 

Just as I thought I was safe, the Stegosaurus unleashed a massive, blazing breath of fire. Thankfully, I had moved far enough away to easily evade the attack. 

As it was busy spewing flames, a hail of ice spears rained down on its head, forcing it to close its mouth and interrupt its spell. Its attention shifted to Linnie, who was attacking it with her ice magic. The monster started advancing on her, ready to eliminate the perceived threat. 

I sprinted toward Linnie to block the beast, but the Stegosaurus seemed aware of my presence. Its spiked tail suddenly lashed out in my direction. 

I braced myself, using my spear's shaft to block the surprise attack. The impact was so heavy that one of my knees buckled under the strain. "Ugh… it's so strong." 

As it prepared to strike again, a massive ice spear slammed into its head, disrupting its magic and weakening its tail. 

Seizing the opening, I aimed a powerful thrust at its eye. 

Schk! 

The spear pierced through its left eye, eliciting a furious roar as blood gushed from the wound. 

"Graaaah!" 

Its powerful neck muscles made it difficult for me to keep the spear steady. I intended to drive it deeper into its brain, but the beast's massive body flailed wildly, forcing me to struggle to hold my ground. 

"Hang in there, Yata!" 

"O is, vær skarp og gjennombor dine fiender." Linnie chanted another spell. "Isrock!"

A magic circle appeared beneath the Stegosaurus, and a large spike of ice shot upward, piercing its body. Though it wasn't fatal, it immobilized the creature enough for me to regain control of my spear. 

Without hesitation, I pushed with all my might, driving the spear deeper until it pierced the beast's brain. 

"Graaaah…" 

The creature let out one final rasping breath before collapsing lifelessly. 

After confirming its death, I transformed my spear back into its original form—a small knife gifted to me by Loki. 

Linnie ran over, raising her hand for a high-five. Recognizing the gesture, I reciprocated. 

"Good job, Yata." 

"You too, Linnie." 

We both turned to gaze at the fallen Stegosaurus. 

"So, what should we do with it now?" I asked. 

"I'll carve it up and take some organs to sell at the market," Linnie replied matter-of-factly. 

I raised an eyebrow, but Linnie flashed me a cheerful smile. 

"Don't you know? A monster's body softens after death, making it easy to cut through." 

"Ah, I didn't know that." 

"Hey, Yata!" A voice called out. I turned to see Fenrir running toward us, her body covered in blood. Her long hair fluttered as she moved, a warm smile lighting up her beautiful face. 

"You managed it, Fenrys." 

"Yeah, it was too easy." 

I raised an eyebrow, not in disbelief but in surprise, given how much effort it had taken us to bring down just one of these beasts. 

"Well, after I harvest some organs, let's head back to the city to sell everything," Linnie suggested. 

Fenrir and I nodded in agreement. "We're in." 

I crouched down, asking Linnie to teach me which parts were valuable. She patiently guided me on how to cut cleanly and explained which organs were most sought after. 

Once everything was packed, we set off for the city, our backpacks loaded with Stegosaurus organs ready for sale.