Chapter 17 : Hunt

Waking up at the crack of dawn, Akeno calmly prepared for the day ahead.

"Are you guys ready?" Akeno asked as he looked over at his companions, only to find what appeared to be three sleepy snails in their place.

"Five more minutes..."

"Why are you waking up so early?"

"Zzzzzz..."

While the three roommates protested in their own barely audible murmurs, Akeno decided to wait for them outside to get some fresh air.

Stepping out of his room, he found Chikara and Izaya already sitting by the door in the hallway.

"What are you guys doing here? Have you been waiting like this for a long time?" Akeno asked.

Looking up, Chikara flashed a radiant smile. "Big brother!" While Izaya maintained his usual calm demeanor, he simply said, "Hey."

Faced with one brimming with energy and joy and the other cold and unyielding, Akeno wondered what the next recruit would be like. Would they be full of energy and daring, or rather cold and determined?

"We need to have a conversation. I want to know your plans. I don't want to be kept in the dark about things that concern me," Izaya declared, taking charge. He felt that the explanations from the previous night had been far too brief, and the wait for "when we're all together" had been far too long and ineffective.

"I already told you that I'd talk to you guys when the ti-"

"No! Waiting this long serves no purpose. If you want us to follow your plans or help you, it's better for us to be informed as soon as possible so we can prepare," Izaya interrupted.

Izaya hadn't shown many emotions since his "death." The feelings of betrayal and loss had matured him beyond his years. Now, he acted more like a machine, focused on logic and preparation.

Slightly bothered by Izaya's words, Akeno didn't feel like he could refuse his request. After all, he had brought him from his world to an unknown one, only to leave him completely in the dark about what would happen next. While Chikara was a child slowly rediscovering the joys of life and had complete trust in Akeno, Izaya was a tougher nut to crack.

"Well, if you insist... Originally, this was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess forging your own legend isn't enough of an explanation for you."

Glancing left and right to ensure no one was approaching in the hallway, Akeno continued, "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but wait just two more days. I need to recruit one more person before I can reveal everything to you. I promise you'll be filled in soon enough."

This led to a silent standoff between a fifteen-year-old and a ten-year-old with pupil-less white eyes, ending with a slight victory for Akeno...

Without bothering to respond, Izaya took Chikara by the hand and led him toward the inner courtyard. For now, their plan was to train with other children their age, learning the customs and martial arts of this world. Although it might have been better to train with older individuals due to their strength and experience, the primary goal was to encourage integration and socialization within the sect.

As Izaya and Chikara headed in that direction, Akeno decided to grab a meal outside the sect. Although Hope City was a relatively modest town, it was filled with merchants and stalls. After all, how could the soldiers stationed on the walls and the guards patrolling the city spend their salaries if the city didn't have taverns and shops?

After enjoying some skewers, Akeno felt reenergized and ready for a day of hunting. As he strolled through the market, he heard three voices calling out.

"Akeno!"

Turning around, he found his three friends panting as they glared at him with murderous intent.

"Why didn't you wait for us?!" Yang Jun exclaimed.

"We looked everywhere for you!" added Yang Chengwu.

Noticing the sweat on their foreheads, Akeno couldn't help but laugh at their angry faces so early in the morning.

"Haha, you should see the looks on your faces. It's too funny. How can you guys sweat so much with your level? Did you make a round trip between the sect and the city entrance or something?"

As if the question touched a sensitive nerve, Akeno's smiling face was met with nothing but rage from his companions, their darkened glares brimming with hatred.

"Wait! You really made a round trip?!" Akeno exclaimed.

Backing up a few steps, Akeno didn't forget to finish his skewer before the situation escalated further. With each step Akeno took backward, the trio advanced a step. Immersed in this tense atmosphere, Akeno felt cornered. No, seriously cornered. Backing up for a while, he finally reached the wall of a house, cutting off any possible retreat.

His friends surrounded him, and Akeno's smile appeared somewhat forced. His frantic gaze searching for an escape route didn't go unnoticed by the group.

"Wait!" Akeno pleaded.

However, faced with Akeno's pleas, how could the enraged trio leave him alone? They lunged at him from all sides, and the quartet engaged in a fierce struggle, with one side fighting for self-defense and the other for compensation.

...

Leaving Hope City, Akeno obediently followed his trio of friends, each holding a skewer with a big smile.

"What a treat!" Yang Jun exclaimed.

"Especially when it's offered so generously," Yang Chengwu added, glancing at Akeno.

"Hmm," Xu Jié nodded.

However, Akeno, his gaze fixed on the ground, didn't have time to worry about what the others were saying. His meager pocket money, carefully stored in his small wallet, had been reduced by half...

In his profound sadness, a new goal had come to mind: to excel in this hunt. He wanted to gather as much game as possible, partly to help the orphans and partly to sell the surplus and recover his sadly lost money.

The forest bordering the city was a prime hunting ground for dangerous beasts, especially on the outskirts of the forest. Entering the woods, they found no established path. Xu Jié used his sword to expertly cut through branches and foliage blocking their way. The group proceeded cautiously, avoiding encounters with creatures that were too powerful. Thanks to Xu Jié and the others' knowledge of the territories of the fiercest beasts, their journey was uneventful, and they reached a quieter area.

"Akeno, since you're completely unfamiliar with this area, we'll lead the hunt. Follow us, and when we spot a beast, let us show you what we're made of," explained Yang Jun, oozing confidence.

Finally, it didn't take the group long to find a beast. The creature resembled a magnificent deer, standing at a height of two meters, and it had already noticed their presence. Its antlers were a piercing red, and its fur was green, blending almost seamlessly with the forest surroundings.

"Magnificent..." Akeno murmured.

Sunlight filtering through the trees bathed the creature in an almost otherworldly aura. Well, almost...

After observing the group for a moment, the deer charged in their direction, its sharp antlers seemingly dripping red liquid onto the ground.

"Blood."

"A wild deer, what luck! Its meat is tender and rich in nutrients," Xu Jié declared.

The group scattered to surround the approaching deer. The trio assumed combat positions, waiting for the right moment to strike. Second after second, the distance closed, the smell of blood grew stronger, and the deer's cries became more piercing. At this range, one could see saliva dripping from the deer's mouth. If the trio wasn't careful, they might end up as the ones being eaten. "Now!" Yang Chengwu yelled.

In synchronized order, the trio pounced on the deer from three different angles. Yang Chengwu and Yang Jun positioned themselves on either side of the deer, fists clenched, and the two brothers engaged the creature in combat.

With perfect harmony, they targeted the deer's weak points with impressive precision. Every time the deer launched an antler strike at one of the brothers, the other would quickly strike at the animal's pelvis to disrupt its balance.

Their battle was fast, powerful, each blow carrying the force of ten men. To onlookers, the speed was high but still clearly visible, their movements seamless, without a hint of hesitation, and their expressions exuding absolute confidence.

As the young brothers seemed to gain the upper hand in the fight, the deer let out a piercing cry that echoed throughout the forest.

"Damn! We're running out of time; we have to finish this!" Yang Chengwu exclaimed.

Xu Jié, who had patiently waited for an opening in the deer's defense, lunged into the animal's blind spot. Unlike the brothers, Xu Jié was a martial arts master with a sword and had reached the second level of cultivation. His strength didn't allow him to compete with a wild deer of this size, but with unwavering confidence, he aimed for the animal's neck. Reaching his target, his sword cleaved cleanly through, beheading the creature and ending its suffering.

"Come on, guys, we need to get out of here fast!" Yang Chengwu ordered, mixing joy and panic.

As the trio began to prepare the deer for transport, Akeno curiously watched their haste.

"And what happens if we stay here?" he asked.

Holding the deer's head, Xu Jié kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

"The wild deer made a distress call. Its kin should be arriving soon."

This information filled Akeno with newfound excitement.

"Do you mean there will be more wild deer showing up?"

"Yes, and we need to hurry, or we might end up as their meal," Xu Jié added.

However, unlike the trio, who began to retrace their steps, Akeno turned around and unsheathed his sword, standing still and staring into the horizon through the trees.

"What the heck are you doing!" Yang Chengwu shouted.

TAP TAP

TAP TAP

As the group started hearing what sounded like the galloping of multiple animals, panic was clearly visible on their faces, except for Akeno, whose eyes seemed to have turned into gold coins.

In the distance, about a dozen deer appeared, charging with rage, their eyes shooting sparks of anger, and their cries piercing the forest's silence.

In this crisis atmosphere, a faint murmur could be heard from Akeno's side: "Money, money, money..."