Chapter 19: Monster Hunting

As Lu Jun's thoughts were in a mess, Lu Mei was already negotiating nearby. She said, "I'm an intermediate mage; I won't venture too deep into the monster territory."

Zhan Kong sneered, saying, "Intermediate mage, do you have the ability to control the Star Track? Unless you're a high-level mage, you'll always be vulnerable alone. And what's with the boy beside you? He looks like a high school student."

Hearing this, Lu Mei felt disheartened and somewhat helpless. She hadn't expected the newly appointed military officer to be so responsible, nor had she anticipated that the monster hunting mission would face difficulties right from the first step of leaving the city.

She suddenly realized that Zhan Kong's words seemed to have some truth. In the past, her younger brother's maturity and hard work had made her subconsciously forget that he was still just a seventeen-year-old boy.

To be honest, Lu Mei regretted it a little. But when she looked at Lu Jun, she saw the determination in his eyes, and her heart softened. She felt she couldn't let her unwillingness ruin her brother's efforts.

Whether it was the city's monster hunting battle or his progress in cultivation, he had become a reliable mage.

Just as she was about to argue with Zhan Kong again, he suddenly gave up. The officer said in a deep voice, "Forget it. I can't be bothered with you. You're both adults; make your own decisions and bear the consequences."

Lu Jun breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to leave and would end up as useless as regular civilians, with their ambitions turned to empty talk.

As they walked out of the city, Lu Jun thought to himself that Zhan Kong was extremely righteous, decisive in battle, and someone he could trust. He might be able to cooperate with him in two years before the disaster in Bo City.

At this moment, Zhan Kong looked at Lu Jun's back and smiled. This boy's magical aura was stronger than that of many veteran soldiers. His cultivation must be high—this was interesting.

Another officer approached, looking refined. Instructor Bai smiled and said, "What's wrong, big brother? Is there something special about these two? Do we need to send someone to follow them?"

"No need," Zhan Kong replied, waving his hand. "Let's see if the genius makes it back alive."

...

On the other side, Lu Jun and his sister entered the hilly forest. According to the map, they gradually reached the pre-set location, which was a well-cleared edge area.

The Southern Ridge was vast, spanning several provinces. The monster hunters of Bo City scattered, disappearing without a trace, like a drop in the ocean, each going after their target.

Lu Jun stepped over tree branches and fallen leaves, walking along the shaded forest path. Howls of wolves echoed from all directions, making the two of them tense. Due to their lack of experience, they couldn't determine how many demon wolves were nearby, where they were located, or if they had been exposed.

"Don't worry too much. This area has been cleared by military mages and hunters many times. The echoes in the forest make it hard to determine the actual number of monsters, but there shouldn't be many."

In the dark forest, where sunlight couldn't penetrate, Lu Mei was a little tense. It was her first time hunting monsters, just like her brother.

"How about we add a Water Defense first? We can cast a buff before heading into battle."

Seeing this, Lu Jun sighed and thought for a moment before controlling his star fragments and releasing water magic. A pale blue mist gathered, forming two water cloaks to cover both of them.

This way, even if they were attacked, they could react.

Normally, mages have limited magical energy and would try to conserve it when venturing out. Water Defense at the second level wasn't permanent, and no matter how much magic power you had, it wouldn't last twenty-four hours.

But their situation was different. They were just out to gain experience, so they could return to the city if their magical energy ran out.

At the moment when Lu Jun cast the spell, the magical energy ripple spread out, attracting the attention of the surrounding demon wolves. The environment suddenly grew quiet, and an oppressive feeling filled the air.

Lu Jun's expression remained calm. He did it on purpose to attract the monsters, making it easier to deal with the enemies in the open.

Howl... howl...

Before long, the silence was broken by low growls coming from the dense forest, growing closer. Tree branches shook, and large black figures emerged, surrounding the two siblings. A strong stench of blood and decay filled the air.

These creatures had powerful lower limbs, resembling wolves, but were much larger and stood three meters tall. Their figures were imposing, far stronger than the giant-eyed ginseng rats.

Lu Jun looked at them without any sign of fear or disturbance. If he had to compare, these one-eyed demon wolves were similar to the werewolves of the West, but much taller and more muscular, their combat strength being at the servant level.

There were about seven or eight of them. If a group of ten or so low-level mage hunters encountered them, they might have casualties before they could finish off the monsters.

But the siblings were relieved. Seven or eight servant-level demons weren't a big deal. A single middle-level spell would heavily injure them. As expected, it was a cleared area with fewer powerful monsters.

Seeing the one-eyed demon wolves appear, Lu Mei quickly controlled her star fragments and cast the first-level magic spell, Wind Path: Drifting Shadows.

Buzz… Buzz…

Soon, Lu Jun was surrounded by a light cyan wind and deep blue water. He felt the familiar floating sensation and controlled the golden star fragments. A platinum light flashed, and he summoned a magic tool—gripping a heavy black sword.

The golden star's sharpness and killing power were unleashed. His blood began to boil, and the urge to fight grew stronger. With half a year of experience in monster hunting, he had become more familiar with killing.

Roar! Roar!

The seven or eight one-eyed demon wolves growled, advancing step by step, their paws creaking on the tree branches as they closed in with the intent to surround.

Lu Jun paid no attention to them. He activated Wind Path and charged forward, wielding his already terrifying heavy sword. The Size spell at the second level of the Metal system was activated!

Before long, the heavy sword in his hand expanded threefold, nearly four meters long, as tall as a two-story building, with a 30-centimeter wide blade. He swung it powerfully, leaving the air buzzing with wind.

Most importantly, the sword's weight also increased for the enemies, making it feel like a thousand pounds. But for Lu Jun, it still felt the same, as he used it as easily as an arm.

Boom!

With the wind speed enhancement, Lu Jun's heavy sword swept across, leaving afterimages, like an eight-meter wide blue whirlwind spinning. The fierce wind cut through the air, causing pain in the skin, as sand and debris flew everywhere, and the ground trembled, leaving deep scars.

Far in the distance, Lu Mei quickly retreated as the fight began. She had coordinated with her brother like this for half a year: one attacking to draw attention, the other safely casting middle-level magic from behind.

But she couldn't help but be stunned when she saw this scene. Since Lu Jun had advanced to the first-level Metal system, he hadn't shown this kind of power. Was he already touching the threshold of middle-level magic?

Although the wind magic was a bit weaker on its own, it still demonstrated incredible potential.

With this level of power, the seven or eight one-eyed demon wolves couldn't even get close to Lu Jun. They continued to retreat, knowing full well the power contained in the sword's wind.

Puchi! Puchi!

Unfortunately, Lu Jun was too fast. In just a few seconds, he had reached the center of the wolf pack. He swung his four-meter heavy sword, severing limbs and leaving bodies disabled, with some even split in half and killed on the spot.