The first round (2)

For the first few hundred meters the teams remained on the main path. Hex kept an eye out towards the others. He was quick to notice that every team already had a starting location in mind.

He had expected Clannad's team to be familiar with the mountains, but he was surprised to notice the outside teams were prepared as well.

"The Endless Mountains are filled with fortunes and dangers. I bet every Knight of the northern province has entered these lands at least once." Hestia said when she heard Hex's surprise.

According to her it didn't matter if they had a goal in mind. She was banking on Hex's knowledge of the mountain paths to gain an advantage.

That was something Hex had already planned on doing. Once the teams started to veer off in different directions, he signaled the team to follow him.

The path he took was narrow with steep mountain walls on both sides. Only towards the end of the path did the walls become more gently inclined.

"Once we climb here, we will reach a path that is easier to ride on. We will be able to cross the next mountain with ease following it."

With the help of the mountain goats it became very easy to traverse the walls. The beasts were strong enough to walk on the walls, with the riders on their backs.

Once on top of the walls, they landed on a narrow and almost flat path that seemed to go on endlessly. The path had once been a sharp ridge, but in time it widened and flattened a bit.

"What's next, kiddo," Oron asked with a voice that seemed to tremble a bit.

'He seems afraid of heights,' Hex thought with amusement. The big man was shaking and trying not to look around him.

"We will ride full speed ahead. If we can keep at it for an hour, we will reach the next mountain, which most likely will have more beasts and treasures. The others will need half a day to reach it."

This made everyone happy. If they remained ahead of everyone else, they could kill faster and gain the most points within three days. None of the groups would have trouble killing or gathering but they would struggle if there were very few beasts in sight.

They rode their mounts ahead. The mountain goats were certainly not as fast as horses or other mounts, but they were steady. Their balance ensured the group's safety riding on a narrow path, high above the ground.

After an hour the other mountain came within sight. It was larger and wider than the first mountain. Hex had visited this mountain only a few times in the past.

The landscape differed also on this mountain. The first mountain was almost barren with a few bushes here and there. This mountain on the other hand had a forest, stretching from the base to where Hex was able to see.

The ridge they were on ended in a slope just a few meters from the base of the mountain. Hex observed the surroundings. None of the other teams were in sight.

The Knights, who had even better eye sight, warned that a dot had appeared far on the horizon.

"They will arrive in a few hours. We need to be fast," urged Hestia.

They all agreed. The descent on the slope was fast. They barely reached the ground when they heard the sounds of a battle.

"That should be a horde of wild mountain boars," Hex concluded on the basis of the sounds he could discern. He was, after all, an experienced Hunter.

They quickly made their way in the direction the sound came from. The tall bushes helped them avoid being spotted. Suddenly Oron stopped. He was at the front. Despite his large frame the man was very agile.

They silently parted the leaves and peered through them. As Hex said, they saw a large horde of wild boars eating and fighting. Their clashes caused loud bangs and made the trees tremble.

"There should be around a hundred of these beasts here. And almost a third are Demons," Oron whispered, his excitement palpable in his tone. "Do you know what that means?"

Hex understood at once what made Oron excited. "The leader of the horde should be a Fiend?" The Knights gained very little points by killing Demon beasts. They were looking forward to killing Fiends.

Oron was about to run into the horde, but Hex held him back. "Demonic beasts have a certain level of intellect, so I assume Fiends should be smarter. If the leader notices people at your level it might run away."

The Knight realized that Hex did have a point. They weren't seeing the Fiend yet, so they had to draw it out.

"Let us attack first. I will take vanguard. Once the leader notices us and tries to attack, you guys can kill it."

They all agreed to the plan. Without the Knights fighting directly, the Squires could harvest more crystals. Only Hestia would provide help. Her vines could be controlled from a distance and would prevent a prey from escaping.

Hex, followed by the Squires, exited the bush and ran towards the nearest Demonic boars. They made sure to run in different directions so they wouldn't get in each other's way.

Hex was the fastest. He reached the battling boars in a few breaths. The beasts roared angrily when they noticed someone interrupting their battle.

Hex saw their tusks aimed at him. He pulled his sword out. He brought his unembedded Knight grade sword with him. He didn't have to worry about damaging it.

Clang!

Hex swiped against the tusk. The beast was pushed back, but its tusk remained unbroken. The sturdiness of the material surprised Hex.

'No wonder they fetch a good price in the market. Sadly there are no points awarded for gathering the tusks,' Hex lamented having to waste such precious materials but he couldn't spend a lot of time on unrewarding tasks.

Hex dodged the beasts' combined attacks. Due to his extreme control over his muscles he could easily dodge and parry their thrusts.

'Time to end this.' Hex readied his swords and jumped toward the boar already rushing at him. He contracted his muscles, fully unleashing his strength against the beast.

Slash!

The sword slashed through the thick hide of the beast, cutting it in two. Before the other boar could move, he jumped toward it. With one slash he cut it also in two.

By now the boars were alerted. They grouped and ran towards the humans. Hex didn't run. On the contrary, he felt excited. He hadn't activated his mark yet. He could fight against Demon level beasts without using Blessed energy.

He ran towards the incoming beasts. He moved between the horde, swinging his sword wildly. With each swing he killed or wounded a beast.

The other Squires needed longer to defeat their prey. They hadn't paid much attention to Hex, but when they turned, their jaws dropped.

"I-isn't he a bit too s-strong?" Aran stammered in disbelief.

"He is a monster," Vitor replied, agreeing with his friend. He couldn't help but feel lucky that Hex didn't go this wild against him. He would have died.

The Knights watched with a grin as Hex moved through the horde. He left a trail of bodies and blood behind him.

"He looks like a reaper," Hestia said, her delight clearly visible on her face. She was happy to see the boy getting stronger.

Growl!

Suddenly, a loud roar shook the forest. Oron readied himself immediately. There was no doubt the Fiend had arrived.

Bang.

Not far from Hex, a tree snapped into pieces when a beast rushed through it. Hex noticed it from the corner of his eyes.

The beast was furious. It seemed to have gone berserk. It didn't even look around. It rushed in. It was so quick, it reached Hex before Oron arrived.

Its tusks glistened dangerously in the light. Hex knew he couldn't wait on Oron. Neither did he take a chance.

Bang!

He clashed against the beat's thrust. The impact caused him to fly back. Even the red light swirling around his arms flickered a bit.

The beast continued to rush toward Hex, intent to kill him. But Hex blocked it once again. Its failure to kill the puny human enraged it.

"You are mine!"

Suddenly a huge shadow appeared on the ground beneath it as a voice descended. Oron had jumped high. He slammed his hammer down.

Crack!

With one slam, he killed the Fiend.

Hex noticed that everyone had finished killing their prey. Without taking a rest they started to harvest the crystals.

There was no doubt Hex made the most. But no one minded. They had all witnessed his strength.

As soon as they were done they looked toward the horizon. By now even the Squires noticed the cloud of dirt.

"Spread out."

At Hestia's signal everyone rushed into the forest. Hex took the path he suspected led towards a source of water.

He would try to get as many crystals as he could.

'This time, I will be the champion!'