Chapter 30: First blood

Reyoma and Nobunaga took a small detour to the bank of the swamp, moving cautiously through the dense foliage. The air was thick with the earthy scent of the swamp, mingled with the faint, musty odor of stagnant water. As they neared the gator, its massive form became more distinct—a hulking shadow among the reeds and waterlogged trees.

**A few moments earlier...**

Ishin, seeing Nobunaga's apologetic behavior, sheathed his sword but continued to look at him intently. Finally, he turned back to the swamp, pointing at the gator patrolling the bank. The creature moved its huge body along the boundaries of the swamp, its missing limb a testament to its age and battles. "Do you see that gator? From start to end, it hasn't even laid one foot in the water. You can clearly see it's an aged gator with one of its limbs cut off. It will be best if you can hunt it."

'It is an aged gator indeed,' Reyoma thought, observing the creature. 'It is actually perfect. Even if we hunt it, the other gators won't mind since it has been wounded and aged. The group of gators in the swamp has intentionally pushed this one to the corner to let it die. But it is still double the size of any of us. Just a little mistake and any of us may die. Plus, dragging it to the camp will cause problems since gators can be cannibals. The moment they get the scent of blood, all the gators in the swamp will move at once to get their share--'

Before Reyoma could finish his thoughts, Nobunaga spoke up, "But wouldn't dragging it to camp cause a problem?"

"Then let's use that," Ishin suggested, pointing to a nearby solution, at a cloth bag on the tree in the camp.

**Present...**

A small chick, tied with a grass rope, moved forward, guided by small pebbles thrown strategically. Every time the chick wandered in a direction it wasn't supposed to, another pebble nudged it back on course. Finally, the chick reached the vicinity of the bull gator patrolling the swamp's bank.

Curious and unaware, the chick moved closer to the unknown entity before it, chirping and turning its head in innocent ignorance of the world's dangers. The moment the hungry gator spotted the tiny meal dancing and presenting itself, it jerked its head faster than expected and lunged to bite the chick. But before it could, the chick was yanked away by the grass rope in a hurried manner.

The gator didn't stop. Despite missing a limb, it burst into a surprising display of speed, driven by its ravenous hunger. It charged after the chick, its powerful body moving with unexpected agility. The chick was dragged away from the swamp bank, pulled swiftly by the rope, now sixty meters away from the water. The gator finally got a chance to taste its meal, swallowing the chick entirely in one go.

The rope got cut off, causing the gator to stop short of the desired location. Reyoma sprang up from the bushes, throwing aside the grass rope. He quickly picked up a pebble and hurled it at the gator, but it simply ignored the small impact. Scanning the ground frantically, Reyoma found a fist-sized stone and threw it with more force. This time, the gator's attention was caught. It turned, its eyes locking onto Reyoma, who stood waving and shouting, "Hey! Here! I'm here, you big-ass gator!"

The gator, seeing a larger and more tempting meal, became frenzied with hunger and lunged at Reyoma at full speed. Without a moment's hesitation, Reyoma turned and bolted in the intended direction, sprinting through trees and small puddles of swamp water. He navigated the terrain with agility, and after gaining some distance, he stopped and turned to face the relentless and stubborn gator charging at him.

The moment the gator crossed a specific tree, Reyoma yelled, "NOW!" Nobunaga, who had been waiting in ambush, leaped from the tree, aiming for the gator's head. Gators typically hunt in water and are adept at quick, sharp turns, making them formidable on both land and water. However, an attack from above or below could exploit their weaknesses.

Just as Nobunaga was about to strike the gator's head, the gator slowed slightly, causing Nobunaga to miss his mark. He landed heavily on the ground instead of on the gator's head, crashing right in front of the beast. The gator opened its massive maw, ready to devour Nobunaga.

"Fuck!" Nobunaga cursed loudly. Ignoring his painful landing, he pushed himself into the bushes on the sloping ground, narrowly escaping the gator's lethal bite by a hair's breadth.

Reyoma rushed toward the gator, unsheathing his rapier. Although he harbored disdain for Nobunaga, Reyoma knew he needed him alive for now. He drew the gator's attention with a series of fake thrusts, keeping it from advancing on Nobunaga. This distraction gave Nobunaga enough time to recover and stand up. Nobunaga grabbed a nearby stone and threw it at the aged gator. The gator, reacting instinctively, turned to face Nobunaga, its tail now exposed.

Seizing the opportunity, Reyoma slid down the slope, closing the distance between himself and the gator. He maneuvered swiftly, positioning himself behind the beast. With a powerful thrust, he impaled the gator's jaw from below, driving his rapier deep into its skull. The gator let out a final, gurgling roar before collapsing, lifeless, onto the muddy ground. Reyoma was drenched in the gator's blood as it poured down from above, soaking him completely.

Ishin, observing from the cliff, smiled in satisfaction. He descended to join his teammates, his expression serious. "Good work, both of you," he said, nodding approvingly. "Now, let's butcher this gator and get the meat back to camp. We need to move quickly before any other gators catch the scent of blood."

Reyoma and Nobunaga set to work, their previous animosity momentarily set aside as they focused on the task at hand.

The process was arduous, but they managed to secure enough meat for several days. As they wrapped the meat in leaves and grass, preparing it for transport, the sun was right above their heads, back at the camp, they cooked the gator meat, the rich aroma filling the air.

A day had passed since their last meal, their stomachs gnawed by hunger, yet there was no means to procure salt to enhance the taste of their hard-earned feast.

Not that they desired such luxuries. The gator meat they consumed was more than they could have hoped for, a bounty in the harsh wilderness where every mouthful could mean the difference between life and death.

The tension between Reyoma and Nobunaga seemed to ease slightly as they shared their meal.

Not that they had any energy to spare. The trio ate in solemn silence, each chew a testament to their exhaustion. Nobunaga and Reyoma lay back, allowing themselves a brief respite as the sun began its descent toward the western horizon.

It was only then that Ishin, his gaze fixed on the distant treeline, finally shattered the quiet.

"If you both have had enough rest, let's continue with today's task and visit that tree," Ishin commanded, his eyes fixed on the towering behemoth that pierced the heavens. 'There must be a reason this tree was chosen as the examination site. Do they want us to investigate it? But why? Why is it so colossal? What significance does it hold?' he mused silently.

Nobunaga, still gnawing on a chunk of gator meat—his reward for aiding in the hunt—grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. I guess it's time to move. That tree does look kinda interesting."

Reyoma, meticulously wiping the blood from his rapier before sheathing it, nodded. "Agreed. Let's uncover what's so special about that tree."

Clad in full armor, their heads the only parts exposed, they hoisted their water gourds and small portions of meat. The trio moved with practiced ease, their earlier trials refining their ability to navigate the treacherous swamp.

The muck that once hindered them now seemed like a mere inconvenience, their determination propelling them forward toward the enigmatic tree.

Heading northeast, the trainee seeker trio bypassed the arena they had agreed to visit on their return, setting their sights directly on the colossal tree.

As they advanced, detours were frequent to avoid the treacherous swamp waters, but Ishin's unparalleled tree-climbing skills ensured they never lost their bearings.

Countless swamps lay in their path, each marred by the presence of inverted rib bones, an unsettling harbinger of danger. These macabre relics, scattered like grim sentinels, left only a few swamps untainted by their eerie presence.

The group, now more vigilant than ever, understood the peril of disturbing the swamp waters. The corrupt beast they were tasked to hunt was evidently the architect of these grisly remains.

Despite their heightened alertness, they failed to deduce the origin of the bones. Far larger than any creature encountered in this forsaken territory, the mystery of these skeletal remnants loomed over them, amplifying the tension of their trek.

Emerging from the shadowy embrace of the swamp trees, they were greeted by the harsh glare of the midday sun. The sudden brilliance was almost blinding after the swamp's perpetual gloom. The morning's cloudy veil had lifted, revealing an unforgiving sky, as they pressed onward toward the enigmatic tree that beckoned them.