WS: Beast Hunting [2]

"What do you think of the players?"

Emperor Iselus had his hand on the head of his son, crown prince Lincoln, with a soft expression while asking. This made the second prince Maxmilian clench his fist while lowering his gaze.

"It's an absolute for the son of the grand duke."

Prince Maxmilian scoff.

This made Emperor Iselus look at him helplessly and said, "How about you Maxmilian? do you have any thoughts?"

"Your majesty, this generation has many talents, do you expect me to give a blind guess when some of them could be my possible subordinate in the future? I appreciate any talents and I don't only look for who's the strongest."

Emperor Iselus nodded and praise the second prince.

Prince Lincoln who met the hunter eyes of his brother immediately averted his gaze and bit his lips. He [Lincoln] knew that his father would show favor to him in he public but in private it was his brother who he sure has the most absolute power. Why? Because before him, it's his brother who is the empire's crown prince. He just become one because of the influence of his mother.

His father's emperor makes him the crown prince which also makes him the target of an assassination. His mother who is ambitious and greedy for luxury only shows her love to him while he's valuable and is in use, after that he knew once he became useless he would be thrown away, especially since his mother is pregnant again.

And his brother? he was hated and seen as an obstacle [a useful one].

Being used by everyone.

Crown Prince Lincoln is a perfect marionette.

——"Good job Reign"

Eugene patted Reign's head and continue to walk.

He didn't see his teammates froze from what they saw and Reign who was patted in the head blushed uncontrollably.

They only encounter one second-level demonized beast and it's enough for one to deal with it. Eugene encourages his subordinate to do the hunting because such a weak beast is nothing.

He will only move his body once a beast besieges them or his teammates finally won't be able to handle it. Why? because he wanted his teammates to shine and show off their skills. Is it to observe them if they're qualified enough to be with him.

It's not about being arrogant.

He just thinks that this selection is an opportunity for him to find some worthy comrades to be with him in the future.

Timber bit his lips and grab Eugene's cape worriedly.

"Eugene, you shouldn't pat someone's head so casually!"

Eugene paused and look at Timber confusedly. He just did that to compliment them because he doesn't know how to blow rainbow farts. He didn't expect Timber to eat vinegar and stick to him like a baby panda with a strong grip.

This made him so helpless.

"Come on, everyone is a younger brother."

"You can't!"

Timber panic: "M-Mom won't be able to give birth to many babies!"

Eugene: "!!!"

Everyone: "???"

Eugene immediately covers Timber's mouth because the selection is equivalent to being a live broadcast, it means what they're doing and saying is all heard and seen by the people outside.

Ancestor, please shut up for now.

What will you do if the countess and count Rozans heard that?

Who knows if your crazy step-brother is just around planning how to murder him for snatching such a baby brother? He can't afford trouble now.

——"Hahaha, this is the son of Count Rozans? what a cute kid."

Countess Minerva trembled while clenching her fists, wanting to knock the head of her stupid son. Fortunately, her husband favors their child which saves her from trouble, however, that doesn't mean she will let this happening slide.

Who made her son so stupid?

Sending her letters with the wishful thinking of her giving birth to her friend. Isn't that crazy? Her husband even laughs at her and teases her for wanting another child. Is it easy to give birth?!

"Bwahaha, isn't he? He's the cutest and nobody can compare to my son."

Countess Minerva facepalms.

...then unexpectedly swept her gaze in the direction of her stepson.

Meeting the pair of dark eyes that seems to swallow her, she immediately turns paled and grabs her skirt, clenching her fist.

"Father, I'll get going, Magi selection would start soon."

Count Rozans widens his eyes, "What to do, your younger brother---"

"It's fine Father, you watch my little brother's battle. I'll finish mine soon and accompany you and Mother."

"It's good, unfortunately, you and your little brother didn't meet. It's been long since you come back."

Countess Minerva bit her lips.

"Don't worry Father, I'll meet my little brother soon."

"Good, you go now or you'll be late."

"Yes."

Countess Minerva watched her stepson leave and immediately grab her husband's clothes: "Timber dislikes his brother, I don't think it's a good decision to let them meet."

Count Rozans sigh.

"It's been long. We did something to make him run away, this time let's make it up for him. Klius really like Timber, let's not separate the two brothers."

Countess Minerva feel her chest tightening and couldn't help but cough.

"Wife! Are you alright? Is your illness---"

"I-I'm fine, I can still hold on. L-Let me watch my son."

Count Rozans worriedly support his wife and said: "Don't worry too much."

Countess Minerva lowered her gaze and nodded, "Yes, I-I'm sorry. I don't dislike Klius, I-I'm just worried since both children have not been getting along since Timber befriend Eugene."

——"Grumble– snarl---"

Contrary to the peaceful side of Eugene's team. The other side of the forest is full of beast noise and Kaizer who is swinging his swords constantly towards other beasts finally comes forwards and stabs the five-level demonized white tiger beast that is hiding behind its own army.

"Roar!"

Kaizer pull the sword and the blood splattered on his cheek and took another stab before jumping down and slicing the neck of the demonized white tiger beast.

Wiping the blood with his thumb, Kaizer shook his sword to remove some blood before putting it back on his scabbard.

"Move forward."

With the instruction of the commander, the team gulped and walk forward, ignoring the scattered dead beast on the ground.

Raisel whistled and patted Kaizer's shoulder, "Nice kill."

Casimin looks around and finally observed that the quieter the part of the forest, the more dangerous is it. However, since it's Kaizer with them, they hardly care and notice.

Seeing the rising points of their team, Casimin could only sigh.

Seems like some of them could sit around and watch the points go up with Raisel and Kaizer's crazy combination. No wonder no one even bothers to get close to the two and everyone sticks to him and only asked and talks to him.

Raisel: "There are so many high-level demonized beasts here, good for farming points."

Everyone: "!!!"

Casimin gritted his teeth and kick Raisel's butt.

"Ouch."

Casimin: "Consider others will you? You can't go around yourself."

Kaizer looks around before turning to look at his team, saying..."We need to find a place before dusk and accumulate enough food to fill our stomachs."

Casimin nodded: "This place is not good, a quiet place is not safe to stay, we should go to where normal beasts are living if we want to spend a peaceful night."

Raisel pouted: "Then go to the southern part, my ears hardly hear noise there."

——Eugene's team in the southern part scratches their head.

Sanciel: "Commander, there are hardly demonized beasts here, our points are not going up."

Eugene nodded, "It's good, we need to find a place first so the other team won't get ahead of us in rest spots. After that we will travel near the outer part of the southern to hunt then on the second day we will travel to the northern part to do farming."

Everyone gasped, "Farming?!"

Reign, "C-Can we do farming? Besides I heard the northern part is the most dangerous."

Zaoran patted his friend's head saying, "Our commander won't put us in danger, there might be a plan so we won't drop this first battle. Our luck is just bad and we are dropped here in the southern part."

Eugene held his chin.

He can do farming alone but he wanted his teammates to also build their strength in this battle. However, other teams might have a soaring high point now while they stay the same. Isn't that bad? He's a high-ranking student if he put his team below it will lose his face.

Theoran: "I think the commander's plan is good."

"No." Eugene chuckled, "Let's do this, hunt first, and at noon we'll start to find a place and food."

The place is not a problem, he knew some base on his past experience.

They should focus on hunting first and get high-achieving points to secure that they'll pass the first battle. Since Kaizer, Clarence, and Cadmus on the other team is in action it's not bad to compete with them.

"Let's go towards the northern part."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Timber: "Eugene?!"

"Five hours, let's do a five hours farming and go back to the south after."

Everyone: "!!!" Are you serious?!

Eugene swayed his arms, "We should hurry to keep up with the scores of others."

Bending his knees, Eugene jumps on the tree.

Seeing their leader jump around the tree so fast, they immediately follow, still not being able to absorb what Eugene said. After all, farming is easy to say but hard to do, even if Eugene is a top student, with only him wouldn't it be exhausting?

They don't know...

All they knew is that...

In just a few minutes they already arrived at the northern part.

So fast?!

Catching their breath, everyone slumps on the ground and only Eugene stood straight while staring forward, slowly spreading his mana to check how many demonized beast is near their destination that they could instantly hunt.

"Ten level 5 beast, Six level 4, Five level 3, Two level 2...Oh, a total of twenty-three beasts."

Everyone: "!!!" twenty-three what?!

Outside the Sena Forest, even the audience look surprised by what they heard.

When Eugene and his team suddenly move strangely, the mirror change from Kaizer's team to them, and upon witnessing what they're planning to do, everyone is surprised, and even grand duke Karsten watches intensely, wondering if Euegene's team could farm twenty-three demonized beast since Kaizer's team so far only hunted ten.

Even the observers instantly move towards Eugene's team direction in case something happens.

"Come."

Team: "!!!"

Timber trembled and shouted despite catching his breath: "E-Eugene it's dangerous! T-That's twenty-three beasts and ten of them is a high level!"

"It's fine."

Marquis Shradinza when he witness his son's arrogance gritted his teeth in anger.

"That damn child!"

Grand duke Kasrten chuckled, "Relax Marquis, believe your son, he won't recklessly move without a plan, after all, that's twenty-three beast."

It's either hunt or be hunted.

He wanted to see how Eugene would handle those beasts without letting his team be severely injured regardless that he put his [Eugene] team in instant danger.

His son is also on their way to the south, maybe both teams will cross paths.

Grand Duke Karsten is not worried at all.

In exchange, he's looking forward to it.

Reign: "W-What to do t-that's twenty-three beasts! A besiege!"

Sanciel and Theoran are also worried. They have no problems dealing with those beasts but that's twenty-three around and once smell blood, the beast would gather at the source and attack them at once.

Their leader, is quite crazy right?

Sanciel sighed and look at Zaora, Reign, and Timber: "I and Theoran will go, if you can't do it, just stay here but I won't assure you that there would be no beast attacking these please."

Timber shook his head.

Seeing this, Zoran and Reign also refuse and said, "W-We'll go."

Eugene let his team decide and left ahead of them.

He wanted to gather many points so that Timber--- he mean his team could rest early. Farming for points is not hard especially since he knows the demon beast's weakness. Forget about twenty-three, with his current state he could hunt up to thirty demonized beasts in just hours.

Chuckling, he cut his finger and let the smell of human blood attract the demon beast.

In just a minute, a bunch of noise was heard.

"Grrrrr."

"Roar!"

Eugene stays in his place.

In his peripheral vision, a level 5 lion beast appeared through the bushes, and on the other side, a level 4 monkey hang on the tree while staring at him and drooling, below is a level 5 poisonous snake. Not just that, a level 3 boar and level 5 wolf also run out...instantly attacking him.

Raising his arm, Eugene runs his finger through his hair and lifts it while showing a devilish smile.

Then...

He pulls out his sword and attack.