Chapter 7: Hunting

"Astrothians. They're types of beasts that are mutated with mana; this results in any number of things, from increased physical prowess and aggression to even something like intellect increasing." Arthur explained as they strolled through the confines of the dense forest. "But do not let that discourage you, dear boy!"

"It wasn't." Mikoto bluntly stated as he trailed behind the larger man. It only took about two weeks for him to fully heal, and seeing as he basically lost, he decided to up the training. Hence, they were out in this forest and away from the capital; they were hunting.

"I like your spirit, Mikoto!" The man announced it all too loudly as the smaller boy heaved a sigh. "But sometimes we need more than just spirit to succeed, but enough of that. On with the lesson. These Astrothians are sorted into various classes to determine their danger levels: class D, C, B, A, and S, respectively. With S being the most fierce and dangerous. There are also classes known as Class Z, though to most the existence of said class is loose."

"Meaning?"

"Astrothians sorted in that class are estimated to be kingdom-level threats. Dragon's and such." The man informed Mikoto, who hummed in interest. "But said creatures are extinct. Hence why it is not considered an official class."

"So all I have to do is get rid of some of these Astrothians?" It seemed like a simple enough task; it seems the only thing that would really be tested was if he had the stomach to kill a living thing. Well it would not be the first time he has.

"Precisely, dear boy!" The man stated it with his endless enthusiasm.

"Though I appreciate you going out of your way and helping me, shouldn't you be more focused on your duties as a duke?" Mikoto asked as Arthur heaved a sigh.

"Well, you see, dear boy, work as duke is so boring!" For a moment, this tall, imposing man was replaced with the image of a whining child. Mikoto shook his head to rid it of the disturbing image.

"Right, sorry I asked." The man opened his mouth to speak, but he was quickly silenced as the ground seemed to tremble ever so slightly as thunderous footsteps followed. In the distance, trees seemed to be mowed down as something made its way over to the two.

"Aha! I know these footsteps! A Gorguthrax!" Mikoto did not know how it was possible to identify something based on its footsteps. But for time being he was more focused on something else.

"Uh, a what now?" A confused Mikoto asked as the ground continued to thunder with each of the creature's steps.

"You'll see in a moment!" Arthur announced all too giddly as this creature finally showed itself as it mowed down a few last trees. Upon seeing it, a very different name came to mind. As a myth geek, he identified this creature as a cyclops. But apparently this was a Gorguthrax.

The Gorguthrax was an imposing figure, towering over any human and standing at least 20 feet tall. Its massive frame was covered in patches of matted, coarse hair, which ranged in color from dark brown to ocher.

The most notable feature of it was its singular eye, located in the middle of its wide forehead. The eye was an astonishing size, as large as a few human heads, and its glinting iris was a deep amber with a hint of brown. The eye was glaring, unwavering, and appeared to almost pulse as it scanned its surroundings.

The monster's face was rugged and weather-beaten, with deep crevices and furrows etched into its flesh, giving it a grizzled, wrinkled appearance. Its nostrils were flared, and its broad jaws were capable of scattering boulders and tearing trees from the ground with immense power.

It wore a crude loincloth made of animal hide, with tangled cords of rope wrapped around its massive arms. Its long legs end in thick, gnarled, and muscular feet, with toenails as sharp as razor blades.

"Well, dear boy, good luck!" Arthur offered, as he merely turned and walked away.

"Oi!" But it seems this creature was more focused on what it had identified as a 'suitable mate', as it charged at him with a roar.

Its movements were slow and plodding, but with each step, the ground trembled beneath its weight. Its roar was deafening, rumbling like thunder across the landscape; it seemed to be able to awaken the terror in the hearts of even the bravest warriors. It reached him in no time as it raised both of its large arms before bringing them down.

As they collided with the ground, a force shook out throughout the ground and the forest as a whole as the ground broke and cracked, but his target was not there.

Poised atop a tree branch he teleported to, Mikoto clicked his tongue.

("That damn old man! You could've told me what crawled around in this damn forest! I nearly had a heart attack seeing this thing!")

"WRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Its shrill roar rang out throughout the forest once more as it noticed him. Its large form lunged at him as everything to the ground and trees rocked violently. It outstretched an arm, looking to grab him with its large hand and crooked nails.

("Haha...oh no, no, no, no.") Mikoto was not having this. He did not care if this was a living thing or not; he was not taking any damn chances. Though it looked so damn ugly, it also helped. So as its large form neared, he raised his right arm and pointed his palm at this hideous beast.

His palm crackled with energy as an ominous red glow illuminated it. A sudden hush fell over the area as his magic charged, growing stronger and more powerful with each passing split second. The air seemed to thicken and crackle around him, small eddies of wind kicking up leaves and dirt from the forest floor. Then it erupted from his palm like a shot from a canon, a beam of pure mana. It was unleashed with the immense power of his magic in a single beam that shot forward toward the Gorguthrax. The beam struck the giant monster with a thunderous crash, shaking the very earth beneath their feet.

The impact was catastrophic. It let out a deafening roar as its form was entirely engulfed in the beam of mana, its fur smoldering as the magic burned through its flesh. But the destruction was not over yet. The magic beam had ripped a massive hole through the forest, leveling trees and rocks and sending them hurtling through the air like confetti. He was almost thrown back by the force of the explosion, but he managed to keep his grip on his magic and direct it with skill and precision.

"Haha...." The destruction he was wreaking made him feel something. He increased the output as it turned into a searing beam of energy that blasted through the air like a comet, consuming everything in its path.

The Gorguthrax was gone as Mikoto lowered the output until the beam of mana died down slowly. It was completely eviscerated; he was responsible. He looked up at all of the destruction before him. The dust finally cleared, the forest was in chaos, trees were felled, and rocks cracked. In front of him was now a clearing spanning as far as the eye could see.

He knew he was good at magic, but this was really something else. He caused this much destruction by just shooting out his own mana; it was not even a spell. This was the kind of destruction only some military weapons back home could cause, but he knew that this feeble destruction was only a taste of what he could do. He was capable of more.

"What the hell am I thinking?" He could not help but question himself, since when was seeing how destructive he could be important?

But at least he now knew he would not have much trouble in battle; it was strange. But killing that thing felt good.

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[Location: Achenbach Manor]

"So you were the cause of that enormous tremor?" Fiona questioned Mikoto.

"Wait, you felt the tremor all the way in the capital?" He was shocked. ("Fuck, did I really go that overboard?!")

"So it was you..." Fiona murmured as a thoughtful look crossed her face. "I know my father took you outside the capital to hunt Astrothians, but what opponent could implore you to use such a destructive spell? Word is that a large section of the forest is effectively gone."

"It was a, uhm... the name of it was a Gorgu something." The girl froze.

"A Gorguthrax?" She asked with an icy tone.

"Yeah, that's the one. Big, mean, and ugly." Mikoto mused as he recalled.

"That stupid fool! Are you alright? Feeling fine? Not injured." Suddenly acting like a worried mother, she erratically scanned him for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine, really. Why would I be injured?" He questioned.

"A Gorguthrax is Class A in terms of a threat. This is due to it being able to cast a hex on its prey by them merley gazing into its eye." She quickly explained.

"A hex? So a curse, huh? That doesn't sound fun." Mikoto murmured as the girl looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"You damn fool, why are you acting so calm? Its gaze holds a hex of death; it turns the target's very own mana against them. Causing their bodies to deteriorate, starting from their bodies to their souls." Mikoto just raised a brow at the worried girl.

("The hell was something like that doing prancing around a forest?")

"Relax; I'm fine. I wasn't hexed or anything; I think I would've noticed if I were." Mikoto stated with a shrug, he was not seeing the reason why she was so worried. ("Ah, maybe because she won't be able to satisfy her curiosity.")

"You may be a spawn of Octavia, but even so..." Her voice trailed off slightly. "You're not invincible, Mikoto; you're still human. Remember that. But for now, excuse me; I've some choice words for my dear father."

Mikoto merely watched her leave as he shrugged to himself.

And in the next instance, the extravagant hallways of the mansion were replaced with a dense forest, with a large clearing to the side. Simple instantaneous teleportation, and he was back where he hunted that Gorguthrax. Arthur may have been an idiot, but his methods were smart enough. Until now, Mikoto had mostly been running simulations in his head of how his spells would function. But with an actual subject, everything suddenly became so much clearer and easier to understand.

Mikoto leisurely walked through the forest as if taking a peaceful stroll.

He had surmised that a pure beam of mana would be destructive were he to implement a force behind it, but that was all in theory until he killed that Gorguthrax. He saw firsthand what a simple beam of pure mana could do when he implemented the aspects of destruction. Officially, what he used would not even be classified as a spell. But if it did, it would most likely be Tier 3 based on pure destruction.

Tier 1: Basic Spells: These spells are simple and easy to cast, usually used by beginner spellcasters. Examples include illusion spells, minor healing spells, and basic elemental spells.

Tier 2: Advanced Spells: These spells are more complex and require a higher level of skill and experience to cast. Examples include powerful elemental spells, advanced healing spells, and defensive spells.

Tier 3: Master Spells: These spells are extremely powerful and can only be cast by those who have dedicated their lives to studying and mastering magic. Examples include divine spells, small time-manipulation spells, and major elemental or destructive spells.

Tier 4: Forbidden Spells: These spells are considered too dangerous to be used by any spellcaster and are often deemed illegal or outlawed. Examples include spells that manipulate minor aspects of life and death, mind-control spells, and spells that summon or control dark creatures such as demons.

Tier 5: Divine Spells: These spells are only accessible to those chosen by the gods and are extremely powerful. The Familial Arts

Tier 6: Primordial Spells: These spells are believed to be the oldest and most powerful spells in existence, capable of causing widespread destruction or creating new worlds. Examples include spells that summon the primordial forces of nature, spells that control cosmic energy, and spells that transcend time and space. This is a tier only the God's reside in.

Of course, he could probably do tier 4 spells easily enough, barring something like summoning dark creatures, which require lengthy rituals and whatnot. Though if he had a reference to work off of, maybe he could summon a demon. Something to think about

Mikoto's footsteps came to a halt as he heard growling. A moment later, something akin to a wolf stepped out of the cover of the trees; it was much larger in size than an ordinary wolf. With pitch black fur and radiating blue runes etched into them, more movement followed as five more of the same creature entered his periapical vision.

("Perfect; with this many, I can properly test my magic. See if my fire really holds the same properties; see if I can implore hexes; see if I can completely eradicate them.")

"Sorry about this, dogs. But I need the training." The thought that he would be killing living things did not even pass his mind. They attacked first, and no doubt they were looking to kill him. So why not return the favor? Who would miss some nameless creatures if they were wiped from the face of the earth?

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"Little Fiona, are you sure it's wise not to tell young Mikoto?" Arthur questioned his daughter.

"Tell him of what?" Fiona asked back with a blank look as she glanced at her father in the dining area.

"You know of what I speak, Fiona." Arthur started with an unusually serious tone. "Spawns of the Goddess Octavia are rare, so rare that there have only ever been five throughout history. Seven if you count young Mikoto and the other spawn of this era."

"Is there a purpose for this history lesson?" His daughter's words merely elicited a sigh.

"We both know what becomes of spawns when they come of age. We have seen it firsthand with the other spawn." Arthur stated with a serious expression that it looked so out of place for the cheerful man. "Mikoto is fifteen, correct? Then he has but a year."

Fiona merely remained silent as she heaved a sigh.

"Then let's hope he is strong enough, for all our sakes, should it come to it." She murmured.

"Then I hope he is."