The Hunt
The beast let out a low growl, making Joseph's fingertips tremble with fear.
But Joseph immediately pulled out a new bead.
It wasn't the time to check this and that.
It had only been good luck so far.
He had no confidence that he could react immediately again.
He had to finish it here.
Their eyes met.
It wasn't the eyes of a frightened beast.
The beast was crouching low, on guard.
It didn't seem like it was about to flee.
'……'
His lips were dry.
The beast was clearly hunting humans.
Up until now, he had hunted countless small beasts, but he had never been the prey.
"Haa..."
Joseph exhaled deeply and untied the string securing the shield to his back, letting it drop.
The shield, which had collided with the beast, shattered and split in two on the ground.
'I can endure with the remaining shield.'
Joseph gripped the shield with both hands and lowered his stance.
The situation had unfolded differently than expected, but the task remained the same.
He aimed the bead at the black beast's vital point.
In an instant.
He had to aim in just one moment.
Joseph adjusted his breathing and circulated the mana in his body throughout his entire frame.
Simultaneously, he infused mana into the bead floating around him.
Originally, he could have shot it two more times, or three at most, with the mana he had.
He poured all of it into one bead.
Sshhh-
"……?"
Then a low sound echoed from the bead.
Joseph glanced at the bead and immediately shook his head.
At the same time, he calmed his excited mind and swept away unnecessary thoughts.
The only thought needed now was one.
'Kill it.'
He tensed his thighs and lowered his body to support himself.
He hardened his stance and waited for the right moment.
His breathing slowly calmed, and his vision focused on the beast.
The beast's gaze, its rough breathing, the tips of its feet tensed with power.
All his senses concentrated on one point.
And.
Crack-!
A brief standoff.
The beast kicked off the ground and leaped.
Joseph's eyes no longer trembled.
"Hah!"
Joseph bent his body backward as if falling and swung the shield upward with all his might.
Kwa-jik!
A dull sound echoed as the shield was instantly torn by the beast's claws.
It felt like the arm holding the shield would be torn off along with it.
"Ckuk!"
But Joseph didn't need an arm to swing a weapon now.
"Die!"
Sshhh-!
The strange sound from the bead, along with Joseph's shout, flew toward the beast's neck.
Bwo-bok!
A sound rang out.
It was much louder than when shooting at a tree.
"Kreeeng!"
The black beast slightly jumped into the air.
Then, emitting a sound it had never made before, it rolled on the ground.
"Kehhek! Kehhek!"
It seemed the impact wasn't small, as the beast struggled, kicking and raising dust.
Then, regaining its senses, it leaped back and created distance.
Blood vessels were visible at the corner of its mouth.
The beast looked visibly startled.
In the wild, hunters can die to their prey.
But it seemed the beast hadn't thought it would be in such a situation.
A different emotion filled the beast's eyes.
If he could press it down like this, he might be able to kill the creature.
If Joseph had more strength left.
"Huh-uhk!"
Joseph exhaled deeply as if releasing the breath he had been holding.
When the bead hit the beast's neck and burst, he felt his entire body weaken.
Perhaps due to consuming too much mana, or the shock of blocking the claws.
His hands had no sensation and trembled.
His vision blurred, and his legs went limp, unable to exert strength.
'That bastard... survived after getting hit by that?'
The beast that vomited blood and Joseph sat in their respective places, glaring at each other.
"……"
It was mere pretense.
He had no strength to stand up from his seat and seemed about to collapse at any moment.
Of course, he had no intention of dying obediently.
At the very least, he thought he would bite before dying.
The beast staggered and slowly stood up from its seat.
"Come here, you bastard... huh?"
Joseph's brows furrowed.
The beast, which had been coughing repeatedly and spitting blood, slowly backed away.
Like predators keeping distance when they meet, the beast slowly distanced itself from Joseph.
'Could it be... fleeing?'
And as expected by Joseph, when it reached near the bushes, it turned its body and disappeared into the darkness.
'No, not yet...'
Joseph sat in that spot for a while, guarding the darkness.
He didn't know if the beast was fleeing or if it was trying to ambush him again from behind.
But the beast never came out.
After a long time, he realized the beast had truly left.
"Ha..."
His energy drained.
'I survived.'
He failed to kill it.
But he survived.
The second life wasn't wasted in vain.
A dry laugh suddenly came out.
Hunting a beast he had never seen in his rural mountain home, risking his life in a blood feud.
After dragging himself alone for a while, Joseph felt the tension that had been high loosen.
At the same time, his senses gradually returned.
Pain in his back and arms where he had blocked with the shield.
From the movement, it seemed his bones weren't broken, which was fortunate.
That was fortunate.
If Joseph, who lived alone, got disabled, he would have starved to death.
Joseph gripped his thigh and stood up from his seat.
His strength didn't fully return, but he could move.
"The world is really like a dog..."
Joseph muttered as he slowly walked toward the village alone.
***
After the beast hunt, the village chief had one concern.
His son. It was Hayra.
In this beast hunt, Hayra had protected the village at Joseph's orders.
When the men went to the mountain, it was because there was a need for someone to protect the village.
But everyone knew that since he was supposed to succeed the village chief, he was excluded from dangerous tasks.
Hayra had boasted that he would lead, but it couldn't be listened to.
Five young men from the village died.
The village chief still didn't think his choice was wrong.
But Hayra differed from the village chief.
Everyone returned to daily life, but there was no Hayra in the stories among the men who went to the mountain.
Whenever Hayra heard stories about the beast hunt in the village, he showed noticeable irritation.
He even punched his followers.
The village chief thought Hayra was feeling threatened in his position.
The village chief didn't look at his son's feelings badly.
On the contrary, he was rather happy about it.
The village chief was the power holder in the village.
Every move of the village's operation was not without the village chief's hand.
Hayra would one day inherit that position.
The time had come to realize that those above others needed such effort.
However, Hayra's current excessive impatience could cause problems.
Therefore, it was necessary to eliminate that anxiety and lay the foundation for his position.
"Is your body okay?"
"Thanks to you, I'm fine now."
Therefore, the village chief decided to recruit the hunter Joseph.
Joseph, an orphan in the village.
Since the beast hunt, no one in the village didn't know him.
During the search, he scouted from the front, and after people scattered, he fought the beast and survived.
Everyone said it was just good luck, but no one sincerely said that after seeing his wounds.
Currently, within the village, Joseph had more power than Hayra.
"Can't he go hunting for a while? Is there anything lacking?"
"There's nothing particularly like that."
But Joseph didn't seem to care much about it.
No matter what people said around him, he continued to bring herbs and meat as before and offer them to him.
It had been like that since childhood.
Whatever task was given, he followed without complaint, quietly.
Even when gathering herbs or starting to hunt, he didn't boast by saying "I did it" or anything.
'It's not hard to find a human as obedient as this.'
Therefore, he wanted to recruit Joseph and leave him by Hayra's side.
He had even taken in the one who was almost starving to death and cared for him, so there was a calculating thought to use him.
Of course, this was only the village chief's view, not knowing Joseph's thoughts.
If Joseph heard it, he would immediately spew curses.
Joseph's childhood was a time of harsh labor, often starving or being beaten.
Even if he tried to prettify that era, the reality wouldn't change.
Actually, Joseph facing the village chief now was on guard against his sudden benevolence.
"What is it?"
"Here."
Instead of answering, the village chief handed a book to Joseph.
"Do you know how to read?"
Joseph shook his head.
Of course, he knew the letters from his previous life, but there was no opportunity to learn here.
"You, you were definitely interested in magic, right?"
"?!"
Joseph was startled by the village chief's words.
He knew that Joseph had asked merchants about mages before.
The village chief pointed to the magic book and continued.
"It's a cheap magic book. In addition to studying letters, do you want to read it?"
Of course, even if so, magic books are magic books. They're not easy to obtain.
He ordered a separate one from a traveling merchant and bought the cheapest one from the largest city.
It wasn't a small expense.
But the village chief thought of it as his own investment.
An investment for the village and his son.
'If I give this to him, he'll be good by Hayra's side.'
Moreover, the village chief didn't think Joseph would be able to learn magic.
Who would suffer if they could easily become a mage?
The village chief only thought Joseph had a little fantasy about magic.
Even if Joseph gave up his childish dreams, the fact that he received the book wouldn't change.
But unlike this village chief's calculation, Joseph was desperately trying to catch the twitching corner of his mouth.
In this hunt, Joseph felt that his magic was terribly inadequate.
Joseph's current magic bead was nothing more than an efficient pebble.
With this, he still couldn't protect his body.
He needed to find a way to learn new magic.
But in the midst of that, the village chief timely handed him the magic book.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"Well, you suffered the most during this hunt."
Joseph didn't affirm or deny it.
He knew well that he wasn't the kind of person to hand over such things for that reason.
He couldn't ask for the reason either.
Joseph had gained some influence in the village, but it wasn't to the level of ignoring the village chief's treatment.
'I don't need to ask either.'
Joseph lowered his head and accepted the book.
No matter what the village chief thought, it was the first time he would encounter another magic.
Joseph's mouth corner was faintly raised.