Chapter 6 – First Hunt
Back to the present.
Morning sunlight poured through the large windows of Kael’s dorm room inside the Royal Academy.
Kael stood on the balcony, staring out across the massive training grounds below. Students were already sparring, shouting, and practicing their abilities.
Ash sat beside him on the railing, lazily flicking his tail.
“So this academy thing is basically a place where people fight all day.”
Kael crossed his arms.
“Pretty much.”
Ash looked pleased.
“Good. I was worried it would be boring.”
Kael turned and walked back into his room.
Today was the first day he could accept a quest.
And if he wanted to grow stronger, he needed to start now.
The Quest Hall
The academy’s quest hall was massive.
Large wooden boards covered the walls, each filled with different requests posted by the academy.
Some were simple.
Some were dangerous.
Students crowded around the boards, looking for missions that matched their strength.
Kael walked through the hall calmly.
A few students noticed him immediately.
“That’s the prince…”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“The one with the fox.”
Kael ignored them.
Ash remained hidden inside the system storage.
He stopped in front of the lowest quest board.
F-Rank Missions.
Perfect.
Kael scanned the papers.
Most of them involved simple tasks.
Gather herbs.
Deliver supplies.
Patrol nearby roads.
Then one quest caught his attention.
Mission: Eliminate an F-Rank Ironclaw Bear
Location: Redleaf Forest
Reward: 5 Golden Coins
Kael pulled the paper from the board.
Five gold coins wasn’t a lot for nobles.
But Kael wasn’t like other nobles.
His father never gave him money.
If Kael wanted anything, he had to earn it himself.
He walked to the quest counter and handed the paper to the instructor.
The instructor glanced at it.
“You’re accepting this mission alone?”
“Yes.”
The instructor nodded and stamped the paper.
“Return with proof of the bear’s death.”
Kael turned and left the hall.
Ash’s voice appeared in his mind.
“A bear?”
Kael smirked slightly.
“Excited?”
“Very.”
Redleaf Forest
The forest outside the academy was quiet.
Tall trees blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the ground covered in shadows.
Kael walked slowly through the woods.
Leaves crunched under his boots.
Ash appeared beside him in a flash of light.
The fox stretched.
“Ah, fresh air.”
Kael crouched slightly and examined a large set of claw marks on a nearby tree.
“Tracks.”
Ash sniffed the ground.
“Yeah… I smell it too.”
Heavy footsteps echoed somewhere deeper in the forest.
Then a loud growl shook the air.
The creature stepped into view.
The Ironclaw Bear was massive.
Its dark fur was thick like armor, and its front claws were long enough to rip through flesh easily.
Ash’s tail twitched.
“Okay… that’s bigger than I expected.”
The bear noticed them.
It roared loudly and charged.
Kael stepped forward.
“Ash.”
The fox’s eyes glowed.
“On it.”
Ash activated his illusion ability.
Several foxes suddenly appeared around the bear.
The creature roared in confusion, swiping wildly at the fake images.
While it was distracted, Kael rushed forward.
He slammed his fist into the bear’s side.
The impact made the beast stumble slightly.
But the bear quickly recovered and swung a massive claw toward him.
Kael jumped back just in time.
The claw smashed into the ground where he had been standing.
Dirt and leaves exploded into the air.
Ash darted forward and bit the bear’s leg before jumping away again.
The creature roared angrily.
Kael rushed forward again.
This time he struck the bear directly in the jaw.
The blow forced the creature backward.
Ash’s illusions continued circling it.
The bear couldn’t focus on one target.
Finally Kael saw his chance.
“Now!”
Ash leaped onto the bear’s back, clawing at its eyes.
The beast roared in pain.
Kael stepped forward and drove his fist into the bear’s skull with everything he had.
The massive creature collapsed onto the ground.
Silence returned to the forest.
Kael breathed heavily.
Ash jumped down and shook dirt from his fur.
“…Okay that was actually fun.”
The system suddenly appeared again.
Enemy Defeated
A new message appeared.
Level Up
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Two notifications appeared.
Kael – Level 2 Achieved
Ash – Level 2 Achieved
Ash’s ears perked up.
“We leveled again already?”
Kael looked at the bear’s massive body.
“Seems like stronger enemies give more experience.”
Ash grinned.
“Then we should fight bigger things.”
Kael chuckled quietly.
“Let’s survive the small ones first.”
He cut off one of the bear’s large claws as proof for the quest.
Then he looked toward the distant academy.
Five gold coins.
Level two.
And this was only the beginning.
Kael placed the claw in his bag and began walking back.
Ash trotted happily beside him.
“You know,” the fox said.
“If every mission is like that… I think I’m going to enjoy this life.”
Kael smirked.
“Good.”
Because their hunt had only just begun.
