Kaito pulled out a vial of medicine from the kit and poured it over his wound. At first glance, the claw marks from the Tiger Monster looked horrific, the gashes running across his chest like they had been carved by blades. But as he observed more carefully, he realized the wounds were not as deep as they appeared. The claws of the Rank 0 Tiger Monster hadn't penetrated fully. With proper treatment, the scratches would scab over and heal in just a day or two.
He exhaled slowly, relief passing over him. The medicine stung for a moment, but he gritted though it. It was a reminder that his body was recovering quickly. He also attributed this resilience to his practice of the Azure Thunder Meridian Art. Once again, he was astonished by the effects of a true Rank 9 physical cultivation technique.
After tending to his wounds, Kaito walked over to Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin. They had already set to work on the Tiger Monster's body. Their hands moved quickly and efficiently as they dissected the beast. The valuable parts its claws, teeth, and bones were placed into special storage boxes, while the bulk of the meat was packed into the preservation sack they had brought.
By the time Kaito reached them, most of the division was complete. Seeing this, he simply nodded. "Alright," he said, his voice steady. "Let's move on. We'll make one final trip, then return to the estate."
Marcus and the others agreed immediately, their excitement not yet faded from the battle and their spoils.
This time, Kaito led them toward a different place the territory of a group of wild boars. His choice was deliberate. It was here, in his previous life, that his cousins had discovered the cave leading to the Spirit Stone Mine. It had happened here, while they were hunting the wild boars. Kaito then readied himself for what was to come. With the Tiger Monster behind him, he now felt prepared to face the mine spirits that lay ahead.
The wild boar territory wasn't far from where he had fought the Tiger Monster. That was no coincidence. The Tiger Monster had chosen its own ground carefully. With the nearby lake as a constant water source and a group of wild boars living close by, it had secured both territory and food supply. The wild boars themselves were stubborn creatures. Despite the Tiger Monster hunting them from time to time, they hadn't abandoned the area. Perhaps they were too foolish to leave, or perhaps the Tiger Monster had been clever, only hunting one or two boars at a time to keep the herd from dispersing.
Kaito and the others advanced, soon spotting the wild boar herd in the distance. From afar, they could see the animals lying in the grass, some of the younger ones running about while the larger adults rested.
Kaito stopped and turned to his cousins. "This time again, you'll fight," he said. They had already done this and after fighting the Tiger Monster he decide to let them fight so he'll just stay out and watch, while they engaged the wild boars.
The four of them brightened up instantly. After watching Kaito's fight with the Tiger Monster, their blood was already running hot. They had wanted to rush in to help back then, but Kaito had stopped them. Now, given the chance to fight for themselves, they were eager.
Without hesitation, they prepared. Elias climbed into a tree, bow already in hand, an arrow nocked and ready to fire. Marcus gripped his staff tightly and charged forward. Lucas and Calvin followed just behind him, their swords raised.
The herd of wild boars noticed the movement almost at once. A larger boar, clearly the leader, snorted loudly. It turned and barked out guttural cries, signaling the rest of the herd to retreat. The boars began to move away, but before they could escape, Elias released his arrow. The shaft whistled through the air and buried itself deep into the abdomen of one of the wild boars. The beast squealed in pain, collapsing onto its side, unable to run.
Marcus reached it a moment later. With a swing of his staff, he smashed its head, ending its life instantly.
The leader of the herd spun around at the sound of its companion's death. Its eyes glowed red with anger, and it growled at the remaining boars. Instead of fleeing, the herd rallied together. At the leader's command, they turned and charged straight toward Marcus and the others, their hooves pounding against the ground like thunder.
Watching this unfold, Kaito pressed his palm against his forehead. He shook his head, exasperated. They really don't understand hunting at all.
If it had been him, he would have taken out the leader first. Without a leader, the herd would scatter in panic, and picking off one or two more would have been easy. But Marcus and the others had gone after a weaker boar instead. With the leader still alive, the herd now posed a real threat. Charging together, even Rank 0 wild boars could injure them seriously.
The four youths, however, were too excited to notice the danger. Marcus, seeing the wild boar leader charging, gripped his staff and sprinted forward to meet it head-on, ignoring the rest of the herd behind it.
Kaito's expression hardened. He couldn't let them make such reckless mistakes. With a burst of speed, he activated Wind Veil Steps and appeared right behind Marcus in an instant. He caught his cousin by the collar just before he could clash with the leader boar.
"Idiot," Kaito muttered under his breath. Without wasting time, he pulled Marcus back sharply. With the same momentum, he retreated quickly, signaling with his free hand for Lucas and Calvin to follow him out of the territory.
Startled, the two brothers didn't hesitate. They turned and ran after Kaito.
As soon as they crossed the boundary of the wild boar territory just a few meters out the herd slowed to a halt. The wild boar leader snorted, glaring in their direction, but it didn't pursue them any further.
Kaito released Marcus, his face stern. "Do you understand what you almost did?" he scolded, his tone sharp.
Marcus, still flushed with excitement from earlier, slowly came back to his senses after hearing what Kaito said. He realized the reckless mistake he had made, and shame crept onto his face. Lucas, Calvin, and Elias also lowered their heads, their earlier eagerness replaced with embarrassment. Marcus gave an awkward grin, scratching the back of his head as if trying to laugh it off.
Kaito watched them quietly for a moment before letting out a long breath. His expression was stern as he spoke. "Do you even realize what would have happened if I hadn't been here?"
The weight of his words made all four lower their heads further. Marcus tried to grin again, but even he couldn't hide the guilt completely. Seeing that stubborn smile, Kaito raised his hand, tempted to knock him on the head. But Marcus, already expecting it, tilted his head away just in time to dodge.
Kaito sighed heavily shaking his head. "Fine. We'll go again. But this time, you'll take out the leader first. Only then can you do whatever you want."
At his words, Marcus and the others lifted their eyes, a new light of determination flashing in them. Though they were excited, this time there was also a lingering fear in their hearts. They had felt it clearly if not for Kaito's intervention, they would have been seriously injured at best, and even something far worse could have happened. The thought alone made them shudder.
Once they steadied themselves, the group moved back toward the wild boar territory. The herd, having retreated earlier, had already returned to their original positions. Some of the adult boars once again lay sprawled lazily on the grass, while the younger ones darted around playfully, as if no battle had ever taken place.
Seeing this, Kaito shook his head. He finally understood why the wild boars had remained in the same place despite the constant threat from the Tiger Monster. They were not clever animals. Either they were too foolish to recognize danger, or they simply forgot quickly. "Do lower-ranked monsters even have brains?" Kaito thought bitterly.