After finishing breakfast, Theodore immediately left the house when he saw a hologram showing that several monsters were appearing nearby.
He wore a set of black jeans with a black jacket wrapping his body, then pulled the hood over his head to hide his face. He took the bus to the location.
There, four people were waiting for him. According to the holographic watch on his wrist, he would be doing the mission together with them. Theodore approached the group calmly.
"Good morning," Theodore greeted.
"Oh! Are you Theodore? You're still so young!" one of the men exclaimed, seemingly surprised to see a seventeen-year-old join them.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Griss, the oldest in this group. I can't use elemental magic, but I'm quite skilled with the sword," the man said, shaking Theodore's hand.
"I'm Vincent. I have a wind attribute, but it's too weak, so I specialize in archery instead!" said another, a younger man around twenty-five years old, as he also shook Theodore's hand.
"I'm Fana, a fire-element mage. Mages like me usually support the frontlines! But I'm not good at physical combat," said a woman next. Theodore could already tell who they were just by looking, but it would've been rude not to let them introduce themselves.
"And I'm Myla. I'm not good at fighting or magic, not even swordsmanship. But I'm here as the team medic to help everyone during battle," said another woman, apparently a healer. This team was mostly made up of supporters rather than frontline fighters.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Theodore, an ice-element mage. As you know, I'm still new and quite weak. Please take care of me from now on," Theodore replied politely.
"Of course! Just tell me if you need anything!" Griss said cheerfully. Theodore nodded obediently. He was the youngest among them—even the female mage seemed to be in her twenties.
Once everyone was ready, Theodore followed them into the mission zone. There, a monster was rampaging while the police guarded the area and evacuated civilians. Theodore narrowed his eyes at the sight of a tiger-like beast with a sword-shaped tail.
"That's a Blade-Tailed Tiger! Its tail is deadly, be careful! Its weak spot is at the neck!" Griss warned.
Theodore nodded but squinted at the monster, noticing a glowing red crystal on its head instead.
"Why the neck? It would be easier to defeat it by destroying that crystal," he muttered quietly, not telling anyone else.
Of course, he knew these monsters — he'd fought them countless times in the past. He had slain many, and most of them had weak points located in the crystals embedded somewhere in their bodies.
"Hunters… this reminds me of adventurers," he thought to himself, realizing how similar the job was — slaying monsters and completing dangerous missions for money. It was practically the same thing.
"Theodore, watch out!" Vincent shouted.
Theodore moved swiftly, leaping into the air to dodge the sharp tail that nearly struck him. His agility shocked his teammates, who hadn't expected such skill.
"Why did I dodge?" Theodore murmured to himself, puzzled. He thought he could've easily blocked that attack instead.
"No… I'm too weak to do that now," he added, frowning. Meanwhile, the others launched their attacks—Griss charged forward, Vincent fired arrows, and Fana unleashed fire spells.
Griss was struck by the tiger's tail and thrown aside, forcing Myla to rush and heal his wounds. Vincent fired another arrow while Fana continued to hurl flames.
Theodore sighed softly, realizing that victory seemed unlikely with their current strength. He stepped forward, raising his hand and moving his fingers slightly. Vincent and Fana continued defending the others.
Several sharp ice spikes materialized and floated around Theodore. With another gesture, they shot forward, piercing the tiger's body. Then, a much larger spike formed above the beast's head, spinning slowly before plunging down, shattering the crystal on its forehead.
"That kid…" Vincent whispered, eyes wide in disbelief. Theodore's spellcasting was unlike any mage he had seen — no incantations, no hesitation.
The crystal shattered, and the tiger collapsed instantly — dead.
Griss, now fully healed, looked at Theodore in amazement.
"Nice work, Theo! That was amazing! You fight like a trained mage — and you're only level E!" Griss exclaimed, patting Theodore on the shoulder.
Their holographic watches beeped, signaling mission success. But before they could celebrate, more Blade-Tailed Tigers appeared. The four immediately prepared for another fight.
The hologram showed three red dots nearby — signals of incoming monsters. One was already right in front of them.
"Damn it, I can't fight for much longer," Theodore muttered in frustration.
"Oh, new challengers. I know you're all tired, but the Master will send more hunters soon. Until then, protect the civilians!" Griss commanded firmly, showing his leadership.
Theodore nodded. He knew the truth — and besides, the reward was right before his eyes. Unfortunately, that last attack had drained most of his energy. He clicked his tongue quietly, glaring sharply at the monsters.
"Well then… let's see if this awakens more of my power," he whispered, readying himself.
With Griss leading, the team charged at the first tiger. But two more beasts flanked them from both sides, roaring furiously. Theodore's irritation grew.
"Damn it, I hope the Master sends help soon!" Vincent cursed.
"Master" was what they called the leader of the Black Hunter Guild. No one knew his real name. He never appeared in the media — a mysterious figure, whose right-hand man usually acted on his behalf.
"Why aren't they here yet?!" Theodore growled impatiently. His hologram showed that a B-rank hunter was on the way, but for Theodore, that was far too slow. He might be dead by then.
Everyone was exhausted, their energy almost gone, yet they fought desperately to survive. Sweat soaked their clothes, and Theodore's frustration only grew.
"Damn it all," he hissed, cursing his weakness compared to his former self — the one who could've easily slain these monsters.
In a life-or-death struggle, Theodore fought in close range. He was struck several times and badly injured. Myla couldn't heal him because the monsters kept attacking, forcing Theodore to push her out of harm's way.
"Die!" Theodore shouted, summoning his final shard of ice.
He shattered the crystal on the tiger's head, killing it instantly — but the explosion of energy sent him flying. His strength was gone, and his body wouldn't move.
"Theo!!" Myla's panicked voice rang out as she rushed to heal him while he drifted in and out of consciousness.
The remaining three continued their desperate battle, until finally, reinforcements arrived — one fire mage, one swordsman, and one physical enhancer — swiftly killing the remaining Blade-Tailed Tigers through perfect teamwork.
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