Dyren, Mira, and Mara kept walking. They looked around as they moved. Dyren and Mira were at the very front, while Mara stayed behind, holding her Magic Staff.
Mara's eyes darted around constantly. This forest was known to be dangerous, especially for beginner adventurers. And they had gone too deep already.
"Shouldn't we be able to find Thornboars just near the edge of the forest?" Mara asked.
Casually, Dyren replied, "If we only search the edges, we'll only find small Thornboars. I need a bigger one. Their meat—if cooked—might taste good."
Dyren didn't really know for sure, but back on Earth, pork was considered the most delicious meat. Maybe it was the same in this world.
There were no guarantees, but Dyren was going to do it anyway.
"What do you mean by bigger Thornboars? Do you have a death wish?" Mara groaned. She shook her head quickly and grabbed Dyren's hand. "No. We need to get out of here."
Dyren stopped and turned around. "You've been complaining nonstop. If you wanted to wait outside the forest, we wouldn't have minded."
"But if I did that, it would mean I contributed nothing to this mission. Of course I can't accept that," Mara replied firmly.
"In that case, shut up and follow!"
Dyren turned his back again and started walking, but Mira stopped him once more. At first, Dyren didn't stop.
Mara's body was dragged slightly by Dyren's strength, but a few minutes later, he came to a halt.
"Did you change your mind?" Mara asked.
Dyren raised his index finger to his lips. Mara immediately turned around and stood behind Dyren. She even grabbed the hem of his shirt, thinking a Thornboar might appear.
In front of them, the bushes rustled. Dyren squinted his eyes toward the source and smirked slightly. He was now certain of his guess.
"Shall I do it, or will you?" Dyren asked.
Mira stepped forward. She clenched her fists, cracking her knuckles. Her eyes were sharp and her smile fierce. She had been holding back her frustration for days. Dyren didn't stop her this time.
Behind them, Mara looked confused. "What's going on? Why do you two look so excited?" she asked.
No one answered, but soon her question was answered. Several adventurers emerged from the bushes, fully armed and walking with arrogance. Especially the bald man in the front.
That man was Brakkon, a B+ rank adventurer—one of the highest in Velderath City. That was why he was so confident and cocky.
"Yo, we meet again. How's it going, bro?" Brakkon asked.
He acted like he wasn't planning to do anything. But in truth, they came here to kill Dyren and Mira. Behind him, several other adventurers laughed mockingly, as if Dyren's life was about to end.
"Didn't we just meet at the guild? Did you forget?" Dyren feigned confusion. He stroked his chin, nodding occasionally like he was figuring something out. "Oh right, I forgot your brain is the size of a peanut. No wonder you forgot something that happened just an hour ago."
Brakkon, who initially wanted to act friendly, instantly lost his temper. He pointed at Dyren.
"You little brat... I'll kill you!" he shouted.
Magical energy burst from his body, flowing through him like a protective layer. Brakkon was highly skilled at controlling Mana. He could use it to defend himself or to strike.
His sharp gaze locked on Dyren. "Kill him!" Brakkon shouted.
Several adventurers behind him rushed forward, laughing. They looked down on Dyren, knowing he was just a rank-F necromancer. That was incredibly low.
"You're dead, loser!" one of them shouted.
Dyren didn't move. Mara thought Dyren was frozen in fear, so she stepped forward, preparing to cast a spell. That was her plan—but before she could do anything, she felt an overwhelming burst of Mana from the left.
When she turned to look, no one was there. Mira had already moved, fast. She appeared in front of the adventurers and raised her hand.
"Let's see how long you can last," Mira said.
The adventurers underestimated her too, but when their attacks were about to hit her—Mira vanished. Just as they began to look around, she appeared behind them. Her fist already swinging.
Baam!
Her punch instantly took down all the adventurers. Half of them had broken bones, and the rest were knocked out. Mira's real target was Brakkon, who stood frozen in shock. He swallowed hard.
"You wanna fight me, huh?" Brakkon shouted, taking a stance. "If you dare touch me, I'll kill you! I'm a B+ rank adventurer, you know? If you kill me, the guild will investigate. You'll be hunted and executed."
But that didn't scare Mira. In fact, it made her more interested. She appeared in front of Brakkon within two seconds. She threw a punch—Brakkon was ready, crossing his arms to block. He thought he could withstand it.
His body was sent flying backward.
"Aaaargh!" he screamed in pain.
His arms were broken. The pain was unbearable. And that was just one punch. Mira was already in front of him again. The bald man tried to stand, but the pain stopped him. Mira stomped on his head. Brakkon couldn't resist at all.
"Come on, get up!" Mira taunted.
"You bitch... If my arms weren't broken, I'd have killed you already," Brakkon spat.
Mira turned to Dyren. "Do you have a healing potion?"
Dyren took one out and tossed it. Mira caught it and dropped it in front of Brakkon, who was bent over in pain.
Seeing the potion, Brakkon smiled. He grabbed it, gritting his teeth from the pain, and drank it without hesitation. In just seconds, his bones healed. He stood up and launched a punch at Mira.
She dodged it, but the follow-up kick hit her in the chest. She staggered back a few steps. Brakkon smiled smugly, thinking Mira had made a foolish mistake by healing him.
"You idiots," he sneered. He pointed at Dyren. "Once I'm done with this slave girl, you're next." He was brimming with confidence.
With pride, he charged and attacked Mira again. Punch after punch, kick after kick—yet not a single one landed. Mira dodged them all effortlessly. She even looked bored. To her, this was too easy.
"I thought you'd be as strong as your big mouth. Turns out you're just a loser," Mira said.
"You're too—"
Suddenly, Mira appeared in front of him. He tried to block the punch again—but it never came. Mira just smiled mischievously.
Crack!
"Aaaaargh!" Brakkon screamed.
His right leg broke. He collapsed, writhing like a worm in pain. Mira turned to Dyren again and asked for more healing potions. Dyren threw thirty healing potions in front of Brakkon.
"Get up," Mira said calmly.