Chapter 11: Jelsinco Forest Expedition

Ardiel arrived at the front of the town's barracks when Terun was finished dealing with Suro. Ardiel knocked on the wooden door and went inside.

Iriel and a few soldiers was discussing their plan as they point at the map of Jelsinco Forest. Ardiel found a seat to sit on and waited for the soldiers' discussion to end.

After a few minutes of nonstop discussion, the soldiers saluted at Iriel and left the barracks to prepare for the upcoming expedition. Iriel then cleaned the mess on the table and then turned to Ardiel, "Why are you here? You have three days before the expedition. Are you that excited to fight?"

"I just came here to ask the date when the soldiers from the city will go here," Ardiel said as he stood up and observed the equipment hanging on the racks.

"Ah that. You want to go to the city right? I don't know if you forgot or I didn't tell you but the city soldiers will come here after we submitted our expedition's results. They will then choose the person with the highest rated result and come back to the city with that person. You should do really well if you want to go to the city. Remember the soldier that shot the arrow towards you? He's our strongest soldier here but not anymore because you're here now. You have the highest probability to go to the city if you just perform well in the upcoming expedition. That's all? "

"Hmmm... I think that's all I want to ask. Morning at the gate overlooking the forest right? See you three days later, Captain Iriel," Ardiel said as he walked towards the door but Iriel suddenly interrupted him, "You should be careful of Terun, he's a arrogant but he's the mayor's son. Don't be hostile to him. That's all, you can go now," Iriel said as he went back to organizing the barracks.

Ardiel was confused about the sudden warning but he was confident that he can defeat anyone in this town. Ardiel then went to Furieles Inn to rest and train.

***

3 days passed...

A squadron of soldiers was neatly formed in the front of a gate. Iriel was in front of them while Terun was at Iriel's side with Suro. Terun was already annoyed because they are still waiting for someone. They have waited for almost 30 minutes! A soldier suddenly turned his head back towards the town and then he saw it. The man they were waiting for.

"There he is! He's walking towards us right now."

"What a guy! He's got ball of steels to let the young lord stand for almost 30 minutes!"

"I admire his courage but courage can't help you if you annoyed the young lord."

The soldiers were chattering so Iriel decided to shut them up. When silence surrounded them, Iriel waved his hand towards Ardiel, prompting Ardiel to wave back his hand too.

As Ardiel arrived at Iriel' side, he immediately said," I studied how to control mana for the past three days and I still can't do it. I overslept this time. This will not happen again captain, I promise you."

"It's okay, it's your first expedition so I know that you are nervous. Just breathe in and out and you'll be fine," Iriel said as looked at Ardiel's calm and composed face. He then turned his boy towards the squadron of soldiers and commanded, "The expedition starts now! Stick with the plans if you want to survive. Let's go!"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers, Terun and Ardiel immediately said as they simultaneously saluted at Captain Iriel. The Jelsinco Forest Expedition team then left the city as they went inside the forest full of tall trees.

After traversing the grassy terrain of Jelsinco Forest for almost an hour, the expedition team's monster encounter was still at zero.

They barely saw a beast inside the forest. Iriel then decided to move deeper to the forest for them to increase their chance of meeting a beast or a katir if they're lucky enough.

As they explored the boundary of the deeper part of the forest, a rustling sound was originated from behind their group. Iriel was further at the back with Terun and Suro while Ardiel was at the front facing the beast making sounds near them.

Iriel decided to split the two strongest competitor so he put Ardiel in the back while Terun is at the front with him.

"It's all yours Ardiel. Good luck hunting it," Iriel said while smiling, clearly showing that he is confident with Ardiel's skills.

"Alright, I'm going in alone, I'll be back," Ardiel said nonchalantly, shocking the expedition team but no one said anything. They believe in the skills of a hunter who hunted three camulfs by himself, with no proper equipment. Terun and Suro said nothing and they just observed Ardiel.

Ardiel then separated from the group and went towards the sound. As Ardiel neared the rustling sound, Ardiel jumped upwards using his short sword to stick himself in the trunk of a tree. Ardiel then observed his surroundings, finding a cat and a deer hybrid.

'So this is a katir huh?, it looks awesome as hell,' Ardiel thought as he continued to observe the katir moving in the bushes. The katir was a feline as large as a deer with two antlers on his head. The feline's fur was smooth like that of deer and it's color was lighter shade of brown. Its tail is also short like that of a deer and his hind and forelegs' muscle was toned and well defined.

'This katir looks intimidating as fxck, it also looks fast due to his legs' muscles. This fight will be interesting, ' Ardiel inwardly thought as he jumped towards another tree that is closer to the katir.

Although the katir has good hearing, Ardiel moved swiftly and quietly like an assassin, therefore not alerting the katir. Ardiel then prepared to air assassinate this katir. Ardiel waited for the perfect moment to jumped on the katir and the opportunity showed itself.

Ardiel jumped towards the katir silently and Ardiel took out Beastslayer, slashing the katir's neck.

The moment that Ardiel neared the katir, the beast felt something odd and the beast reacted with extraordinary reflex as it barely dodged the slash of Beastslayer. Green blood flowed down the side of the neck of the katir, the slash almost decapitating it.

The presence of a wound in its body angered the katir, enraging it. The katir roared towards Ardiel to apply fear, which is ineffective as the only thing that Ardiel feared in the world was books and lack of food. The katir then pounced at Ardiel, prompting Ardiel to sidestep to the right. As Ardiel sidestepped, Ardiel slashed again, wounding the katir in the its right foreleg.

The wound on the right foreleg slowed down the katir but it was still fast. After a series of pouncing and dodging, the body of the katir was now full of shallow wounds. Green blood was dripping from its body, making a tiny puddle in the grass. The katir then changed its attacking style. The katir charged at Ardiel, surprising Ardiel but Ardiel quickly collected himself and the katir's antlers almost impaled him instead of the tree trunk.

Ardiel then cut the left antler and jumped backwards, the katir still stuck in the tree trunk. When the katir unstuck itself from the tree and felt that its antler was cut, it enraged it again, causing its eyes to turn red and an aura of massacre and craziness emanated from its body.

'A beast that can berserk? What a rare find,' Ardiel thought while holding Beastslayer on his right hand and a hunting knife on his left hand.

The berserk katir then charged at Ardiel again, but with increased speed and power. Ardiel became alert and cautious as the saying,' A cornered beast is more dangerous than a woman discovering you cheated on her' popped up inside his mind. When the katir was close enough, instead of charging all the way, it used the momentum from the charge to pounce towards Ardiel, shocking him again.

Ardiel tried to dodge the pounce but it was too late. Ardiel was slashed by the katir on his left arm, making him bleed. The katir then slashed again hoping to wound Ardiel but Ardiel rolled towards it! As Ardiel rolled down towards it, the katir didn't know where his prey was! The katir kept looking at its prey when it felt that something was inside it.

Ardiel plunged Beastslayer inside the belly of the katir, a universal weakness of all felines and even canines are known to have the belly as their weakness too. As Ardiel plunged it, he then slashed upwards, the insides of the katir enveloping him. The katir fell down and Ardiel rolled to the side, covered with internal organs and green blood.

After making sure that the katir was dead, Ardiel shouted, "The katir is dead! You can come here now."

After a few minutes, the expedition team arrived and they were surprised at what they are looking. Ardiel sat on top of an F-rank beast, holding its antler covered in green blood and internal organs.

The scene of Ardiel sitting on top of a katir was engraved on the whole expedition team's mind. This scene right here will become history as painters will draw it and bards will sing the about it. They all know that this trainee demon will become powerful in the future.

This is the beginning of the journey of one of the many Demon Kings on Earth in the future, Demon King Ardiel.