Side-job, Defeating a Soldier, Subduing a Mammoth

"Leon, help out with the Mammoth."

"Okay!" Leon shouted back.

He was chopping piles of logs in the midst of the lush, dense forest.

The moment he heard the call, he dashed through the trees and emerged into an open plain by the riverbank, where massive Mammoths, the size of towers, roamed.

"Oh, you're finally here, Ray." Heath greeted with a bittersweet smile.

"Hmm, yeah, Heath," Leon replied casually, his gaze drifting behind him with curiosity.

"What are you looking at?" a guard bellowed, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the two of them.

"I'm looking at those people," Leon answered without hesitation, pointing at a group in the distance.

They wore fine silk garments and adorned themselves with golden jewelry and at the center of it was a man with a goatee with the most luxurious of them all.

In this forest, there were few good people, and even fewer who weren't bandits.

It didn't matter much to hunters like Leon, who had a solid tactical understanding of the land, but for these wealthy travelers, flaunting their riches in such a place was practically asking for trouble.

"It's not something you should be concerned with, brat. Get to work," the soldier snapped, pointing his spear toward Leon.

"Alright, alright," Leon muttered, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Which Mammoth do you want to ride?"

Over the past few months, Leon had not only taken up hunting but had also started a side job—acting as a guide for the rich who wished to ride the towering Mammoths.

This was a dangerous job, as the Mammoths could go berserk at any moment, but the pay was at least five times what a regular job would offer.

Leon took it, not because he was overly confident, but because he trusted in his own strength and believed it would help him grow through facing such perilous situations.

The soldier sneered, pointing to the largest Mammoth, its body covered in gold and its bloodshot eyes glaring dangerously.

"That one."

Leon stared at the soldier in disbelief, then glanced at Heath for confirmation.

Heath sighed, his expression even more bitter. "I told them already."

"Can I speak to your master, dog?" Leon asked.

"You dare?" the soldier growled, prodding his spear toward Leon.

"If you want to fight, go ahead," Leon said coolly. "But if you can even touch me, then I'll consider you the winner."

Leon appeared completely defenseless, yet the soldier couldn't shake the feeling that he was facing a bloodthirsty monster. The crimson pupils staring at him seemed to pierce right through his soul.

The soldier shook his head, trying to steady himself, but his expression hardened as he glared at Leon again.

"Alright, you bastard," he spat.

With that, he hurled his spear directly at Leon and drew the sword at his waist.

Leon observed the incoming spear, his mind calm. The world around him seemed to fade, his breathing steady and controlled.

'Limitless Tyranny.' he murmured in his heart.

With a slight sidestep, Leon let the spear fly by him, its tip embedding itself deep into a nearby tree.

Leon began to walk forward, each step slow but purposeful.

The soldier blinked, his eyes widening in horror. Before he could react, Leon was already standing right in front of him.

The soldier swung his sword down, aiming straight at Leon's body. If it landed, it could easily cleave a person in half—especially with the momentum Leon was charging toward him.

The soldier smirked, already convinced of his victory.

"Idiot."

But in the final moment, Leon pushed off with his right leg, narrowly dodging the sword's path as it struck the ground with a heavy thud.

Without missing a beat, Leon sprang forward, his left leg propelling him as he leapt into the air, landing a devastating punch directly on the soldier's head.

*Bang!*

The soldier's teeth were shattered, blood pouring from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground with a desperate cry.

Leon cracked his neck and stood over him, a cold smile on his face.

"Who's the fool now?"

He raised his leg and brought it down with brutal force, kicking straight into the soldier's ribs. Even with armor, the bones gave way under the impact, and the soldier's eyes widened in shock as he coughed up more blood, writhing in agony.

"You dare be arrogant in front of me?" Leon snarled, gripping the soldier by the collar and forcing him to look up.

At that moment, the entire scene shifted. All eyes were on Leon—those draped in gold and silk turned their attention toward him. The other soldiers rushed to intervene, but their focus wasn't on helping their comrade. Instead, their voices were laced with mockery.

"Jack, you couldn't even take care of a kid, haha."

"What's so special about a warrior? You can't even beat a kid!"

The soldiers' ridicule echoed so loudly that it startled the birds in the trees, sending them flying in panic. Leon stood there, his face betraying nothing but confusion, unsure of why they were laughing.

"Haha," one of the silk-clad men chuckled from behind the soldiers.

The man, dressed in the most luxurious clothes with a goatee, stepped forward, instantly silencing the mockery around him.

The man walked up to Leon, his gaze sharp, and asked, "Kid, what's your name?"

"Leon," he replied casually. "If you want to ride that big guy, it's not impossible, but you'll need to pay an appropriate price."

"Oh," the man said, stroking his goatee. "State your price, then."

"Tell me what you can pay me."

"Smart, definitely smart," the man chuckled. "How about a Dragontail with Fire and Ice elements, brat?"

Leon paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied the man. After a moment, he nodded in agreement. "Alright."

The Dragontail was a rare and expensive item, highly sought after for creating a Warrior Heart. And with the added Fire and Ice elements, it was even more invaluable—it could even enhance the tendons and veins, making it incredibly useful, even if one didn't intend to forge a Warrior Heart.

Leon walked towards the Mammoth step by step; however, it continued drinking water as if it couldn't sense him approaching.

When Leon got closer, the ground trembled as a long snout fell to the ground.

Boom!

But, Leon was nowhere to be seen, leaving the Mammoth confused for a while.

Then it felt a creepy sensation of something crawling before it noticed—this tiny human had already climbed to its head.

The massive mammoth, stubborn as ever, struggled with its body, causing the ground to rumble.

When it realized Leon was still there, it became even more violent, thrashing its head around the trees.

It went on a rampage for a solid half an hour before it finally calmed down, panting heavily.

"Have you calmed down, big guy?" Leon landed on its tusk with a smile on his face.

"Limitless Tyranny: Willow Steps."

He combined "Limitless Tyranny" with "Willow Steps."