Aldred, Bartrem, Maverick, Byron and all the male soldiers were currently in the forest behind the lord's castle.
It was surrounded by tall magical fences that prevented the monsters within the man-made forest from getting out.
"There are many monsters in this forest, and the landscape is made to be confusing and complicated," Byron explained. "Some monsters are stronger and deadlier than the others. Of course to keep the predators occupied and entertained there are lots of docile monsters for them to hunt and eat. Also be very careful about the plants in this forest. They can be your weapon, but they can also be your downfall."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The plants can attack, entrap, and ensnare nearby targets. Even predators won't survive if they get caught by these plants. I won't tell you the details of course. But don't worry, Diamond Ranks are ready at all times to save you just in case."
"There are rules to follow in this hunting session. First, we cannot use our full power. The only thing allowed is using your physical strength, techniques, and tactics."
"So no magic?"
"Nope."
"No undead?"
"Nope."
"No powerful treasures?"
"Nope. You can only use ordinary armor."
"What about weapons?"
"Weapons are the only exception. You can use whatever you want for the weapons as long as it's not too powerful. This hunt will not be fun if you can kill the beast in one slash."
Aldred pulled out the long sword on his back. All this time, except in bed, he had always carried it on his back. Powerful aura rushed through his body the moment he held it.
He willed the sword to control its power. Aldred believed that the full power of the sword could kill any monsters in this forest. But since Soul Reaper was a living sword, it could control its strength to any level.
Aldred was excited. Except for Xer Xai, it was hard to find someone that could match him in strength. Now, he could limit his own power, and fight something stronger.
There were benefits in doing this; first, his techniques would increase and he could use the experience if someday he fought something or someone who was truly stronger than him.
Byron frowned when Aldred pulled the sword for the first time. It was as if a threatening aura was about to cut him into thousands of pieces. But seconds later, that aura disappeared. He shook his head and did not think about it too much.
"Since all of you understand the rules, let me tell you the goals. Kill as many monsters as you can. The Diamond Ranks hidden in the forest will keep your scores. The scores can be derived from how efficient you kill, how creative you are in using the environment, and even escaping from dangerous monsters can also be an extra score for you. There will be rewards for the winner, so happy hunting, my friend."
Byron pulled the lever on the large steel fence. Suddenly, a part of the fence creaked inwardly as if inviting them to come in. Aldred walked in first, followed by Bartrem and the others.
"You can work in a team or work alone. Of course the scores will be split if you are in a team."
Aldred smiled. "Sorry, guys. But I am not splitting any scores. Winner takes all!"
Aldred then rushed into the forest.
Bartrem looked at his men. "There's no way we can defeat Aldred alone. Let's make a team and work together properly."
"Yes, sir!"
"We'll show Aldred what we got."
…
Lord Yanka was sitting in his office with a glass of wine in his hand. In front of him was a blue orb that shot out a projection, showing Aldred running into the forest.
He drank his wine and grinned.
…
Deep into the forest, Aldred killed any living creatures he saw. Whether they were docile or dangerous, he cut them all down.
But he knew these monsters weren't the real deal. Byron must have something that could match him.
And not long after, he found something interesting. It was a large beast, around 15 meter tall (49 feet), and skin fully protected by thick pillar-like crystals.
In one glance, Aldred knew those crystals would be hard to penetrate. Well, he could attack the monster's soul instead, but he did not want to cheat in this game.
Aldred entered a stance, left foot in front, blade parallel to his face, pointing towards the beast.
The beast looked at him for a second. Aldred was smiling. Tense and excited for the battle that will come.
The beast blinked and walked away before eating a boulder nearby.
"…"
That was unexpected. Aldred snorted and charged at the beast, raising his blade, he swung down at the tail.
But the beast was quick to react. The tail swung horizontally, and Aldred saw a very small blue crystal at the tip of tail. He stepped back, narrowly missing the crystal by an inch.
Aldred stared as the beast turned around and roared at him. A small wound opened up from his left cheek, across the nose, and ended on his right cheek.
That crystal wasn't an ordinary crystal. It was ultra sharp.
"So you're a full defense and full offense type of beast. I will take your slow movement to my advantage."
The beast slammed its humongous jaw on the ground. Aldred wondered what it was doing until the beast rolled towards him like a giant wheel.
When the beast was about to crash into him, Aldred raised his sword. "Foresight Slash!"
His whole body sparked in blue particles and the beast passed through it like his body was merely an illusion. The effect only lasted for a moment, probably less than a second, but it was enough to dodge a critical attack from the monster.
The beast stood up and slammed its thick and gigantic tail on the ground, shaking the earth before turning around and facing Aldred.
[Guragaan]
Level: 78
Power: Sleepy Crystal, Nano Sharp crystal, Body roll, Big booty.
History: Known as the wiggler, this massive beast would wiggle its big butt at powerful monsters to lure them before whipping the giant hammer-like tail in their face.
