Rayven was sure that he had never offended this person. This means that the man hated not him but his profession as a Mage.
There must be a story behind it, but he wasn't curious to find out.
Efren didn't wait for Rayven's reply and continued.
"Your probationary quest is simple enough. Some Feral Boars have been sighted near the outskirts of Greenwood. Farmers can't even till their fields anymore. It's also the perfect time to hunt them… The meat will be given to feed the adventurers assigned to explore the dungeon."
Efren paused for a moment as he looked at the nervous youth.
"I'll be nearby, so if I think you're in trouble, I'll intervene. With the four of you working together, it should not be a problem to deal with seven or so Feral Boars."
That was all Efren said as he had them get ready to leave the city.
Soon, Efren led the four recruits toward Greenwood on foot… After all, they only needed to travel 3 to 4 kilometers away. It wasn't too far.
The path was well-traveled, but there weren't a lot of travelers right now, probably due to the existence of the Dungeon.
Then, they even passed through a field where farmers were already nervously keeping watch for signs of Feral Boars.
The walk should have taken about half an hour more, but fortune cut their journey short.
A rattling wagon creaked along behind them. It was piled high with crates.
The driver, a middle-aged man with a hat covering his face, slowed when he noticed Efren. His eyes widened slightly, and he greeted them.
"Efren! Haven't seen you in a while... Headed to Greenwood, are you?"
Efren recognized the man and nodded.
Just like that, the man climbed down from his seat and greeted the group.
"Name's Hartley. I'm sending supplies to the boys in the dungeon. There's meat, torches, and some spare rope here as well.. If you're going that way, why not ride along? I wouldn't mind the extra protection."
Efren didn't argue. He looked at the new adventurers and jerked his chin toward the wagon. "Get on."
The recruits quickly moved, grateful to rest their legs.
Rayven sat near the back while guarding the crates. The mention of the dungeon stuck in his mind, and as they moved, he could no longer contain himself.
As they moved, Rayve then saw the opportunity he'd been waiting for. He leaned toward the coachman and spoke up.
"You mentioned the exploration team… They're investigating the dungeon nearby?"
"A nasty one, that's what. They say the first level's crawling with Skitterfangs—big, armored spiders, or is it scorpion-like or something… They move faster than you'd think. Their shell are bad enough, but it's the venom that'll kill you… Adventurers say the deeper levels are worse, but most don't get past the first."
Tristan's face paled at the mention of spiders. Dennis elbowed him, grinning. "Don't worry. They may not even be spiders at all. Also, we're not going near it today. Just boars."
"Boars can gut a man just as well as those Skitterfangs." Luke muttered under his breath.
Efren smirked faintly at that but didn't comment. His sharp eyes kept scanning the cornfield as the wagon rolled on.
The ride didn't take long.
Soon, more fields of Greenwood came into view, though they looked nothing like the fertile farmlands Rayven had imagined.
Rayve also noticed some farmers standing at the edges of their ruined fields. There was a frustration etched on their faces.
The coachman pulled the wagon to a stop near a wooden outpost where a few armed people waited.
"Here we are. This is where I unload. You four…" He nodded toward Rayven and the others. "You've got your work cut out for you. The Feral Boars are meaner than usual lately." Mr. Hartley said.
Efren hopped off first as he was looking forward to seeing what they'll do.
"Good. That means it won't be too easy. Perfect for a probationary quest." Efren turned to the recruits.
"Remember—hunt smart, not wild. Feral Boars are strong, stubborn, and unpredictable. Don't get separated. And don't make me step in unless you want to fail on your first day."
Just like that, the quest had finally started.
The first part was obvious; it was to find their target, the Feral Boar!
Efren just left them to do that using their own method.
As they left, Efren still followed some distance.
Rayven watched the others search for traces of the Feral Boars as they checked each tree trunk for possible signs.
However, he had the perfect Spell for this.
"Detect Mana Source."
[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. Current Balance: 137 ]
Almost at once, Rayven felt it... It was weak, irregular signatures scattered ahead.
Their mana wasn't refined or powerful mana, but it was more like a raw energy…
"There," Rayven said quietly, pointing toward a dense grove where the earth looked freshly disturbed. "Nine of them… feeding close together."
"Nine?" Dennis whispered nervously. "That's… a lot."
Tristan frowned. "We were told there'd be around seven."
Luke checked his bowstring and nodded. "Numbers don't matter. Just don't panic. Boars are fast, but they're not clever."
From behind, Efren chuckled. "Good call, boy. But let's see if you can do more than that…"
At this time, Rayven had already crouched and started peering through the foliage. Sure enough, the beasts came into sight.
Nine massive Feral Boars moved around the clearing!