Two days had passed since the heroes first picked up their weapons.
Two days of sore muscles, blistered palms, and frustration.
The basic training grounds behind the Church of Elements were still fresh in their memories—wooden dummies splintering under awkward swings, instructors shouting corrections, magic misfiring or failing outright. None of them had mastered anything. They had only learned how much they didn't know.
And now, they were walking beyond the city walls.
"This is just a low-risk patrol," Commander Arvik said as they entered the forest path. "Think of it as a continuation of your training."
No one replied.
Haruto Miyazaki adjusted the strap of his sword, its weight still unfamiliar. Two days ago, he'd barely been able to lift it properly. Today, it felt heavier—not physically, but in meaning.
They were no longer hitting straw.
The smell reached them before the sound.
A wet, metallic stench mixed with rot drifted through the forest path, thick enough to make Yui gag.
"This is a patrol route?" Kenta asked, gripping his greatsword tighter.
Commander Arvik raised a fist, signaling them to halt. Ahead, the undergrowth was torn apart—trees scraped, soil churned, stones scattered as if something heavy had dragged itself through.
"A low-grade monster," Arvik said. "Not strong. Not smart. But alive."
The word alive sat heavier than expected.
The Monster Appears
It emerged from the bushes with a guttural hiss.
A Scaled Boar, its body swollen with muscle, patches of hardened scales running along its back like crude armor. Its tusks were chipped, stained dark from old blood—not heroic, not dramatic.
Just ugly.
"Formation!" Akira shouted instinctively.
Too late.
The boar charged.
Riku thrust his spear forward—but misjudged the distance. The boar slammed into the shaft, snapping it in half and sending him flying into the dirt.
"Riku!" Hana screamed.
Naoki raised his shield just in time. The impact rattled his arms violently, throwing him backward. His shield held—but his breath didn't.
Kenta roared and swung his greatsword with all his strength.
The blade bit into the boar's shoulder… and stopped.
"Why won't it—!"
The boar twisted, throwing Kenta off balance. He crashed to the ground, the wind knocked out of him.
This wasn't like games.
This wasn't like stories.
"Magic! Use your magic!" Arvik barked.
Haruto fumbled at his waist, pulling out the spellbook they had been issued only that morning. His hands shook as he flipped pages.
"Which one— which one is basic fire?!"
"Page twelve!" Emi shouted, already chanting aloud, her voice trembling as she read the incantation word for word.
Souta stood his ground, lifting his mace.
"Cover me!"
He slammed the weapon into the boar's skull. The impact was solid—but the recoil numbed his arms instantly.
Pain exploded through him.
"Ah—!"
Yui finally loosed an arrow.
It struck the boar's eye.
The monster screamed, staggering—but not falling.
"Now!" Takumi shouted.
Haruto finished chanting.
A small fire burst erupted from his palm—not a blast, not a wave—just enough to scorch the boar's flank. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
The boar thrashed wildly.
Mio was caught mid-step.
It clipped her ribs, sending her tumbling across the ground. She didn't scream—but she didn't get up either.
"MIo!" Hana froze.
That hesitation almost killed her.
Emi slammed her staff into the ground, finishing her chant.
A binding wind spell wrapped around the boar's legs—uneven, unstable, but enough.
"Now! Before it breaks free!"
Shun moved.
One clean swing of his axe.
Not dramatic.
Not merciful.
The monster collapsed.
Silence followed.
Aftermath
No one cheered.
Riku lay clutching his side, gasping. Kenta sat on the ground staring at his hands. Mio groaned softly, blood soaking into her clothes.
"This," Arvik said quietly, "was an easy one."
That broke something inside them.
He crouched beside the corpse.
"You survived because it was alone. Because you had numbers. Because it was slow."
He looked at each of them.
"You are not heroes yet. You are burdens with potential."
No one argued.
As they limped back toward the city, spellbooks clutched like lifelines, Haruto realized something chilling:
Without knowledge, magic was useless.
Without coordination, strength was meaningless.
And next time—
The monster wouldn't wait.