Becoming Legend

Based on their intel and the map given out by the Association, they will have to encounter six more settlements before reaching the Inner part of the forest.

Their trip did not take long as the first settlement came into view according to the map they were following. Stopping the party, it was Hunter Jo that repeated the plan for one last time.

"According to our intel. There will be six more beast settlements after this stream, here."—finger pointing over a map with a blue line—"It is also possible that we might encounter hybrids and evolved during our raid. Possible of a goblin Shaman. So, be aware while we are fighting them. But of course, they are beasts, so we're not sure if where exactly are these shamans hiding. So we might need to flush them out. That's where Sujiro comes in, finds the shaman, gives the signal and we attack it. It will be easy to kill the rest without their command. Sujiro and Ulysses, you two are in charge of clearing the path. Twins, stay in the group, Hunter Ja and I will trail behind the vanguard team. Companions, do your job. Ned, since you're not teaming with our scout, you'll be with the rest of the Companion. Do you know how to skin a prey?"

Ned nodded then the team proceed to cross the stream. The sun was almost set with its deep orange bars of light reflecting over the stream of water.

Along the way, dead bodies of swamp goblins, wargs, and its cousin, which Ned saw for the first time, were water wargs: smaller than the standard warg—which was a meter when standing on four—the water wargs have blue fur instead of white running their head down to their tail. The rest were grey fur.

Hunter Jo pointed to Swift than to the water wargs. This monster's Core was blue in color as they were widely popular when making utility Claims such as fridges-like tools that freeze food. Its Core was also used for creating certain alchemical products. Its fur was traded for a hefty amount as it was tougher and climate durable than the normal wargs. But only the Core was extracted as the team proceeds with haste, and the reward for their Grade A quest was more than enough. The team will only take necessary monster parts. That includes the goblins tooth, as they were widely used to create tools and weapons in the hand of a good blacksmith. Swift did her job effortlessly, while Baso remained close to her to fetch the monster parts and put them inside his bag.

The team stopped beside a boulder, camouflaged by trees and bushes, with scratches forming tiny scars. There, against the cast of a shadow, Sujiro and Ulysses were waiting.

"What do you got?" Said Leader Jo as he made his way against the throng of bushes and grasses, and crouched, mimicking the two.

"Twenty-two," said Sujiro.

"Plus two fire salamanders," Ulysses added with a grin.

"My, my, Ned," said leader Jo over his shoulder. "I can't let this opportunity pass. Since we're here, why not we proceed now?"

Was he asking for Ned? Somehow this made team Leader Jo closer to Ned's good side. Ned nodded

"There's more," Ned said, "look."

Eyes overlooking the herd of Wargs and swamp goblins doing what seemed to be torture. The tiny warg twitches as the goblins kept on hitting it with their crude spears. Around the mouth of a shack was a goblin of difference. Grey fur vegetated its back, it moved with three legs as the other one appeared to be a totem of some sort. The stick turned crutch has a tiny skull on the top, appeared to be a human baby skull, surrounded with black feathers that let out a strange light whenever the goblin shaman muttered words.

The tiny warg, which appeared to be a newborn, was bleeding with crimson liquid, and nearly dying.

Even though the distance of the settlement from Ned's group was around fifty to sixty meters, the tiny warg's howl reverberated across the trees and grasses reaching them. The howl was painful as if saying 'please kill me instead.'

The group could barely see half of the settlement as it was half-covered with trees, plants, and rocks, but half of it was visible. The team knelt beside the boulder to hide from the swamp goblins passing outside the settlement that appeared to be sentries.

The Goblin shaman limped toward the body of the half dying warg. Swamp goblins and adult wargs made way for the shaman. Behind the shaman were two towerings, bulking, and massive goblins. They looked almost the same as the one Ned had encountered during the Chance Arrow game. Their weapon choice was heavy axes. The only difference was that these goblins were free.

The shaman stopped beside the tiny warg. The rest of the herd bowed down as the shaman resided his totem. It then muttered words only they could understand. The totem then shone a blinding white light then the settlement was engulfed with the light like a blanket.

After the white light disappeared, the tiny warg's skin turned to dust, what remained was its canine bones. The shaman, who was once limping and looking old, now stood with straightened back. Its grey fur turned black as if anew. Face looking fresh, and eyes glaring red towards the team of Ned.

The shaman then issued a blaring command. It raised its totem, waving it midair.

The rest of the herd, be it swamp goblins or wargs, turned their heads toward the Hallowguard team. Seeing their meal has arrived, the herd rushed toward the group. Saliva drooling, howls echoing, and arrows flying.

From the distance, the herd was a stampede of death.

But from the Hallowguard team's view, they were nothing but a group of mindless beast controlled by a not so mindless beast.

"Twins remain with the Companion," Hunter Jo issued a command.

"Yes!" Said the Twins in unison. Voices were like a string of guitars, tiny yet refreshing.

Sujiro and Ulysses broke their spot and proceed to meet the herd of the beast. They were then followed by the two hybrids.

Sujiro flicked his wrist and threw knives, downing six goblins at once. Ned was still unsure if the rouge has his pocket dimension or simply a trick.

Ulysses with his chipped and battle-hardened tower shield and knightly sword, proceed to taunt the herd. He lured four. Arrows shot toward him but hit nothing but his shield. He swung his sword from behind. Slicing three goblins. The last swamp goblin, from his left, stopped the momentum of the sword with its skull. Ulysses kicked the goblin on its chest, throwing the beast and retaining his sword.

Behind Ulysses were the two mages slash hybrids.

Hunter Jo, the team leader in heavy armor, summoned a massive blade from the ground. The blade was made of mud, rocks, and crystals bundled together to form a weapon of havoc. He held the massive blade with his hands. For some time, the massive blade was throbbing with light as if Hunter Jo was pumping his mana into the blade. Ned heard a loud thump-thump coming from the massive blade. Jo then stopped pumping his mana, satisfied. The massive blade was hurled and rested over his shoulder. He then muttered words while raising his left hand. A pillar, bigger than a standard human, arose underneath his feet, pushing him upward. Now Jo looked like a tower. The pillar twisted, pushing as if slamming hunter Jo toward the herd of Wargs and swamp goblins.

The last thing Ned heard was a battlecry followed by a barrage of roar. Hunter Jo slams himself along with his massive blade on the incoming herd. Rocks, woods, eight out of a dozen shack crumbled, limbs, heads, tails, and crude weapons scattered mid-air like a party of groggy animals. After the dust settled, a crater was formed to where Hunter Jo has landed. His massive blade of mud, rocks, and crystals broke in half. But he was smiling. He pumped mana, making his blade recovered to its original form. Again, a pillar was formed underneath him, he shot upward, roared, and killed. The process happened four more times. Reducing the herd's number to a handful.

The settlement turned to a playground, the fences of woods turned splintered, shacks crumbled, the ground shook, branches snapped to half. The herd was annihilated. What remained were the two fire salamanders, the bulking goblins, and the goblin shaman. They were planned, and they will be tested.

Hunter Ja remained behind Ulysses, the two did nothing but to watch as the carnage unfold. Sujiro then appeared beside Ulysses. He held a goblin head on his left and threw it over the rest of its dead friends. He muttered, and Ulysses nodded, while Hunter Ja from behind laughed. They stood there watching a show they already knew the ending.

The scene went quiet. In the center was a shack, deliberately left untouched, human skeletons adorned the shack. This made Hunter Jo, who was standing across, snickered.

A ball of fire hovered from his right. Team leader Jo simply stomped his foot and a barrier of mud hardened with rocks blocked the fireball.

Fire Salamanders were green in nature with a scattered of yellow luminous scales. Their snouts were elongated and their throats bloated whenever they spew fire.

Leader Jo waved his hand, the gold-ranked hunter conjured a cage made of mud underneath the two fire salamanders.

Another wave of his hand trapped the fire salamanders then the cage slowly contracted until the fire salamanders were groped inside. One of the beasts spew fire, but the cage was made of magic. The fire passed through the tiny gaps of the cage along with a roar, then a screech, until the last thing heard from them was a whip. Fire Salamanders weren't fireproof after all. Smoke then exited the cage.

"Idiots."

This was the first time Ned had heard Baso speaks, and it wasn't pleasant the first time. But he was smiling.

"I-I," Baso said over his shoulder. "Nevermind." He said in a defeated tone.

He was kneeling in the middle, to his right was Swift, behind was Ned and the Twins were in the front. To their left was the boulder.

Ned frowned and looked at the Twins and said, "Were you two whistling?"