Chapter 42: The First Middle Level Title

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The First Middle Level Title

The Guards obeyed the command, thrusting their long spears and Cross Swords at the two men.

But the two men were clearly exceptional fighters. The short blades in their hands wove a deadly pattern, preventing anyone from getting near.

Amid the exchange, one of the assailants darted forward, appearing directly in front of the bound Snow Pattern Deer.

"Protect the Snow Pattern Deer!"

Bamos roared.

The two men’s goal was obviously to kill the Snow Pattern Deer and, given the chance, harvest its most valuable parts. Its antlers and tail, for instance, were all extremely rare, top-grade medicinal ingredients.

Bamos gritted his teeth. ’If Olay were here, these two would have been decapitated long ago.’

The assailant raised his short blade and stabbed at the Snow Pattern Deer’s abdomen.

The Snow Pattern Deer clearly realized its peril. It struggled with all its might, but the ropes held it fast, rendering it completely immobile.

If the short blade pierced the Snow Pattern Deer’s abdomen, the already heavily injured creature would likely die on the spot. And with that, Baron Kels’s dream of owning a Magical Beast would be shattered.

CLANG!

At the critical moment, Vili leaped from his horse. His Hunting Knife met the short blade in a clash, deflecting the man’s attack.

Now that he had obtained the Junior Assassin title, his strength had risen once more.

A flicker of confusion crossed the assailant’s eyes. Before undertaking this mission, they had been told that all of Diamond Town’s Senior Knight’s Squires had been dispatched to the border, and that Olay would be tied up by Lord Jarvis. Yet the combat prowess of the young man before him was clearly greater than that of a Middle Level Knight’s Squire.

Once he entered a combat state, Vili’s mind became incredibly clear, and a strange calmness settled over him.

This was the Assassin’s Mindset granted by the Junior Assassin title, which allowed Vili to maintain the steadiest composure in the midst of slaughter.

Vili lunged forward. He swung his Hunting Knife in a backhanded slash at the assailant, the technique cunning and the blade whistling through the air.

The assailant’s heart jumped. ’This young man’s attack is vicious,’ he thought, ’a classic killing blow. Unless someone has had specialized training, there’s no way an ordinary person could pull off a move like this.’

The assailant twisted his body to dodge the blow, but he was too slow.

Vili’s attack shifted in a flash. The blade, once aimed at the throat, plunged into the man’s heart instead.

In a single strike, Vili had taken a life.

The remaining assailant froze, stunned. He never imagined his partner would be dispatched so quickly. Without a second thought, he turned and fled.

In his haste, he had no idea he was making the same mistake as the first man who had ambushed Vili.

Vili was a Hunter—a Hunter proficient with a bow and arrow.

Vili’s face was impassive. He drew his bow and loosed an arrow, piercing straight through the final assailant.

In the blink of an eye, both assailants were dead.

"This..."

Sitting atop his horse, Bamos could hardly believe his eyes.

A young Hunter had taken two lives with a flash of his blade. It felt surreal.

’I even had someone investigate Vili’s family background,’ Bamos thought. ’He’s supposed to be just an ordinary kid. Why is he so skilled in combat?’

In his daze, he suddenly recalled something Olay had once said: some people in this world were truly born for battle. They were natural warriors, forged and tempered to grow at an incredible rate amidst blood and fire.

’Perhaps Vili... is one of those people,’ Bamos mused.

A sudden wave of relief washed over Bamos. He had already recruited such a talent into his ranks.

"Leave the bodies. Let’s get out of here now."

Bamos commanded the group, uncertain whether more enemies were lying in ambush within Bole Forest.

"Young Master Bamos, please wait."

Vili stopped Bamos and pointed to the Snow Pattern Deer’s abdomen. "When the Snow Pattern Deer was struggling, its wound tore open. It’s gotten worse."

Bamos looked over at the Snow Pattern Deer and saw that Vili was right. Fresh blood now covered the dried patches on its abdomen, and its breathing had grown much weaker.

"Hold on a moment."

Vili darted over to a nearby patch of wild grass, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled up a few dark green herbs.

It was a medicinal herb, primarily used to stop bleeding in animals. Vili wasn’t sure if it would work on a Magical Beast, but he had to try.

Vili stuffed the herbs into his mouth and, after chewing them thoroughly, spat out a dark green paste.

"Just bear with this..."

Vili murmured, looking at the Snow Pattern Deer, whose eyes were filled with the will to survive.

He flattened the herbal paste and spread it around the Snow Pattern Deer’s abdominal wound.

The Snow Pattern Deer flinched. The herb’s medicinal properties were clearly causing it some pain.

’It’s working.’

Seeing this, Vili felt a sense of confidence.

He also noticed that the hatred that had been in the Snow Pattern Deer’s eyes seemed to have softened slightly. ℴℴ𝘮

Just as he was about to get up and continue on, text from the Title Attribute Panel suddenly materialized before his eyes.

"Successfully saved the Bronze Level Magical Beast, the Snow Pattern Deer, earning its gratitude. Title upgraded—[Middle Level Beast Tamer]. Reward: 0.8 attribute points."

"Upon obtaining the [Middle Level Beast Tamer] title, you will understand the habits and characteristics of various Bronze Level Magical Beasts. You now possess an extremely high affinity for all ordinary beasts and juvenile Magical Beasts."

[Vili Ferren—Constitution: 2.6; Intelligence: 1.2; Remaining Attribute Points: 0.8]

’Middle Level Beast Tamer!’

Vili froze for a moment.

He had originally thought he wouldn’t get any title from the Snow Pattern Deer, but now, in the blink of an eye, he had actually obtained a Middle Level title!

This was Vili’s first Middle Level title, and it rewarded him with 0.8 attribute points right off the bat!

That was almost as much as the rewards from his previous two titles combined.

Moreover, the ability granted by the Middle Level Beast Tamer title was incredibly tempting.

’The original Junior Beast Tamer title only gave me an affinity for the young of ordinary animals,’ he thought. ’But now, I can make all ordinary beasts, and even the young of Magical Beasts, feel a sense of closeness to me.’

’The Beast Tamer title is basically turning me into a simplified version of a Druid.’

’But what does Bronze Level Magical Beast mean...?’ Vili wondered. ’Are Magical Beasts also divided into levels...?’

Vili didn’t dwell on the question, nor did he spend the attribute points immediately. He didn’t feel an urgent need to increase his Constitution right now; he wanted to think carefully about the specifics of allocating the points.

"Let’s go."

Bamos said quietly once he saw Vili finish dressing the Snow Pattern Deer’s wound.

He knew perfectly well that if it hadn’t been for Vili, this mission to capture the Snow Pattern Deer would have already failed.

However, he didn’t say any more pleasantries; it would only make him seem disingenuous. It was better to show his appreciation for Vili through his actions later.