Thud!
The body of the creature fell to the ground. Finally, everyone got a good look at the creature.
It was a fox-type creature with yellow hair and boar-like horns.
"Interesting, isn't it? A creature that resembles a fox and boar at the same time."
Tyler chuckled as he walked next to Rose and spoke.
"Sir, do you recognize this creature?" Rose asked with some confusion.
"Yeah! Its name is Yellow Tail Fox. Quite a common name chosen based on its appearance."
Tyler introduced it to them while touching its yellow tail.
"Sorry, Lord!"
Four of them walked behind Tyler and lowered their heads as much as they could while apologizing.
Tyler spoke without even looking back.
"Raise your heads!"
Four of them raised their heads, but when they saw that their Lord wasn't even looking at them, they were scared.
"You shouldn't be sorry for your performance. This is your first battle, right?"
Tyler asked.
Jacob, Martin, and Liam immediately replied.
"Yes, Lord!"
"Lord, I fought a Twin Tail Purple Snake before." John replied.
"Is that so? Then, can you tell the difference between that snake and this fox?"
Tyler asked.
John rubbed his head as he thought about those two battles. Finally, he concluded his answer and spoke.
"Lord, Twin Tail Purple Snake wasn't as strong as this fox, but their speed was equal. It didn't have sharp claws, but its poison was deadly enough to melt rocks."
Tyler nodded and stood up. He turned around as he spoke.
"These are the weakest creatures. You are currently facing the weakest monster you can find."
These words only made them feel more ashamed of themselves. They couldn't even raise their heads.
But Tyler didn't let them feel bad for long.
"But I am not disappointed by your fight. As I said before, this is your first battle. Except for John, but compared to three of you, he is quite relaxed, isn't he?"
John nodded his head while the other three seemed to understand their problem.
Liam hesitated for a moment and asked.
"But Lord, even if we do get a lot of experience, I don't feel like I can defeat this monster by myself."
Tyler nodded his head and said.
"Yes, you can't."
Liam was stunned by his blunt reply, but he accepted such an outcome. After all, he did feel the strength of this beast firsthand.
Just its shockwave was enough to send him flying.
Tyler continued.
"If you want to kill a creature like this, you need to be a master swordsman. If Jacob wants to kill it, his fire needs to be as hot as magma."
"Compared to you two, Martin and John don't even have a chance to kill it. Do you know why?"
Liam nodded and replied.
"Because our abilities are offensive, while Martin and John's abilities are defensive."
Tyler nodded.
"Exactly! Some people would have powerful abilities, while others would have basic abilities. You can train a lot with your abilities to improve your strength."
"In fact, it's not impossible for Martin and John to kill this monster. But from your performance, I can conclude that you can't do it."
"But that doesn't matter. Four of you are a team. You must act as a team. Two defensive units, two offensive units."
"Jacob, your third skill is total wastage. Try not to use that skill until you have a better way to protect yourself."
"Fire might not hurt you, but the shockwave from explosions will. Liam needs more training with his sword."
"You could've attacked its limbs, but you missed. You need more training to hone your precision."
"Martin doesn't have much problem with skills. I believe you have at least one offensive skill."
Hearing that, Martin immediately nodded his head.
Finally, Tyler turned towards John and said.
"And for you, I don't need to say."
John smiled and nodded his head.
There was no problem with his skills or fighting style. He wasn't much of a fighter.
He assumed the role of Chief Security of Shadow Totem City simply because he was the only one who could.
Despite that, he was a pretty good fighter thanks to his previous battle with the Twin Tail Purple Snake.
Although he ran away in that battle, it was still an experience most wouldn't get in their lifetime.
"For now, let's eat!"
Tyler turned towards Rose and gave her the responsibility of cooking the fox. She was good at it.
He used to give her the meat he got from the Monthly check-in to cook for him.
Rose immediately got to work. She was planning on making a stew with his meat.
The fox's meat wasn't good for steak, and she didn't have the ingredients to make other kinds of meat.
But the stew was more than enough.
After she made it and served it to others, Tyler couldn't hold back.
'This is too delicious. This meat is so tender and full of flavor.'
At this moment, Tyler regretted not going on a hunting trip earlier. Although the meat from check-ins was monster meat, it was limited.
After all, he didn't get the entire monster. So, this was quite a pleasure for him.
Not just him. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and after finishing their meal, washing their dishes, they started moving around the forest.
They weren't ready to enter the forest as it would be a suicide at this stage.
Jacob, Martin, and Liam had a lot to learn. And, if possible, he wanted to help them reach Second Rank before entering the forest.
So, they tried searching for monsters on the outskirts of the Eternal Forest.
And, it only took them five minutes to find one.
This was because Tyler avoided stronger monsters. Otherwise, they would've found one much earlier.
"Alright! This time, Rose won't make a move. We have a lot of stew left. Even if you get injured, you can recover. So, give it your all!"
Tyler signaled his people to surround the monster before taking Rose away from the battle.
"Sir, is this okay?"
Since they were a bit too far from the battle, Rose couldn't help but hesitate. After all, if something went wrong, they wouldn't be able to protect them.
"They need this training. Hunter Supremacy will emerge soon. If our city wants to remain stable and safe, we need stronger soldiers."
"They must win this battle on their own."
Tyler spoke with a strong determination. Although this was only their second battle, he still made this risky choice.
He knew troubles would find him sooner or later. He wasn't the type of person to lie low for long.
With Misaka by his side, he had much more freedom to explore this world without worrying about the city.
But he wouldn't let her stay there for long. She would definitely follow him next time.
So, the next time they leave, he would need four of them to guard the city.
At this moment, Jacob, Liam, Martin, and John felt heavy. It was a burden but also a responsibility.
The safety of the city was on their shoulders.
Tyler gave them a new life, a new home. They wanted to keep it safe.
Their City Lord was a genius. He was only sixteen and was crossing into the Fourth Rank.
That's a mid-tier powerhouse in this world.
And, he was still just a child.
Of course, they wouldn't treat him as one, but he was a child. A child would want to explore the world.
And, this child was probably the most important person in their city.
So, how could stop him?
No, they can't. And so, they had to be strong enough to give him the freedom that a child like him should've.
Sure! They got a slow start, but they were not cowards.
They still have the unwavering determination to accomplish this mission without much hesitation.
Looking at the eyes of the bear, they knew they had to take it down.
"John, you are the leader," Liam said as he assumed his position in front of John and Martin.
"Bears are supposed to be strong but slow. We need to make sure that it is right. Liam, take Jacob near it and let him use Fireball on him!"
John immediately took the command and spoke.
[First Skill- Dash]
Liam held Jacob in his arms and carried him like a princess as he approached the bear in a matter of seconds.
Jacob took a deep breath as a hot energy emerged from his mouth. Releasing a stream of fire and turning it into a ball, he attacked the bear.
[First Skill- Fireball]
As the fireball moved forward, the bear stomped on the ground and jumped.
Although his speed wasn't as fast as the fox's, being able to dodge the fireball at a close range was quite a feat.
At this moment, Liam had already used his skill to return, but the bear landed in that exact position.
Bang!
The ground cracked open, and dust rose to the sky, blinding all four of them at once.
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