In some vast grass fields, a translucent red barrier was covering a giant area.


    Painted in its boiling red blood, a giant creature was panting with his lunges out.


    Its blood-ridden body, those countless colorful glowing arrows that made him a dark thing covered with celebration lights.


    The grass melted at the touch of that blood.


    The given up blood-red eyes that didn''t want anything else.


    The creature that had once defied logic and held high intelligence was now at its death''s door.


    There was no energy left in him while the scars on his body released blood as if deliberately pumping it out.


    The boar was almost dead and the one that made this creature like this was standing some distance away in a cloak of darkness.


    The fight hadsted for some hours, and this was an almostte day for this ce.


    The sun was on their heads shining brightly while the boy drank a red potion, recovering the deep scar on his chest.


    There were burn marks on his visible body too, so this fight wasn''t ''one-sided''.


    But, even though the boy was in such a sorry state, there was a pleased smile on his face as he looked at this boar.


    The creature that gave him his first nightmare as soon as he entered this forest was now on the verge of death.


    And, most of all, the boy wasn''t hurt at all, not after drinking the red elixir.


    It healed him, and the stamina and Mana he lost in the fight were also recovering at a high speed.


    The golden ne around his sweaty, red neck was shining with a dull golden light, increasing the effect of the elixir taken.


    Ance with its end buried in the ground was gathering special energy from the surroundings and theplex magic circle under it was now almost pure white.


    The fight was good but, it would end here.


    "Ok Asta," the boy said with a smile and the surrounding darkness moved to the ce with thence.


    Putting the unique bow in his storage bracelet, he took out thence after the magic circle disappeared.


    "M-mooo...ooo." The creature cried in agony, not even able to use the Mana channels blocked by the glowing arrows.


    "Rest in eternal peace," he prayed, and, taking a step back, he took a throwing stance.


    "<Throw of the bright sun>." He mumbled under his breath, tightened the grip on the weapon, covered thence in a yellow-white light, and... threw it with all of his strength.


    -Boooooooom!


    The force behind this throw was abnormally strong.


    The yellow-white light glowed brighter, covering the spear and making it a beam of light.


    Two energies circled it, increasing the force of the attack.


    The intelligent pig knew this was it.


    This was his death.


    So, he didn''t even try to resist and just epted his death with open arms and closed eyes.


    For a creature gone past the limits of saving, this quick death was just mercy.


    The boy had a somewhat sad expression, but he shook it off and prayed with his hands joined as arge light collided with his head, obliterating his skill and showering flesh in the surrounding area.


    Blood rained down from the sky, away from the ce he stood.


    "Huuu... master, I''m done," he said and looked back at thedy sipping a cup of tea.


    She looked carefree about what was happening there, even though it was her test.


    Looking back at him, she ''just'' nodded and said in his mind, [[ Tank out the core and store that body. It''s somewhat ok. ]]


    He wasn''t even surprised by the fact that she knew there was a core, but... a (Green) ranked energy core!?


    His eyes lit up by this news and he reached the dead body of the creature after confirming its death.


    The rain of blood had stopped, and the goldennce was still stuck at the obliterated brain of the creature.


    Without hesitation, he took out thence-like arrow from the mess of organ and flesh with a calm heart.


    Walking ahead, he shed the arrow with a shining blue tip and cut his abdomen.


    Storing the arrow in a unique white crack, he shoved his hand into the body again.


    This would have been even more gruesome for even a strong being but, this boy did this without hesitation.


    all the squishy feeling of touching the inside of a creature with fiery hot blood was nothing to this boy.


    Taking out his hand, which held arge round red crystal, he looked at it with a surprised look.


    His eyes turned blue for a moment and the information of the red sphere with golden sand dancing inside popped up before him.


    ============


    <Energy Core>


    -Energy core of a superior (Green) ranked creature.


    -The energy inside the core is [450 Units] of themon grading system.


    -In terms of the ancient measuring system, this one holds 1.5 times the normal (Green) ranked core''s energy.


    -You are a lucky bastard to get your hands on something precious like this.


    -The Mana body this corees from should have a great Mana affinity, so make sure you get everything you can.


    ============


    Looking at the information and those ''unique'' words, an angry smile reced the boy''s radiant smile, and he clutched the core tightly.


    "You little... Me? Bastard?" He was frustrated by this information from his skill, but it was better than the [Appraisal] he had.


    The appraisal skill was still useful in ces where he wanted a summary of long information, so he used both of them ording to situations.


    Sighing at his unique situation, he stored the core and the body of the creature in his white crack.


    At the same time, the translucent red barrier vanished.


    Using [Quicksteps], the boy quickly reached the tea table his master set up.


    She looked at him and signaled for him to sit down.


    Sitting down without hesitation, he picked up the warm teacup and took a sip.


    Looking over his unharmed self, she sighed with relief and said, "Using 30% of your overall strength to kill a pig... looks like you were just ying and wasting your precious energy.


    You could have ended him in one runic spell if you wanted." she said while taking a sip of her third cup of tea.


    This was his first time seeing her drink her favorite, precious tea she had cultivated for a long time.


    She rarely drank this specific one, saving it for a joyous asion.


    She was acting weird today, and he didn''t like this.


    His heart, the same one that only raised in the face of true emotions, had an uneasy feeling.


    But what she said was true.


    "Yes, I could have. But, those damn things put too much burden on me and I don''t think I can use more than two at the same time.


    I might die, my beloved master, death.


    Why take enormous risks when I can do it the easiest way possible?" he gave her a fake smile and she caught that.


    He couldn''t understand this weird feeling.


    As if he knew something was going to end, or something like that.


    And she noticed it too.


    She knew he was sharp and his ability to ''feel'' things was on the spot.


    "Eon, how about I give you your reward for clearing this test?" She asked as she finished her cup of tea.


    These sudden words made him chock on thisvish tea, but he could manage not to throw this epitome of beverage and finished it in one gulp.


    That tea was something scarce, even in this tower, as she grew it with special techniques and things.


    Looking at her with a sudden horrified eye, he shouted," What''s going on, master?! Why are you like this today?! I... feel weird."


    Her sudden words of reward weren''t just weird, they were something she had never said during the time they were together.


    after his own words, the weird feeling he had grew even more.


    Something was very wrong here.


    He stood up from his chair and took a step back with fear-filled eyes.


    She looked at him... with a sad look, and his heart started running wild.


    "Eon... I''m sorry," she apologized out of nowhere as she looked at the boy, and the table, chairs, and umbre burned without a trace.


    Standing up, she looked at his sudden fear-filled face.


    She hadn''t said anything and still, there were tears lingering at the ends of his eyes.


    She smiled at him apologetically and took a deep breath.


    This was sudden, out of blue, and nothing like her, but she was looking at him with that face for the first time.


    The boy''s mind became chaotic with a surge of weird thoughts and his eyes widened as the clear tear lingering around his eye... slid down his cheek.


    He was looking at her, unknown of what she was going to do.


    " I never thought this day woulde this early, dear. But... I should give you your partner weapon I mentioned, right?" she smiled at him warmly while saying that.


    He did not understand what the hell was going on right now but, one thing was clear.


    Something bad was happening.


    She sighed once again, and... a pure blue fire burned in her eyes.


    [[< Restraints Of Ifrit >]]


    The weird words that came out of her mouth made the boy shiver.


    He had never heard a power-filled voice like that, nor the words that can change the whole surroundings.


    An icy cold sweat slid down his back, and he was frozen in his ce.


    He wanted to move, speak, and ask her what she was doing but, even before any words coulde out of his mouth... weird blue chains wrapped around his body.