NOVEL WEB Chapter 167: Costly Power (1)
Milo sat cross-legged in his room with the faint glow of a mana core illuminating his sweat-covered face.
Since the day he had heard Kyle announce his breakthrough to the fourth stage, he had dedicated his mind and time, pushing himself to his limits, all for the sole purpose of catching up to him.
The defeat against Kyle had left a bitter taste in him, as he hadn't stood a chance against Kyle in their duel. After that day, Milo had steeled himself to cultivate than never before.
'I'll work harder than ever, and I'll catch up.' These words were all that kept Milo going and finally, on the first day of mission week, Milo's efforts had paid off in the end as he had seen a breakthrough to the fourth stage.
He had worked hard for it and he knew he deserved it. Standing up, Milo stretched and let his muscles loosen. He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power coursing through him. The breakthrough wasn't just a milestone—it was a statement. He wouldn't be left behind, not by Kyle or anyone.
'I'm ready now.' Read the latest on empire
***
The Mission Hall buzzed with activity as Milo entered, but he paid it little attention. The grandeur of the hall, with its high vaulted ceilings and polished glass floors was lost on him. His eyes were only fixed on the glowing mission board ahead.
'No distractions,' Milo reminded himself.
The board was crowded with students scanning for opportunities, but Milo pushed his way through without hesitation. His eyes scanned the list of available missions, each marked different colors to denote their difficulties.
Then, one mission caught his attention:
[Wanted: Firefang Alpha. Track down the leader of a rogue Firefang pack terrorizing outlying farms.]
It was colored yellow, denoting it as moderately dangerous. The alpha was noted as a potential Tier-2 beast—an opponent that couldn't be defeated by most of the Year 1 students but Milo didn't second guess it.
"This one," he said under his breath, reaching for the glowing screen.
Milo grabbed the slip that came from it and stepped aside, ignoring the curious glances from nearby students. Many whispered among themselves, surprised that someone would take on a yellow-ranked mission alone but Milo didn't care.
'Let them talk,' Milo thought, making his way to the counter to complete the process.
The staff at the counter raised an eyebrow when he saw Milo's choice but said nothing. After a few formalities, Milo was handed a return stone and information about the mission details.
"Good luck," the staff said as Milo turned to leave.
"I don't need luck." Milo simply replied and walked away.
He was thereafter directed towards the portal where he was to begin his journey. He told himself that he'll be back stronger before stepping in without hesitation.
The sensation of traveling through a portal was disorienting yet familiar. Milo felt a rush of air, a brief sense of weightlessness, and then solid ground beneath his feet.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the heart of a small village. There were villagers passing by and they reacted with stunned expressions the moment they noticed his sudden appearance.
As he had been instructed before coming on the mission, Milo simply stated his identity and his reason for coming. It didn't take the villagers too long to understand and direct him to the Village head.
"You're the academy student sent to help?" the village head asked, the moment Milo found him.
"I am. Tell me everything you know about the Firefang Alpha."
He gestured for Milo to follow him. Together, they walked to the edge of the village, where a crude map had been drawn into the dirt. The elder pointed to a section of the forest marked with jagged lines.
"The pack's den is somewhere in this area. The beasts have been attacking our livestock for weeks now, but the Alpha showed up only a few days ago. It's bigger, faster, and more aggressive than the rest. We've already lost two hunters trying to drive it away."
Milo got some clues from what the elder said. 'There were able to keep up with the wolf pack, which are mostly Tier-1 beasts until the pack leader came. This means that some members of the village are strong to an extent.'
He studied the map carefully and memorized the layout. "Any particular patterns in its attacks?"
"It strikes at dusk, mostly targeting the western fields. But once it gets what it wants, it disappears into the deeper forest and no one has been brave enough to follow it."
The other villagers contributed in with bits of information—descriptions of the Alpha's fiery mane, its glowing eyes, and the scorch marks it left behind. Milo listened attentively, filing away every detail. Despite his confidence, he knew underestimating a Tier-2 beast could be fatal.
"Thank you," Milo finally said after he was done listening. "I'll take care of it."
"Wait!" The head called out just before he left for the forest. "Let me get some others to accompany you —"
"No!" the man had not even finished with his proposal when Milo shot back in refusal. "I'll be fine on my own."
The village head wanted to persuade Milo into allowing others accompany him, but after seeing hus angry expression, he could only sigh in resignation and wish him well.
"Be careful, young man. The Alpha… it's not natural."
"Neither am I."
***
The sound of Milo's boots crunching leaves and twigs was the only noise that could be heard from the forest.
The forest was eerily quiet and empty, with no beasts to be found at all. 'They're hiding,' Milo guessed. Beasts rarely remained silent unless a stronger predator was nearby. That told him everything he needed to know. The Firefang Alpha was the apex here and he was going to defeat it.
Except during the Electives battles when Milo had fought against beast companions of other mages, he had never fought against a mana beast and even during the tournaments, all the beasts were equivalent to Tier-1 beasts and some were difficult to defeat.
But Milo wasn't scared, he believed that he had grown alot since the battles and he would handle the beasts just fine. Above all, he was even craving for the prospect of a fight, especially one that he would battle to the death.
'I'll slay the beasts on my own,' Milo thought. 'I'll bet Kyle can't do that.'
He moved deeper into the forest with determination and after almost an hour had passed, he finally saw it.
A clearing ahead was lit with the glow of embers and Milo decided to observe it. He crouched low and approached slowly, parting the undergrowth with his hands. After he could see outwards, his eyes fell on the beasts.
Three wolves stood in the clearing. Two of them were slightly larger than normal beasts, with dull red fur streaked with faint glowing lines—Tier-1 Firefangs. But it was the third that commanded Milo's attention.
The Alpha.
The beast stood a head taller than the others and its body rippled with muscle and was covered in fur that seemed to smolder like dying embers. A mane of fire trailed down its spine and its eyes glowed yellow.
'That's definitely a Tier-2,' Milo confirmed, unconsciously swallowing after his observation.