Chapter Four: The Teacher

The spiny dragon moved along peacefully.

The signal flare that Oran fired was not the emergency red, but a yellow one used to mark his location.

Therefore, the ones who responded were not random strangers hunting nearby.

Instead, two skilled hunters were waiting for news a few kilometers away at another camp: a five-star dual-blade wielder and a six-star greatsword user.

With their strength, whether it was a spiny dragon or even a rending wyvern blocking the camp entrance, it would hardly be a problem.

“This kid’s caused you trouble,” the female dual-blade wielder clad in swift dragon armor said, pressing her hands on Oran’s neck as she bowed to Karim.

“No, no, no, no…” Karim waved his hands vigorously. “It’s more accurate to say you’ve been a huge help, otherwise I’d be stuck here on this rocky shore, not knowing what to do.”

“Hey! Karin! Aren’t you going to skin the spiny dragon? Its materials are pretty valuable!” A tall female greatsword wielder wearing rending wyvern armor called out from a distance.

Karin, the dual-blade wielder, gave Karim an apologetic look and quickened her pace toward the spiny dragon’s corpse.

“Those two are so strong! They took down that monster in just a few strikes. By the way, is that black-haired one your mother? She looks so young!” Karim exclaimed in surprise.

Oran’s expression remained blank. “She’s my teacher. The other is her partner who taught me how to wield the greatsword, so she’s sort of a teacher too.”

“What do you mean ‘sort of a teacher’? Sounds reluctant,” the greatsword wielder, taller than most adult men, came over and punched Oran’s head lightly.

“Kid, we handled that unexpected spiny dragon for you. How’s your assessment mission going? Don’t tell me you haven’t finished hunting those five yellow velociprey yet, but you already sent a distress signal. If you haven’t completed it, that counts as a failure.”

Oran suppressed the urge to rub his head, pulling out several dried yellow velociprey head crests stained with blood from his pack. “I’ve finished, Teacher Haifa.”

“That’s more like it!” The female greatsword wielder named Haifa ruffled Oran’s hair vigorously. “You’re officially promoted to one-star. We’ll throw you a celebration when we get back!”

Oran showed no sign of the expected joy. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Haifa’s eyes and said seriously, “Teacher Haifa, I am a real hunter now. I can be independent and support myself. Please take the teachers away. She has stayed in this city for too long already.”

“Ah, well…” Haifa scratched her head. “I can’t say much about that. Let’s go back first. You should have a good talk with Karin.”

…

The group boarded a sand skiff, returning to the largest city in the Great Desert—the dusty metropolis of Lokrak.

Sensing an awkward atmosphere among the three, Karim, upon arriving in the city, tactfully bid them farewell.

Before leaving, he pulled Oran aside and whispered, “I don’t know what happened between you, but I can tell they all want what’s best for you. DonI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.