Chapter 75: Fragile Hope
The heavy carriage rumbled violently against the gravel road. Beneath them, the thick wooden wheels ground endlessly over rough, jagged rocks, sending harsh, uncomfortable vibrations rattling straight up through the floorboards. James shifted in his seat, his stomach tight with extreme nerves, unable to find comfort despite his surroundings. He wore a suit of leather armor fitted with gleaming silver shoulder plates.
The leather itself was a marvel, extremely durable, yet so incredibly light, supple, and breathtakingly soft that James felt he could easily drift to sleep wearing it. Rather than a stiff wooden bench, he sat upon a luxurious, sofa-like seat upholstered with thick red cushions that absorbed his weight. Directly across from him sat his father.
The older man was a veritable fortress, encased heavily in silver and dense leather. His armor boasted a far greater ratio of metal than his son’s gear. Heavy leather boots, completely plated in metal, rested firmly on the shaking floor. A solid metal breastplate shielded his chest, and thick metallic guards covered his core, his broad shoulders, and his elbows. James studied the dull, powerful gleam of the gear; he could easily tell the plating was forged entirely from the rare metal, Pherium. Beside this imposing figure sat James’s instructor, Benedict.
Benedict, however, dressed in the exact same regular set of gear he always wore to train James. Compared to the heavy, battle-ready plating of James and his father, Benedict hardly seemed prepared for a monster hunt. He wore simple black leggings, a dark tunic, and a long, sweeping black coat. A black sheath rested quietly by his shoulder. He did not look at the armor or the window; instead, Benedict stared completely unblinking, locking his intense gaze directly into James’s eyes.
Benedict’s body shifted slightly from side to side, swaying fluidly with the erratic, bouncing movement of the carriage. The unrelenting stare created a thick, awkward tension in the small space. Unable to bear the heavy silence any longer, James turned his head to look out the window. He peered through the narrow gap between the parted red curtains. Outside, an almost endless, barren expanse of rocky, deserted terrain stretched out as far as the eye could see.
"Where are we?" James muttered.
"We're very far from the kingdom," his father replied. The older man turned his gaze to the window as well. Reaching out, he grabbed his side of the red curtain and pulled it completely backward. The sudden, brilliant light of the day poured fully into the cabin, instantly illuminating the previously dim and shadowy space.
The carriage rolled onward, the interior falling silent once again, save for the rhythmic clip-clop of the horses’ hooves and the constant, vibrating rumble of the wooden frame. James was torn by a deep, twisting conflict. The raw nervousness refused to leave his chest. He had never attempted anything like this before. He remembered the exact words his father had spoken as they departed their home. His father admitted to lying, telling James's mother that they were traveling somewhere else entirely, simply to visit Dean.
His father had instructed him to repeat the exact same lie to his mother upon their return. *But in truth, I am going to kill monsters.* His father had already meticulously detailed the entire plan. The older man would engage the monsters first, weakening them down to the brink, leaving James to deliver the final blows. His father confessed he had wanted to embark on this hunt with James a long time ago, but simply didn't believe his son was ready. At first, the delay had confused James. He knew full well that his father was strong, absurdly, unfathomably strong.
But his father had explained the brutal reality of the hunt. It was going to be incredibly difficult precisely because of that overwhelming power. His father would have to be painstakingly cautious; he feared that even if he tried to hold back, his sheer strength would accidentally kill most of the monsters outright. Therefore, James would have to learn to attack some of the beasts entirely on his own. He would be forced to drag every ounce of the grueling training he had endured and put it to actual use.
James felt the phantom weight of his father’s hand gripping his shoulder. *This is what you've been training for your entire life. When we get there, I want you to show me what you're made of.* James had nodded nervously back then, vowing out loud that he wouldn't disappoint. But sitting in the rattling carriage now, doubt gnawed at him.
He had never actually laid eyes on a real monster. He had only ever read about them in texts or studied drawings. He knew they possessed dangerous skills. He knew that most of them were vastly stronger than he was. After all, James was incredibly weak, weaker, even, than the commoners themselves.
Earning enough experience to level up was going to be an agonizingly uphill battle. But it was the only way forward. Seeking comfort, he looked across the cabin at his father, whose hardened profile was bathed in the sunlight from the window. Staring at the strongest hero in all of the five kingdoms, a wave of profound security washed over James.
He wasn't just relying on his father, either; his instructor sat right beside him. Benedict alone wielded a terrifying amount of strength, particularly with the magical barriers he could conjure with effortless ease. James had seen those very barriers absorb and completely block devastating attacks from both his sister and his father, warriors who stood proudly above the SSS ranks.
A small smile finally broke through James's anxiety, and a genuine spark of confidence began to take root in his chest. This was going to be it. Even if he wasn't leveling up the way normal heroes did, surviving this hunt would most certainly forge him into something stronger. Way stronger than he was now.
Suddenly, Benedict aggressively swept his hand to the side. The very tips of the instructor's fingers ignited, glowing with a fierce, faint blue magical light. Instantly, the endless rocky terrain outside the window seemed to violently shift into a completely different environment, yet not quite. It looked as though the speeding carriage had driven straight toward an invisible door. Outside the window, a small, invisible line in the air erupted into a glowing blue light, expanding upward to form a massive semicircle that vaulted completely over the carriage to the other side.
As the horses and the wooden frame stepped through the glowing threshold, they completely and instantly appeared in another region entirely. James knew the mechanics of the magic, but the sheer visual shock of it surprised him every single time. This marked only the second time he had ever witnessed Benedict deploy his portal skill.
Benedict had already strictly lectured him on the limitations of the skill. He could not use it as many times as he wanted. The magic violently drained his mana reserves and operated under unbending rules. It required a grueling cooldown period of several minutes before it could be activated again, and it only allowed Benedict to teleport them one hundred and fifty kilometers away from their current location, in whatever direction he chose.
The only dangerous aspect of the skill lay in its blind precision. In the chosen direction, the exit portal would materialize anywhere regardless of what occupied that space. The carriage could emerge inside a house, or plunge deep into a lake. That was the only looming threat. However, even without knowing the exact locations of this new place, Benedict knew the general geographical features, drastically reducing any major risk. Furthermore, the driver could simply stop the carriage the moment they crossed the threshold if he spotted anything instantly dangerous.
This driver was chosen for know personaly knowing the place they were headed.
The carriage window framed a sprawling valley of green, rolling hills. Patches of lush grass, half a meter high, swayed rhythmically under a steady, fresh wind. The soil beneath looked dark and deeply moist. James smiled, the tension in his shoulders finally dropping. He spent most of his life enclosed within the stone walls of his family's manor or the pristine estates of other nobility. *I had no idea nature could look this beautiful.*
Alexander watched his son, a tight, familiar knot of guilt loosening in his chest at the sight of James’s rare, contented expression.He held a firm confidence that his son would leave this area just as strong if not stronger than an S-Rank.
Alexander recalled his conversation with Dean prior to this journey. Dean had personally escorted his own children to this exact monster zone once before. He provided Alexander with precise directions and a detailed map of the surrounding geography. Benedict knew the layout of countless regions, but this specific zone had surprised even the instructor.
It had only formed four years ago, officially classified as a fractured monster zone after a massive surge in spawns. Benedict had explained the parameters to James: the zone housed F-rank to C-rank monsters. B-rank beasts existed only as bosses or exceptionally rare spawns, incredibly difficult to locate, but yielding massive experience.
He had told James that defeating one would yield enough XP to push him past forty levels.
Benedict remembered the complex mix of nerves and raw excitement on his face when they discussed the plan. He had promised James a real path to power, even teasing that James might one day surpass him. James had laughed it off as a joke, but the genuine hope in the boy's eyes had been undeniable. It was the hope of a boy desperate to no longer be isolated, to no longer be looked down upon or punished for a weakness he never chose.
Minutes later, the carriage slowed. Outside, the driver’s voice carried through the heavy wood. "Sir, we are should about one hundred and twenty kilometers from the monster zone. If you use your skill again, we should arrive near the base."
"Has enough time passed yet?" Alexander asked.
Benedict stared intently at his hands. "No, not yet. But it's close."
Silence stretched through the cabin for several minutes until Benedict opened a second portal. The carriage continued forward through the glowing threshold. On the other side, the terrain shifted slightly. The grass grew much shorter here, the thin stalks dry and brittle.
The carriage rolled to a final stop. "We're here," the driver announced.
James’s pulse hammered against his ribs as they pushed the doors open and stepped down. A massive, incredibly dense forest loomed directly in front of them. Thick, towering green trees lined the edge, their high branches thrashing violently in the passing wind. He scanned the tree line, finding nothing but an endless wall of timber and leaves.
"I thought you said we'd be near the base," James said, his grip tightening.
"The driver was wrong," Benedict answered, his eyes sweeping the massive canopy. "We are on the exact opposite side. Walking through the monster zone to reach the base will take a significant amount of time. This forest is massive."
Noticing the terror gripping James’s features, Alexander placed a heavy, warm hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't be afraid. We will be right beside you. You have nothing to fear."
"Alright," James nodded, forcing the tremble out of his voice.
The three men advanced toward the tree line. Benedict cast one final glance back at the driver before the dense greenery swallowed them completely.
Left behind, the driver released a heavy, shaking sigh as he stared down at his abdomen. He reached deep into his old, gray tunic and pulled a small necklace from his chest. A round, black pendant hung from the chain, engraved with a distinct psych pattern. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared at the dark metal, his breathing ragged. With a violent jerk of his hands, he snapped the pendant in two.
"Forgive me, my lord," he muttered.
Inside the forest, James walked with his sword drawn, his eyes darting frantically between the thick trunks. Beside him, Alexander and Benedict walked with empty hands and relaxed shoulders, venturing deeper and deeper into the quiet woods. Alexander suddenly stopped. He gripped his wrist, his gaze sweeping the shadows.
"Is this really a monster zone?" Alexander asked.
Benedict closed his eyes. When his eyelids fluttered open, his irises glowed a faint, piercing gray. He nodded slowly. "It is. The air is saturated with dark mana. But it is completely dispersed. It is as if all the monsters in this area were slaughtered recently."
James exhaled, a strange, cooling relief washing over his chest. "So that's why there are no monsters. I was wondering why we hadn't encountered one yet." He paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. "But killed by who? You said the base is extremely far away. How could someone—"
Both older men violently snapped their heads back, their teeth clamped shut. The sheer speed of their reaction sent a fresh spike of adrenaline straight through James’s veins. He whipped his head around, finding only empty air behind him.
"Did you feel that?" Benedict asked, his voice sharp.
"Yes," Alexander answered.
Before James could draw breath to ask, the dense wall of the forest directly in front of them violently ripped open. An unfathomable, massive pressure hurtled forward, systematically flattening the timber, carving a raw, forced avenue through the impenetrable woods. Massive trunks disintegrated into countless razor-sharp splinters, the sound of tearing wood fibers erupting like a sequence of consecutive thunderclaps. The trees on either side of the advancing force bowed and violently thrust outward, the very earth folding beneath them as the invisible path carved straight towards James.
Benedict thrust his hands forward. A dome of solid green light materialized around them.
The unseen object collided with the shield. The impact shattered the air. The entire area shifted, the ground beneath their boots undulating and heaving violently, throwing James completely off balance as fissures raced across the soil. The residual energy radiated outward, a sonic pressure wave wrenching the surviving giant trees from their root systems. Thick roots from the dark earth, toppling massive trunks in a chaotic cascade. James clenched his teeth, the vibration rattling his bones. "What is happening?!" he screamed over the roaring wind.
Benedict threw his hand out. A brilliant green shield materialized, enveloping the three of them.
The invisible force slammed into the barrier. The impact erupted with explosive power, sending violent shockwaves through the earth. The ground fractured and shifted beneath James's boots. A massive wave of physical pressure ripped through the forest, tearing the thick trees from their roots and launching them through the air.
James clamped his teeth together, his heart thrashing against his ribs like a trapped bird as the earth quaked.
The violent tremors ceased abruptly. Benedict scanned the ruined landscape, his jaw slack, his eyes now burning a faint silver. "We're surrounded."
"Surrounded?" James repeated, scanning the broken woods. He saw nothing but splintered wood and torn earth.
James blinked. In the fraction of a second it took for his eyelids to flutter, the world shifted.
Hundreds of figures draped in black cloaks materialized throughout the ruined forest. They stood perched atop the remaining branches, balanced on the splintered trunks of uprooted trees, and fanned out across the churned soil. Directly in front of the horde, standing where the earth was most destroyed, stood a man gripping two black swords.
James’s legs shook violently. He looked to his father, but Alexander stood perfectly still, his eyes narrowed at the surrounding threat.
"There are nearly a hundred of them," Alexander muttered, his words freezing the blood in James’s veins. "And every single one possesses the presence of an SS-rank assassin."
Benedict drew his sword, leveling the blade at the dual-wielding leader who suddenly appeared infront of them. "Who are you?"
The assassins wore hoods pulled low, their faces completely obscured save for their cold, watching eyes. They all gripped identical blades. But it wasn't their sheer numbers or their threatening weapons that ma
de Benedict’s stomach physically churn. It was their mana. Every single figure radiated a completely impossible saturation of dark mana. It was thicker and more suffocating than the darkest monster cores Benedict had ever witnessed.