"Sorry, I'm a bit late," Rhett said casually as he rode up to Tuck on his gray horse. Though his tone was light, his eyes were sharp as they carefully scanned Tuck from head to toe, not missing a single detail. After a thorough check, he let out a sigh of relief—there were no serious injuries.
In truth, Rhett had arrived just as the fight between Tuck and the Fla Lion had started. The battle had been swift, and Rhett had witnessed the lion's fire-breathing attack from a distance. He could have ended the fight with a single lethal strike then and there, but he sensed sothing in Tuck—a faint trace of the technique he had practiced the previous day. That familiar feeling made Rhett decide to hold back and watch.
The brink of death is often the best ti for breakthroughs, though not every life-or-death situation offers such an opportunity. Seeing Tuck in this mont of potential, Rhett couldn’t bear to intervene. As a seasoned warrior, with countless battles behind him, Rhett knew he could end the Fla Lion's life at any mont with his precise magic.
He had confidence in Tuck and the effectiveness of the technique he had learned. Even though there was a gap between mid- and late-stage first-tier fighters, Rhett knew that Tuck wouldn’t fall so easily.
Satisfied that Tuck was unhard, Rhett turned his attention to the Fla Lion’s corpse. The beast had been thrown several ters by the force of Tuck’s final blow, only to be impaled by Rhett’s earthen spike. Its lifeless body hung gruesoly from the spike, its face a bloody ss.
"Hmm? It looks like I wasn’t even needed—this Fla Lion might have died from your strike alone," Rhett mused, glancing at the bloodied lion before casting a curious eye back at Tuck, who was still catching his breath.
It was clear that Tuck's final blow had been effective. While it hadn't completely destroyed the lion's head, it had caused significant damage, enough to leave the beast on the brink of death. Rhett realized that even if he hadn't intervened, Tuck's life would not have been in danger.
"Don't say that, Father. Maybe, but facing a desperate and enraged lion isn’t easy. If the fight had continued, I’d likely be seriously injured," Tuck admitted, patting his chest as he recalled the brief but intense battle. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of lingering fear.
"Ugh," Tuck suddenly winced in pain, his hand moving to his left arm, pressing on it lightly. It was clear that the powerful impact from blocking the Fla Lion's attack had injured his arm. While it wasn’t broken, the discomfort in his joints made him hesitant to move it too much.
"Father, it seems my left arm is injured. I need a solidifying potion," Tuck requested, looking at his father for help.
Rhett eyed Tuck's arm, reached into his coat, and pulled out a potion. "Here, take this."
"Thank you, Father! By the way, your finishing spell was amazing—perfectly executed! You hit the heart dead-on, leaving no chance for survival!" Tuck grinned as he gratefully accepted the potion.
With the danger passed, Tuck felt his body relax.
Rhett raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, Of course. While the earthen spike spell was basic, when used correctly and with precision, it could be deadly. For most ground-based creatures, a well-aid spike from below posed a serious threat.
After countless battles, Rhett had honed his precision with this spell to the point where it felt second nature. On a battlefield, where every mistake could an death, he had learned to execute his spells with near-perfect accuracy.
For most mages, without the sa rigorous training and experience, hitting a fast-moving target’s vital spot—like the heart—was incredibly difficult. Even a slight miss could result in a failed kill, leaving a wounded enemy capable of retaliating.
The sound of hooves and wheels approached quickly, mixing with the rhythmic pounding of boots. Within minutes, the rest of the group caught up.
"What happened, Father? Brother, why did you stop... Oh, my goodness! Did you just kill a Fla Lion?" Rylee exclaid as he dismounted and hurried over to join them, his eyes wide with amazent at the sight of the beast’s corpse.
Fla Lions were formidable opponents, known for their speed, strength, and ferocity. With sharp claws, fangs, powerful limbs, and the ability to breathe fire, they were well-rounded predators. Their presence was a serious threat to both knights and mages alike.
Realizing how dangerous the situation had been, Rylee looked at his father with admiration and relief. "Thank goodness you arrived in ti, Father. If not, Tuck might have been in real trouble."
Rylee's words were accurate, though Tuck’s pride wouldn’t let him admit it without a fight. Just as Tuck was about to argue, Rylee noticed sothing strange.
While examining the scene, Rylee’s eyes landed on the Fla Lion's face, now a bloody ss, clearly the result of blunt force trauma—sothing not typically associated with a mage's thods.
Realizing there hadn’t been another knight present, Rylee turned to Tuck, his surprise evident. "Did you do this?"
"Yeah! Just noticed?" Tuck replied, his chin lifted in pride as he unscrewed the potion and took a large gulp.
His injuries weren’t too severe—half the potion would be enough.
Seeing Tuck’s arm moving stiffly, Rylee nodded in understanding, piecing together what had happened. "Alright, that’s... quite the miracle!"
Tuck's face fell slightly—couldn't his brother just give him a straightforward complint?
Rylee chuckled and clapped his hands. "Alright, let’s get so help here! Load the Fla Lion’s body onto one of the wagons!"
Magical beasts were valuable, especially their magic cores, which were the most precious parts of their bodies. These cores could be refined into alchemical materials or used in magical equipnt. High-grade magic cores could even serve as the elental core of a mage’s staff.
Knowing the potential for unexpected encounters, the caravan had left two wagons empty, just in case.
"Father, should we search the area? There might be a Fla Lion cub or another magical beast nearby," Rylee suggested after walking around the area twice.
Rhett considered the idea. Without his foresight, this would be a reasonable decision. Unable to find a reason to refuse, he nodded slightly.
"Alright, but you’ll stay here. I’ll scout the area myself. I can sense more than you can and cover the ground faster," Rhett said after a mont of thought.
......
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