That oven baked pheasant was the best thing Wolf had tasted in his short life. The perfect amount of salt, the seemingly random fruits, vegetables and grasses Archibald stuffed it with… Every single aspect added and enhanced the incredibly rich aroma of the draconic meat. It was so good that Wolf was willing to forget the humiliating way in which his father’s saliva spurted while the man screamed to catch the Crimson Draconic Pheasant.

During tonight's supper Archibald did something he hadn't done in ages. He was absolutely quiet during the meal. That is to say, he did not say a word as he savored the poultry dinner. The only sounds he made were moans and groans of pleasure as he ate. Regretfully, the heavenly supper was over.

“Dad, can you please not make those strange noises again? Ever…” Wolf said when the last shred of meat was gone.

“Look who’s talking." Archibald said with a laugh. "You were smacking your lips with every bite and you were mmmming as much as I was.”

“Did I really?” Wolf asked with a blush.

“Oh, you most certainly did. Loudly. Very loudly. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not teasing you.” Seeing that amused grin, Wolf couldn’t tell whether his dad was teasing him or not.

“Come on, give your old man some credit! People are often unaware of their table manners. Otherwise they wouldn’t slurp or smack their lips while eating.” Archibald tried to make a serious lecturing expression, but couldn’t maintain it. He’d start grinning like crazy whenever he felt the lush aftertaste in his mouth.

“Dad, why wasn’t the deer meat this good?” Wolf was curious, since the dragon-blooded deer’s meat tasted worse than regular deer roast.

“I don’t know. Draconic bloodline makes all animal meat tougher and more solid. The only exception are birds. For some reason their meat becomes innately hot and spicy. There’s been a wide range of theories, some saying dragons are actually birds, others saying it’s a gift from gods. But nobody knows for sure. Anyway, if you ever see another Crimson Draconic Pheasant you know what to do now…” Archibald said with a knowing look and Wolf nodded vigorously.

***

Next day Archibald and Wolf packed their camp before the sun rose. They retraced their steps from yesterday. Along the way there were no new monsters, save for one draconic hare that popped out of the bushes not five meters away from Wolf.

The boy and the hare stared at each other for a long moment before the hare hopped back into the bushes. Since there were no undignified screams from Archibald, Wolf didn’t bother with the critter. He did however note that reptilian pupils looked disturbing on a rabbit…

After walking for a good long while, Archibald and Wolf left the familiar part of the forest. Archibald was against entering what was the middle layer of the danger zone, but Wolf insisted vehemently last night. The boy claimed that battles in the outer layer weren’t challenging, which was true. After making Wolf promise to prepare a select list of combat spells, Archibald finally relented and agreed to enter the more dangerous area.

Now that they were here, the big man could see that his son was ignoring the plentiful tracks of lower Order Monster Beasts. The area was full of weaker monsters, while those that preyed on them were considerably rarer. As for the apex predators of the Seventh Order and above, those should be in the depths of the Dragon’s Forest.

“Dad look, boar tracks.” Wolf whispered excitedly as he pointed at a set of faint tracks on the dry ground. This was the first time they had ran into boar tracks since entering the forest. Wolf hoped that the monster would be more dangerous than the beasts they encountered so far.

“Looks like a solitary adult male. Depending on the purity of its bloodline the Monster Beast’s Order can be anywhere from three to six. Do you want to go back? This could be dangerous.” The odds of this boar having a higher purity of its draconic bloodline was very slim.

If the beast really had a purer bloodline, it would’ve lived closer to the center, probably as a part of a drove. Archibald hoped that this was just a discarded hog that found the place where it can live at the top of the food chain.

“I’d like to stalk it. If it looks strong I can first use Lethargy and augment myself with Warrior's Transformation before we clash?” Wolf said hopefully.

What’s the point of fighting all these first and Second Order Monster Beasts? If I want to have any kind of a challenge I’d need to fight at least a fifth or Sixth Order Monster Beast. The boy confidently thought, conveniently forgetting that an equivalent of a First Order Monster Beast had already sent him flying.

“Fine, then enjoy your hunt. Just like before, I’ll stay some twenty meters behind you so as not to get in your way.” Even though he spoke calmly Archibald’s mind was far from calm.

It is true what they say. Those that cannot do, teach. I’ve never been as painfully aware of this as I am now. Irrational and bitter thoughts swarmed Archibald’s brain as he watched his son’s tiny back.

It took over two hours for Wolf to find the boar. By the time he spotted it, the sun had already climbed to its zenith.

The razorback was around the same size as a normal wild boar. It had several patches of crimson scales positioned in such a way as to shield its most vulnerable points. The beast was currently using its long tusks to dig up the ground, looking for food.

When Archibald saw the beast he inwardly sighed with relief.

Its bloodline isn’t impressive. It should be around Fifth Order at most. Wolf also picked up on clues.

This razorback wasn’t worth wasting Soul Force. Instead Wolf just rushed the boar, sword in hand. The startled beast sprayed earth as its head snapped to the side. It moved in time to see the tiny human a couple of paces away jump into the air and swing down at its neck with a shiny sword.

Yeah, son, that's not going to work… Archibald shook his head when he saw his son’s overly dramatic display.

He’s still a boy. It’s only natural for him to try and show off. Archibald could already tell how this whole thing was going to end.

The shiny sword bit into the monster’s neck. Wolf wanted a one hit kill. He expected to see the boar’s head fall down and roll on the ground. Reality wasn’t as accommodating. The weapon was very light and Wolf wasn’t all that heavy either. Even a regular boar has a tough hide, let alone one that had a hint of dragon’s blood.

*Squeal!*

The beast let out a pained squeal. Wolf’s impressive looking jumping cleave ended up leaving nothing but a light gash on the back of the boar’s neck. Instead of killing it, the stinging pain ended up infuriating the beast.

In fury, the razorback's eyes immediately turned crimson. Its snout flared as the beast tried to catch the attacker’s scent. The monster looked left and right, looking for Wolf all the while digging at the ground with its front hooves.

As for Wolf, as soon as he realized that his attack had failed, he kicked the boar, jumping back towards the monster’s rear, trying to stay out of its sight. This maneuver bought him only a second. The razorback spun around and blew out a breath of stinky steamy air.

The beast locked its gaze on the boy and bounded towards him.

As it charged the monster shook its head. The spear-like tusks whistled through the air, aiming to gore the boy.

Wolf cursed under his breath as he dodged under the tusk. He rolled on the ground, thinking whether or not to cast Lethargy on the boar.

*Slash!*

In the middle of his dodge, Wolf saw an opening. He swung his sword at the beast’s lower right, opening up yet another gash.

Sword is a tool meant for killing, not for hunting. Then again, what Wolf was doing right now definitely wasn’t hunting. It was monster slaying.

True, the monster was hardly any different from a regular wild boar, save for the somewhat tougher hide and some extra muscle. One could argue that the aggressive behavior was also a difference, but wild boars are generally violent. Even if they weren’t, someone trying to decapitate you while you’re peacefully rustling up some grub could make even the most timid of rabbits turn berserk.

The battle that ensued wasn’t exciting. It was tedious and dangerous. The razorback was powerful and fast when charging, but lacked agility and couldn’t easily maneuver. Wolf used this to dance circles around the beast, delivering a death of a thousand cuts. He was determined not to waste his spells on such a trivial opponent.

Archibald observed the unnerving situation with clenched fists. Wolf had the excellent perception of a Mage. This allowed him to find openings to dodge and opportunities to strike. Fortunately, the beast was in a frenzy. Any sane Monster Beast would have fled a long time ago after seeing that it was unable to hit Wolf.

Archibald didn’t agree with Wolf’s decision not to use spells. Magic was meant for casting, not conserving. Especially if you’re in battle. What kind of a Mage are you if you don’t use spells to kill your enemies when fighting?

However, as the battle dragged on, even Archibald found it lackluster. The beast was already wounded enough that the only way it could hurt Wolf was if the boy tripped or impaled himself on its tusk. Finally, after half an hour, the boar collapsed from blood loss.

Wolf was panting and covered in sweat. Jumping and rolling around for half an hour was exhausting, no matter how fit you were. Thankfully, due to his powerful soul, Wolf’s perception was extremely high and he could read the opponents moves, otherwise this might have been more dangerous.

Wolf walked up to the frothing boar and pierced its eye with his slim sword, putting the beast out of its misery. After seeing the boar’s body spasm then turn still, Archibald climbed down from his tree and came out into the open.

“So, can you tell me what you did wrong this time?” The man asked slowly.

”I shouldn’t have tried that sneak attack…” Wolf started in a downcast manner.

“Wrong. It’s never a mistake to use a sneak attack to start a battle. People fight to kill each other, not to determine which one of them is more honorable.” Archibald interjected while shaking his head. He didn’t want Wolf to continue thinking that his mistake was the sneak attack, even though the execution really was lacking…

“But that boar’s hide was too tough…”

“That much is true. When you encounter opponents with tough hide, you should aim for an area not covered by the tough hide. In your sneak attack, you should’ve stabbed the draconic boar in its anus. It’s a common weak spot, just like eyes or ears, but it’s always in a blind spot.”

“I should’ve stabbed it in the butthole?” Wolf was completely shocked and somewhat disgusted by what his father had just said.

“That’s right. And you shouldn’t have stopped there. If possible you should have stabbed the sword all the way to the hilt and just left it there.” Archibald nodded as he continued his lecture.

“I was supposed to leave my sword inside a boar’s butt?” Wolf felt something deep inside him revolt against this idea. He couldn’t tell what it was, but an unknown part of him, which lurked in the depths of his soul, was enraged by his father’s words.

“Yes. That way whenever the beast moved its internal injuries would worsen. It would’ve collapsed in less than ten minutes that way.”

“From my sword, which I shoved up its butthole?” Wolf still spoke with visible disbelief and disgust as he tried to quell the part of him that was raging.

“Yes. As a Mage you’re supposed to use your brain in a fight, not your brawn.” Archibald nodded, while speaking matter of factly.

“Dad, I don’t plan on letting myself end up unarmed during a fight. Not to mention leaving my sword in a pig’s butthole. What if another Monster Beast shows up? What if I can’t wash away the stench from my blade? Swords are made for cutting flesh and shedding blood, not for stuffing up buttholes.” Wolf felt his persona warp somewhat and before he managed to regain control those words were already out.

Archibald shot Wolf with a surprised look. He couldn’t believe his son was so attached to that weapon. After a moment of silence the big man changed the subject. “When fighting…”

Archibald's lessons:

The origin of Rings of Holding is unknown. They are all identical in appearance and have been around forever, since they are indestructible.