Chapter 41: Call

Kael was halfway through breakfast when his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from Marcus Vale.

Marcus Vale:How are the injuries?

Kael wiped his hand before picking up the phone and replying.

Kael:Still sore, but better than yesterday.

Marcus replied a few seconds later.

Marcus Vale:Good. Don’t start training again just because you feel a little better. Come to the Association today if you can walk comfortably. Your beginner schedule is ready.

Kael read the message twice before putting his phone down. Across the table, Sera was feeding Noah a little milk while waiting for her own breakfast to cool.

"Is that Marcus?" Sera asked.

"Yes. He says my training schedule is ready. He also reminded me not to exercise yet," Kael answered.

"That’s sensible advice," Sera replied.

"I wasn’t planning to exercise today," Kael assured her.

Sera gave him a doubtful look, making Kael pause with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"I wasn’t," Kael insisted. "My chest still hurts when I move too quickly."

"Good. Then please keep listening to him," Sera said.

"I will," Kael promised.

Sera seemed satisfied with his answer and returned her attention to Noah. Kael finished breakfast, took his medicine, and waited until the soreness in his chest had eased before getting ready to leave. He didn’t put on his usual exercise clothes. Instead, he wore a comfortable shirt and trousers that wouldn’t put too much pressure on his bruises.

Before leaving, he checked Noah’s supplies and helped Sera arrange the things she needed for the morning.

"Do you need anything from the shops?" Kael asked.

"No, we’re fine for now," Sera answered. "Just don’t come back carrying something you bought because you thought it might be useful."

Kael looked at her in disbelief. "I bought useful things last time."

"You bought three different kinds of baby wipes," Sera reminded him.

"They were on sale," Kael argued.

"And two of them are still unopened," Sera pointed out.

Kael couldn’t argue with that because she was right.

"I’ll try to control myself," he said.

Sera smiled and handed him his jacket. "Take care of yourself."

"I will. I’ll call you when I’m done," Kael promised.

He kissed her forehead, gently touched Noah’s cheek, and left the apartment.

==

The Hunter Association was busier than Kael remembered. Several hunters stood near the reception area, discussing their recent assignments. Some wore armor, while others carried weapons openly. A few had bandages wrapped around their arms or heads.

Kael noticed one man walking with a slight limp. Another hunter was complaining about a damaged weapon while his companion laughed at him. It was a strange place to visit when he wasn’t there to register or be tested.

He approached the reception desk and gave his name.

"I’m here to collect my beginner training schedule. Marcus Vale told me to come," Kael explained.

The receptionist checked her computer before handing him a folder.

"Your first lesson is tomorrow morning," the receptionist informed him. "You’ll begin with basic safety, monster behavior, and emergency procedures. Your instructor will explain the rest."

Kael opened the folder and looked through the pages. Several subjects were listed, including combat fundamentals, weapon handling, physical conditioning, teamwork, and evacuation procedures. The schedule also included written lessons and practical exercises.

He had expected more fighting, so he looked up at the receptionist.

"Is there a reason the first few lessons are mostly theory?" Kael asked.

"Because people who don’t understand what they’re fighting often end up dead," a man behind him answered.

Kael turned toward the speaker. The man looked to be in his late twenties and wore ordinary hunter equipment. A bandage covered part of his left forearm, but apart from that, he didn’t look particularly impressive.

"Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing," the man said. "I’m Eric. I’ve been working as a hunter for about two years."

"Kael," Kael replied, introducing himself.

Eric glanced at the folder in Kael’s hand. "First training course?"

"Yes," Kael answered.

"Then pay attention. It might save your life," Eric advised.

Kael looked at the bandage on Eric’s arm. "Did something happen on an assignment?"

Eric followed his gaze and gave a short laugh.

"Something always happens on assignments. The question is whether you learn from it," Eric replied.

He nodded toward a row of chairs away from the main reception area.

"Got a few minutes? I can tell you something before your instructor starts filling your head with rules," Eric offered.

Kael agreed, and the two of them sat down. Eric leaned back carefully, making sure not to put pressure on his injured arm.

"Three months ago, my team entered a low-level dungeon," Eric began. "Nothing special. We’d cleared similar places before, and the monsters weren’t supposed to be much trouble."

Kael leaned forward slightly. "What went wrong?"

"We got careless," Eric answered.

He explained that his team had been assigned to clear a small dungeon containing several weak monsters. They had completed most of the work without difficulty, so everyone expected the final section to be just as easy.

One of the hunters spotted a monster hiding behind some broken stone pillars. It looked injured, and the hunter assumed it wouldn’t be able to fight properly. Instead of waiting for the team to regroup, he moved ahead to finish it.

The monster had been pretending to be weak.

It attacked when the hunter came within reach, knocking him down and tearing through his protective gear. The rest of the team rushed forward to help, but they were spread too far apart to respond properly. Eric’s teammate was badly injured before they managed to kill the monster and drag him out.

"Was he okay?" Kael asked.

"He survived. He spent weeks recovering, and he still can’t use his left hand properly," Eric answered.

Eric rubbed his bandaged forearm before continuing.

"I was supposed to watch the rear that day. I saw movement near the pillars, but I thought it was just debris falling. I didn’t warn anyone because I didn’t want to distract the others over nothing."