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Chapter 7 - Chapter 7; The first friends

A scream tore through the silence of the forest.

Raizo's eyes snapped open. Without thinking, he sprinted through the brush, his boots crushing twigs and leaves as he followed the source of the sound.

As he pushed past a thicket, the trees parted into a clearing. There, in the fading twilight, he saw the scene:

A damaged wooden carriage lay tilted on one side. Its wheels were cracked, one nearly shattered. Around it stood a group of adventurers—a mage, a swordsman, a tank clad in heavy armor, an archer nursing a bloody arm, and a rogue wielding dual daggers. Their armor was scratched and dirtied, their breaths ragged and shallow.

And surrounding them were six massive boars, each easily the size of a horse. Their tusks gleamed. Their breath steamed in the cold air. Blood dripped from their snouts.

One adventurer knelt beside the archer, clearly wounded. The others were holding the monsters at bay.

Raizo's heart pounded. "Six boars. That's too much for them in that state."

He had to act quickly.

His crimson eyes scanned the terrain. Then, an idea sparked.

He gathered a pile of rocks nearby and climbed up a tree, moving as quietly as he could. Once he was high enough, he hurled a rock at one of the boars.

Crack!

The rock slammed into the boar's hide. It turned its head with a guttural snort.

Another rock followed—then another.

Soon, three of the boars turned toward Raizo, snarling and snorting. They charged at the tree, ramming into its base in a frenzy.

Raizo held on tight, the trunk shaking violently under their weight.

Down below, one of the adventurers—the mage—noticed the distraction.

> "Now!" she shouted. "Use this opening!"

She thrust her staff forward.

> "Ice Spear!"

Glittering lances of ice formed in midair and shot forward with precision. Two of the boars were struck hard—one in the shoulder, another through the leg. They howled in pain.

The swordsman rushed forward, his blade gleaming, and slashed the injured beast across the chest. Another adventurer—the rogue—appeared like a blur and finished the other boar with swift dagger strikes to its neck.

Meanwhile, Raizo's arms began to slip.

He tried to reposition himself, but his foot missed the branch.

He fell.

> "Ah—!"

The world spun, and for a moment, Raizo thought it was the end.

But at the last second, he reached out and stabbed his metal dagger into the tree's bark. The blade slid down, sparks flying as it slowed his fall. He came to a stop just above the ground—inches away from a charging boar.

He quickly leapt off the tree and rolled to safety.

The tank of the party—a burly man with a massive shield—stood firm in the middle of the battlefield.

> "Taunt!" he shouted, slamming his shield into the ground.

A wave of energy pulsed outward, and the remaining four boars turned their attention to him, snarling with rage.

Raizo hit the dirt and stood up, gripping his dagger. With the combined effort of the Brightstar party and his distraction, the tide turned.

Minutes later, the last boar collapsed, its blood soaking the forest floor.

Silence.

Raizo stood panting, sweat trickling down his brow.

Then—

> "Gluttony ability activated."

A wave of energy surged through him.

The voice echoed in his mind as the system reported the results:

Multiple Targets Consumed

Stats Gained:

Atk: +40

Def: +30

Sta: +25

Mana: +45

Element Acquired: Healing

Skills Acquired: Brute Strength, Regeneration

Raizo's body pulsed with power. He felt his limbs grow lighter, stronger. His head buzzed with energy.

> "Healing magic…" he whispered in awe, glancing at his open hand. "So it's possible to gain elements too…"

He checked his updated stats:

Current Status:

Atk: 46

Def: 34

Sta: 34

Mana: 61

Magic Element: Healing

Skills: Basic Craftsmanship, Brute Strength, Regeneration

> "This… This is insane," he muttered. "I really can grow stronger—no, I have to keep feeding this power."

His thoughts were broken by approaching footsteps.

The adventurers walked toward him, their faces filled with surprise and gratitude.

The swordsman stepped forward and offered his hand.

> "Hey, kid. Thanks for the help back there. You really saved our skins. Name's Rjay. I'm the leader of this party—Brightstar."

Raizo shook his hand, still catching his breath.

> "I'm Raizo."

The tank gave him a friendly grin. "Nathan, the tank. That was one hell of a distraction. You've got guts, kid."

Next, the rogue with dark hair and twin daggers stepped up. "Cid, assassin. Quick hands, quick feet. Good instincts."

The archer stepped forward, now with a bandaged arm. "Latina, archer of the group. Thanks for buying us time… I'd be boar food without you."

The mage, a tall girl with calm eyes, nodded. "Frey. Mage. You saved lives today."

They all looked at him curiously, then Rjay tilted his head.

> "Raizo, huh? That name sounds familiar…"

Frey narrowed her eyes. "Yeah… I feel like I've heard it before too…"

Cid suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Wait… Are you the son of Lay Hayagashi? The previous Hero?"

Raizo flinched. "N-No! I promise I'm not! I'm just a traveler! I'm nobody special, really!"

They paused.

Rjay looked at him for a moment longer, then laughed.

> "Alright, alright. If you say so. No pressure."

Raizo let out a nervous breath.

> "Thanks… really."

Rjay glanced at the ruined carriage. "We're escorting that wagon to Galia, but those boars ambushed us on the way. Thank the gods you were there."

Raizo turned toward the carriage. "So you're heading to Galia?"

Latina smiled. "Yeah. The capital of the western region. City of magic, trade, and a whole lot of danger."

Raizo hesitated. He looked down at his hands—still trembling with excitement—and then back at the group.

> "...Okay. I'll come."

The Brightstar party exchanged smiles.

> "Awesome," Rjay said. "Glad to have you, Raizo."

As they turned to gather supplies and move out, Latina glanced at him curiously.

> "Hey… what's up with your eyes? They turned red back there."

Raizo tensed and quickly covered his face with his hand.

> "Ah! That? Uh… just my ability acting up, hehe. Nothing serious!"

Rjay shrugged. "Alright, kid. If you say so."

As they resumed their journey, Raizo looked up at the stars through the trees.

> "Galia, huh…?"

The road ahead was long—but for the first time, he wasn't walking it alone.

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