Split in two!

Perhaps it was because he had successfully hunted a large monster, or perhaps it was because he had equipped a more powerful weapon.

When Gordon returned to the Schrade Hills hunting grounds, he felt none of his former unease. Instead, he felt comfortably in his element.

Still, the entire western Schrade region, including the wooded mountains where he had encountered the Bullfango King, was only the outer fringe of the Schrade Hills, which covered more than ten thousand square kilometers.

According to his instructor, northern Schrade, centered on the ruins of ancient Schrade City, was where the real danger lay-countless Flying Wyverns lived there, along with even more terrifying monsters.

Gordon truly could not imagine what sort of monster could be more powerful than a wyvern.

"Master Gordon, meow!"

The shrill voice snapped Gordon out of his wandering thoughts. Porkchop had returned from scouting the area.

"I haven't found any signs of Blue Velociprey packs yet, meow, but there are some Aptonoth wandering around not far to the north. Should we go take a look, meow?"

Gordon felt the pack at the back of his waist. Inside were several Potions and Rations supplied by the supply box at the Hunter's Camp.

Leaving the Potions aside, there were decidedly too few Rations. If he really spent five full days in the hunting grounds, this food would not even be enough to keep his stomach full.

That meant that if he and Porkchop wanted to eat well, and eat their fill, hunting for meat would be unavoidable.

"Come on. Let's hunt an Aptonoth first. We can gather more raw meat, and the smell of blood might lure out any Blue Velociprey nearby. Those bandits have sharp noses."

Porkchop nodded his little head.

Those nasty creatures really were sensitive to the smell of blood. Whenever he and his clansfolk brought down prey, Blue Velociprey would soon come running to steal their food if they did not deal with it promptly. It was infuriating.

Following Porkchop, Gordon soon spotted the herd of Aptonoth he had mentioned.

It was a small herd of eight Aptonoth, including two young ones.

These placid creatures, often caught by humans for meat or domesticated as large livestock, were leisurely grazing on tender grass, utterly unaware of the approaching danger.

Gordon crept closer with Porkchop.

He did not set his sights on the two young ones, even though their meat was considerably more tender and delicious than that of the adults.

"Choose the old, not the young" was an unwritten rule among hunters. Unless it was necessary, no one would break it.

"You'll do."

Gordon chose a relatively elderly member at the rear of the Aptonoth herd. After sneaking close enough, he decisively charged.

The startled Aptonoth began to run, but unfortunately for them, they were not particularly fast-at least, not faster than Gordon.

He quickly reached the side of his chosen Aptonoth. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he pulled the Buster Sword from the hook on his back and swung it in the same motion.

The hooked blades sprang out at once.

Swish!

The Aptonoth's head was severed without a hitch. Its hardened skin and sturdy neck bones seemed scarcely tougher than a straw before the Buster Sword's hooked blades.

It died before it even had time to feel pain.

Ignoring the other Aptonoth fleeing in panic, Gordon told Porkchop to keep watch, then put away the Buster Sword and took out his carving knife to begin carving.

He cut off large chunks of raw meat and stacked them beside him.

He did not take too much, only enough to eat over the next few days. This trip was not specifically a hunt for meat, after all, and he still had several days to spend in the hunting grounds. Any excess raw meat would only rot, and he would not be able to bring it home.

Glancing at the gutted Aptonoth carcass and its heavy reek of blood, Gordon bowed to it, then headed back to camp with Porkchop, carrying the raw meat.

He was certain that the Blue Velociprey hiding in the forest would not readily pass up such a feast.

The spot was not very far from camp. By the time Gordon had stored the raw meat and returned, only a little over half an hour had passed.

Even that brief interval, however, was enough for the forest bandits to arrive for their "feast."

Bright skin patterned in light and dark blue, long, powerful hind legs and tails, elongated, hardened beaks like those of birds, and vivid red crests.

These were the "highway bandits" that merchant caravans hated most-Blue Velociprey.

"One, two, three. Three in total. They shouldn't be much trouble. Porkchop, keep an eye on our surroundings and decide for yourself when to act."

After those brief instructions, Gordon charged forward.

He did not give Porkchop too many orders. Instead, he wanted to see what Porkchop would do.

Hunting cats with different temperaments could behave in entirely different ways. Porkchop's performance over the next few days would directly determine how they worked together in the future.

After a brief second of hesitation, Porkchop dropped to all fours and followed him.

He had chosen to fight side by side.

The corners of Gordon's mouth lifted slightly, and he entrusted his back to Porkchop without worry.

The three Blue Velociprey hopping around the Aptonoth carcass also noticed these two unwelcome visitors "coming to steal their food." They raised their heads and let out two piercing, birdlike cries, trying to scare them off.

Naturally, Gordon and Porkchop would not retreat so easily. The distance between the two sides narrowed further.

Feeling challenged, one particularly vicious Blue Velociprey shrieked again and drove its long, powerful hind legs against the ground. With the force of its leap behind them, its razor-sharp claws kicked toward Gordon's vulnerable throat.

He had once seen a Blue Velociprey use this very attack to snap an Aptonoth's neck, killing it in a single strike.

If that kick landed squarely, the hunter armor's barely adequate protection would likely fail to stop it.

But was defense what he was thinking about now?

Gordon bared his teeth in an exhilarated grin.

His hands, encased in vambraces, tightened around the hilt. Just as the Blue Velociprey's claws were about to reach him, he took a heavy step forward. The Buster Sword's hooked blades sprang open, and it tore through the air in a downward slash with terrifying force.

This was an all-out strike, utterly unlike the one he had used to hunt the Aptonoth!

The heavy, vicious steel blade met the leaping Blue Velociprey squarely in midair. The force of the creature's impact checked the Buster Sword for an instant.

Then, amid the sound of tearing flesh and bone, the blade continued through its perfect arc, slamming the Blue Velociprey-which had become a corpse in an instant-hard into the ground.

Shattered organs, bones, muscle, and blood splattered everywhere, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

Split in two!

The two remaining Blue Velociprey were visibly frightened by the bloody spectacle.

Their bodies froze just as they were about to charge. Their eyes filled with wariness and dread as they stared at the vicious steel blade, and even their cries lacked their earlier confidence.

They were afraid.

Even Gordon himself was briefly stunned by the gruesome sight of flesh and blood spraying everywhere.

But he quickly realized that the fight was not over. With a casual flick, he shook the flesh and bone fragments from the Buster Sword and fixed his gaze on the two remaining Blue Velociprey.

Having learned from the first Blue Velociprey's fate, the other two abandoned their leaping attacks and cautiously approached Gordon, one in front of the other.

The Great Sword was very heavy, and holding it in both hands noticeably slowed Gordon down.

He also knew that the Great Sword did not win through speed, so he slowed his steps and watched the two remaining Blue Velociprey warily, waiting for the right moment to strike.