Chapter 18: The first fight with a monster There was a specialty to the monsters as they were the darlings of nature. Monsters could use elemental force right after becoming a warrior-level monster from a quasi level. But humans couldn’t do that. They needed to reach Martial Grandmaster to use their elemental force. That’s why, normally, a level 1 warrior-level beast could fight two or three level 1 martial warriors easily. Remond let Ethan fight that wolf because Remond wanted to know how much of a genius Ethan actually was. But they were looking at him like an eagle—if Ethan couldn’t handle it alone, they would immediately step in because Supervisor Charles already warned them that protecting Ethan was their topmost priority. Ethan ran towards the flame wolf like a gust of wind. His Frostmourne was already in his hand. He wanted to experience this battle thoroughly, so he lowered his strength to a level 1 warrior. His fingers closed tightly around his weapon—Frostmourne, the newly-forged alloy blade, resting cold and heavy in his grip. Its curved edge shimmered faintly, catching a pale reflection from the setting sun. In the distance, pacing between scattered debris and rusted containers, the flame wolf also noticed Ethan and was rushing toward him. Roughly two meters long, crimson fur lined with black streaks like burn marks. Its eyes glowed like embers. Each exhale expelled a faint puff of heat, distorting the air near its mouth. Flames danced subtly at the edges of its paws—its namesake ability manifesting even at rest. "Remember, Ethan," Lukas shouted from behind. "Its claws can melt through iron. Don’t let it graze you." "I won’t." [BOOM.] In a blink, the creature’s body exploded forward with terrifying speed. The cracked asphalt split under its claws as it launched itself like a fireball. Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He stepped aside at the last instant, his body moving with fluid grace. The wolf’s flaming claws missed him by inches, carving into the side of a toppled bus, igniting it on contact. "Shit! It’s fast." Ethan ducked behind a chunk of concrete, then pivoted out again. The wolf turned, teeth bared, steam rising from its nostrils. It crouched low, circling. It was sizing him up. Testing him. "Good reflexes," Remond whispered to the team, watching from a safe distance on a ridge. Tyson adjusted his goggles. "But that was just a warning strike." "Let’s see if he can survive a real barrage," said Rin, the silent sniper of the group. The group could watch this battle so patiently because they already dealt with their opponents, as this wolf was only a level 5 or level 6 warrior-grade monster. It was a piece of cake for them. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢 They were here to train Ethan, not to hunt. [ROAR—SSHHH!!] The wolf lunged again, a blur of fire and muscle. Ethan raised his blade. At the last second, instead of clashing head-on, he spun sideways like a leaf in the wind, slashing across the wolf’s shoulder. [SCHING!] Sparks burst out, and a faint arc of blood sprayed mid-air. The wolf growled, staggered, but recovered instantly. Its eyes now burned with rage. It opened its mouth wide—a compressed fireball forming inside. "Fireball incoming!" shouted Lukas. Ethan dropped into a roll just as the fireball exploded past him. The blast wave lifted him slightly off the ground, the shock rattling his bones. The concrete behind him vaporized, turned to molten slag. This thing really lives up to the name. He got up, wincing. His jacket was scorched at the edges, smoke trailing from his collar. But he smiled. "Now it’s my turn." Ethan took a deep breath. His muscles tensed, and his aura pulsed faintly. Not enough to draw suspicion—but his hidden advantage, Infinite Comprehension, was quietly at work. He had already memorized the Flame Wolf’s attack rhythm, body posture, strike angles. He stepped forward—not back. The Flame Wolf hissed, confused. Prey didn’t walk toward it. "Let’s dance, monster." It charged, jaws snapping. Ethan sidestepped, then slid low like a skater on ice. At the same time, he swept Frostmourne upward in a curved arc, carving into the wolf’s belly. The blade bit deep. [SLASH!] [HOWLLLL!!] The Flame Wolf stumbled. Blood sprayed in a wide fan as it thrashed, trying to reach Ethan with its burning tail. Ethan ducked under, leapt onto the wreck of a van, and launched himself back down like a falling star. He twisted mid-air, sword gripped in both hands. [THUNK!] The blade buried itself in the Flame Wolf’s back—piercing through muscle and lodging into bone. The creature screeched, flames bursting outward in a death spiral. But Ethan didn’t retreat. Instead, he grabbed the hilt, twisted it hard, and kicked off the wolf’s back, backflipping away just as the beast rolled and exploded in a final gout of fire. [BOOM!] Smoke, fire, blood. Silence. Then... the dust settled. The Flame Wolf lay still. Its head slumped, tongue lolling. Charred fur and exposed ribs testified to the brutal battle. Ethan stood calmly, blade in hand, a red scratch on his left arm. But his eyes were bright. Fierce. He enjoyed the fight. He knew what it felt like to face a monster. From behind, everyone in the team clapped softly. "Not bad, Ethan. You just earned your reputation as a monstrous genius." Mike let out a whistle. "That was damn near beautiful." Tyson shrugged, but even he was impressed. "Efficient. No wasted movement." Ethan didn’t flex much this time. He simply wiped the blood from his blade and said: "Thank you, everyone." He turned to the squad, calm again. "Shall we keep going?" This fight taught Ethan one thing. A monster and a martial artist at the same realm are not the same. A monster is far superior. If Ethan were a normal person, he might not have been able to fight this wolf alone. So the monsters in the higher order were much more dangerous than this little wolf. Humanity was under great pressure. He needed to grow up quickly. So he would break through to the Martial Master realm after returning from this trip. That night Ethan fought with one more wolf and a shadow cat. Then they left the wilderness. Ethan was now ready to face real dangers, the team speculated. So there was no need to remain here. They thought Ethan would need at least two days of fighting to adapt. But Ethan was inhuman. He fought like a pro. So they would go to the more dangerous area tomorrow—Area 40, which was 20 km away from here. That place was filled with powerful monsters. They would go there to hunt and earn money. Ethan also agreed to this decision as he needed powerful monsters to hone his skills and battle instinct. They returned to the army camp, took their car from there, and returned to the city. Remond said, "Ethan, we will pick you up tomorrow morning. Good night." Ethan returned to his home. His parents were already at home. Because he went to the wilderness, he had turned off the call option on his wrist microcomputer. So Jack and Elina were both in a tense mood. They knew Ethan would go for his first hunting session today. When Ethan came in front of his door and rang the calling bell, Elina opened the door in a hurried manner. When she saw it was Ethan, she hugged him and asked with concern in her voice, "You are not injured, right, son?" Ethan felt warmth all over his heart. The tension from seeing the overwhelming advantage of monsters slipped away from his mind. He smiled and said, "How could that be, Mom? Who am I? A once-in-a-lifetime genius. Can those mere monsters hurt me? Hehe." Seeing Ethan’s nonchalance, Elina was also relieved. Then they went inside. Jack was also there. Ethan greeted him too. Jack didn’t say much; seeing Ethan okay was enough for him. Ethan said, "Mom, I’ll take a shower first. Please prepare some meal for me, I am very hungry." Elina nodded and told him to go. She would serve the meal on the table. Ethan went to his room, took a hot bath, and changed into fresh clothes. He sat down. The table was full of different foods. Ethan was hungry, so he ate like it was no one’s business. Seeing Ethan eat so passionately, Elina smiled softly. Watching a child enjoying his food was a nice feeling for a parent. After eating, Ethan went back to his room. He would break through tonight.