Blade of the Demon Hunt

Chapter 22 Special Training Begins

The wooden cabin was almost blended into the surrounding forest, which was why Amir hadn't noticed it earlier."Uh, what is this place?" Amir asked, curious about the location."This is where I live," Samir said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He paused for a moment, then corrected himself, as if not quite used to this new role but then decided it felt rather fitting.Amir sweated a little, thinking that Samir's transition was rather awkward."General Samir, or rather, Master," Amir quickly corrected himself under Samir's stern gaze. "Don't you live at the guild headquarters?" He wondered if there was any fee for correcting his address."This is the headquarters," Samir said, pleased with Amir's understanding. "The entire forest is private property of the guild.""Wow," Amir couldn't help but exclaim, having seen from the helicopter just how vast the forest was. It truly deserved the name "sea.""I, Master, don't like noise," Samir continued. "This place is just right.""So, did you build this house yourself, Master?" Amir asked as he walked forward, curiously inspecting the surroundings. The wooden cabin had a unique design; it wasn't square but instead wound around several giant ancient trees, reflecting the natural terrain. The traces of manual craftsmanship were evident."Yes, that's right," Samir nodded."Impressive," Amir genuinely admired. In Summer Country, young people struggle to even make a wooden box, let alone a wooden house. Buying a DIY kit online and assembling a small sailboat according to the instructions is something people flaunt on social media for days. A large wooden cabin like this would be a challenge even for professional carpenters."Seeing you looking dazed, your flattery is quite sweet," Samir seemed pleased with Amir's praise. Despite his frown, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and his eyes gleamed with a hint of self-satisfaction."Hehe, I really didn't expect you to be not only skilled in demon hunting but also so adept at craftsmanship, Master," Amir, noticing Samir's pleased demeanor, continued to flatter him."Hmph, enough," Samir suddenly stopped smiling and shot Amir a glare. "Don't use such useless tricks.""Oh," Amir thought to himself that this man was indeed hard to please, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy about his future."Show me your weaponry," Samir suddenly said."What?" Amir was taken aback, not quite understanding."Don't make me repeat myself," Samir said, his frown deepening. "Consider this a warning. Next time, be more perceptive.""Understood, Master," Amir nodded immediately."I said to take out your weapon and show it to me," Samir repeated patiently."Uh, how do I do that?" Amir scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Zahra had mentioned something similar before, but he genuinely didn't know how to summon his weapon on his own."You don't know?" Samir's eyebrows knitted together in suspicion."Yeah," Amir nodded. "It usually appears automatically when I encounter demons and the situation is urgent.""Can't you even control your weapon?" Samir's face showed disbelief, followed by a frown. "This is quite unusual.""Uh, yeah," Amir chuckled awkwardly. It wasn't like he wanted it to be this way. He hadn't chosen the weapon himself; it was all a matter of chance. Not knowing how to control it seemed normal to him, but he didn't dare mention this to Samir."Fool, tell me about how you obtained your weapon and the details of your battles with demons," Samir said, walking to the front of the wooden house. He sat down on the wooden steps, lit the tip of his pipe, and took a deep drag. "Be detailed. Leave nothing out."Amir nodded and sat down on a tree root exposed to the dirt. He began recounting everything that had happened from the morning he picked up the dagger during the interview to the present moment.Although the period was brief, it took him two hours to describe everything in detail. When he finished, he was struck by how much had happened in such a short time—more excitement than he had experienced in his previous twenty-five years combined.Feeling parched, Amir looked up at Samir, only to find him with his eyes closed and brows furrowed. If it weren't for the pipe tapping rhythmically against the wooden steps, Amir would have thought Samir had fallen asleep.After a long silence, Samir opened his eyes, his deep brown gaze fixed directly on Amir."Uh, well," Amir thought nervously, "the look in my master's eyes is so intimidating."Samir said, "So, you got your weapon by chance, and since then, you haven't developed any active control over it.""Yeah, that's about right," Amir admitted. He would like to be able to control the dagger more freely, but the desire didn't seem very strong—except when dealing with demons."I see." Samir took a puff from his pipe and then stood up."Huh?" Amir looked up at his master, puzzled by the lack of explanation.Samir walked over to Amir's side, looked down, and gave him a slight smile. "You really are a genuine fool.""Eh?" With Samir towering over him, Amir felt an overwhelming pressure, like a mountain pressing down on him.Before he could fully grasp the meaning of Samir's words, he saw Samir slowly raise the hand holding the pipe and move it towards his neck. Then, a sharp pain struck the back of his head, and everything went dark.When Amir next opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground, and it was completely dark outside.Holding his aching head, he sat up and saw Samir crouched about three meters away, watching him."Master, what are you doing? Why did you suddenly knock me out?" Amir was increasingly confused by the man's unpredictable behavior, unable to guess what Samir might do next."No reason." Samir answered with a sense of righteous indignation, as if the act of ambushing his disciple was of no concern to him at all."Where is this?" Amir noticed that their location had changed. Although they were still in the forest, the wooden cabin was nowhere in sight."Deep in the forest," Samir replied tersely, then, with a serious frown, added, "From now on, pay close attention. I won't repeat what I'm about to say.""Uh, yes." Amir, intimidated by Samir's demeanor, nodded in response."Your first special training project has now officially begun." Samir stood up, shaking out his legs as if they were numb from squatting—Amir wondered just how long he had been sitting there."What's the special training project?" Amir asked in confusion."It's simple," Samir replied with a hint of amusement at the corner of his mouth. "Just make it back to my cabin, and you'll have completed it. Time doesn't matter.""Eh?" What does that mean?"And let me remind you," Samir continued, "there are dangers hidden in this forest." With that, he turned and walked away without hesitation, soon vanishing into the dense shadows of the trees."Eh?"