RED DEVIL~ (SHORT STORY)

THE ADVENTURER AND THE ONI...

Ever since Batzas was a young lad, he always dreamt of going out into the world and making a name for himself. It was a time long before modern technology, actually, it was a completely different world at that, filled with monsters all shapes and sizes, and we aren't even talking about the mamonos. They were but a fraction of monsters roaming the earth, more dangerous and ferocious ones also existed.

He had lived in a village situated in the green, luscious mountains, a village made entirely out of wooden huts and a wooden wall, not holding a candle to the other communities that made their homes and defence out of stone, but they were content with what they had. They were excellent hunters, blacksmiths and high-class warriors due to their common co-existence with nature.

They were known for taking down Titanoboas with pure strategy by first disabling it's movements, using trees and other tight spaces, then ending it's life with a blow to the head. Sword, axe, spear, you name it. The village had even managed to spout warriors that had spread their names throughout the entire mainland, legends past down from generation to generation, that was where Batzas found his inspiration.

It has been a century since the last warrior had gone out and made it big, the current villagers weren't really ones who wanted to mark their names in history, they just wanted to live their lives as simple hunters, whereas Batzas was a different nut. He found it quite boring to be cooped up in the same area for the rest of his life, he wanted to go out and see the entire mainland, and what was beyond that if possible.

He wanted to beat all of his predecessor's records, he wanted to be better than them all.

So over the years, he sharped his swordsman skills and built his body thoroughly until the time came for him to leave, which was when he turned nineteen years old, the "legal" age for an adult in the village's eyes. Before that time came, he duelled his fellow warriors and elders, if he was beaten, he would go on to train for another month and request another duel, if he was beaten again, he would go on to train for two months and so on.

By time his eighteenth birthday rolled around, he had beaten all that he had challenged and all that challenged him, making him one of the strongest of his village's generation.

During his final year, he kept sparring and accepted duel upon duel to make sure he was ready and capable for the outside world.

When his nineteenth earth strong came, with long hair that reached his shoulders and years of development, it was finally time for him to depart from his friends and loved ones. They had tempted him to stay and take a bride since many maidens wanted his hand in marriage, and if he waited for some more years, he could challenged the undefeated mayor for his position, as is tradition every five years.

He flat out rejected all of them, saying that he wanted neither at that moment.

And with all of that out of the way, he left.

The area that he lived in was located deep inside the unforgiving and treacherous forests meaning that it would take at least two days for him to make it to the plains. The mountains were filled with dangerous beasts like mountain lions, boars, oversized creatures and giant bugs, so he better be careful he ended up losing his head. With adrenaline pumping in his veins and a knack for adventure, he stepped into the new world that was about to unravel to him...

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Night had fallen, he had set up camp in a small, rocky clearing that was surrounded by small shrubs and trees. The crackling of his campfire was the only thing that kept him company aside from the loud cries of distant predators and nightly insects. He had hoped to find a boar or even caterpillars as those were delicacies from his home, but ended up with the short end of the stick with a praying mantis.