-Vol 3: Enemies in The dark-

-The Art of Killing the Monsters-

Kenshin gave the girls a few minutes rest. During this time, he planned out what he should be doing with them next. Now that they had stained their hands with monster blood, they were no longer amateurs. Although they are still rookies, they had already taken the first step towards a good hunter.

Now they have to face a moving opponent to understand how the attack patterns. He will make sure that at least today, these three girls could kill a spider on their own. Although they are all noobs; at least they had him with them. He will provide them with all the help they require.

XXX

A few minutes later, Kenshin again ordered them to continue the process, until they get used to the idea of killing. Each of the girls had repeated the process, for at least, five times. After killing so many spiders, although incapacitated, they kind of got used to it. Now they no longer had that instinctual fear in their heart the moment they see one spider.

It was good progress. It took Kenshin two hours to rid their hearts of that instinctual fear.

“Okay girls, now that you have already gotten used to killing an unmoving spider, now it was time to kill a moving one,” Kenshin said looking at the resting girls.

“What? Big brother, ain’t that too soon?” It was Riri who complained. Akari already knew that even if they complain, it was of no use. Once her brother decided on something, unless something unexpected happens, he would never change it that easily. Besides, it’s for their own good anyway.

Harumi didn’t complain because she had more or less thought of the same thing. Kenshin was a very powerful and experienced hunter. Whatever he was teaching them was very valuable for their future.

“I don’t think so! Now you are ready to kill a moving monster. You girls are going to kill a monster each before we return home today.” Kenshin was like a drill sergeant.

“Eeehhh!! You are kidding right?” this time all the three girls screamed at the same time.

“Nope.”

XXX

“Big brother, please think again. Are we, really, ready to kill living ones yet?” Akari asked. Right now they are standing in a ready stance taught to them by Kenshin. Unlike what their academy had taught them, Kenshin taught them how to take care of yourself first.

According to him; if you are incapable of taking care of yourself, how can you take care of others? Due to your incompetence, your teammates will suffer. That’s why you must first be able to learn how to take care of yourself.

It was a stance that kept their blind spots hidden as much as possible from the monsters. Their eyes and ears are always alert to their surroundings. Even a single flicker or sound shouldn’t miss them.

According to their profession, they should be able to adjust themselves. Unfortunately, all three of them are not close quarter types. Otherwise, he would have taught them a move or two.

Holding a weapon each, and wearing armors that were able to protect them from these low leveled monsters, they were left to fend for themselves. But Kenshin didn’t tell them about the miraculousness of the armors they are wearing. He told them that it could only absorb some percentage of damage.

In actuality, these armors could grant them a complete immunity to all monsters on this floor and the above.

“Okay! Ready? I am luring one this side.” Saying so, Kenshin lured one towards the three girls.

*shakshakshak*

Producing rattling sounds, the spider with its eight legs, raced towards the girls as first as it could. It had not tasted a young human since forever!

The girls paled seeing the rapidly approaching monster. But after killing many spiders, they no longer felt that crippling fear. It was Harumi who took action first. Among them, she was the only one who overcame her fear first.

Knocking an arrow to the bow, she pulled the strings. A red hue surrounded the arrow before she sent it sailing towards the spider. A living spider was way different than a half dead one; it felt the approaching danger and avoided the red arrow by moving to its side. The arrow missed it and sailed unobstructed.

Without seeing the results, she knocked another arrow to the bow. It was Kenshin who told her this. Never wait to see the result; after attacking once, immediately prepare for another. If the monster dies then its okay, but if not, then you will be prepared to attack again.

Akari and Riri have also regained their composure. They immediately started chanting their respective magic skills.

Akari sent three wind scythes flying towards the spider’s legs and its back. While Riri constructed a shield.

Among the three girls; Riri’s power heavily dependent on her imagination. That’s why Kenshin had advised her to think of a heavy and sturdy shield she had ever seen. To stimulate her imagination, Kenshin had even let her hold his shield which he had brought with him just in case.

A two-meter tall, wall-like shield constructed out of light particles. As it was made out of light with her own magic; she was able to move it telekinetically.

In this formation, she took the role of a defender. Akari as the main attacker while Harumi was the ranged attacker. Again it was Kenshin who had gave them this idea.

Before the spider could get within five meters range of Akari, the golden shield appeared out of nowhere in front of it.

*BOOM!!!*

A loud sound was heard when the spider crashed to the shield. The shield vibrated for a second and little cracks appeared all over it. But it held on. During this time, one of three air scythes landed on its right side, severing 2 legs in the process. The other two missed.

*Roar!!!*

The spider roared as it backed away and fell to the ground due to imbalance.

*Sling!*

An arrow came sailing and embedded into its left side. It was by Harumi, she had already prepared and targetted its head. But the due to it’s flailing, it missed and landed on its right side. Although missed its target, it still managed to deal a huge amount of damage to the monster.

It began struggling even more while producing bone curling screams. During this time, another one of Akari’s wind scythe came flying and severed a few legs from his left side. Then a few seconds later, Harumi’s arrow entered its eye.

After a few minutes of struggling, the spider finally died. Before it died, the three girls were dead tired. It took everything they had just to slaughter a low-level spider.

The three girls began re-evaluating the hunter profession again.