A rustling of leaves made Freya grip her sword tighter. She quickly admonished herself and loosened her grasp. Despite hours of practice, she still felt burdened by the sword. The sharp edge seemed more likely to cut her than an enemy.

“Stay behind me,” Indrek repeated.

Freya nodded. She wasn’t concerned about the black hoppers; they were unlikely to inflict any serious injuries. However, she didn’t want to expose her lack of swordsmanship. She’d rather Indrek take care of them before she embarrassed herself.

Originally, Kamdale wanted the apprentices to take care of the demons alone. But Indrek vehemently protested. Finally, they reached a compromise: the apprentices would participate in exterminating the hoppers, but other demoniclasts would lead. Kamdale and Indrek led the way with their respective apprentices. The remaining demoniclasts stayed to protect the horses.

Kamdale marched straight ahead into the forest while Indrek lagged behind to examine the tree the former said he had seen the demons. Freya stayed back with her master. He crouched down and poked at the moss growing on the tree.

Up ahead, Kamdale looked back at them and scowled. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Instead, he waved Botan forward. The apprentice paused, but then happily bounded onward. He moved confidently with his unsheathed sword in his right hand. 

Freya focused on Botan’s sword.

[Standard Demoniclast Sword]

[Item Class: Uncommon]

[A carefully crafted weapon made to slaughter demons. Forged by a demoniclast blacksmith]

[+0.5 Dex, +0.5 Strength]

His sword has the same stats as mine. But it looks different in his hands, Freya thought to herself. All apprentices got standard demoniclast swords after completing the trials. They provided relatively good bonuses, but custom-made demoniclast swords were on another level. Freya first noticed this when she saw Indrek draw his weapon. A golden streak ran down the middle of his sword. It glimmered in the sunlight. She had never seen such a beautiful-looking blade, which made her curious about its game stats. Her eyes had bulged when she saw them. She glanced at the sword again now.

[True Summer Demoniclast Sword]

[Item Class: Relic]

[Forged during the summer solstice by a master demoniclast blacksmith, this weapon imbues the proper wielder the strength and vitality of summer.]

[+2 Dex, +4 Strength, +2 Stamina, +4 Vitality, +1 Luck]

Some other demoniclasts had swords that added two or three points to strength or dexterity, but she never saw another sword with so many high-attribute bonuses. Along with Indrek’s own impressive level, Freya wondered if he could cut down a black hopper in one stroke.

“I do not see any sign of demons,” Indrek said, frowning at the ground. 

He stood up and slowly followed Kamdale. The burly demoniclast scanned up above them, then again at the forest floor. Freya also saw nothing. Frog-type demons often left behind black mucus. It was harmless and dried up quickly, but since Kamdale claimed to just see one, it was odd there were no traces. 

They kept moving forward. Then ahead of them, a black shape flung in front of Kamdale and Botan.

Ribbit!

A black hopper had landed on a tree just meters away from the two. Its black and green-tinged body stuck to the vertical surface without a problem. The demonic frog was about the size of a bottom of a wine barrel. 

[Lesser Kel Frog]

[Lvl 4] [40/40]

“Argh!” Botan charged the demon. 

Kamdale stood impassively, letting Botan rush ahead. The boy held his sword defensively in front of him as the frog adjusted its long legs to leap.

Freya almost ran into Indrek, who had frozen. The black hopper sprung. Botan stopped and timed a perfect slash on the demon.  

[Lesser Kel Frog]

[Lvl 4] [28/40]

The frog landed on its back but quickly righted itself. It fixed its eyes on Botan. Meanwhile, Freya looked up at Indrek. Why did he stop? This isn’t that surprising. Let’s go!

The demoniclast stood still with a blank expression. Indrek took a slow step forward, then suddenly, as if returning to life, he raced to help Botan. Confused, Freya paused before chasing after him.

Beep!

[Now Entering: Happy Hopping Practice Field]

Trying not to act shocked, Freya imitated the blank look she had seen on Indrek before running again. Sweat ran down her back as she glanced at Kamdale, but luckily he wasn’t watching. Instead, he had a self-satisfied smirk as he watched Botan slice the demonic frog into dust.

So that’s how Kamdale knew about the black hoppers. He must have gotten a notification about the practice field. He might not have even seen a hopper.

Another frog launched itself at Botan, but Indrek intercepted it. Freya’s earlier conjecture was correct; it only took one cut from Indrek. The poor frog didn’t stand a chance.

Freya stood back to watch the show. Botan also watched with gleaming eyes. The master demoniclast cleanly cut frog after frog. His sword never skimmed or nicked the demons. Each slash chopped the frogs right down the middle. 

The golden streak in Indrek’s sword caught the light and made it appear as if he wielded lightning. Yet, he seemed to hardly put any effort in. He didn’t gasp for breath nor draw a sweat. By the end, it looked like he had gone out for a stroll, not slaughtered ten demons.

Awed by the performance, Freya glanced at Kamdale. She didn’t expect him to be amazed, but she was surprised by his black expression. Kamdale’s lip was curled in a sneer with his jaw clenched. His dark eyes followed Indrek’s gleaming sword.

Once Kamdale noticed her gaze, he tempered his expression but still said stiffly, “I thought we were giving the apprentices a chance at least.”

Indrek sheathed his sword. 

“We don’t have time to waste. Let’s keep moving.”

Unbothered, Indrek turned and walked back towards the horses. Kamdale loudly sheathed his sword. As they left the practice field, Freya glanced between the two of them. She knew from the beginning they didn’t get along, but now she sensed something more malicious. 

Is there a reason why Indrek is the only non-game player demoniclast on this mission?