About two hours after the beginning of the hunts, after killing the bear, everyone gathered to talk about their experiences. However, time flew — an hour had passed — and they decided to stop talking. Everyone had already recovered, and it was time to decide what they were going to hunt next.
A Vine Buffalo, a beast at the peak of level 1. We will hunt it in a siege formation.
Crowler then began to talk about the beast: the Vine Buffalo has power between eight stars and the quasi–level 2. It possesses abilities related to nature. However, we must stay alert: even in a siege, it is an extremely strong beast. Whenever it trots, its vines sprout and attack.
Above all, you must avoid being caught by the vines, because if you are unable to move, it will attack you violently.
And finally, remember: we must not destroy the buffalo's fur — it makes up basically 80% of its value. Crowler then finished his explanation and ordered everyone to follow him.
The small team then went out in search of the beast. They advanced through the trees in a 2-2-1 formation, with Crowler in front and Dante and Cylan in the rear.
They searched the forest for about an hour, without clues or anything. No animal resembling a buffalo entered their field of vision.
Until, upon arriving in a small grove in the middle of nowhere, Crowler said they had found it. However, there was nothing in front of them that looked like a buffalo.
"Where, leader? Is it hiding?" asked Luke, who couldn't see anything.
"No. It's right there," said Crowler, pointing at a moss-covered stone, leaving everyone completely confused.
"That green stone?" asked Dante, pointing his finger and looking like a fool.
"Yes. The Vine Buffalo expands its fur and uses its vines to completely cover itself and escape predators."
"So… what are we going to do, since we can't destroy its fur?" asked Cylan, confused. Not even he, who had been doing this for two years, knew what to do.
"Attack. The buffalo expands its fur, but what is actually serving as defense are the vines. As soon as we attack it, it will retract its fur so it can fight us. Then we will take advantage of that moment to strike. Focus on its body. It has great defense, so we must keep pressing."
"For this reason, I will initiate the attack, and you will follow me," said Crowler, drawing his sword and taking the lead.
The team followed him, taking positions on the sides of the stone.
The sword began to catch fire, displaying Crowler's element at full capacity. But it didn't stop there — mana began to fall over the blade, coating it.
At the advanced level, it is possible to use techniques and elements in complete union, since their mana is dense enough.
Crowler then attacked. The sword descended, cutting everything in front of it, and the sound of the air bubbling around marked the beginning of the battle.
Boom.
The sword struck the beast, burning the vines as soon as it touched them. The beast then retracted its fur, using its two enormous pairs of horns to resist.
When the sword collided with the horns, the sound of the impact rang in everyone's ears, initiating their attacks.
Dante's armor was activated to the maximum as he delivered a punch to the buffalo's ribs. However, the beast didn't even seem to feel it.
Cylan, in turn, used his enormous sword to make a heavy cut at the beast's leg. The blade spun through the wind and struck the fold of the leg, but only managed to leave a mark.
With Luke and Tomé, it was the same. The spear and the arrow couldn't pierce the beast's body — they just collided as if it were something trivial.
However, the beast did feel it. It lifted its legs and trotted, stomping violently on the ground, from which countless vines rose, sending the four around it flying, while it focused on Crowler. Its vines continued attacking the others.
About twelve vines fell upon Dante, as if the beast were looking down on him — which brought a certain irritation to him. However, he didn't dare complain. Those twelve vines put him under great pressure, after all, he had to keep his eyes constantly shifting. Being hit could be fatal. Fortunately, the vines didn't seem to have a mind of their own, but followed the rhythm of the largest one — though it wasn't certain whether destroying it would make the others stop.
While the four fought the vines, Crowler alone battled the buffalo. Without the vines, he could fight almost on equal footing.
Even being only at the peak of 7 stars, Crowler was someone capable of fighting a superior level. Accompanied by a level 1, advanced-grade sword, his strength could compare to that of a true 9-star beast.
His sword, covered in a bluish flame, clashed against the horns. The buffalo's horns shone brightly as it charged at Crowler. However, even under pressure, Crowler continued attacking with his sword.
He had been a hunter for at least 15 years, and a team leader for at least 5. He had always been considered a great talent. His sword advanced against the buffalo, putting his whole heart into every strike. The blade cut the horns little by little. Each collision was a draw — but each draw was one step closer to victory.
Crowler was an exceptional swordsman and left no room for the beast to counterattack. His sword danced in his hand.
And so the fight persisted. Crowler battled the beast head-on while the others forced it to expend large amounts of energy by making it keep the vines attacking the entire time.
This was a true battle of endurance...