Hajime lay on the ground, unable to move. His body ached with pain, bruises blotching his arms and torso. His left arm hung limp — broken, still unhealed. Gasping for air, he struggled to piece together what had just happened.
In front of him stood a massive man — a mountain of muscle with biceps like boulders. His bald head gleamed under the sunlight, and a thick Viking beard framed his stern face. A long scar cut down through his beard, adding a rugged edge to his already fearsome appearance.
The ork that had nearly killed Hajime lay dead at his feet, split cleanly in two.
Did he just kill that ork?
The man had appeared in a blur, his enormous axe slicing through the monster like paper.
He exhaled deeply, then turned his sharp gaze toward Hajime.
"Hey, kid. You alright?"
Hajime froze, still processing everything.
"Kid, you alright?" the man repeated.
Oh crap, I zoned out."Y-yeah," Hajime stammered. "Thanks for the help."
Without another word, the giant charged back into battle, swinging his axe with brutal precision.
Wait... where's Dad?
Hajime scanned the battlefield and spotted his father, Kazuma, already cutting down the remaining orks. Every movement Kazuma made was sharp, efficient, and deliberate — not flashy, but lethal. With each step and shift of his feet, he dodged attacks by the slimmest margins, allowing him to counter with deadly precision.
As an ork swung its massive fist, Kazuma slipped beneath the blow, channeling mana into his sword.
SWOOSH!
In one clean motion, Kazuma severed the ork's legs.
THUD.
The creature collapsed, and Kazuma swiftly finished it off with a decapitating strike.
Wow… Father's still on another level. Even with my mana core and silent casting, I have a long way to go.
Kazuma scanned the field again, suddenly panicked.
"Where's Hajime crap. Where is he. I forgot about him"
"Where's Hajime?!"
His eyes darted wildly until they landed on his son, lying a hundred feet away.
"Father!" Hajime called out weakly.
Kazuma sprinted toward him, kneeling beside him in concern.
"Are you okay? You're heavily injured."
"I'll live. My arm's broken, probably a few ribs too. And… yeah, bruises everywhere."
Kazuma quickly assessed his son's condition. His gaze stopped on the green vial clutched in Hajime's hand.
"What's that?"
"Oh… this?" Hajime raised the vial. "I don't really know. That big guy gave it to me."
Hajime pointed to the massive man, who had already finished off two more orks and was now standing still, looking at the slain orks.
Kazuma looked over at the giant man. His eyes widened in recognition. "Thrax?"
The name was loud enough for the man to turn. His eyes narrowed briefly as he studied Kazuma, then broke into a wide grin.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Did Father just call that guy Thrax?
Thrax approached, his massive axe swinging over his shoulder.
"How's it been, friend?" Thrax said with a booming voice.
Kazuma laughed. "I've been good."
"I never thought I'd see you joining a hunting party again. Thinking of becoming an adventurer once more?" Thrax teased.
Kazuma's smile faltered slightly. "No. I'm here for my son."
"Your son?" Thrax raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I've been training him, and I wanted him to gain some real battle experience."
Thrax glanced at Hajime with mild surprise. "You're the kid from earlier. You're pretty skilled."
He's very straightforward, Hajime thought nervously.
"Thanks. I like to think so," Hajime replied, forcing a smile.
Thrax laughed again. "Kazuma, you've got yourself a talented kid. I was busy chopping through orks when I saw an explosion — and there he was, standing in the middle of it."
Cheers erupted behind Hajime as the remaining goblins were finally defeated.
"Looks like the others finished off the goblins," Kazuma said. "Hajime, drink that potion — it'll heal you fast."
Hajime nodded. "Right."
He studied the vial, using his teeth to pull out the cork, spitting it onto the ground. The liquid swirled as he lifted it to his lips.
Here goes nothing.
The potion went down smoothly, surprisingly tasteless. Within seconds, Hajime felt his bones shifting back into place, cuts closing, bruises vanishing.
That worked… really well. And it didn't even taste bad.
Standing up, Hajime approached the two men, interrupting their ongoing banter with a polite cough.
"Here's your vial back. Thanks for saving me," he said, handing it to Thrax.
Thrax grinned, taking the vial. "No problem, kid. What's your name?"
"Hajime."
"Hajime, huh? I like that."
"HAHAHAHA!"
He's definitely... different.
Kazuma and Thrax continued their back-and-forth.
"Rin really softened you up," Thrax teased.
"My wife has nothing to do with this," Kazuma replied, clearly annoyed.
"Everything changed after you met her," Thrax said with a grin. "Before that, you were a wild man, always dodging your parents' noble matches. But after you met that woman from Nork Shire, you disappeared."
"I didn't change," Kazuma said firmly. "I matured."
These two could go on forever, Hajime thought.
Turning to his father, Hajime spoke up. "Father, should we collect what we earned?"
Kazuma nodded. "Yes. Come, I'll show you how to skin an ork."
Skin an ork… that sounds disgusting.
"Alright."