The Brain-Eating Beetles, for example, which were once one of the scariest creatures in the Forest could be easily detected and avoided. The body of the insects could be smashed up and used in medicine and it was even possible to extract a unique pheromone from the insect and put it on the hunter"s body. This pheromone told other Brain-Eating Beetles the hunter was already infected. This kept other Beetles away.

Even without the pheromone, he taught the hunters a simple means using their internal energies to fend off the insects. The hunters never knew they had internal energies and learning to use them for minor survival help in the Forest was already a great boon.

Elder Tok didn"t stop there and even gave the hunters a secret cultivation technique suitable to increasing the strength and durability of their bodies. The power of their senses were also increased through this technique. Even though it was less than a week since they learned the technique, many of them were twice as strong as they were in the past.

If the hunter compet.i.tion were based on brute strength, every hunter in the village could win. Even the children were almost as strong as adults. They showed the most progress as hunters. The benefit of the cultivation technique included an increase in memory and clearer thinking. The children, who already were quick learners because of the developmental age reaped the most rewards. Elder Tok usually had to explain things to the adults twice, but the kids only needed to be taught once.

Even after only a week of training, the hunters felt the compet.i.tion would be easy to win. Elder Tok, however, wasn"t satisfied. He was preparing the hunters for his second week of training.

This week, he would focus on teaching the hunters how to properly use hunter tools and weapons. Along with this, Tik had already finished forging new tools and weapons for the hunters. Originally there was only fifty hunters, but Tik made enough tools and beast leather armor for two hundred hunters. The first morning of week two training was teaching the hunters how to properly dress and store their hunter tools and weapons.

Tik also made various artifacts using other parts of the spirit beast for the villagers. These were things they could use as gifts for the Lynwoods and barter with other hunting villages. The tools and weapons for the hunters were all forged from the bones of the Kyloxe Mountain King. They were incredibly st.u.r.dy and had unusually sharp edges.

Mist attended most of the hunter training. There were times when he headed off into the Forest with Tik to find suplemental materials for forging things.

They found a mine in the Forest and extracted a few ores. Tik taught Mist how to find and identify ores. He would learn a lot of this latter when he was learning with Elder Koos, but Tik figured since he was there he might as well teach him some basic information.

Mist impressively absorbed all of the information he was given like a sponge. He almost seemed impatient when it came to learning. He couldn"t wait for Elder Tok and Tik to finish speaking so he could understand a concept.

The hardest thing they found in teaching Mist was often after he learned something he would try to immediately rush off to test his new knowledge. In a word, Mist was a handful. To have such an enthusiastic student was a happy occasion for any teacher.

One thing the hunters never realized was there were techniques to using all of the tools and weapons and when using these techniques; their ability seemed to reach an almost mystical level. Shooting an arrow wasn"t just aiming and releasing the arrow. Wind, angles, and how to shoot without giving away your position were vital considerations when shooting.

A knife was both an offensive and defensive weapon. It"s effectiveness was increased when you knew the weak spots of the animal. Even animals with dense furs which in the past made knives ineffective were easily cut with the knives when the hunters understood how to cut while avoiding the fur.

Many of the concepts were things the hunters woud need years to unpack but the core techniques were taught. Experience would help them explore the techniques further. The hunters spent six days practicising and learning. Mist learned the quickest and he was given additional things to learn by Elder Tok and was also following Tik around learning different things.

Tik even taught him how to use some of the forging tools. The most exciting thing for Mist was Tik taught him how to forge his very own skinning tool. Mist made this and a kitchen knife and gifted them to his parents. The tools were crude, but for a first try by a seven year old, they were amazing.

Elder Tok held an examination of the hunters skills and knowledge. Every hunter pa.s.sed and received a special device called a compa.s.s from Elder Tok. This was a sign of a hunter a device which could help the hunter find their way home no matter how lost they were. All of the hunters were very proud of their accomplishments. They were shocked at their advance in hunting. Before Elder Tok came to their village, every hunter believed he knew everything there was to know about hunting. The difference between hunters was merely talent. Now, they knew how wrong they were.

The top student of the two weeks of training was Mist who was given extra candy as a reward. Of course only Elder Tok knew Mist and Tik regularly broke into the silo over the last two weeks and ate shocking amounts of candy. However, he had no plans to expose them, they were clearly having a lot of fun. Mist"s upcoming future wouldn"t allow much fun as he was about to be relentlessly taught for the next seven years.

Elder Tok gathered the hunters on the day before the hunter compet.i.tion.

"I"m very proud of all of you. Your progress these two weeks have been amazing. You have brought great honor to yourselves and your village. Even your Village Chief, River Boat, humbled himself to learn from an outsider and didn"t think it was beneath a venerable elder such as himself to learn. This is a strong hunting village. It reminds me of the village I came from as a boy.

Originally, I didn"t think we would finish everything until this evening. However, you have all surpa.s.sed my expectations. Therefore, I"ll give you an option. You can either have the last day off to relax and spend with your family. Or, the second option is, you can spend today with me learning a secret technique that will shock and awe your opponents tomorrow. You can display this special hunting technique and win the comepet.i.tion in the hearts of your opponents before it even starts. Which do you choose? A day off or the Hunting Technique?" Elder Tok asked with a smile. He already knew what they would choose.

"Hunting Technique!!!" All of the hunters yelled together enthusiastically.

"Okay then, have a seat everyone and let"s get started!"