The night passed in a flash.

Sokram managed to get some rest, though he spent most of it meditating and studying in his soul realm.

Morning arrived with the breathtaking yet common sight of northern skylights streaking across the sky, their colorful lights slowly fading as the sun rose.

Stepping out of his tent, Sokram was surprised to see the entire team already geared up and sitting around the fire, eating breakfast.

Lucy approached him with an apologetic smile. “I went to call you, but you were in deep meditation…”

Sokram raised a hand to stop her. “Thank you, big sis, but if you keep acting like that, the girls will start thinking something really happened last night.”

He nodded toward the girls, knowing the ferals among them had heard his words loud and clear and would relay them to the others.

Lucy laughed. “Haha, I don’t mind. What you offered me and the Pavilion last night is enough for such treatment.”

She glanced back at the girls and smiled mischievously before turning to Sokram. “Besides, they’re not mad at you; they’re jealous of me, haha.”

When Lucy said that, the stares directed at Sokram shifted to her, and they weren’t friendly.

It only proved Lucy was right, but it also showed she was definitely provoking the girls on purpose.

Sokram followed Lucy to the fire, sitting close to the flames.

He greeted the rest of the team and picked up a bowl of soup Nora had prepared for breakfast.

But he had barely started eating when Kan sat beside him and asked expectantly, having witnessed the preparations from the sidelines the previous night, “So, what’s the plan for today, Captain?”

Sokram raised an eyebrow at Kan, but as he looked around, he saw that no one contested his being called ‘Captain.’

Instead, they were all looking at him anxiously. Sokram nodded and smiled, pulling twenty-five runestones from his Void Glove. "Everyone gets five runestones, except for Savannah, Amber, and me. First, I’ll track the boar groups that have already chosen a male. I’ll separate the male, trap the females, and lure him straight to you. Meanwhile, Savannah and Amber will handle the spells from a safe distance."

Sokram finished his soup in a few gulps and began distributing the runestones. “After I finish off the females, if you haven’t taken down the male by then, I’ll join you and help you kill it. If we work well, I believe we can hunt down at least five groups before we run out of runestones, so roughly twenty-five boars: twenty females and five males. It could be more, but even if we fail, we’ll have more than enough spoils to share, surpassing yesterday’s mission payment.”

Hearing the confidence in his voice and knowing of his preparations, especially after witnessing Amber mastering the spell in a single night, the potency of the runestones, and Savannah’s newfound confidence in her class, the team shared his optimism.

However, they still had some concerns, and Kiana voiced them. “Are you sure you can deal with a group of females while we hold back the male? What if you fail?”

Sokram could see that this was a concern they all shared.

Looking at them seriously, he ordered, “You run! Don’t worry about me. I’m faster than all of you, so run as far and as fast as you can. Clear?”

“Yes, Captain!” Lucy said without hesitation.

But the others didn’t agree.

Nora was the first to speak against it. “We Lions never leave a cub behind!”

“I’m not a cub; I’m a dragon, and I’m stronger than you. So don’t become a liability that will get in the way of my escape.” Sokram’s tone was harsh, and the team was taken aback by his outburst.

Seeing their reactions, his tone softened a little.

“Sigh... Look, I thank you for your concern, but if you rush to help me instead of escaping, you’ll mostly get in my way. Be smart.”

But he still felt the need to be clear, “Don’t let your emotions or pride cloud your judgment. I promise you, I’ll be fine.”

"I know true leadership isn’t something you’ve experienced before. Maybe I’m young, maybe I’m still learning, but I’ve seen what happens when a leader puts his own gain over their team's. Kazzah let you down. I won’t."

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Sokram paused and met each of their gazes.

“Because, unlike him, I understand that the role of a leader is to ensure the team’s safety, not just use them for personal gain. Now, let’s go hunt some boars!”

“Yes, Captain!” This time, their voices came in unison, though some still wore hesitant expressions.

Kiana tightened her grip on her shield, her jaw set in determination.

Nora tightened her grip on her weapon nervously, but her eyes were steady. Even Kan, usually so carefree, gave a solemn nod.

They couldn’t contest his words, but the weight of his promise lingered in the air.

What Sokram had shown them so far was beyond mere talent.

His command and strategic abilities hadn’t let them down, and the selflessness of his last order inspired a little more trust in him.

Sokram took the lead, riding his Thunder Peko and looking for tracks in the snow.

The first half hour was monotonous, but Sokram’s smile suddenly perked up. “We found them, guys. Let’s go.”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the boars near a recently dug cave in the snowy plains; it was clear they were aiming to nest there.

Sokram was thankful they weren’t mating because that would have been a traumatic sight for everyone.

After observing their prey from a distance, shielded from the wind so their scent didn’t alert the beasts, Sokram, having an ample view of the terrain, chose an ambush spot for the male boar near a group of pine trees.

“Are you sure you want to take on those five females?” Savannah asked, worried after seeing the difference between the males and females.

While the male stood a little over three meters tall, the females were at least half a meter taller, their bodies meatier, their massive tusks glinting in the sunlight as they shoved him aside with brute force.

The male, though smaller, was different from the others the team hunted; this one was at the Uncommon level, and bristled with a lot more aggression as his snorts echoed across the snowy plain.

It was a strange dynamic, like adults bullying a child, but with the underlying tension of a predator ready to strike.

Sokram knew that was the last phase of their mating rites; it was the perfect moment for an ambush.

“Don’t worry. Female boars are very weak to magic. You and Amber will stay here and wait for my signal to raise the barrier and cast the spell,” Sokram said.

He then pointed to the pine trees grouped nearby. “The others will lie low behind those trees and wait to ambush the male. But don’t forget to activate the runestones. Just inject a bit of energy into it, and they’ll activate. I charged each runestone with enough mana to last a solid fight against a monster like that, but don’t get complacent. Remember that the male boar is the strongest among the group that those females picked from, and the strongest you're going to face so far. That one specifically is a Tier 4 Uncommon.”

The team nodded, checked their equipment, and, with their runestones in hand, sneaked away toward the trees.

Once Sokram saw them in position, he looked at Savannah, who was still clearly worried, and said with his usual confident smile, “The signal is ‘Savannah, go!’”

Sokram struck a comical pose, causing Savannah and Amber to burst into laughter.

“Better. See you soon,” Sokram said with a nod before dashing toward the boars.

The supporting duo watched his back, still smiling, realizing that the tension, although still there, had lessened considerably, allowing them to focus better without as much anxiety.

But Sokram couldn’t keep holding their hands forever.

He knew they had the potential to grow stronger, to stand on their own one day.

Maybe, just maybe, they could even become people he could rely on, not just followers, but true allies.

For now, though, he would guide them one step at a time.

Besides, right now, his only focus was the dreamy reward of a feast of boar flesh right in front of his eyes.

It didn’t take long for the boars to notice him.

Sokram didn’t use any movement spell or technique to get close; instead, he unsheathed his sword and dashed toward the boar, shouting like a madman. “Become my food!”

The male boar quickly stepped in front of him, as it was his duty to protect the females, even if they were all bullies.

But as soon as Sokram got close enough, he cast his favorite movement spell.

‘Dark Lightning – Dashing Snake!’

A snake of dark lightning flashed past the male boar and, in the blink of an eye, encircled the females behind it.

Five after-images flashed where he dropped the runestones for the pentagonal barrier.

The group of females barely had time to blink before Sokram shouted as he came to a stop in a comic pose, “Savannah, go!”

But Sokram was right behind the boar, who was still looking for him ahead, which made the scene much funnier.

Savannah, who was watching tentatively, had to stifle her laughter as she activated the runic key in her left hand, instantly raising the barrier.

While she held back her laughter, Amber, as well as the rest of the team watching from afar, let out a few giggles.

The boars weren’t laughing, though.

Instead, they were madly enraged.

The females started trying to break the barrier.

The male dashed past Sokram, completely ignoring him and slamming into the barrier with all his strength.

“PENG! BANG! BANG!”

Sokram glanced at Savannah, trying to determine if the mana she was siphoning from him was enough to sustain the barrage of attacks.

He was pleasantly surprised to see that she wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

But not wanting to tempt fate, Sokram coated his katana with his mana, which turned into fire, before swinging it toward the boar’s back.

‘Fire Slash!’

Five consecutive fire blades slammed into the male boar’s back, the flames licking at its thick hide.

The beast roared, more in fury than pain, its bloodshot eyes locking onto Sokram with a murderous glare.

The smell of charred fur and hide filled the air, but the boar’s rage only grew.

Sokram ran toward the trees, and the boar charged after him, attempting to run him over, hoping that would be enough to free its harem from that insufferable prison.

But Sokram was counting on it, and so was the team.

Kiana saw the boar charging toward them, quickly injected her spirit essence into the runestone, tucked it into the sleeve of her shield arm, and prepared to take the vanguard.

Kan, Lara, and Nora did the same, readying themselves to attack.

While Lucy, positioned further away, waited for the best moment to shoot her arrows.

Sokram matched the boar’s charging speed, ready to dodge out of the boar’s field of vision and return to the females.

The moment they passed the first few rows of trees, Sokram twisted his fingers, earth surged up, catching the boar’s hoof mid-stride.

It stumbled, momentum turning into disaster as it crashed, tusks-first, into a tree.

“BAM!”