Chapter 44

Hearing Moui’s proposal, Kai didn’t have to think twice. He had long wished for the chance to observe an awakened beast. If it was only red-tier and young, it was probably weaker than him.

“Stay by my side and do what I tell you. And mind where you step. You’re making too much noise,” Moui reminded him.

Nodding eagerly and promising he would do as he was told, Kai followed the hunter, moving as silently as possible. It was easier said than done. The ground was wet and spongy, covered in fallen leaves and moss that made a squelching noise under his feet. He did his best to step on rocks and roots where he thought he would make the least noise.

Moui moved like a ghost through the trees without making a single sound or leaving a trace.

I get he’s a professional hunter, but he’s like four times my size. There must be a skill at play here. Wait a second…

Kai wanted to smack his head for being so dumb, he had a skill too: Sneak, his latest addition. He only used it to be more discreet when moving through town, but it seemed perfect for the occasion.

They walked longer than Kai expected. He had no idea how Moui spotted the beast from this far away, Mana Sense still didn’t perceive anything. Most of his focus was on where he put his feet, so he could not reach his maximum range.

They stopped behind a large tree covered in moss. Its trunk easily large enough to hide Moui’s figure. The hunter reminded him to be quiet before pointing to a tree little more than a dozen meters from them.

Kai looked but couldn’t see anything apart from a few ferns and vines. Something caught his eye, a slight movement. Activating Inspect, he spotted the culprit. A green and brown snake perfectly camouflaged among the vegetation.

It must have been at least a couple meters long. If that was a young one, he didn’t want to know how a grown specimen would be.

Activating on Mana Sense, Kai was surprised by the result. Its mana veins were thick and dense, unlike anything he had seen before. The network was more complex than a red-tier person would possess. There were some similarities with humans, but almost as many differences.

From this distance, his skill was struggling to pick up the finer details. About to get closer, Moui put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. His uncle took out his bow, he was a hunter after all.

“How dangerous is it?” Kai whispered.

“Not much, it’s a boa constrictor. Venomous ones are more dangerous, but it’s still going to be very annoying to flush him out if we spook it and it hides in some hole.” Somehow Moui spoke even quieter than him.

“Aren’t beasts very aggressive?”

“Yes, but they’re not suicidal. If it perceives my presence, it will run.”

A very stupid idea sprung up in Kai’s head. Maybe if he had more time to think he would have known better. With only a few seconds to make up his mind, he didn’t want to lose his chance.

“Do you think I can take it?”

Moui stopped drawing his arrow to look at him. Kai had expected a no. But when the hunter didn’t answer immediately, he didn’t waste the opportunity to plead his case.

“If it sees me, it will probably try to attack rather than run. You said it’s just a young red-tier and not venomous. I’m Orange, and I’ve trained with a staff. If it’s too strong, I’ll just keep my distance and act as bait.”

He mostly practiced spear moves, but having a pointed end made little difference when training stances. Not knowing exactly why, Kai felt he had to do this. He always acted cautious. For once, he wanted to take a risk and prove to himself he wasn’t powerless anymore.

Moui had a look that was hard to interpret, but he still hadn’t said no.

“If something goes wrong, I’m sure you’ll intervene in time. I need to do this,” Kai said.

After a long silence, Moui finally spoke. “Fine, you can try.”

“Wai—” Kai stopped the counterargument he was about to bring forward. “Great! Thank you, Uncle. I’m sure I can do this.”

Moui gave him a stern look. “Be careful and do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it. I can’t miss from this distance.”

Kai was putting his life in Moui’s hands, but he wasn’t worried. The hunter had always proved trustworthy, and a better person to rely on than himself.

Looking to his target, Kai left his bag behind. If he had known this was going to happen, he would have brought something more than a stick.

No excuses. No hesitation.

His life wasn’t going to change if he continued hiding behind carefully crafted arguments and convenient reasonings. Maybe these weren’t the most ideal circumstances to make an impulsive decision, but the perfect time didn’t exist.

Holding his staff firmly, he gave one last glance to Moui. His uncle didn’t offer any suggestions.

Just because I want to do this, doesn’t mean I have to be stupid in how I approach it.

He needed a plan. Trying to analyze the situation, he could see two pitfalls. He needed to be careful of where he stepped, slipping on the wet jungle floor would be the easiest way to screw this up. And he couldn’t afford to get distracted or lose sight of his target.

Thinking back on what he knew about snakes, he remembered they weren’t known for their stamina. In the worst-case scenario, he could probably tire it out. Cold-blooded reptiles preferred to strike fast and end the fight quickly.

Kai wasn’t sure how accurate his knowledge was or if it applied to a mana-enhanced snake on Elydes. Better to assume the worst.

Go there, bonk the stupid snake on the head and get this over with. How hard can it be?

Kai used Sneak to move closer, locking Inspect on the snake. The skill wasn’t made for this type of situation, but he had to make the most of the means at his disposal.

After a little internal debate, he also activated Mana Sense. He only gave the skill minimal focus. He wasn’t trying to examine the beast, just to keep track of it. Its camouflage became completely ineffective, the red-tier beast shone like a beacon amidst the vegetation.

Kai had barely crossed half the distance when he noticed a disturbance in the boa’s mana.

Wha—

Before his mind could formulate another thought, the snake, who had remained still till this moment, launched itself at him. Sharp fangs wide open and ready to bite him.

It was only thanks to the mana warning that Kai had enough time to throw himself to the side. That was much faster than he thought the snake could move, there was no time for second thoughts.

Rolling on the ground in a crouch, he kept his Mana Sense on the snake.

He was forced to drop his staff when he dodged, leaving himself without a weapon. His gaze met the serpentine-slitted eyes of his target. Stupidly, he thought a non-venomous constrictor wouldn’t try to bite him.

The snake’s scales gleamed in the few rays penetrating the green canopy above. It gracefully coiled itself a few meters from him, readying for another attempt on his life. His staff was on the left, about the same distance that separated him from the snake.

Kai had never been particularly afraid of snakes. Then again, he had never faced one intent on eating him before.

He could call for help right now and this would all be over.

No more hesitating. If it bites me, I’ll survive.

A slight change in the snake’s mana flow was all the warning he got before it struck again. Kai had the presence of mind to dodge toward his staff. His opponent seemed to have predicted the move, its tail hitting him on his shin like a metal flail.

Pain exploded in his leg. He worried something had broken, but when he put weight on it, the leg still did its job.

He snatched his staff from the ground without moving his gaze from the snake. His heart beating furiously as the staring contest with the red-tier beast continued. Fear started gripping his insides, the temptation to put an end to the stupidest idea he ever had growing stronger. He pushed that all down.

I’m done backing down.

Mana Sense gave him a big advantage, but dodging wouldn’t bring him anywhere. He had to take the initiative. A glancing blow had almost taken him down. If he mistimed his dodge or landed on the wrong foot, it was over. He couldn’t play the long game.

The snake hissed a challenge, annoyed that its prey kept eluding him. Kai was no expert on reptile body language, but he knew how to read the mana flow of a living being and the beast’s essence was stirring stronger than before, accumulating for a decisive strike.

Kai grasped the staff with both hands. He tried to make a couple of feints to his left, but the boa just released another hiss, staring at him with its unblinking gaze.

Either this beast is too smart, or I suck at making feints.

He truly regretted not taking more fighting skills. With the time ticking, he had to act before the snake made another move. He didn’t want to lose the initiative again.

Another idea crossed his mind.

The snake was looking straight at him. Kai blinked as if something got into his eyes. As expected, the boa launched itself as soon as it noticed his apparent distraction.

Kai didn’t need his eyes when he could easily read its mana signature shining brightly in his mind. Aiming for the head, he struck his wooden staff with all his strength.

With a crack, he hit the neck of the snake, the open fangs on the beast grazing his ear.

For a moment he thought he had it. But the reptile’s bones didn’t break, his staff did. Kai couldn’t believe his eyes. That short moment of distraction was enough for the snake to start wrapping around his body.

Fuck!

The boa’s muscles contracted as it coiled around his body and limbs. Holding half a stick, Kai couldn’t do anything about that. He was focused on avoiding the bites from the head.

His blow had some effect as the snake’s movements were slower and awkward. Kai managed to push his broken staff between the snake’s fangs. Without hesitation, he let go of his weapon and grabbed the boa’s neck with both hands.

He had neutralized the most dangerous part, but the body of the serpent was tightening around him with far greater strength than his.

Dammit!

The snake tried to wiggle its head out of his grasp, but he wasn’t going to let it go. Gripping the spot where he hit the boa, it let out a pained hiss. With no better idea, Kai threw himself to the ground toward the closest rock he could see.

The fall made the snake give just enough to free his right arm. It was getting hard to breathe as the boa squeezed his chest. The edges of his vision darkened as not enough blood could reach his brain. If he fainted it would be over.

His left hand kept the head in place with the strength of desperation. The snake had stopped trying to free its head, focusing all its efforts on suffocating him. Kai gave up trying to breathe, like many times before when he went underwater.

He reached for the rock with his right arm. His position was awkward, and his limbs grew weaker and weaker as the blood flow was blocked. In a panic, Kai pushed all his mana into his arm and struck the boa’s head with all the strength he could muster.

Again and again, he smashed the rock against the snake.

It became a contest of endurance between them. His ribs and bones cracked under the pressure. His lungs burned for oxygen.

I. Will. Not. Give. Up.

Finally, the snake muscles loosened. He managed to squeeze out a short breath. He could taste victory, but instead of celebrating he hit the snake harder. Blood spurted out of its mouth and eyes. Kai kept hitting.

The graceful head and scales were reduced to mush, giving a squelch as he gave a final hit. Breathing heavily, he became aware of the overbearing metallic smell of blood covering him.

“I’m pretty sure it’s dead.” Moui was beside him. The hunter had stayed silent for the whole fight. Kai had forgotten entirely of his presence.

As the rush of adrenaline left his body, Kai started to feel the pain again. He let the bloody rock fall from his hand.

“Why didn’t you help me?” Kai asked. He wasn’t angry, he didn’t feel anything.

He thought Moui would intervene long before the fight reached such a desperate point.

The hunter looked a bit apologetic. “I was about to intervene, but you found a way every time. Why don’t you check your notifications?”

Curious about what Moui was getting at, Kai summoned the blinking messages.

*Ding*

New skill available in the Archive! Empower (lv1) – Use your mana to temporarily empower a part of your body.

*Ding*

New Feat: Feat of Strength – You won against a Red awakened beast before gaining a profession without any external help. You are awarded: +1 Favor!

Kai was sure Moui had no idea about the new skill, but he must have known about the achievement.

“It’s rare to get the opportunity to gain the favor of the spirits. If I warned or helped, you would not have gotten anything. The Guide can’t be deceived.”

“Did you also fight a red-tier beast before getting a profession?”

Moui smiled, reminiscing. “I did. I was eleven at the time, but I had not reached Orange yet.”

Indeed, Kai hadn’t been able to obtain any more Favor since he advanced his race. Counting that he also got another orange skill, his gains had been considerable.

Whether this fight had been more stupid or brave was yet to be determined. He wasn’t in the proper mental state to judge that. He still felt like he was watching his own body from the outside.

Of one thing he was sure – he was taking Empower. Maybe also rethinking a few other skills.