Chương 53: Chapter 52 - A Worthy Quarry

Elias stopped to examine a pile of scat and hoofprints that looked like they came from a three toed deer. The last two animals he tracked down Sasha had declined, insisting that they were not high enough level, but Eli felt good about this set. The tracks were deeper and wider, and if there was one thing he noticed in the forest, the stronger animals were usually larger and heavier.

Eli felt oddly naked being so far from Tiamat, even if he could still feel the small bundle of her emotions in his mind and he knew she was fine. There was a small little knot of worry pointed in his direction, but otherwise she seemed to be enjoying herself as her emotions flipped between colors in his mind, amused, intrigued, horrified, proud, curious, confused, but mostly excited. The little wyvern loved learning new things, and he knew she also loved the personal attention from Mira.

There was a closer bond with Elias almost as if she saw him as a sibling, and oddly as if she saw Astra the same way, probably because she spoils the little lizard rotten. One of these days I'm going to wake up to the pair burning down a forest or something. She seemed to sense the vast gulf of power between Mira and her though, and looked up to her more like an elder, a source of knowledge. Probably why the beastspeech translates to auntie in my head.

Eli put the thoughts from his mind though, he had already gotten a [Tracking] level from each successful hunt, and he was hoping if he found this animal it would give him the final one he needed. The scat pile was still steaming, and as he followed the tracks he found a couple bent ferns still unfurling from being stepped on, we're getting close. Ding [Congratulations! [Tracking] has reached Lv 8] Ding [Congratulations! [Tracking] has reached Lv 9] Ding [Congratulations! [Tracking] has reached Lv 10] Twenty minutes later Eli was padding along through the canopy after getting the nod from Sasha. After a whispered conversation she had unlimbered her bow and waited crouched in the underbrush upwind from the animal, a large ungulate the shape and size of a large elk but with mottled green fur and a short sharp pair of horns that would fit better on a bull.

Sasha thought he was a little crazy, but Eli wanted to take it down with his daggers and hopefully get the last few levels of his skill if he could.

She agreed to hang back and only step in if it looked like he was in trouble. Eli padded along a limb just ahead of where the creature was feeding, and after slinging his spear drew his daggers and crouched, waiting for the animal to get a little closer before striking. It was a large creature, a little over six feet at the shoulder, and if he was on Earth he would be considered a headcase for wanting to take it down with a pair of daggers.

As Eli spent time with Mira, and he got more used to the supernatural strength the system had given him, he felt he not only had a pretty good chance but that the challenge should push him to get the last couple levels he needed. Eli chuckled under his breath, If I have to fight something with daggers, I would sure as hell rather fight this beast than Astra. A smile crossed his face again as he remembered their spar, well maybe not, that was exhilarating.

A small huff and the tearing of grass reached Eli's ears as he heard the creature shuffle beneath him. Taking a final deep breath Eli launched himself down towards the creature as time dilated, he pivoted aiming to plunge a dagger into each side of the neck, landing on the creature's back and hopefully locking his legs around its neck.

The familiarity of the time dilation and the rush of the first strike was coming to be an old friend, and a rictus grin grew on his face as a dagger plunged through the skin on either side of the spine. Eli had hoped to bear the animal to the ground, but the creature had strength of its own, and Eli was barely able to lock his legs in time as the creature began to buck trying to toss him off in a panic.

Eli reached down and drove one the daggers upwards into the Elk's windpipe, using the blade, leglock, and his supernatural strength to cling to the beast's neck, as he plunged the other into its flesh over and over. Mira's lessons had burned into his mind the workings of the health pool in this new world, a reserve of mana that saturated the flesh of every creature, strengthening muscles, purifying contaminants, and healing wounds.

Eli was reminded of the original wielder of his daggers as watch the wound heal closed every time he pulled the dagger out, only to be opened again as he plunged it back in. Knowing now that it was a finite and slowly regenerating resource, the amount of the reserve being consumed escalated with the severity of the damage inflicted, Eli aimed to rip and tear for maximum devastation.

He gouged out an eye on one strike, plunged into the eardrum on the next, he severed arteries, ripped out a chunk of esophagus, and worked his blade around the spinal column to sever nerves. Eli would have preferred to give the creature a clean death if he could, but with everything in this world being a whole weight class above him, he didn't have a choice. Savagery was survival.

He hardened his heart against the wild screams of the creature, not slowing his strikes until the bleats went silent and its frame collapsed limp below him. Ding [Congratulations! Your party has defeated a Gloomstrider Elk (Nature, Lv 18)] If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Small Blades] has reached Lv 9] Ding [Congratulations! [Basic weapon proficiency - Small Blades] has reached Lv 10] He rose from the creature, wiping his blades before sheathing them, grimacing at the abattoir scene before him with a sigh. Yet another reason to get stronger, the least I can do is grant my prey a swift merciful death. Eli heard the faint footsteps approach behind him as Sasha cleared her throat." Well. Hm."" That is one way to do it I guess. You ok there Mr. Mercer?"" Maybe, working through some trauma?"" Did a deer kill your mother?"

Eli laughed and looked down at his ghoulish appearance covered in blood and viscera before looking back at Sasha, " No I'm fine Sasha." He sighed, " Well mostly, if there was a cleaner way to get the job done I would have, but Mira gave me a few tasks, and this one called for daggers." Sasha looked at him, the deer, back at him, back at the deer." If you say so, it's not my place to question Lady Blackhall. Do you know how to field dress a kill?"

Eli shrugged, " Only what I learned in books, and the last few times I tried I made a mess of it. I could use some of your wisdom if you are willing to share?" Sasha smirked, " I thought the Lady found you lost out in the woods, where did you find books all the way out here?" She held up a hand, " You know what? I don't want to know. Coops right, none of my business.

Here friend, we'll make a couple cuts here to strip the guts, it'll make the hanging for bleeding easier, but if you have a high strength score it's easier to start here...."

Elias was deeply impressed by Sasha's skills; it turns out her mother was an avid hunter and was responsible for a lot of her skill with a bow. He learned a lot for her tutelage, he gained three levels in [Dismantling] on site and another two back at camp as she walked him through how to properly butcher the carcass and prepare the hide. Eli winced internally as he realized just how badly his first attempts had been, but was happy to know better for next time.

The gains from the system reflected the wealth of knowledge that she was happy to impart to Eli. Ding [Congratulations! [Dismantling] has reached Lv 3] Ding [Congratulations! [Dismantling] has reached Lv 4] Ding [Congratulations! [Dismantling] has reached Lv 5] Ding [Congratulations! [Dismantling] has reached Lv 6] Ding [Congratulations! [Dismantling] has reached Lv 7] He felt like he could practically smell the mana saturating the meat of the creature, but Eli wasn't sure if that was just because he was so hungry after a long day. Cooper laughed when he asked about it while helping with dinner later in the day." I would normally say no, that's usually a [Hunter], [Butcher], or [Chef] skill, but with the work Lady Blackhall is putting you through, maybe you can? Rather your body is probably craving it and is telling you what it needs."

The sparring match had everyone in the patrol gossiping slowing everything down a bit, and the Ladies decided it was a bad idea to approach the village after dark, so the patrol stopped just short, and would approach in the morning. Cooper eyed Eli with a sly grin as they prepped the meat for dinner, " So. How about the match with the Lady? Want to talk about it?" Eli looked at him for a moment before sighing, " You too Coop? What did you want to know? It's apparently all anyone in the camp can talk about."

Cooper chuckled, finishing the final touches on the seasoning for a large venison roast and mounting it to a rotisserie above the cook fire." Nothing much Lad, at least nothing personal if you don't want to share. You and the Lady just seemed to enjoy the fight quite a bit, and if it was me I'd want to talk about it, you know?" He leaned in, "So how was it?" Eli grinned, " Honestly Coop? Amazing."" Simply Amazing."" I've never fought someone so fierce before!""

She's fast and strong, and can read body language like an open book. By the time I was moving to strike, she would be moving to counter." He sighed with a smile, " Graceful too. I'm sure the Empire has professional dancers too, I've seen a few performances back home, but Astra blows them all out of the water, she makes them look like children wobbling through their first lesson."

Eli looked back at Coop to see a shit-eating grin on his face as he glanced back over Eli's shoulder, and Eli spun to find a coyly smiling Astra behind him with her hands on her hips. She cut a heroic figure, her armor shining in the setting sun as the pinks and reds of the fading light set framed the bright crimson locks of her curly mane." Well now Mr Mercer, flattery will get you everywhere. You certainly know how to make a woman feel appreciated."

Eli stuttered for a moment, before clearing his throat with as he felt his face heating up, I swear I've blushed more in the last week than I have in my whole life, get a fucking grip Eli. Eli decided to give it up as a lost cause and roll with it." A man who can't appreciate beauty and grace when it's in front of him is no man at all. I would rather be honest than fall back on modesty and miss out on a chance to witness more."

Cooper tried and mostly succeeded to choke off a chortling laugh, but Eli took it as a win as Astra's smile grew slightly, she plucked a few inkfruit from a crate." I came to inform you that Lady Tia is over at our camp, and Mira wants you to bring extra portions of the tier two meat for dinner. Good Evening Mr Cooper." Eli swore she put a little extra sway in her step as she sauntered off to her campfire, and he enjoyed the view for a moment before turning back to Cooper.

He gave a low whistle in Eli's direction as he returned back to his prep work, " That's a dangerous quarry you seek my friend, you're much braver than I."" You'll either end up a very happy man, or six inches shorter when the Duke decides your haircut could stand to lose a little off the top." Eli threw a pebble at Cooper that he dodged with a snicker before they both returned to the pleasant work of feeding the camp.