The sky was rumbling, the thunder making itself known to the world. My middling affinity made me aware of exactly where it would hit. I felt strangely at home in the thunderous storm. The rain poured from the heavens like tears of a grief-stricken god. Surrounding me were the young men of the village. They walked with bated breaths and barely concealed nervousness. Yet some stood out from the crowd for their almost unnatural calm. Namely, the party members who had joined me in the breaking of the shard.
Bjorn walked at the forefront of the group, his hammer resting on his shoulder while he walked. He was the life of the group, joking and laughing with those around him. While Mordial and Lieber walked silently at the back. Magnus stood by my side, ever vigilant as he surveyed the surroundings. In total, the group consisted of twenty young men. We would not all be hunting the same thing, as that would be far too easy. We were nearing the point where the group would split into four different teams. Each is separated into the four cardinal directions. But to call them teams was a stretch, as every hunt would be a personal endeavor.
Every territory had its own rulers. The beasts that ruled this part of the frontier were significantly different than the mindless monsters of the shard. Shards amplified the aggression of their dinzens turning them into mindless killing machines. While beasts were a different story entirely. Some had intelligence that was a match to the sentient races.
I was assigned to the northern reaches. Consisting of tall mangroves and weeping willows. The area was dominated by amphibians and wilden beasts. Obviously, I did my research before heading out. So I already had a target picked out for the occasion. When the time came i split apart from the main group and made my way further north. The young men scattered in all directions. Some were excited, and some were clearly fearful. I pushed those thoughts out of my head, opting to focus on my task instead.
Sight of life was activated with some minor difficulty. The more I practiced my prana usage and expanded on my source. The easier it became to utilize its strength. It was still greatly limiting but usable to a minor degree. A small burst of aura allowed me to explode forward with great speed. Every now and then, I would release another burst when the momentum began to fade. Within a few minutes, I found my first sign of life. Hiding underneath the muddy ground laying in wait like an ambush predator was a life signature. Focusing long enough, and the system responded.
[Bogmaw Toad - stage 1 beast]
A single blink brought me directly above the beast. My sword was poised directly at its skull. With another burst of aura, I pierced its brain with little resistance. The toad was large, easily as big as a dog. Boils covered its back, looking like rocks that blended in to hte muddy soil. Its skin was a murky brown. Green blood leaked from the open wound. Flicking my blade to remove the blood, I sheathed it before returning to my search. I came across three more beasts before I entered the mangrove center, where the stronger beasts dwelled. I had to be careful as there were stage 2 and 3 beasts walking on the muddy soil.
Slowing down, I entered a state of hyper vigilance. My prey was on the weaker end of the beasts found in the central region. But they were by no means weak. Any beast that lived in the center was bound to have certain advantages. The mangrove was deceptively quiet. However, it could not deceive my sight of life. I saw a plethora of wildlife hidden amongst the mud and trees. Yet none of them was what I was looking for. It was another three hours before I found it.
[Wilden Gorger - stage 1 beast]
The beast looked absolutely monstrous. It lived up to its name, with a large mouth filled with razor-like teeth extending down to its chest. The beast looked like a mixture of a bear and an alligator. Covered in thick black fur, with antlers extending from its oblong head. The beast looked extremely skinny, but assuming that it was weak would be the last mistake you would ever make.
The second I found the beast, I slowed even further. I pulled in any trace of my magic energies in an attempt to remain hidden. For far too long had I rushed into every altercation, nearly losing my life in the process. This wasn't the great crusade where zealots made up most of the high command. Never once thinking to slow down. Where any doubt was seen as heresy. For the first time in both lives, I felt like I had time to breathe. That patience allowed me to survey the area. It was a good thing I did not decide to attack. There were many beasts hidden from view in the area. Some of the life signals I saw were so large they sent shivers down my spine. Instead, I opted to stalk my prey until he entered a favorable area to attack.
Thunder rumbled from the sky as if a conformation to my decision. The rain only grew in intensity as time went on. Like a shadow, I followed the beast. When the beast fought for its food, I was there watching. As it walked through the muddy soil in search of more prey, I was there. When the beast won another fight, that was when I chose to strike. Power coursed through my muscles as I tensed and exploded forward. Right before I made contact with the beast, I released a burst of aura for extra explosiveness.
My nodachi bit deep into its side, leaving a nasty gash oozing deep red blood. The beast howled in pain and fury while turning to face me. Madness and a hunger that matched my own were portrayed clearly in its eyes. Blood drinker had already activated after my initial salvo, giving me even greater strength. The strange beast lashed out with its pointed antlers. Even though I blocked it was futile, there were too many sharp points to block them all. Two antlers stabbed through my stomach. It was only a flesh wound, but it was a reminder not to get complacent.
Jumping back out of reach, I readjusted my blade. Our eyes met as the beast opened its great maw before releasing a shockwave attack with a deafening roar. I found myself being pushed back as my ears began to bleed from the pressure. I slid across the muddy soil. My ears were ringing, but my eyes never left the beast. I saw my opportunity when the beast's shoulder muscles tensed, preparing to dash forward. The corners of my mouth lifted upwards at this.
Blink brought me directly above the beast. My nodachi pointed downward, using the momentum of my fall for greater leverage. Another burst of aura accompanied my fall. The tip of my blade dug into the hide of its neck. But before the blade could go any deeper, the gorger rolled on the ground, throwing me off its back.
I found my footing as fast as I could. Our eyes met once more. Without realizing it, a mad grin was plastered on my face. The thrill of combat had fully consumed me.