The Crown Prince's Test

"Okay then let me explain to you the test. It is actually not a real test but a game our tribe's children play regularly. As you already know, we eat Golden Bermudas to grow our strength.

Well..., our children often compete, who manages to be the first to catch 5 of them." Explained the seahawk with a haughty behavior.

"That's it? Sounds pretty simple to me. Are there any more rules?" Asked Dave trying to not appear intimidated.

"Yeah actually, what I told you right now would have been me going easy on you, but as I said to you before, I am not holding back anymore. Instead, we will catch each 3 Crystal Barracudas. They are extremely hard to find because they shimmer the same color the water does and they are much rarer." Jet gloated at Dave.

Hearing this Dave had a hard time controlling his facial expression.

"Sounds good to me." Said Dave in a bitter tone.

"If you caught one of these fish you have to move them up that mountain and place them on top of the peak in the middle. Whoever is the first to gather 3 Crystal Barracudas at the top of the mountain peak wins. That's it!"

Dave exhaled slowly. He needed a strategy as fast as possible, otherwise, he would lose.

"Is it allowed to steal from or attack each other?" Asked Dave trying to find a solution for his dilemma. He had no sensory ability that would allow him to find these Barracudas and even traveling to the mountain peak would be hard on his own.

Of course, for Jet, it was child's play. He was born with good innate sensory abilities and he could fly. It was his home turf and Dave knew this.

"Yeah, fighting is allowed. Even though it might be hard for you to even hit me. After all, I am the fastest rank 1 monster on the planet. I am easily 1,5 times faster than a lightning rabbit of the same rank as me! Did you know that?" Jet said these things deliberately to show off. He knew that you could win a fight before it even started by pressuring your opponent with the right words.

Unfortunately, this was a tactic that wouldn't work against Dave.

"Good to know, the last time I tried, I was at least 2 times faster than a lightning rabbit. So I think catching you won't be that much of a problem for me."

Dave and Jet exchanged fierce looks.

"If you have nothing else to say. Let the test start!"

Jet immediately accelerated with full speed upwards. The wind pressure alone made it already hard for Dave to breathe.

'Damn bird!' Thought Dave and created beneath his feet a bubble disc.

The disc soared to the sky and headed straight for the mountain peak.

'I should try to steal the Crystal Barracuda from him at the peak. Hunting these fish is what he is made for. I won't be able to compete with him regarding that.' Dave had made up his mind and decided on a strategy.

By now he and Jet were flying at the same height. The only difference was that Jet was circling and searching for the fish.

Dave sent one last look to Jet before he headed immediately for the peak.

For Dave staying at the peak had another advantage. In comparison to the seahawk, he wasn't born with the ability to fly. He had to consume his mana to stay in the air and what was even worse, he was much slower than Jet.

He slowly let the bubble disk land and made it dissolve.

Dave kept focusing on Jet's actions.

After 2 mins a jolt went through the seahawk's body. He had seemingly discovered something. He dove down with full speed heading for the water surface. Dave looked in the direction he was headed but he couldn't see anything there.

"Shit, I need better eyesight!" Shouted Dave.

Then it struck him. 'Why didn't I think of this before? I am such an idiot!' Thought Dave self mockingly. Didn't he have the perfect ability to strengthen his body's functions?

"[Enhancement Bubble]!"

Dave created two bubbles, one in front of each eye.

Suddenly his vision became much clearer. He looked down and could see the Golden Bermudas. Then he focused his vision on the place Jet was heading for and there he caught finally the sight of a fish with crystal-like scales. This had to be it, the Crystal Barracuda!

"Found it!", shouted Dave happily. Finding new ways to apply his abilities was always a fun experience. Similar to the feeling you had when you awakened a special ability, even though it might not feel just as strong.

Shortly after Dave discovered the Crystal Barracuda, Jet was already breaking the water surface with his razor-sharp talons and speeding with max speed up again.

Zooming in on Jet's talons Dave discovered that he managed to capture the fish. It was time to get ready!

He had to stop the seahawk before he could step on the peak.

Checking one last time where Jet was, Dave discovered that he only had 5 seconds left.

'Time for an aerial version of the lightning rabbit strategy. I will call it from now on ALRS'

Dave sent his bubbles out. 18 bubbles each the size of a gymnastic ball hovered in front of the cliff. The bubbles themselves were positioned in a ball-like formation that would allow Dave to not only bounce two dimensional but even three dimensional.

'That looks good.' Thought Dave. 'Even though it is consuming a ridiculous amount of mana. But I think, I can do even better.'

Dave knew he had to hurry because Jet was only 2 seconds away.

He created swiftly one more normal bubble. This bubble wasn't part of the formation. It was instead installed on the peak itself 15 meters behind him.

"[Enhancement Bubble]!"

"[Enhancement Bubble]!"

He placed two light blue [Enhancement Bubble]s in a line with it.

'Launcher Finished!' Thought Dave with a smug expression on his face.

Without further delay he covered himself with a third [Enhancement Bubble], of course, he had turned the previous two, which he used to increase his eyesight, off, before he started all of this. After all, there was no need for them after he knew where Jet was.

Describing all of this might have needed a long time but in reality, Dave did most of these things simultaneously with a quick thought of his.

He had to hurry, he felt the fast approaching Jet without even looking in his direction.

"[Strong Movement!]"

Instead of heading for Jet directly, Dave turned in the direction of the bubble hovering behind him on the mountain peak. To reach it, he first had to run through the two [Enhancement Bubble]s that were in line with it.

He passed through the first then the second. Each time his speed grew even faster. Then he hit the bouncy bubble, which bounced him back and made him pass another time through the two [Enhancement Bubble]s. By now he had probably doubled his speed. He was heading for the cliff, while Jet was swiftly passing by Dave's Bubbles.

"[Apprentice Hero's Punch]!" Shouted Dave. The fast movement speed created a loud 'whooshing' sound in his ears.

The two of them were heading straight for each other, both sure that they were stronger than the respective other.

Jet's beak radiated in a blindingly golden glow.

The golden glow spread from his beak over his feathers and down to his talons.

Right now a majestic golden bird was heading for Dave.

They were only separated by 2 meters. Both of them wanted to finally know, who was the stronger one. Neither Dave nor Jet would backdown now.

Feeling the power Jet radiated, Dave knew he had to further increase his attack power, otherwise, he would lose this exchange. He dissolved the two prior created [Enhancement Bubble]s and right away recreated them in front of his fist.

His fist smashed through the bubbles and finally, Dave's fist and Jet's beak made contact.

"Boooooommmmm"