Chapter 27: The Hunt Revival
Malakai's eyes fluttered open, his stomach growling with hunger.
He lay still for a moment, listening to the gentle snores of his mother and sister.
The warmth of the sun on his fur was comforting, but his rumbling belly urged him to action.
He decided to hunt, to provide for his family and satiate his own hunger.
Without disturbing his family, Malakai rose to his paws and left his scent on a nearby tree, marking his territory.
He then set off into the forest, his senses on high alert.
Malakai's nose twitched, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air, searching for the scent of prey.
As he padded through the underbrush, the memories of his past hunts came flooding back.
The thrill of the chase, the strategy, and the satisfaction of a successful hunt.
His tail wagged slightly, excitement building in his chest.
He had not hunted since reaching young adulthood, and the thrill of the hunt was calling to him once more.
Suddenly, his nose caught a whiff of something familiar.
An elk, its scent distinct and strong. Malakai's ears perked up, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
He followed the scent, his paws silent on the forest floor. The smell grew stronger, leading him deeper into the woods.
As he rounded a bend, a breathtaking sight unfolded before him.
A majestic white elk lay sleeping, its fur glistening in the sunlight.
Next to it, a smaller elk, its coat still bearing the spots of youth, nestled close to its mother's side.
Malakai's eyes widened, his heart pounding with excitement. The hunt was on.
He crouched low, his muscles tensed, ready to pounce.
The wind carried the sweet scent of the elk, and Malakai's mouth watered in anticipation.
He had not forgotten the thrill of the hunt, and his instincts took over.
With a burst of speed, he sprinted towards his prey, the forest floor blurring beneath his paws.
Malakai's jaws snapped shut mere inches from the young elk's trembling body, the sound echoing through the forest like a death song.
He released his grip, knowing his Frostbite ability would take care of the rest.
The elk's terrified bleats grew fainter as Malakai turned his attention to the mother, his eyes blazing with a primal intensity.
With a fierce battle cry, he pounced, his paws slamming into the earth mere inches from the mother's hooves.
She reared up on her hind legs, her eyes flashing with a fierce determination to protect her young.
Malakai felt a jolt of pain as her hoof connected with his stomach, sending him tumbling to the ground.
He sprang to his feet, his growl growing louder, more menacing.
The mother elk stood her ground, her eyes fixed on Malakai with a fierce glare.
Malakai approached, his tail twitching, his ears flat against his head.
The mother elk refused to back down, her eyes flashing with a fierce determination.
Malakai's heart raced with excitement, his senses rising as he circled around the mother, searching for an opening.
The mother elk's eyes never left Malakai's face, her gaze burning with a fierce intensity.
Malakai could feel her fear, her panic, but also her determination to protect her young.
He knew he had to be careful, for a desperate mother was a dangerous foe.
As he circled around her, Malakai's eyes locked onto the young elk, its body now still, its eyes frozen in a permanent stare.
His Frostbite ability had done its job, and the elk's organs were slowly freezing, its life slipping away.
The mother's gaze never moved, her eyes fixed on Malakai with a fierce glare, unaware of her child's fate.
The mother elk's gaze darted to her young, her eyes widening in horror as she realized the silence was permanent.
Malakai seized the opportunity, his legs coiling like springs as he launched himself at the elk's neck.
His jaws wide open, revealing razor-sharp teeth, he clamped down with a force of 700 psi, the sound of his teeth snapping shut echoing through the forest like a death knell.
The mother elk's eyes bulged from their sockets, her face contorted in a twisted mask of fear and panic.
Her cries were muffled by Malakai's grip, her voice reduced to a mere gurgle as her airway was constricted.
The elk's body thrashed about, its legs flailing wildly, but Malakai held fast, his jaws locked in a death grip.
The elk's beautiful white fur was now stained with blood, its skin torn and opened by Malakai's teeth.
The mother elk's cries grew weaker, its body weakening as the life was slowly drained from its body.
Malakai's grip remained unyielding, his teeth sunk deep into the elk's flesh.
He could feel the elk's heart racing, its life force ebbing away with each passing moment.
The Frostbite ability began to take hold, the elk's body starting to freeze from the inside out. Its legs stiffened, its body rigid, as the cold spread like a dark stain through its veins.
The mother elk's eyes, once bright and full of life, now dulled, their light fading like embers in the dark.
Its body went limp, its head lolling to one side, as Malakai's grip finally relaxed.
The elk's body slumped to the ground, its white fur now stained with blood, its beauty lost in a sea of violence and death.
Malakai sprinted through the forest, his paws pounding against the earth, his heart still racing from the hunt.
He didn't bother to drag the elk's carcass with him, his priority was to reunite with his family and share the news of his hunt so they can eat.
As he approached their makeshift den, he could hear the sound of Amari's playful yips and Akira's patient sighs.
As he burst into the clearing, his family's eyes widened in unison, their gazes fixed on the bloody evidence of his successful hunt.
Malakai's mouth was smeared with the elk's blood, his teeth stained red, and his breath reeking of fresh meat.
Amari's tail wagged excitedly, her eyes shining with anticipation, while Akira's expression turned from annoyance to pride.
Without a word, Malakai turned and sprinted back towards the elk's carcass, his family close behind.
The forest floor blurred beneath their paws as they followed Malakai's lead, their senses heightened with excitement.
The scent of blood and meat filled their nostrils.
As they approached the elk's lifeless body, Amari's excitement turned to awe, her eyes fixed on the massive creature.
Akira's gaze was more practical, her eyes scanning the elk's body for any signs of damage or spoilage.
Malakai stood proudly beside his kill, his chest heaving with exhaustion, his eyes gleaming with a sense of accomplishment.
They began to devour the elk, consuming the older one first.
However, Malakai's hunger was not satiated even after finishing the older elk. He then turned his attention to the younger elk, eating it clean.
[0.70 absorption points have been consumed ]
[0.30 absorption points have been consumed ]
Malakai decided to open up his entire status as he hadn't check it in a while.
[
NAME: MALAKAI
RACE: ARCTIC WOLF
TITLE(S):
●HEIR OF THE FROST PACK
●THE MODIFIER
BREED: FROSTRUNNER
AGE: YOUNG ADULT
PACK: FROST PACK (MEMBERS 3)
BLOODLINE(S): *******
CLASS: N/A
GROWTH GP - ???(unknown)
ABSORPTION REQUIRED (AB):001/100
LEVEL/STAGE: 0 / (50)100
STATS
STRENGTH: 7
SPEED: 10
STAMINA: 11
AGILITY: 8
MANA: N/A
VITALITY: 7
BITEFORCE: 700 PSI
ATTRIBUTES: ICE (Solidified Water)
ABILITIES
-FROSTBITE >
-DETHRONE >
Malakai's gaze lingered on his status panel, his mind clouded with confusion and doubt.
The once-clear letters and numbers now taunted him with question marks, obscuring his growth potential.
He recalled the goddess's words, "D-Rank, the weakest of all, with slow progression." But now, it seemed as though his status had been shrouded in mystery.
He couldn't help but wonder if his growth potential had become too weak to measure, or perhaps too strong to be contained.
The uncertainty gnawed at him, fueling his doubts.
Yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling that this strange development was connected to the enigmatic elephant's words.
The ancient creature's phrase echoed in his mind, "I Combined the cores of all the beasts." Malakai's thoughts an through all the possibilities,
As he delved deeper into the mystery, his eyes drifted to the absorption points. 0.70 and 0.30, the numbers seemed to beckon him, urging him to continue his hunt.
Would absorbing more strength from other creatures unlock the secrets of his status? Would it reveal the truth behind the question marks?