Killing The Feral Monster
Screech!
A guttural cry escaped from the Feral Monster's mouth as Dain's sword cut through its underbelly.
It crashed into a boulder, writhing in pain. Its four tails swayed haphazardly, its four eyes locked onto Dain.
Etched on its face were both pain and disbelief.
Dain turned and looked at the Feral Monster, a light smile creeping to the corner of his lips.
With his Soul Construct completing its work, all of the monster's weak points and how to exploit them were vividly imprinted in his mind.
Whoosh!
He dashed forward, closing the short distance in a few swift steps. He swung his sword vertically.
The Feral Monster roared in fury and retaliated with its deadly tails.
Unfortunately for it, Dain's attack was merely a feint. He sidestepped to the left, evading its strike and swinging his sword in an arc.
Bang!
A deep cut appeared on the Feral Monster's side, blood gushing out like a broken dam. It staggered backward, launching into a desperate struggle for survival.
Dain remained calm. He dodged the monster's frenzied attacks with calculated precision.
Dain's blade danced through the air, carving deep gashes into the monster's hide. With each strike, its roars grew weaker, its movements sluggish.
Bang!
In a last-ditch effort, it lunged forward with all its remaining strength—only to meet Dain's terrifying sword strike.
The monster crashed to the ground, blood gushing from its mouth as it breathed its last.
"Huh!"
Dain exhaled sharply, his eyes still locked onto the Feral Monster.
He waited for a few seconds to confirm it was truly dead before stepping closer and touching its thick hide. It was unexpectedly soft to the touch.
'If I could take this out, it would sell for a fortune,' he thought, but quickly shook his head.
Right now, his priority was to find safety and tend to his injuries.
Without hesitation, he cut open the monster's chest and retrieved its soul core. The core was small, about the size of a baby's fist.
Holding the soul core, he grinned.
For a Soul Warrior to grow stronger, they needed to refine many soul cores. With no powerful organization backing him, he had to hunt for his own.
And now, he has taken the first step.
Quickly, he picked up his backpack and left the battle scene.
After walking for half an hour, he spotted a small cave in the distance. Gripping his sword tightly, he approached cautiously.
He stepped inside, careful not to make too much noise. The cave wasn't deep—only a couple of meters in.
Dain inspected the area and, finding no signs of recent activity, breathed a sigh of relief.
He sat down and retracted his Soul Construct.
"Ahh!"
A sharp pain coursed through his body the moment his Soul Construct vanished. His injuries were worse than he had expected.
He opened his backpack and took out a first aid kit. Slowly, he began treating his wounds.
Once he finished, he used his backpack as a pillow and drifted into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, hundreds of Feral Monsters appeared, their eyes burning with fury as they surrounded their fallen kin.
Screech!
Their cries echoed across the desolate land. Quickly, they scattered in search of the perpetrator.
Just then, the ground trembled.
The smaller, rat-like Feral Monsters froze, then cowered in fear.
In an instant, they turned and fled at their greatest speed.
A few seconds later, a group of massive Feral Monsters emerged.
They resembled hippos with tiger-striped skin, towering over three meters tall. Some had four legs, while others had six.
Despite their massive frames, they moved fast, chasing after the rat-like creatures.
"Huh!"
Dain woke from his deep slumber, feeling refreshed and energized. He stretched, then checked his injuries.
Compared to before, they had healed slightly. The pain had lessened.
After eating a small portion of his dry rations, he summoned his Soul Construct and prepared to journey deeper into the Rift.
He had learned his lesson from his previous mistake—he wouldn't repeat it.
Stepping out of the cave, he glanced at the sky. It was still dark, with no sign of daybreak.
Like before, he headed north.
However, he had barely walked a few meters when he noticed something strange—the land ahead was ravaged, fresh signs of battle everywhere.
His heart pounded.
"What happened?" he muttered.
Just then, his Soul Construct sent a message.
[Studying…]
[Detected: Multiple footprints matching the previous monster.]
With confirmation from his Soul Construct, Dain didn't hesitate. He increased his speed.
'I can't stay here any longer.'
He sprinted.
Suddenly, he felt a powerful tremor beneath his feet. His heart skipped a beat.
"I need to change course."
Without hesitation, he picked another direction and rushed to escape whatever was coming.
But it was too late.
Dain had barely moved a few feet when he saw them—a massive horde of monsters locked in a fierce battle.
His stomach twisted.
"I'm fucked!" he cursed.
His Soul Construct sprang into action.
[Studying…]
He raced to escape the battlefield.
Screech!
Suddenly, an ear-piercing cry echoed across the desolate land.
The fighting stopped.
Dain's breath hitched.
"What's going on? Why aren't they fighting?" he muttered as he fled.
A bad feeling settled in his gut.
He turned his head.
All of the monsters' eyes were locked onto him.
"What the hell?!"
His heart pounded violently under their terrifying gazes.
Then, they charged.
Dain turned and ran with everything he had.
'Oh, heavens, faster!' he screamed internally, pushing his body to the limit.
Behind him, he could hear them closing in—fast.
He tried to glance back whenever possible, hoping his Soul Construct could gather more data on them.
[Studying…]
[Insufficient data to analyze…]
[Studying…]
Whoosh!
From the left, a rat-like Feral Monster pounced.
Its sharp maw gleamed under the dark sky, its deadly tails slashing through the air.