Ch 31: Blood and Feathers

Slash… thud.

The boar-like beast collapsed at my feet, its breath rattling out in one final huff.

Dead.

I stepped back, chest heaving, blood cooling fast on my blade.

Damn thing was tougher than I expected. Still just the outer zone, and it already had me winded.

I dropped onto a nearby rock, pulled out my canteen, and took a long swig. The water wasn't cold, but it tasted like victory—or at least survival.

Today's solo hunt had been my idea. Since we were still near the forest's edge, Kael allowed it. Convincing Lira, on the other hand, was like arguing with a sword that insisted on hugging you.

I glanced at the corpse. My first kill.

And I felt... nothing.

No thrill. No regret. Just a quiet, unfamiliar stillness.

Didn't bother me. Maybe it was better this way.

I stood and moved deeper into the brush. Still in the peripheral area, where the weakest beasts lingered.

In Elaris, the hierarchy was simple:Beast → Monster → Devil.A beast that hit Master level was called a monster. Grandmaster level? That was devil territory.

A rabbit out here could become a dragon if it ate enough protein and hit the gym twice a day.

I was still thinking about that when instinct screamed.

Left!

I twisted and raised my blade just in time—steel clanged against claws.

Sparrow-like creatures circled above—if sparrows had serrated beaks, black eyes, and a murderous agenda.

One dove.

I dodged—barely. Its claws raked across my upper arm, pain flaring hot and fast.

Damn it.

I sprinted, boots crunching leaves, and dove behind a boulder. Another bird zipped past my head, too close.

These weren't here to scare. They were here to kill.

I grabbed a rock and hurled it—clipped a wing. The beast crashed into the underbrush. The others shrieked and swarmed.

I dashed to another rock, ducking low as one slashed across my ribs—just a graze, but it stung like fire.

No more mistakes.

I pivoted and smashed another rock straight into a bird mid-dive. It dropped hard. Another screamed past as I ducked.

Then it turned feral.

One came head-on—I met it in the air, sword swinging like a bat.

CRACK.

It shattered into two midair.

Two more dived. I ran for the biggest boulder, shoved it into a tilt, then crouched behind it, heart pounding.

They came too fast to stop.

They slammed into the angled stone—bone snapped, feathers exploded. One twitched.

I finished it with my boot.

Silence.

I stood still, breathing hard. Shirt torn. Shoulder bleeding. Side scraped.

But I was standing.

Then—Footsteps.

Kael.

Of course.

"You here to congratulate me?" I muttered.

"No," he said, stepping into view. "Just here to remind you that killing a few bottom-tier beasts doesn't make you strong."

I didn't reply. Muscles still tense from the fight.

"You bled. You lost control. If they were even a grade higher, you'd be dead."

He turned to leave, then paused.

"And next time—don't waste energy playing with your food."

Then he vanished into the trees.

I stared after him, jaw tight.

When did this lazy smartass turn into a strict-ass?

A few days ago, Kael was sleepwalking through missions. Now he sounded like a war general.

Still...

I looked at the bodies around me. Blood. Feathers. Cracked bone.

He wasn't wrong.

I wiped my blade clean and sheathed it.

Let him watch. Let them all watch.

I'll show them what I'm made of.

With that dramatic declaration, I turned and headed back toward the inn.

What? You expected me to charge into the core to prove myself? I'm not high right now.

Halfway back, I heard something—rustling, deliberate movement.

Curious, I crept toward the sound.

And there he was—Elric.

Alone.

Hunting rabbit-like beasts with drill-like horns jutting from their foreheads. Fast, erratic creatures—but he was cutting them down with cold precision.

I blinked.

This fucker's already here?

Did losing to Seraphine mess him up that badly?

I figured he'd fast-forward his journey a bit—especially since, unlike in the novel, he didn't dominate the tournament. But I didn't expect him to be this far ahead already.

Still.

No point worrying.

I'll handle him—one way or another.

The elixir can only be mine.