34 - The Predator’s Folly
Chapter 34 - The Predator's Folly
The atmosphere was unusually still, as if the entire forest had paused its breath. Leaves rustled gently, brushing against each other like whispered secrets, but nothing stirred. James stood there—motionless, focused, and alert. His eyes redden with blood still locked directly onto the glowing, deep amber eyes of the creature before him: a Murphy Musk Deer. Not just any deer—this one was special. It didn't flinch. It didn't blink. It stared back, its pupils narrowing slightly, as if daring James to make the move .
And then James vanished.
In a split second, the air cracked. A gust of wind blasted through the grass, and before the deer could even register what had happened, it felt weight—real weight—on its head. James had used the momentum of his jump and twisted his body upside down mid-air, landing squarely atop the creature with one hand pressed against its antlers.
Without pausing, he coiled his leg and used the full torque of his waist to launch a crushing kick directly at the deer's skull.
Crack.
The sound wasn't loud—but it was sharp. A faint fracture formed along the deer's skull. Its eyes wavered, and its stance began to falter. It stumbled sideways, dizzy, its breath shallow.
James didn't stop.
In fact, the sight of the disoriented deer brought back a lesson Moon had once drilled into him: "If you want to finish a beast quickly, break its balance. Even the strongest legs can't hold up a confused mind."
James had laughed when Moon first said that.
"Bro, it's a four-legged beast. You expect me to trip it like a drunk human?"
[Many of you wondering how moon know this much about hunting when he had fought only 2 battles before against essence creature and the reason is because Moon and Every child from Alhuwalia clan has been trained from age 3 to become hunter with high tech technology , discipline and strictness . ]
But right now, that wisdom made sense. The Murphy Musk Deer was already unstable from the blow, and James could feel the opportunity staring him in the face.
With a deep breath, James focused the wind elemental energy in his palms. A concentrated sphere of pressurized air began to form, humming quietly as it spun faster and faster. He thrust it forward—directly into the beast's ribs.
Boom!
The impact lifted the deer off the ground slightly before it crashed back down with a violent thud. Dust kicked up, and the sound echoed across the silent trees.
The creature didn't move.
James stepped back cautiously, scanning the body. Nothing.
He exhaled. Finally. He could sit.
And so he did. On the rough ground, he dropped to his knees, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and collapsed backward into the dirt. His body was sore. His chest was heaving.
He forgot something.
System Notification: You have slain a Murphy Musk Deer.
It didn't come.
The next moment happened faster than his brain could react. A blur of muscle and fury leapt at him. Before James could roll away, a brutal slam struck his abdomen. The front leg of the deer—twisted, broken, and flailing with violent strength—landed right on his gut.
Pain shot through his body. This wasn't just a hit. It was the hardest strike James had ever taken.
He spat out blood. His eyes were wide.
Before he could recover, he saw it—the deer, now even more distorted, more primal, regenerating one of its horns with a shrill, cracking sound. It didn't just grow back—it sharpened. Razor-thin. Blade-like.
And then it launched it.
James was still lying on his back. Every part of him screamed to move, but his body resisted. Still, his instincts kicked in. He raised both arms and caught the horn mid-air.
It tore into his palms. Blood dripped rapidly.
"Aghhhh!" James screamed, the pain like liquid fire.
He was losing strength. The horn pushed deeper. His arms trembled. Desperate, he pushed through the agony, forcing his fingers to wrap tighter around the horn—and in a wild, savage act—he jabbed his thumb directly into the creature's eye.
Pop.
The deer howled. James didn't stop. He twisted.
The beast lunged forward in rage. James allowed it to come close. Then, channeling the last bit of strength he had, he gripped its fur, braced his feet on its chest, and used his whole body to spin .
360 degrees , it was so fast that the deer's remaining body can't even move but his whole head.
A violent flip.
The gaping wound in the deer's side tore open further. Blood spurted everywhere.
Thud.
The beast finally collapsed.
System Notification:
> You have slain a Murphy Musk Deer.
>You have gained 5 Fighter-level Essence Points.
James didn't cheer.
He barely breathed.
In his head, he murmured, "If Moon sir were here… he'd be laughing like a psycho right now. Crazy guy would probably twist the whole damn deer into origami."
And then everything went black, BUT He didn't let it , instead he use every ounce of his will to get to Kai.
---
Present Time
Kai was pacing. His brows furrowed.
"Why the hell is James taking so long to kill a rookie-level essence beast?" he muttered.
Before he could overthink more, he heard footsteps—three pairs.
He turned.
His eyes widened. Ruby and Minji, standing behind him, looked equally stunned. Walking toward them, slowly, James emerged from the trees.
No, he wasn't walking.
He was dragging something.
With a heavy grunt, James flung the massive, bloodied corpse of the Murphy Musk Deer toward them—and immediately collapsed face-first on the ground.
Minji didn't waste a second. Light element energy swirled around her palms as she rushed to his side.
"Heal him. Now," Kai said, quietly but firmly.
---
One Hour Later
James slowly opened his eyes. The world was blurry. His body felt like it had been hit by a mountain. Everything hurt.
But he was alive.
Barely.
Jake was the first to notice him stirring and gently helped him sit up, offering him water.
"You're awake," Minji said softly. Her face looked worried, but there was relief in her eyes.
"The injuries… they've healed," she added, smiling slightly. "Technically, you're fine now. You can go and kill another one of those deer if you want."
A chuckle escaped James's lips. James laughed—just a little. The tension in the air broke like ice under warmth.
Ruby knelt down beside him.
"What happened out there?"
James took a deep breath and began explaining everything.
[James explained everything: his strategy, his panic, the moment of pain, and finally, the win. Add flashbacks of Moon's and Kai's advice, and minor comic thoughts like imagining Moon doing WWE moves on the beast.]
When he finished, there was a long silence.
Minji finally spoke, "It's not that rare, actually. Some Morphy beasts power up through enchanted stones instead of natural growth. They trick prey by acting weak—then strike with hidden skills."
Ruby added, "Beasts conservatively evolve by eating other beasts, or by consuming special fruits hidden deep inside the Expanse."
Then Kai silently handed James a plate.
On it was well-cooked, seasoned meat—the same Murphy Musk Deer.
"You earned this," he said.
James didn't speak. He just ate.
Slowly.
While chewing, he opened his system panel.
Essence Points:
Rookie: 79/150
Fighter: 11/150
Professional: 0/150
King: 0/150
Saint: 0/150
He let out a soft, satisfied hum.
And took another bite.
[Scene fades out with a warm fire, small jokes between the squad, James holding his stomach but laughing anyway, and the group preparing for their next step.]
To be continued….