Seeing clouds of dust kick up as a fissure approached him with incredible speed, Zeeg Grandest could clearly feel the jolting sensation in his head.
The Ravager Blade+, a great sword lined with sharp retractable fangs and a blade as long as its owner’s height, has been planted on the ground. The boy gripped its handle tightly, using his weapon as an improvised shield.
A mighty roar echoed as a giant shadow burst up from the ground below his feet, its crimson horn striking the great sword. The sheer force caused Zeeg’s hands to go numb as he was knocked back along with the weapon. His back hitting a rock wall, the boy choked from the impact.
He wiped away his tears that has welled up from the pain. In this situation, being able to see is essential. If one were to lose the sight of their target, they could lose their life without even knowing what hit them.
(“Uwah!”)
Following the sound of a roar, the boy could make out the shape of a ma.s.sive tail. It swung in his direction like a spiked club, causing him to roll out of the way.
The strong wind caused by the swing could be felt as it grazed the boy’s armor, made from the scales of the bird wyvern Yian Kut-Ku.
Missing its intended target, the tail instead hit the small carnivore monster Genprey, which snuck in for a blindside attack. The creature was sent flying by the blow, dying instantly upon hitting a rock wall.
Seeing one of their kind meet its end, the other Genpreys let out annoyingly loud cries.
Hunting in packs, the Genpreys have sacs containing paralyzing neurotoxins in their bodies. If one were to be bitten by the monster in the wrong spots, they would be immobilized.
However, they would still retain their consciousness, and will be fully aware when they were being eaten alive.
Definitely not a desirable way to die.
(“Just shut up already!”)
Zeeg blinked repeatedly as he stood up, washing away the dust that got in his eyes with his tears. He rea.s.sured himself that those tears weren’t from fear.
Then, they boy licked his lips once and focused his sight on his prey.
The objective of today’s hunt aren’t small fries like the Genpreys. Those monsters are just here to eat leftovers.
-GIOOOOOOHHHNN!!
An intense roar echoed throughout the area, shaking the ground and the surrounding rock walls.
Zeeg hurriedly leaned his shoulder against his sword and raised his hand to cover his ears.
Even though the roar’s effect isn’t quite as severe as the Genprey’s toxins, one would be stunned for quite a long moment if they don’t cover their ears.
While the atmosphere is still shaking, Zeeg could see his gigantic prey spread its wings, the crimson horn pointed up to the sky.
The length from the tip of its horn to its tail is approximately 20 meters. It has a beak similar to birds, and its collar is like a shield furnished with thorns.
As its whole body is covered in considerably tough sh.e.l.ls, even attacks from a great sword would easily bounce away.
The creature is known as the one horned wyvern Mon.o.blos- a large monster found only in the desert region of the Western Schrade Kingdom.
Like its fellow Blos family monster Diablos, the Mon.o.blos is capable of using its horn to dig and burrow underground.
Even though one could easily know its movement by observing the tremors and dust billows, its attacks are fast and are not easily defended against.
Zeeg got hit with the attack once before, with the First-aid Medicine bottles in his bag shattering when he hit the ground.
There should also be quite a few bruises under his armor.
Right now, Zeeg’s equipment consist of armor made from Yian Kut-Ku materials- Kut-Ku Mail for the torso, Kut-Ku Vambraces for the arms, and Kut-Ku Ta.s.set for the waist- their defensive power aren’t bad at all. The head and legs are equipped respectively with Ioprey Helm and Ioprey Greaves, created from the skin of small carnivore monsters called Ioprey, found commonly in jungles.
However, all that defense didn’t help much when faced with the Mon.o.blos’s power.
“Didn’t I tell you? Spend all your money and materials on weapons, and you’ll end up like this.”
It was like the sarcastic voice of a female party member could be heard, carried by the wind.
Zeeg could only grumble to himself.
(“Enough already, dammit! Is hunting alone supposed to be this tough!?”)
Feeling a presence just below his arm, Zeeg gripped the handle of his Ravager Blade+ and swung the sword to his side. Fangs of steel, lined on the sword’s blade like a saw, cut through a Genprey while it is still in the air, slicing the monster’s body in two.
The acrid scent of blood followed.
Holding his breath so that he wouldn’t inhale the contents of the paralysis sacs that were cut open, Zeeg sheathed his great sword and started running out of the immediate area.
The current location is disadvantageous.
First of all, one has to avoid being driven into a corner. If one were to be stuck between the walls without a way to escape while a Mon.o.blos charged at them, only death awaits.
However, not long after he started running, Zeeg ran out of breath.
Zeeg just remembered it has been quite a long time since he last ate. Excluding the Rations provided at the beginning of the hunt, he hasn’t gotten to eat even a Well-Done Steak for the whole day, and there was no chance to get some sleep either.
His legs completely worn out, Zeeg stopped and just stood there.
-GYAAAH!
Hearing the voice, Zeeg turned around while unsheathing his sword and took a guarding stance. The jumping Genprey landed head first on the weapon, a dull metallic sound echoing as the monster slid to the ground.
Without delay, Zeeg swung his sword down. With the impact, the sword’s fangs dug into the Genprey’s neck and pushed it under the ground just like that.
However, the attack failed to behead the monster.
(“Sharpness is down!?”)
Looking closely, the sword’s blades has started to chip.
The Genprey has ceased all movement, most likely dead from the attack that hit its neck, but there was no way of knowing that it just fainted.
Feeling a tremor, Zeeg turned around to see the Mon.o.blos charging in his direction with incredible speed.
There’s not enough time to dodge!
As if to hide behind a shield, Zeeg raised his great sword in a defensive stance.
A loud impact sounded, with both the joints of his armor and bones in his body seeming to creak, along with the sheer pain that felt like the body has been torn apart.
Feeling a breeze all around, Zeeg quickly realized that he was flying in the clear blue sky.
Flying in the sky- Though he didn’t why or how, it was the only thing his body was sure of.
-GIOOOOOOHHHNN!!
Behind him, the Mon.o.blos’s roar sounded from far below, as if the monster was announcing its victory. Listening to the voice, Zeeg thought back with his barely remaining consciousness to the chain of events that caused him to set out to the hunting grounds alone......