Derrick was walking forward with confidence, staying alert and wondering from where the enemy would attack. He was stark naked and had no defense whatsoever. A single misstep would be his end. The only thing he could hear was his heartbeat and footsteps.*Thu-Thump* *Thu-Thump* *Thu-Thump*
It was beating faster and faster, but it wasn"t from fear, it was from pure excitement. Hunting was a thrilling experience. He loved fighting when it wasn"t too one-sided because the adrenaline would rush in his blood.
It was an addictive experience. Meanwhile, the reptile was hidden in the shadows, not emitting any sound or heat. The valley seemed to be at a standstill, like a calm ocean before a storm. Io was diligently watching Derricks" rear, hidden in his shadow, waiting for the opportunity to strike. A few meters in front of him, he spotted a fallen piece of stalact.i.te on the ground and took it.
"Better than nothing!"
He continued walking forward and descended in a U-shaped depression. It was the perfect bait to lure it out. With practically no way out, he was like a sitting duck.
"Come out you b.a.s.t.a.r.d... I know you"ve been watching for a while..."
Derrick had been feeling an apprehensive gaze for quite some time. It had slowly turned icy and malicious as if he was a lamb in a slaughterhouse. He knew the reptile was about to make its move.
"Get ready Io, we"re about to have some fun!"
Derrick"s pupils narrowed and his muscles were gorged with oxygenated blood. Io also got excited and the shadow was slightly trembling. Suddenly, two large emerald eyes appeared in the darkness and a long slender tongue exploded in the direction of Derrick. It had rows of sharp inverted bones designed to ensnare its preys.
"HERE WE GO!!! COME AT ME YOU UGLY f.u.c.kER!!!"
Derrick sprinted forward, armed of his broken stone pike. A split-second after the tongue reached, he dove over it and using all his weight, thrust forward to impale it in one fell-swoop. His poor timing caused his right shoulders" flesh to be mercilessly ripped apart.
*SCREECH*
The chameleon let out an ear-piercing cry while black blood was spurting everywhere, covering Derricks" entire body.
""IO, IT"S YOUR TURN! GO FOR IT!!!""
As if acting like a portal, Derricks" shadow let out a creature that flew straight at the reptile, with no other thought than ripping it apart. The Nightmare Bat, covered in black mist, blazed across the darkness with its s.h.i.+ning red eyes and lacerated the poor chameleons" face while it continued to shriek like a dying pig.
The two beasts fought for a few minutes before the chameleon fell, reduced to a sorry state. Its eyes were missing, its tongue was ripped apart and it missed 2 limbs. It was still lucky to be alive.
""Enough Io... It"s my turn...""
While holding his shoulder, Derrick walked forward and looked at the beast in front of him.
""You thought I was an easy prey... I"ll not let you die that easily...""
His eyes were burning with rage and his face contorted in a devilish way. He grabbed a sharp stone from the ground and kept walking in the direction of the wounded animal. The reptile body kept crawling forward, sensing imminent danger and was letting out small cries, imploring mercy.
Derrick arrived next to the creature and ruthlessly stabbed in Io"s previous inflicted wounds, carving out its skin from its twitching muscles. The dark blood kept gus.h.i.+ng out everywhere until the already weakened heart finally gave out. Silence returned to the cave, giving the impression that the fight never occurred.
While crafting his equipment, a prompt suddenly appeared in Derricks" consciousness.
[You have developed the skill : Craftsman! Every weapon you make will have a higher chance of granting abilities! This skill will evolve with its users" growth]
""That"s it! We"re getting somewhere now...""
After a few hours of labor, he was done.
""Let"s see what we have here! System, appraise the weapon and armor I made""
After butchering the entirety of the animal and using the most useful parts, Derrick finally had food, clothes, armor, a weapon and a bag. At his dismay, he wasn"t able to create a saddle for Io, which hurt him more than he wanted to admit.
[Sorrow of Furcifers" Lance]
[Grade : Unique]
[Attack Power : 3.0]
[Abilities : Stealth Hit (Able to disappear from sight in combat, allowing for faints and deceit)]
[Description : Made out of the bones of a Dark Furcifer Pardalis. The torture it received while it was alive granted the bones one of its innate abilities]
[Pardalis Vengeful Armor]
[Grade : Unique]
[Defensive Power : 3.0]
[Abilities : Camouflage (Allows its user to disappear from sight if the user"s slowly or not moving), Cold Blood (Allows its user to conceal his heat)]
[Description : Skin of a Dark Furcifer Pardalis repurposed into armor. With its strong desire for revenge, the beasts" skin evolved, keeping its abilities even after death]
""I"ve done well! These items are insane to hunt and ambush monsters. We might have to reevaluate what we do next. Hunting the remaining ent.i.ties in the cave has become an option for us""
After the fight, Derrick decided to set up camp and rest. He had to nurse his injury, or he would throw his life away. The harsh conditions allowed no mistakes. He was lucky his body was st.u.r.dy and healed fast.
""This cave really has nothing... No vegetation of any kind, no wood... That means no fire too. Guess I"m going to have to eat the raw meat of that lizard... Although I don"t really need to, I"m sure it would help me heal a little faster at least""
In his bag, he grabbed a medium-sized skin pouch and laid it bare on the floor. Copious amounts of red meat appeared, and he couldn"t help but salivate a little. The smell was also quite enjoyable. It had been awhile since he had eaten anything substantial. He just hoped it would be tasty.
""Here goes nothing!""
After getting a mouthful and swallowing it whole, another prompt appeared in his consciousness.
[Ingestion of raw Dark Furcifer Pardalis meat... Hosts" abilities are being enhanced! Recalculating...]
A warm feeling suddenly erupted from his stomach and rushed in his entire body. The ma.s.sive amount of energy caught him unprepared, and he fainted on the spot. After a few hours, he woke up with a small headache. Io was still standing guard like a loyal soldier.
""System, what the h.e.l.l just happened?!""
[Hosts stats have all increased! Would you like to see the result?]