On the way, he also ate some dried meat and bread to fill his stomach. Though it was not that much, for the time being, it would be enough to give him some resources.
The Awakened were different from humans. With the mana stuffed into their bodies, they were stronger than your average human and thus could go more without sleeping, resting, or eating. But that did not mean their bodies did not need those nutrients.
That was actually the inverse. Their bodies needed more nutrients than others, especially if they had used their bodies up to their full potential.
‘This should be enough for now.’
The journey to the cave was uneventful, the landscape gradually changing as he moved deeper into the hills.
The terrain became rockier, the trees thinning out as the ground began to rise. He could feel the exhaustion in his muscles, but he pushed on, driven by the promise of rest.
Finally, Lucavion spotted the entrance to the cave.
It was nestled between two large boulders, the opening partially obscured by thick vines and underbrush.
The cave was well-hidden, just as the notes had said, and it took a sharp eye to notice it from a distance.
Lucavion approached the cave with caution. The cave entrance, partially concealed by thick vines and underbrush, looked inviting enough, but he knew better than to let his guard down.
The notes on the map had been clear: before using the cave as a shelter, it needed to be cleared of any potential threats. It was better to control the traces, ensuring the area was secure before entering.
He paused a few paces from the entrance, crouching low to the ground as he surveyed the area. The forest around him was quiet, the natural sounds of the night masking any potential dangers that might be lurking within the cave.
Lucavion’s eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of recent activity—disturbed foliage, unusual tracks, or the faintest scent of a creature’s presence.
He remained still, listening intently. The wind rustled the leaves above, but aside from that, there was nothing to suggest that anything had entered or exited the cave recently.
Still, he knew that appearances could be deceiving. Especially he was not the type with good eyes. Though his eye for battle was good, he was not that exceptional when it came to seeing these types of signs.
Monsters in this forest had a way of blending into their surroundings, hiding their presence until it was too late.
Lucavion reached for his estoc, drawing the slender blade silently from its sheath. The familiar weight of the weapon in his hand was reassuring, a reminder that he was prepared for whatever might come.
With the blade ready, he carefully approached the cave entrance, moving silently and with deliberate steps.
He reached out with his free hand, gently pushing aside the vines that obscured the entrance. The interior of the cave was dark, the faint moonlight only penetrating a few feet inside.
‘No movement… no vibrations…’ he noted his senses on high alert. Still, he wasn’t going to take any chances.
He concentrated for a moment, spreading his senses out in a mana pulse. The mana pulse spread out, flowing into the cave and beyond. Lucavion closed his eyes, focusing on the feedback from the pulse.
For a moment, there was nothing but the sensation of the mana echoing back to him. But then, he felt it—a faint presence, deep within the cave, moving slowly, almost lethargically.
‘There’s something in there,’ Lucavion thought, his grip tightening on the hilt of his estoc. The presence was weak, likely not a significant threat, but it was still there. He couldn’t afford to ignore it.
He stepped back from the entrance, considering his options. The creature inside the cave wasn’t moving much, suggesting that it might be asleep or otherwise dormant.
That gave him the advantage—if he could approach it quietly, he might be able to dispatch it without much of a struggle.
With that, he tried to erase his presence as much as he could, though he was not sure if he was successful. ‘In the end, if there is going to be a fight, so be it,’ he thought inwardly.
The air inside was cool and still, the scent of earth and stone filling his nostrils. Lucavion moved deeper, his footsteps silent on the cave floor.
As he advanced, he could feel the presence more clearly—a small creature curled up in a shallow depression in the far corner of the cave.
It was roughly the size of a large dog, its breathing slow and rhythmic.
His grip on the estoc tightened, and he adjusted his stance, preparing for a quick, lethal strike.
The creature’s slow, rhythmic breathing suggested it was asleep, but Lucavion knew better than to assume it was unaware of his presence.
The wilderness was a place where even the most subtle of movements could mean the difference between life and death.
He positioned himself over the creature, the tip of his blade aimed directly at what he assumed was its heart.
SWOOSH!
With a silent breath, he prepared to strike, his muscles tensing as he prepared to deliver a precise and fatal blow.
But just as he began to bring the blade down, the creature’s eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the darkness.
‘Huh?’
In an instant, it sensed the danger, its body tensing as it began to move. Lucavion’s estoc plunged downward, but the creature’s sudden movement threw off his aim.
STAB!
The blade pierced the creature’s side, missing its heart by mere inches.
The creature let out a sharp, pained cry, a mix of surprise and agony, as it twisted away from Lucavion, its instincts driving it to escape the threat.
“Tch. It did not die.”
Lucavion cursed under his breath, quickly withdrawing his estoc and stepping back to reassess the situation.
The creature was injured, its blood dark and thick as it seeped from the wound, but it was far from incapacitated. It scrambled to its feet, now fully alert and driven by a desperate need to survive.
The dim light inside the cave revealed more of the creature’s features: it was a feral beast with matted and coarse fur, its eyes glowing with a mix of fear and aggression.
‘A cat?’
He thought to himself as he saw the creature.
“Grrrr…..”
Its teeth bared in a snarl.
‘This beast…..it looks more intelligent than the Chimpanzees…..Why does it give such a vibe?’
Lucavion felt an unsettling sensation wash over him as he locked eyes with the beast. There was something different about this creature—something that made him hesitate, if only for a fraction of a second.
The intelligence in its eyes was unmistakable, and the anger and aggression radiating from it were palpable.
‘Why do I feel this way…?’ Lucavion wondered, his grip tightening on his estoc. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not now.
SWOOSH!
The creature, despite its injury, was quick. It lunged at him with a burst of speed that caught Lucavion off guard, its sharp claws slashing through the air.
SWOOSH!
Lucavion sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the beast was relentless. It darted around him, moving with a fluidity that belied its size, its growls low and menacing.
Lucavion swung his estoc, aiming for a quick, lethal strike, but the beast evaded each attempt with an agility that was almost supernatural. Every time his blade cut through the air, it met nothing but empty space, the creature slipping just out of reach.
“Grrrr…..” The beast growled, its eyes never leaving Lucavion. There was a depth of emotion in its gaze that unnerved him—a mix of fury, pain, and something else, something he couldn’t quite identify. freewebnvel.com
The creature lashed out again, this time catching Lucavion off guard. Its claws raked across his arm, tearing through his clothes and skin.
“Urghk-!”
He grunted in pain but quickly recovered, stepping back to reassess the situation. Blood trickled down his arm, the sting of the wound sharp and immediate.
‘This is no ordinary beast,’ Lucavion thought, his mind racing. ‘But I can’t let it end like this.’
The beast lunged at him once more, its teeth gnashing as it tried to land another blow. Lucavion’s movements were precise, and each step was calculated as he dodged the attack, but he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. The beast was too quick, too determined.
He needed to end this now.
Lucavion’s eyes narrowed, his resolve hardening as he channeled his mana into the estoc. The blade began to glow faintly, the starlight gathering at its tip, shimmering with an otherworldly light.
「Void Starfall Blade. Star Needle.」
With a swift motion, Lucavion unleashed the technique. The estoc shot forward, its tip glowing with concentrated starlight, moving faster than the eye could follow. The strike was precise, aimed directly at the creature’s heart.
The beast, sensing the danger, tried to evade, but the speed of the attack was too much. The estoc pierced through its chest, the starlight searing through flesh and bone with unerring accuracy.
“SCREECH!”
The beast let out a final, pained cry as the starlight consumed it from within. Just as Lucavion was about to supply more energy to the strike, suddenly, he heard something.
[GERALD?]
In an instant, he stopped.
———————–
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