Chapter 41

Moving through the thicket was a simple task. Even if the wild belonged entirely to nature and its tendency to create dangerous monsters and plants, it was not all that difficult to avoid life-threatening situations–if one didn’t run around like a rhino in heat. Neither Björn nor Eren were trying all too hard to keep their voices down. Even though Eren had been more vigilant at first, being around Björn brought out sides of him Hakon would have preferred to keep sealed shut.

The sounds they created should have been more than enough to attract monsters, but none attacked. Astrid pointed out a few lone predators stalking across the wide tree branches hanging overhead. Hakon located a few more monsters roaming around. However, the difference in strength was enough to force them into retreat.

As mindless and ferocious as monsters were, their senses were advanced enough to recognize a losing battle when they saw one.

Since no monster bothered the group, it should have been easy enough to reach the deeper and more dangerous parts of the forest. Alas, avoiding the most dangerous plants using [Inspection] while making sure not to mention them to anyone was a nuisance. Still, it was necessary considering the way everyone reacted when Hakon first mentioned poisonous plants. It would have been ridiculous if it hadn’t also been so annoying.

Their reasoning was sound: they wanted to grow stronger and learn and improve [Poison Resistance] as quickly as they could. However, they could have done that later, after the hunt.

But it was neither Eren nor Björn’s attitude toward the poisonous plants that frustrated him most. Astrid was the most irritating. She continued to munch on the plants, marveling at their taste and texture. Björn, being the fool he was, had to try a bite, resulting in him losing consciousness.

At least Eren had been smart enough to avoid that particular plant after seeing what it did to a Barbarian at the 1st Ascension.

Working around his team’s behavior and their repeated loss of consciousness, Hakon watched out for enemies. When Astrid told him she would wake up Björn and protect the group, he left and merged with the surroundings, using [Silent Steps] and [Stealth].

Roaming the wild without anyone slowing him down made everything easier. Hakon smoothly wove through the thicket, ignoring some plants with weak poison even as their thorns scraped across his skin, and searched for their first targets.

When he didn’t find anything after a quick search in their immediate surroundings, Hakon used [Tracking] for the first time since his return from the Overflowing Fracture. His proficiency was nowhere near as high as it could have been, but his perception spread out as he activated a few more Skills. Bursts of [Mana Sense] and [Sensory Expansion] helped him find the tracks of a few monsters. He found a disturbance in the mana nearby and looked up to see a leaf-furred panther skulking toward him.

It was deadly silent and pounced at him as soon as he looked up, but it was already too late. Pumping mana through his veins, Hakon jumped into action. Clutching Crusher tightly, he swung it around. No special Skills were required, as Crusher’s flat side barreled toward the target, hitting it square in the side.

The monster’s bones let out a series of overlapping cracks as they caved in. A moment later, the panther no longer leaped at him. It was flung through the air and crashed into a nearby tree trunk.

The tree creaked and its bark shattered as the monster smashed into it, but that was all. The panther thudded motionlessly to the ground.

“I offer you thy body. Its blood shed in your name.” Hakon intonated, sacrificing the monster carcass to the Ancestors.

Nothing happened at first, making him wonder if the beast had somehow survived, but it soon dissolved into blue mist. Turning back to the task at hand, Hakon searched for their first true target. A target worth hunting.

It took him a little longer to find what they were looking for, but the clearing was exactly what they needed. Towering trees blocked the view behind the river slicing through the back of the clearing, but Hakon saw enough to return.

[Proficiency gained. [Tracking Lv.4] improved to [Tracking Lv.5]]

[Proficiency gained. [Tracking Lv.5] improved to [Tracking Lv.6]]

[Proficiency gained. [Tracking Lv.6] improved to [Tracking Lv.7]]

[Proficiency gained. [Silent Steps Lv.7] improved to [Silent Steps Lv.8]]

[Proficiency gained. [Silent Steps Lv.8] improved to [Silent Steps Lv.9]]

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[Proficiency gained. [Stealth Lv.3] improved to [Stealth Lv.4]]

[Proficiency gained. [Stealth Lv.4] improved to [Stealth Lv.5]]

[Proficiency gained. [Inspection Lv.6] improved to [Inspection Lv.7]]

[Proficiency gained. [Inspection Lv.7] improved to [Inspection Lv.8]]

As pleasant as the Scriptures displaying his improvements were, they started to get on his nerves–not because he did not acknowledge the Ancestors’ rewards, but because the Scriptures blocked his view too often these days.

Some Skills were hard to Level, which made their Scriptures all the more valuable, but other Skills like [Reading], [Running], and many others were much easier to Level. That included [Tracking], but also Skills like [Throwing].