Triopals
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Chapter 21
🕑 Added 2024-10-30 14:31:15 +0000 UTCNathan slumped to the ground, his body completely drained. He hadn't had time to check PsiLink's information about the types of monsters in Moirath Forest. If he had, things wouldn't have gone so badly. Initially, he'd only planned to gather materials to make some rope, then follow the stream to find Ripple Hunters for leather bags. Thinking it would be simple, he'd grown careless and gotten caught in the Strangler Vine's toxic slime.
The Venom Hornets and Hunger Moths, after realizing they were being baited, had departed. They'd lingered near the two Blood Thirster corpses, but the scent of blood from the higher-tier monsters seemed to frighten them away.
Alone in the clearing, Nathan waited for his bleeding to stop. When he felt he could move acceptably despite the lingering pain, he stood up to collect his spoils.
After some fumbling, he managed to extract the male Blood Thirster's pincers. He used them to cut off all the parts at their joints. He returned to the Strangler Vine's location, using his knife to harvest it cleanly. Back at the battlefield, he tied the mantis monster's corpse into a bundle. Not forgetting to gather the broken shells of the Burrower Herds, he completed his task.
Tossing his clothes on top, he bent down to place the pile on his back to carry it back to the stream. The total weight exceeded his own by several dozen pounds, yet he could move rather freely, without strain or exhaustion. He still didn't realize this was due to his breakthrough in physical cultivation.
Back at the stream, Nathan immediately plunged into the water. He greeted several Ripple Hunters like old friends. At least these fish were more docile than the creatures he'd encountered today. This time, he was more skilled, able to jump and dodge the Ripple Hunters' bites. They eventually left after three of their companions lay gasping on the shore.
Nathan let himself float in the current, allowing the water to wash away the blood and sweat from his body. When only bruises remained on his body rather than grime, he washed his clothes. His once-proud inner sect uniform was now in tatters, but it remained serviceable.
Lunch passed quickly with grilled fish. He was too exhausted to try different cooking methods, despite [Cooking] providing him with a long list of options for soup, steaming, and frying.
After resting briefly, he moved on to his main task. He took out the male Blood Thirster's pincer and began sawing the female's pincers into smaller pieces. Due to previous damage, the process went fairly quickly. Then, he continued sawing through the outer shell, leaving only the monster's blade. Thus, from the female's pincers, he had three small blades, suitable for short-range attacks and daily tools.
Taking his new blades, he performed the same process with the male's pincer, creating a long blade suitable for exploration and medium-range combat. Setting his weapons aside, he began crafting armor for himself.
Fortunately, the male Blood Thirster's chest plate remained intact, so after drilling a few holes, he had a chest piece for himself. He ground and filed the other shell pieces to fit his arms and legs. After spending additional time binding everything with vines, his armor was finally complete.
Looking at his reflection in the stream, he couldn't suppress a proud smile.
Not bad, he thought to himself.
Only when thirsty did Nathan remember his original purpose for the day. He walked around, searching for a tree that PsiLink indicated would have sufficient sap and resin for harvesting. He wanted to find Iron Bark, but this monster didn't seem to be nearby. Its materials would have been far superior.
Adapting to what he had, he collected sap and resin in a relatively intact shell from the Burrower Herd. At his camp, he spread out the fragments he'd gathered earlier, combining them with sap and resin to create a temporary water container. The finished product looked quite ugly and uneven, but he didn't care, setting the container out in the sun.
By the time he finished crafting, the sun was setting. He decided not to go anywhere else but stay at his spot for dinner, cultivation, and study. He needed to analyze the monsters around him and form a preliminary plan.
Blood Thirster meat was edible according to [Cooking]'s repository, but he ignored it. Processing its slimy meat required too many steps and ingredients. It would be delicious, sure, but he couldn't make it now. So it was discarded to avoid attracting unwanted visitors. The crispy Ripple Hunter meat remained his true love.
Essence from the meat and his body's reserves began their assault on every corner of his body. Having experience from before, he could control the process better now. During cultivation, he realized how wasteful he'd been. Blood Thirsters were rated as Phase 4 to Phase 5 monsters, meaning their essence content was very high compared to his needs, yet he'd discarded most of it.
When he finished cultivating, he sensed he'd crossed halfway, reaching Tier 1 Phase 2.5. He smiled sardonically, mocking himself. It had taken him two years to reach Phase 2.5 on the Spirit Cultivation path. Yet in far less time, he'd achieved the same level in Physical Cultivation. Though he knew physical cultivation was easier at this stage, it still made him understand he hadn't chosen wrong.
He climbed a tree and began browsing PsiLink. When his mind grew weary, he knew what he needed to do. His preliminary direction would be to find the Vermilion Ape territory.
Upon waking, his spirit felt refreshed. His front teeth hadn't fully recovered, having only sprouted slightly. The lack of growth-promoting medicines was truly a problem that needed solving. That was why finding the Vermilion Ape territory was part of his plans. To endure and hunt longer, he needed to control his injuries. Blood Moss wasn't a bad choice. [Titan's Descendant] made it almost impossible for him to die from blood loss, but losing combat ability was still possible. With its ability to increase blood clotting speed and reduce pain, Blood Moss would be a crucial ingredient for emergency situations. Moreover, Vermilion Ape meat possessed similar properties. The issue was that the monster had to be enraged before killing it, something Nathan wasn't ready to attempt yet.
His remaining objectives were precious herbs containing essence. These were the main ingredients for medicines like 'Initial Advancing Pill' meant for beginning cultivators. They were usually grown and cared for by organizations or harvested from natural locations like Moirath Forest.
Nathan now understood why Cultivators rarely hunted Tier 1 monsters, collected essence, and used mana stones to cultivate. Too dangerous. At the same tier, monsters were always more dangerous. At Tier 2, hunting Tier 1 monsters became easy, but facing Tier 2 monsters repeated the old pattern, always requiring caution. The guides on PsiLink constantly emphasized hunting in groups rather than foolishly going alone. Nathan was careful, worried about many things, but he had a heaven-damned master. Now running wasn't an option; even if he reached the forest's edge, Darkan would just throw him back in.
To increase his survival chances, Nathan spent 1,000 credits on 5 skill rolls, leaving 511 credits in reserve. The goal of eliminating [Bad Mouth] remained, but cursing at monsters in the forest wouldn't harm his life any more than it already was.
You received [Tingling Sense], [Improved Pattern Recognition], [Living Resistor], [Random Talent], [Quick Feet]
The skills were quite ordinary, nothing too breakthrough as he'd predicted beforehand. However, [Quick Feet] seemed useful enough with its ability to increase leg movement speed when attacked. With no upgrade path, he wondered why this was so, but the system selection didn't answer.
[Living Resistor] simply increased electrical resistance. Thus, he wouldn't have to worry about yesterday's Mist Eels anymore. Most importantly, he could consider the special area of Moirath Forest where electric-type monsters gathered, attracting frequent lightning strikes. For this reason, materials from this area were very valuable. If he could find a Lightning Iron Bark mutation, he could obtain the wood required for the missions he'd accepted before departing.
[Tingling Sense]
Description: Can detect hidden dangers and those who mask their strength. Intensity increases with threat level.
He couldn't help but think of his "friendly neighborhood" web-slinger when receiving this skill. Remembering yesterday's cuts, he felt somewhat more secure possessing this detection ability. Especially since it could detect higher-tier threats. Monsters, like humans, could appear harmless while harboring devastating power.
[Random Talent] was like [Bad Mouth], nothing more than an entertainment skill.
Your talent today is Singing. You'll sing better than usual.
Recalling some songs from his previous world, he tried singing. He played back the recording from PsiLink for the most objective assessment, since everyone usually thinks they sing well. The result surprised him; his typically embarrassing voice was now resonant and smooth. He saved the recording to send to Zeryn later, then set out.
The map guide indicated a Vermilion Ape gathering to the north, so Nathan followed that direction. He moved very carefully, applying lessons learned from the past two days. Two upgraded knives from the Blood Thirster flanked his sides.
He encountered a Crystal Mauler during his reconnaissance and marked its location. Currently, he hadn't devised a viable strategy to kill a Crystal Mauler. The monster possessed a Tier 1 Phase 8 level, so he'd save it for later.
Taking a detour, he avoided the Crystal Mauler. Along the way, he collected various medicinal herbs: Sun Leaf for pain relief, Earth Tongue in case he needed to extract poison, some Stream Star to clean wounds. Most importantly, Shadow Sprout, to reduce the swelling from his Venom Hornet-stung body. His face this morning was rounder than a ball. The previous night's venom had seemed suppressed by his constitution, but by morning it had erupted as if breaking free from restraint. This appeared to be his body's defense mechanism, as neither pain nor high fever manifested—only his appearance bore the full impact.
Thickets passed by him, and the monsters who spotted a human in their territory mostly just glanced over without acting rashly. The Blood Thirster armor Nathan wore served as a warning not to mess with him.
Near noon, about six kilometers from his campsite, Nathan found his target.
From afar, he could see a Vermilion Ape resting on a high branch. Its golden-orange fur gleamed in the sunlight against nature's green backdrop, making it even more resplendent. Its eyes possessed golden pupils, with two white streaks like scars extending from its nose to chin. Standing, it would match Nathan's height. Its arms looked magnificent, muscles rippling in layers upon layers. Though its legs were short, the thigh muscles promised no hindrance when quick movement was required.
Nathan swallowed hard. He was about to provoke these devils. Among monster tribes, Vermilion ranked mid-tier in danger, which had made him deliberate for a very long time. Other monsters couldn't provide the materials he needed. Two-horned Boars were only good for meat. Spine Wolves with their sturdy back bones would have been suitable for armor if he hadn't encountered the Blood Thirster. The only alternative to Vermilion Ape was the Healing Slug, a monster so difficult to find it drove one mad, being nearly identical to other slugs. Going too far east led to the lightning zone, while west would lead to an even more chaotic ecosystem of poison and flesh-cutting winds. Clearly, Darkan hadn't been completely cruel when throwing him into one of Moirath Forest's most beginner-friendly locations.
Unable to think of alternatives, he stuck to his original plan. He retreated, finding a tree to climb for better observation. As he'd thought, not far from the first Vermilion Ape was a gathering of monsters. Some played chase, some rested, while several pairs fought for leadership. Their blood splattered onto the ground. Nathan could see Blood Moss growing abundantly around tree roots, nourished by the blood of these monsters who fought daily. To them, it was merely a snack, so the plant remained plentiful rather than over-consumed.
Behind this rowdy group was an area Nathan guessed to be the Vermilion Apes' sacred ground. Larger-than-average specimens stood guard at the perimeter. Inside, guards patrolled back and forth, using trees to conceal a small lake.
Nathan deduced it was Crimson Lotus, one of the essence-rich medicinal herbs with outstanding quality specifically for Physical Cultivation. As Darkan had said, Spirit Cultivators could use these materials but wouldn't fully utilize their benefits. Once he used it, it would not only accelerate cultivation speed but also have almost no side effects, slightly improving his blood quality.
Licking his lips covetously, he abandoned his dreams of Crimson Lotus. That was a task for future Nathan; now, he had to figure out how to collect that Blood Moss.
Jumping down from the tree, Nathan carefully looked around. When he detected no Vermilion Apes watching, he moved to another hiding spot. This way, he peacefully approached the monsters' territory. Peeking over the rock he was hiding behind, he saw the Blood Moss glowing red to his right, just behind a Vermilion Ape lying down, absently picking its nose.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan prepared himself mentally before advancing. He crept across the damp ground to avoid unnecessary noise. The shoes woven from Strangler Vine remnants helped considerably in reducing his footsteps' sound.
Nathan's heart beat faster, fearing discovery. Scanning three hundred and sixty degrees one more time, confirming no creatures were observing from the trees, he decisively made the final leap.
Blood Moss lay at his feet, the monster just two meters away, its massive back rising and falling with each breath.
About to swallow nervously, Nathan stopped himself. With a pained expression, he squatted down, taking out his sharp knife. He gently angled the blade at sixty degrees. The knife cut down like slicing cake, smooth and flowing, making no sound against the rock surface. Carefully moving his arm bit by bit, a patch of moss was scraped free. He quickly stored it in a makeshift bag created from two sleeve parts he'd decided to tear off to reduce their unsightly appearance.
Breathing out silently in relief, Nathan continued scraping moss.
The Vermilion Ape was enjoying its very comfortable rest. Today, it had surprised a female by winning against another unreasonable male. Its spirit was very excited, needing rest for evening activities. Yet its nose kept itching, picking at it still didn't help. Snorting out a puff, spittle spraying onto the ground. Everything suddenly became clear to the monster. So clear that besides the scent of its kind and the attractive fragrance of female Vermilion Apes, there was a whiff of something strange, of an uninvited guest. It sat up, took a deep breath, and whirled its head around.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Nathan jerked his head up. Meeting his gaze were two startled golden pupils. The monster's brows gradually lowered, its facial muscles tightening. The Vermilion Ape let out an angry howl.
Nathan ran. He sheathed his knife and sword, and just ran. One Vermilion Ape wasn't a problem. But an entire troop was a different matter.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Following the skill's instinct, he ducked. A rock half the size of his head whistled past, leaving dust settling in his hair.
Glancing back, he saw the Vermilion Ape he'd just encountered throwing the rock he'd been scraping Blood Moss from.
"Son of a—" Nathan cursed in frustration.
As if understanding him, it grew angrier, beating its chest before launching forward on its long arms, giving chase.
Nathan turned and ran faster, seeing several of the cursed monster's companions responding to its call, hunting the human who'd invaded their territory.
The Vermilion Apes moved skillfully through their network of tree branches. Their strong arms made their swings both far-reaching and precise.
Nathan heard the thudding and hooting chaos above his head until he thought he'd go mad. Sometimes left, sometimes right, completely disorienting. Hidden among the endless calls were the whistling sounds of thrown rocks he couldn't distinguish. Thus, Nathan couldn't react when a stone struck his right shoulder, sending him rolling several times on the ground. The pain signaling broken bones didn't stop him—he kept running.
Triggered [Quick Feet]. One credit given.
Suddenly, his legs moved with greater agility. His speed improved in an instant, helping to widen the gap with the ape troop behind. But he was mistaken—seeing their prey like this made them even more frenzied. This time they didn't just use their arms; their hind legs created swift jumping movements. They broke tree branches, hurling them at Nathan like javelins.
He moved in a zigzag pattern to dodge. Earth and dust exploded around him. The ones moving on the ground continued throwing massive rocks like balls. Seeing them lift these boulders as if weightless made Nathan terrified. And this was without even considering close combat.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Triggered [Quick Feet]. One credit given.
Jumping aside, he avoided the next boulder. Spinning with his sword, he slashed across the chest of a Vermilion Ape that had dropped from the trees above. The monster howled in pain, collapsing but not dead, staring at the human with even greater fury.
Not stopping to finish it or celebrate [Quick Feet]'s stacking speed increase, Nathan vaulted over a fallen tree, following PsiLink's map back to safety.
The pursuit gradually cooled as the Vermilion Apes instinctively felt they'd gone too far from their territory, and their prey's speed exceeded their own. Confrontations with other monsters like Crystal Mauler weren't what they wanted, especially with their Crimson Lotus defense forces thinned out.
One howled angrily and turned back. The others followed suit. Only the one Nathan had cut remained, grinding its teeth, unwilling to give up. An enemy had wounded it; retreat was unacceptable.
Nathan followed the safe route he'd mapped out, so he encountered few monsters. Those he did meet fled from the Vermilion Ape troop. When the hooting and throwing of trees and rocks finally ceased, he looked back. Only one remained charging forward, foaming at the mouth with rage.
He felt [Quick Feet] gradually losing effect. It seemed the speed increase in his legs lasted only about a minute.
The Vermilion Ape stopped at a distance. It panted heavily, the blood on its chest no longer flowing. Its arms swung up and down, beating the ground, creating thunderous booms echoing throughout the forest. Peaceful animals scattered in panic, birds took flight, clearing space for the impending clash.
With a roar, the monster attacked. Nathan's lips curled into a smile. He'd chosen Vermilion Apes partly because, after evaluation, he was confident in defeating these aggressive creatures.
Lightly jumping aside, he swung his sword at the monster's flank. It howled in pain through the dust cloud its own impact had created. Undaunted, it swung back at its enemy. Its speed couldn't match the Blood Thirster's, so Nathan easily weaved around, preventing the monster from landing any successful attacks.
Consumed by rage, the Vermilion Ape attacked continuously, regardless of hitting or missing. Their battle wisdom was almost non-existent, fighting purely on instinct. When the pain grew heavier from being slashed into a mess, it roared.
"Don't even think about it," Nathan grunted.
He closed in, interrupting the monster's action. With a decisive move, he thrust his sword into its chest. To be certain, he drew his newly acquired Ripple Hunter knives and stabbed several more times.
The Vermilion Ape thrashed to no avail. Its movements became much slower.
Nathan had prevented the Vermilion Ape's transformation. This monster was rated mid-tier dangerous not just for its strength, but for its enraged state. So when he saw the signs, Nathan delivered the finishing blow. In a battle with the whole troop, if the Vermilion Apes entered their death-seeking state, Nathan would have been beaten to pulp.
Finally, the monster gave up struggling. It took shallow breaths, its eyes showing no fear of death, only hatred for the human before it.
Nathan felt no sympathy. Vermilion Apes were carnivores, hence their aggressive and cruel nature. If it had ignored him, none of this would have happened. In this sacred and deadly forest, only the strong survived. The monster would have shown him no mercy had he been lying dead.
The Vermilion Ape's mouth made gurgling sounds as it exhaled its final breath, its head tilting to one side in death.
Looking at the monster before him, though Nathan felt no sympathy, he was horrified by what he planned to do.
After countless deep breaths, Nathan finally gathered enough courage to plunge the first knife into the monster's belly. The skinning process began.
After three hours of struggling and several bouts of dizzying nausea, Nathan completed everything. The Blood Thirster had been disgusting, but he'd thrown its stomach away, so he hadn't faced the internal organs sprawled before him like now. His face had gone completely pale from doing this for the first time. He chose the simplest recipe from his [Cooking] skill using the Vermilion Ape's heart and discarded everything else. Wrapping the heart in the monster's skin, he departed, leaving a good meal for other monsters.
Since he'd gone quite far in the morning, the return journey carrying cumbersome items took longer. Night had fallen, but Nathan still hadn't reached the stream. Thankfully, [Better Vision] allowed him to vaguely make out the path and obstacles ahead.
When the moon began to rise, everything brightened, and he increased his pace. He didn't want to encounter any nocturnal hunters.
A movement caught his attention. A dark shadow flashed behind the trees in the night. Unclear, but he was certain it was very large. [Tingling Sense] hadn't activated, but he remained cautious anyway. Another whoosh, which he couldn't track. Then, the sound of breaking branches and crushed leaves rang out right in front of him.
He backed away as the black shadow stepped forward on four legs. Its eyes tracked him but emitted no killing intent. When it gradually became clear under the moonlight, Nathan saw its wolf-like form. Its silver-gray fur reflected moonlight into dancing spots of light. Behind were a pair of sleek tails, swaying in perfect curves. Its eyes were black as night, and deadly fangs imposed a hidden ferocity upon its regal beauty.
Warning signals from PsiLink flooded Nathan's vision.
The wolf monster stepped into the clearing, just above a rocky outcrop, its head raised to receive the moonlight. It let out a cold howl. Then, the moonlight seemed to transform into falling spots of light upon the monster. Its silver skin gradually brightened, especially its two tails which seemed wrapped in smoke. Just when it seemed there would be an explosion of light, the moonlight concentrated in its belly. The wolf's colors slowly faded.
Nathan blinked several times. Indeed, its form was disappearing from head to tail. More accurately, it was as if it was becoming invisible, blending into the night. Only with [Better Vision] could he see its faint outer outline. As if the entire starry sky had condensed into its body, giving it a surreal, sacred feeling, as if not belonging to this world.
Then, it vanished completely. Nathan didn't know if it had left or still stood there. Frightened, he hid behind a rock, his breathing erratic. The monster's aura had constantly pressed down on him.
Only now did he process the information from PsiLink.
Monster: Lunar Shadow.
Description: A Tier 2 wolf-like monster, possessing abilities related to night and moonlight. Cannot be found during the day, only appearing at night where moonlight is strongest. Possesses one of the rare and high-quality core types. Its tail can be used to make bowstrings carrying moonlight and wind properties, or other optimal fur weapons.
Warning: Do not attack Lunar Shadow alone, should go in teams for best effectiveness. Recommended team size: four people.
Assessment at your current level: Extremely Dangerous. Run on sight.
After sitting there for about ten minutes without incident, Nathan finally calmed down. The monster seemed to have truly left. Lunar Shadow was an anomaly in Moirath Forest. It shouldn't appear here, in this ecosystem.
Looking up at the sky as if searching for his master, he guessed this was Darkan's doing. Lunar Shadow was his trial. Only after defeating it could he leave this place. Very likely it was the Forest Lord that the system's mission mentioned.
Groaning in resignation, he dragged his spoils along, only hoping these days of hardship would end soon. Who would have thought that becoming an inner sect disciple, before even getting to enjoy it, he'd encounter a hell even worse than the outer sect.
