The Ancient Forest.
High above the canopy.
Leon's eyes were fixed on the Anjanath as it gorged itself; the Farcaster in his hand remained unthrown.
It wasn't that he hadn't felt fear, nor that he was unaware of the danger, but if he didn't even have the courage to take on the challenge...
How could he call himself a hunter?
'I might actually have a chance...' Leon tucked the Farcaster back into his pouch while his other hand already rested on the hilt of the Bone Kukri at his waist.
The next moment.
Leon summoned his courage and circled down beneath the trees.
He took a deep breath, forcing down the pounding in his chest as he watched the Anjanath eating heartily before him.
Using the vines and tree roots as cover, Leon slowly approached the Anjanath from behind. Seeing that it hadn't noticed him, he crouched down and set a Shock Trap.
The Anjanath was still eating, seemingly completely unaware of the approaching danger. Its powerful jaws let out a crunching sound of splintering bone with every bite.
Leon hid in the bushes, holding his breath and waiting.
Finally, the Anjanath finished its meal. It turned around, its massive body moving slowly until it stepped right into the trap.
"Roar...!!"
The Anjanath struggled violently, its muscles bulging like coiled steel cables instantly.
However, electricity entwined it like chains, seeping through its skin and into its body, causing its massive frame to tremble. The madness in its eyes was gradually replaced by pain.
It slumped to its knees, its body twitching violently.
Leon rushed forward and unleashed a flurry of slashes!
First hit: Lateral Slash!
Second hit: Return Stroke!
Third hit: Roundslash!
Fourth hit: Shield Bash!
Compared to a High Rank Anjanath, the hide of this Low Rank one was significantly softer. Even so, the sharpness of the Bone Kukri was depleting rapidly.
Though the continuous slashes left many wounds, Leon knew these were only superficial.
He slammed his small shield against the Anjanath's head with all his might, hoping to cause a stun after the paralysis ended.
But things didn't go as planned; the Anjanath suddenly recovered from its paralyzed state.
A headbutt caught Leon off guard. He was struck by the hard nasal bone and sent flying several meters away!
The Anjanath was completely free of the paralysis. It roared at the sky, seemingly venting its fury!
"Cough, cough!" Leon rolled as he hit the ground. His chest felt as if it had been struck by a steel hammer, and his internal organs were damaged.
'This guy really is a monster...' Leon slowly stood up, pulled a Potion from his pouch, and gulped down the bitter green liquid.
He didn't even have time to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. The moment he looked up, the Anjanath lunged. Its massive, tusk-filled maw snapped toward him, bringing with it the stench of decay.
Leon dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being bitten in half, and rolled into a thicket.
'I have to aim for that wound...' Leon panted heavily, but his mind remained incredibly calm.
Although the previous combo hadn't dealt heavy damage, it had still affected the Anjanath's movements—
Especially its left leg; the wound inflicted by the Great Jagras had already stained the ground red with blood.
Leon's mind raced as he quickly pulled a Pitfall Trap from his spatial ring.
He set the Pitfall Trap on the spot, rolled back onto his feet, and shouted at the Anjanath, "Hey! Over here!"
The Anjanath's gaze snapped onto him, its eyes glowing crimson as it came charging at full speed!
"Come on, big guy!" Leon continued to taunt the Anjanath, stepping back slightly to create distance.
"ROAR!!!" The Anjanath charged in a fury, stepping firmly into the set trap.
The next second—
—Click!!
The ground collapsed.
The trap triggered, and thick vines and spiked ropes burst from the ground, binding the Anjanath tightly.
Leon seized the opportunity to circle to the Anjanath's left leg, aiming for the torn wound and slashing frantically!
First slash—cutting right into the bloody opening!
Second slash—a diagonal cut to tear the wound further!
Third slash—a horizontal roundslash, sending flesh and blood flying!
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
The Anjanath let out a bone-piercing howl, its limbs struggling wildly. Its entire body shuddered as it tried to break free from the trap, but its legs buckled from the intense pain.
Seeing this, Leon lunged upward, his blade slashing down toward the back of the Anjanath's neck!
The Bone Kukri sank into the Anjanath's spine while his other hand gripped the black mane on its back with all his might.
"ROAR!!!" The Anjanath went completely berserk, roaring at the sky as it tore itself out of the trap.
It began to roll, ram trees, and swing its tail like a madman, trying to shake Leon off its body!
"Don't even think about shaking me off!" Leon gritted his teeth and held on, constantly adjusting his center of gravity and matching the rhythm of the rolls. With every loss of balance, he managed to stabilize himself at the very last second.
Clinging to the Anjanath's back, Leon's Bone Kukri continued to inflict damage.
Finally, the Anjanath's footsteps faltered. Its massive body slammed heavily against a giant rock wall, and it collapsed.
Leon jumped down from the dragon's back, his blade piercing the side of the Anjanath's neck, sending a spray of hot blood into the air!
The Anjanath's thick legs kicked frantically...
A moment later, peace returned to the forest.
Leon knelt on the ground, covered in crimson—it was impossible to tell if it was his own blood or the Anjanath's.
[SYSTEM: TARGET KILLED: ANJANATH]
[SYSTEM: DING! TRAIT TRIGGERED — LONER]
[SYSTEM: EXPERIENCE POINTS OBTAINED: 800]
[SYSTEM: LEVEL: LV.3 (2400/2500)]
[SYSTEM: EXTRA MATERIALS OBTAINED: FLAME SAC X2, ANJANATH TAIL X2, ANJANATH PLATE X2, ANJANATH NOSEBONE X4, ANJANATH SCALE X6, ANJANATH FANG X6, ANJANATH PELT X6]
Extra materials?
"Ha!" Leon looked up and exhaled sharply. Seeing the materials that had dropped before him, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy.
This was Leon's first time hunting a large monster. Though he had used some tricks, this was the law of survival in nature.
Humans might not have sharp teeth or hard shells, but they could craft weapons and armor for the hunt.
Humans might not have absolute strength or boundless stamina, but they could use items and traps to turn the tide.
After catching his breath for a moment, Leon walked forward, knelt beside the Anjanath's corpse, and drew his carving knife.
"Good work, big guy." Leon drove the knife into the joint of the Anjanath's neck and began carving for materials.
Since this had been a life-and-death struggle, the Anjanath's body had sustained quite a bit of damage, resulting in fewer materials available for harvest.
After carefully processing it, Leon walked over to the Great Jagras that had fallen earlier. He crouched down to check the state of the corpse.
The Great Jagras had been chewed on by the Anjanath, and its corpse was already in tatters. Leon only managed to get a small amount of materials.
Having gathered all the materials, Leon stood up. His gaze swept over the two cold, massive carcasses, and he murmured, "Next time, I'll take you down in a head-on fight."
He patted the mud and blood from his trousers and began walking toward Southwest Camp.
But after only a few steps, Leon suddenly stopped and looked back at the Anjanath's corpse.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something abnormal.
A vibrant green figure vaguely appeared among the trees, looking like a large bird...
Leon's eyes narrowed as he tried to get a clearer look.
The bird had a slender frame covered in emerald-green feathers, and a pair of yellow pupils were staring intently at him.
It stared at Leon for several seconds, then suddenly spread its wings and ran into the depths of the forest with a weird, shrill cry.
A Pukei-Pukei?
Leon instantly recognized the monster. It was the source of the materials for the Bloom Knife Flora carried.
Seeing that the Pukei-Pukei wasn't attacking, Leon had no intention of pursuing it. Instead, he quickened his pace back to camp.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]