Chapter 49: Hunting with Rajah.
[Thats right. Stay still for [Stealth] to active and slow down your breathing so [Presence Killer] can be activated,] I explained to Rajah through telepathy.
The young virigress didnt answer, simply staying still as he continued lurking on the ground. Normally, I would think that he didnt manage to understand me but prior to our current situation, I told him to not answer me if he understood me, otherwise, he should swing his tail to signal his confusion to me.
It was paramount that we stay still now for we are hunting monsters, or more specifically, Rajah was hunting. As we didnt have a spare party bracelet, Rajah was excluded from our partys experience sharing so to have him gain level I had to aid him while he hunted by himself.
Thankfully, it seems him already having [Stealth] and [Presence Killer] wasnt for show as he showed his experience of having hunted before.
It seems his parents did well with teaching him. It was also possible that he gained his first level all by himself, having already killed his first prey.
Somehow that makes me feel sad. Kinda like when something is right in front of you, and you really want it, but somebody just inconsiderately yoinks it away. That sorta annoyed sadness that also has a tint of jealously in it.
Oh well, whatever.
Morning has come and as I decided yesterday, I was taking Rajah out to hunt for some food today.
As Rajah was skulking in the bush, I hid in the tree above it. You see, not only am I quite tall now, but I also have very peculiar body features that would risk any potential prey from finding me.
You guessed it, its my bright crimson scales and hair.
Honestly, with my stealth skills on, they might not even notice that I was even there in the first place, perfectly evading the animals senses with the help of the System. I might not have done it ever since I was small, but my body still knew how to hide from prying eyes.
Staying in dragonewt form and retracting my wings would be enough for me to go ambushing, no problem.
I mean my bright red tail was hanging down the tree's branch like the lazy appendage that it is, but no one has noticed me yet. Insects have started creeping onto my motionless body, causing itchiness to spread everywhere.
It was like these things are seeing me as a part of the tree, and not as a very dangerous fire creating humanoid half-reptile.
However, it was better this way as it wouldnt risk Rajahs success chance. I was creeping on this tree, keeping a watch over him as he waited for something to ambush, to make sure that he was doing everything correctly and keeping him safe.
Anything that could endanger him will be quietly dispatched by the rare and sensational dropping dragonewt.
As we arent actively hunting and prowling around, it is taking quite long for us to find something. Hunting is all about having the patience to stand still and wait, but this was beginning to drag on. It cant be helped that I was feeling a bit restless sitting on this branch, thinking that I was wasting precious time
Rajah is small and weak; having learned how to hunt from his parents he was only confident in this sole strategy, to lie in wait for his meal to come to him. It was safer to rely on something that you can trust when it comes to hunting animals in this dangerous forest, where one wrong encounter or event could end your life.
Im not gonna criticize it, I had to do it in my first month of being reborn so I could fully sympathize, however, Ive come to being accustomed to taking the lead and finding my meal. There was this disparity between us, but I didn't want to force my ideas onto him now, my better judgment told me to endure it and wait and see; facilitate his growth by gradually adapting your ideas and strategies to his strengths.
Those were Saoris words. She told me that a pet was different to a student but that I should give it a try.
Still, I could give him a nudge, right?
Activating my [Storage Magic] I plunged my hand into a random space around me and took out a Fragassa from my storage. These babies are the Peolynca variations of strawberries, only larger, sweeter, and less sour.
I absolutely adore them, and they are a perfect snack in between meals to keep my energy tank going. This fruit has a very special place in my heart as they were the first things that Ive eaten after being reborn and they have stayed my favorite fruit ever since.
Ive actually started picking off the seeds on them and storing them, intending to grow some Fragassa plants once we leave Belzac forest. Ill be storing them in my storage but that should still count as a garden, right?
[Im dropping something, dont be frightened,] I said while surrounding the better version of strawberry in a capsule of air with [Aerokinesis] and dropped it, landing perfectly in front of the bush that Rajah was hiding in.
After that, silence returned, and we bided our time, fangs and claws ready for anything to come. Eventually, a wild [Mushroom Skorr] appeared, attracted by the scent of the sweet fragassa.
Mushroom Skorr
A four-legged monster that possesses an insatiable appetite for mushrooms. Through a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria, mushrooms can grow on top of the hard shell on its back. Any mushrooms eaten by this monster will be grown on its back, feeding the bacteria colony on its back. Rank F
It was honestly a weird mix between a mushroom colony and a wild boar, so much so that it reminded me that Peolyncas wildlife wasnt as simple as the one on Earthand it already has some bizarre animal species.
The Skorr shared quite a few features with a normal Earths boar, which included its long tusks, bristly fur, flat snout, and that annoying shriek that it does when scared.
Major differences are that the Skorr had tusks as large and sharp as an elephant and that a hard shell was protecting its back. On the shell, I could see moss and mushroom freely growing which reminded me of sloths.
This animal species and its many variations were the primary sources of pork in this forest. They had the same size as a normal swine, so they gave plenty of meat and were delicious to boot!
Just looking at this thing made my mouth watery.
[Aim for its neck. You must immediately immobilize it with your venom and avoid its hoofs and disease-infested back,] I warned Rajah.
Most Skorrs have good immunity towards poison due to their sturdy stomachs as they needed it to consume fungi of any kind. As the bacteria on its back cultivated the mushrooms that it ate, some very nasty-looking ones could be protecting its back.
Although it's hard to kill with poison, venom, on the other hand, doesn't enter its body through its stomach. Having no way to eliminate and filter the venom coursing through its bloodstream, it'll probably die if Rajah can inject enough with his [Toxic Claws].
All he needed to do now was wait and execute.
You can do it, Rajah!
Approaching the fragassa with its drooling mouth, the Skorr began ravenously consuming the large strawberry once it thought that nobody was around.
Taking care not to frighten the boar, Rajah slowly crept forwards, advancing soundlessly and carefully. He was waiting, analyzing for the correct moment to pounce at the Skorr to deliver the fatal bite and strike in one go.
Failing would mean that he would leave himself open to a counterattack from the swines huge tusks. Even though they shared the same monster rank, Rajah was only five months old while the Skorr was stronger on paper due to its age and tusks that could gore a hole into my pet virigress.
Wrapping my tail around the branch, I anchored my body to it and began materializing my wind rifle. Holding on to it tightly, I aimed at the Skorrs head, ready to pull the trigger if it came to it.
Like a flash, Rajahs strong hind legs pushed his body towards the Skorrs undefended neck. Pouncing on to it, the Skorr wasnt able to recognize his attack until the young virigress sharp fangs and venomous claws pierced through its skin.
Squealing and flailing in shock and horror, the boar tried to shake the young feline off his body, but Rajah quickly dug his hind legs claws into the swines body, attaching himself to the boar to avoid being thrown off.
His quick thinking helped him avoid the Skorrs rampaging hoofs as it mercilessly stomped the remains of the half-eaten fragassa.
Finally realizing that it couldnt shake its hunter off, the boar decided to slam its body onto the ground, effectively crushing Rajah under its weight.
[Jump off!] noticing this, I commanded him to unhook himself from the boar.
Mroew! hearing it, the young virigress escaped the body slam in time.
Growling, he waited for the Skorr to stand up again, as it was impossible to attack the beast as it laid on the ground. The shell was protecting its back, giving Rajah zero openings to land a successful bite.
However, much to our surprise the Skorr had trouble picking himself up from that fall. His legs were trying to push him up, but it seems like he didn't have the strength to do so, a consequence of the rampaging venom in his body sapping everything away from him.
Realizing that hes already won, the young virigress began sauntering towards his fallen prey.
[Stop!] I shouted to him.
Visibly shocked from my outburst, the feline stopped and growled confusedly.
Prompted to answer, I said, [It only has [Poisoned (Minor)]. Dont approach your enemy when he isnt dead yet. You havent gotten the level up, correct? Then just take it slow and patiently wait for it to perish. We waited for a whole day so a bit longer shouldnt hurt.]
He defiantly tried to continue approaching the Skorr, despite my warnings. Annoyed by his behavior I consequently ordered my parallel minds to attack him mentally, to reprimand him of his behavior.
He squawked in pain and hissed at me. Having him angry at me was better than risking his safety due to his arrogance. Maybe it was a bit extreme using a mental attack, but it beats actually shouting.
Reluctantly obeying me, Rajah stood still and waited until he leveled up to level two from the boars death. At that point, he quickly approached the Skorrs corpse to feast on it, but I jumped down the branch in a hurry to stop him.
Mreowwwww! he aggressively snarled at me, baring his teeth to threaten me away from what was his.
What a feisty little guy, I said to myself.
[Dont be like that, Rajah,] I tried to soothe him. [Im only trying to get rid of the poisonous mushrooms and the moss.]
However, contrary to my expectations, he stayed defensive and blocked my path with angry hissing and meowing. He was even swiping his paws at me like an angry cat whenever I tried reaching my hand towards the corpse to disinfect it from bacteria and poison.
Fed up with the situation, I cast [Terra Wall] to launch the body up in the air. As Rajah watched his hunting prize getting thrown away, I used [Air Walk] to jump and catch the Skorrs body.
I used [Cure] and [Purify] on it. Using my newly learned magical knowledge, I made sure to tell the spells to get rid of all bacteria, toxins, and other harmful substances.
Rid this beasts body from any poisons and neutralize any toxic sources, Cure.
Purify the impure bacteria and viruses that are using this body as a housing, Purify.
Simply cooking meat over a hot flame was usually enough to kill off any biological hazards in my meat, and I rarely ever had to eat poisonous meat nor was I afraid of eating them with [Cure] and [Abnormal Status Nullification].
However, now that I finally realized that I could disinfect my food with a [Cure] and [Purify], I decided it was worth it to make sure that we stayed hygienic and safe. Never know when we accidentally eat a maggot, right?
I quickly peeled off the shell and stored it in my storage. As I landed, I threw the body to Rajah who thanked me with a defiant hiss. He might be cute, but I shouldnt forget that he is considered a wild animal
Saori might be rightsigh.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.
Voraciously biting and eating to his hearts content, I simply watched. As time pass by, Saori and Tasianna returned.
Hey, Hestia, you doing well? Saori asked me in one of Peolyncas languages, Common tongue.
No, no, Miss Saori. You have to say Cintriily Hestia, sa jou ilks klatfis? (Princess Hestia, how are you fairing?). What you said was grammatically not correct, Tasianna told Saori as she corrected her speaking mistakes as she sat on her shoulder.
Oh, ahem, Cintriily Hestia, Saori was about to say that sentence but I immediately stopped her.
Oi, Cintriily Hestia means Princess Hestia! Tricking no good, Tasianna, I complained to Tasianna, having my own difficulty with the language.
Giggling, Tasianna began praising me, [I apologize for my rudeness, Miss Saori. I was simply testing you if you could see through it, however, it seems our hard-working Princess is more adept with Common tongue.]
[UrghI am doing my best. Learning a new language takes time] Saori mildly grumbled.
Saori's Status Board Update Health: 4385/4385(+503) Mana: 1578/1578(+300) Strength: 2654(+296) Intelligence: 950(+98) Vitality: 1750 (+158) Wisdom: 1938 (+196) Agility: 3575 (+346) Stamina: 2862/2862(+453) Effects: None Skill Points: 0 (-50) (1450 SP spent) Unique Skill: [Shadow Armament Lv. 2] (+1)Physical skills and related
[Unarmed Mastery Lv. 1] (New)
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Claws Lv. 9] (+1)
[Enhanced Fangs Lv. 7]
Senses and movement skills
[Primal Senses]
[Stealth Lv. 9] (+1)
[Prediction Lv. 6] (+1)
[Concentration Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 8] (+2)
[Danger Perception Lv. 4] (+1)
[Tracking Lv. 4] (+2)
[Heat Vision Lv. 1] (New)
[Night Vision Lv. 6] (+1)
[Presence Killer Lv. 7]
[Evasion Lv. 6] (+1)
[Acrobatic Lv. 8] (+3)
[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 5] (+1)
Resistances
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1]
[Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Bleed Resistance Lv. 2] (+1)
[Poison Resistance Lv. 4] (+3)
[Paralyze Resistance Lv. 10]
[Torpor Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] (+2)
[Ice Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Fire Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Earth Resistance Lv. 5] (+1)
[Water Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Wind Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Dark Resistance Lv. 4] (+1)
Stat growths and related
[Health Recovery Lv. 4]
[Mana Recovery Lv. 3]
[Stamina Recovery Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv.4]
[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]
Other
[Dancing Lv. 1] (New)
[Identify Blocker Lv. 3] (+1)
[Identify Lv. 7] (+3)
[Terror Aura Lv. 4]
[Bloodlust Lv. 1]
[Battle Mind Lv. 2] (+1)
[Lifetaker Lv. 2] (+1)
[Mana Weave Lv. 6] (+1)
[Sewing Lv. 5] (+1)
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2]
[Cooking Lv. 7] (+1)
[Dismantle Lv. 3] (+1)
[Humanize Lv. 6] [Telepathy]
Ability List: Unarmed techniques
[Just Blink]
[Shadow Descent]
Spell List: Dark spells
[Dark Bolt]
[Dark Tendrils]
[Shadow Dash]
[Dark Slash]
[Shadow Clones]
[Shadow Snake]
Space-Time spells
[Haste]
[Storage Magic]
Titles:
[Belzacs Successor] [Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Hestias Retainer]