Chapter 43: Apex Predator

Zach and the others rested and ate some provisions as they talked strategy, plans, and responsibilities.

Since Rierdan and Nessa wouldn't be fighting, they would deal with and focus on the less dangerous tasks, such as keeping track of where they went and looking for the tiger's tracks. They would also be in charge of carrying any necessary resources like weapons and tools for dismantling monsters and starting fires.

They weren't planning on being away from the camp for long, but it was better to be prepared.

Zach and Anerias were in charge of the close-range combat and defense since the two of them and their familiars were no good at distance. Violina was good at melee combat, too, thanks to her sword and contract skill. But her familiar was better at long distance than Yanael and Anerias' Hound.

It was the same with Dukiel's Sentinel. It could fight at close range, but it was better to have it focus on distance and scouting to fill out the areas the group was lacking.

With two units prepared to fight at a distance but capable of close quarters, two units on melee defense, one unit on tracking, and one on transporting, the group was ready to hunt any ferocious monster in the forest.

It seemed like a lot of preparation against one monster when they didn't know how strong it was other than Dukiel's biased retelling of a vague non-encounter. But the others took Dukiel seriously.

It was better to be overly prepared than to die, after all.

Anerias gave the other students a briefing about the situation and asked them to wait for their return before they ventured into the forest. Jarron's credibility aside, the camp seemed safe enough, at least. It didn't seem like monsters would overrun them if they stayed there.

There should be enough provisions to last them a few days if they rationed a little.

When Anerias was done and had designated someone to take the lead while everyone else was gone, they set out.

They were worried, especially Nessa and Rierdan, since they wouldn't be able to assist much in the fighting. They would be totally powerless in the face of a monster that even the four strongest in the class had to prepare this much against.

"Lovely weather we're having, huh, guys." Zach admired their surroundings in peace as they strolled through the forest. Well, Zach strolled. The others marched toward where Dukiel and Julius first felt the tiger's presence.

"Don't you dare fucking jinx it, Zach." Anerias didn't stop as he turned his head and growled at Zach. He was sick and tired of Zach's misfortune, especially after hearing how peaceful Dukiel's and Julius' trip had been after they ditched Zach.

If anyone could change the weather with a few empty words, it was Zach.

Fortunately, it seemed like they would be fine for now.

Other than Zach's attempt at conversation, there wasn't any talk, and the group walked in silence, taking in their surroundings, looking for traces, or daydreaming about desserts, tea, and warm beds.

Dukiel looked like he wanted to say something to Zach. But he didn't want the others to hear since it was a private matter. For that same reason, it also wasn't the best time to talk about it. So, Dukiel stayed silent.

The next time someone spoke, it was Rierdan.

"Hold. I think I've found something."

Rierdan had everyone else stand back as he knelt and investigated the grass and soil next to the animal trail they were following.

Zach wasn't sure if it was actually doing anything, but Rierdan's hand-sized butterfly with its wings covered in thin mossy squiggles, flew around him and the place he inspected. It certainly didn't look like it was doing anything useful.

Regardless of whether the butterfly was doing anything, though, Rierdan looked up at the others with a serious expression.

"Now, I'm not an expert, certainly not on monsters. But this…" he gestured over an area of flattened grass.

"...Should be a paw impression of a feline monster." Rierdan let the others take their time to look at it without saying anything. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"...It looks big." Anerias' said what everyone was thinking. None of them had studied the size of tiger paws. But the paw impression in the grass was bigger than five hands. With ease.

They turned to Dukiel.

"How sure are you that it's a tiger?" Violina asked, not because she was doubting Dukiel's words but because she hoped it wasn't true.

It wouldn't be the first monster that was an oversized version of a normal animal. But it would be the first to gain anything from it.

A large snake that relied on stealth wasn't that scary. A crocodile on land. Not scary.

A big ass spider. Scary, but again, its size was more of a hindrance than an improvement to its hunting capacity.

But what about a tiger that relied on a combination of stealth and strength to ambush its prey? That too when it wasn't so big it couldn't hide.

The monster was beginning to feel like an apex predator in a bracket of apex predators.

Dukiel hesitated and shrugged.

"...I only saw a flash of black and orange. Without Sentinel, I wouldn't have been able to identify it as anything at all." Dukiel glanced at the Sentinel while he spoke as if asking it to give its own statement. Needless to say, the Sentinel was silent.

Zach and the others looked at each other.

"Hmph. So what if it's a tiger? It will end up a rug in my bedroom anyway." Zach crossed his arms and spoke with confidence.

"Your bedroom?" Violina also crossed her arms and looked Zach up and down in defiance.

"Of course. Or are you saying I, as the main contributor, shouldn't get my pick of the spoils of war?"

"Mm, you're the main contributor alright." Anerias' voice dripped with sarcasm and implied meaning.

"What's that supposed to mean, Anerias?" Zach turned to Anerias only to see the latter staring at the forest behind him with a stiff expression.

"What? If you're trying to distract me, it won't work," Zach said as he turned around, almost instantly forgetting what they were talking about. And then he saw what Anerias was looking at.

The tiger had come to say hi.