Gale moved through the inner perimeter of his base using the treetop platforms. He saw the devastation that laid from the epic battle against the beast.
It was more like letting the beast run through all the traps and let it kill itself though.
Soon, he got close to the outer perimeter. There were still traps that were untriggered. He knew exactly where each one was. He jumped over one of the untriggered tripwires, and his bone armour clanged against itself.
He didn't need to be too quiet anymore. He could take on most forest beasts.
A noise came from the edge of his territory. Breath of the Void picked up and fed him the information. Heavy steps, breaking branches. He crouched low and waited.
Two forest beasts ran into view, heading somewhere. It looked like they were heading a certain direction. Gale watched them. These weren't his targets, but they'd entered his space. That made them his food now.
Time to hunt.
He jumped from his hiding spot, landing between the two beasts. They stopped short, startled by his sudden appearance. Maybe it was him showing up randomly or the ridiculous get up he had. The bigger one recovered first and charged with a snarl.
"Distort," Gale whispered. He didn't need to say the skill's name, but it felt cool, like those heroes from animations he watched when he got bored with books.
The beast missed completely. Its big body flew past him. Gale spun and released Alter in his spear. It shot at the smaller beast, hitting its shoulder. The creature groaned but stayed up.
Gale stepped aside as the first beast tried to claw him again. Breath of the Void fed him the activation of the muscles, allowing him to dodge before it even moved.
He grabbed another spear from his back, with more still waiting. Now he was able to carry more than five.
He aimed carefully, then threw it at the wounded smaller beast. This time, he hit perfectly. The spear went through the creature's skull. It fell to the ground, one leg twitching.
"One down, one to go," Gale muttered. He heard the system notification ping but ignored it. His confidence had hit its peak. He grabbed another spear, ready for the bigger beast.
The forest beast circled him. It was about the same size as the first one he'd met when he arrived in this world. But Gale wasn't that same inexperienced, naive, weak, scared, soft handed kid anymore.
He cursed inwardly. The fantasy books themselves never really gave him that much vocabulary.
"Come on, mutt," Gale muttered, crouching into a stance his dad had taught him. Low and stable.
The beast charged. He waited until the last second and activated Phase Touch at the spear's point. It glowed with a light that seemed to eat up the already dim light from the blue moon. He aimed for the chest, but the beast moved faster than expected. It twisted mid jump, and his spear only cut its side.
The beast roared in pain as Gale's spear cut through its flesh, but the wound wasn't deep enough to kill it.
A small headache started. Gale cursed. He'd used too much mental energy on that attack with nothing to show for it. The beast was hurt but now also angrier and more careful.
They faced each other, neither moving first. His traps were nearby, but he wanted to win this fairly, even though it started as a 2-on-1.
The beast snapped its jaws, drooling. It saw him as food, just as he saw it as food. Its eyes stayed on him, looking for weakness. Gale knew he couldn't show any.
"You're not so tough," Gale said, voice as steady as he could despite the rush of adrenaline. "I've killed things bigger than you, mutt."
The beast obviously didn't understand his words. But it seemed to react to his confident tone. It took a step back, checking him out again.
Gale saw his chance. He faked left, then ran right. The beast fell for it. It jumped at where he first moved. As it passed, he struck with his spear using Phase Touch again, this time getting it deep into the creature's side.
The beast howled in pain as its flesh split open. Gale pushed harder, trying to hit something vital.
His spear hit a rib. Gale pushed past it, feeling for the heart. The creature thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off.
Finally, his spear found the heart. Without stopping, he pushed harder. He twisted the spear further in.
The beast let out one final roar before shaking and dropping to the ground. Gale pulled his hand out, covered in blood.
As the beast died, he saw the notification of Origin being extracted as well as the grain of light swirling into his chest. His core density increased, and he felt warmth flow into him.
Gale stood over the dead beast, breathing hard. He'd won. It was tough, but he'd made progress. He never would have beaten the first forest beast he met. Now, he'd won a fair and square 2-on-1 fight.
A muffled scream echoed throughout the forest, reminding Gale why the beasts had come to his territory. Something had drawn them, and he needed to find out what.
Gale moved through the bushes. The scream was definitely human, female or young boy. Meeting other people both excited and scared him. After days alone, he wanted to hear any voice besides his own.
At the edge of a clearing, he saw chaos. Six people fought against a group of forest beasts. Two of them stood out with better abilities than the others.
A short blond boy about his height used a weird pistol. It fired blue bullets that somehow followed the beasts. Each beast took 15 to 20 hits before falling.
"Almost out of high-pen ammo!" the boy shouted.
Next to him, a girl with dark red hair who fought with fists covered in deep red flames. Every punch made the beasts pull back. But for all that heat, she couldn't finish them off.
The other four huddled together with makeshift spears that looked like they'd break anytime compared to Gale's own spears. They jabbed at the approaching beasts, moving without any plan. One of them could somehow hold a beast still for a moment, giving others a chance to hit it.
Blood and dirt covered everyone. Their clothes were torn, their bodies beaten up. Gale thought they had come to hunt but had become the hunted instead. Forest beasts didn't usually hunt in packs, making this situation even stranger.
As Gale watched, not sure whether to help, things got worse. The boy with the gun fired his last shot, hitting a beast in the eye. It fell, but three more came at the group.
"We're out of time!" the red-haired girl shouted, her fists burning brighter as she stepped up to meet the threat.
Leaving would've been easy. He could slip away without being seen. It was safer. It would have been what his parents would have told him to do. But something inside him refused to abandon these people.
Gale took a deep breath and gripped his spear tighter. He stepped out of the bush and shouted.
"Hey!" he called across the clearing. "Over here!"
The beasts and humans turned to look at him, all surprised. Gale stood tall.
"Who?" the red-haired girl asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. She stepped back as she saw him.
Gale didn't answer. Instead, he focused on the nearest beast and activated Phase Touch. The spear's tip glow ate the surrounding light. He rushed forward, aiming for its chest.
The beast didn't dodge in time. Gale's spear went through its tough skin, hitting its heart perfectly. The creature roared once before falling.
As he pulled his weapon out, he felt the warmth of Origin being extracted. His core density increased slightly again, but he pushed that feeling aside to focus on the fight.
The other beasts turned to Gale. He got ready for their charge, thinking about how to use his abilities and the ground around him.
"Don't just stand there!" Gale shouted to the group. "Fight!"
His words seemed to wake them up. The red-haired girl yelled as she punched a beast in the jaw, her fists still on fire. The boy with the empty gun picked up a fallen spear and joined in.
As the fight picked up again, Gale found himself fighting with strangers. He moved, thrusting his spear once again to find weak spots as Phase Touch made solid flesh vulnerable.
The red-haired girl fought beside him, looking at him from the side.
"You've got some explaining to do when this is over," she said between punches.
Gale ducked under a beast's swipe.
"Don't need to explain saving people," he replied, his spear finding another target.
The fight started to go their way.
As the group caught their breath, a huge roar broke the quiet. From deep in the forest came a monster much bigger than the others. Its skin was covered with scars.
Gale studied the new threat. He turned to the others, his voice firm. "Get to safety. Now. I'll handle this one."
The red-haired girl started to argue, but the boy with the gun grabbed her arm. "He's right! Let him do his thing!"
The group backed off to higher ground, climbing onto some rocks. Gale stood alone facing the huge beast. He spun his spear, muscles ready for the fight.
The forest beast charged, fast despite its size. Its scarred skin bled with each pound to the ground. The wounds dripped black, gooey blood.
Gale used Distort, making a refracting image around himself. The creature swiped its claws through the air. Missed. It had hit the refraction. He was already moving his body down to the left of the beast.
He slid under the beast's belly, his spear aimed up perfectly as he rolled. The spear sliced and cut its skin where it met.
The monster roared in pain and anger, the sound shaking the forest. It spun to face him, baring its teeth even wider. Its tail swung out surprisingly fast, catching him off guard. The blow hit his helmet, sending it flying in pieces.
That one was new.
Gale stumbled, dizzy from the hit. His vision blurred. The world tilted as he tried to stand straight. He didn't know these things could do a tail whip. It was a classic move in a game that was made by a law firm.
The beast saw its chance and lunged forward, mouth open with rows of sharp teeth dripping gooey black tar.
His instincts took over. He dropped low, his spear shrinking in his hands as he activated another ability. The weapon's tip glowed with energy, focused Phase Touch.
Time seemed to slow. Gale slid under the creature, feeling heat from its body and smelling its musty odour. He thrust upward with all his strength.
The spear's tip found the soft spot between the beast's ribs, aiming for vital organs. In an instant, the weapon expanded, shooting through the beast's body like a bolt.
Dark goo gushed from the wound, covering Gale.
The forest beast roared one last time, the sound turning into a gurgle. Its huge legs shook, too weak to hold it up. As it crashed to the ground, Gale rolled away, barely avoiding being crushed.
He got to his feet and looked at his kill.
The beast's eyes stared blankly upward. Once again, he felt the Origin being extracted, his core density increasing. Warmth spread over his body as it did its thing, allowing him to regain his senses from the tail whip.
The group watched from higher ground. Their faces showed relief and shock. The red-haired girl's eyes were wide.
Gale picked up the pieces of his helmet, then he turned to face them. Silence fell over the clearing.
He stood, breathing hard. Then, without a moment of hesitation, he started working. At the end of the day, he's still that same introverted boy. He'd rather escape social interactions.
Focus on the body—I mean the carcass.
The onlookers looked at each other nervously at first. The dark red-haired girl took a small step forward. As she got closer, a twig broke under her foot.
Gale spun around fast, pointing his bloody spear at her throat. His wild eyes locked onto hers. For a second, he looked more animal than human.
The girl slowly seemed to recognize something. She swallowed hard, the spear just a centimeter from her skin.
"Gale?" she whispered. The dark circles under her eyes clearly showed themselves. Blood and dirt covered her cheeks. Her voice sounded rough, like she hadn't had water.