Venti: "Territorial… protective…"
Everything was starting to make sense.
The men continued to laugh, oblivious to the presence of two pairs of eyes hidden in the shadows.
One of them crouched near a cage and struck it with a stick.
???: "Come on, calm down."
"Soon you'll be in pieces."
Arthur clenched his fist, trembling.
Arthur: "Venti… they're bad…"
Venti closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, determined.
Venti: "Yes."
"And dangerous."
He readjusted his grip on his bow, the wind around him growing stronger, almost impatient.
Venti: "I can't face them head-on."
"Not here."
"Not with Arthur."
But one thing was certain: these men posed a far greater threat than the creature they had fled from.
And now, Venti knew exactly who had turned this cavern into a living hell for its inhabitants.
Venti felt something tighten in his chest.
A mixture of anger, disgust… and a brutal realization.
He leaned slightly toward Arthur, keeping his voice as low as a whisper.
Venti: "These people are poachers."
Arthur frowned, clearly confused.
Arthur: "Aren't they more like… hunters?"
The question was innocent. Arthur was no more than eight years old, and for him, hunting simply meant catching an animal.
He saw no malice or particular cruelty in it.
Venti took a slow breath, then began to whisper, carefully choosing his words.
Venti: "A hunter hunts to eat. He just takes what he needs to survive."
"A poacher, on the other hand… hunts for money.
"He kills or captures animals for their resources: their skin, their claws, their organs… even if he doesn't need them."
Arthur's eyes widened slightly.
Arthur: "So… they're not going to release them?"
Venti shook his head slowly.
Venti: "No."
The boy clenched his fists, a flicker of childlike indignation in his eyes.
Arthur: "So… what are you going to do?"
Venti remained silent for a second. Then he placed a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder.
Venti: "First, you."
'You're going to get as far away as possible."
"Find a safe place and hide."
"There's going to be trouble soon."
Arthur opened his mouth in protest… then met Venti's gaze.
He understood.
Arthur nodded.
Arthur: "Okay… be careful, Venti."
Without a sound, he slipped away through the narrow passage, casting one last worried glance before disappearing into the shadows.
Venti waited a few seconds.
When he was certain Arthur was out of immediate danger, he turned his full attention back to the cavern.
He examined the scene methodically.
Five men. Two women.
The men seemed robust, accustomed to physical labor.
Two carried axes similar to the one found earlier, another an improvised spear.
The two women were no less formidable:
- One had a short bow slung across her back
- The other wielded a metal whip coated with dried salt.
Venti: "Seven visible..."
Venti thought. But many more in total.
The number of cages spoke for itself.
Some were stacked, others empty, as if cargo had already been moved elsewhere.
Before he could think any further, a woman's voice rang out from inside.
???: "Hey boss, how much will all this cost?"
Venti froze and strained to listen.
A man taller than the others, broad-shouldered, with a dark beard and a scar across his cheek, replied with satisfaction.
???: "We currently have about one hundred and eighty crabs."
"Each one is worth around ten thousand Moras."
He paused, as if savoring the figure.
???: "Which means we'll be out... one million eight hundred thousand Moras."
Laughter erupted in the cavern. But the man continued, his voice lower, almost respectful.
???: "Furthermore... we also have this magnificent specimen."
"That one, it's certainly worth much more."
Venti's heart skipped a beat.
Venti: "Magnificent specimen?"
He concentrated, letting the wind carry his gaze further, to the back of the cavern.
And he saw it.
An enormous cage, much sturdier than the others.
Five meters by five.
Thick bars, reinforced by metal plates engraved with crude runes.
Even a high-level monster would have had trouble escaping.
Inside…
A gigantic crab.
But not red.
Blue.
Its carapace was a deep, almost oceanic blue, crisscrossed with luminous veins like frozen currents of water.
Its claws were massive, elegant, and a soft, cool mist rose around it, contrasting with the heat of the cavern.
Its eyes… weren't angry.
They were calm.
And sad.
Venti felt an icy shiver run down his spine.
Venti: "This isn't an ordinary predator..."
At that moment, everything clicked.
The small crabs, carrying seaweed and shells.
The Emperor of Fire and Iron, aggressive, ready to do anything to repel the intruders.
The immediate violence of the attack.
Venti understood.
Venti: "They are his children."
His gaze hardened.
Venti: "And her..."
The blue female moved slightly in her cage, her claws gently scraping the metal, without violence.
As if she knew that struggling would be pointless.
Venti: "The mother."
An immense weight pressed down upon him.
The Emperor of Fire and Iron hadn't attacked out of pride, nor hunger, nor madness.
He was defending.
His territory.
His family.
And these poachers had taken what he held most dear.
Venti gritted his teeth, the wind around him beginning to swirl imperceptibly.
Venti: "They captured the mother… and locked up the cubs…"
A cold, controlled rage rose within him.
Venti: "And they plan to sell them… like mere merchandise."
He cast one last glance toward the passage where Arthur had fled.
Venti: "Stay safe."
Then he turned his full attention back to the poachers.
Venti: "I can't take them all on at once… but I can sow chaos."
His fingers tightened on his bow.
The wind began to whisper around him.
And in this underground cavern, far from the surface, far from human laws, something had just changed.
The poachers thought they were the Predators.
But they had just attracted the attention of an adversary who, unlike them, didn't hunt for money.
He hunted to protect.
Venti remained motionless in the shadows, his back pressed against a cold cavern wall.
The poachers' distant murmur, their raucous laughter, the metallic clanking of the cages… it all reached him in fragments, carried on the air currents he felt almost like fingers on his skin.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Vebti: "Calm down."
Charging in headfirst would be the worst possible mistake.
He wasn't solely responsible for his own life:
Arthur was somewhere behind him, hidden, vulnerable.
And there were the crabs too.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Innocent lives trapped in those cages.
Venti took a deep breath and began to analyze, one option after another, as he had learned through his battles.
First option: Lure the poachers one by one and eliminate them.
Venti: "Classic… effective… in theory."
He visualized the scene:
An arrow fired from the shadows, deliberately off-target, striking the wall near a poacher.
The poacher moves away from the group to investigate.
Then an illusion, a gust of wind, a swift attack.
Silent.
Decisive.
Venti knew he was capable of it.
He had already eliminated isolated enemies without being detected.
But here…
He glanced towards the cages.
Too many.
Venti: "If seven are visible, there are probably others on patrol."
Or hidden behind the stacks of cages.
Or further into the tunnels.
One single cry, one single loud noise, and the entire tunnel network could fill with enemies.
And besides, eliminating a human… it was never insignificant.
Even if they were poachers, even if they deserved to be arrested, even neutralized… every life taken left its mark.
Venti gritted his teeth.
Venti: "Possible… but risky."
Second option: Charge in and improvise.
He grimaced almost involuntarily.
Venti: "No."
This option was the simplest… and the stupidest.
Seven poachers were visible, armed, probably experienced.
Perhaps enhanced by artifacts or skills.
Not to mention the environment: cages, shifting sand, dangling seaweed.
Even with his skills, Venti was only level 21.
Venti: I'm not invincible.
Charging forward would mean exposing Arthur, drawing attention to him, risking being surrounded.
And if he fell unconscious, the poachers would have a free hand.
He immediately dismissed the idea.
Third option: Use telekinesis to attract the keys and discreetly free the crabs.
His gaze fell upon the belt of one of the men, where several keys hung heavily.
Venti: "Telekinesis, level 2…"
He could move small objects remotely. Slowly.
Carefully.
He imagined the scene:
The keys sliding gently, almost imperceptibly, into his hand.
Then cage after cage, opened in silence.
But the metal…
Venti: "The slightest clink could ruin everything."
The crabs, once free, might panic.
Start running around frantically.
Make noise.
Attract attention.
And above all…
Venti: "There's the mother's cage."
That cage was different.
Sturdier.
Perhaps magical.
Normal keys might not even be enough.
He nodded slowly.
Venti: "Good option… but too uncertain."
Fourth option: Create Crab illusions to overwhelm the poachers
The idea almost made him smile.
Crab illusions emerging from the walls, the sand, the ceilings.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
A living tidal wave.
The poachers would panic.
Fire randomly.
Scatter.
Then… an arrow.
Silent.
Precise.
Venti: Illusion Creation Level 2…
He could create believable illusions, but not perfect ones.
And above all, maintaining multiple illusions required intense concentration.
And there was another problem.
Venti: "The first arrow."
The first body to fall would be the first sign of trouble for the survivors.
They would search for the source.
And Venti wasn't sure he could move fast enough to stay out of sight.
Venti: "Very effective… but I risk giving myself away."
"Too soon."
Fifth option: Use "Soul Manipulation/Lie Detection" to order the crab to strike the cages.
His gaze fell once more on the large blue cage.
The mother.
Venti felt a knot tighten in his chest.
Venti: " Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection… level 2."
He could influence.
Suggest.
Not completely control.
He imagined the mother crab violently striking the bars.
Again and again.
A deafening roar.
The poachers covering their ears.
Disoriented.
But…
Venti: "What if the noise wasn't enough?"
Or worse.
Venti: What if it drove them to torture her even more?
He was well aware of human cruelty.
Too much noise could provoke a violent reaction.
Blows.
Weapons.
Perhaps even an execution to "silence the beast."
Venti closed his eyes for a moment.
Venti: "I can't take that risk."
Sixth option: Order the free crabs to attack the poachers.
He looked at the small crabs still moving about on the walls and the ground, carrying seaweed and shells, oblivious to the danger.
Venti: "Send them into battle…"
Some were small.
Fragile.
Even the largest were nothing against armed humans.
Venti: They would be slaughtered… or captured.
And even if they managed to neutralize one or two, the rest of the poachers would react violently.
Venti: I refuse to sacrifice innocents.
Venti slowly opened his eyes.
All options carried risks. No plan was perfect.
But one thing was clear.
Venti: I can't stay still.
He glanced at his stats, etched in his mind as if the Adventurer's Crystal were still in his hand.
Illusion.
Telekinesis.
Wind.
Movement.
Venti: "Perhaps the answer lies in more than one option…"
A plan slowly formed in his mind.
A mix.
Venti: "Illusions to sow confusion… telekinesis for the keys… and me, always moving."
He placed a hand against the rock face.
Venti: "Not to kill… but to liberate."
His gaze hardened, cold determination replacing hesitation.
Venti: "These people have crossed a line."
A gust of wind swept through the cavern, making the hanging seaweed tremble.
Venti: And they'll regret it.
Suddenly, a spark ignited in Venti's mind.
His eyes widened slightly.
Venti: "Wait…"
A vivid memory resurfaced, sharp, almost searing:
- The dungeon.
- Lyra.
- The moment when, under pressure, he had chained Stat Boosting on her over and over again, without really thinking about the limits.
At the time, he hadn't tried to optimize, only to survive.
And the result had been… terrifying.
Lyra, though far from a high level, had briefly reached a power comparable to that of a level 55 adventurer.
Not because her base stats had changed, but because the bonuses had stacked.
Venti felt his heart race.
Venti: If the buffs can stack…
Then another thought, darker, more calculating, took hold.
Venti: "Why not the debuffs?"
He remained motionless, his gaze lost on the poachers who were still laughing, oblivious.
Oblivious to the fact that a boy barely visible in the shadows might be about to turn them into helpless prey.
Venti: "Stat Reduction… Resistance Reduction…"
He began to think quickly, methodically.
If he applied a single debuff, the effect would be limited.
Temporary.
Annoying, but not decisive.
But what if he chained them together?
Again.
And again.
And again.
Strength reduction.
Defense reduction.
Elemental resistance reduction.
Speed reduction.
Coordination reduction.
Venti: "Until they can't even lift a weapon."
A shiver ran down his spine.
This wasn't a plan based on brute force.
It was a plan based on utter weakening.
But one crucial question remained.
Venti: "Do my skills allow me to do this?"
Without wasting a second, he pulled out his adventurer's crystal.
The translucent surface shone faintly, projecting the familiar lines of text before his eyes, visible only to him.
He immediately searched for the relevant skills:
Stat Reduction — Level 3/10
Resistance Reduction — Level 5/10
Venti narrowed his eyes.
Venti: "Stat Reduction level 3… it's not that bad."
At this level, he could temporarily reduce certain stats of a target:
- Strength
- Defense
- Speed
- Sometimes Accuracy.
The effect was noticeable, but not overwhelming.
And most importantly, the duration wasn't infinite.
Then his gaze shifted to the second line.
His lips parted slightly.
Venti: "Resistance Reduction… level 5."
He was already much more familiar with this one.
At this level, he knew he could significantly reduce a target's physical and elemental resistance.
And most importantly… he had already noticed something during previous battles.
Venti: "The effects can overlap."
Not indefinitely—there were natural limits, diminishing returns—but enough to transform a dangerous opponent into an extremely fragile target.
He quickly did a mental calculation.
Venti: "If I apply Resistance Reduction several times… then Stat Reduction in bursts…".
Even a seasoned adventurer would end up hitting like a child.
Taking hits like glass.
Running as if their legs were stuck in mud.
And these people?
Venti glanced again at the poachers.
Venti: "They aren't high-level adventurers."
Illegal hunters.
Smugglers.
Probably used to capturing creatures, not fighting someone who manipulates the very rules of combat.
A slow, cold, controlled smile appeared on Venti's face.
Venti: "I don't need to beat them."
Venti: "I just need to render them unable to fight."
But immediately, his mind tempered his enthusiasm.
Venti: "Careful..."
Chaining skills together consumed mental energy.
Too many debuffs cast too quickly, and he risked exhaustion.
A migraine.
A loss of concentration.
And at the worst possible moment.
He glanced toward the large blue cage.
The mother crab.
Venti: "I only get one shot."
A plan then began to take clear shape in his mind.
Chapter 53: Hunter and poacher
The End