I finished late in the evening, although I had no way of knowing exactly what time it was. As strange as it may seem, I felt comfortable in the dark of the night. My eyes had no problem seeing in low-light conditions and a few torches gave me more than enough light to work with. I had been in the dark my entire life. Sunlight was much harder for me to adjust to than darkness.
I glanced up at Rashar, who was still waiting in the tree above the cave, looking down at me with a stoic face. I gave him a thumbs-up to indicate that I was just about ready to start. The tigerman nodded but said nothing. Would he intervene if things went bad? I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Was I really doing this? I looked at the cave and gritted my teeth. What had happened that I would go from nurse turned scavenger to mighty hunter in a matter of days? What would my folks back home say if they could see me slowly working up the courage to attack a Kinru? A fear gripped my heart and I swallowed hard as I took a step forward. My bow was at the ready. All I needed to do was creep into that cave and shoot the beast. Then I could go home. I could go home with bags upon bags full of fresh meat. One Kinru, conservatively rationed, could probably keep us going for a solid two weeks. Most scavengers only came back with a week’s worth at the very most.
I allowed these thoughts of helping out at home push me forward. The thought of cooked meat wafting through the village huts, filling the noses of the hungry and the infirm alike was powerful and it drove me forward, crossing into the line of the cave. Today I was going to earn my title as a Venator, as my people’s Venator.
I gripped my bow tightly and kept my breath controlled as I gingerly stepped through the cave. The Kinru was hissing as it slept. The light from the torches outside gave me little light to work with, but navigating caves was no problem. This was more home to me than the land outside.
The cave wasn’t terribly deep and I could see that the Kinru was sleeping on the cold ground, twenty feet away from me. The beast was snarling and hissing with each breath, completely unaware of me. I carefully placed an arrow on the bow and continued to walk up to the beast. A shot to its eyes would be my best bet.
Rashar had not revealed anything about the weaknesses of the Kinru, but I had achieved great success by stabbing one in the eye with the stitching needle from my medical bag. An arrow would cause significantly more damage. Even if the Kinru did survive the attack, it would be missing an eye, making it easier to lure the beast to the traps outside.
With each cautious step, I grew closer and closer to the beast. It suddenly ceased its hissing and snarling, and became deadly quiet. I stopped almost eight feet from the creature, bow in hand. Was it awake? I could not see its features well, not at this distance. There was no more noise from the Kinru, leaving me in a completely silent cave.
I focused and held my ground, carefully raising the bow up to shoot. I held the string tightly, but didn’t draw back just yet. If the beast fell back asleep, I could move to a more advantageous position. A shot from this distance wouldn’t be as well targeted to a weak point.
There was silence for quite some time as we both remained motionless. I focused not only my eyes on what was ahead, but also my ears, listening for the slightest sound. And indeed, as I listened, I could hear the ever so slight sound of nostrils sniffing the air. This wasn’t breathing, but a repeated sniffing.
My scent! The beast couldn’t see me, but it could smell me easily. It knew I was here and was lying in wait for a chance to surprise me with an attack. I should have found some way to cover up my own smell before coming in here. But I couldn’t retreat without it running me down. Even injured, this Kinru could easily outpace a human. And unlike the others I had faced, this one didn’t look like it could afford to play with its food. It would end me fast and violently.
I swallowed and aimed the bow at the creature’s head. Slowly, I drew the string back as far as I could, careful not to make any sound as I readied to attack. I had no margin for error on this. Shoot, then flee. There was no other way to get out of this situation alive.
Thwip went the arrow as it was released from its home, firing straight into the head of the Kinru. It let out a hideous shriek, one that echoed all around me. It leapt up in surprise, stunned from the sudden attack. I took this opportunity to bolt as fast as I could.
“Please, oh please, oh please,” I muttered as I ran. “Just let me get out of the cave!”
Behind me I could hear the frantic footsteps of the Kinru as it rushed after me. I might have had a head start, but within seconds it was on my heels. By this point, I was at the mouth of the cave. I could see the trip wire right ahead. The Kinru was bounding after me at full speed and I felt a claw barely graze my back as I leapt over the tripwire and rolled forward, past the spears buried in the dirt.
I heard a twang and a shink , followed by a horrible gurgling noise. Gasping for breath, I stood to my feet and glanced behind me, still ready to run at a moment’s notice. But there was no need to. The Kinru had rushed headlong into the spears and had been run through by all four prongs of the trap. One had pierced the monster’s weak, fleshy throat, killing it after a few moments. The monster lay dead; its corpse slowly sliding down the spears.
“Good work,” said a voice from behind. I leapt into action, rolling out of the way of danger while readying my bow at the exact same time. I stopped only when I realized the voice had come from my mentor here, Rashar.
“Oh, it’s you,” I gasped. My hands were shaking violently and I felt nauseous. “Why do I feel so sick?” I asked, bending over to catch my breath.
“It’s the adrenaline,” Rashar said as he walked over to inspect the corpse. “Makes the body nimble and strong during a fight. You’ll get used to the after-effects.”
I looked at the beast and shook my head. Despite how bad my stomach felt, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the creature. Something so powerful and hideous, so unstoppable, was dead. And I had killed it. I had actually slayed a monster. Avery Lorn, a nurse from a nameless village, had just killed one of the very beasts that were whispered about in the dark of the night. I couldn’t help but laugh and laugh and laugh.
“Laugher is another response to such stress,” Rashar said.
“I don’t feel stressed at all, actually,” I said, looking at my hands. They were still shaky, but I felt incredible, as if I had some of Dr. Jace’s special painkiller brew. “I feel…good. Strong. Like I can take on anything!”
Rashar merely chuckled. “Adrenaline has its uses, but don’t go chasing this feeling. I have watched many a Venator die because they treasured the thrill of danger so greatly they forgot to take the most basic of precautions.”
Those words seemed to return me back to reality. The feelings of euphoria and invincibility began to subside, as did the nausea and shakiness. With reality coming back, I realized the enormity of what had been accomplished. I had killed a Kinru, giving my village food to last weeks. And I would be able to grow stronger from the beast’s blood.
“So…” I asked as I carefully walked up to the dead monster. There was something unnerving about the monster’s corpse, something that made me shudder involuntarily. Even the air around its corpse had grown colder than the rest of the jungle air. “How do I harvest Bloodpoints?”
“There is much to harvest here,” Rashar said as he walked beside me and produced a knife from a satchel at his side. “To the butcher goes the Bloodpoints,” he explained, pushing the knife into my hand. “If you ever happen upon another Venator, you must remember that rule. The one who delivered the killing blow keeps everything.”
“Then why hunt together?” I asked as I gripped the knife tightly. Fortunately, my new powers had given me a decent knowledge of butchering.
“Friendship. Charity,” Rashar quietly explained. “And perhaps some other reason. But, Venators rarely work together anyway. Everyone develops such a unique style, working together can be loathsome.”
I shrugged at that and buried the knife into the corpse
of the Kinru. At once, I felt a great amount of power surge into me. 300 Bloodpoints gained appeared in my vision and, at once, I was prompted to begin allocating these points.
“Woah,” I gasped, letting go of the knife for a moment. “That’s a lot more than five points.”
“Your first kill,” Rashar said. “It’s what will give you a fighting chance out there. Choose your upgrades and choose them wisely.”
Chapter 6
I had severely underestimated the amount of meat that could be harvested from the Kinru’s corpse. Rashar had been kind enough to help me drag the corpse of the horse-sized monster to his hut before some other scavenger came to feed on what we had rightfully taken down.
It took me hours of butchering to cut the meat down into sizable flanks, all the while listening to Rashar’s instruction on how to get the most possible meat from the Kinru’s body. There would be no way to safely haul so much food back to the cave without attracting some kind of predator, so Rashar agreed to store the meat for me in between trips back and forth. When asked why his territory was safe from any encroaching monster, he merely laughed it off and told me to focus on improving my abilities.
And focus I did. With 300 Bloodpoints, I had plenty of room to improve. As a Scout, there were five main paths I could advance, with each path representing a different aspect of my abilities: Trapper, Archer, Tracker, Navigator and Acrobat. The Hunter’s Sight allowed me to see different branches on each path, allowing me to spend Bloodpoints to improve different skills as well as learn new abilities.
My elation at the sheer number of points I owned began to fade as I looked at the cost of each Tier One ability: 150 Bloodpoints each. That was enough for 2 advancements total. Looking down the list of what would be available in the future, I quickly realized that 300 points wouldn’t be turning me into a titan killer anytime soon.
Still, there was room to advance. I quickly inspected my Tier One options to figure out what I wanted to unlock.
Trapper Tier One:
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Pit Trap Blueprint: Allows for the creation of a camouflaged pit trap
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Snare Trap Blueprint: Allows for the creation of rope snares
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Trapsetter I: Increases speed of crafting and trapping by 50%.
Archer Tier One:
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Swift Hands I: Load arrows faster
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Archer’s Eye: Known weak spots glow
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Long Shot: Increases Bow Range by 25 feet.
Tracker Tier One:
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Recognizable Scent: Improves sense of smell
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Search I: Clues to monster identity will glow
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On the Trail: The longer a monster is tracked, the easier it will be to track them at a later time.
Navigator Tier One:
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Fast Movement I: Decreases travel time by 20%
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Light Step I: Reduces sound from footsteps by 50%
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Cartography: Unlocks the Mapmaking ability.
Acrobat Tier One:
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Safe Fall I: Can fall 10 feet without injury, reduces injury from higher falls
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Leap: Grants a running jump distance of 20 feet
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Dodge Reflex: Heightens reflexes for faster dodging.
Reading these abilities was rather surreal. It was one thing to fantasize about having some kind of secret power, some special ability that would make me useful in this world, but to pick real powers off a list? I had no idea what to select.
“There are so many things to choose from,” I said as I sat in the guest bedroom, listening to the sound of meat crackling on a pan from the next room over. “How do you not get overwhelmed with these options?”
“Simple, really,” Rashar called back as he continued to cook. “Consider your own inclinations and follow them. Specialize so you’re really good at one thing, or go broad and become skilled at many, but master of none.”
“What if I pick something that doesn’t help me?” I asked, staring at the Acrobat abilities. The ability to jump and dodge faster would be extremely useful when scavenging. I shook my head, realizing that I wouldn’t be scavenging any more. I’d be hunting. Still, dodging would be useful if my prey was stronger than I anticipated.
“You gain these abilities and then build strategies around them,” Rashar explained as he continued to cook in his kitchen. I stepped out of my room for a moment and stuck my head out into the kitchen. Rashar was busy carefully cooking the meat above his fireplace, staring down at the thing with great intensity.
“What did you choose?” I asked. “For your abilities and class?”
Rashar chuckled. “It’s rude to ask and to compare,” he replied. “Revealing such information will tell a person what your own personal skill is and what is simply power given by the Bloodpoints. Comparing notes means you know exactly just how skilled a Venator can be.”
I frowned at this rule. “Sounds like a prideful policy.”
“Pride!” Rashar said, snapping a finger. “That was the word I was thinking of. Yes, it is quite prideful. But while Venators might be revered by normal folk, amongst their peers it is different. Drinking from the same well as every other hunter has its drawbacks. If Venators know your exact skills and abilities, that also means they know your weaknesses. A woman announcing herself as a Scout is also announcing she cannot handle herself in melee combat. A rival Venator would do well to kill her right then and there.”
I grimaced at those words and took a half step back. “That’s horrible. Can…can Venators harvest Bloodpoints from each other?”
“Thankfully, no,” Rashar said. “When we absorb the Bloodpoints of a monster, the energy becomes a part of us. I’m not sure of the process, but we take the unnatural essence and make it natural. A Venator gains nothing from killing you, other than their own personal satisfaction, or perhaps your gear if you have something they want.”
“So I shouldn’t trust them?”
“People are difficult to trust in these times,” Rashar explained. “You should not give the benefit of the doubt to any, even one who claims to be a Venator. Trust must be earned, never given.”
“Wise words, I suppose,” I said, nodding as I returned to my bed. “Down in the village, there was never a reason to be afraid of one another. Everyone needed to do their part, or else we’d all die.”
“If only people were like that up here,” Rashar chuckled. “Make your choices and don’t look back.”
I turned my attention back to the Hunter’s Sight and focused, watching as the words appeared in front of me once again. I could not help but feel excited at the prospect of growing in my own strength, of becoming more than simply a scavenger. What to pick though? With so many options, I wasn’t sure what the best choice would be. But then again, just like Rashar explained, I would build my strategies around what abilities I took.
In the end, I decided to focus on safety first. Hunting wasn’t a game. If things had gone differently with that Kinru, if it had smelled me earlier or perhaps had heard me working outside, it could have easily eviscerated me before Rashar could stop it. That is if he were even going to stop it. If I was going to help my people and provide them with meat today and shelter tomorrow, I’d need to survive simply being above the surface.
The Acrobat’s branch gave me Dodge Reflex, which would allow me to react to threats faster. That would be the best choice for someone playing it safe. Dodge Reflex and Light Step, one to dodge and one to avoid being heard. Together, these abilities would give me the power to stay alive longer, just in case things went bad.
I focused on each option and selected them one at a time. As I confirmed my selection, I felt a strange shifting in my body as muscles tightened and contorted, changing to better perform these new abilities.
“Erg,” I groaned as I watched my ankle muscles pulse and
shift. The process was painless but it certainly did not feel good. “This is kind of gross.”
“The transformation process is certainly an odd thing to experience. I’d say you get used to it, but in my experience, it only gets weirder. Thankfully, it is harmless,” Rashar said.
I decided to test these new abilities. Without speaking, I carefully rose up from the bed and began to slink towards the door. My feet were deft and capable of moving with very little sound. Each step was almost impossible to hear.
“If you try to sneak up on me, I will injure you,” Rashar said, stopping me in my tracks.
“You can seriously hear me?” I asked, looking out the door once again.
“Perception is a useful ability to have,” the tigerman said, looking back at me with a wry grin. He had finished both cooking and eating the meat, and was now preparing to cook another set of steaks.
“Speaking of perception, I noticed that I can’t increase my stats with Bloodpoints,” I said, opening up the Hunter Display. “How do I get stronger in that regard?”
“Ah yes,” Rashar said as he threw a steak onto a pan and slid it over a rack in the fireplace. I noticed that while the pan was entirely made of metal, Rashar was handling it without gloves, despite how hot the fire would make it. “I was just about to bring that up. Now that you know how to use Bloodpoints, it’s time for you to learn how to craft bone charms.”
Monster Hunting 101: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Titan Termination) Page 3