Some beasts did come close enough during the night that it was detected, but they didn’t come any closer. They probably could smell the blood, which had attracted them in the first place, but perhaps they still thought the snake lived there or perhaps something stronger had taken over. Since Verdict was hiding in the cave, there was very little for them to sense outside.
Kaden only casually glanced at the detector, but ignored it once he realized no beasts were actually coming. This did not calm down everyone else, who stayed fully ready to fight as long as anything was detected.
Nothing actually attacked during the night despite quite a few passersby.
At morning everyone finally stepped out of the cave. Damage to the area was far better visible in the light.
“It can’t be helped”, Olren said after a while. “There will be more beasts. We will have to keep using the cave even if it is damp and stinks. Besides we have a mission to complete and that is to hunt beasts. I don’t think we can rely on just attracting them.”
Then he looked at Kaden.
“Kaden, go scout the area”, Olren told him. “Find what beasts are where and then report back.”
“Should one of us go with him?” Sari asked. “It’s pretty dangerous to go alone.”
From Olren’s voice, Kaden had immediately noticed Olren wanted him gone for a bit and take on relatively dangerous job. Others had noticed it too.
“It is better I go alone”, Kaden interjected. “The rest of you are the ones who should be careful.”
It was good for Kaden to have an excuse to go out a bit. He had some plans he wanted to try out and while it was clear that Olren wanted to give him some trouble, it was perfect timing.
“We will build traps while you are gone”, Olren said nodding constantly. “Once we know what is in the area, we can concentratate on most optimal targets!”
“Try to stay in phone communication range”, Hem said. “I’m sure you won’t run into trouble, but just in case.”
Kaden didn’t say anything as he leaped out.
“Hehe, I’m free to act now”, Kaden thought to himself.
Once he had created some distance and definitely out of the alarm formation range, he stopped supressing his core and increased his speed. He was intending to go much further than anyone knew he could really get.
Any beasts on the way avoided him like plague. They could sense Kaden was a high beast, basically a potential ruler of the area.
Speaking of the area ruler, the Cerulean Boar, it was what Kaden was looking for. To begin with, his presence would be noticed by it soon enough. An area like edges of Centralean forest would not have two high beasts in the same territory. Even if he didn’t have any plans to fight with the boar, Kaden would have to find it anyway and make it clear he was not there to contest for the area. Otherwise there would certainly be a fight.
Kaden knew the boar was stronger than him even after his evolution. He had not been accurate tell in the past, but he was certain it was stronger than initial high beast such as himself. For a moment he wondered what such a beast was doing in the area. Perhaps it had been driven out by something even stronger?
The small lake where the boar liked to hang out was already nearby. The trip didn’t take too long with his speed. Kaden slowed down and approached calmly and in a peaceful manner. He hoped there would be no misunderstandings. Still, he expected to be able to run away at the very least, but a fight he likely would not win.
He could already sense the presence which had previously made him feel awe and respect. Not only that, he could sense that presence notice his too. Kaden stopped for a moment letting the boar to notice he was not hostile.
Kaden slowly walked out in the opening around the lake. The Cerulean Boar was standing within rocks in the area. It didn’t seem aggressive!
“Not human”, said the boar. “Stronger now. Challenge me?”
“No”, Kaden immediately replied. “I am not here to challenge you. You would win anyway.”
Getting a closer look, there was something odd in the area. A terrible stink was spreading from somewhere. A corpse? The boar even seemed stronger than before. Now that he could tell better, probably even advanced high beast stage. The boar was extremely powerful!
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“You have helped me in the past”, Kaden continued trying to ignore the oddities. “I’m here to deliver a warning and also about a chance. Take it as thanks.”
“You nicer than hubby”, the boar said and seemed to calm down. “He always sleeps!”
Hubby?
“Large number of humans are going to pass through this area very soon, an army”, Kaden explained to the boar ignoring the lingering questions. “Even if they do not come this far, they know you are here and might come kill you just because there is a good chance to do so. So you might want to hide or better yet arrange attack on them making them suffer losses.”
“Recently humans everywhere!” The boar seemed to agree and then turned around to face a very large rock. “Hubby! Hear that! Humans? What? No interest? You always sleep! Lazy!”
At this point Kaden noticed that there was something behind the large boulder. Something blue. The boar was basically giving kicks to it. Kaden took a few steps to get a better look.
A moment of silence as he realized what he was looking at.
Another Cerulean Boar. It was slightly bigger and probably was the boars … husband. It was also quite dead. Despite that the female Cerulean Boar was acting as if it was still alive.
“Shit”, Kaden thought and then still decided to ask. “Uh, did something happen to your… uh, husband?”
In fact, Kaden was now remembering that he did bring those herbs back to the boar which it then ate to look pretty?
The boar turned around. “That slut!” It basically shouted. “Prettier tusks! Hubby liked too much. Killed the bitch! Ate her core! Hubby must choose me!”
“...”. Kaden was speechless.
“Hubby angry!” The boar continued with sadness in its voice. Then it calmed. “Hubby quite not as strong! Said if I dont have, then no one! Beat some sense into hubby! Now we be together.”
“Well, I hope you two good luck”, Kaden said. It seemed this boar was not quite right in the head.
“Not happy”, the boar continued as if Kaden had not even said anything. It seemed to be interested in just telling someone of its relationship grievances. “Hubby stinks. Hubby is lazy and only sleeps!”
“Right”, Kaden said.
“Hmmm, you nice, not human!” The boar continue seemingly ignoring the corpse next to it. “Warning, good! Said something else!”
“Ah yes, other than the warning I did have some personal request.” Kaden decided to continue and not to piss off the crazy boar. “I’m among a group of humans hunting in the area and will have to pretend being their side. I’d prefer if one of them died at the very least. Don’t really care, if the rest live or die. The male one that has thinner and smooth hair unlike the other male. His death would please me. This is your territory and you should be able to inform stronger beasts in the area that there is some prey available. They should be aware that these humans are very strong, stronger than most.”
“Human thoughts complex”, the boar said. “You dislike. You kill. Why complex?”
“I have things I must do among them before they know I’m an enemy”, Kaden explained.
“Hmmmm”, the boar hummed a bit.
Then it released a roar filled with mana and intent embedded into it. At this point Kaden was already able to understand very well the idea behind it. Perhaps, if he was the owner of the territory, he might be able to do the same. It was simply gathering mana and putting your thoughs and desires into it and then releasing it. A bit like filling a mana crystal with information, but releasing it on wide area instead.
He himself was completely unaffected by the intent, but was able to tell that the boar simply informed that there was small group of strong humans in the area to hunt. Whether any of the beasts decided to act on the information was up to them. This was not a direct command.
“Thank you”, Kaden said and decided to try leaving as soon as possible. This crazy boar was dangerous, but it seemed to like him and would help him.
“Humans die”, said the boar. “Now know more humans come. I kill more humans. Maybe too many? Must choose.”
“I only let you know”, Kaden said and started to turn around to leave. “It is up to you what to do.”
As Kaden was already some distance away the boar continued to talk.
“Hubbys old territory unclaimed”, the boar told Kaden. “Stinking hubby here. He not care. Maybe your territory? Next to mine. Help. Work together.”
“Unfortunately I must decline”, Kaden said. He had momentarily felt like taking a territory was something desirable, but it would not fit with his plans. “I must be elsewhere.”
Then Kaden took quick steps away and no longer was in distance to talk with the boar any more.
----
“Not human interesting”, The Cerulean boar thought by itself. “So vibrant mana. Fire not match water, but tingles nicely. Pretty bird. I like.”
It turned to look at its ‘hubby’.
“Hubby stinks and is lazy”, the boar thought. Then it released some mana and enormous mudwave was discharged from the ground at the so called ‘hubby’ which was then washed along with it and started to sink into the ground. “Fuck off lazy bastard! I like bird not human more! Not stink. Grows. Pretty. Very pretty. Mana pure. Helps! Not stinky like lazy hub… hmmm. Not hubby! Spoiled meat!”
The boar continued to trash around and release more attacks towards the corpse of the male boar.
----
Kaden being entirely unaware of this, continued back towards the base camp. He would still have to give a look of the area, but that should be done relatively quickly with his speed and rest of the beasts wanting to avoid him.
Thinking whe he had just done made Kaden feel happy. No one would be able to tie him, if a high beast suddenly decide to attack some intruding humans on its area. Even if it was an army.
“He he he”, Kaden finally began laughing as he imaged army being torn to shreds by a beast swarm. All the while no one would know what he had done. He couldn’t wait for it to happen. He was sure the boar would do it.
Perhaps the army would be prepared for it. Beasts swarms were not uncommon at all. In fact, often as soon as any larger number of humans were noticed by a high beast or stronger there would likely be one.
The difference this time was that the local high beast was aware of it beforehand! It was intelligent enough to plan an actual attack. Usually beast swarms were uncoordinated. What would happen, if a high beast took the effort to coordinate an attack? The strength of such attack would likely multiply!
Additionally, perhaps he would also get to watch Olren be killed too. It would look bad, if he was only survivor so he intended to stop whatever beasts attack once the noble fool was dead.
No one insults his mother!