I put the [Feathered Ancient Scythe-Claw Dragon] eggs inside my berry bag and walk the Scythe-Claw back to the elvish village. I hold onto one of its long claws and lead it through the jungle.

Eventually, we meet up with the elves, who already have a home for it. My initial guess on what the elves would use this creature for was almost correct.

It's a herbivore who harvests their food before eating it. They can also fight and defend themselves and are 'small' enough to manage. Since the elves' hunting party will leave this forest soon, having a creature that can help with food gathering and tribe defense is better than having nothing.

It does have issues fighting smaller creatures, something I unknowingly abused, but the elves can handle 'small-fry' quickly.

The Scythe-Claw is not my problem anymore, and I held up my end of the bargain, so I searched for the elder to get my reward- Some elvish taming techniques.

I only need it for one thing since there is only one creature I'm interested in taming as mine. Perhaps that sentiment will change, and I'll want another, but the little antlion queen, Beryl, might not have to wait any longer.

She won't have to wait as soon as I get out of here and deal with the aftermath of being thrown into this place.

The elder eventually approaches me with a book.

"It's a copy, but that shouldn't be an issue."

I nod and consume the book into my [Lexicon]. Most of the information is redundant because I'm not an elf, nor do I have an elvish soul. Tamers' souls differ from other classes since that's the medium used to tame creatures.

The taming skill that tamers use (regardless of how it evolved through the class changes) is based on one's spirit. Although that is an automatic process, the book only has manual methods since this book is older than the system.

The system came about after the Collision, after all. Regardless, a few seem to be compatible with me. And only one seems feasible since I don't have access to special herbs or spiritual gurus.

I can artificially surpass the 'spiritual cap' that tamers eventually reach, which is what I want. I want six tamed beasts instead of five. The issue is that I have to be willing to sacrifice a tenth of my lifespan since that's the cost.

But that is a decision for later.

I'm about to leave the building and return to my routine, but the elder addresses me.

"The hunting party can use your help with finding the exit. They don't have a healer among their midst, and the dangers presented outside our territory will facilitate one."

"...Wouldn't they be slowed down by me?"

"Only if you see yourself as a burden. If you meant in a manner of speed, that can be substituted with a helping hand."

I think for a moment before accepting the offer. If I want out of here, I should use my two hands and feet and... My one hand and two feet to get out of here. My arm will regrow eventually...

I meet up with Cloverheart, who is preparing for the village to move. It will have to move to a more secure location while the hunters are away. Apparently, the elves weren't living there in the first place since it's harder to find meaningful creatures to hunt and eat, which wouldn't be a problem.

"Ah, gracele- Ellis! What do you need?"

"Your elder told me to help your party since you don't have a dedicated healer."

"We can use the help... But the problem of traveling together would become apparent."

"I can be carried. I am okay with that."

"...but that doesn't seem right. We hunt as one. We move as one. We are one party... for one goal. To have a member not move with the rest seems... wrong."

"What do you do if your members are injured and cannot move? Do you leave them?"

"Of course not. But exceptions always apply. We aren't monsters nor dwarvish automatons."

"Then there is no issue."

"I have a counteroffer. I will personally teach you how to move like an elf."

"...Is that allowed?"

"It's a heavy taboo. Teaching an outsider an elvish movement technique. It's damnable."

"...so?"

"But it doesn't feel bad to impart it onto you, for some reason. While on the topic, do you want to learn archery?"

~~~

I denied Cloverheart's archery lessons, but I did take his offer to learn his tribe's movement technique. It starts with good stamina, which I already have.

The following things are precision and elegance, something I had trouble understanding. It took me so long to learn the basics that the preparations for moving were complete, and we paused the lessons for the relocation.

It should've been in a week or two, but moving isn't an issue if the elves are prepared. But that does imply that they searched this 'half of the island.'

Master Wangs' martial arts don't have movement techniques beyond "get there fast, even at the cost of your body." The philosophy behind the Atunum tribe's movement is "to be like falling leaves," which baffles me.

It's a vertical movement style. So, a technique that utilizes the third dimension. It excels where there are multiple surfaces to traverse, but on flat ground, it's not much better than other styles.

~~~

The village is settled, and Cloverheart gives me pointers as we move through the jungle. The rest of the party has to slow down for me, but they aren't as annoyed as I initially thought. They seem grateful that they can prolong the inevitable.

Eventually...

[Dash D lv5 > Environmental Movement C lv1]

[Environmental Movement C lv1

Environmental Movement is the base of multiple elvish movement techniques. While in the user's preferred environment, these bonuses are doubled.

Travel Stamina +50%

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Movement Speed +50%]

After learning the basics, Cloverheart wanted to keep teaching me, but I initially refused. I need to understand what environment is considered 'preferred' for me. He answered that question and told me that that's an easy question for elves since their subspecies are usually tied to their preferred terrain.

The Atunum people are a type of 'wood elf,' but they are different from other wood elves, which is the source of their exile in the first place. Usually, wood-elves believe that eating meat is a sin and harvesting more from the forest than necessary is also a sin.

While these more primal elves believe they are also a part of nature, nature doesn't discriminate with whom she gives her bounties. They still show respect to those they slay to survive and aren't abundant with their harvesting... but that difference in philosophy was enough to be ousted.

I didn't ask about all that, but I didn't mention that tidbit.

All I gathered from his trauma dumping is that one's preferred environment isn't a personal preference but something your very physiology prefers over another... and that you aren't tied to just one.

I'd imagine my favorite terrain is somewhere that would constantly or instantly kill anyone else but myself and the residents there... but since I have the double bonus the skill provides me, maybe I'm thinking too narrowly.

Humans don't have a 'preferred' terrain. Anywhere where life can be feasible is seemingly good enough for us. And for me, even those unfeasible places can become comfortable once I acclimate.

~~~

I gained considerably less experience from killing those egg thieves. I believe I got more experience for 'taming' the Scythe-Claw since every class gains experience while doing their 'job.'

Name / Nickname

Ellis Vincere / The Last Winner

Race

Human

Class

Monarch Master (Rank A)

Level

350 (2b/20b)

Titles

Proud Owner of a Rock, Fell the Mighty, Heptad Attuner, Indulger, Resilience Incarnate… ▽

~

~

Health Points

22,416/22,416 (+295% bonus)

Mana Points

4,525/4,525

Armor Points

0

Might

880 (661 > 800 + 10%)

Agility

890 (661 > 800 + 10% + 10)

Vigor (P)

1135* (1000 + 10% + 35)

Mind

905 (661 > 800 + 75 + 30)

Spirit

880 (625 > 725+ 20% + 10)

Perception

150

Charisma

100 (45 + 15 + 40)

Attunement

100

Luck

2

Unused

0 > 450 > 30

Martial artists can gain experience from fights and spars while a farmer farms their farms.

But I'm technically a [Master]. So I can gain experience by dominating other creatures? Subjugating them? I don't know.

But those were my stats before the journey. My movement skill leveled up a few times, the same with my martial arts. We hunted as we moved, only resting to cook and eat. Sleep wasn't needed since these elves learned to trance on the go long ago.

And I just toughed it out.

We avoided creatures unless it was necessary. The first place was the swamps to the immediate north, home to a tribe of lizard-like humanoids. We avoided them, but eventually, we were spotted, and a battle broke out.

It was a gruesome fight. Feet sinking into the mud if we were knocked from the swampy mangroves. But we managed to escape. The lizards had a massive upper hand with their familiarity with the terrain and the abusive amount of poisons they slathered on their blades and arrows.

My healing was the only thing that kept our squad from accruing any casualties.

Giant snakes and other creatures were less of an issue than the pursuing hunting parties of lizard-people. Eventually, we felt that the swamp had nothing for us, so we left. The lizard people didn't follow us out of their territory.

Next were the plains, where gigantic creatures roamed. They seemed ignorant or apathetic to our existence, but a single step would be enough to kill us all. The tiniest creature was just under 1000 feet tall.

Living here is a race of giant-kin large enough to wrestle these monstrosities. Luckily, we managed to avoid all of them.

The island's northern end has a comparatively small area filled with ice and snow. That's where the first casualty of the hunting party occurred.

It wasn't a dragon but a massive shark that broke through the ice sheet we were unknowingly traversing on. We scattered, but the unlucky one was never heard from again. We couldn't wait where we were, so we had to keep moving.

Death among the elves is more impactful than I thought it would be. They all hardened their resolve long before I came to this place, but they became melancholic for the rest of the journey.

I guess the time to grieve is longer, just like their life spans. For the first time in a long time, we found a safe place to rest and dined in that elf's honor. I couldn't bring up that I don't know any of their names - except for Cloverheart - even though I'm sure they've introduced themselves to me.

I lived in their village for almost a month and traveled with these elves for a similar time. We ate, killed, and explored together.

Throughout our travels, we found the nests of multiple creatures that can be considered 'bosses,' but we just marked their location and moved on. We moved to the mountains with the volcano in the island's center.

But the boss of the mountain is something else. It screams apex predator. It has ridges on its scaled head that resemble a literal crown.

[Gigantic Ancient Land Tyrant Dragon ? 7??]

It's bi-pedal with a long, powerful tail balancing its leaned-over body. Its head is massive and is filled to the brim with long, sharp teeth. It's hard to gauge how big, but it's gigantic.

Its feet cause literal quakes as it walks around, and its eyes seem predatory. It's the first creature I've seen above level 500, but the distance makes it hard to determine the actual level.

The only funny thing about it is its arms are diminished and are dwarfed by the rest of its body.

But the creature is above level 500, which means it's above rank A. The following letter grade is S, but I've never seen one before... I think. As I'm running through all my previous encounters in my mind, Cloverheart motions for us to get down.

The [Gigantic Ancient Land Tyrant Dragon] lets out a thundering roar that shakes the very air around it. A sonic boom rolls across the terrain and over the little trench we found ourselves in. We ran off as soon as it was deemed safe.

We circle around until we are on the other side of the volcano. We climb it, dodging various flying creatures until we reach the top. Smoke trails from the bubbling pool of magma deep below. The elves have trouble breathing, but I'm just fine. The smoke doesn't even sting my eyes. It's not heavy enough to obscure my vision, which lets me spot something within the smoke.

...I don't know if I saw it incorrectly, but I think I found it. In the middle of this active volcano, floating hundreds of feet above boiling molten rock is a fracture in space. The exit to this damnable place.