Full moon illuminated the village in silver, casting long shadows. The night air was cold and damp, but it didn’t bother me one bit. The deaths of another group of Raiders weighed heavy on my mind. This conflict was spiraling out of control, and I feared what would come of it.
I tried to put it out of my mind. I was eager to hunt. Amelia’s [Swift Renewal] had stitched up the last of my internal damage by, making me glad that I gifted her the healing relics.
I was amazed how quickly I was able to loot the Raiders. All the Agility and Perception allowed my fingers to move with exact precision and timeliness. Only twenty minutes had passed since midnight, leaving [Measured Savagery] with 64 minutes.
Before going, I banged out the dents in my breastplate before putting it back on, and then I [Leaped] north. The air rushed past me, and the lights from the houses flickered by. I felt like I was flying. In a single bound I cleared the palisade, landing in the fields outside the village. The distance for my [Leap] skill had increased from a mere eight yards to over a hundred thanks to my Agility.
I ran, picked up speed, each step clearing yards at a time. The land turned from fields to swamp. Water splashed aside. Birds flew into the air. I sought out a perch in the ruins on top of the remains of a tower.
Gazing out over the swamp, my perception allowed me to pick up the smallest of movements. The night was alive with night creatures I hadn’t seen before. Some noticed my presence, many fled, hiding under water. No wraiths were in sight and I was happy for that.
I remained still and watched. It didn’t take long to spot my prey. In the distance, the still waters of the swamp rippled as a massive head emerged. Spiked legs followed, along with an enormous, time-worn shell covered in clumps of vegetation. Not counting the spikey tail, the thing must have been ten yards long. It moved slowly, its huge head steady and fearless. It didn’t bother scanning for predators—because it had none. Until now.
[t4] Goliath Turtle [White]
I dropped down to the rocky ground of the ruins, and walked to the soggy edge of the swamp. In order to flank it with an attack I [Leaped] to a position off to its side, within a hundred meters of it. Keeping low, I used whatever tall vegetation and shrubbery in the area to conceal me.
It hadn’t spotted me, continuing its steady pace. Even at this distance, the sheer size of my opponent looked terrifying. Its jaws would crush and its feet would pancake me like a bug.
I waited until the path wasn’t obstructed by the few trees in the area. Ready to attack, I raised the Ronkor’s Rattler up, gripping it tight in my hands. Using the turtle’s head as the target for [Leap], I took a breath and activated the skill. In an instant, I was flying straight for it. The air whistled through the slits in my helmet.
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Just as I was about to slam down, it ducked its head abruptly. I landed right past it. I turned to see its gaping maw coming right for me.
How the hell?
I tried to jump aside only to slip on the muddy ground. The jaw went right over me, inches away. I rolled over in the mud, scrambled to my feet only to get pummeled, sent flying, rolling in the dirt. Muck and grime swamped my helmet, dousing my face. Water and mud covered me from head to toe.
I got back up again, faced the monster. It turned its massive body in my direction with uncanny speed and ferocity. Jaws wide open, it stomped its front legs, hissing loud.
I ignored him. Was I insane to stay and fight? Maybe. I went over my options. A boiling tar bomb could help, but I’d need to switch to my wands. [Telekinesis] was useless here. [Steel traps] wouldn’t do anything to something that size, .. or would they? The skill was affected by my Agility and Strength. I conjured up one in a second, threw it down in front of me. Did the turtle know what I was doing? Was it smart enough to avoid the trap? Did it care?
It could end the fight by fleeing back into the water, but just like me it didn’t want to run away. It wasn’t backing down, and neither was I. It charged at me, and I [Leaped] away. Midair, I watched the trap latch on to its front leg, and it came to an abrupt stop, crashing to the ground.
It worked!
But was it smart enough to free itself? While it struggled, I conjured up another two traps, plus a smoke bomb. Finally, it chomped down on the chain, destroying the trap, freeing itself. It rushed at me again, angrier than before.
I tsked.
To my satisfaction, and quite predictably, the turtle fell for it again. It ran right into both of my traps. I used that moment to chuck a smoke bomb at its head. And with me obscured from sight, I [Leaped] on top of its shell.
Its massive shell moved beneath my feet and I struggled for balance. Making it worse, the moss covered surface made the ground slippery. I crouched to the ground, used my hands to steady myself while crawling forward.
Could it feel me moving on top of its shell? Maybe, but for now it was busy with the traps. This gave me a few seconds to creep forward toward its head. The beast tore off the first trap, then the second. I slowed my pace. It was moving its head from side to side as if looking for me. That’s when I pounced.
I dropped silently from the edge of its shell. Putting all my weight into the mace, I pummeled it with every bit of my strength. The head of the mace impacted with a bone-crushing slam, embedding in the skull all the way to the handle.
The turtle shuddered, and its legs went stiff. The ‘Experience gained’ message arrived the same instant, surprising me at the devastating power I was wielding.
The hunt was the quick part, now I needed to get the carcass back to the village, and for that I already had a plan in mind. Using my key, I opened a portal to the Nexus, and on the other side converted it into a sustained portal. Then I moved it inside the gates, toward the barracks and upgraded it to a six yards wide ‘Trade Portal.’ All that remained was to get the villagers to take it apart.