By now, Nick was already making his way down the hillside, heading toward his prize with no further hesitation. He quickly scanned the ground ahead to pick out a path, then broke into a run, rushing for the fruit dangling from the lotus.
He was certain that he wasn’t the only one heading that way. That the scent would draw in beasts for miles around. Right now, he didn’t see anything else crossing the marsh, but he knew that it wouldn’t last much longer, and he took the System’s warning to heart.
Sure enough, before he had closed half of the distance, he spotted a massive creature arriving from a different direction. Something bigger than a bear, covered in wiry brown fur. As the beast devoured the last stretch of ground between its position and the lotus, Nick was able to make out additional details. It was one of the giant otter-like beasts that he had seen several times while crossing the marsh.
This one was a bit smaller than the others he had encountered, and size up indicated that it was less dangerous, leading Nick to believe that it was a juvenile. But even half grown, the beast was much bigger than he was, and it had to be tough to endure the myriad dangers that called the bog home. He didn’t want to fight it unless he was left with no other choice, although he was willing to as a last resort.
The otter wasn’t particularly agile on dry land, but it still crossed the marshlands at a decent clip. It would reach the lotus pad within another few minutes at most. In short, if Nick wanted to claim the magic fruit, he would have to pick up his pace, because his hunt had just become a race.
Abandoning any pretense of stealth, he kicked it up another gear, sprinting for the emerald lotus as fast as his feet would carry him. For a few minutes, it seemed that he would win the race, but that was the moment when the otter noticed his presence. It let out an angry squeal and pushed its furry body into a greater burst of speed, now flying across the marsh at a rate twice that of Nick’s own.
He was closer but the otter was faster, and he could tell by now that it was going to be a photo finish. He could hear other beasts drawing near as well. If Nick didn’t make it to the lotus fruit soon, he would have more than a yellow otter the size of a pony to contend with.
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Lungs pumping like bellows, Nick ran for everything that he was worth. By now, both he and the otter were less than a hundred feet away from the pool holding the emerald star lotus. I’m not going to make it, he growled in frustration.
By now, he was only twenty feet away from the dangling fruit. Its scent was heavy in the air, rich and intoxicating, filling his cells with the need to consume it and claim its power for his own. The otter was streaking across the last stretch of ground in a blur of brown fur, every scrap of its focus fixed upon the lotus ahead.
Although Nick was agonizingly close, he wasn’t going to make it in time, the beast was surging too fast. When it reached the border of the pond, the otter leapt into the air with jaws spread wide, poised to close around the lotus fruit.
Just before the beast could devour the fruit in a single bite, a wedge of silver light slammed into the side of its head, as Nick’s mana dart landed on target. It was the first time that he had been able to cast a spell while moving and it caught the giant otter completely by surprise. The beast let out a squeal of pain and came crashing into the water beside the lotus pad in a great spray of droplets, teeth missing the fruit by a matter of inches. It recovered less than ten seconds later, gazing up at the lotus fruit just in time to watch Nick pluck it with a twist of his wrist.
He shoved the soft plant into his mouth and began to chew, letting out a moan of culinary delight. The emerald star lotus fruit was every bit as delicious as its aroma had promised. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to stop and savor the flavor. Dozens of beasts were headed his way fast, and the otter was looking up at him in resentment, having regained control over its muscular body.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Nick quickly chewed and then swallowed the pulp filling his mouth, washing it down with a plug of water from his canteen. The instant that the tangy mush completed its short voyage down to his stomach, he felt a strange energy building up inside him. A churning mass of raw potential that had yet to be given shape.
For a tense moment, the beasts kept right on coming, leaving Nick afraid that the creatures would smell the juice on his breath and decide to hunt him down. An outcome far more dangerous than the System had implied.
Hopefully it’s not this guy’s family coming to settle the score. Fortunately, the tide of beasts came to an abrupt halt another twenty seconds later. He prayed that his luck would hold, watching the various creatures looking his way for a long moment.
Nick sighed in relief when they turned away, letting out a few disappointed grunts before heading back the way they had come. After issuing a reproachful chitter, the otter turned and began wandering back to the closest lake, disappearing into the night.