The jobo’s territory should be around here somewhere. Sure enough, after climbing the hill and taking a long look around, Edge spotted the creature he was seeking. A burly pink beast bounding through the grass with one hand tucked against its chest.

He ran his eyes across his prey while trying to remember everything that he knew about jobos, a beast that was native to Ord.

They looked a bit like hairless kangaroos, with twice as many muscles and a bad attitude. They had giant ears, and a long, thick tail. Swordlike talons, and a bite that could chew through steel rebar. They were tough for their size, which was well over twice his own. But Edge knew their characteristics well and had a plan to handle any of the attacks that the beast might throw his way.

Jobos were aggressive, territorial, and not too bright. If he got into a fight, it wouldn’t try to run unless it was critically injured. It saved him the trouble of tracking the creature to its lair, a feat that was likely beyond him.

Lacking any manner of long-range attack, his best chance to take control of the situation was to land an entangle before the beast knew he was there. Then close the distance once it was disabled and score a critical wound.

Once that was accomplished, all that was left was to knock it out and find out what was on the menu. He felt a pulse of gluttony from his core at the thought. A hunger for power that was a mirror to his own. Be patient. Neither of us will benefit if I die making a careless move.

Now that Edge had sighted his prey, he just had to wait until there weren’t any beasts nearby that could interrupt their fight and the jobo was ready for a nap. They generally slept in the hottest part of the day to conserve energy and were most active at dusk and dawn.

He kept one eye on his quarry while scanning the surrounding terrain, looking for dangerous creatures, or anyone who might learn his secret from watching the fight. Ten minutes later, he was as certain as he could be that nothing of note was nearby.

By now, the jobo was in the middle of chowing down on a bright purple plant that was sweet like sugar cane. Edge settled down to wait, practicing some of the patience that Trapper held in such high regard.

He passed the time by running scenarios through his head. He was deciding how to handle as many eventualities as he could imagine, so that he could act without hesitation when the moment arrived.

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When the beast was done eating, it hopped into the shade of a tree and sat down, leaning against the trunk before closing its eyes. Edge waited another few minutes to make sure that it was sound asleep, then began creeping closer as carefully as he could.

He wanted to immobilize his foe right from the get-go. Then he would rush in and land a hit with elemental blade while it couldn’t get away. If everything went well, he would secure a significant advantage before the jobo knew he was there. Maybe even win the fight before the battle began.

Right now, entangle had a range of about fifty feet. But he needed to be a bit closer if he wanted to control where it would appear with perfect accuracy. It took five seconds for the vines to emerge from the soil after he activated the skill, and he couldn’t change its location after he spent the mana and set it loose. At least not at its current rank.

Now that the battle was imminent, his heart began to race as adrenaline surged into his veins. Edge forced himself to keep his breathing slow and deep, not advancing until he’d regained control over his mental state. When he was calmer, he resumed inching forward, coming to a stop forty feet from his prey.

The jobo was in a perfect position, snoring away while propped up against the tree. It couldn’t jump back with the trunk in the way, limiting its range of motion. He was confident that with its rank-two upgrade, his entangle could bind the beast for at least a few seconds. Plenty of time to make his next move.

He took one last look around while drawing his knife, making sure that the coast was clear before committing to the fight. Everything looks good. There’s no reason to hold back any longer.

He gathered his concentration and willed the skill to activate, visualizing his target without breaking his gaze. Entangle. His core roared to life in response. His reactor began burning magicytes from his reservoir, as warmth blossomed behind his ribs. Then a surge of mana went flowing through the skill, out of his body, and into the ground.

Five seconds later, four thick tendrils burst free from the soil, ready to wrap themselves around the beast and bind it tight. But that was not what happened. Their prey was already gone.

Three seconds after Edge sent his mana into the dirt, the jobo had opened its eyes and looked straight at him. It brought its legs together and leapt high into the air, just as his skill rose from below.

The beast went sailing beyond the range of his vines before they could reach out and grab hold, sending a blizzard of leaves and shorn branches raining from the canopy.

He knew in that moment what had happened. Ah hell. That jobo is mana sensitive. That’s not good. While all beasts, monsters, and cored individuals could sense mana to at least some extent, some creatures were unusually perceptive.

Individuals from any species could be mana sensitive, although the ability was relatively rare. Which meant that he was just plain unlucky on that count.

The beast wasn’t going to get hit by entangle, especially now that it had seen the skill in action. He might still be able to set up some manner of trap, but planning out the details would have to wait.

Right now, Edge had an irate jobo to deal with, who was eager to settle the score.