It didn’t take long for Alex to find what he was looking for. Any monsters or wildlife would do for him. They were all made of points and things he could sell for points. Though his focus was on mid-level enemies that gathered in groups. It could be more efficient, he thought.
“There you are,” Alex thought.
On the rugged mountain terrain, Alex stood, eyes locked onto the menacing forms of the two mutated bears before him. Each one was a snarling mass of fur and muscle, they were far from the ordinary wildlife he usually faced. Their claws and teeth were hardened and sharpened to take on their similarly mutated meals. Gripped tightly in his hands, his twin daggers glinted under the sun's waning light. This was his battle. Although not exactly his targeted adversaries, they would serve as an adequate warm-up following his strenuous trek up the mountain.
As the first bear lunged, its gnarled paw swiping with deadly precision, Alex's unique power sprang into action. The environment resonated with unseen pulses, providing a vivid image of the impending threat. With exceptional agility and grace, he deftly sidestepped the offensive, the bear's claws swiping through nothing more than empty air.
No sooner had he evaded the first bear's attack than the second bear joined the melee, its massive paw descending in a threatening arc. Alex's echolocation sensed the movement, the invisible waves contorting around the inbound assault. In a fluid motion, Alex dropped into a defensive crouch, the breeze from the missed swipe ruffling his hair. The bears, despite their intimidating stature, were too sluggish for him, and his powers only enhanced his dodging ability. He moved as soon as they moved and they could not attack with a move that he could not see.
Leaping back into action like a coiled spring, Alex struck back. His right hand flicked out, a rapid streak that left a line of crimson on the second bear's chest. The beast recoiled, its deep roar reverberating throughout the mountainous landscape. The bear charged again, but Alex skillfully rolled to the side, leaving the bear to crash into a nearby tree. Twigs snapped and leaves rained down as the tree shuddered under the impact.
However, there was no time for respite. Alex twirled, his echolocation guiding him to his next target. The first bear was recovering from its failed attempt, but Alex was quicker. He plunged his left dagger into the creature's side, drawing a pain-filled roar from the beast.
In the rhythmic dance of battle, Alex was a tempest. His daggers were mere flashes in motion, his movements a harmonious blend of lethal efficiency. Each swing, each thrust, was guided by the silent echo of his unique ability, allowing him to strike and evade with uncanny accuracy. This was Alex's true superpower. His eyesight was secondary, an additional source of information for his battles. With his power in play, no attack could surprise him.
As time stretched on, the bears, once formidable foes, began to show signs of weakening under his incessant onslaught. Despite his labored breathing, Alex kept up his deadly dance, never allowing his daggers to rest. He let the bears dictate the rhythm of the fight and kept them engaged and enraged, all while gradually slowing his pace. He needed the sounds of the battle to echo across the terrain and the scent of blood to waft through the air, attracting other creatures in the vicinity.
When the last of the growls morphed into a pitiful whimper and the final bear collapsed to the ground, Alex finally permitted himself to rest.
He took a brief interlude to recover, sipping from his water flask before turning his attention back to the fallen beasts, ready to harvest their valuable furs and other materials. He collected the hardened claws and plush fur, packing them carefully into his travel bag. Alex cast his echolocation around the area for a quick sweep before continuing his journey.
Alex's mind drifted back to a location where he and his team had hunted mutated hawks and eagles. These creatures had distinctive perching territories. Their nests are clearly demarcated. He hoped to spot any nearby nests from his current location. Battling these airborne creatures would be a true test of his skills. The birds had the advantage of swooping in from any direction, requiring him to be alert to threats from all around, including from above. He would need to maintain a 360-degree defense and offense. Alex was fully aware of the challenge this posed, yet he felt ready for it.
Alex scanned the trees for scratches from the different creatures of the mountain. With his continual use of his echolocation came improvements. He was able to expand his range and give more detailed sight and understanding. No longer was he just scanning a small stretch of the tunnel for his next step in darkness. His echolocation was becoming a complete 3D map.
Alex started to travel around the mountain instead of further up it. He searched for the largest trees in the area and those that had broken branches high up in the trees.
Soon enough, he heard the familiar rustling of wings filled the air. A shadow swooped overhead, and Alex's echolocation painted a clear picture of a mutated hawk descending upon him. With a swift roll to the side, he narrowly avoided the bird's talons. Alex sent out a streak of echolocation signals to follow it as the bird flew upward to try again.
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The raven called for assistance and four other birds joined it from other trees in its attacks.
“Finally, I was wondering when you others would show up. Now let’s see what you are made of and get this fight over with quickly.”
Alex’s pulse quickened as he tightened his grip on his daggers, adrenaline surging through his veins. The mountain air, thin and cold, a bit at his lungs, but he ignored it, focusing on the five airborne assailants circling above him. His heightened senses painted a vivid picture of the battlefield, delineating each bird's size, the speed of their flight, and the angle of their approach. His mind was a calculating machine, predicting their movements, and plotting his countermeasures.
The first bird dived, a streak of feathered menace hurtling from the sky. Alex pivoted, his body a blur of motion as he flung a dagger toward the incoming threat. The weapon spun end over end, glinting in the dappled sunlight before embedding itself into the bird’s breast. A squawk of surprise echoed through the forest as the creature faltered mid-flight, the force of the attack sending it spiraling into a nearby tree.
Without missing a beat, Alex sprinted towards the fallen beast, retrieving his weapon as the remaining birds adjusted their trajectories, preparing for their own assault. His echolocation was in overdrive, pinging off the birds and their surroundings, feeding him a continuous stream of information. Alex’s constant use of echolocation, now a habit, was a constant timer in his mind that could help him plot the trajectories of his aerial foes and small objects like his knife.
Two birds swooped down in tandem, their talons bared. Anticipating their move, Alex threw himself to the ground, flattening himself against the cold, hard earth as the creatures whizzed past overhead, their talons catching nothing but air. He sprang up again, his left hand whipping out, the second dagger. It found its mark in one bird's wing, sending it spiraling to the ground with a pitiful squawk.
The two remaining birds, sensing their comrades' demise, redoubled their efforts. They dove at Alex with increased ferocity, their sharp cries piercing the air. Alex met their charge head-on, his dagger a flurry of gleaming death. A rapid sidestep evaded one bird, while a swift uppercut of his blade caught the second under its wing. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc as the bird shrieked in agony, its body convulsing in mid-air before crashing down.
Alex spun to face the final bird, his chest heaving from exertion. His senses were a cacophony of stimuli. The echoes of his unique ability to paint a detailed portrait of his surroundings. The last bird was the largest, its wingspan casting an ominous shadow. It circled him warily, its avian eyes glaring with primal intelligence. Alex searched the ground for the fallen bird that held his other dagger in its body. It was too far a way for him to grab at the moment. He would have to stick to a singular dagger.
With a sudden rush of wings, the bird lunged. Alex steeled himself, his muscles coiling in preparation. He watched for the bird's claws. As the bird descended, he lunged forward, his body a lethal bullet. His right-hand dagger pierced through the bird's heart, and he pulled downward. With his other hand, he grabbed its upper leg. It flapped its wings one final time as Alex pulled it to the ground.
The bird let out a final, strangled squawk before collapsing to the ground, its life extinguished in an instant. Alex stood panting, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He was drenched in sweat, a mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion coursing through him.
His echolocation pulsed out, painting a silent panorama of death around him. Five bodies lay strewn about the clearing. Alex started his process again. He cleaned up the carcasses and harvested the best material from all of them. It was a task that he had performed dozens of times with many types of animals. While he worked Alex sent out occasional pings to detect anything moving in the area. He detected no movement from all sides, monster or human.
“Nothing in the area,” thought Alex. He looked up to the sky. It was getting closer to dark. “I should speak to some of the people in town and see if they have some suggestions for where to find the best monsters. What I collected today was fine but if I want to really build up a stockpile then I need to look elsewhere.”
With these thoughts, Alex stood up and, with a deep breath, continued his journey. His heart rate returned to normal as he moved further from the battlefield, his senses staying alert for any sign of danger. The day's battle had been intense, yet he was satisfied. It wasn't just the quantity of the monsters he'd defeated but also the quality. The mutated hawks were worthy adversaries, testing his abilities to their fullest extent.
Ahead, the terrain changed. The previously well-trodden mountain path gave way to a rocky cliffside, steep and treacherous. Snow marked some of the paths. Following the same path as others before him he stayed away from the edge. He looked down the path, seeming to disappear into the abyss below. On his way, he threw out signals of his power as his mana regenerated. His echolocation sent pulses bouncing off the cliff walls, giving him a clear view of the path ahead.
The cliff gradually gave way to a thick, mountainous forest. The temperature dropped further, and a light dusting of snow began to fall. The trees stood tall and ominous, their branches laden with snow, forming a canopy overhead. The crunch of his boots against the snow was the only sound that permeated the eerie silence.
Alex's echolocation pinged off the trees, forming a mental map of the forest. He spotted small creatures here and there, but none were a threat to him. A few small, mutated rabbits crossed his path, but with a quick flick of his dagger, he dispatched them with ease. Their fur was not as valuable as the hawks, but it was still a good find. He collected what he could and moved on.
As the sun dipped below the horizon he spotted signs of the village. Alex’s pace quickened as he saw the signs of life. He found his way to the nearest entrance and then hurried to the general store. It was closing down as he approached it. With skilled hands, the owner took his goods and calculated the value of the items which were returned as Tower Points. He thanked the birdman and went on his way to find a place to sleep.