As Arya crouched in the bushes, planning his attack alongside the small bear-like beast, the two deer-like creatures abruptly lifted their heads, staring skyward. Following their gaze, Arya spotted a large bird circling above.
Something was off. Birds in Dreadfall Forest were rarely normal, and this one, nearly nine feet long, was no exception. Though slightly smaller than what Arya was searching for, it was undoubtedly close to Rank 1—perhaps on the verge of evolving.
However, the bird showed no signs of attacking the two diamond-eyed beasts below. It was merely observing.
Arya frowned. His plan was simple—launch a surprise attack, instantly kill one beast, and fight the other head-on. But if that bird decided to interfere mid-battle, things could take a dangerous turn.
Glancing at his unexpected companion, an idea formed. If this little guy wanted to eat, it had to earn its share.
"Hey, little guy..." Arya whispered, pointing toward the bird.
The small beast turned its head, then licked its lips and rubbed its stomach, nodding eagerly.
Arya sighed, wondering how this creature was still alive when it seemed to view every other beast as food.
"Alright. If that thing up there interferes, stop it or warn me," Arya instructed. Then, after a pause, he added, "By the way, can you even fight? Or are you a peaceful type?"
The small beast let out a low hum—the first sound Arya had ever heard from it. Then, with an exaggerated expression, it flexed its tiny arms, as if proudly showing off its strength.
Arya chuckled. Despite not underestimating the creature, he couldn't help but find its behavior amusing. However, his smile only seemed to annoy the small beast, so he quickly refocused on the hunt.
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The bird was now its responsibility, but Arya wasn't about to put his life in the hands of a beast he had just met.
More importantly, if he successfully hunted these two unranked beasts, he could earn around 100 white coins from their materials and obtain enough beast blood to refine his strength.
He had been stuck at Level 32 for nearly a month. Though still a bit away from reaching Level 33, with enough beast blood, he could break through in just two days. And if he could push himself to Level 36 or 37 within a month, he'd be strong enough to kill a Rank 1 beast without much trouble.
For now, his focus remained on his prey.
The two beasts were still fixated on the sky, making them vulnerable. Summoning his Seed Rings, Arya activated his second skill, camouflaging his aura to lower the chances of detection. As he infused elemental energy into his Seed Weapon, the small beast beside him watched with keen interest, studying every movement.
Once the energy was fully gathered, Arya launched his spear.
Whoosh!
The weapon pierced the first beast's stomach with pinpoint accuracy.
Arya expected an instant kill, but to his surprise, the beast remained alive, gasping for breath. Worse, it turned toward him, its diamond eyes glowing with intense energy.
"Damn it..." Arya muttered, realizing what was about to happen.
The beast unleashed a beam of light, and before he could dodge, it struck him head-on.
BOOM!
A powerful explosion erupted, sending dust and debris flying.
Arya had shielded himself with his arms, but the attack burned his skin, and blood trickled down his hands. The scent of scorched flesh filled his nostrils—he had barely avoided being cooked alive.
But in that moment, he realized something crucial.
Light Element.
These beasts possessed one of the rarest elemental affinities, alongside Lightning and Darkness. Finding low-ranked beasts with this element was almost unheard of—it was like hitting a jackpot.
But Arya had no time to celebrate.
A furious roar echoed across the forest.
The second beast had finally reacted, only now realizing that its companion was dead.
Arya's instincts screamed at him to move.
Another light beam fired toward him, but this one was noticeably weaker. The previous beast had poured everything into its final attack, unlike this one.
Dashing to the side, Arya scanned the area for his small companion—but it was nowhere to be found.
"The little guy... is gone?"
Even the large bird had disappeared.
Had the small beast lured it away? If so, that meant it wasn't as weak as it looked. But Arya had no time to think about that now.
The second beast's eyes glowed again.
Arya rushed forward, closing the distance before it could launch another devastating attack. But just as he neared, the beast fired a third beam—proving that it only needed three seconds to charge.
"Shit!"
Arya tried to sidestep, but the beam clipped his arm, burning through his sleeve and searing his flesh.
However, the attack was weaker than expected.
He quickly realized why—the beast had fired it too early.
Grinning through the pain, Arya tightened his grip on his weapon.
"This fight... is over."