Demon Wolf

After traversing the thriving jungle for half an hour, Wolf caught an intoxicating scent and changed direction. With great care and even greater practice, he moved shrubs and ferns out of his way without damaging leaves and branches, treading on the damp, black soil in a manner which left minimal prints.

Finally, after half a minute of following his nose through the humid greenery, he saw clusters of brownish-gold flowers.

Hazelberry shrubs? He grinned, but after scanning the wall of two-meter-tall bushes, his excitement subsided. They are still blooming and might not ripen in years. It’s a shame. While a single berry’s detoxifying effect is weak, they add up if you consume enough of them. Besides, Hazelberries are a plant-type Qi Gathering Monster Beast. Their berries can probably sate my hunger to an extent, or suffice as a condiment.

Just as Wolf lamented failing to find the immediate treat, a soft rustle of crawling insects drew his attention.

Several dozen hair-thin proboscis crept along the bush. They moved in an organized wave, stabbing themselves into the sweet-smelling flowers and draining them of their precious nectar, pollinating them in return.

For a moment, he stared at the squirming white worms invading the beautiful undergrowth, then recalled an entry from the Corpsewood bestiary he had memorized in Earth Pavilion’s library. Whiteflame Honeyeater? 

He focused on the bush’s darker blots. They were barely visible through the minute openings in the dense shrubbery, and he originally chalked them off as umbra. Those patches are too black to be shadows.

This is an excellent opportunity. If that Honeyeater’s flame has too many tongues, I’ll fight it seriously. Otherwise, I can temper my control over my Qi vessels and the techniques Elder Dreadingham taught me.

Wolf summoned the bow he had bought at the Earth Pavilion and notched an arrow. As he drew the string, he sent a trickle of Qi into the white-wood shaft, following the manual he read in the library. Despite never practicing this archery art before, the missile began glowing and Wolf let loose after the light grew solid enough.

“Tsk.” That arrow leaks Qi constantly. I should take the time to perfect this technique while I’m in Corpsewood. I can’t pass for a savage barbarian if I can’t shoot Qi-infused arrows.

In the dilated flow of time, Wolf observed his projectile grow several imperceptible shades duller while covering the ten-odd meters it had to travel. At such a short distance, the change remained beyond normal cultivator’s perception; however, shooting it two to three hundred meters would make it slightly more obvious.

As Wolf mused, the missile plunged into the Hazelberry bush through a crack in its branches and struck the black pelt.

The arrow spent most of its soft glow to penetrate the tough hide, but it retained enough energy to strike true. With a wet squelch, the missile sank into the massive Monster Beast’s flesh.

Despite the Whiteflame Honeyeater’s considerable bulk, the monster did not roar. It unleashed a shrill scream like an infestation of mice shrieking in chorus.

A giant paw smashed, tearing through the ancient bush from which the treacherous attack had come, revealing a brownish-black, ursine monstrosity with thousands of milky-white tendrils thrashing back into its huge maw.

Three tongues, Wolf noted upon seeing the unique pattern of three-tongued white flame dancing at the center of the Monster Beast’s dark forehead. Third stage Blood Saturating equivalent.

The monster’s green composite eyes reflected hundreds of Wolf’s reflections. They focused on him and it screeched once more, revealing a toothless maw filled with delicate tubing still squirming back into countless tiny orifices.

Amongst Blood Saturating realm Monster Beasts, Whiteflame Honeyeater’s intelligence ranked towards the bottom. If Wolf had snuck away, it might not have found him. But the way he stood tall, prepared to receive its charge, made him the target of the ursine monster’s wrath.

The lumbering monstrosity pounced forward, its three pairs of clawed feet spraying soil as it trampled the blooming bushes blocking its path.

The bow disappeared from Wolf’s hand, replaced by his new flamberge. He held the two-hander in his right, maintaining an open water stance. Four meters away, the gargantuan ursine creature lifted its torso and the frontmost pair of paws without breaking stride.

The galloping mountain of flesh and fur towered over the slender youth, suddenly becoming a tsunami. Backed by inertia, the looming Honeyeater swiped both its massive three-clawed paws.

How the hells do I block this without relying on Star Body? Wolf jumped to the side. He rolled under the amber-colored, dagger-long claws, which ripped the air above his back.

With charging quadrupeds, this maneuver would have bought Wolf enough time to stand and resume a proper stance, but Whiteflame Honeyeater dug its curved claws into the ground, pivoting and slashing at him once more.

Wolf continued rolling as the soil behind him fountained. The next he caught a glimpse of the Whiteflame through the spraying hummus, it stood on its six legs, hissing at him once more.

Wolf used the moment’s respite. He kipped up, reassuming the water stance.

This time, the giant Honeyeater lacked space for a charge. The air screamed as it swiped its claws at Wolf, who stepped back, dodging the blow by ten centimeters.

The violent sweep left the bearlike monster’s side wide open. Warmth flowed out of Wolf’s body through his hand’s bones and invaded the flamberge. His Qi surged into the evil-looking sword feeling like a crashing tidal wave.

Wolf smiled at the unprecedented sensation of power and control as he slashed the wave-patterned blade. The sword blazed with Qi, severing the fur, flesh, and bone without resistance.

The Whiteflame shrieked, rearing in pain and spraying soil. Wolf blinked at the ground the creature accidentally threw towards his face. With his awakened senses, he could fight with his eyes closed. Instead of backing, he pressed his advantage relying on his hearing and memory.

He stepped forth. Without looking, he cleaved the Whiteflame’s middle-right leg, destroying the creature’s balance. The behemoth toppled over and Wolf opened his eyes. He retreated a step, using the opening to plunge his sword into the Monster Beast’s carotid.

The spine-severing slash ended in a spray of wine-colored blood, and the prone Whiteflame spasmed, light dimming in its gemlike eyes.

Looking at the beast’s death-throes, Wolf shook his head with a sour grimace.

My technique sucks. This Whiteflame Honeyeater was merely a third stage Blood Saturating, yet the Elemental Initiate’s Strikes first form barely severed its paw. And, despite properly executing the technique, my movement lacked the retreating and crashing nature of violent waves, causing its power to drop.

Is it because I didn’t take the blow to return a part of its power back at the attacker?

Wolf shifted his gaze towards his sword. He nodded in approval.

“You pass,” he addressed the inanimate object. “You deserve a name.”

Wolf looked at the tooth-like spikes on the cross-guard and the tongue-like pattern of the blade. “I will call you Eviltongue. Father said the tongue is a weapon and could give birth to endless trouble; we’ll see how you perform.”

After naming his newest sword, Wolf approached the unmoving corpse. He once more awakened his senses, just in case the Whiteflame had faked its death. It did not. The carcass remained perfectly still as Wolf opened its skull and snatched the nub.

No wonder they call this domain dangerous. A lone third stage Monster Beast lives in its fringes. How do they expect regular disciples to explore and advance towards the center? Maybe that’s why this secluded world is so rich in resources? Nobody can get them, so they age and grow more potent, like that Hazelberry bush.

Wolf looked at the trampled shrub. The destruction of such a rare resource hurt the kleptomaniac portion of his soul.

He drew a breath, then sighed through his nose.

“There’s more than just one bush. Another can grow in its place.” After consoling himself and the world in general, Wolf approached the Whiteflame Honeyeater’s abdomen.

With great care, he used Book to remove a carpet-sized patch of thick fur, revealing a transparent sack filled with a dark-gold liquid. Wolf pressed the membrane.

It’s rather soft. His lip twisted with disappointment. This Honeyeater started gathering nectar recently.

Despite the impoverished nature of the honey-producing glands, Wolf harvested them and stored them both into his holdingring.

He took the claws and some choice pieces of red meat, which he planned to turn into jerky and trail rations.

Finally, done with the carcass, Wolf set his sights on the tracks the ursine monster had left behind, hoping its lair would have honey-stores.

“Amelie, stay sharp. Disciples of the Soaring Dragon Peak and the Myriad Flowers’ Spring are hunting us,” a feminine voice panted from Wolf’s breast pocket.

Wolf fished out the callingjade and tapped the newly green Sylvie. “My apologies, young lady. Amelie and Camille were killed by the Brilliant Gate’s disciples. I avenged them by accident.”

 

sleepydad88

Random Roll -

Spoiler

A whole bunch of them.

[collapse]

Whiteflame Honeyeater brought to you courtesy of my kids drawing eldritch horrors. It could’ve been a bear; I think.