As Erik stepped into the open expanse of the clearance, he knew he had to become a hunter of subtle signs, an observer of nature's subtle hints, if he wanted to catch this prey. He hid behind a clump of ferns with the utmost caution while his eyes searched the ground for any signs that a Whisperwind Hare had left behind.
His sharp eyes searched the surrounding area in minute detail for any telltale signs that might bring him closer to the object of his pursuit. He carefully examined the ground in search of paws etched in the bare earth. Recognizing them among the natural patterns of the forest floor required a sharp eye and careful attention to the minor details.
Suddenly, Erik's attention shifted to the vegetation around him. He began inspecting the grass and the foliage for any signs of disturbance, then noticed something.
Patches of nibbled grass blades, a subtle clue indicating that some creatures came to feed here. Carefully, he knelt and brushed aside the foliage, inspecting the area for signs of fresh grazing.
"Here, the grass blades are slightly bent and flattened; a thaid stopped to feed here, but I'm not sure it was the Whisperwind Hare."
The young man got to his feet and immediately began looking around for additional hints that might provide him with information regarding the beast's identity.
A little further on, he came across some scattered droppings, which were small pellets that the creature had left behind.
Judging by size and shape, those might have been his target's droppings. The scent lingered in the air and smelled like it had just been released.
Erik could make out some grass blades among the droppings, indicating that these were the remains of a herbivore. Erik examined the droppings, examining their size and texture, to determine what kind of creature had left them there in the first place.
He moved with quiet resolve as he followed a path of matted grass, indicating that a hare had recently traversed the area. As Erik crept forward invisibly, he followed the path of the flattened vegetation with his fingers, lightly brushing the tips of the blades as he was careful not to destroy the delicate pathway.
As he moved forward, he came to the base of a tree and discovered tufts of silver-gray fur clinging to the branches and thorny thickets there.
"Did I find it?" Erik asked himself. "It looks like the Whisperwind Hare's fur to me."
He carefully plucked a strand from the ground and examined its texture and color, unmistakable indications that the creature was present. The hare's fur was lustrous, but being gray when not influenced by the creature's brain crystal power, it was not that good to hide.
Erik stooped so that he could see the ground more clearly. His senses sharpened as he listened intently for any faint rustling that could indicate that the thaid was nearby. He knew that any piece of information, no matter how inconsequential, would bring him one step closer to his target.
Erik's sharp eyes spotted some faint footprints embedded in the soft earth, and he immediately recognized them as similar in size and shape to those left by his target.
"These tracks are fresh," Erik noticed.
The prints the hare left behind on the ground were hardly noticeable after disturbing the ground. They were small, with slender toes that left shallow impressions. The tracks appeared like a series of elongated ovals, which served as a visual representation of the hare's nimble and swift nature.
"Yep, these belong to the Whisperwind Hare," he muttered. "Better start chasing the guy."
With renewed determination, he decided to follow them, stepping into the unknown as he ventured deeper into the clearance.
The young man moved forward, and the scenery before him gradually became more visible. The ground beneath him became a jigsaw puzzle consisting of mossy ground and rocks strewn about.
Amid the sea of grass and wildflowers stood stony sentinels smoothed down by time and the elements. Erik skirted around them with great care.
The clearing stretched out in front of him, and the only obstacles he encountered were flower rocks and a few trees here and there. It was a vast area encircled by clusters of towering trees, and sunlight penetrated the canopy high above.
The golden rays of light dancing among the forest leaves cast a dappled glow on the ground below.
The air had a brisk, clean quality and carried the musty odor of rotting leaves and the faint aroma of blossoming flowers further in the distance.
The awakener continued to follow the hare's footprints, his eyes moving back and forth between the ground and the beautiful scenery surrounding him.
Erik continued to follow the hare's footprints, his gaze alternating between the ground and the surrounding scenery. The footprints led him deeper into the clearance and to the innards of the forest, guiding him through the intricate network of vegetation and hidden pathways. With every step, the forest beckoned him onward.
After approximately 300 meters of walking, the clearance began to revert into a place full of trees. The forest became more enclosed as the trees' branches intertwined and grew closer together. The sunlight was dappled and muted as it passed through the foliage, producing a soft glow on the ground below.
Following the footprints, he went deeper, navigating through tight trails and cross streams with babbling sounds. It was as if the forest had come to life around him, revealing its thriving ecosystem through moss-covered rocks, fallen tree trunks, and clusters of delicate wildflowers that dotted the forest floor.
At that precise moment, Erik's eyes caught sight of movement in the bushes and undergrowth nearby. The Whisperwind Hare, the target of his pursuit, was not too far from where he stood.
It was precisely the same as what he had observed in the photographs. It was moving around to eat the grass that was around it at that very moment, so it was not concealing itself at that time. When its power was deactivated, the beast's fur turned a silvery gray, making it relatively easy to spot.
He did not move an inch while his eyes were riveted on the hare's actions for a few seconds. It twitched its ears, alert to its surroundings, and then hopped a short distance before nipping at a patch of still young and tender grass.
Erik stealthily approached the thaid, paying careful attention to his every step as he approached. His movements were as fluid as a shadow, and his senses were attuned to the rhythm of the forest. Each step was like a carefully choreographed dance, with careful attention to avoid stepping on twigs and fallen leaves that could give his location away.
Erik concealed himself as he got closer by crouching behind ferns and using the vegetation as a shield. He could sneak up on the beast from this vantage point and observe it more intently without being discovered. However, to avoid the beast running, the young man stifled his breathing and watched as the thaid hopped several more times to consume something else.
The hare's senses were finely tuned to detect even the most minute change, and it never once lost its alertness.
Erik inched forward, careful to maintain his concealment, but started channeling mana through his neural links. The best thing to do would be to paralyze the creature with Logan's power since he didn't know how fast it was. He didn't want to risk for the beast to run away.
As Erik had amassed sufficient mana, he prepared himself to fire the dart by tensing his muscles and getting into a throwing position.
Erik's hand moved with practiced agility as he threw his dart toward the Whisperwind Hare. The mana-infused weapon appeared to be guided through the air by an unseen power as it went through the atmosphere until it made a direct and devastating strike on its intended target.
The hare froze, and the creature began to convulse as the poisoned mana made its way through its body. This resulted from the paralyzing and poisonous effects of the mana he had just manipulated.
Erik did not pause for a moment before racing towards the creature that was frozen in place. As he got closer, he removed the sheath from his Flyssa; the blade shone brightly in the sunlight as it prepared to deal the killing blow.
Erik raised the weapon above his head with a steady hand. It appeared as though the forest was clenching its teeth in preparation. When he brought the sword down with a swift and powerful strike, time seemed to stand still. This ensured that the hare would have a quick and merciful death.
The blade hit its target, slicing through the air with pinpoint accuracy and delivering a fatal blow. The thaid finally gave up its struggle, and with a gentle exhalation, its life force left its body. When Erik saw the culmination of the hunt, his breath caught in his throat, it was a bittersweet moment that carried the weight of the life cycle.
[WHISPERWIND HARE KILLED: MANA ABSORBING PROCESS STARTING.]
[0%...1%....5%...30%...70%...100%]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY ABSORBED, STARTING CONVERTING PROCEDURE.]
[3...2...1...0]
[MANA SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTED INTO EXPERIENCE. 100 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
"I was lucky today..." Erik muttered to himself. Since the beast was eating and wasn't trying to hide, the awakener had a relatively easy time finding it and bringing it to its attention, but that wouldn't continue forever.
Erik kneeled next to the dead creature as the forest returned to its usual level of silence. He placed a gentle hand on the creature's lifeless body.
"Now, the hardest part…"
The young man needed to remove the creature's skin, collect its meat, and remove its organs and bones, but he had no idea how to do any of those things without ruining the skin. Moreover, he couldn't even risk getting blood on himself because he knew that would attract the attention of other thaids.
Erik started skinning the Whisperwind Hare by being extremely careful with his hands. He knew keeping the hide in good condition would be necessary for various uses, including crafting and insulation. However, his fatigue and injuries made it difficult to maintain his precision and dexterity.
The blade of his knife moved smoothly along the creature's body, cutting the fur away from the underlying tissue as it went. Despite his hard work, the cuts were not as clean as he had hoped.
His limbs felt the weight of the exhaustion, which caused his movements to be less graceful and accurate than they usually were.
Frustration tugged at Erik's emotions as he struggled to maintain his focus. He had grown accustomed to his high standards, and realizing that his work fell short of his usual level was disheartening.
"I really need to learn how to do this properly…" He knew that a poorly skinned hide would affect its usability and value.
Erik persisted even though his work was not that great. He centered himself by taking some deep breaths, reminding himself that the work could still have value regardless of its flaws. With renewed determination, he continued the task, adjusting his technique as best he could, given his current condition.
After Erik had finished the process in its entirety, he examined his work from an objective perspective. The fur had a few uneven patches, and the edges weren't as smooth as he would have liked. It was far from his best work, but it would still serve its purpose, albeit with some compromise in quality.
Erik acknowledged his limitations and accepted that this was a reflection of the challenges he had faced. He reminded himself that survival often meant making do with what one had and adapting to the circumstances.
Nevertheless, the most exciting part was still to come. After gathering the blood and brain crystal, Erik proceeded to swallow both.
[HOSTILE CREATURE'S DNA ACQUIRED. STARTING THE ANALYSIS.]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[FIFTY DNA POINTS ARE REQUIRED TO EXTRACT THE DNA.]
[7010 DNA POINTS DETECTED. COMMENCING EXTRACTION?.]
Erik replied negatively to the system's question.
[HOSTILE CREATURE'S BRAIN CRYSTAL ACQUIRED. STARTING THE ANALYSIS.]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[FIFTY DNA POINTS ARE REQUIRED TO EXTRACT THE POWER.]
[7010 DNA POINTS DETECTED. EXTRACTION IS NOT ADVISED; THE HOST HAS INCOMPATIBLE DNA.]
[EXTRACTION ABORTED]
[WHISPERWIND HARE'S DNA HAS BEEN FOUND COMPATIBLE WITH THE BRAIN CRYSTAL POWER "ANIMAL SHAPE SHIFTING" TO STRENGTHEN THE POWER, THE HOST IS REQUIRED TO DRINK AT LEAST 20 CC OF BLOOD.]
"Wow, that's a notification I haven't seen in quite some time," the user exclaimed. Since Erik could not hunt thaids in the forest, he could not collect any environmental samples. The young man did not squander any time and immediately drank the beast's blood.
Then, he heard the chime of another alert within his ears.
[BLOOD ABSORBED. DNA STORING PROCEDURE STARTED. PLEASE WAIT.]
[PROCEDURE COMPLETE.]
Erik gathered the imperfectly skinned hide with a sigh of exhaustion. He knew that to continue his mission, he would first need to attend to his wounds and get some rest.
And so, with the Whisperwind Hare's fur in his possession, Erik trekked onward, carrying the weight of his experiences and the reminder that even in his moments of weakness, there was still room for growth and improvement.
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