As Erik walked into the grassland beyond the end of the forest, his heart was filled with an unsettling worry. The tall grass, which reached up to his shoulders, made it feel like everything was closing in on him.
Every rustle and sway of the grass sent shivers down his spine, and he couldn't help but think that the powerful thaids who roamed these lands were hiding nearby.
Even though the meadow was vast and beautiful, it had a spooky feeling that made him think twice about every step he took, and there was even a huge precipice several kilometers on the right side of the place.
He felt even worse when he thought about the flying thaids wandering around these kinds of places. The trouble was that these monsters weren't the only ones here.
Every step through the tall grass was scary because every moving blade seemed to hide a danger that couldn't be seen.
So, Erik put his senses on high alert. His ears were straining to pick up any strange sounds, and his eyes were moving from shadow to shadow, looking for signs of movement.
"I hope I won't find anything too dangerous…" Erik said out loud to vent his frustration.
He walked through the grass, and his thoughts briefly wandered to his friends and girlfriend, Amber, whom he loved dearly.
A bittersweet ache filled his heart as he yearned for their presence by his side. The distance between them seemed immeasurable now that he was outside New Alexandria.
They were the only ones who cared about him. For a long time, he thought Uncle Ben loved him the most, but it was clear that wasn't the case, as he didn't think twice about using him. At least, that was what Erik thought.
He kept thinking about Amber's bright smile and the warmth of her embrace, which comforted him in a time of doubt.
He wanted to know that she was safe; he thought about her face, with her red hair blowing in the wind and her glasses set on her delicate features.
He thought about her strength and resilience and hoped she would be fine without him, but he still felt a twinge of remorse for having abandoned her without saying anything.
He also thought about his friends, who had become like family to him. He wondered how they were coping in his absence, if they were staying true to their training and finding comfort in each other's company. Erik couldn't help but miss Floyd's stupid comments and Benedict's sometimes dumb antics, as well as their laughs, friendship, and the way they always looked out for each other.
However, the awakener quickly snapped out of those thoughts, as it was dangerous to focus on something else in those places. After a couple of hours of walking through the tall grass, he noticed a sudden noise in the surroundings.
He stopped, his senses grew sharper, and his eyes moved quickly over the moving blades of grass. The only thing that broke the eerie silence was the faint rustle of plants.
He narrowed his eyes and looked around for any sign of movement. Something didn't feel right to him, and his heart beat faster in anticipation. It was then that he noticed it—the grass, in certain areas, was not just swaying with the wind. It moved in unnatural patterns as if something was slithering beneath its surface.
Erik felt a chill run down his spine as a feeling of dread came over him, the fear of the unknown high. He was used to danger, but the threat he couldn't see in the field gave him the chills. Every part of him told him to be careful and get ready for what was coming.
"Oh, c'mon!"
His eyes jumped from one moving patch of grass to the next as his mind raced to figure out what was hidden below. Were they thaids getting ready to attack? Or is it something else? Uncertainty gnawed at him, but he toughened up and got ready to fight whoever showed up.
"I really hope they aren't—" The rustling of leaves and grass stopped Erik's words.
With quick speed, he shot his hand to his side and pulled out his Flyssa. The shining blade showed how determined he was.
He tightened his grip and looked around the moving field with his eyes. Every muscle in his body tensed up, getting ready for the danger that was right around the corner.
Then, out of nowhere, a thaid took off from the grass. As soon as Erik's eyes fell on the jumping thing, time seemed to slow down. The monster had scales that sparkled in the sun, and its claws were out, ready to strike.
Its smooth body was a mottled shade of green that went well with the greenery around it. Its growling mouth was full of sharp teeth, and its eyes burned with a fierce, hungry look.
The thaid's quick body twisted and turned in the air as it tried to hit Erik with a blow that aimed at his jugular, a move that would kill him.
The young man could see every detail of the creature's muscular body and poisonous dripping claws, which shows how dangerous it was. In that fleeting moment, Erik could sense the raw power and ferocity that fueled the thaid's existence.
With his sword ready, Erik got ready for the fight that was about to happen. He knew that every move he made would determine the end of this life-or-death fight, so he turned on his heel and rotated his body in a smooth motion.
His flyssa cut through the air with a quick, practiced swing, crossing the path of the thaid. When the blade hit its target, it cut the creature in half while it was in the air.
The fatal blow split the creature into two pieces, and as the creature's two dead halves fell to the ground, blood and pieces of scales and meat flew into the air.
[HOSTILE CREATURE 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. 131 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
"Fuck! It's a Venomstrike Packstalker!" the young man shouted.
These monsters had power from a brain crystal that allowed them to produce poison, a rather common brain crystal power, to be honest, yet deadly.
But that wasn't their main advantage; people knew these monsters were very smart and hunted in groups, which was where their real power lay.
They didn't have a really powerful brain crystal, but their stats were relatively high, around Erik's level, without using the Xeridon Anteris's brain crystal power or Nathaniel's power.
That meant they weren't very challenging for the young man taken individually, but they hunted in packs and were relentless predators.
Erik knew that if one of these things was here, there had to be more and that this attack was just the beginning.
"Shit!"
Erik's heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline surged through his veins. With resolve, he broke into a sprint, his legs propelling him forward with swift strides. The grassland blurred around him as he weaved through the dense foliage, his senses heightened.
The quick and nimble Venomstrike Packstalkers were chasing Erik. Their smooth bodies dashed in and out of the tall grass, almost without making a sound.
They moved toward Erik like ghosts in the wind, taking advantage of the fact that they were almost aerodynamic and the grass didn't slow them down as much as it did the young man.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
Erik worked himself so hard that his muscles were burning. The grass rustled and shook as the Packstalkers charged forward at the same speed as Erik.
Erik's agility was put to the test with every step he took through the field. The Packstalkers copied his every move, matching his speed and dexterity, and kept their eyes on their target the whole time.
As the pack stalkers closed the gap, the grass hid them from view. They blended in with their surroundings and used it to their advantage, making their slim bodies disappear and resurface with uncanny accuracy. Erik's eyes darted left and right as he tried to find any movement in the sea of grass in front of him.
In a split second, another Venomstrike Packstalker leaped out of the grass, its gleaming talons ready to strike. The young man quickly and instinctively swung his sword, sending the Flyssa through the air in an arc.
The move was quick and brutal. When Erik's weapon hit the Packstalker's body, it made a loud slicing sound as it cut through the air. The creature's speed pushed it forward, and Erik's blade cut its body as it the beast jumped to kill the young man.
[HOSTILE CREATURE 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. 139 EXPERIENCE POINTS AWARDED TO THE HOST.]
As the two dead halves of the thaid fell to the ground, time seemed to stop momentarily. The young man kept running and didn't stop to look at the monster. But those seconds were long enough for the other monsters to catch up.
With renewed vigor, he pushed forward, his movements fueled by a mix of adrenaline and resolve. Each step carried him farther away from the fallen creatures, closer to the promise of safety that lay beyond the grassland.
His senses remained heightened, ever vigilant to any sign of movement or danger lurking in the shadows of the swaying grass.
Erik knew that the chase was far from over. The thaids, driven by instinct and hunger, would not relent until their prey was killed.
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶