Chapter 46: Morning Hunt
Faint gray light of dawn eventually breached the heavy canopy of the Whisper Woods.
Leon gently unspooled his arms from around Seraphina’s waist taking great care not to disturb the sleeping Silver Goddess. She was curled comfortably beneath the heavy leather cloak looking incredibly peaceful without the fierce aristocratic mask she usually wore.
He quietly stood up and stretched his powerful limbs enjoying the satisfying pop of his joints.
The system rewards from the previous night had forged his body into a lethal weapon.
Having one hundred and ten points of Strength and one hundred and twenty five points of Agility meant he surpassed the physical base stats of nearly every standard Adept tier knight in the kingdom.
He was on par with a master tier.
He pulled his tailored black tunic over his head and buttoned it up before turning his attention to the giant armored wolf. Stormfang perked his ears and let out a soft whine as Leon approached.
"Guard her," Leon commanded in a low firm voice while projecting a hint of his massive physical dominance.
The magical beast seemed to recognize the shift in the hierarchy and obediently laid its heavy head back down near the sleeping noblewoman.
Leon deactivated the Soundproof Ward and slipped silently out of the narrow rock fissure.
The morning air was crisp and smelled heavily of damp pine and metallic ozone. He needed to secure a proper food source to help Seraphina rebuild her stamina and he also needed to ensure the masked Enforcer had not left any scouting beasts to track their position.
He activated his Night Vision which adapted perfectly to the dim morning fog and utilized his Aura Step to blur through the dense foliage. He moved across the forest floor without snapping a single twig relying on his massive Agility to mimic the predatory grace of a phantom.
Roughly a mile away from the hidden cave his enhanced hearing picked up the heavy rhythmic thud of hooves striking the dirt.
Leon crouched behind the thick trunk of a massive ancient oak tree and peered into a small clearing. A rogue Iron Hide Boar was aggressively rooting through the damp earth in search of edible fungi.
The mutated beast was the size of a small wagon possessing thick metallic plating across its back and two massive jagged tusks that gleamed with faint magical energy. It was a mid tier monster that usually required a full squad of Adept guards to bring down safely.
This was the perfect opportunity to test his newly acquired offensive capabilities.
Leon stepped confidently out from behind the oak tree and cracked his knuckles.
The metallic boar instantly snapped its head up and locked its glowing red eyes onto the lone human. It let out a deafening aggressive squeal and charged forward kicking up a massive cloud of dirt as it lowered its lethal tusks to impale the arrogant intruder.
Leon stood perfectly still and breathed deeply calling upon the Basic Aura Circulation skill.
He forced the raw kinetic mana from his core directly into his right arm. The invisible energy violently condensed around his fist creating a highly pressurized gauntlet of pure destructive force.
He waited until the charging beast was less than three feet away before pivoting his hips and launching a devastating straight punch directly toward the monster’s thick metallic skull.
His fist collided with the heavy iron plating.
The resulting impact sounded like a cannonball striking a steel vault. The highly concentrated kinetic aura surrounding his hand acted like an explosive shaped charge. The invisible force violently shattered the thick metallic armor and transferred the massive kinetic shockwave directly into the beast’s brain.
The massive boar was instantly killed on impact.
Its forward momentum caused its heavy carcass to violently flip end over end before crashing heavily into the dirt kicking up a shower of damp leaves.
Leon lowered his fist and inspected his knuckles.
There was not a single scratch on his skin thanks to his durable Mana Skin. He had just executed a mid tier magical beast using nothing but a single barehanded strike.
A dark highly satisfied smile spread across his face. He grabbed the heavy carcass by its hind legs and effortlessly dragged it back toward the hidden cave using his massive Strength.
He returned to the campsite and found Seraphina awake sitting up on the stone slab while gently stretching her sore neck.
She watched in profound silence as he casually dragged a massive dead beast weighing over eight hundred pounds into the cave with a single hand.
Leon quickly harvested the choice cuts of meat using a small hunting knife and built a small smokeless fire near the cave entrance to roast the food.
The rich savory scent of cooking meat rapidly filled the secluded shelter causing Seraphina’s stomach to rumble loudly.
The crystal bell chimed merrily in his skull projecting a glowing pink text box right above the roasting meat.
[Quest Issued: The Servile Feeder]
[Context: The noble daughter is ravenously hungry but her hands are still weak from the magical backlash. She expects you to serve her but you must ensure she understands who is truly providing for her survival.]
[Objective: Cut a tender piece of roasted meat, walk over to the stone slab, and feed it directly into her mouth using your bare fingers. Instruct her to lick the savory juices off your thumb.]
[Reward: +10 Agility, Skill ’Danger Intuition’, 200 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will suffer a massive sudden nosebleed that will spray directly onto the fresh food ruining the meal and making you look incredibly pathetic.]
Leon sliced a thick juicy piece of the roasted boar and walked casually over to the resting Silver Goddess. Seraphina reached her trembling hand out expecting him to hand her the cut of meat like a proper servant.
Leon smoothly bypassed her outstretched hand and held the hot savory meat mere inches from her lips.
"Your hands are still recovering Lady Seraphina," Leon murmured in a deep magnetic voice that made her pulse race. "Allow me to assist you."
Seraphina glared at his dark confident eyes while a brilliant flush rapidly conquered her cheeks. Her pride waged a fierce five second war against her ravenous hunger and the overwhelming magnetic dominance he projected.
The fierce swordswoman eventually surrendered. She leaned forward parted her soft lips and took the piece of meat directly from his fingers.
"Make sure you get all the flavor," Leon whispered smoothly maintaining intense unbroken eye contact.
Seraphina swallowed the tender meat and hesitantly extended her small pink tongue.
She gently traced the tip of her tongue over his thumb licking away the savory roasted juices just as he commanded. The highly intimate incredibly submissive act sent a massive jolt of electricity straight down to her lower stomach.
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your nasal passages remain perfectly clear and dry.]
[Distributing Rewards: +10 Agility, Skill ’Danger Intuition’ Acquired, 200 Shameless Points.]
Leon pulled his hand back and offered her a charming wicked smirk that made her heart flutter violently against her ribs. Before he could offer her another piece a sudden sharp tingling sensation erupted at the base of his skull.
The newly acquired Danger Intuition skill was screaming a warning directly into his nervous system.
He quickly turned his head toward the cave entrance just as the distant ominous sound of heavy mercenary horns echoed through the morning mist.
The Eclipse Syndicate had not abandoned the hunt.
They had called for reinforcements and were currently sweeping the Whisper Woods to finish the job.
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