The sun cast long shadows across the cracked earth as he and Su Jing cautiously made their way toward the forests near the eastern edge of Survivor's Sanctuary. This was the territory of the Radfangs—wolf-like beasts whose fangs were said to hold potent magical properties.
"Are you certain this is the best path?" Aric asked, his voice barely above a whisper, betraying the tinge of apprehension that gnawed at him. His raven-black hair danced gently in the breeze, a stark contrast against the backdrop of destruction and desolation around him
Su Jing, her ebony hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, nodded confidently. "As per the Creatures of the wasteland, the Radfangs are known to frequent this area. But we must be careful not to alert any other creatures that may lurk within these woods."
"Right," Aric murmured, his calloused hands rubbing together nervously. "I am sure that there are even more powerful beasts hidden in the depths of the forest. How do we avoid becoming their prey?"
"We stay vigilant and trust our instincts," Su Jing replied, her tone firm yet reassuring. "We've been through worse, Aric. Remember the wasteland? Besides, we will only stay at the outer periphery."
Arict took a deep breath, drawing strength from her words. It was true; he had survived many trials in this post-apocalyptic world, each experience sharpening his senses and resilience. "I suppose you're right. I feel that I have grown quite a lot after coming into this world"
"I still cannot believe that you come from another world. You will have to tell me this story someday" Su Jing said, her eyes gleaming with curiosity
"Sure, but let us focus on completing this mission first." Aric nodded
As they approached the forest's edge, the air grew cooler, the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves mingling with the faintest hint of danger. They continued onward, navigating the labyrinthine underbrush while keeping their wits about them.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally stumbled upon a suitable spot for their hunt. A small clearing bathed in dappled sunlight, where they could set their prepared bait and wait for the Radfangs to reveal themselves.
"Here," Aric said, kneeling to place a parcel of raw meat at the center of the clearing. "This should draw them out."
"Good," Su Jing agreed, her eyes never leaving the surrounding foliage. "Now we wait."
Aric and Su Jing climbed up onto the nearest trees, their lithe forms disappearing into the dense canopy above. They settled on sturdy branches, side by side, hidden from view as they focused their senses on any signs of movement below.
Aric's heart pounded in his chest, each thump echoing through his body as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He fought to remain calm, his thoughts drifting back to his days at the academy, when failure had been a constant companion. But he had learned much since then, both about himself and the world around him. This was not the time for self-doubt; it was the time for action.
"Remember," Su Jing whispered, her voice barely audible, "stay alert and trust your instincts. We have the element of surprise on our side."
"Right," Aric replied, nodding resolutely. The weight of his newfound responsibility pressed down on him, but he refused to buckle under the pressure. He was determined to prove his worth, to show that he was no longer the weak mage he had once been.
Together, they waited, their breaths shallow, their bodies tense with anticipation. And as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting shadows across the forest floor, they knew that the Radfangs would soon emerge, drawn by the scent of the bait.
And when they did, Aric and Su Jing would be ready.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the forest floor, Aric's heart pounded with anticipation. He focused on his breathing, remembering Su Jing's earlier advice to trust his instincts. The element of surprise was crucial.
"Three of them," Su Jing whispered, her voice barely audible as she gestured towards the approaching Radfangs. Their muscular bodies, covered in thick, mottled fur, moved gracefully through the underbrush, drawn by the scent of the bait they had placed earlier.
Aric nodded, his emerald eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. They needed to act fast and decisively. He reached out with his senses, feeling for the magical energies that coursed through him, drawing upon his newfound strength.
"Ready?" Su Jing asked, her piercing blue eyes meeting his with a look of steely determination.
"Ready," Aric confirmed, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through his veins.
As the trio of Radfangs closed in on the bait, Aric sprang into action, extending his hand and muttering the incantation to control the mana around him. A shimmering field of energy spread out from his fingertips, enveloping the beasts and causing their movements to become sluggish and labored. The wolves snarled in frustration, sensing the trap they had walked into.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Jing leaped from her branch, landing nimbly behind the nearest Radfang. With a swift, practiced movement, she drove her blade into its exposed neck, slicing through flesh and tendon with ruthless precision. Blood sprayed the undergrowth as the creature collapsed, its life extinguished in an instant.
"Two more to go!" Aric shouted, his voice betraying a hint of exhilaration. "Keep them slowed, and I'll finish them off!"
"Understood!" Su Jing replied, deftly dodging a swipe from the second Radfang's razor-sharp claws. She circled around it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As she did so, Aric maintained his concentration on the slowing spell, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he struggled to keep the magical energies under control. The third Radfang, sensing its imminent demise, suddenly turned tail and fled into the forest, its powerful limbs propelling it away from danger.
"Let it go!" Su Jing called out, her gaze fixed on the remaining Radfang. "We have what we need!"
With a final surge of effort, she lunged towards the beast, her blade finding purchase in its soft underbelly. It let out a pitiful whine before collapsing to the ground, its lifeblood pooling beneath it.
"Good work," Aric gasped, releasing his hold on the slowing spell and slumping against a nearby tree trunk. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breath ragged from exertion.
Su Jing nodded, her eyes scanning their surroundings warily as they set about the grim task of removing the fangs and skin from the slain Radfangs. They worked quickly and efficiently, taking care not to damage the valuable materials.
"I never thought I would be skinning beasts in my life," Aric mused, unable to suppress a shudder as he pulled a fang free from one of the corpses.
"Well, sometimes, survival requires getting your hands dirty," Su Jing replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she carefully peeled back the skin of the second Radfang. "At least this will help us finish our mission and get our mercenary status set in stone. Then we can pickup slightly easier missions"
Aric nodded, his mind still relishing the newfound victory. But somehow, deep in his mind, he felt that it was too easy...
"A red flag?," he muttered, but then he shook his head. He started to put in even more concentration in skinning the Ranfang faster, in order to be able to leave as soon as possible.
But as they engrossed themselves in this activity, the duo momentarily lost focus on their surroundings.
Just as Su Jing wiped the sweat from her brow after finishing skinning her Radfang and allowed herself a small, triumphant smile, Aric's body tensed. His emerald eyes scanned the underbrush, his instincts sounding an alarm that raced through his veins.
"Something's wrong," he whispered urgently, his voice barely audible above the sound of their ragged breathing. "I can sense movement nearby."
"Damn it," Su Jing suddenly cursed, her breath hitching in her chest as she heard a rustle. "We were too focused on our prize... We let our guard down."
The rustling grew louder, sending a shiver down Aric's spine. He could feel the ground tremble beneath him, a primal warning that they now faced something much more dangerous than before. And then, emerging from the shadows like a creature of nightmare, it appeared: the Radfang King.
"By the gods..." Aric gasped, fear knotting in his stomach as he took in the colossal beast. It was easily twice the size of the other Radfangs, its fur a dark, mottled gray that seemed to absorb the scant light filtering through the canopy. Its eyes burned like embers, seething with predatory intelligence and cruel intent.
"A Radfang King, with his pack!" Su Jing muttered in horror. They had unknowingly hunted down a king's pack members!
The beasts snarled and snapped at one another, their hunger for blood palpable in the air.
"Run! We need to run! Now!!" Su Jing muttered, not raising her voice in order to not startle the animals
"Alright, think, Aric. Think!" he ordered himself, his mind racing to devise a strategy that would allow them to escape alive. A wall of smoke, perhaps? It had worked before, but these creatures were far more cunning than the others they'd encountered.
"Get ready," he told Su Jing, his fingers flicking through the arcane gestures necessary to summon the smokescreen. "When I cast this, we run."
"Understood," she replied, her grip tightening on her weapon as she prepared for the assault.
Aric unleashed the spell, a billowing cloud of smoke erupting between them and the Radfangs. For a moment, he dared to hope it would be enough to confuse the beasts, but the sound of their snarls and the pounding of their paws against the earth told him otherwise. They could still catch their human scent.
"Run!" Su Jing shouted, grabbing Aric's arm and pulling him along as they sprinted through the forest, dodging roots and branches in their desperate flight. The cacophony of growls and snapping jaws filled their ears, the Radfangs hot on their heels.
"Damn it, we can't outrun them," Aric thought, his heart hammering in his chest. "What do we do now?"
"Focus, Aric," Su Jing's voice broke into his thoughts, her determined tone anchoring him to the present. "We've faced worse than this. We'll find a way."
But Su Jing forgot, that unlike her, Aric had not faced many life and death situations. So his mind was clearly getting affected due to the failure of his initial plan
"Stay close," Su Jing told Eric, her eyes locked on the Radfang King, who, right now, seemed to be the embodiment of the deadly reality they both faced. death
Su Jing's keen eyes darted between the circling Radfangs, their feral snarls and gleaming fangs a testament to their viciousness. With Aric's breathing labored and his face pallid, she knew that the situation was worsening. Her mind raced for a solution, and then it struck her—Radfangs could not climb.
"Up!" she shouted, seizing Aric's arm and hauling him towards the nearest tree. She hurriedly scrambled herself up the trunk as fast as she could, ignoring the rough bark scraping against her palms as she pulled Aric up after her. They found a sturdy branch and settled there, both gasping for breath.
"Are you alright?" Su Jing asked concern etched on her face as she examined Aric's injuries.
"I'... I..." Aric stuttered, still dazed by everything that had just happened. He glanced down at the Radfang King and its pack, watching them circle beneath the tree. The Radfangs were intelligent creatures, but they could not climb. For now, they were safe.
"Thank you," he told Su Jing, gratitude evident in his emerald eyes. "We'd have been torn apart if we'd tried to keep fighting."
"Don't mention it," Su Jing replied, her voice steady despite the lingering adrenaline coursing through her veins. "But we can't stay here forever. We'll need a plan."
"Agreed," Aric nodded, focusing his thoughts on their predicament. "For now, let's rest and regain our strength. We've bought ourselves some time."
As the hours ticked by, the Radfang King seemed content to wait for them, its patience fueled by an insatiable hunger. Aric couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear, knowing they were trapped like prey in a predator's lair.
He was still shaken up, and Su Jing realized this.
"Listen, Aric," Su Jing began, her voice soft but resolute. "I don't know about your past, but you've come far since we met. But never forget that staying level-headed is crucial. If we lose our cool in battle, it's easy to make mistakes."
"Right," he murmured, his brow shrunken as he absorbed her words. He'd learned much from Su Jing and knew that she spoke the truth. In this unforgiving world, power alone wasn't enough—they needed cunning and resolve to survive.
For the first time after coming to this world, Aric truly realized that he was just not up there when it came to survival.
He realized that even if he had all the magic in the world, he might still not be able to use his resources optimally to survive on his own in this unforgiving, dog-eat-dog world.
"Aric, " Su Jing insisted, her blue eyes meeting his. "Don't think about it too much. just promise me that you'll never let your emotions take over you, no matter the situation."
"I promise," Aric replied, his voice firm as he locked onto her gaze.
"Good," she nodded, satisfied with his conviction. "We will find a way out of this, Aric. We always do."
And thus, the night continued as the couple waited for an opportunity to escape