Chapter 35 – Level Up! III
Looking at Michelle, Bryn barely recognized her as the little girl trying to play with Zara. Her aura was still joyful, but when Luca asked her to lead, the look in her eyes switched. Her movements were much more graceful than Luca's, but her moving speed was easier to keep up with.
As they moved, the snow started to become apparent on the ground. Small piles of snow on the ground were mixed with dirt, making the floor more challenging to walk on. Closer to the mountain range, the vegetation dispersed, and trees were further apart.
"What are you searching for Bryn? Focus." Luca said.
Bryn's head was analyzing the space around him, but he couldn't tell Luca his thoughts.
"How will I tell him that this planet, world, or whatever this is follows similar patterns? First, the closer we get to the mountain region, the colder and snowy it gets. Second, vegetation seems to reflect biome patterns from Earth. I can only see conifers now. It kind of reminds me of Christmas…" Bryn thought.
"I have never been to the mountains," Bryn answered, looking back at Michelle running before him.
The traces of the Elk were noticeable with the amount of snow accumulated on the ground. Michelle didn't have to read the environment anymore. Simply following the footprints was enough for them. Still, Michelle stopped.
"Big bro, from these traces here, the elk is running towards the inside. You said we wouldn't go in; what should I do?" Michelle asked.
"I would want to put Bryn in danger, but we can go further inside. If the elk is not within two hundred meters, we fall back and try to find another prey." Luca answered.
Michelle followed his commands and started moving again. Her speed increased, even through the rising snow. The different footprints began to mix, becoming almost a single trace in the ground. Bryn's resistance to the temperature was becoming less and less effective. Part of him was constantly wondering if Michelle and Luca's armor was as warm as they looked comfortable.
Their elevation grew with each step, and rocks appeared on their path. Bryn could see the top of a hill, exactly where Michelle had aimed her movements.
Arriving at the top of the small hill, Michelle used the same silent command Luca had used previously. Her right hand went up next to her head with her fist closed. She used one of her fingers to indicate she had located one prey before them.
Luca and Bryn approached the top of the hill behind her, looking at what she indicated. The scene in front of Bryn was breathtaking. The layers of the mountain range were finally there for him to see their magnitude. Mountain tops white from the weather, rocks, and cliffs until the eyes could see. Trees existed only up to a certain height, but he couldn't see any life after that. Closer to them and before the mountain range is a small pond with vegetation around it. The reason for the grass to survive in this cold was unclear, but the leaves broke the snow in the ground.
The elk were eating as the snow covered its hooves and food. Michelle looked around the region to devise an attack plan, but the area was too open. After the hill, they had reached a clearing at the very entrance of this part of the mountain range.
Circling her finger and crouching, she whispered. "I'm not seeing a manageable plan of attack. All my strategies involve a head-on confrontation…".
"Bryn, what would you suggest?" Luca asked.
Eyes squinting, Bryn pressed his mind to find an answer.
Our previous attack had the advantage of surrounding the animal beforehand. This time, we do not have that luxury. If we attack it straight on, there is no telling if it will run or if it is a violent creature. Wait, that is it! His eyes were now entirely open as he looked at Luca.
"Do elks attack?" Bryn asked.
"Depending on the situation, they may… What are you thinking?" Smiling at the creative faun, Luca answered.
"Ok, here is my plan…"
While the tree aligned the details of their plan of attack, the elk enjoyed the grass atop the slush he had created after walking over the area.
The tree hunters went silent. The only sound they could hear was the crunching sound of the elk's jaw biting at the patches of grass and chewing them.
Bryn walked toward the elk in the middle of the clearing. He grabbed a stone about the size of his hand at a safe distance. After a small up and down throw to get a feel for its weight, Bryn aimed at the animal. Bryn's throw was much better than he expected. The new strength status shined through it.
The rock's trajectory was straight into the elk's head, hitting it in the back. The animal raised its head, startled, afraid of what he might find. Looking at the measly faun in front of him, it grunted. Even without reading animal's minds, Bryn could tell he had the Elk's undivided attention.
"It's time to tilt it over the top…" Bryn thought as another stone left his hand. At the sight of the pebble, the elk moved his head to the side this time, and the stone connected with one of its antlers.
With another grunt, the creature started galloping towards Bryn.
"IT IS COMING!!!!!" Bryn yelled as he put his new levels and mobility to the ultimate test.
Much faster than him, the distance between the faun and the elk was getting smaller with each step. Running in the direction he had come from, as Bryn crossed the top edge of the path to enter the clearing, he slid and once again used all his lungs.
"NOW!!" he said.
Luca had already been darting in that direction since the first signal. Timing it to near perfection, when Bryn slides, Luca uses his last dash to aim at the incoming elk. Looking at the new figure to his right side, the elk again used his antlers to try and prevent its attack. It turned his neck and body to pair Luca's blades. The noise was similar to steel hitting steel.
"Even using 50%, I cannot break a regular elk's antlers… How durable are these things?" Luca thought, holding the momentary stalemate with the elk.
From the noise, Bryn could tell that he didn't have nearly as much power to face either attack, but there was no time to appreciate the situation. He regained his footing as a swish followed by the whistle of something breaking the air in its path came from a snowbank.
The arrow was precise, but this elk had already been surprised once. It propelled its front legs up, unbalancing Luca while trying to evade the incoming projectile. Blood oozed out in the air from its left leg. The pain made it squint and snort when it came down to the floor again as he tried to alleviate the weight pressure onto the wounded paw.
"Use it all, Bryn!!!" Luca said as if reading Bryn's mind.
The faun had used his hooves to get a solid footing on the ground and thrust his shortsword at the Elk's other leg. His body reacted instinctively to Luca's order, using every fiber of his body behind the strike. The sword battled against the contracted muscle from the creature's body, both trying to hold the attack and preventing it from falling. Feeling that the hit did connect, Bryn jumped backward to get out of the antler's range of motion.
Glancing around, trying to find a path to run away, the elk saw Luca walking in his direction. Only one sword was in his hand now. His arms rose after tightening his grip, and with a step forward, the sword came crashing down with all his might. The elk tried using its antlers once again but to no effect. The blade sliced through each part of it as if cutting cake. When the sword hit the elk's neck, its head fell to the side, blood gushing to the sides and pooling around Luca's feet.
He quickly used the space ring to store the animal, leaving only a giant dark red stain over the snow at the entrance of the clearing.
Bryn had gotten used to butchering small animals, but that sight was unexpected. His natural reaction was to throw up instantly as the scene unfolded.
"Too much blood for you, Bryn?" Luca mocked him, patting him on the back.
Bryn looked up, but another wave hit his insides, making him unable to answer. Once again, his hands touched his knees, and he spilled his lunch on the floor.
"Here, Bryn, try washing your mouth… Big Bro, that was incredible!!" Michelle said as she gave him a canteen.
Puffing his chest, Luca was happy to reply. "Hehe, you liked it, hm? I asked Uncle Jonas for a few pointers on a single powerful strike. What you saw is the result of my training."
Michelle nodded with her head up and down, praising her brother. She looked to check on Bryn, who was still washing his mouth. "Bryn, you'll get used to it; our first time seeing so much blood was not much better… Big bro also barfed…" She said with a smile.
"Michelle!!" he exclaimed, smacking the side of her head.
"Ouch, big bro, what was that for??" She simply received a mean stare as the answer to her question.
"Can we keep going?" Luca asked, looking at the faun.
"Yes, yes…" Bryn answered.
"I knew an animal that size would have a lot of blood, but that was too much! The smell of iron has engulfed my mind. I'll have to work so that doesn't happen in a critical moment… On the good side, though, got another level for my troubles… This time, level 4 (7%)... meaning my participation was worse than last or the amount of exp needed from level to level increased by leaps and bounds… Until now, I think my agility has progressed well enough. I'll have to up strength and dexterity to keep up with the changes in my movement…" Bryn thought.
"Good, let's get back to the forest area. You are not equipped enough to be out here." Luca said as he started to guide them back down.
Bryn was chatting with Michelle as they walked back, trying to get her to open up about her status points, but to no avail. Luca suddenly stopped, but instead of holding his closed fist back as a signal for the other two, his hand grabbed the hilt of his swords. Michelle saw his reaction and stopped speaking, drawing her bow.
Confused about the situation, Bryn remained silent next to the two brothers. Cold sweat drilled down from Luca's head.
"Michelle, you both must return to the village running at full speed when I say it. Call for help getting there." Luca whispered without looking back.
"What is happening, Big Bro?"
"It's no time for questions! Did both of you understand what I said?" Luca repeated.
"Run back at full speed at your signal." She repeated his words while Bryn nodded in agreement.
"Good…"
Bryn and Michelle looked around, only to find snow-covered rocks and trees. There was nothing there. But still, Luca's position remained unchanged. His left arm slowly reached for his back.
"NO YOU WON'T!" Luca yelled, drawing his sword out of its sheath and jumping in between Michelle, Bryn, and a blur. The impact was so tremendous that Luca got thrown far from the two, but nothing stood where they had clashed.
"BIG BROOO!" About to run to his side, she felt a hand grabbing her arms. Bryn didn't register what he was doing. His fear had taken over his mind. "What could be that much faster and more powerful than an adult elk?!" He tried pulling Michelle by the arm, but she was stronger than him.
That's when they heard it.
"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE??? RUUUN!!!!" Luca screamed.
As if thunder struck her mind, Michelle regained her calm. She glanced at Bryn as both started to run in the direction of the forest.