With the first ray of sunshine, Dravin was ready for his first hunt.
He had donned leather armor, and he carried a sharp metal sword. His slightly long hair was tied into a bun, and his face was marked with ash. As was the tradition, his first hunt would be solitary, and no one would help, only watching from afar.
Dravin glanced back at the group watching him move further in. There was his father and his sister, Alice. Also, some other warriors of the tribe. They were all watching over him.
He took a deep breath and moved inward. In his past life, fighting and violence were synonyms for barbarism. What little 'civil' fighting there was was simply considered sports. They weren't really that life-threatening.
This was different; what he was facing was not a human opponent of similar stature and skill, but a beast. One who wouldn't hesitate to tear his throat out should the chance present itself.
He came upon the boar. It was the Rocky Mountain Boar. It had a thick leathery hide, and its great tusks were long and sharp. It was known as one of the bottom feeders, but that was relative to those powerful Nascent beasts. Dravin was barely at the same level as this beast.
The people watched from afar. Karth Snowfire was looking forward to seeing the same battle prowess his son had displayed before his awakening ceremony. Although he was known to be supernaturally strong, he shouldn't face much trouble if he could keep his distance. After all, the Terrans weren't exactly known for their defense.
He watche Dravin moved slowly. There was an unnatural grace in his steps. His hands were steady, despite facing a beast taller than him, and his breath was calm. He didn't look like he was facing the beast for the first time. Was it talent or confidence? Karth didn't know, but he would find out soon.
Dravin took another step, and the beast grew alert. It turned fast, as if it had eyes on the back of its head. His son moved in the opposite direction, keeping his presence in the blind spot of the beast for just long enough to draw near. And when he was just a few feet away from the beast, his sword flashed.
Karth could see the effect clearly. His adept level of strength granted him powerful senses. Even from afar, he could see the blade meet the hide and only leave a shallow wound. He frowned. The beast was tougher than he thought.
Dravin drew back, and the beast roared. In seconds, it was upon him. He dodged to his right, and the beast crashed into a nearby bush. His son moved without hesitation, his sword backed by powerful momentum, and cut at the beast's leg.
It was too late for the beast to dodge. It would turn to its left, but the blade was already upon it. This time, he hadn't held back. The sword cut deep, blood splashing in the air like paint on the canvas.
The beast roared. A baleful red glow surrounded its body in a hazy mist. A skill, Karth realized. The Rocky Mountain Boars were known for this skill called Mountain Rage.
For a moment, the beast would lose all its rationale. But in return, it would grow twice as powerful; its already tough hide would become impenetrable if enough force wasn't applied, and its speed would grow beyond what it should've been capable of.
Honestly, such a skill would've been considered rather rare and powerful, had it not been for the fact that the user would lose their mind and devolve into mindless beasts.
Dravin narrowed his eyes. He was strong enough that, even without his ability, he had almost forced this beast into a corner. This was simply unprecedented, considering only a day had passed since he stepped foot in the Novice realm.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His hair seemed to shine for the briefest moment, and then his eyes opened. A flame lit up.
The blazing white fire froze the metal and coalesced into thin ice sheat. Firey vapors roze from the blade, and the very air seemed to grow stiff.
"This...!" Karth narrowed his eyes. He was actually using his ability, and not just that, but using it with such proficiency. If he hadn't been the one to give his son this ability, then he would've questioned him about when and where he learned it.
The others watching the scene were equally stunned. It was known among all the EVO's that one needed at least a few weeks to even months before they could even start to use their abilities. But Dravin wasn't just using his ability; he was using it with skillful grace. This wasn't a simple matter of talent; it was a genius that approached the borders of monstrosity.
"Amazing." Alice let out a calm breath. As the oldest child, she had seen the days when her tribe wasn't at the stage they were at today. Her father wasn't an Adept, and they had to live their lives as nomads, moving from one place to another.
This had caused a burden to develop on her, and she had worked hard and allowed her talent to shine. Now no one questioned her–even if she lazed around all day–because she had the talent to easily overtake her father after some time. But reality suddenly flipped in front of her today.
Her brother, whom she always adored, displayed talent that made her look humble. But what she felt wasn't jealousy, but happiness. With this, she wouldn't have to lead this tribe alone. In the future, the two of them could even marry and grow together.
Thinking about marrying him, Alice felt her nethers grow wet. A trickle of pussy juice trailed her thighs as she remembered the moans of those girls she had heard from his adobe.
At this time, Dravin and the beast confronted each other. Faced with the speed of this beast, he found it hard to keep up. But he wasn't afraid of exerting himself, as his stamina reserves were rather vast. He could also keep using his trait for a long period of time due to his incubus physiology.
Each time his blade struck the beast, the area would freeze, and the bone-chilling fire would borrow into its muscles and nerves, causing it to grow slowly.
Time passed, and soon the beast was exhausted. Dravin felt his breath grow shorter as he grew a bit tired after fighting this beast. But the people who watched from afar were amazed at his endurance and resilience.
"This is no longer just talent, but a blessing from the heavens." A woman spoke from the side. She was a 3-Star Novice. "And that endurance..." Lascivious smile traced her lips. She could feel her nipples stiffen at the thought. How long could this boy keep up for? Just the thought made her wet.
At last, the beast grew sluggish. Dravin saw an opportunity and lunged. His blade flashed with girm light and logged itself into the eye of the beast, moving deep into the skull. The beast died instantly as frosty cold took hold of its brain and froze it from inside out.
"Wonderful." A tall and bulky man clapped his hands. His hands were almost as big as Alice's head, and he was about 7 feet tall. "That was a truly wonderful performance."
The rest nodded, sharing the same thought. In fact, they would've considered it good if Dravin could last for an hour against the beast before requesting for help. If he could manage to injure it before losing it, he would've been hailed as the greatest genius in ability use. But what he did was simply unprecedented.
Dravin shook his head and sighed. They didn't know that he had cheated in this battle. But cheating could be considered luck, and luck was ultimately part of one's strength.