Chapter - 24
"I've got a sword, a few throwing knives, and custom leather armor with excellent flexibility. Ready for my first monster hunt," Jacob muttered to himself as he made his way toward the expected location of the Seralisks, as described in the mission parchment from the guild.
The book Seraphina had given him had painted a picture of the creature: a monster with a sleek, muscular body covered in scale-like golden fur. It had long, curved fangs that delivered a venomous bite and razor-sharp claws, and its tail ended in spiked scales. Seralisks inhabited dense forests and rocky hills, using their camouflage abilities to ambush prey and typically moving in groups.
Jacob's mind was full of caution as he navigated through the dense forest. The creature's habits reminded him somewhat of the wolves he had encountered back on Earth, but he knew hunting monsters was probably a different beast entirely.
Suddenly, a rustle to his left. Jacob turned just in time to see two Seralisks spring from the underbrush. They were fast—blindingly fast. One lunged at him, and he barely had time to dodge. Drawing his revolver with practiced precision, he cocked the hammer. Blue, intense wind tendrils began to swirl around the barrel, the revolver's chambers filling with an ethereal glow. This was his Gun-Gale ability, a skill that infused his revolver with powerful mystical energy that Jacob had yet to fully understand.
Jacob aimed and fired, the revolver's roar echoing through the forest. The blue energy shot crackled through the air, a trail of azure lightning in its wake, but it missed its mark. The Seralisks hissed and circled him, their golden scales glinting ominously.
Determined to make the next shot count, Jacob steadied his breath. He could feel the energy pulsating through the revolver, the blue tendrils wrapping around his hand as he aimed. This time, his concentration paid off. He squeezed the trigger, and the blue energy shot erupted from the barrel with a thunderous crack, streaking through the air with pinpoint accuracy.
The shot struck one of the Seralisks on its side, the energy blasting through its golden scales. The creature let out a shrill cry and collapsed, lifeless, its body twitching as the energy dissipated. But the second Seralisk seized the moment. Before Jacob could react, it pounced, its claws slashing through his leather armor and sinking into his flesh. Pain exploded through Jacob's body as the Seralisk's claws tore into him.
Desperately, Jacob drew his sword and slashed at the beast, but his inexperience with swords showed. His swings were wild and uncoordinated. The Seralisk was relentless, its venomous fangs snapping dangerously close to his face. Jacob managed to stab it with his sword, but the creature barely flinched.
The Seralisk's claws raked across his leg, and Jacob cried out in pain, falling to the ground. The creature loomed over him, ready to deliver the killing blow. With one last burst of strength, Jacob grabbed a couple of his throwing knives and plunged them into the Seralisk's throat just before it could bite his head off. The monster convulsed, then went limp, collapsing on top of him.
Gasping for breath and covered in blood, Jacob pushed the dead Seralisk off and tried to stand. His leg throbbed with pain, and he could feel the warm trickle of blood from multiple wounds. The reality of fighting monsters had hit him hard—this was nothing like hunting animals back on Earth.
Injured and barely able to walk, Jacob knew he had to get out of the forest before more Seralisks—or worse—found him. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he forced himself to work quickly. He began by gutting the monsters and retrieving the valuable monster cores from the fallen creatures. Then he extracted their claws and tails, knowing these items fetched a good price according to the book he had read.
The rest of the monster remains were beyond his strength to salvage. The wounds on his body were too severe, and his energy was rapidly dwindling. With a final glance at the forest floor, Jacob turned and started the grueling trek back to Ironhelm City.
What had taken him an hour to traverse in better conditions now stretched into a couple of excruciating hours. Each step was a battle against the pain, the forest seeming to close in on him with every passing minute. The weight of his injuries and the added burden of the monster parts made the journey feel endless.
As he stumbled through the city gates, the guards barely glanced at him. Such sights were all too common for them. Jacob's sole focus was the inn. He limped through the quiet streets, reaching the inn's front area where he luckily found Thorne.
Thorne's eyes widened at the sight of Jacob's battered form. "By the goddesses, what happened to you?" he exclaimed, rushing to help.
Jacob could barely speak through the pain and exhaustion. "Seralisks... forest... needed the money..."
Thorne supported him, helping him up the stairs and into his room. "Let's get you patched up," he said. Thorne worked quickly, bandaging Jacob's wounds and applying ointments to the deep gashes. Jacob winced but was grateful for the care.
"You're lucky to be alive," Thorne said softly. "Rest now. We'll talk more in the morning."
Jacob nodded weakly, the pain and exhaustion overwhelming him. As he drifted off to sleep, he realized just how brutal this new world could be and how much he still had to learn.