A full moon shining brightly in the night sky.

The cold breeze of the night caresses my skin as I travel through the mountains. The branches and leaves slowly sway and follow the movement of the wind like how a musician follows its conductor on every sway of its hand.

But even in this peaceful and serene night I am feeling agitated.

(I made a wrong calculation.)

Avoiding so many ‘monsters’ on the way here made my travel time much longer.

(I hope… I hope I’m not late.)

I know that if I lose this opportunity it will greatly affect my movement in the future.

I continue to climb the mountain until I see the small cave near the top of the mountain. I sped up my walk to get inside the cave immediately.

When I reach the entrance of the cave, I use Enhanced Sense to determine if there are any living beings inside. The ‘presence search’ stretched as far as I could push it, I noticed several creatures below me but that doesn’t matter right now. I then use my ‘hearing’ to listen for any noise or even a heartbeat coming inside the cave.

Nothing.

I smiled and walked inside the cave.

It’s dark… but my ‘eyes’ adjusted perfectly after moving inside the cave. I don’t have night vision whatsoever but even though it's dark I could perfectly see the cave. It feels like when you enter a dark room for a long time but then your eyes will adjust and use that tiny bit of light so you are able to see the environment.

But mine feels like it’s better, it adapts faster and it feels like I only need a much smaller amount of light to be able to see in this cave.

After moving 30 steps.

I saw it already.

Three big white eggs, the size of my palm, are placed together between the two stalagmite.

These eggs are comparable to ostrich eggs back on earth.

I excitedly made my move.

I open up my bag and pull out two similar looking eggs then put them beside me.

I look at the eggs beside the stalagmite, they are in a triangle formation where one of the eggs is directly in contact with the two stalagmite and the two eggs are in front of the other egg.

I pick up the two eggs in front and place them immediately in my bag and replace them with two eggs that I bought from the market.

(Nice! Now I just need to…)

Step! Step! Step!

I feel something just come in inside the cave.

(Shit! Shit!)

I look around immediately.

I look to the left side, then move my head to the right side.

Then I look at the inner part of the cave.

I saw large stalagmite and stalactite at the back end of the cave. I crawl towards that area and hide.

I tried to make myself smaller as much as possible, then I peek at the opening and wait for that ‘scenario’ to happen.

(Damn! Damn! If I made it earlier I would be at a safe location and looking at this event through Enhanced Sense. Shit!)

What I feared is not the ‘scenario’ itself… but the possibility that I got caught and I changed the story.

Step!

Step!

Slowly, the source of those heavy steps appear.

A large dark brown creature, 2-meter in height with a bear-like body frame came inside the cave. This creature has very long and very large nails that are comparable to short swords.

Mauler.

“GWRAA!”

It immediately looks at eggs and picks one up using its five long nails.

In the book it is described as <The tip of 5 swords gently carried the egg.>, as for me, I cannot see how the Mauler picks up the egg due to my position.

Then it puts the egg into its mouth.

CRACK!

Crunch! Crunch!

The shells shatter and some of it fall into the floor.

But that single egg is not enough for the Mauler.

It picks another one and puts it in his mouth.

CCCRRACK!

Crunch! Crunch!

Gulp!

I felt nervous… nervous that the ‘scenario’ will not happen.

Then it picks the last egg up… or it tries.

Shinngg! Shhhng!

I could hear a screeching noise, like a bone trying to scratch on a rock.

GRAAAW!

GGGGRRR!

GRRRAAAW!

I couldn’t see it properly but it looks like the monster is really angry right now.

Grrrr….

RRR….

The Mauler, who looks like having a tantrum suddenly stops like it was paralyze then.

Squishh!

A fountain of blood suddenly appears on its shoulder and splatter all around the area. The Mauler resisted, it started to move violently. Then I also notice a ‘flying blood’ near his shoulders that moves whenever the monster moves.

The monster suddenly clawed his stomach and a wound suddenly appeared. However, it is not the Mauler that receives the wound.

Bang!

Shhhhhhh!

A loud bang followed with a slithering sound was heard.

Then a white large snake appeared in the distance to the monster. This snake is almost a meter tall from the ground, not including the rest of its body. It has diamond looking scales that reflect the moonlight coming from outside the cave.

This monster is called Jewel Viper – Diamond.

SHAAAAA!

GRAAAAW!

They began to fight again.

The viper uses its tail to slap the monster on the face.

Bang!

It was a hit but the Mauler counter immediately with a slash.

Shhhhhh!

The viper receives another wound and blood splatter all around.

Then the viper jumps toward the monster and bite him on the side.

GAAAAAAA!

However, the viper was too close, the monster delivered a downward thrust to its body and stabbed the viper through and through.

Kiiiii!

The viper tried to move but it cannot escape the long claws of the monster.

After resisting for several times the viper’s body weakens and the only thing that it can move is its tail.

Shhhhh!

Shhhhh!

Bang!

The monster slashes it a few times and throws the weakened viper on the floor.

Grrr…

GGGrrrr…

It turns around towards the last remaining egg and it seems like it just remembers something. It walks slowly towards the egg and pushes its weakened arms to grab the egg.

“NOOOOO!”

A kid, a 17-year-old boy, with a black hair carrying a wooden spear entered the cave.

(Theo!)

The kid rushed towards the Mauler without any hesitation.

GRAAAW!

The beast made a forward thrust using its claws.

(Too slow.)

The monster already receives heavy injuries in the earlier battle at the same time the poison might be taking effect now.

The kid jumped to its right side, and when he landed on the ground he immediately performed an upward thrust and stabbed the spear on its head.

Puck!

Right on its left eye.

GRAAA!

The monster moves back but the kid didn’t let it, he moves his hand from the 2/3 of the shaft all the way to the end and he uses his palm to push the spear towards the monster to deliver the killing blow.

Puck!

The spear ran through its head and even came out from its skull.

Bang!

The Mauler fell down.

But Theo didn’t even look at it, instead he ran towards the viper.

“No… no…”

“I’ve been searching for you all this time.”

The kid looks at a dead viper.

Sniff!

“When I finally… finally… (sniff) found a Jewel Viper. This kind of thing happens.”

“No…”

Theo caresses the dying Jewel Viper and wipes his tears using his right arm. Then he moves towards the monster to pick up his spear.

He stops and turns his head towards the egg. He immediately ran towards the egg and gently picked it up.

The way he holds it is like the most valuable treasure in the world.

Well to be honest ‘it’ is.

“Ohhh… ohhhh…”

Theo then looks at the Jewel Viper.

“I will take good care of him.”

He then caresses the egg very gently. Then he walks towards the monster, finally picking up the spear.

“Fuck!”

He stabs the Mauler in the head several more times.

Puck!

Puck! Puck!

Puck! Puck! Puck!

He is smiling but you can see the anger in his eyes.

If someone saw this other than me they would think that the kid is a son of a devil or something. They wouldn’t know that, Theo is just a very troubled kid.

After that brutal attack he moved out from the cave without looking back.

I’ve waited until they are gone, until Theo is out of my ‘range’.

Then I move out from my hiding place and approach the dying viper. I looked at its eyes and I could see ‘it’, the difference it has compared to other monsters, I can see in its eyes.

I kneel down in front of it, open my bag and show it the two eggs.

“I know you can understand me… I will take care of them for you.”

(Of course, I will take care of them… they will be my most loyal pet after all.)

I look at the entrance of the cave.

“And that kid will also take care of your other child. You don’t need to worry.”

Then I look back at the viper.

“You can rest now.”

…

(Huh!)

I notice a drop of water falling down from its eyes.

I look above the cave to see if there is water dripping from above but… I didn’t notice anything.

…

After I made a silent prayer, I packed everything up and secured the bag and then I looked at the monster lying on the floor.

I pull out the small ax behind my belt.

“These fellas were hungry when they woke up. Thanks for volunteering.”

I stayed in the cave for a whole night and left the cave this morning.

Before going back to Slothub I took the monster cores from the monsters inside the cave. I can personally use monster cores or at the very least I could sell them to the market. Either way, those things are very useful.

Aside from the monster core. I also dismantle the Mauler and take away parts of it. However, I did not loot the body of the viper even though its skin can be sold at price. I’m not a shameless type of person. At the same time, those skin will just be sold for 2 gold at best.

Jewel Vipers are rare monsters. These monsters specialize in ambush but they usually hunt weaker prey. In face to face combat they are no different from a big snake with poisonous fangs and additional special abilities. The reason that they are rare is not because they are few but because they can hide pretty well using their abilities.

Each viper has additional abilities depending on the color of their skin. If they are fighting monsters, their skin color that looks like jewels can instill fear in their enemies, just like how earth snakes have those weird patterns on their skin to make themselves bigger or to intimidate their predators.

However, if they are fighting hunters they are at a disadvantage. Hunter’s already know their different abilities so they can counter them with ease or at least prepare a counter for their abilities.

When I exited the cave I took a deep breath.

I smiled.

(Success!)

I feel proud of myself.

But a sudden smell entered my nose.

An acidic odor, like muriatic acid that I use to clean my bathroom, but at the same time I feel that my tongue feels numb.

(It’s coming from the cave.)

I look back… then shrug my shoulders.

…

(It might be monster poops, like how a bat cave smells.)

I immediately shook my head to throw that scent away and started to move back towards Slothub.

I am walking as fast as possible right now through the forest.

(I hope I arrive on time, if my calculation… Sigh… never mind my calculation… I just hope they haven't arrived yet from their quest.)

As I travel I encounter monsters on the way but using enhanced eyes, hearing, feeling and even smelling. I could easily dodge them all.

This is literally a walk in a park.

As I walk I notice a single monster in front of me. I will do the usual rerouting after I take a look at it.

I slowly approach the monster while hiding in bushes.

Grara!

Gulp!

A Mauler eating a dead Gray wolf.

I touch my potion pouch on my belt.

Maulers are powerful creatures, but they have poor eyesight and short legs.

(I could kill it if only I had a long range weapon.)

I just remember how the adventurer's father took down the monster that attacked their nearby forest.

Hit and Run Tactics is very compatible with my Essence.

Currently I have ways of taking it down, but the cost is too great than the reward and if I fought it using Cole’s swordsmanship I will be on the losing side. I don’t want to put myself into that kind of position. I wanted to fight it with a 100%-win rate.

(Should I train myself on bow and arrow? Well Cole has no attachment to any weapon and he already knows the basics of archery. Hmmm… let’s think about it when we get back to the Slothub.)

As I pull back I notice something approaching on the opposite side.

Five monsters.

(V formation!)

(Two wolves move on the side while the other three will attack it directly.)

The bushes violently move then the Gray Wolves jump out from it.

(At the back of the monster.)

One of the wolves jumps towards the back of the monster and bite down the neck of the Mauler.

(Now, the other one that is separated will attack at the leg area.)

Then another one bite down the legs.

(The other one will attack on the side… is it the chest?)

Then another one jumps at the arm.

I shift my eyes towards the remaining two wolves.

I notice their feet. They would seem like they would jump.

Then another wolf tackles the Mauler. The Mauler moved back but it didn’t fall down and then another one jumped in front of it and bit its neck.

Bang!

The Mauler falls down trying to resist but the Gray Wolves are not letting go.

I move back as fast as possible.

I don’t want to see the ending which I already knew, especially when I’m the next meal for those beasts.