Novel Bin Chapter 7: The Hunter and the Prey
Chapter 7: The Hunter and the Prey
The sun's rays were lost between the branches of Log-a-rhythm. As they tried to break free, they seemed to create green and golden light bridges. As Priam looked at these arcs of shimmering light, he thought how beautiful this world was. He had just come out of the tree and was eager to try his new technique.
He smiled as he looked at the skill againhis skill.
[Kinetic Control] - Absorb, use, channel. Control. Kinetic energy obeys you. Motion energy is more than you think. Massive potential for evolution.
VIVA + 2
DEXT + 3
META (FOCUS) +4
Congratulation, you have unlocked a new META feature: Focus
He began by stretching. Before using his new technique, Priam wanted to discover the limits of his body. Using a technique without understanding it was pretty dangerous. If he wanted to understand his new skill, it had to be the only new factor. If there were another unknown factor - in this case, the power of his body - he would not know the exact limits of [Kinetic Control].
Moreover, Priam was interested in learning his characteristics and their relation with his body. The numbers given by the System were real, but what did they really mean?
He continued with physical exercises, which were useful for loosening his body. Once he was warmed up, Priam began to measure his performance. First, he wanted to know exactly how many meters he could jump. After drawing a line in the grass, he gained momentum and jumped. He felt his muscles tense and give their maximum. His jump was impressive. As he landed, he was exultant. This new world had good sides. Calculating that one of his steps was one meter long, he estimated his jumping distance to be about ten meters. The old world record was 8.95 meters.
"Even without jumping technique, I beat the world record by a wide margin..."
Given Priam's physical characteristics, this was normal. The System's numbers made him about three times stronger, agile, dexterous, and sharper than an ordinary man. He was sure he could jump even further by improving his jumping technique.
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 10
VIT +1
Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 5
AGI +1
Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 4
FOR +1
Priam continued to train. He sweated push-ups, pull-ups, and squats for almost an hour to test his new limits. During this time, he noticed that grass had replaced the charred ground around his tree overnight. He felt that soon all traces of the tribulation would be erased by nature. Log-a-rhythm gave off an aura of growth that pleased nature. I will soon live in a little piece of paradise... Lost in the middle of hell.
Once warmed up, Priam walked to a tree at the edge of the clearing. He positioned himself to strike the trunk of the tree with his palm. He didn't want to break his bones with a bad wooden blow. He struck.
"Um!"
Strangely, Priam did not feel much. Neither did the tree, if he were to be honest. His dream of breaking trees in half with the strength of his hands alone had yet to be achieved.
His Constitution was more important than his Strength, and he understood that he was unlikely to be hurt by such actions. He got back into position and struck again using [Kinetic Control].
Using his skill was natural and strange at the same time. He didn't feel like he was moving mana, feeling Qi, or even communicating with the Dao. His skill was like a new limb. A phantom arm that he finally remembered. He could use it naturally, almost without thinking about it... But it would take a lot of practice to master it. Easy to learn, hard to master.
This time he felt as if his strength had vanished in a fraction of a second. In the corner of his mind, he visualized a star of light that contained energy. Instinctively, he knew releasing that energy for the same kind of strike would be easier. He could also use it to jump higher, but he felt that it would be less obvious and instinctive and that he would have to practice before attempting that.
In short, the energy absorbed from one punch was more easily used in another punch than in a kick.
Priam got into position for the third time. He sent his strike while releasing the energy he had stored. His strike was much faster.
Ouch! The pain made him wince. When he opened his eyes, he saw the tree shaking a little. The grimace turned into a smile. His striking force was far superior. The technique was useful!
"It's still early. I need to get to know her as well as I can. Then I can explore the surrounding area."
Priam got back into position. Despite the heat, he was confident. He could finally see his progress and a solution to his problems. He struck again. Again and again.
A few hours later, Priam was walking through the forest. He had trained hard but could not increase his skill level. He theorized that this was because he was still unfamiliar with some of the knowledge valuable to use to the technique. But he had the idea to continue his exploration on the run. He used his technique as much as possible to speed up and slow down randomly to confuse a likely observer and especially to train himself. Braking in the middle of a jump was a handy technique.
Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 3
AGI +1
PERC +1
DEXT +1
In order not to run into Arnold or another rival before he was ready, Priam had moved away from the portal. He was beginning to regret his decision. Around him, the wildlife seemed more abundant. He hadn't encountered any beasts yet, but he had noticed the tracks on the ground and in the trees were more recent. Priam was not a forester or a hunter but felt that the forest was inhabited there. The insects were more troublesome, and the birds more silent. Suddenly he stopped.
"A rabbit?"
A few meters away from Priam, a rabbit was taking advantage of a hole in the foliage of the trees to eat some grass under a sunny well. Its fur looked incredibly soft, snow-white in color. Immaculate, the only spots of color were its brown eyes and its... horn?
[Identification]
[Rabhorn] - A rabbit with a horn. Vegetarian. Excellent when roasted, it will delight your taste buds. Contains a lot of good proteins for your muscles.
Do not sell the skin of the rabhorn before you kill it.
Priam stopped breathing. Meat... Over a week without eating meat. It was a first for Priam, and he had a new respect for vegans and vegetarians. His ecological conviction had always been firm, but to stop eating meat? No way. The young man was already salivating. The time for fruit is over!
He walked towards the adorable creature, and it looked up. The rabhorn stared at him briefly and then resumed its meal. It had not judged Priam to be dangerous. What a mistake! My kingdom for a rabbit stew. Priam was French and didn't mess around with food.
He continued to move towards the beast. Less than two meters away, the rabhorn stopped eating and positioned itself in front of Priam. The two protagonists watched each other a bit more before the rabbit started grazing again. Priam hesitated. He had never killed an animal before. He had never killed anything before the Tutorial. Except maybe a few insects when he was little... He understood the interest of being able to kill animals to feed himself, of course, and wouldn't hesitate for a moment if it was to defend himself. But walking up to a rabbit to wring its neck? He was reluctant.
Priam took a deep breath. He would have to do it sometime, and sooner rather than later. He wouldn't feed on sap for the rest of his life. He moved toward the little mammal again. When he was less than a meter away, the rabhorn looked at him again, annoyed by the intruder, then jumped back a meter. Priam frowned at the apparent refusal to cooperate. The rabhorn had undoubtedly never tasted civet, or it would have agreed that its sacrifice would not be in vain. What a selfish rabbit... Some people don't put the common good before themselves, but I knew that already. Little horned rabbit, you will end up as a delicious meal, and your fur will serve as my mattress!
Priam, throwing caution to the wind, ran at the rabhorn, which leaped to the side this time. The young man chased after it, but a rabhorn raised since childhood in magical woods is more agile than a modern man raised in the city center.
After five minutes of a pitiful chase, Priam faced the fact that the rabhorn was more agile. He wasn't exhausted, but he wasn't going anywhere. He'd even seen the rabhorn take a few bites of grass when he was comfortably ahead.
Disappointed, Priam began throwing rocks at the rabhorn, which quietly dodged them. Honestly, Priam wasn't sure if the rabhorn was afraid of him. It even seemed like a game to the mammal. He couldn't prove him wrong for the moment, but Priam had not said his last word.
"Millennia of evolution and a hundred generations of ancestors are watching me. This rabbit is going to end up on my plate!"
Closing his eyes, Priam concentrated on his skills. Specifically [Art of Movement] and [Kinetic Control]. The rabhorn wasn't necessarily more agile than him, but it knew its body and its abilities much better. And it was small. Priam knew he would have to rely on [Art of Movement] to keep up with the rabhorn. That way, he could control his body better. His skills weren't just for show. The bursts of speed from [Kinetic Control] could allow him to catch up with the beast.
"Round 2!"
With a conscious effort, Priam leaped forward. He felt his muscles tense, his feet position themselves on the ground, and his ankles twist to alter his trajectory. He could follow the beast. To the physical effort was added a mental effort. To feel his body, its impulses, its contractions. He thought about his proprioception, the perception of his body, to position himself in the space of the clearing. Knowing his height, location, and all the measurements related to his environment allowed him to see if he could place his foot serenely on the ground rather than on a root. It is normally an automatic mechanism, but without taking care, we sometimes stumble. Here, Priam was paying conscious attention to eliminate his mistakes.
Priam caught up with the rabhorn from time to time. He was faster in a straight line because of his strength and agility. But the rabhorn lost him on the sharp turns. Priam began to watch his balance. He put his foot down in the tall grass, laid his body almost against the ground, and used his speed to keep from falling. Like a motorcycle going around a bend, Priam navigated impossible turns with a smile. The rabhorn remained in front, but the young man was no longer outclassed.
Priam didn't want to leave anything to chance, and his mindset was one of absolute concentration. Unconsciously, he felt this was the first step towards a new stage.
The rabhorn dodged to the right, and Priam followed, his right foot digging into the ground, his ankle at a right angle, before the muscles in his leg propelled him behind the rabhorn. The rabhorn seemed surprised that the human could keep up. After a quarter of a second's hesitation, it jumped back. Priam used one of his kinetic charges to accelerate. With one jump, his speed doubled. He wanted to avoid giving the rabhorn time to get used to it or understanding that it was in danger.
Priam had trained all morning, and the acceleration did not destabilize him. Reaching his hand to the ground, his fingers were only a few inches away from the beast.
As Priam concentrated on getting a firm grip on his prey, the prey seemed to crawl back on itself. A moment later, the rabhorn was behind him. It had passed between his legs with impossible acceleration. A skill! But of course, everyone in this world must have one or more skills. Possibly hereditary or even cleverly created... Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m
Annoyed, Priam took several meters to stop. His speed was too great. Theoretically, he could run faster than a 100-meter world champion. In this small clearing, this was impossible: there was no room to accelerate. But even so, his speed was phenomenal. When he used [Kinetic Control], it doubled. At that point, even with his Dexterity, Agility, and the help of [Art of Movement], he was no longer in complete control of his speed.
When he turned around, the rabhorn was watching him warily. Priam leaped to his left, using his skill to build up another charge.
"Round 3!"
Using the [Art of Movement] to its fullest, Priam charged at the rabhorn. His senses were alert to track the beast. His eyes were fixed on the small mammal, but his peripheral vision informed him of his surroundings and the prey's possible escape maneuvers. His hearing was trying to determine if intruders were nearby. He could hear his blood pulsing in his ears.
To the right. At the last moment, Priam changed his course to follow the rabhorn in his leap. Two meters. The beast leaped backward and found itself backed up against a tree. Priam used his skill to accelerate again and force the rabhorn to use its skill. Left or right? It seemed to prefer the right, and the ground was more open. Knowing his opponent was winning half the battle. The man and the beast used their skills simultaneously. The jumps of the two adversaries were synchronized. The rabhorn had covered more distance but seemed disoriented to see Priam so close to it. One meter.
The animal darted toward a thicket a few feet behind it. I'll never find it in the bush if I lose him now. Priam used his acceleration skill twice in a row to get even closer. His support foot left deep marks in the ground from the titanic accelerations of his skill. Fifty centimeters.
Sensing that the man would be on it before it reached the shelter of the trees, the rabhorn leaped back to Priam's right, attempting to dribble past him. Carried away by his speed, Priam used his skill to absorb his kinetic energy and stop. Three charges. Priam pivoted to get the rabhorn in front of him. He used one charge to leap back at the beast, then a second. Ten centimeters. One more! With one final charge, Priam was on top of his prey, the fingers of his right hand stroking the beast's fur.
"Gotcha!"
As his hand closed around the rabhorn's delicate body, Priam had a bad feeling. The horn of the beast began to glow with a vibrant light. The prey leaped. Priam felt a current of air pass between his eyes.
Congratulations, you are dead!
Status : (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Force 24
Constitution 35
Agility 36
Vitality 53
Perception 25
MENTAL:
Vivacity 62
Dexterity 21
Memory 29
Willpower 44
Charisma 36
META:
Meta-affinity 8
Meta-focus 4
Potential: 44