Chapter 52: Catching Kobold Iron With Bare Hands

Eren was almost being too careless after the bear win. And he definitely didn’t expect any second threat after the first one. It would be unusual.

But his ears caught it and forced his body to act before his brain did. A twig snapped fifty meters to his left. Then a second of complete stillness that only predators knew how to create. It was almost like nothing was around…

Shadow Panther or some kind of a cat type beast but he imagined it would be that famous hunter with his luck.

Emily had described them once between bites of dinner. Around late 10 early 20 level ambush predators. Fast enough to kill most things before you knew you are being hunted. She did say something like “if you hear one, it’s already too late” and then gone back to eating like that was a normal sentence.

To Eren’s half-elf senses at Perception 37 after level up, the thing might as well have been wearing a bell.

He didn’t draw his knife or had any time to do that. Even if he did have time for that, it would alert the beast. He just stood there and waited.

Almost panther sized but tinier and more colorfur cat launched from a underbrush. Luckily it wasn’t the infamous black panther.

A black blur aimed straight at his throat. Three weeks ago he would’ve needed help from Emily or a lot of luck to dodge something that fast. Now he just watched it come.

He reached out and caught it by the throat mid-air.

The beast’s full weight slammed into his arm but his feet didn’t move. Not even a little. The pantherish cat swiped at his forearm with claws that could cut any normal person. There was a sound like a knife scraping a stone wall. The claws tore through his sleeve and left faint white lines on his skin.

That was it. White lines. Beast didn’t have any claw skills or something similar to overcome his hard skin. Eren twisted his wrist with his hand. The panther’s neck snapped.

There wasn’t any dramatic sound or bones breaking or similar thing. In real life, this was just quiet and fast. He didn’t even totally understand that he killed a cat.

He dropped it and looked at his forearm. The scratches were already fading. There was no level up or poison alerts from the system.

This was too easy…

Only two days ago, a beast like this would’ve gutted him.

[You gained 100% energy of Juvenile Shadow Panther (Level 18)]

Not even enough for a level up. He was getting picky about his kills now and that alone was kind of insane.

Satisfied and feeling an intoxicating rush of power, Eren turned back toward the sounds of his group.

Two strong attacks from unusual monsters in this safe zone was insane. There was something weird going on around here!

..

They were doing fine. They didn’t even know two apex predetors almost killed them all.

Nimbo was holding the last blue slime under the rim of his shield while Mel killed it to experience share.

When Eren walked out of the treeline, he didn’t look like he was attacked.

Mel wiped acidic residue off her daggers onto the grass with a grimace that was more about the smell than the effort. Thadric leaned on his spear and laughed at something Rabbu-i had just said.

They looked like they were having fun.

Eren walked closer. As he crossed the ten-meter mark, he saw it happen again. Rabbu-i’s posture stiffened. Her cheeks went red and her eyes got that glazed look. Even Mel turned her head to look at him even if she wasn’t suppose to see him yet. She definetely felt his existence or charisma.

She practically bit her lower lip staring at his chest. That look on her young pretty face wasn’t much different than Rabbu-i’s usual heated look.

Rabbu-i’s posture also stiffened on the other side. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes glazed over with that familiar, obsessive intensity.

Right. The Charisma effect. He had suppressed it to maybe eight or nine percent but that was still apparently enough for some people to get heated. Especially Rabbu-i. Emily was going to kill him when she found out about this.

“Good job, everyone.” He kept his voice casual but firm. “You’ve got a solid dynamic going. Mel has the speed. Thadric has the reach. Rabbu-i controls the field and Nimbo holds the line.”

“Technically.” Nimbo laughed with sadness while looking at his shild like it was cursing at the boy. Eren would bet his entire worth in the bank on that Nimbo wanted to kill something. Not able to do something, with his young age was making him insane.

“It’s easy when the targets don’t fight back,” Thadric joked and wiped sweat from his forehead. “Though I wouldn’t mind something with actual legs. At least I could talk it out of attacking us and save everyone the energy.”

“Or you could just stab it.” Mel tossed her dagger in the air and caught it by the hilt without looking. “Much faster.”

“You lack appreciation for nature, Mel. Or common sense. Your knife is even duller than the shaft of the spear I hold.”

Mel ignored the giant rancher and sat on the ground. “I appreciate nature perfectly fine when it’s cooked and on my plate.”

Eren grinned. This was what he’d wanted. Not just a group that could kill slimes but people who could joke while doing it. Real hunters needed to stay loose. Emily was like that. She’d told him once that if you couldn’t laugh in the forest, the forest had already beaten you.

So many people died from the village and all the leftovers had a insane inner fear to the dangers in this generation. She guessed some of the fighting class ones were hiding their skills on purpose but couldn’t prove it.

But Evon didn’t have time to add his jokes or comment about their relaxed faces.

He felt something and it wasn’t a sound. It was the absence of bird sound. They stopped!

The constant low hum of the Verdant Hollow Forest had just vanished. Like someone pressed mute on the entire forest.

“Quiet. And get on your feet. We are leaving!” Eren snapped.

The banter died instantly. Mel’s hand froze on her dagger. Thadric’s grip tightened on his spear. Even Rabbu-i’s flushed expression drained into something colder and more primal.

These were elves. They’d grown up in this forest. They knew what silence meant after Eren pointed it with his fingers to his ears.

Eren’s Perception 37 screamed at every nerve ending in his body. Something was coming from the east to here. That side was the deeps of the forest and unlike other sides there was nothing except trees there.

No, it wasn’t something. There were multiple things moving in a group.

“Human?” Thadric’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“Don’t move or talk.” He didn’t have enough time to tell them to run to the village.

Shadows detached from the darkness between the trees.

Six of them stepped into the dim light. They stood upright, roughly chest height to a human. Mottled gray-green scales covered their bodies.

Their snouts were long and filled with crooked yellow teeth. Their eyes burned with something cold and calculating that Eren recognized it. They were smart like humans!

And unlike video game impressive creatures from Earth, these looked jacked as shit!

Kobolds.

Their bodies had too much muscle, hard scales and colorful lines between different body parts.

Four were on foot with curved scimitars and heavy crossbows loaded with metallic pointed bolts. Two sat on mounted beasts that looked like the combination of horse and komodo dragons. The mounts hissed and dripped foul saliva from their jaws.

They wore crude iron-studded leather armor. Eren didn’t think those were scavenged. It’s details looked perfect for their bodies and clearly made for Kobolds.

These weren’t slimes or panthers or mindless beasts that ran at you because instinct told them to. This was a hunting party with formation and intent.

Fu*k!

Thadric took a step back. His spear trembled. Mel’s cocky grin was completely gone. Her face was pale and rigid and she looked about five years younger than she had ten seconds ago. Nimbo raised his shield but his breathing was rough.

Rabbu-i was the only one who didn’t flinch. She stood very still with her eyes half closed. Reading the plants maybe or just too scared to move. Eren couldn’t say which one was true.

One of the mounted ones looked bigger and stronger than all the others, like a leader. And it raised its scimitar and let out a rapid clicking bark. The other four snapped their crossbows up and aimed directly at them.

The warm-up was over.

“All four of you.” Eren said without turning around. His voice came out flat and calm in a way that surprised even him. “Walk backwards and cover with trees.”

“Eren we can help-” Mel started.

“No.”

He didn’t explain and actually didn’t have time to that. The lead kobold barked again.

Two footed kobolds used crossbow triggers at the same time.

And Eren moved.

He didn’t think about running away or had a plan yet. But after five seconds of movement made things clear.

He could kill them!

The bolts were fast but he was faster. He sidestepped the first one and slapped the second out of the air with his open palm. The iron tip cut his skin and he didn’t care.

Three weeks ago he’d almost died to a fire slime. Now he was catching crossbow bolts.

Other crossbow user two kobolds hesitated for exactly one second to aim at him. But that was a very long time to hesitate in a fight.

Eren closed the distance to the first footsoldier in two strides. He grabbed the crossbow out of its hands and drove his short blade into its face with his left hand.

It’s scales cracked and some teeth showed as he split it’s head. Kobold died in two moves.

[You gained 100% energy of Kobold Scout (Level 14)]

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