Chapter 33: End of the Hunt (2/2)
Rakna grunted to answer and Nyx spoke up in curiosity, ”What happens when you're exposed to the full moon?” He looked back at her and remembered seeing something related to the moon in her status. Maybe it would be a good idea to look into it and the effect it has on him.
”I still don't know,” he ultimately replied.
”In any case,” Leis raised his voice. ”I guess this means this tutorial is over, right?”
”Indeed,” Aquila said. ”You can now go through the exit as you please.”
Rakna silently looked at the downed eagle and barely could contain himself from growling as veins appeared in his vision along with a beating heart. As he was wondering if he should go along with this primal huger, he heard footsteps in the distance. He sniffed the air and realized their smell didn't belong to anyone in his group. However, he recognized one of them…
He looked over to the source and everyone imitated him, wondering what he was looking at. Then, Flavia's eyes widened a bit as she spotted a few people coming out from a part of the forest that was undamaged by the fight.
It was a group constituted of both the school's students and teachers and amongst the latter, one of them was a very recognizable and unlikeable individual.
”Herts…” Leia grimaced. ”I hate that guy.”
As she spoke those words, the teacher in question noticed them and froze on the spot when his eyes fell on Rakna. The people behind him had similar reactions. But then, Herts smiled knowingly as if he had figured out something and talked to his group.
Normally, it would have been impossible to hear him from that distance, but Rakna's hearing had already broken common sense. By just perking up one of his ears, he could perfectly discern the man's words. Though they came to him as a whisper.
”That monster must be a part of this tutorial. Or else, how could it have been possible for us simple humans to beat that large eagle? We are saved, friends.”
Rakna scoffed internally. That man's words were laced with honey. Every sound coming out of his mouth was meant to make others trust him. After that little speech, he along with his group came over.
”Pronos, hide,” Rakna whispered and the little snake tilted his head in confusion before slipping under Sonata. A minute later, Herts had arrived.
”So, you're still safe and sound, Mister Herts,” Flavia said with fake politeness and he smiled back as if he hadn't noticed.
”I'm glad to see you alive, Miss Jeina. And, yes, I had the chance to be saved by my fellow teachers before the goblins could invade the school,” he said and turned toward Rakna. ”May I ask who this is? You must have had a hand in the defeat of this eagle, correct?”
Rakna squinted his eyes. 'Let's play the game,' he said internally. ”That is none of your business, human,” he uttered and his allies' expressions turned bemused for a brief moment before a look of understanding replaced it. ”Why don't you answer my question instead. Where were you when your fellow humans were fighting for their life?”
Herts' face stifled for a second before regaining its usual pose. ”I apologize for that. But I'm afraid that precisely one of my… fellow humans, as you say, caused me to be unable to move for a long period of time before the venom withdrew from my and my student's bodies,” he explained with a glint in his eyes.
He looked around and grinned before raising a question, ”Now that I think about it, is that young man not here? Did something happen to him perhaps?” He asked without concealing how pleased he was of the prospect. ”I also see that you have that young man's scarf with you, sir.”
”Rakna is still alive,” Flavia replied coldly. ”He was just unable to participate in the battle. He lent us his scarf since it is an item that we needed to defeat the guardian,” she effortlessly went along with her former student's intention to hide his identity.
”I see,” Herts sneered and turned around. ”Let's go. It's time to leave this forsaken place, everyone,” he said and headed toward the opened gate under the Eagle God's Statue.
”Wait a minute,” Rakna said and that made them stop. ”You will only leave once three people from this group go through. You do not deserve the titles. Try to go through anyway and I'll be sure to end you myself,” he uttered with a growl and a slight activation of his Intimidation skill.
Herts paled and decided to bring his group to the opposite side of theirs.
”Why are you willing to let him live?” Leis asked Rakna almost immediately after they had gone out of range. ”I'm not one to say that killing people left and right is a good thing, but that man certainly didn't deserve to live. Even back on Earth, his reputation was unsavory at best.”
”Not worth it,” Rakna replied indifferently. ”Not only is his blood worthless but his group might have gotten away and told other people out there, whoever they may be, that we are treacherous murderers. I wouldn't know the consequences of that, but I wouldn't want to bet.”
Aquila snickered and they looked at him. ”You humans and your hate of each other… It's hilarious, as always. By the way, as a service, I can tell you that half of that man's group hasn't reached the quota of souls.”
”Yeah, I was wondering,” Allan uttered. ”There's no way that all of them had fifty souls. They didn't seem to even know how to throw a punch. What will happen to them if they try to exit?”
”Simple. They'll never reach the other side,” Aquila said matter-of-factly. ”They will die without even realizing it.”
”…” Allan fell silent.
”And does that man over there have fifty souls?” Flavia inquired while pointing at Herts.
”He does. He must have convinced others to hunt for him,” the Divine Eagle and closed his eye. ”Now leave. You have collected the necessary souls and you have defeated me. You won.”
Leis and Rakna looked at each other and nodded. ”Let's leave,” the former said and his gang started preparing and making sure they didn't forget anything behind before leaving.
”You three,” Rakna spoke to Allan, Flavia, and Nyx. ”Go with them. I don't care about the titles. Decide who will go first on your own. I'll join you later.”
Flavia scowled. ”What will you do?”
”I'm going to have a chat with this big guy… in private,” he replied and Aquila glowered full of suspicions.
”All right,” Flavia sighed. ”If that's what you want; I know there's no way for you to go back on it.”
”And I don't think you'll be in any danger after we just saw you spin around a ten-meter-tall eagle while laughing your ass off,” Allan added and the two women chuckled.
”We're leaving,” Leis shouted from the gate and Rakna gave him a casual salute. Then, the latter's three companions joined up with the Wing Walkers and they decided that the first three would be Leis, Allan, and Leia. Nyx said that she had no need for a beginner title and Flavia was almost sure to have the Soul Hunter title after all the eagles she had killed.
”Have fun with… well, whatever you're going to talk about,” Allan added before leaving with the other two. Then, the rest of the gang followed along with Nyx and Flavia, and finally, Herts left with his group after giving one last glance at Rakna.
Now, the only persons left on this damaged terrain littered with uprooted trees and small linear craters were Aquila, Rakna, and Pronos still snuggled under Sonata.
”…do you require something from me, young wolf?” Aquila broke the silence.
”As a matter of fact, I do,” Rakna responded and walked to the eagle. He lifted one of his wings and put it on his shoulder. He then grabbed Aquila's side and with a grunt, made the large bird flip so that he would be lying down on his back.
Aquila groaned because of the pain. ”I assume… you didn't do this because you wanted me to be more comfortable now, did you?”
”You're not wrong. Before I continue, I have a question. You're a clone, right?”
”I see… so it was you who I sensed earlier. You analyzed me,” he remarked. ”It must be nothing short of Appraisal for you to have gotten that information. Impressive. And, yes, you're correct. I'm just a clone. A very weak clone.”
”If I kill you here, will the original know about it?”
Aquila hesitated for a second. ”What is your aim? The experience?”
”That would be a bonus but it's not exactly killing you that makes me cautious,” Rakna replied and extended his claws. ”You didn't answer my question.”
”And from the looks of things, you're going to kill me either way, huh?” Aquila snorted. ”And yes, my original will know. The second I die; he will absorb my memories.”
”Well then,” Rakna's eyes flashed for a second as he jumped and landed around the chest area of the eagle's body. ”I hope you will be able to forgive me for this. I don't really wish for the Avatar of a God to chase me down. But I'm afraid I can't help myself,” he said emotionlessly and spear-handed Aquila right where his heart was.