It cut a sorry figure. Blood covered its face, and it had a large crater on its back that was bordered by charred skin. However, its movements didn't show any weakness.

It seemed that all of his efforts hadn't amounted to the two attacks he received. He felt like his arm had been ripped off, and his ears were ringing.

The bigger issue was that it was blocking his path to his last trap. He couldn't beat this beast in a straight fight, so forget losing an arm, he would lose his life if he couldn't use that trap.

His mind worked in overdrive as he searched for a solution. The lion didn't intend to give him such reprieve, eager to squash the bug that had injured it. The lion lurched forward while brandishing its claws.

Before it landed, the ground beneath Kade turned into powder and he fell into the pit created, dodging the claw. The lion roared in confusion before noticing the powder-filled hole where its prey had been.

Connecting the dots, it targetted the hole. At that moment, the powder exploded from the hole, creating a cloud.

The dust-like powder filled the lion's eyes and nostrils, causing it to shake its head due to the irritation. While the beast was distracted, Kade climbed out of the pit and ran like the wind.

He had just enough time to finish preparing before the lion had recovered from the dishonorable attack of its prey.

'Please let this work.' This trap was his last resort.

He stood with his back to the wall as the lion charged at him. The faster it ran the more confident he felt. The moment it leaped at him, he ducked and dived forward.

The lion sailed over him while twisting its body in an attempt to swipe at him. Rather than crashing into the wall, it passed through it, destroying the illusion.

"Roooar!"

A pained roar rang out for the second time as Kade scrambled to his feet and turned to see the result. The lion had collapsed into a small pool of water, spikes made of rock protruding from its body.

This was the result of his final trap. He had meticulously carved out a small cavern where he formed spikes and a shallow pool of water. He hadn't any hopes for this trap as it relied on chance, and yet, somehow, it had worked exactly as intended.

Without wasting time to admire his handiwork, he cast freeze, sealing a portion of the lion's body in ice. He did this two more times. Then, he cast shape earth to create a wall around the lion.

He sighed with relief upon noticing how weak the lion had become. It seemed as though it would be unable to break the ice he created.

He continuously cast water cannon. He was almost out of energy and would have to rest in intervals, but he didn't have any better options. Fireball was the only spell strong enough to kill it, but it took far more altaris after the modification and would melt the ice. Finishing it with his knife was an option, but he refused to get that close.

It was a long and tedious process. He was nervous that the lion would break free so he regularly froze a layer of ice around it as he filled the makeshift tub. While resting, he tended to his wounds.

Nearly three hours later, the lion was using all of its strength to keep its head above water.

Kade couldn't help but frown. He had no issue killing this beast. Even ignoring the fact that the lion had killed three people and nearly killed him, these creatures lived by the law of the jungle. The strong live while the weak cower or die.

However, he didn't take pleasure in the method. His personal enmity with the creature wasn't that deep. If he had the choice, he would make this quicker. Alas...

"They say it's a peaceful way to go, after a certain point anyway." He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or the lion.

He lifted his hand and cast water cannon until the tub filled. He glued his gaze on the lion, refusing to look away. If he was going to do something like this, he was going to witness it.

The struggle lasted minutes, but he didn't drain the tub until half an hour had passed. He sat and rested for three more hours to recover his altaris before going through the hassle of removing the ice.

By the time he finished, the sun was going down. He processed the Lion enough to retrieve the beast gem along with the teeth and claws. Finally, he took a good amount of meat and retreated into his temporary home.

Surprisingly, Obruo was laying within. "Where did you come from?" Kade asked with a raised brow before shaking his head, sitting, and starting a small fire.

He tossed half the meat to the pup before putting his share over the flame. While it was cooking, he took the beast gem from his pocket and examined it.

It was slightly larger than a golf ball and had a milky white color. He could see the thick energy swirling within.

He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly jerked his hand back as Obruo snapped its maws at the gem.

"No!" Kade shouted "This isn't yours to eat."

Obruo turned to him before releasing a whistling growl. Without hesitation, Kade sent the pup stumbling with a kick before casting freeze on it.

Moments later, a yellow ball of lightning appeared in his eyes "This." He held up the gem "Is mine. When you contribute, then you can have a share." He said sternly while glaring.

Obruo released another whistle as it struggled to break the ice, succeeding after close to ten seconds. It stared at the gem for a time before returning to its dinner.

Kade nodded and spent a few more minutes examining the gem before storing it away. If Cash had spoken truthfully then this gem was worth at least 2,000 credits.

Graakas had recommended he gather 10,000 credits just for the books he wanted. It wouldn't hurt to get a bit extra for other items.

At a minimum, he needed to kill four more beasts. Seven or eight was preferable. He could only hope that he didn't encounter a beast as strong as the lion.

It had taken everything he had to kill it, and he had ample time to prepare three traps. That wouldn't have been possible without information on the beast before fighting it. Though he could lure his prey to the traps, he wouldn't always have that opportunity.

Thankfully, he had fought two beasts prior and was confident in handling beasts of similar caliber to those. One thing was certain though. From now on, he needed to target the head. Even if fireball didn't kill it, it would destroy the beast's senses.

He continued to review the battle until his dinner was finished cooking. After, he removed his shirt and felt his wound.

He had two large lacerations with deep holes to match. He could only thank his lucky star that the lion's attack had only glanced him. If it had struck center mass he would have been a goner.

He applied antiseptic and bandaged it the best he could before pulling his shirt back on. There wasn't much he could do for the wound, his supplies were limited and he didn't have any spells that would help.

The wound wouldn't heal anytime soon and he would have to return to Earth to have it treated. However, he didn't plan to go back just for that. He had his goals, and as long as his life wasn't in danger he wouldn't return until they were completed.

He would deal with the reduced mobility of his arm. He only needed one to cast anyway. Resolving himself, he went to sleep eager to wake up and go hunting.

...

*Swish*

Kade rolled to the side before casting Entangle. He sprung to his feet and created as much distance as he could in a few seconds before turning with a white fireball having formed in his hand.

The beast was already charging him at a high speed. It looked like a velociraptor with a wide blade for a tail. It was on the smaller side especially compared with the lion, but it was incredibly quick in a straight line. He didn't need to experience an attack to know how lethal they were.

"Damn." He thought he would have more time. However, he didn't cancel his spell. He had continuously dodged while pelting it with crowd control to no avail. He wouldn't make any progress unless he took a risk.

He barely had enough time to think before the beast was upon him. Suddenly, when he was preparing to dodge, a grey shadow rushed from his left and rammed into the beast.

Seeing an opportunity, he immediately cast his fireball at the raptor that was clawing at the ground trying to stand up. The fire engulfed its head.

It released a throaty roar, sounding like some antique bamboo flute while it writhed on the ground.

Kade didn't grow complacent, immediately spamming the Entangle spell to wrap the beast up. The white flames set the vines on fire and quickly spread until the entire raptor was consumed by an inferno of white and orange.

"It's over." He knew the power of his fireball well. While it might not kill the beast, it would be at his mercy after having its eyes, nose, and ears burnt to cinders.

He looked around in an attempt to find the grey blur, spotting Obruo posturing nearby. Occasionally, it released a high-pitched growl.

Kade had grown fond of the growl that resembled a blow-off valve. The canine was originally just a substitute to talk to so he didn't go crazy in solitude, but it was growing into a friend that he appreciated.

After spending a moment admiring the pup, he returned his attention to the beast while rousing his altaris. He allowed the fire to burn until it exhausted its energy and died out.

The beast was alive, but incapable of moving. He intended to finish it off, but Obruo acted first and went for the throat.

Kade watched with raised brows. Obruo was fiercely biting and tearing at the wounded raptor, slowly removing its flesh. Obruo was just a regular animal while the raptor was a beast, but the raptor was heavily wounded and its tough skin had been reduced to a brittle shell by the fire.

Though it took some time, the raptor stopped breathing.

Kade approached and gave the pup two heavy pats "Well done, Obruo." He said before beginning to process the dead beast. He had barely pulled out the gem when Obruo whined.

Kade furrowed his brow while glancing over. They stared at each other for a long time. "You want to challenge me to a staring contest you mutt? It's ten years too soon. I live for this shit."

Obruo whined again before dragging its paw against the ground, clawing the dirt. Kade took this as a human stomping when upset. After a short time, he sighed before tossing the gem over.

"Next one's mine!" He shouted indignantly while watching the pup swallow the gem. He didn't want to give the gem up, but he wouldn't go back on his word even if the other party couldn't understand him.

Besides, Obruo had intervened at the perfect moment and potentially saved him from receiving another wound. He was moderately surprised that the pup was able to knock the raptor down like that, but the beast was small in the first place, and Obruo had been bookin' it.

Mass times acceleration and all that jazz. Long story short, Obruo truck go zoom zoom.

Laughing at his childish thoughts he returned to his work. This fight was short and the day was still early. If he finished quick enough, he could get another hunt in.

Twenty minutes later, he had taken everything he wanted and moved out. Obruo caught up and trotted alongside him. They weaved through the trees in an experienced manner while looking for their next prey.

Occasionally Obruo would sniff the air and catch a scent. The first time, they approached a group of beasts. Kade immediately retreated and had to take a few minutes to calm himself. There were just too many beasts. The second time was the same.

The third time, however, they found a lone beast. A snake.

It was large by his standards, at least ten meters long and thicker than his thigh. Other than its size, he didn't notice anything too unique about it.

"Will my crowd control even work on that?" Entangle surely wouldn't, and he doubted that he could freeze enough of it in a short amount of time to restrict it.

"Well, how fast can a snake that big be?" He joked.

Snakes were ambush predators. They usually entered a defensive posture when threatened and few would chase their prey at top speed. He hoped that this would be the case.

Charging a fireball, he cast it forward. Surprisingly, the snake dodged with incredible reflex, though the fireball still hit causing it to writhe on the ground.

'What the hell...' He had aimed for its head while its attention was elsewhere. Yet, with the few moments it had before the spell landed, it noticed the danger and dodged.

The surprises didn't end. The snake writhed on the ground for a few seconds before collecting itself. The fire still burned, but it acted as if it wasn't affected and coiled the majority of its body up, remaining careful of the fire.

Of course, Kade wasn't just watching. The moment it finished coiling, he cast gust toward it. He had tested the synergy between gust and a normal fireball with the hopes that the increased oxygen would empower the flame but failed. However, he hadn't experimented with this improved version that was more resilient

The condensed jet of air collided with the fireball, and for a moment, the fire grew in size dramatically but reverted to normal moments later. It was both promising and disappointing. The prospect was there, but he didn't have any spells capable of sustaining the supply of oxygen.

The snake, angry at the repeated assault, retaliated. A dark purple projectile launched from its mouth and lobbed in his direction.

Eyes wide, Kade jumped to the side and rolled behind a tree. Scrambling to collect himself, he looked where he had been standing. A few meters behind, a viscous purple goo coated the ground as smoke rose from the area. The ground began to cave in as the dirt nearby changed color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

'Acid, or poison? Venom... Maybe a toxin?' He was baffled. The goo displayed the properties of multiple hazardous substances. Regardless, getting hit by that would be bad news.

Luckily it was a lobbed projectile with a slow velocity.

Returning his eyes to the snake, he found that it was still coiled up while staring in his direction. It seemed to be in no rush, so he decided to take it slow as well.

He had no straightforward way to deal with this beast. He would need to try multiple things and might even have to get creative.

He used shape earth to create a thick wall between them to block any projectiles and waited until the fire died off.

He was frowning by the time he was able to act. He was annoyed at the strength of his spell. He was unable to employ certain methods while the fire was burning. Using the upgraded spell proved to be more of a hindrance than anything.

Moments later, he sent a water cannon at the snake. When it struck, the snake slapped its tail against the ground in agitation. The water cannon did virtually nothing to the snake, but it was an annoyance!

Kade shrugged before casting the spell two more times. Once the snake was sufficiently doused, he cast freeze repeatedly. It took less than ten seconds for the snake's coiled body to freeze up.

Unfortunately, the ice proved to be of little resistance to the snake and shattered as it uncoiled.

'As expected.' Kade sighed.

He prepared for another ball of bad news, but the attack had changed. His eyes bulged when the snake aimed its head at an upward angle and spat out a rain of small purple droplets.

The coverage of the attack was insane and left him no room to dodge. He cast a barrier around himself as he channeled another spell. The droplets covered the barrier like rain on a windshield and quickly ate away at it.

He crouched down and used shape earth to create a pit before using the dirt excavated to make an overhang and hardened it. While likely sufficient, he wasn't willing to test it and continued to excavate down and fill the space around him.

He popped out of the ground nearly a minute later covered in dirt, careful not to touch the tainted soil.

"That was sinister." He grumbled with a newfound respect for the beast. Their battle was back and forth like an academic exchange that had a certain je ne sais quoi about it. So he didn't find this near-death experience upsetting.

Regardless of how interesting the battle was, he decided that it was best to retreat. This beast was large, strong, and durable. It would be extremely difficult and troublesome to kill, and a single slip-up would cost him dearly.

"Thanks for the lesson. Let's not meet again." He shouted before running into the forest.

He didn't feel bad about the situation. It was good to know when to retreat. Sometimes, it just wasn't worth the effort and risk. There were other beasts to hunt.

With his peerless hunting dog, he would have no trouble finding beasts to slay.

"I really need to train the pup more." Kade thought as he rested against a tree while waiting for Obruo to appear as he usually did.

Hunting was done for the day. His altaris was running low and while it only took a few hours to regenerate fully, the sun would be going down by then. He could only wait and resume his hunting tomorrow.