Right now, I’m standing in front of the cliff that symbolizes second boundary. Border that separates the lowest on the food chain from ones on the middle. My survival instinct is saying that I should turn back. But something else, something that kept telling me to fight is pushing me forward. As I face the unknown once again I personally isn’t feeling anything.

Only thing in my head is whether if I will survive.

“What’s the matter? Scared?”

Altrandil asks me while standing next to me looking forward. Look in its eyes is somewhat condescending and at the same time little bit melancholic.

“I don’t think I have fear anymore. Only curiosity and will to keep walking.”

“Don’t you think that if you keep walking without worry you might trip?”

“Even if I trip, as long as I live I can keep getting up and keep walking forward.”

“Many says that but those who truly keep true to their words are infinitesimal few.”

“Then I guess we can only wait and see right?”

“Indeed, that is the only choice.”

“Then shall we go?”

After exchanging few words with the fox, I jump from the cliff. As I descend I activate my camouflage. Just before landing I activate my greaves and expel the pent-up energy to soften my descent.

Don’t know how but Altrandil somehow just materializes next to me.

“That is really convenient, isn’t it?”

“It has its perks. But your camouflage isn’t so bad for a cretin.”

“Suppose I should take that as a compliment, right?”

“Quite observant for a cretin too.”

This pipsqueak is really starting to piss me off. This forest itself is full of arrogant pricks. Even the trees are arrogant. Pisses me off. I will burn this forest one day.

“Where to?”

“Keep going forward. Just so you know nest is quite far for you. I will almost take a week for you to get there.”

“Got it.”

After confirming my direction, I start to run. But while running I keep my perception at its peak. And if I push it to its limit I can actually perceive almost fifty meters radius around me. As soon as something hostile gets in range I can feel their hostility.

After living here for a while, I got only one absolute truth about this forest. That is, this forest is pure. Nothing is corrupted by intelligence. If something wants to kill you they will simply kill you. As soon as they decide that they will start exuding killing intent and that is something easy to pick up.

I come across another life from only after running for almost an hour. Looks like a cockatrice. But with green color. Strangely many animals in this forest are green. But that doesn’t matter. It already noticed me and looking in my direction.

Like I said, moment it noticed me it starts to exude a killing intent. Now that I took a good look this fucking bird is big. Almost five meters tall.

It closes fifty meters distance in a few seconds and is almost at me. As soon as it gets in range, it jumps high above me and comes down slashing with its claws.

I dodge to my right, but before I can turn around it peck at my left shoulder and rips out chunk of meat. FUCK. It hurts. I can see the fucking bone already. Still it is healing fast already.

As soon as it takes a bite out of me I propel myself forward with my greaves and takes a bit of distance from the bird. But as it is much bigger than me, it closes the distance like nothing and again slashing at me with its claws.

But this time instead of dodging I block with my gauntlets. And gets blown away. Only upside is I managed to make a distance between us again. This time little bit father.

While it runs at me again with hunger in its eyes I take a deep breath and as soon as it gets in range I unleash my fire breath. Azure blue flame gets expelled and travels along the path hitting the cockatrice.

Since it’s a bird that means it has a feather and feather is highly flammable. At least that’s what I thought but I was proven wrong by this fucking chicken.

As soon as it gets in contact with my flame it simply flaps tiny wings that is useless for flight to put out my flames.

But my flames achieved their goal as it managed to buy me a just enough time for me to charge up my gauntlets and get underneath it and execute my first technique.

I will my mana to spin as fast as it can and just as my muscles start to tear I unleash my uppercut to its belly.

BOOM!

Again, with resounding boom fucking chicken gets thrown upward. Only strange thing is, it doesn’t make any noise. No roar, no clucking, no nothing. Strange.

Anyway, as soon as it gets thrown upward I kneel on the ground and will my mana to take a shape of sturdy thick spears protruding upward from the ground. And as my mana takes shape I pump in more mana to compress it and make it even more durable.

As it comes down it gets skewered on my spears. Still no noise. Even after getting skewered it’s still alive. This is one tenacious bird.

It still manages to get up and break my spears even after getting skewered by four spears. And as soon as it gets up it start to attack me again.

But wound from my spears are bleeding profusely. I’m sure it won’t last long with that kind of wounds. So, all I need to do is dodge it long enough for it to bleed to death.

As I said before this is one tenacious bird. Even after bleeding profusely for almost five minutes it is still coming after me. Albeit, slower. After losing so much blood it finally starts to slow down.

Only after struggling for five more minutes it finally falls.

But even after falling it still struggles to peck at me again. This is getting little bit of scary. It isn’t even bleeding anymore. After its last struggle at pecking me again it finally falls and closes its eyes and stops breathing.

“Woo, that was exhausting.”

Just as I relaxed it suddenly opens it eyes and rams into me with its last breath. I get thrown back hard and stop only after hitting a tree, vomiting blood.

“FUCK!!! That hurt.”

“ROOOAR!!!”

I think it broke more than a few ribs. And at its final breath it roars. Once again, I hear a totally wrong sound coming out of a wrong animal.

Only after it’s roar I know it died as I feel its life force being absorbed.

“I would advise you to run.”

“And why’s that.”

“Cockatrices only release a roar at their death. And that roar acts as beacon. As its brethren hears it they rush to the origin and kills whatever is near.”

“Oh shit. Then I better get hell out of here, right?”

“Yes.”

Even though it is already started to heal it still hurts like hell to stand up with broken ribs. After getting up and taking a deep breath I run like hell toward north. And as I run as hard as I can, I can actually feel my ribs healing faster.

Even after running for almost for two hours I can still feel a threatening feeling from behind. I think that bird’s brethren are still chasing after me.

“You can stop now. They are no longer chasing after you.”

“Well, since I’m already healed I will just keep running anyway. I’m running in the right direction, right?”

“Yes. Keep running forward.”