Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Into the Red Zone

Athena’s scouting job bore fruition as she spotted seven magic beasts, all of which belonged to one group. The nonverbal exchange didn’t allow Zephyr to get the names of these magic beasts.

The Hunters Society was originally made to deal with magic beasts as most of their species took an aggressive stance against humans. He had no qualms disposing of these magic beasts for XP or anyone hostile against him for that matter. They deserved to die for trying to steal his second life.

With a worried frown he peered into the distance. The small path they walked upon seemed measly, almost inconsequential compared to the lush woods around them. The foliage was thicker from the yellow zone and a sense of unease lingered in the air. If he reincarnated here alone, he’d choose to hide in an unsuspecting cave somewhere. The hauntingly breathtaking forest was the perfect recipe for jumpscares.

“How far are they?”

Athena picked up height and flew ahead. He trailed her and Sherine followed his shadow. He came across trees with hollowed out trunks as if a monster made a cozy home inside. Gray splinters fell off from gentle strokes of wind.

She tugged at Zephyr to stop him, a look of realization on her face. “I feel some magic beasts ahead. A heap of presences carrying the same amount of mana as Athena."

“Seven magic beasts of C-Rank? Let’s see who we are dealing with.”

A hint of excitement leaked into his voice. He would finally meet a magic beast apart from Athena, who seemed like a human disguised as a magic beast. He reflected on every interaction he had with Athena until now.

‘I can actually imagine her as a reincarnated character.’

A typical hero trope was reincarnated as a monster. If the Chosen Ones were anything like those protagonists, Athena qualified to be chosen by the world.

Athena perched on a tall tree. The top view made her chin even higher. Zephyr silently climbed the tree within a few slick motions and squatted beside her. His eyes widened the next instance.

“They are… chickens?”

A group of hound-sized ugly chickens pecked the corpse of a rotten wolf. A white smooth lizard tails waved behind and a pair of bat-like hideous wings darted around on their backs. Not just any chicken, they were cockatrice. The grotesque mythical hybrid of chicken and bat with the power of petrification!

“Sherine, check cockatrice in the book of magic beasts.”

“On it!” She took out the book and flipped through it. “Here.”

He hopped down the tree and peered at the page inside the Archive of Magic Beasts.

He rubbed his chin in contemplation. In a fight against multiple cockatrices, one breath was sure to graze him. He also couldn’t rely on Athena here. Even though they were physically weak, he couldn’t take the risk of engaging in all of them at the same time. He had no power to counter the petrification.

‘Do I have to leave without killing them?’

His heart ached at the thought of leaving these Level 20-29 monsters.

He observed the surroundings once again. This was a perfect spot to snipe the cockatrices with arrows, but he lacked the skills to pull it off. A flash of inspiration passed by him, and the fog over his troubles suddenly melted away. 

“Need my help, Son-in-law?” Riven’s voice never sounded so tempting. “I got the perfect strategy.”

Zephyr shook his head. He’d never find his own footing if he kept relying on others. Hadn’t he troubled his parents enough? Holding his scythe, he narrowed his eyes on the cockatrices. While he couldn’t use a bow, he could toss the daggers from range while avoiding the cockatrice’s mist attacks. It would thin out the numbers before they spotted him.

‘Riven said I can compete with Level 29 Hunters. I should be more confident in my strength.’

“Athena.”

The hawk swooped down in one go and landed on his hand. He held her beak and rubbed his thumb over it.

“I want you to distract the cockatrice. Avoid their mist attacks at all cost, understood?”

Three swift nods brought an end to his plan.

“Sherine, give me that item.”

Sherine was clueless until his lips twisted into a teasing smile.

“The one the innkeeper gave us to silence our creaking bed.”

The half dragoness’ cheeks flushed at the recollection. She pulled out the green orb and placed it in his hand. He stowed the orb in his pocket and pulled out the daggers tucked inside his clothes for emergency.

“Support Athena if you can.”

“I will.”

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Zephyr climbed the tree and focused on the cockatrice’s repulsive face and its glowing blue eye. Everything else ceased to exist at that moment. The dagger crawled through the air in a straight line and ripped through the eye. The cockatrice flickered and collapsed, twitching as blood gushed out of its hollowed head.

[Skill ‘Enhanced Focus’ advanced to Silver rank. Agility +3]

[Cockatrice Lvl. 26 killed.] [Experience +91]

Even the System known as the Void Archives recognized his extreme focus and advanced the skill rank. 

The other cockatrices clucked and raised their heads. Blue eyes darted around in search of their hunter. Before their search finished, another dagger flew out and pierced through another skull.

Panic enveloped the group of cockatrices. They flapped their bat-like wings and ran for cover. Athena descended from the nearby tree and swung her wings like her life depended on it. The wind currents blew away the cockatrices, slamming them into the trees. One of them raised a shriek like a chicken who was getting slaughtered and fell on the ground; its claws closed as if death claimed its life.

“This is the feigning death skill,” Zephyr whispered.

The other four cockatrices shrieked and unleashed a gray mist. Athena kept generating torrents of wind to push back the mist, and she succeeded.

Zephyr threw the last of his two daggers then hopped down the tree. The graceful and painless landing made him chuckle. With his scythe in his hand, he channeled his mana into the void of serenity and green aura enveloped him.

The cockatrices focused on Athena’s terror couldn’t possibly have any sense about his ambush.

A massive arc of his scythe cut off two cockatrices in half.

[Cockatrice Lvl. 28 killed.] [Experience +98]

[You have leveled up. Basic attributes +2]

[Cockatrice Lvl. 27 killed.] [Experience +94.5]

He stepped on the third cockatrice’s tail and twisted its neck.

[Cockatrice Lvl. 29 killed.] [Experience +101.5]

Only one cockatrice remained if you ignored the one faking its death to survive. The cockatrice ignored Athena altogether and opened its beak. Athena narrowed the gap in one flutter and gripped the cockatrice’s throat within her talons. The resilient talons strangled cockatrice to death.

‘A chicken’s fate.’

Zephyr stepped on the last one’s throat and lowered his scythe. A refined cut drew on its throat and blood spurted, dying the grass red.

[Cockatrice Lvl. 24 killed.] [Experience +91]

The weakest one tried to feign death. It had realized that resistance was futile when its stronger brethren couldn’t survive.

Sherine approached him and touched his back. The soothing, cold energy coming from her gauntlet was a blessing to his soul. The yin energy made a great pair for his Soul Empyrean’s Authority. He appreciated her thought even though he wasn’t injured.

“Nice one, Athena.”

He hadn’t expected Athena’s wind powers to be this deadly. She was meant as a distraction while he sniped them. She outdid her given task, earning a compliment from him.

Athena heard Zephyr’s compliment and tossed the cockatrice aside. In a smooth motion, she landed on his shoulder and stretched her wings. The exhibition of her new skill left her exhausted. All she wanted was at least an hour of rest.

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