Keros went over to check on Zimmer. He understood just how incredible the little snake was. It wasn't just unique, it was also very dangerous. He was quite worried about the man that had been mentoring him as of late.
"How is he, Captain?" Keros asked as he squatted beside them
"Well, he is suffering, that's for sure. I think its some type of neurotoxin. I'm circulating energy through him right now to help break it down." Captain Lionell replied, his hand was pressed between Zimmer's shoulderblades.
'Neurotoxin?' Keros thought with a pensive look. That is a possibility. Debilitating predators with neurotoxin was a good defense, and could certainly cause a lot of pain. As long as Zimmer was okay, they could learn more about the snake later.
after a few minutes, Captain Lionell stood up and called the team into an impromptu meeting.
"Zimmer isn't in danger any longer, however, he won't be able to support himself for now. That being said, we can't afford to stay here any longer. This area isn't safe. Shelbs, take Keros' bag. Keros will carry Zimmer. We need to stay in a tight formation and avoid all battle for now." He said
Shelbs took Keros' bag from him and Keros hefted Zimmer to piggyback. Shelbs helped bind Zimmer to his back so that he wouldn't fall off during travel.
The team set off in a tight formation with Keros once again in the middle.
Keros didn't struggle too much for now, but he couldn't maintain a fast pace. Zimmer himself was likely around eighty kilos, and with his gear included, he was likely breaking one-hundred kilograms. At least this would be a good workout.
It took a long time for them to find somewhere safe to set up camp. It was still fairly early in the day, but it would be best if they waited on Zimmer to recover, since he played a vital role in their success.
By the time they had set up camp Zimmer had recovered enough to talk, though he still had labored breaths and couldn't move his extremities. He wasn't content with staying idle either and called Keros over.
"That container is sealed... The snake will run out of air." Zimmer said in short parts, stopping to take breaths.
Keros understood what he was trying to say. There were no air holes in the container, so the snake would likely suffocate long before they return to the stronghold. Unsealing the container to resupply the snake with fresh air would pose some risk. They had to decide if they wanted to continually take that risk, or learn what they could now and end its life.
Keros thought about it. The snake was beautiful and one of the most unique creatures he had seen so far which made him hesitant to end its life. It would also likely bring a hefty payday if they could sell it live. On the other hand, Keros didn't like snakes very much and didn't like the idea of risking his well being to keep one alive.
Zimmer could see the emotions fluttering on Keros' face and spoke once again.
"You need strength. You won't be able to hold on to wealth as you are." He said, his voice being noticeably more steady.
That would also be an issue. Large amounts of wealth would be dangerous for him, and likely attract the greed of individuals that he couldn't contend with as he is now. That being the case, what was he supposed to do?
"Let's kill the snake. When I'm fully recovered we will take it down together. We can divide the treasure then." Zimmer decided for them.
Keros could only agree since he didn't have a better solution.
Zimmer continued to talk with Keros, teaching him many things. They spoke about the basics of cultivation, how to follow tracks, ways to probe and test beasts, and even the common weak spots for many beasts. The time was passed quickly this way, and soon the sky turned dark.
After the nightly routine, Keros went to stand watch with Shelbs. He had improved his awareness and senses quite a bit since his first-night keeping watch. His senses had also improved thanks to the energy nurturing his body every night.
His watch ended without incident and Keros moved on to his nightly meditation. Afterward, he slept.
The next morning Zimmer could finally move again. Though, he wasn't at full strength yet. The team considered this and decided to travel at a slow speed. They were not in a rush and would take as long as needed.
Zimmer stayed in the center of the group with Keros, both for his safety and also out of preference. He had taken a liking to the kid and decided to mentor him as a mercenary. He was second in command of the Dusk Hunters and was privy to more information than the other members. He knew a bit of Keros' past, so he wasn't worried about stepping on anyone's toes by taking the kid under his wing.
Captain Lionell often had to rebuke Zimmer for being too loud. Though he only spoke when they were relatively safe, it was still best to remain focused and alert.
The day was fairly uneventful thanks to their speed and caution, and another night passed.
The next day, Zimmer had fully recovered his strength and returned to his position in the travel formation. The majority of the day was spent getting back on track and searching for any traces of large snakes.
When night fell, Keros was once again on watch duty. However, he struggled to keep his mind focused. Tonight he would likely finish polishing his technique in meditation and begin to draw in much more energy. He was too excited, but he had to do his job first and make sure nothing managed to sneak up on the team.
He used the hours of being on guard to hone his patience and focus. It felt like much longer than normal before he was finally relieved.
Keros immediately began his meditation but remembered to remain patient and careful. He had to stay focused and take his time, rushing would only increase his mistakes. He exhaled heavily to release the tension from his excitement and began.
He maintained his fastidious examination of his skill and took his time to polish the technique. Luckily it wasn't long before he was satisfied with his proficiency and began to fully execute the technique.
The amount of effort he had to put in to control the power coursing through his body had reduced, and his timing at releasing it seemed almost perfect. The ripples formed and he controlled them with familiarity. He was managing to pull in energy streams with a speed and success rate that amazed him. He wasn't having to put as much effort in either.
Before, he would have only been able to make three or four attempts. With his speed now, he could likely make more than fifteen attempts! If he succeeded every attempt then he would be able to pull in more energy streams in this one session than he had since he began cultivating! Keros didn't allow his emotions to influence him at this moment. He would have to subdue his excitement until he finished meditating.
Around forty minutes later Keros ended his meditation. He sported a huge grin as he felt the energy within his chest. He had managed to pull in sixteen energy streams in this session, and he only failed a single attempt. His studious efforts paid off in full, and he once again learned of the importance of hard work and a solid foundation.
It would take time for his body to absorb the energy, he would have to wait to know how much his body improved. For now, he needed to get some sleep.
-
Keros woke the next morning feeling energetic. He stretched and began to observe the changes in his body.
The most obvious difference was his vision. He could see with greater clarity, and things seemed slightly more vibrant. Most of his senses had small improvements. He felt other small changes too such as in his strength, flexibility, and even in the function of his organs. He found that it was easier to breathe.
Overall, the changes were very small but they were noticeable. Before, He couldn't tell much of a difference in his body after he had meditated. Nurturing the body with energy was a cumulative process, and his body would become strong by many small increases like last night. The changes might be small now, but they would add up over time.
Truthfully, Keros' speed was incredibly good for the short time that he had been cultivating. Sure, some talented people might have nurtured their body to a similar extent as him, but they wouldn't be able to pull in as much energy as Keros could now. Soon his strength would soar when compared to many of his peers' thanks to his hard work and patience.
-
The day was fraught with many small battles. The team seemed to be releasing pent up stress over not being able to exert themselves for the past few days.
Everyone's bags started to fill with various treasures. Beast skins, teeth, claws, bones, and organs were kept if they held any value. Keros of course did his fair share of fighting, and he contended with many of the low-level beasts that stood in their path. Though the value of these beasts couldn't be compared with the ones killed by the rest of the team, they still provided plenty of meat.
The team seemed to have kicked it up a notch. As if the first dozen days were just to allow Keros to acclimate to the foreign environment. Their increase in effort paid off in many ways, one of them being the success in finding traces that appeared to be from the Blue-tongued snake.
The Blue-tongued snake had a unique scale pattern on their bellies and the experienced would be able to identify the minute traces left by those scales.
From the traces, it appeared that the snake was a similar size as the other one they killed. This was perfect since it was within the team's skill level to be able to kill it, and it would give them a small bonus. They didn't want to be too picky and let this one go since there was no guarantee that they would find another one, and even more unfortunate would be to come across one that they couldn't defeat.
The team scouted the area and set up a perimeter. They would wait in this area since the traces left showed that the Blue tonged snake frequented this area.
Two days later they spotted the snake for the first time. The snake was forty-five meters long and slightly thicker than the last snake they killed. Its scales were a shiny silver color, with white chevron patterns on its back. Its tongue flicked out of its mouth and shown a color of electric blue.
The team had to wait on the snake to leave the water. They waited until it had slithered some distance from the riverbank before encircling it and cutting off its retreat.
Keros stood roughly twenty-five meters from the team and observed while also keeping a watch for any threats that might attempt to intervene.
The battle began.
The frontliners were supporting each other to draw the snakes attacks, the strikers used this opportunity to try and wound the snake. Unfortunately, the snake had a strong defense and made it difficult for the strikes to land a clean hit. The snake was very quick and aggressive, it struck out and retracted at an incredible speed, but would also whip its tail to fend off those that came too close.
This would be a long battle, and the Dusk Hunters would be forced to slowly chip away at the snake. This would be dangerous, as it meant that they would need to last a long time without making any significant mistakes. One slip up could cost them a great price.
Keros watched the battle and learned what he could. Everyone had their job and had to coordinate with the rest of the team to be effective.
The frontliners had the most dangerous job. They had to face the beast head-on and anger it so it would focus on them. If the beast changed its focus then they had to strike out and pose enough of a threat that it focused on them once again. They had to be able to dodge, block, and deflect the attacks of their enemies, and it was even better if they could counter.
The strikers needed patience. They had to wait until the most opportune moment, usually when the beast was attacking the frontliners, and use that opening to strike at the vitals of the beast. The strikers in the Dusk Hunters focused almost entirely on offense, so they needed the protection of the frontliners to prevent being injured too much.
The supports had the safest job, but equally as important. They had to adapt and fill the gaps where needed. If a frontliner needed a moment of respite then it was the supports job to pick up the frontliners slack. If a gap in the formation was opened, they would need to fill it. If someone was injured, they were responsible for getting the injured out of danger and then filling their position. Should another enemy engage the team, they would be the first ones to respond to it. Adaptability was key for this role.
Many newbies started as support since it was the role with the most flexibility and often the least danger. If things were going well then support was almost entirely unnecessary. However, good support could influence the battle in a very significant way.
Keros thought that he would be happy with any of these roles, though his current skills leaned more towards being a frontliner. He was good at dodging and evading damage, which was one of the most important aspects for frontliners. William relied on brute strength and his shield to block much of the damage that he would take, while Captain Lionell had a more rounded skill set that allowed him to be flexible and adapt to each attack.
Keros focused on Zimmer and Shelbs next, the two people who had shown him the most kindness so far.
Shelbs was a striker and used a falchion. She cleaved and chopped with high speed at her target before retreating. Her speed when retreating wasn't the fastest but she made up for it with agility and flexibility.
Zimmer was one of the two supports. He adapted extremely well and had a good sense of how the battle was unfolding. He seemed to be able to predict the times and zones that would need support and was able to arrive in the right position at the perfect time. His actions saved many of the team members from being injured unnecessarily and took a lot of pressure off of the frontliners.
Though there were some mistakes and coordination wasn't perfect, overall, the team worked well together and had amazing effectiveness.
That fact was perfectly exemplified after thirty minutes. The snake's body began to accumulate injuries, and its tough scales were being shaved off. It made many odd noises, likely crying out in pain.
Things were going well, and the team was still in good shape. A few people had minor injuries but that was common in any battle. This fight didn't accurately convey the danger of the wilderness, instead it would give a spectator the impression that beasts were at the mercy of humans.
In fact, even Keros had some slight doubts. Other than the ape, he hadn't seen much that the team hadn't been able to handle with relative ease. He had been told repeatedly that the world outside of Enceladus was filled with incredible amounts of danger but he had yet to experience such danger. Though, he was spectating experienced mercenaries. He hadn't faced any of the strong beasts yet and couldn't accurately judge the danger himself.
However, his opinion changed at what he saw next. Another snake appeared and it happened to be a Blue-tongued snake as well. Though half the size of the one that the team was currently engaged with, it would still pose a massive threat to the team that was still locked in battle with the large snake.
Keros was the only one that had noticed the snake at this point.
He quickly pressed on the earpiece he wore.
"Another snake! Around half the size of this one, at Captains ten o'clock. roughly thirty meters away." Keros said as calmly as he could. Zimmer had instructed him on how to concisely relay information to the team to get the information across quickly and keep the comms clear.
Almost immediately, the comms became active with Captain Lionell barking orders
"William split off and intercept. Derek, Casey, go strike for William. Christy, provide support for team two." He bellowed over the comms.
Immediately, half of the team split and went to intercept the new snake that was quickly slithering in their direction.
Things quickly became erratic. Team one was still in combat with the large snake, and their combat ability was just halved. Team two was composed mainly of those with less capability. This was the only solution that made sense.
Team two wasn't strong enough to hold off the large snake, but they could likely contend with the smaller one. The large snake couldn't be dealt with in a short amount of time even with the full team, and while the members were split into two teams they had almost no chance of winning. Retreating would be difficult now that they were in this position, so a heavy burden was placed onto team two. Team two needed to kill that smaller snake and return to reinforce team one before they lost the battle of attrition.
