Chapter 26: Razor Panther

His stealthy ambusher was a Razor Panther.

It was a metal-attribute spirit beast, reaching up to Noble quality, which limited it to Rank-2 at most. Only great opportunities could lead to further evolution.

At this moment, the Razor Panther was stunned due to the sudden flash of light.

Ain took in its figure as he bolted towards it. A Phantom Claw had already condensed on his right hand as he simultaneously cast Spirit Impact.

Without another thought, he slashed at the Razor Panther’s head, planning to end its life in one strike. This was his first time using Phantom Claws and Spirit Impact together. He had high expectations for this combination.

By the time Ain’s claw was only a few centimeters away, the panther had already recovered. As if it knew that it couldn’t dodge, the Razor Panther also slashed out with its claws. Due to its delayed reaction, Ain’s attack landed first. Blood and flesh flew everywhere as the panther let out a ferocious roar. Ain’s claw had slashed one of its eyes and its eerily white bones became visible. Because of Spirit Impact, there were fine cracks across its skull.

Not only had he used Spirit Impact, but Ain had also used Scan upon contact, which he couldn’t do before due to the sudden ambush.

[Species: Razor Panther]

[Attribute: Metal]

[Rank: Advanced Rank-1]

[Quality: Noble | Max Quality: Noble]

As he was confirming the information, Ain hurriedly leaned backward in an attempt to dodge the panther’s counterattack. The attack should miss by a few centimeters. But at this moment, Premonition, which had been active to various degrees this whole time sent him the most intense warning yet.

Ain’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the incoming attack. The Razor Panther’s claw was surrounded by a sharp golden glow. It extended at least fifteen centimeters beyond its actual claw.

Metal-attribute skill, Lustrous Claw!

The attack Ain would’ve initially dodged was going to connect!

Ain didn’t even have the opportunity to block, as the glowing claw slashed across his chest. He felt a clear impact on his sternum, followed by the burning sensation of pain. Because the attack connected during his dodge, Ain lost his balance and fell on his back heavily.

The Razor Panther’s ferocity seemed to have been ignited and it ignored its own grievous injuries, hell-bent on biting off Ain’s neck. With Illumination shining light on its brutalized visage, it seemed no different from a nightmare.

Roar!

With another murderous roar, it pounced towards Ain with its jaws wide open. The cruel glint in its eyes displayed almost human-like mockery.

Just as it landed above Ain, a punch that was quicker than ever before connected with the panther’s jaw, forcefully shutting it closed.

Without skipping a beat, Ain brought his knee up ruthlessly, and struck the beast’s groin. The panther’s claws, which had already lost their glow, had yet to even touch Ain when his right hand thrust towards the Razor Panther’s head once again. The dagger Ain had thrown earlier was firmly clenched in his hand. It accurately punctured the panther’s already maimed eye, reaching all way to its brain.

At that moment, the Razor Panther’s roar from the brutal attack to its groins was forever stuck in its throat. The sequence of events had occurred with such speed and precision that the Razor Panther was still thinking of its victory as it died.

The panther’s body fell heavily on Ain, knocking the wind out of his already empty lungs. “Cough! Cough!”

When Ain was struck with Lustrous Claws, he was aware of the impending danger, Premonition had made sure of that. But even with his cognitive abilities, he could only think of one solution.

That solution was to use Analysis and Deduction! Ain finally used these abilities during combat, and their synergized effects were stunning.

He had activated both abilities as he started falling. By the time his back hit the forest floor, a plan had already been formulated in his mind. And the result of that plan was currently weighing heavily on Ain.

“Huff! Huff!” Ain’s heavy breathing sounded as he mustered up the little strength he had left to crawl out from under the Razor Panther.

The confrontation had only lasted for less than a minute, but he had reached the limit of Possession. Nox soon appeared out of his body, clearly panicking at Ain’s current state. It wasn’t Nox who exhausted its spirit energy this time, but Ain, whose body was too injured to continue with possession.

“Huff! Huff! Bring my backpack over.” Ain squeezed out a few words as he tried to endure the intense pain. There was a bruise on his right arm, as well as many scratches, oozing blood all over his arms. But the most grievous injuries were on his chest. His sternum and a few connecting ribs were almost visible, with blood flowing out in ample amounts.

Nox hurriedly ran over and brought the backpack over. Following Ain’s instructions, it first retrieved all the scent masking powder he had available and scattered it around. Only then did Nox bring out all the medications on Ain’s command.

Ain took a few deep breaths and began to treat his wounds amidst the searing pain. With his current supplies, Ain couldn’t properly address the wound on his chest. He could only use the various medications for first-aid and hope for proper treatment when he returned to the city.

By the time the first rays from the sun shone over the forest, Ain was seen seated in his previous camping spot. One of the first things he did earlier was to consume painkillers to ease the pain. Bandages covered his chest and arms, and a strong scent of herbs emanated from them.

Now that the night had passed, Ain decided to return as soon as possible. Although no other spirit beasts had been drawn over, he couldn’t be sure of the future.

Moreover, with his previous experience, he knew spirit beasts weren’t the only dangers out here.

But when he thought of the dead Razor Panther and the stashed loot, he hesitated.

He had paid a grievous price for this victory; he couldn’t possibly leave behind the trophy. The Razor Panther’s body alone was more valuable than his harvest so far. It was of average size, so it wasn’t beyond Ain’s ability to carry.

But carrying the panther together with all his prior loot would put an immense burden on his already injured body.

 After some contemplation, Ain firmly made up his mind. Nothing left behind! He had already come this far, if he encountered danger, he would abandon everything and escape.

With this thought in mind, Ain rested for a few more hours before securing the panther firmly on his back. He then made his way towards the pond with steady but slow footsteps. Nox didn’t leave Ain’s side and vigilantly surveyed the surroundings.

It didn’t take long to retrieve his bags. When Ain left the pond, his bulky figure was a little unsteady, but his footsteps didn’t stop. His backpack was still on his back, with the panther now secured on top of it. All his other bags were tied to his chest and waist. His own figure was almost hidden from view, and it looked like a pile of loot was moving on its own.

He carefully retraced his footsteps, occasionally sending Nox ahead to scout as he took a break.

It was already the afternoon when Ain finished his arduous journey. His condition had clearly worsened compared to before. But fortunately, the entire journey had been uneventful due to his caution.

Nox had once discovered a team of spirit tamers while scouting ahead, but Ain managed to avoid them before he was spotted. It was only when he was already on the stone path back to the city that he was finally spotted by others.

The stone path was already under surveillance from the city; no one was brave enough to attack.

Looking at the tall city walls approaching closer and closer, Ain’s heart started to lighten as well. All kinds of gazes landed on Ain as he finally entered the city, with the Razor Panther’s body being the most eye-catching.

Ain didn’t pay too much attention. He couldn’t wait to be relieved of this burden and receive proper treatment.

He didn’t waste time and immediately made his way towards the Spirit Tamer Association branch he saw the previous morning. Not only could he submit his missions there, but he could also receive treatment at the branch. It was a given with how often spirit tamers were injured.

Ain entered through the wide doors of the Spirit Tamer Association. He didn’t bother removing his luggage and swiftly made his way towards the medical hall.

Maybe it was due to his relaxed nerves, but the painkillers seemed to have stopped working as the pain took over once again.

It was only after an hour that Ain finally walked out of the medical hall. His complexion had visibly improved, and there was less fatigue in his eyes. He couldn’t help but exclaim in his mind.

‘With the combination of spells, skills, and medication, my wound is almost healed within an hour. I only need to rest for a few days now. It would take months for an injury like this to heal otherwise.’

Behind him was a trolley with all the luggage he was previously carrying. One of the staff members was thoughtful enough to arrange one for him. After looking at his harvest, Ain was finally a little excited.

Although there were some tough times, his first trip outside the city was definitely a success. He had accomplished all his objectives, gained abundant experience, and brought in some extra loot. In the near future, Ain expected to finally fulfill his need for resources.

Read extra chapters!

Support me on Patreon and read up to 15 chapters ahead! There are Illustrations available, and a side story will be available soon as well!

patreon.com/ForsakenHaven