8 Hamarr
It's currently evening and Michael is hungry. He starts to regret training with Gurara because this is basically no training at all!
Wait, no, he received some pointers at the beginning but, that doesn't mean that it's really helpful right now. The sun is a little bit over his head but, with the huge mangrove tree obstructing it he could hardly feel any light.
Weirdly enough If you stared at the sun you could see something moving. Micheal always thought that this is a weird phenomenon and that no one believe him.
'You're full of shit Michael.'
'Hahaha, he hallucinating again!'
'Quick get him in the waters, his brain need more!'
Their mocking words still ring in his ear every time he thinks about it.
Anyway, It was about lunchtime and he was hungry. Gurara is nowhere to be seen and Micheal can't go back to the village. He decides to check his bag before proceeding.
In his toolbelt that he prepare before coming here there's a total of 4 items. A crackling, an iron knife, The tree climber, and lastly the hunter guide. Other than his silver neckless, this is the basic equipment that the book recommends to him.
When he thinks about it, this is the basic equipment that you would need to survive here. Crackling is a fire starter. They called it a crackling because of the sound it made when in use.
The iron knife is for carving trees, monsters, and animals, and is quite useful when you're in the jungle.
Lastly, a tree climber is used when the water level rises. When that happens some predators that would normally live in the water will have more prey. You wouldn't want to be one of the prey right?
Now back to the problem. With how high the Boniha's tree is. Most animals would find safety in height. Not only you could hide from ground predators and avoid the water rise but also has big leaves to help you camouflage from avians. Killing three birds with one stone! The small animal has quite a good life.
However, there is one downside to being so high up. The Alma fruit is the island's most precious food source. They grow on the ground for some reason and this is the only downside to living on a tree.
Thinking up to this point, Michael comes up with an idea to relieve his hunger.
--
A while later he chances upon a wild Alma fruit. It's a yellow fruit that shapes like a water droplet. Its skin is semi-transparent revealing a bunch of black seeds inside. A green stem that's holding the fruit up protrudes out of the ground, It looks quite mesmerizing. However, the fruit sticks out like a sore thumb in the aquamarine forest.
Michael hides nearby and uses his knife to carve off the wood on the stick that he picks up in a shape of a spear. He also smears his body with mud to hide his scent. Not knowing what will show up he is better safe than sorry.
His plan is easy. Wait for an animal to show up and throw a spear to kill it. If by chance a monster shows up he would find a new Alma fruit.
He waits...
--
For around 2 hours. Michael is starting to lose focus and his hunger is catching up to him. This is kinda Boring...
Wait...
He realizes something crucial... He could have just eaten the fruit! Why would he need to wait for an animal to show up? His mind is filled with how to hunt monsters that he forgot he could just eat the fruit.
Thinking up to this point he get up from his position but, as he moved, something appeared. A blue scale-covered snake-like monster slithers in. It is a sizeable 2 meters in length and it's quickly approaching the Alma fruit. When Michael notices that the snake is going to consume the Alma fruit, he launches his homemade spear at it.
With Michael's strength though, the spear misses the snake entirely and lands right in front of the fruit. However, the spear did scare the snake into backing off.
The snake seeing that something has interrupted its meal turns its head to the source. Micheal also look at the snake and their eyes met. even if he was hungry Michael couldn't suppress the terrified feeling he has right now.
'This is bad...'
He looks at the snake with a troubled face, This is Hamarr The flash snake. True to its name, the snake could generate a light source with the end of the tail. This is used as an escape tool and a hunting tool.
Hamarr often hunts at the night. To see one in the day Michael has truly lucked out. Hamar flash doesn't work well during the day making it easy to catch in sunlight. Yet with Micheal's weak body, he still couldn't kill it.
Michael's eyes stared deep into Hamarr's. Both are waiting to see what the other move is. But after nothing happened for two minutes. Hamarr loses it patience and changes toward the fruit.
Following its movement, Michael dashed toward the Alma fruit at the same time, trying to make it there first. In the two hours, Michael only manages to make 3 spears. After using one he is reluctant to use another, afraid that he would miss his target.
In a flash Hamarr reach the fruit first, it widens its jaw trying to swallow the fruit before escaping. However, Michael isn't going to let that happen. At 2 meters he throw the wooden spears at the snake hoping it would hit.
By sheer luck, the spears hit Hamarr's jaw flesh that is hugging out of its mouth making that snake fall sideway. have it hit any other part of the body with Michael's strength, the snake would just shrug it off. Yet Michael hit the flesh that is extending out, wounding the snake.
"Yes!!"
Suprise and happiness could be seen on Michael's face but, he doesn't have any time to celebrate. His body speeds up and snatches the Fruit from the snake.
He got it!
Michael spun his body around changing the Direction of his momentum and bolt out of there. He knew that Hamarr won't be down for long with only jaw injuries. He could use this time to widen himself from the snake.
Russle! pah!
As Michael Expected, the snake immediately give chase upon its wake. Its blue body slitters along with the roots of the mangrove tree quickly catching up to Michael.
With a head start, Michael is considerably far from Hamarr but, the snake is more proficient in these terrains. It's a matter of time before it catches up!
SSH!
Seeing Michael ahead it hiss angrier and increase its speed. This scared Michael shitless, he didn't expect to meet a monster and interrupt its meal. If he isn't more hungry or greedy or stupid, non of this would have happened.
He could have eaten the fruit earlier or quietly backed off when he see Hamarr but, his stupid decision led him to his point. he began to think about how he could get out of this.
With only one spear left he couldn't afford to throw it at the Hamarr again. Last time was pure luck that he manage to make it work. His little brain began to churn out ideas with most of them being useless.
'Drop the fruit?'
This is the easiest and most logical solution to this problem, however, Michael has been starving for around 4 hours. He really wants his fruit.
'Eat while running?'
This could work, But his speed would drop. The fruit is around his head size so, eating it would obstruct most of his vision. And another problem is that, even if he leaves the fruit that doesn't mean that the snake will stop following him.
'Ahhh...'
He screams in his mind to let out frustration. He thinks back to how he killed Alma lizard come up with some ideas. He decides to do what he does best. Set a trap!
Thinking quickly, Michael look back to see that Hamarr and he got closer. literally, The snake closed the distance and slid in his way. The sight sends a shiver down his spine.
He can't waste any more time!
Micheal finds a hole in the tree that is big enough for the snake to go in that also has to has a dead end of roots at the end of the hole. This is not hard because of how messy the roots of these mangrove trees are. Micheal, then went into one of them and wait for the snake.
Not long after Hamarr follows him in with furious eyes. Their eyes met again but, this time Michael is visibly more nervous.
SSH!
It hisses and leaps at Micheal with lightning speed. Its jaw stretches out ready to swallow Michael as it meal along with the Alma fruit. Hamarr mouth touches something however, The thing that it touched is a wooden spear!
Micheal in that crucial moment places the spear in the wall making it point directly at Hamarr that's about to eat him. Then, Michael rolls to the side at the last moment and narrowly dodges the snake's jaw. The snake on the other hand can't stop itself mid-flight.
The spear price through its upper jaw going perfectly into its eyes. Sending intense pain throughout the snake's body. Hammar's body wriggles like a fish out of the water and came to silence.
.....Did he just kill it?
Hamarr snake usually survives by their light tail so their body is more fragile than other monsters on their food chain. Micheal believe that he had killed it...
'Yess.....'
Hisss!
"AWWAWAWAWAWAW"