Chapter 23 - Clara Project: At Her Deepest Mind

Far away and witnessing everything from a safe distance, Angga couldn't take his eyes off Alc's party's attempt to hunt their prey through the lens of his floating mirrorless camera. It got a super night mode filter, so Angga's camera could easily see through darkness despite no light.

His camera was floating right beside Clara's head because both of them were overtaken by the thrill of the battle of Clara's father against the strongest beast Clara had ever seen in her life.

Even without any source of light, Alc and his wives could pinpoint where the danger went exactly and evaded most of the beast's attack along with its void projectiles because of their instincts alone. Actually, they didn't have a clear, bare vision, just like they did outside the cavern. But, thanks to their super sensitive ears and sight, which detected even the slightest movement helped them to overcome their adversary.

It also applied to Clara as well. Basically, Satwa people, based on a lion animal, have this ability as their fundamental prowess to hunt.

"Those guys are amazing. I don't know how another race of adventurers deals with the dark environment. But, seeing Alc and Clara's mom disregard the fact that it's pitch black inside the cave is just plain greatness. This way, we don't have to wait for more reinforcement from Aleid."

Before Angga and Clara departed to the void bull's nest, Aleid said he would do his best to gather help or reinforcement, even though he was skeptical about it. Yet, to see how the situation has turned, maybe no other party would be involved in this matter.

That's a good thing, Angga thought.

Amidst the battle, Maya noticed that even though the monster had been exhausted due to the long period of this fight, it could still defend itself so that Alc couldn't kill it right away. As if she was launching an attack on a stone fortress, the void bull's endurance was on another level. They couldn't resort to the quick killing they usually did with their previous prey.

"Kh–!" Aslana grunted when she got swayed away due to the giant beast's movement in an attempt to repel her attack.

So, even though they returned to the state of when they entered this cave for the first time, they still needed some time to subjugate the beast.

The void bull roared in anger again, seemingly getting tired of Alc's party effort to fight it. The beast also noticed that if this fight lasted longer, it would eventually be killed.

So, it should come up with another way to survive. To run away outside the cave seemed impossible to do until it noticed Clara's presence.

The void bull mooed while holding Alc's party attack and shifted its position. And before everyone noticed its strange stance, it launched straight towards Clara to crush her with its remaining obsidian horn.

"Clara!" Maya shrieked while Alc grabbed its hide and punched it with all his might. 

Yet, it was futile. The monster won't stop on its trajectory to hit Clara. And she noticed what was coming since her instinct alerted her that an imminent danger was approaching.

She quickly leapt to evade, resulting in a big crash for the void bull and the cavern walls, shaking the entire cavern along with clouds of dust spread in the air. Sadly, Clara didn't do it properly, so she rolled on the ground and tried to get up on her feed again.

And then a flash from the camera happened again because Angga saw what the monster would do and that was the only thing he could do. But then, it wouldn't stop the void bull from moving quickly and ready to flatten Clara with its hard hoof.

Clara saw the sign of her doom. Even though it was almost totally dark, she knew exactly that the beast's hoof nearly reached her head and killed her effectively.

What kind of action does she need to do now?

Somehow, this situation reminded Clara of how she was doing a couple of years ago. It was when Alc trained her to be a capable hunter against the monsters. The small Clara, who couldn't even wear the claw gloves properly, tried holding back her tears while Alc watched her practice before the wooden humanoid-shaped doll as her sparring partner.

She was in tears because of the fatigue and sore muscles, mostly in her arms and legs. Alc ordered her to practice her attack towards the wooden doll since she hadn't mastered it yet, resulting in her punching or kicking incorrectly and hurting her a little. The soreness was getting worse since she couldn't land correctly as well.

"What's the matter, Clara? You should be able to land properly, or the prey will get you back. It's do or die out there," commented Alc sternly.

She was well aware of how strict his father was, so she gritted her teeth even though tears ran down her cheeks and faced the wooden doll again. "Okay, Papa."

Clara trained through the evening until night with more bruises on her body while Alc watched over her and remained unfazed. Sometimes, he told Clara about the right postures and asked her to do what he said. She obeyed while enduring all of the pain from her body.

In the end, the harsh training from Alc was ingrained within Clara's subconscious mind so that she mastered how to punch, kick, and land properly, even though she hated the process.

Clara was also reminded that when her father brought her to hunt a real monster, which was a practically harmless water bull. 

It could only shoot water, which pushed any danger and ran away; there was nothing serious about being pushed by a strong stream of water beam. Even other people who were not Satwa people would be able to kill it swiftly if they caught the monsters off guard.

And somehow, their hunt didn't progress smoothly. Clara made a mistake and was on the ground while a panicked water bull was above her, with its hoof almost stomping on her. Thankfully, Alc was around her to supervise her hunt so he could strike the water bull immediately and save Clara.

"Clara, you okay?!" asked Alc hurriedly in a concerned tone.

There were no damage or wounds on Clara's body since the crisis has been averted. But little Clara's body somehow became stiff, and she stared back at her father. A second later, she bawled loudly when she realized she was safe.

Since then, she didn't want to deal with any medium- or large-sized monsters and left the house because Alc had always forced her to hunt. She had enough of the hardship and didn't even participate in the war against the demon, so Clara chose to help in the rear line or do anything she could help with, as long as she was not involved in hunting monsters or enemies.

That was the reason why she didn't want to hunt anymore and pursued the path of creating video, thanks to the new authority that came to this world. Aside from stopping the war that has lasted for so long, it was a blessing for her.

Those reasons, along with her past memories, came through her mind while her eyes were fixated on the hoof of another monster that would kill her. It was such an irony that the thing that ultimately would take her life was almost the same that made her traumatized, only with size differences.

Angga, Alc, Maya and Aslana shouted the name of the lion girl at the same time. It was a reflex while the Alc tried to save her somehow. And yet, the distance among them was quite a gap for him to reach his daughter or punch the void bull's forelegs away–

–until the sword amulet on Clara's neck started to shine, emitting a bright blue light straight to the cavern's ceiling.

At another place, in a different location.

Tafnekha was sitting on the nearby flat stone, surrounded by the view of the mountains, which were obviously located at the high grounds. She enjoyed the cold breeze, which couldn't be found in Canau or any of the places on the lower grounds. 

The sword amulet, which had the exact shape as Clara's, started to shine warmly on her right hand.

"I see that you're facing an adversary you avoided after all this time, Clara."

On her left hand was a mail from Clara, who told Tafnekha about her choice to go to the void bull's nest. She knew that her best friend asked for help from anyone she knew, including Tafnekha, who happened in the middle of the dungeon raid. Of course, Tafnekha was also well informed that Clara had asked her siblings to come.

"You have such noble intention, my friend. To come to the rescue of the cause of your hardship is something that not everyone is willing to do. Furthermore, when it's in the middle of your contest against your opponent who will you help with," said Tafnekha by herself.

She then giggled by herself.

"I'm honored that you considered me strong since you asked for my aid. Yet, I couldn't comprehend your intention of asking me for help when you're fully aware that I'm in the middle of dungeon subjugation. Really, what can I do for you? heh."

Tafnekha grabbed the warm sword amulet on her right hand tight and focused her magic on it as if trying to channel her magical energy toward the accessories.

"Let me rewind to what had transpired. At first, you decided to face off against your own father to make your point. Second, you swallowed your fear and came to the source of your uneasiness. Truly, you have shown me an admirable feat, Clara. Hence, this is my answer to your mail."

It was as if an intense energy came like a few streams of darkened, polluted water into Tafnekha's palm. After a while, the sword amulet started to cool down since the prodigy sorcerer stopped the flow of her magical energy. She opened her palm and looked at the said amulet even though her eyes were closed all this time.

"Tafnekha, we're good to go. I hope you are finished enjoying your personal moment there." One member of her raid party came to get her.

"Acknowledged. I'll be there soon."

Tafnekha put the sword amulet away and walked towards her whole party, which was waiting for her.

The streamline of magical energy from Tafnekha transferred away almost instantly and moved through the various terrain into the dark tavern to target another amulet on Clara's chest. It seeped through it faster than seconds and emitted a blueish magical reaction. 

"Wha–" Clara shrieked.

A blue-stripped shadow of Tafnekha, like a hologram, appeared out of nowhere and erected an instant barrier shaped like a ball that engulfed both the shadow and Clara to protect from the void bull's hoof stomp. The beast almost lost its balance and quickly recomposed itself to avoid falling over. 

Alc, who happened on the upper part of the void bull, quickly moved down and punched its forelegs to force the monster away from his daughter. The monster indeed has been pushed away for a few meters away from Clara.

"Get away from my daughter!" shouted the hunter.

The Tafnekha hologram moved again to cast another spell–it shaped like four red ropes that spread from the hologram's body and quickly entangled the void bull's legs with ease even though there were hides too on it. The magical rope seemed able to penetrate the flesh easily to give a stronger bind on the said part, causing its flesh to melt. Apparently, it was a corrosion spell.

It screamed in pain far louder compared to any attack from the Alc's party. The hologram pulled the rope using its wands, and the void bull easily swayed away and fell. Alc and his wives saw this opportunity and launched direct attacks on its tummy part, which seemed pretty effective because there were barely any thick hides there.

"Ah–" 

Now that the threat was removed and she was safe, Clara observed how the battle went. Now, the monster was screaming in distress because of the spell, which effectively gnawed on its legs slowly while it endured Clara's parents' attack. The victory seems like it was in the corner.

Now that the table has turned in her favor and the monster that almost killed her a few seconds ago whimpering pathetically on the ground, what would she do next?

If only she could go back in time to when she fell under the mercy of the water bull, and the said monster fell, and Clara had the upper hand, what would she do?

She gritted her teeth and started to move her legs to run toward the head of the void bull. Clara rushed to the monster while mustering all of her courage. 

The void bull, now on the ground, writhed in pain.

She can do it. All of her fears and trauma, she could punch it away.

"Aahh-rraaaahhh!" 

The water bull, now on the ground, writhed in pain.

She will do it.

"RRAAHHHH!!"

Those primal screams filled the cavern for the witness of this lion girl to fight back her fears. Alc, who noticed his daughter's scream, glanced away. He understood what he should do as her father.

When the head of the void bull was right before Clara, she prepared her shoulder and stance while using her claw gloves. All of that trauma, fear, and anxiety toward medium and big-sized monsters will be punched away with this one.

And the second before Clara launched her arms, Alc landed beside his daughter and did the same thing.

"Dieee!!"

Clara and Alcibiades punched the void bull's head in synchro.