Desolate Hunt

A couple of weeks passed since that encounter. A scab had formed over the wound. I had been lucky. The bite didn't affect any internal organs. I was even luckier to not get any diseases from the injury.

I believed that I was physically invulnerable. I could turn into literal lightning after all. No attack could harm pure energy. But it wasn't a passive skill. I had to actively turn into lightning to avoid injuries. That in turn was extremely tiring as well. 

I had tried to turn individual body parts into lightning and failed. Like a dam that had been opened, there ws no stopping once I begun transforming into lightning, regardless of where I started the process from.

For the first few days after the incident, I stayed inside my little clearing, going through my supplies and the Jager itself. Preparing for any future encounters with beasts I couldn't handle easily. I studied about common monster types in the outer regions of the desolate lands. There was enough information from various sources for me to validate its authenticity. 

The next thing I had worked on was weapons. I tried to fashion some spears out of tree branches but fear of them breaking or snapping on impact stopped me from actually using it. I put them in the trenches I dug though, it wouldn't injure anything for sure but it might stall them enough for me to do something.

I found a hollow steel pipe in one of the Jager's storage compartments, which I kept as is. Sharpeneing a hollow object was useless and steel could conduct electricity. I could rely on this staff to both keep my enemy at a distance and do damage through it. I didn't need to have physical contact to stun them if my long range bolts missed.

During this time however, I completely ran out of food supplies. I had condiments, but no food. I made do with fruits and such that I foraged but I needed protien. I was large and had put on some muscle in my training as a physical. I wasn't lean built or anything. I was just built. For someone who was almost a sixteen year old, I didn't look like one at all. 

The cait disappeared after the first week of stalking. It had stayed hoping I would explore injured and moved once I had not met its expectations. I hadn't heard any sounds either, so it probably left the immediate vicinity.

I carried my bag and the pipe with me. If I did face off against the cait, I couldn't let it near me. Unlike the wolven, who only had its mouth I needed to be vary of, the cait had both claws and teeth. Distance was paramount. Since it was one of the cat species, it had exceptional reaction speeds as well, so long distance bolts would do nothing to it, since it just dodged them. My lightning, unfortunately, wasn't as fast as natural lightning. It was fast, but not fast enough to hit the cait. But contact fixed that issue, it led to instant damage and paralysis.

My exploration began. I traced my previous steps back to the stream and filled all the containers I had with water. This water was drinkable after a quick boil, nothing had happened to me yet and that was probably a good sign. Stupid it drink it after a boil? Yes, yes it was. But it was a risk I had to take and the it paid off. No harm, no foul.

I then followed the stream up the direction it came from. This was the only source of water nearby and animals would come there. So, I could get meat as well as explore the jungle further. I had also connected my device with the displays in the Jager, so my movements were mapped to it as well. My exploration helped me create a map of the Desolate lands.

As, I followed the stream, I found hoof prints. Prey. Stopping my movement, I turned and saw the prints lead back into the jungle, I stopped for a moment and marked the location I was at with an arrow made out of rocks and then followed the prints. I lowered my center of mass and moved in silence. The only time I made any sounds was stepping on the occasional branch. That would be a major mistake, the animal might be alert now. I looked around, there were nothing but prints. 

Phew

I started moving again, my focus now on the ground as well. And there it was, A four-legged beast. facing away from me.

I couldn't identify it without seeing it from other angles. Silently I walked up to it. Just to be safe, I had my senses boosted. I held my hands up to its backside.

BAM

BZZZTT

I pushed into its back and shocked it. Instantly, its hind legs kicked back at me. I moved to the side avoiding the potentially devastating blow.

The beast turned to face me.

An Alces Mooselk. Creatures that had evolved from moose.

It aimed its two horns at me. The horns had ten sharp ends. I knew exactly what it would do as I preemptively moved to the side again.

Lowering its head, it charged at me. Completely missing. I pulled my steel pole out and held it in front of me.

I thrust it at the mooselk. It moved its head and knocked the the pole right out of my hands. 

....

I stared at it and it looked back at me. A moment of silence passed between the both of us. Man, fuck. I had one job.

The mooselk let out a low grunt. 

The ends of his horns shot at me. It extended in an effort to pierce me. I bent under the first end and rolled to the side.

SHLICK SHICK SHICK

Sounds came as the ends stabbed the ground I was previously standing at. Dirt flew up as the ends hit the ground.

Ah. This guy was more dangerous in comparison to the wolven. But my need for food was overpowering my need for safety at the moment. I would kill this beast and eat it.

I grabbed the antlers and tried to shock them. Nothing happend. It was an insulator.

My body lurched forward as I got pulled to the mooselk as it retracted its horns.

BAMM

I hit the mooselk head on and bounced off, landing close to the pole that was pitifully knocked out of my arms. I grabbed it and raised it once more. My hands shaking from gripping the pole hard. I aimed it at the mooselk again. 

The ends of the horn shot out again. This time, I ran at it sliding underneath the incoming attack. I stabbed the pole right through the mooselk's mouth and sent waves of electricity through the pole. The creature bucked up and its horn retracted extremely fast. 

SIZZLEE

The inside of its mouth burnt and sizzled as I wounded it. It backed up and pulled the pole along with it. This time, I let go. It could be something I could grab onto and shock again. I rolled past it and sent the strongest bolt of energy I could at the side of the beast. The bolt went where I aimed it and just suddenly switched to the pole and shocked it, the beast's knees buckled and it fell. Groaning in pain.

My eyes widened. Not what I intended to do but a worked out a lot better than expected. We took those. The pole was red hot right now, constantly burning the creature. I needed to just finish it. It was on its last legs.

I walked upto the unmoving creature. It was stunned after my massive bolt of energy. I put my hand on its head and sent a steady current through it. The brain was surrounded by cerebrospinal fliud and it was conductive. So, a constant current would just fry the brain inside, instantly killing the creature. 

The creature shook a couple times, trying to stand up, its legs failing it each time and finally passed away.

I looked at it with pity at first, then as my resolve hardened, my eyes turned cold. 

Food had been secured and may the World help anyone that stood in my way as I brought it back to my area.

I grabbed the creature by the antlers and pulled it along back to the stream. Then I dragged it back all the way.

SNARLLL

I turned my head slowly and looked at the yellow eyes staring right back. The cait had made its appearance. This time I wasn't wounded and I sure as hell wouldn't be letting it make away with my meal.

I raised my hand and shot out lightning, not in a bolt but just like natural lightning. The lightning spread out like branches. The cait jumped to another tree. But my lightning was already there. It could dodge one bolt of energy but not if it was spread out like a net. My lightning web hit the cait.

HISSS

It jumped back after hissing in pain. I inched backwards with the mooselk in tow. 

THUMP

SPLASH

The cait leapt from the tree and landed on the ground, it then moved to the side and stood on the stream.

Just as I had been clueless about it, it had been clueless about me too. It also probably hadn't seen my fight against the wolven. This gave me a chance. Freeing up one hand, I reached to touch the stream slowly as to not scare the creature.

BZZZTTT

I sent electricity throught the water. The cait jumped upwards instantly, but that wasn't enough. The electricity travelled up the stream and into its wet fur, shocking it. 

GROWLL

It growled indignantly at me. I wouldn't kill it now. It could be food for me later. I kept moving backward leaving the cait back there. It didn't make any moves toward me and just watched as I moved backward.

Eventually I made my way back to my perimeter without alerting any other creatures.

I sat down in front of the Jager and took a deep breath. My first proper hunt, was a great success. On top of which I had managed to injure the cait as well. It would not act as fearlessly toward me anymore, which gave me enough leeway to explore safely. I had graduated from prey to a formidable foe from a very small series of interactions.

Then, using the display I watched tutorials on how to properly gut and clean the beast, which I followed to a T. Now, I had meat, non-tempered leather, antlers and blood which I collected in a bucket. The antlers were good material, tough and strong. It took significant effort to even bend it. I could fashion something out of this. Protective gear maybe?

But that was it. I was extremely tired and it wasnt nightfall yet. I brought all the edible and usable meat back inside and stored it. The rest I covered it inflammable tarp and put over an open fire. It should slowly cook it without releasing steam to attract anyone. The smoke from the fire was an issue but I could take that risk. I then poured the blood into the water still after removing the leaves.

I went into the Jager and turned on all its sensors and went to sleep. A little nap during the day was the only way I would get some sleep.

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