Chapter 25: Connor's Awakening?

After a bright flash of light and a slight nauseous feeling, Connor found himself in unknown territory. Surrounded by a tall and thick evergreen forest, the cold was slowly seeping through his clothes, slowly creeping up his spine. Shivering, he looked around for signs of shelter or perhaps some place where he wouldn't be frozen to death. But all he could see was endless snow, towering pine trees, and a mountain range in the distance. Failing to find any tracks of shelter, he activated his skill. With his eyes glowing green, he started to pick up trails that the most experienced hunters couldn't even see. From the faint footprints of rabbits, or the musk of a long gone predator, nothing could escape his senses.

After considering for a minute, he decided to follow the trail of the unknown predator, he concluded that a predator this big would potentially lead him to a cave or perhaps a den. The greenish hue from his eyes turned bright red, as color faded from his vision. Everything became black and white, except for the tracks that had a red glow. He started to run swiftly, with footsteps so agile that his feet wouldn't sink into the snow. Following the tracks, he got closer and closer to a snow covered mountain. The footprints became more and more visible, they were shaped just like a primate's feet, with five toes that were larger than any man had. Catching his breath, Connor deactivated his skill because it took quite a toll on his mind, processing lots of information when his senses were raised to a monstrous level.

Breathing in the chilling air, he could smell a faint wisp of blood, the blood didn't come from the predator, it must be from the prey that the predator hunted, Connor concluded. Following the scent, he arrived in front of a large cave. The entrance was about two meters tall, with large icicles dangling from above. Connor's eyes glowed green as he entered the cave, searching around for the monster. He took out his bow, materializing a arrow made out of pure mana. He could feel the surrounding temperature drop quickly as he neared the creature. The putrid, skunk like smell of the monster's scent was almost unbearable for Connor's heightened senses.

In the depths of the cave, Connor saw a large and hairy primate. Sitting on its legs was a large, white fur ape, biting on what looks to be a corpse of a rabbit. The ape seems to be completely oblivious of Connor's existence, munching on it's prey happily. Readying his arrow, Connor loaded it with as much mana as it could take. Bang! The arrow exploded on impact, directly striking the ape's forehead. Snow flew everywhere, creating a white misty smokescreen. Connor readied another arrow, preparing for another shot. Two beads of yellow light shone through the misty snow, revealing the true form of the monster. It was the bipedal ape-like monster known as the yeti. The white furry pelt of the monster was robust enough to block bullets, with fangs as long as small knives, it wasn't an easy fight. Connor initially thought that the Yeti was just a Peak-Soldier graded monster, but judging by the damage dealt by the arrow, Connor determined that it was probably a peak lieutenant-graded beast.

The yeti was clearly annoyed by the weird creature who disturbed his meal. Roaring, he asserted its dominance. The cave shook as icicles crashed to the ground because of the ferocious roar, Connor's ears rang because of his heightened senses. Drops of bright red blood could be seen dripping off the Yeti's forehead, staining the snow white ground. The arrow did indeed deal some damage, but obviously not enough to take it down. Connor materialized another arrow on his bow and took another shot at the yeti. Just as it was going to strike the yeti right in the forehead, frost covered the whole arrow. The arrow lost its momentum as it dropped to the ground, encased in solid ice. Connor was shocked by the fact that the yeti could wield ice magic with such accuracy. Knowing that with the yeti's current guard, his arrows couldn't hit the target, so he straightforwardly swapped to his dagger that was crafted from the fangs of the Nandi Bear. He charged towards the Yeti, dodging the ice spikes the monster created. Just as he was in arm's reach of the Yeti, he was suddenly sent flying back. He slammed into the cold rocky wall of the cave, sending snow flying everywhere. He was confused at first, but seeing the large dent in his chest armor, he figured out that the Yeti has punched him with incredible speed and power.

He cursed at himself for underestimating the monster. Judging by the prowess it just shown, it was clearly a low Colonel graded monster. He knew that with his current strength, fighting a creature of that caliber is the same as suicide. He tried to stand up, but he noticed that his chest was in terrible condition. "That thing must have broken a couple of my ribs," he thought as he struggled to get up. After he got through all the hardships of standing up with broken bones, he bolted straight for the entrance. The yeti roared at the cowardice, creating a large ice wall that blocked the entrance. Sliding, Connor tried to sneak through the small gaps on the sides of the wall. Unfortunately for him, all he came into contact was hard ice. Bam! The ice wall trembled as Connor slammed right into it. Not giving up, Connor tried to slash the incoming yeti. He successfully cut through the Yeti's pelt, making the yeti flinch in pain. The yeti quickly cleared its mind, delivering a full blown punch towards Connor. Connor tried to block with his dagger, but the Yeti's punch straight up disarmed him, fist contacting his forearm. Connor's whole arm twisted in a distorted way, bending completely abnormally. He couldn't stand the pain and screamed out in pain. Activating his skill, his eyes turned green, trying to find a weak spot. But all his skill shown were areas that the current him couldn't harm. He tried punching the ape, only to gain bruised knuckles.

Just as the yeti prepared to munch down on its newfound lunch, vines covered with thorns began to wrap around Connor. The yeti tried to punch through the thorns, resulting in bloody fists. Connor woke up in a green and sunny meadow, where the sun was warm and comfortable. Under a large banyan tree, he saw a young looking man, covered in green. He was sitting cross legged, with large antlers sprouting from his head. A collar like accessory could be seen on his neck, with several more hanging from the forks of his antlers. He was surrounded by stags, snakes, dogs, and bulls. "Welcometh to mine own lodging, human cub," said the mysterious man. "Lord Cernunnos?" asked Connor, recognizing the deity from the paintings back at the castle. The man didn't say anything, but he nodded in reply. "Thee shall beest the one to carry mine own blessings, for thy respect for nature," said Cernunnos, as a green glow surrounded Connor.

[You gained Cernunnos's Blessing]

[Soul Weapon Unlocked]

[Gained Soul Weapon: Mantle of Robin Hood]

Texts appeared in front of Connor's eyes, just as he was going to ask some questions, "Farewell and godspeed," said Cernunnos. A bright flash of light blinded Connor, as he was sent back to reality. The vine cocoon wilted as it turned into dust, revealing a fully healed Connor. "Summon Soul Weapon," said Connor. Green light surrounded Connor as a emerald green cloak materialized. A plain looking wooden bow also appeared in his hands.

[Soul Weapon Equipped]

[Stats while fighting beasts tripled]

[Stats while fighting sinful organisms quadrupled]

Texts appeared in his vision as he felt a surge of power. He aimed at the Yeti's forehead. An arrow appeared out of nowhere, striking the confused yeti. This time, the arrow was more than enough to take down the yeti. Penertrating right through the monster's head, the beast collapsed, dead. Connor bowed in gratitude, "Thank you for your contribution, may your soul rest in Cernunnos's Domain." After taking down the Yeti, the cloak and bow disappeared. Connor fell to the ground due to both mental and physical exhaustion. Luckily, he was sheltered from the cold unforgiving winds in the warm cave. He dozed off into dreamland after the fierce battle. Outside in the freezing winds, a man was hovering in midair, surprised of Connor's performance. Holding a folder, he checked a box next to Connor's name.