The First Ring #13

Auhtor's note: donate power stones or you will be visited by that horse from Berserk in your sleap. 

...

After two weeks of traversing the dense foliage of the island, Blake found himself cautiously advancing through a thicket, his dagger slicing through the undergrowth before him. With each step, he tread carefully, unsure of what lay beyond the tangled vegetation.

Eventually, the foliage gave way to reveal a vast clearing, dominated by the presence of an oversized red-furred goat with formidable horns.

The goat fixed its gaze on Blake, emitting a low snort as it scraped the ground with its hooves. Blake regarded the creature with a raised eyebrow, noting its imposing size. "You're quite a bit bigger than the ones I've encountered so far," he remarked, tilting his head in curiosity. "Are you meant to be the boss of this area or something?"

The goat responded with an aggressive bleat, its intent clear as it charged toward Blake with alarming speed. "Well, looks like I'll be having mutton for dinner tonight.... again," Blake muttered with a resigned sigh.

He shifted into a defensive stance, positioning his dagger defensively and preparing to engage the creature. With one hand behind his back and his body turned sideways, he aimed to minimize the goat's attack range while maximizing his own reach with the dagger.

Despite his precautions, the goat showed no signs of relenting, its charge gaining momentum with each thunderous hoofbeat against the earth.

Blake gauged the goat's charge with precision, waiting until the very last moment before sidestepping its path. As the creature thundered past him, he swiftly drew his dagger and thrust it towards the goat's side. However, the thick fur proved to be a formidable barrier, halting the blade's progress.

"Hmm, tougher than I expected," Blake muttered, eyeing the goat as it wheeled around to face him once more. "Let's see how you handle this."

With a determined grin, Blake shifted his position, positioning himself in front of a nearby tree as the goat prepared for another charge.

As the creature barreled towards him, Blake held his ground until the final moment, then sidestepped once more, allowing the goat to collide with the tree behind him.

The impact shook the ground, the force of the goat's horns snapping the tree in two. Seizing the opportunity, Blake swiftly seized the goat's horns, leveraging his weight over its massive frame. With a fluid motion, he looped his arms around its neck, eliciting distressed bleats from the creature as it struggled against his grip.

After a brief struggle, the red-furred goat displayed unexpected intelligence, making a beeline for the nearest tree in an attempt to dislodge the audacious human clinging to its back. Blake couldn't help but be amused by the creature's tactics.

 With a firm grip on its horns, he steered it away from the tree just in time, narrowly avoiding a collision.

But the goat was undeterred, emitting an angry bleat before redirecting its charge towards a large boulder in the clearing. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Blake swiftly drew his dagger and drove it into the beast's neck.

Despite the pain, the goat remained resolute, barreling towards the rock with Blake still aboard.

With quick thinking, Blake leaped off the goat's back, allowing it to crash headlong into the boulder. As the creature struggled in its final moments, Blake watched with a sense of satisfaction.

"To think a red-furred goat half the size of this one almost killed me when I first ventured into the forest," he mused with a chuckle. "But it was a good fight... thank you."

With a respectful bow to the fallen beast, Blake retrieved a knife from his belt and efficiently began to butcher the animal. Waste was not an option—the meat would sustain him, the leather and fur would provide clothing and shelter improvements, and even the organs and bones would serve useful purposes, whether as bait for fishing or material for crafting weapons and tools.

After carefully preserving the spoils of his hunt in makeshift containers of broad leaves, Blake resumed his exploration of the area. Two weeks of facing off against the formidable red-furred goats and committing himself to rigorous training had yielded remarkable results.

Thanks to the Starborn Body Strengthening technique, his physical capabilities had soared to heights he could scarcely have imagined in his previous life. This method not only maximized his training gains but also swiftly dispelled muscle fatigue and stress.

Although the changes to his physique were subtle, Blake's strength had surged to levels far beyond his previous limits. However, despite his newfound power, he had yet to venture beyond the perimeter of the treeline near the shore. It wasn't due to any deficiency in strength but rather the absence of a clear path deeper into the island.

The shore and the dense tree line were separated from the interior by a towering cliff, forming a daunting barrier to exploration.

Facing the tall cliff that marked the boundary between him and the uncharted interior of the island, Blake couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. Normally, his newfound strength would have made scaling the cliff a trivial task.

However, a horde of mischievous brown-furred monkeys with perpetual smirks seemed determined to thwart his progress.

These creatures, lurking in burrows within the cliffside, had made it their mission to hinder Blake's advance. Whenever he attempted to ascend, they pelted him with rocks, nearly causing him to plummet to the ground and suffer serious injury on multiple occasions.

"This has to be the way deeper into the island," Blake muttered, eyeing the cliff face beyond the clearing. Despite being infested with these rock-hurling primates, this particular section of the cliff was comparatively shorter, offering a glimmer of hope for progress. As he approached, the monkeys began their taunting antics, their shrill calls and mocking gestures fueling Blake's irritation.

"Fine, just you wait, you damned pests!" Blake declared, rolling up his sleeves and bracing himself to begin the ascent.

...

After a grueling ascent that left him battered and bruised, Blake finally reached the summit of the cliff. His arms crossed on his chest, and he stared blankly at a group of monkeys with swollen faces, all prostrating before him after suffering his wrath.

"I won't beat you up anymore since you were just trying to protect your young, but you better not test me again..." Blake warned sternly, his gaze fixed on the simian congregation, clearly not satisfied with the beating he administered already. "If any of you dares throw anything at me again, I'll turn you all into monkey soup!" He threatened, his words causing the monkeys to sweat profusely.

With hurried prostrations and nervous chattering, the monkeys scattered in fear, eager to escape Blake's intimidating presence. Yet, one remained, puzzling Blake with its persistence.

"Why are you still here?" Blake inquired, eyeing the persistent primate. In response, the monkey emitted a series of peculiar sounds, then began to hop excitedly, gesturing toward a direction deeper into the island.

"You want me to follow you?" Blake questioned, taken aback by the unexpected gesture. As the monkey nodded vigorously, curiosity tugged at Blake's hesitation, prompting him to relent.

"Alright then, show me the way," Blake relented, signaling for the monkey to lead the path.

After several minutes of trudging through the dense foliage, Blake emerged into a small clearing dominated by a towering tree adorned with colorful gourds that shimmered in the sunlight.

"This is quite the sight... Did you bring me here to see this?" Blake asked the monkey, who responded with an enthusiastic nod. "Well, thank you," Blake said, offering the monkey a fruit he'd found on his journey. With a grateful chirp, the monkey accepted the gift and departed.

"I could definitely use these gourds... once I carve them up, they'll be good for carrying water when I set out again..." Blake mused to himself, examining the hanging fruits. "I still can't properly dry up all the leather I get so this is the best I can get for now, though the gourds are a bit small..."

Aware of the risks of contaminated water, he had already discarded the idea of using leather pouches, opting for the natural and safer alternative.

Securing several gourds to his belt, Blake prepared to leave as dusk began to descend upon the island.

"Time to head back for now... carving these will keep me busy for the night anyway..." he decided, making his way through the darkening forest, his mind already planning his next move.

...

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