Chapter 78: Sand Serpent

"Great!!" Beikan couldn't help but shout, despite clenching his fist and trying to remain calm.

“Kreeeeek—!!!”

A resounding scream echoed from the summit, where the Sand Serpent was. The more intense the beast's roar became, the more the surrounding monsters cowered in fear, unable to approach.

This allows us to focus solely on hunting the serpent...

Karyl sensed the presence of quite a few monsters that seemed to be waiting for the serpent's death.

It seems being the master of the hill is no easy task.

Boom-!!

The arrow lodged in the scale on the serpent’s nape caused it to writhe in pain, crashing to the ground as if an earthquake had struck.

"Let's finish this...!!"

"No! Not yet. We're moving into phase two now."

"What?"

"You did well. Frankly, I didn't expect you to hit the scale on its nape. You've spared us the trouble of a direct assault. How about you switch to the Flying Bow tribe?"

"Huh? What...?"

Beikan stared at Karyl in disbelief.

"When you strike the scale in the nape, all of its scales bristle. It's a sign of anger, but it also means its defenses are weakened. Now is our chance to strike its neck."

"Then I will also—"

Suddenly, mana surged around Karyl, causing Beikan to instinctively step back, feeling as if his whole body was on edge.

"You've played your part. Feel free to join the hunt, but first take a moment to catch your breath."

Beikan did not respond, however, he instinctively knew that there was no room for him to intervene in the battle between Karyl and the serpent.

What the? He feels like a completely different person.

Beikan was overwhelmed by the gaze of an experienced hunter coming from a child who barely reached his chest.

"The Great Hunt is still on." With a flash, Karyl disappeared from sight.

"...!!"

In but a few moments, Karyl was already sprinting beneath the serpent.

The ground tore up as the Sand Serpent passed, leaving behind a trail of debris as if a trench had been dug. Karyl's sword moved at lightning speed, striking the serpent as it thrashed around the pillar on the hill, seemingly in a frenzy.

Hmm, the speed of the serpent almost doubled after the scale on its nape was struck. Even though it seems like it has been enraged, this is actually the turning point.

Baring its sharp fangs, the beast lunged at Karyl with a furious roar. As the gill-like scales on both sides of the serpent opened, blue smoke billowed out.

Karyl's eyes gleamed. A ring of poison formed around the serpent's core, accompanied by a tremendous gust of wind and smoke billowing from the center of the hill.

However, Karyl was no longer there.

"This is it."

As if he had been waiting for this moment, Karyl, who had dived in just before the poison was released, thrust his sword beneath the Sand Serpent's jaw.

The serpent desperately tried to evade the sword, but its increased speed actually hindered its control.

Gracefully transitioning into the Unicorn Posture, the second stance in the Five Sword Step, Karyl focused the tip of his Freezing Talon, altering its trajectory just before it pierced the serpent's neck.

It was the Fourth Form of the Colorless Air Sword.

Simultaneously, as mana concentrated on the blade of the Freezing Talon, a powerful explosion erupted from the sword’s edge, narrowly grazing the serpent’s cheek.

The moment the ring of poison is used, the serpent's movements will slow down for an instant. If you attack at that precise moment, the serpent won't be able to move properly due to the shock from the scale on its nape.

In theory, it seemed pretty simple, but by no means was it an easy task. It was a method impossible for anyone but those with the courage to jump into the serpent's maw to avoid the poison.

Beikan stood in awe, his eyes fixed on Karyl's actions.

How can he fight like that, there's no way I could have done it...

He glanced at his palms, drenched in sweat from merely watching the battle. The tension in the air was palpable even for a mere spectator. Watching a twelve-year-old kid engage in a fight surviving every encounter by a hair's breadth, was nothing short of astounding.

"Haha..." Unlike Beikan, who was staring at the fallen Sand Serpent, Karyl smirked, recalling memories of Kuwell MacGovern.

You taught me how to hunt like this,

he mused, recalling the first time he had hunted a serpent in the Flame Mountain to the northeast.

Back then, the Emperor himself had formed the Flame Serpent Extermination Team, led by the Blue Knights of Kuwell MacGovern. Karyl was the only one from the MacGovern family who had joined Kuwell on that hunt.

Karyl owed both his swordsmanship and physique to his mentor, Kuwell. Without them, he couldn't have ever returned to the past.

In his previous life, when he had met Olivurn and fought for him, it wasn’t even a possibility. But now, circumstances had changed. The sword aimed at the empire could very well lead him to a confrontation with Kuwell—a high probability indeed.

“Krr... Krrrr...” The labored breaths of the wounded Sand Serpent reached Karyl's ears. Despite its pain, the beast still bared its fangs, ready to strike.

"Let's finish this."

Beikan took out a hand axe from his waist. "Use this. It would be a shame to use your sword for butchering it."

[Oh! Oh...!] Allen looked at Beikan with interest, finding his actions amusing.

[Aw, the big guy has really opened his heart to you~ It's so fascinating. People can change so drastically over a single hunt, huh?]

It's not just any hunt. This is a Great Hunt, a matter of honor and tradition.

[Eh? But in the end, it's just hunting a monster, though?]

Karyl chuckled. Turns out that even a great sorcerer who had lived for over a millennium didn't know everything.

It's only natural that you can’t understand

.

To Allen, the lives of immigrants and barbarians were neither interesting nor necessary to understand.

The environment one grows up in is of great importance in shaping them. The empire’s ideals and dreams differ from those of immigrants. It may seem primitive to you and others, but there is a certain order to it.

Karyl knew why Beikan's gaze towards him had changed.

[You seem to understand it quite well.]

It’s because I too am an immigrant.

Allen’s eyes widened, and after hesitating for a bit, he let out a soft sigh.

"Right. I had completely forgotten. It’s easy for me to forget when I look at you."

Karyl smiled wistfully at Allen's words, then lightly tapped the fallen Sand Serpent’s neck with his palm, causing it to bite down on the axe that Beikan had handed over.

"We won’t kill this one."

"What?!"

"Look at it. It has already surrendered. This beast is just a monster. It has never tasted defeat in its life until now. Can you imagine how it feels to experience defeat?"

"..."

Beikan remained silent, it was because the Sand Serpent seemed all too similar to himself.

"That's why it can show absolute loyalty, don’t you think?"

"Yes..." Beikan replied softly.

The fate of the Sand Serpent had already been sealed, it was bowing before Karyl. Insisting on ending its life would be absurd. The significance of the Great Hunt lay not in killing the prey, but in the hunt itself.

But...

Beikan wasn’t foolish either. After witnessing Karyl's battle, he realized that his own abilities paled in comparison. By capturing the serpent instead of killing it, Karyl could further enhance his prestige.

But Beikan couldn’t help but worry—not about failing to kill the game, but...

If word gets out that the Sand Serpent has been tamed, not only the tribes of the Great Plains but also the Five Great Families of the Abyssal Rocks will surely take notice of Karyl.

In the eyes of the Great Plains tribes, pure strength is revered above all, so while they might resist, they would ultimately follow him.

The Five Great Families may not be much different either.

And therein lay the problem. The Southerners weren’t called barbarians for show, they were called so because of their insistence on clinging to archaic notions of power and tradition.

And the strongest among the Southerners was Miliana of the Digon tribe.

There's no way she, known as the Conqueror of the South, will acknowledge Karyl.

Though the tribes of the Great Plains and the Five Great Families of the

Abyssal Rocks

held considerable power in the south, even combined, they would still pale in comparison to the might of the Digon.

If conflict were to arise with the Digon tribe...

The outcome was clear.

"Don't worry. Once we gain the

Abyssal Rocks

, those issues will naturally resolve themselves. The Great Plains, on the other hand, will pose a greater challenge."

"...?"

Unlike Karyl, who spoke with an enigmatic expression, Beikan looked puzzled.

"...!!!"

As Karyl casually tossed the remaining chunks of meat into the Sand Serpent’s mouth, he paid Beikan no mind, seemingly indifferent to his tension.

"Do you not remember? I told you I had a plan."

"Huh? Ah... Yes."

Startled, Beikan stammered and spoke in a formal tone. It was as if Karyl had read his mind.

"For now, let's make our way back. With the serpent, half a day’s ride will be enough."

"Krrrrrrrrr......"

As Karyl lightly tapped the Sand Serpent's eyelids with his palm, the beast seemed to give a pleased smile.

"..."

However, Beikan looked at him with a strange expression, remembering the fangs that had mercilessly torn through his thigh.

***

"Is this... real?"

"As you can see it for yourself."

Even though they had expected it, the chief's expression was truly a sight to behold.

It's too funny to see their reactions firsthand.

Looking at the chief and his council, their mouths gaping in disbelief, Karyl couldn’t help but think of Mikhail and Aidan, who were waiting just outside the tent.

"Huh? Huh..."

"T-This can't be true."

"But it definitely is the Sand Serpent. According to the rules of the Great Hunt, we should have slain it, but taking in a beast that has submitted is also an honorable act for a hunter."

"Beikan! How can you utter such sacrilege...!"

The chief of the Tu tribe bellowed, his voice rising in anger.

"Hmm."

"It seems a meeting is in order. Beikan, I will wait. Do your best to persuade the chief." Karyl nodded slowly and stated in a calm voice.

"Understood."

Karyl made no attempt to hide it, and by bowing his head in agreement, Beikan publicly declared his allegiance to Karyl.

If Cargon of the Flying Bow tribe joins our cause, crossing the Great Plains will not take long. Though the chief of the Tu tribe is adamant, once the Flying Bow tribe aligns with us, it's only a matter of time before the tides turn. As for the rest...

Although Karyl had emerged victorious in the Great Hunt, he knew that earning their tust would not be easy, and he never expected it to be either.

Though it was called a hunter's tradition, in reality, the Great Hunt was akin to a ceremony for selecting a chief. Tribes that had lasted for centuries would not readily entrust their fate to the winner of a mere hunt.

In that regard, Karyl was in no hurry.

We've already caused ripples. There is no need to throw more stones into the water now. The rest must stir from within the depths of the lake itself.

"I won't bother with a long speech, chief. But consider this: Why would the greatest warrior of your tribe choose to follow me?"

Karyl spoke in a calm tone, as he pushed aside the tent fabric and stepped out.

"..."

"..."

As he left the tent with Beikan offering a salute from behind, Karyl made it abundantly clear to the chief that there was no turning back.

***

"What's going on?"

"? What do you mean?"

"How did you win over that giant? Just a few days ago, it seemed like he wanted nothing more than to tear you limb from limb. But now... now he's looking at you with his eyes shining like a fanatic!!"

As soon as Karyl stepped out of the tent, Aidan rushed to his side and blurted out, as if he couldn’t hold onto his curiosity anymore.

Karyl chuckled softly. "Shouldn’t you know the answer already?"

"...Me?"

"Well, aren't you the same?"

Aidan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Seemingly at a loss for words, he just stared at Karyl in silence.

"Huh? Wait, no... W-What, what are you saying? Really... no, wait..."

Pfft—

Only Mikhail's muffled laughter echoed softly in the background.