Soul of Blades - Chapter 4: Predatory Nature (Patreon)

Alex's heart drummed a rapid beat in his chest as he propelled himself deeper into the forest, each lungful of air feeling like a precious gift. The earth shifted and sprayed underfoot like clay under his swift footsteps. Crunching twigs and leaves marked his frenzied passage.

And blood. A trail of his blood followed his every desperate move.

Clutching his shoulder as he ran, Alex assessed the damage. Blood smeared his fingers, and a large purple bruise had developed around the cut, but his arm still moved—functional but compromised.

The blood had coagulated, mostly, and the bleeding had stemmed. He’d had to hastily use his belt and some torn cloth as a makeshift tourniquet as he ran. He sighed, content in the fact that he wasn’t going to bleed to death, but he was still far from safe.

He leapt over a log, soaring through the air with inhuman athleticism, his features marred with pain and desperate calculation.

Behind him, a horned wolf let out a guttural growl, an aural map of the danger pressing in on him. It lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from Alex's ankle. Close. Too close. Yet, Alex didn't slow, didn't look back. Fear and adrenaline fused, fuelling his flight.

His ribs ached, a remnant of the vicious swipe he'd taken earlier, but he willed himself to keep pressing forward. His body ached from the injuries sustained during the chase, but he forced it to keep going. Pain was a secondary concern, survival the primary. He could fight one of these things, maybe. But five of them? It was impossible. Alex felt the predator's breath, hot and rancid. He accelerated, clenching his teeth and pushing on.

Every stride jarred his injury-stricken body, setting off flares of pain. But he knew better than to yield. Pain was familiar ground. Adrenaline became his saving grace, the fuel for his survival. He couldn't afford to stop now.

As he sprinted through the vibrant jungle, in his peripheral vision, a swath of blood-red grass caught his attention. It looked foreboding, as if nature itself had been tainted. In the verdant jungle, it stuck out like a warning flag. Hesitant, but unable to end his sprint, he neared the suspicious spot. Curiosity tinged his panic, and his heart beat a staccato as a small squirrel-like creature, plunged from the low-hanging vines above, and landed in the red patch.

Instantly, the red ground erupted in grotesque and monstrous greenery. A monstrous plant emerged from beneath the crimson grass, resembling a grotesque fusion of a Venus flytrap and a mimic creature from the games he once played. Its gaping maw consumed the unsuspecting animal before retreating back into the earth below the red patch, which somehow appeared undisturbed. Thick and sturdy vines dangled above the treacherous ground, tempting fate.

An opportunity. The prospect sparked in Alex's mind, a desperate idea born of necessity. With no time to think, and an urgent need to be resourceful. He took the gamble.

In a burst of energy, Alex sprinted towards the deadly trap. He grimaced, forcing his body into overdrive. His foot pressed into the earth, propelling him into a leap that took him soaring over the perilous patch. Mid-air, he snatched a handful of the sturdy vines, and not just one as he had initially planned. Better safe than sorry, he thought, gripping them tightly as he flew over the deadly patch, using its swing to extend his jump.

His foot almost skimmed the surface of the red patch. It was a hair's breadth away from a bloody end, nearly grazing the void. Yet, he landed safely on the other side, a victorious grin splitting his face.

Chest heaving, he waited on safer ground for the imminent arrival of his pursuers. The dense foliage around him rustled, revealing their approach.

The horned wolves followed him, charging blindly towards the deadly trap. They crashed through the jungle, their snarls filling the air. The first wolf, the alpha- a mottled grey beast much larger than the rest, sprung forward, only to meet its end in the carnivorous plant's mouth.

The second, a sleek black wolf, tried to leap over the red patch but its hind leg brushed the surface. Vines snapped up from beneath, tangling around its ankle, and the beast was yanked back, swallowed whole by the deadly flora.

Several unfortunate beasts met their demise as they fell into the gaping maw of the carnivorous plant concealed beneath the false ground. Others tangled in the thick vines above, their desperate attempts to leap higher only sealing their fates.

One wolf, its fur glistening white, evaded the deadly trap. It made the leap. Its eyes locked onto Alex, and the battle between them was inevitable.

A smirk tugged at Alex's lips. He was ready for a one-on-one showdown.

Alex met the wolf's charge, side-stepping its lunge. The wolf swung around, snapping at him, but Alex had already retreated, avoiding the deadly bite.

A wolf's vicious onslaught. Alex, the graceful, seasoned practitioner. Evade. Move. Strike. The wolf lunged, jaws closing on empty air.

Alex’s fist rocketed forward, powered by his twisting legs and hips, smashing into the wolf's thick fur. A grunt of surprise escaped the beast.

This one’s somehow… weaker than the first? His fist stung, but it no longer felt like hitting chainmail. No, this was the familiar feeling of striking flesh. Tougher than any flesh he had ever felt before, but it still yielded under his blows.

Feet planted firmly, he launched a powerful kick, his foot connecting with the wolf's flank and harnessing the beast's momentum to catapult it skyward. The beast yelped, soaring into the air, its claws shredding vines in desperation before it came crashing to the ground head first.

Now was the time to strike. Alex didn't waste a beat. Before it could recover, He was upon it, landing a succession of blows. His fist connected with its muzzle, a kick drove it back. His feet dug into the earth as he launched himself towards the creature. Fist met fur, bone met bone, and for a moment, it was as if two forces of nature had collided. He felt it then, the breaking point, a momentary give in the wolf's skeletal structure.

But he didn’t stop.

He couldn’t let up. Standing this close to the creature, all it would take would be a swing of its head, and a swipe from the jagged horn that could split stone in two would be the end of him. As if reading his thoughts, the wolf twisted, its horn aimed for Alex's gut.

His elbow drove its head into the ground, diverting the attack.

Blow after blow, he drove the beast to submission, reducing the fearsome predator to a helpless mass. The sound of bone crunching and flesh tearing echoed through the forest as his attacks landed with devastating force. The wolf's struggles ceased, its body lying motionless on the jungle floor.

With the immediate threat dealt with, Alex wasted no time, redirecting his attention to the remaining wolves entangled in the vines above the deadly red patch. One was suspended, entangled in the vines. He launched a branch at it, striking it square on the chest. Startled, it slashed wildly, severing its lifeline and falling into the plant's gaping maw.

He continued to aggravate the remaining wolves ensnared in the vines.

Grabbing rocks and thick branches, he hurled them with unerring accuracy, shattering the precarious balance the wolves had managed to maintain. Their fierce struggles to break free only resulted in them cutting the vines that held them aloft. They thrashed about frantically, disrupting their precarious suspension. Their ferocious bites and swipes were futile as they slashed wildly, their claws and sharp horns severing the vines that held them captive, cutting through their lifelines. One by one, they plummeted into the waiting maw of the carnivorous plant, disappearing into its fleshy depths.

As silence fell over the scene, Alex assessed his wounds. Blood trickled from cuts and bruises, a grim sign of the fight's intensity. Exhausted and battered, his breathing was ragged, muscles trembling from exertion.

A notification flickered into existence.

[You have defeated level 1 Horned Jungle Wolves x3 - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[You have defeated level 2 Horned Jungle Wolves x2 - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[You have defeated level 9 Horned Jungle Wolf Alpha - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[Gained Legendary Feat: "Pioneer" First incursion dungeon kill in inductee world - All stats +5. All stats +20% + 3 Healing potions]

The weight of this legendary feat settled upon him, its significance igniting a spark of pride deep within his soul. It felt like a trophy, a consolation prize in place of becoming the world kendo champion. But he smiled as he thought of how much better this was than any gold plated plaque back home.

In a flash of light, three small red vials materialised, suspended in mid-air before gracefully descending into Alex's outstretched palm.

[Level 0 > Level 3]

[15 unassigned stats - Speak or think ‘Status’ to allocate pending stats]

Yet another notification marked his ascent to Level 3, with an extra fifteen unassigned stats. How much stronger could that make him? He merely had to speak or think 'Status' to put them to use. But for now, he needed healing.

In the aftermath, he uncorked the healing potion, its liquid warmth coursing through him, mending his wounds. The pain subsided, replaced by a soothing warmth that revitalised his weary form. With renewed vigor, he stood amidst the aftermath of his battle, a solitary figure.

Alex cast a wary gaze at the eerily still patch of red grass and observed. It was hard for him to believe that a deadly creature of some sort hid beneath it.

Without the presence of this… plant, he would have surely died. He peered at the patch of red grass. Its leaves swayed softly and deceptively serenely in the wind.

It looks harmless… Quite the actor, aren't you? he thought, squinting as his close inspection caused him to realise something; the leaves weren't naturally red. Blood, thick and dried painted it. Endless layers of both dried and fresh blood covered the grass and soaked deep into the earth, permanently altering its hue. Is that a lure? It must use the scent of blood to attract hunters and scavengers… just like a fly trap.

Alex walked back to the corpse of the final wolf he had defeated with his own hands. He studied it. The light in its eyes had long since faded, and its fangs were monstrous, each one as long as his- no, longer than his hands.

The beast was gigantic.

He stared at the beasts horn, a weapon it used to cleave rocks in two. Alex's eyes darted between the wolf and the lethal patch of ground. An idea beginning to form.

With a grunt, he bent his knees to a squat, gripped the wolf's hind leg, and braced himself. He was preparing to lift the corpse of the massive wolf more than twice his size. On Earth, it would’ve been impossible, but with his increase in strength perhaps he could drag it somehow?

He almost stumbled when the wolf rose as he lifted. It was heavy, but not as heavy as he had expected. Or was he just stronger now? Much stronger than what should have been possible?

Muscles straining, he dragged the horse-sized wolf over to the red patch of grass and halted at the edge of the patch, observing the plant life there.

Nothing. If it wasn’t for the colour and the metallic scent of blood in the air, it would be just another harmless patch of grass. Alex hoisted a portion of the wolf onto the red patch.

Vines erupted from the ground, tendrils, thick and covered in thorny protrusions. They slithered like serpents, wrapping around the wolf's corpse. One by one, they plunged into the wolf's flesh. More tendrils emerged, pulling the creature apart like a grotesque feast. At the core of the patch, the jaws of something resembling a Venus flytrap seemlessly parted the earth and widened.

Fascinated and repulsed, Alex watched as the tendrils coiled around the wolf's body, pulling it further into the maw. The maw snapped shut with a guttural crunch as vines seeped through fur, muscle, and eventually, bone. It snapped and crunched, engulfed portions of the wolf. There were crunching sounds, almost mechanical, as the bones were crushed. The plant seemed to liquefy its prey, leaving nothing solid behind.

The tendrils worked with methodical efficiency, drawing the wolf into the maw in sections as Alex continued to feed it. Slowly, piece by piece as the remains of the wolf dwindled.

"Good boy," Alex found himself saying to the plant as he studied it while it fed, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

It was a strange monster, a mix of plants, snake-like vines, and Venus flytrap. Although it was mostly made up of just vines, and a mouth that seemed to stretch and contract at will. It sort of reminded him of something he had seen back on Earth, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what. The creature made quick work of what remained of the wolf, shredding it into unrecognizable bits until nothing was left.

Finally, only the skull of the wolf remained. He’d held on to the horn and yanked as vines as the plant began to crush its base. The skull stared up at him with hollow eyes, and Jutting out from the base of its forehead was a bladed horn as long as his arm, jagged and fierce.

He examined the bladed horn. It wasn’t quite usable, still being attached to the massive head and skull of the beast. If he could remove it somehow from the horn, or maybe even find a way to shave down the skull? He’d have a pretty effective sword- one that could cut through stone.

His mind turned to those unaccounted for - where were the others from earth? Was no-one else from Earth reincarnated? The earlier notification had said he was the first to enter the jungle. Alone, he took a step, then another.

Alex pressed forward, continuing in the general direction of the looming stone portal. The urgency in his heart propelled him forward, for there were still mysteries to unravel and challenges yet to be faced. With every step, he moved closer to finding answers.

The stone portal loomed in the distance, a gateway to untold adventures and perils. Step by step, he forged ahead, eager to embrace his destiny in the unknown realm of Pyra.

And as he walked, a thought occurred to him.

“Status”