When we understood how smart the Byk is, it was already too late. We managed to get away only because he was too engrossed in his last meal to chase us."
Lith bowed again.
"Thanks. I live near the woods, and your information may have just saved my family. Consider your debt settled."
Before he could turn around, Ekart grabbed his shoulder.
"I have been long enough in the business to recognize a fellow hunter when I see one. Listen to my advice, don't' go after it. That beast is unnatural. Not only is smart and cunning, it also moves at unbelievable speed.
No matter how fast you run away or chase it, it keeps switching places, li-like a ghost. I know it sounds stupid, but I believe it to be a vengeful spirit."
Lith thanked him again, before going back to help move Otum in one of the tavern's rooms and to clean the blood on Nana's house floor.
When he finished, Nana handed him twenty copper coins, half the fee.
"Go home and rest. You really are talented in light magic, but that spell is too draining for you. Use it only in case of emergencies."
Lith nodded, but before going back home he needed to purchase some things. He kept discussing the matter with Solus the whole time. Facing such a monster without more than one plan and enough preparation was idiotic.
After warning Selia, he spent the whole day resting and using Accumulation. In a life or death situation even a small power up could made the difference.
That night, he slept for the first time in two months. Lith wanted to be at his peak condition, he wasn't willing to take unnecessary risks. He woke up before dawn, leaving a note for his parents.
He then wore his brand-new leather hunter set, with metal protectors for the forearms, shins and heart, his last line of defence in case everything else failed. Once outside, after checking there were no witnesses, he casted the Soaring Hawk spell and took flight.
The Trawn woods was too big, and moving on foot was too slow. Using both his Life Vision and Solus' mana sense, he started looking for his prey, while moving near the top of the trees.
It didn't take long to find it, the Byk wasn't even trying to hide. Lith could trace it thanks to the bear claw marks on trees and rocks, until he found it eating a deer.
"So much for smart and cunning. How the heck can it still eat? It should have filled his belly many times already." Lith thought. "Nevertheless, let's see if I can kill it nice and easy."
The Byk was on the ground, while Lith was in the sky, the distance between them about 30 metres (33 yards), well within the spirit magic's range.
Lith sent a huge wave of mana, meaning to snap the Byk's neck in one go.
The Byk instinct was sharp. Even if it was still unaware of the new hunter, it could feel that something was off.
It infused his whole body with earth magic, so when the two mana flows clashed, the spirit magic was diminished to a neck rub.
"F*ck my life! Again with that sh*t, just like the Ry."
"It seems that magical beasts are able to use fusion magic to some extent." Solus commented.
"No duh, Sherlock. And what's worse is that fusion magic is spirit magic's bane. It can disrupt my mana flow making it useless. But that stands only for direct attacks…"
Having his first plan failed, Lith hid behind the tree while moving away from the Byk. Casting spells in mid-air still required too much effort, he also wanted to keep his ability to fly a secret from the prey.
Once on the ground, he took a roundabout path toward the Byk, using Float to not make noises, and a subtle dark aura to cancel out his smell and aura.
When Lith found the Byk again, it was still sniffing the air, looking at its surroundings.
Lith moved right behind its back, before unleashing a lightning as big as the crouched Byk.
It had no effect, aside from angering the magical beast and blackening some of its fur.
"Holy sh*t! I would have never suspected that earth fusion could shield from lightning."
The Byk roared its challenge, standing tall on its legs.
It was an enormous beast, at least four meters (13 feet) tall, with a weight close to a ton. Its fur was deep brown with shades of green, and its green eyes were staring at Lith with malice.
"Too big for comfort!" Lith summoned a strong wind, hoping to take advantage of that unstable position to topple the Byk and prevent it from charging ahead.
The Byk channelled even more earth magic, becoming heavier while digging deep into the ground with its claws. It managed to return back on its four, now standing 1.6 meters (5'3") tall at the shoulder.
"Magnificent display of earth fusion!" Solus couldn't hold her admiration. Lith was the same, but much more scared.
"Yeah, I'm clearly a noob compared to it. Ice Spears!"
Countless spears of ice appeared out of thin air encircling the Byk. Each one was two meters (6'8") long, ten centimetres (4 inches) thick and razor-sharp.
It was Lith's sure kill spell.
The spears came down at the same time, like a deadly rain.
The Byk didn't seem scared, though. It roared again, getting partially up on its legs, before slamming the front paws on the ground, creating a spherical shielding made out of earth and rock.
The spears crushed against the summoned barrier, inflicting no harm to the Byk.
Both Lith and Solus cursed as one.
"F*ck me sideways! Magical beasts use true magic too!"