บท 17: Skydancer Exams (16)

Hugo couldn't help but smile at its antics, this seemingly intelligent monster was just a bit more sensible, it was really no different from a young child seeking out to play.

"So that's how it is. I will play with you!"

. . .

Whoosh!

The vulture boss monster broke out of the clouds and aimed its beak at one of Hugo's injuries.

"Sorry vulture bro, but to slow!"

Hugo noticed where it was coming from and hacked his sword downwards hoping to kill the monster with that strike.

Ungh!

The beast grunted out in pain as the sword struck its wing. This was fatal to it, but to Hugo this hit was a mere disappointment. Where he'd been hoping to kill the vulture with that strike, he only managed to harm it.

'Whatever, that wing injury will leave him crippled for now.'

He consoled himself internally and watched as the vulture monster used one wing to fly away in defeat.

"Accept a fast death, that injury will kill you only in a matter of time, why do you want to postpone your death day?!"

Hugo yelled out and spun around, his hands still on the sword.

This did not create any attack but instead cleared the clouds!

'Humph, there you are!"

Once the clouds cleared, Hugo saw the body of the vulture monster flying away for escape.

"Hyena catch! I said I'd leave you a kill after all!"

Hugo swiftly flew over to the monster's side and used the blunt part of his blade to knock the monster towards the ground without it being able to react.

Hyena was looking up and saw a grey speck hurled down towards him.

'He regained control of himself!'

Hyena realized fast and smiled vaguely to himself.

"Thank you, Hugo, I shall accept your offering with a smile!" Hyena muttered to himself and stared as the grey speck became larger and closer to him.

"Activate Source Blood- Were Hyena!"

Hyena called upon his power from the depths of his heart. Whereas the Awakened called their power from the soul, Hyena and other Evolutionaries called upon theirs from the heart and blood.

Hyena's body and height expanded, his legs became hind legs and his eyes changed to become red in colour, pale grey fur grew all over his body and black spots on his body and legs. Long and sharp claws sprouted out of his arms and lacked against each other, making 'clang' sounds.

A long and stiffened, pale grey tail protruded from his buttock and his pearly teeth became sharper and dripped spittle all over the place. He was a humanoid hyena monster.

A cloak of dark energy covered him and he stared confidently at the thing flying towards him, that was... until he felt the aura of the monster coming towards him.

"Yip Yip Yip Yip Yip Yip!"

Hyena was uncomfortable with the sudden aura that stemmed from the grey speck heading for him and began laughing like a hyena.

"Hugo wants me to kill that thing?!"

"What's wrong Hyena, are you scared!" Hugo taunted from up above, leaving Hyena almost red-faced.

"Shut up! I'm not scared!" Hyena refuted angrily.

"Good, because you have no reason to. I hurt the monster, finish it and we can get the hell out of here!"

Hyena listened bitterly to Hugo's words and regained a bit of confidence in himself.

'If what Hugo says is true, and he has injured that thing, then I can easily take it. But if he's just fucking with me, I will not forgive him!'

Hugo swore in his mind and jumped up to meet the oncoming enemy.

Whoosh!

He brandished his claws and slashed down when the monster was a bit below him. The claws drove fine lines across the body of the large vulture, harming it even more.

'He wasn't lying, he really hurt this thing!'

Hyena felt joy knowing he could take down this powerful monster without doing much work. It was like what Hugo stated in his analysis before.

"Hyena is a man who will in no way stop when he has a goal to accomplish."

Hyena smirked, remembering those words.

"Hehe, I am a man who will not stop unless my goal is accomplished, and right now..."

Hyena proclaims as he fell to the ground. As he was heavier than the monster, his fall was also faster hence he had sufficient time and ability to kill the vulture.

Swoosh!

He brandished his claws downward again and hit the monster's head.

"... My goal is to kill you!"

The monster's corpse fell down faster and collapsed into the sand with a loud bang.

"Team Hugo and Hyena have earned 10,000 points for killing an S-rank monster!"

. . .

'Just a little bit, I just have to wait for them to appear in my line of sight and I'll be good to go!'

A man was hidden in some tall grass holding a camouflaged hunting blade and was waiting for some people to come from the desert region. He'd spotted them a few hours ago, using his Evolutionary powers; Hawk Eye, and he was waiting there ever since when he saw who they were.

The strongest candidates in the 21st skydancer exam.

Though it was a surprising thing that the two teamed up, that didn't matter in the end, since they would die to his blade. After a few days of staying within the virtual space and using the ineffective method of earning points, he realized one could earn points by killing fellow candidates, with the price of ten points to be multiplied and removed each time he killed.

That was why one needed to identify the prey properly, and luckily he came equipped with skills just for that purpose.

After lying in the tall grass for so long, the man grew tired of waiting and wondered if he made a mistake and they were not heading in his direction.

"Sigh, such a pitiful guy, should we tell him?"

A foreign yet oddly voice entered the hunter's ear.

"Nah, leave him be, wait, damn it Hyena, we just told him by accident!"

"Oop, my bad!"

These voices were far too familiar.

'They-'

The hunter didn't realize what killed him until he was already dead.

"Let's go, I'm guessing the exam should be over soon, I don't want to spend my last moment in such a wonderful place near a corpse." Hugo complained and stepped away from the corpse, completely disregarding the reduction of points from his and Hyena's team account.

"All candidates will be leaving the virtual space now!"