Seed of Titan-Chapter 147: Uncalled Guests

The giant lynx kept sweeping its claws at the horses, splattering buckets of blood whenever its attacks landed.

At this point, the rearmost horses had been separated from the rest of the group, which kept trotting away hastily, seemingly ignoring their friends’ plight. This helped Drai a lot, though, as he didn’t have to fully sprint to match the stragglers’ rapidly diminishing pace.

’Hm?’

Squinting, Drai saw a shallow gash appeared on one of the horses’ butt. However, he was quite sure the lynx’s claw had completely missed its mark.

Drai kept watching, and soon, it happened again—though the lynx’s claws only grazed a horse’s leg, the wound was deep and bloody.

’Is that the lynx’s ability? Interesting... That can definitely mess up my range management if I rely too much on my vision. I wonder if it’s a wind blade or some other element or force—maybe even a physical augmentation.’

Soon, the assault seemed to be nearing its finale. Despite their efforts, the stragglers barely harmed the lynx, leaving it with only a few bruises. Instead, they were wounded all over, their long manes messed up and drenched in red.

The lynx was circling around its huddling prey, waiting patiently for a clear opening while the injured horses were steadily weakening.

Suddenly, a horse collapsed with a heavy thud, momentarily distracting the others.

Not wasting the chance, the lynx pounced. But just as it leapt, a massive hand swatted it away, sending it tumbling across the field.

Sprawled on the ground with his maximum augmentation, Drai mused, ’Max was right. The best opening to catch a predator off-guard is when it’s going in for the kill.’

Drai stood up, looking at the lynx that was growling at him from a distance.

"Sorry, big kitty, but you’re the one who messed up my assignment first."

The two became locked in a standoff. The lynx was wary of this newcomer that had easily sent him flying, but it didn’t want to leave the juicy prey it had put a considerable effort into taking down.

On the other hand, Drai hadn’t really intended to kill the lynx. Sure, the feline had disturbed him, but that didn’t warrant a death sentence. Drai was aware that it only wanted to feed itself—such is nature. It would be a whole different story if he were unreasonably being targeted, which was the case with the lightning apes.

At that moment, the lynx’s ears quivered, and without hesitation, it scurried away at maximum speed, leaving Drai’s sight in a matter of seconds.

’So you finally gave up, huh? Good kitty. I hope you’ll leave these guys alone until I’m done with my assignment.’

Drai shrank back and moved toward the horses. He stopped when he was close enough to observe them but far enough to stay hidden behind the tall grass.

’These guys only look tough but they’re actually pushovers, huh? And here I was expecting them to have some kind of ability. Well, I hope a few of them could recover soon and lead me to their main group. I don’t want to scour this vast grassland again if I can help it.’

Sensing that the danger had passed, the horses sat quietly, nibbling at the grass beneath them. However, the one that had dropped earlier wasn’t moving, presumably dying or even dead.

As Drai began wondering if these giant horses were tasty, the area suddenly darkened.

’Hm? A cloud?’ Drai thought upon seeing that the sun was being blocked. Meanwhile, the horses neighed and panicked, trying to scatter.

A powerful gust tore through, flattening the grass and hurling Drai off his feet. Then, a large shadow swiped at the horses.

’Fuck! What was that?!’

Rising from the grass, Drai squinted his eyes, which instantly widened in shock.

A colossal avian was flying away, clutching a horse in each of its grey claws. Its feathers were like lusterless ruby, and its wings churned the clouds with each flap.

Drai only got up when the monstrosity had left his sight. He walked again toward the horses, which were now missing two members, including the one that had been lying still.

He stood in silence, contemplating what had just happened.

’That fellow could lift this huge horse with one claw, so his size must be around my maximum size. But man, that wingspan... It must be over 40 meters wide.’

Drai slapped his cheeks, trying to refocus on the task at hand. But as he kept his eye on the horses, the bird’s colossal figure kept reappearing in his mind.

’No wonder the lynx ran away—it wasn’t me he was afraid of... It was the Sky King.’

***

Night had fallen, and Max was there sitting beside the newly made firepit. In front of him was a boiling stew, filled with stuff he had gathered from the nearby areas these past few days.

The grass rustled, but Max remained unbothered, as if he already knew who was coming. Eventually, a figure emerged from the trees.

"That sure took you a while. Heh, lucky you, dinner’s almost ready," he cheerfully welcomed. But as he turned to face the newcomer, he instantly froze.

Madeleine was standing there. Her outfit was dark blue, which would perfectly match the night’s ambience if not for the orange tint from the flames. In her hand was a rather large woven basket made of plant fibers.

"Hello. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’m Madeleine," she greeted with a smile.

Max jolted up, quickly patting his hands on his clothes. He then approached his guest and offered a handshake, saying, "Yes, Drai had told me about you. I’m Maximillian, but you can just call me Max."

The two shook hands briefly before letting go.

"May I ask why you’ve come to our humble base?" Max questioned.

Madeleine chuckled. "I find your base quite impressive, actually, especially considering the short time you took to set it up."

Max rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks reddening slightly. He hadn’t met any woman for decades, so he felt a bit bashful talking to Madeleine, whose facial features hinted at her past beauty.

Ignoring his reaction, Madeleine continued. "I came here to give you this."

She handed her basket to Max, who carefully accepted it and asked, "May I know what this is?"

"Just a little snack for you and Drai. I think of this forest as my territory, so it would be rude if I don’t treat my guests accordingly."

"That’s really kind of you. Thank you," Max said. However, he was secretly wary of the hospitality. He wasn’t sure if the woman was being sincere and really welcomed him, or if she was being sarcastic due to his unannounced stay.

"You’re welcome. I should return now. Please enjoy your stay," she said, nodding slightly before turning around.

"Ma’am, how about you stay for dinner?" Max suddenly offered, halting Madeleine’s steps.

Turning slightly, she said, "Thank you for the offer, but I’m afraid I have to refuse. I still have plenty of work to do—maybe next time."

As she walked away, Max spoke up again. "Thanks for helping Drai."

Madeleine simply nodded without turning around, and shortly after, she disappeared into the fog.