The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 98 - Longneck Sky Serpent

Tave crouched behind the thick foliage, his eyes fixed on the darkening sky above the ridge where night was beginning to fall.

He wasn’t exactly surprised to find monsters like these in a Rift of this kind. But as he raised his telescope and focused on them, the details began to settle into something far more troubling.

Most of the creatures were flying types, reptilian in form, with massive wingspans, each easily several times the size of a grown human.

They weren’t wyverns, though they bore some resemblance. These were clearly Tier 5 monsters, and that meant they were going to be a nightmare to deal with. Their mobility was extreme, their attacks wildly varied, and there were many different kinds among them.

Tave watched in grim silence as a swarm of them swept through the skies, their shapes cutting through the dusk like shadows with wings. These creatures were known to become more active at nightfall.

And what made them especially dangerous... was their sensitivity to sound. Any disturbance, whether from the ground or the air, could draw them in. And if they found the source interesting enough, they wouldn’t hesitate to attack in a coordinated, deadly swarm.

He felt Panpan approach from behind, silent as always. Her footsteps nearly undetectable. She sat quietly beside him, trying to assess what Tave had discovered.

Even without a telescope, she could see far into the distance, her gaze aligned with his.

"There’s a lot of them, Tave," she whispered.

"Yes. And we’ll have to deal with them before we can even think about hunting anything below. Their high mobility will make it near impossible to move safely if they decide to attack us in a group."

Worse still, these were Tier 5 monsters. And yes, that meant their difficulty level was no joke. Even a normal-grade Tier 5 creature would typically require at least half of their team to take it down quickly.

And the only effective way to deal with them was one by one. If they were to come in swarms, that would spell doom for the entire team. Simple as that.

In a Rift this high in tier, Tave wasn’t comfortable sending Fang too far away from him either. The shadow wolf was still only Tier 3, and in a brutal environment like this, that made him frighteningly vulnerable.

So, Tave had to make the most of Fang’s scouting abilities while he and the others worked to absorb Gaia Force as efficiently as possible, aiming, if fortune allowed, for a breakthrough to Gaia Master rank.

They kept watching the distant swarm of monsters as a shared silence stretched between them.

Then. Suddenly. Tave’s instincts flared again like a scream through his spine.

"Pan!"

He reacted without thinking, grabbing Panpan’s wrist. She responded instantly, no hesitation at all, as he yanked her down behind a dense tangle of underbrush and trees.

A tremendous crash followed, erupting just a short distance from them. The earth trembled beneath them as something massive collided violently with the forest canopy. Branches snapped like dry twigs, bark flew in chunks, and a thunderous impact shook the forest floor as a hulking body slammed down with full force.

The roar that followed was deafening, guttural and enraged, echoing through the forest like a war cry torn straight from the depths of Hell itself.

Immediately, Tave and Panpan activated their stealth abilities. A surge of shadows wrapped itself around Tave’s body, cloaking him completely in a veil of darkness that seemed to drink in the surrounding light.

Panpan, too, vanished almost instantly. Her body shimmering with a soft, muted aura as she blended seamlessly with the natural colors of the environment around her. Her camouflage ability was nothing short of incredible. She looked as though the forest itself had swallowed her whole.

And not a second too soon.

They stayed completely still, frozen in place the moment they realized one of the monsters had landed terrifyingly close to where they were hiding.

It hadn’t come from the direction of the sky above them. But from behind, from a completely different angle they hadn’t been watching.

Tave cursed himself inwardly. He had been too focused on the ones in the distance and had failed to notice that one had swooped down from an unexpected direction and was now actively hunting near them.

Panpan, of course, had likely already relayed the information to Elowen. They all needed to be on high alert. Nightfall amplified every danger in this place. But now, things had escalated far beyond dangerous.

Tave and Panpan were stuck. And the creature hunting them was a Tier 5 monster.

Fang, still cloaked in shadow, silently darted away to a safer vantage point, positioning himself to keep eyes on their late-night visitor. Tave immediately activated his shared vision skill.

And in the mental image that appeared before him, he finally saw the creature. Its full shape emerged clearly. It looked just like the ones from before, only this one had an abnormally long neck, almost as long as its entire body.

Let’s call it the Longneck Sky Serpent.

Tave and Panpan were pressed tightly together beneath the thicket, crouched in silence. Every breath was measured. Not even the leaves rustled.

"Can we stay here until the monster leaves?" Panpan whispered. It was so quiet, it was as if her voice was aimed directly into Tave’s right ear and nowhere else.

Tave didn’t respond right away.

Yes, under normal circumstances, staying still would be the safest strategy. Wait until it passes, avoid drawing attention. But this... this wasn’t normal.

The heavy thuds of the monster’s footsteps were growing louder. It was moving, closer. Now only two trees away from them. Its breathing was harsh and wet, and it let out a low growl, guttural and heavy, the sound of something sniffing out prey.

Very, very bad.

This creature could fly. If it spotted one of them and launched upward, carrying its victim away. No. That couldn’t happen. That wouldn’t happen.

Tave clenched his jaw. He hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to fall from a great height earlier today. He was sure Panpan hadn’t either.

And there was no way he was going to let this thing take either of them. Not while he was still breathing.

The monster was definitely here because it had sensed movement. Some slight disturbance in its hunting zone. And monsters like this... they didn’t just wander off. Not until they found their prey.

Should they try to sneak away?

Also a bad idea.

But what if... they fought it?

Now that was an even worse idea.

"Can we kill this monster, Tave?" The question came, surprisingly, from Panpan.

Killing a Tier 5 monster with just one Gaia Master, one Gaia Guardian, and a Tier 3 beast. On paper, that wasn’t a plan. That was suicide.

But, Tave’s hand curled into a fist, knuckles white.

Damn it. He hated this feeling. This itch. This pull. The undeniable thrill clawing inside his chest.

He couldn’t hide it anymore. He wanted to fight. Badly.

Was it his bloodline override? Some primal, creeping trait from the Shadow Wolf, turning him into more predator than tactician? Or was it simply... him? Was he finally feeling the sickening joy of the hunt?

He turned to Panpan, leaning in so close, and whispered in the quietest breath possible:

"This monster has one weakness, and one strength. And they’re both the same thing."

A louder rustling interrupted them. The creature was circling, sniffing, pacing. It was searching, growing more agitated.

Tave pointed to his neck, and Panpan gave a slight nod of understanding.

Then, carefully, he raised both hands and started outlining a plan with silent gestures. It wasn’t elegant, but it was clear enough.

He mimed: You draw its attention. Just enough.

Then he showed: I’ll sneak around. Go for the neck. Hit it hard. Hit it fast.

His hands moved with tight, urgent precision. And thank Gaia. Panpan understood. She gave a small, calm nod. No fear in her eyes. Just focus.

This girl was smart. Sharp enough to follow the ridiculous gestures of a madman ready to hunt.

At this point, he was following instinct more than strategy. And honestly? It didn’t even feel like a stupid decision.

The two of them were perfectly suited for this kind of maneuver. One to draw attention, and the other to deliver a deadly sneak attack. Their skill sets complemented the plan almost too well.

Panpan began to shift, crawling silently away from Tave without hesitation. Not a flicker of doubt crossed her face. Whether that was brave or reckless... he wasn’t sure. She didn’t weigh the odds, and didn’t ask again. Just moved.

The decision had been made.

Tave exhaled, grounding himself.

His hands moved in a blur through a set of hand seals, shadows rippling faintly with each sign. freewebnoveℓ.com

A list of notifications flickered silently into view before him.

Let’s take down a Tier 5 monster tonight.