Chapter 83 - The Broaxen
The creature that dwells inside the cave was called Broaxen. It was an animal that had the same features as bears but was more agile and stronger than them.
They like living in a tight space, not too literal tight, but enough for them to fit and have a comfortable nap. As they like comfortable naps, when someone interferes with their rest, they become violent, especially when they are strangers to them.
The broaxen started to show its fangs, grotesquely emphasizing its unique appearance. Instead of becoming more like a bear, its face became a combination of a saber-toothed cat and the round ears of a bear.
The brown fur was softly brushed by the wind, smoothly breezing in the middle of the night.
"He doesn't look like a monster to me. Is this an animal? " Ellena pondered when she saw the broaxen's unmutated appearance.
Aaron was left silent, seeing Ellena, who has more appropriate insight when it comes to creatures. He appears to be more ignorant and less observant, contradicting his attitude of always being curious about something new.
"Do I even need to kill this?" she added when she felt something was off with the current situation.
"You can sell it if you don't need it," Aaron suggested.
Ellena pondered for a moment and became brighter when she decided what she must do with the broaxen.
"You're right, I can sell it. But I want to try his meat too," she said with her mouth as if salivating, imagining the meat being cooked.
"You're always excited, huh?"
"Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I-!"
She was cut off from her talk words when the broaxen suddenly attacked her with its paws.
"That's nasty!" Ellena cried out loud before lifting her sword from her side, swinging it to the broaxen.
The sword hit the broaxen but it didn't cause a significant injury to it. And as a result, Ellena tried to follow another attack. But along the way, the broaxen started to move and jumped over her.
Luckily for her, she immediately escaped its shadow and dodged the fatal attack. She sighed as she saw the broaxen rolling after the failed attack.
It stood up and shook its body, removing the dirt stuck to its fur.
Ellena, on the other hand, realized that she could not defeat the broaxen with her sword. Thus, she sheathed it and opened her palm to her side.
She started producing lightning, slightly using the needed stamina to fuel it. Even though it might have less power, Ellena didn't mind it as her target wasn't the whole body but the brain of the broaxen itself.
Sparking sounds started to echo throughout the whole area, making the broaxen left in confusion as to why a light appeared in front of him.
But it wasn't important. The one who disturbed his rest must pay for their sin first.
Ellena started to form lightning into more stick figures. Even though it takes a lot of effort to do it, she still nailed it as the lightning became like woven threads.
The broaxen was about to attack her, but as soon as it started to move, she shot lightning towards its eyes. Unable to react to the speed of light, the lightning directly hit the broaxen's eyes. It covered both eyes with its paws, enduring the unbearable pain he received from that attack.
It slowly moved backward, trying to endure and regain the balance.
When Ellena noticed it reacting and acting hurt from the attack, she rushed, dashing to the broaxen with her palm still open.
Her eyes were full of anticipation, reflecting the light from the lightning on her palm. She dashed mightily, as her reflection in the lightning got stronger, even emitting an eerie grin with just her eyes.
As soon as she got near the broaxen, she jumped over it and directly rested her palm on top of the covered eyes.
Sparks violently reacted to the conductor. Rushing through the blood of the broaxen, eventually, it reached the brain, toasting them off.
Just as the sparking and crisping sounds started to diminish, Ellena felt satisfied. She smiled and looked at the broaxen below her once more.
Ellena removed her body that connected with the broaxen. She moved backward, leaping away from the body.
As soon as she landed on the ground, the body of the broaxen fell, assuring her that it had immediately died from the shock.
"Lightning Manipulation is a strikingly helpful ability. However, the pressure on retracting the stamina being eaten is massive. Sighs... At least I don't need to use the natural limiter of my rune." Ellena mumbled on her own as she showed her regrets.
"Well, it's not like we have something we can do," Aaron remarked before approaching the animal and inspecting it.
He moved his eyes over the body and analyzed its structure. When he was satisfied with the inspection, a smile curled his lips.
'What a shocking, unique appearance! It feels like an ancient species that went extinct a long time ago!' He cried inwardly when he recalled a specific old species of an animal.
Ellena, on the other hand, can't wait to feast on the meat she hunted. She grabbed the dagger she got from the ambusher and used it to open the animal's stomach, as it was a hassle to use the sword every time she dismantled a hunt.
Aaron didn't bother with it as he was already done mesmerizing. He let Ellena do what she liked and rested on top of a rock. He just watched Ellena dismantle the broaxen by herself.
'She seems to be used to it, huh. So, did her first dismantling with Isabella help her gain tolerance for blood?'
When Ellena was about to be done, she looked at Aaron, who was sitting down on a huge rock.
"Aaron, can you help me with some twigs?" she asked with a pouty face to make sure Aaron wouldn't decline her request.
Aaron just groaned in defeat as he lifted his body and started collecting some twigs.
'If I could only eat some of those meats. I would willingly collect some twigs,' he cried inwardly after leaving Ellena with her butchering.
A few moments later, Aaron finally returned with little twigs and dried leaves.
"It was just like that. It's night, so you can't find any dried fuel here." Aaron remarked when he noticed Ellena had a wondering look.
Ellena nodded and started to do her job. She sparked the fuel and made a fire. Blowing it to grow, she put the main fuel on the fire.
After that, she excitedly cooked the meat and feasted on the hunt she had just made.
"This savory.... I love it!!!! I won't sell this meat! I'll keep it!" She cried and, after an hour of eating, she rested inside the cave, finally making Aaron breathe since he didn't need to salivate anymore while watching Ellena eat the meat.
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