Chapter 68: Gaining a mount As he made his way toward his hunting spot, Moon realised that walking or running towards his destination wasn’t exactly a good idea. "I should have bought myself a horse for travelling... I’ll buy one when I get back to the base," Moon muttered to himself. Using his god-given legs to every hunting ground was inefficient, especially in territories as vast as those surrounding Ironpeak Base. A proper mount would cut travel time significantly and conserve energy for actual combat. As Moon continued through the wilderness, sounds of battle reached his ears from ahead. Desperate screaming and shooting with heavy impacts of something large and most certainly powerful. Moon sped up in the direction the sounds were coming from. "Marcus, watch out!" "I can’t hold them both! Someone help!" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂 "My leg is crushed!" "We need to retreat! This was a mistake, we weren’t ready for this!" Moon moved closer, his curiosity piqued. Through the trees, he spotted a group of five awakeners in serious trouble, being decimated by beasts they clearly couldn’t handle. Two massive grey creatures were tearing through the party’s defences. Moon recognised the two beasts immediately; he had learnt many things about the beasts surrounding this base, and the erumpents were one of these beasts he’d learnt about from the guards and the caravan master. Each weighing close to a ton, they resembled rhinoceroses at a distance but were far more dangerous than the rhinos of the old civilisation. These had thick hides that repelled most weapons, large, sharp horns on their noses, and long rope-like tails that they used like whips. One awakener was already down, clutching a mangled leg. The tank was desperately trying to hold both erumpents’ attention but failing; his shield was cracked, and his stance was unsteady. Two warriors flanked him, landing strikes that barely penetrated the creatures’ natural armour. A mage in the back launched spells that seemed to irritate the beasts more than hurt them. Erumpents were one of the most powerful beast clans in the First Sanctuary, but their only significant weakness was their birth rate. Every two years, they produced only one calf. That scarcity made them valuable targets when encountered, but also extremely protective and aggressive. Moon assessed the situation. The awakeners would die within minutes if no one intervened. He had the ability to help, but he wasn’t a charity worker. He stepped out from his concealed position, his voice travelling clearly over the sounds of combat. "Hey, I’ll help you if you can provide me with one of your horses." He looked toward the area where six horses were tied up, safely away from the battle, nervously stamping and pulling at their restraints. Although these horses were among the weakest and slowest mounts. They were still good enough for him to use to take him to his destinations and back. The leader of the group, the tank, didn’t turn back, too overwhelmed by the two erumpents pressing their attack. "Take them all! Just help us, we are about to die!" Moon smiled. He’d just gotten himself a free horse and permission to claim all of them if he wanted. He immediately took action, closing the distance and raising his hands. Lightning crackled around his fingers as he channelled the terrifying element. ZAP! A bolt of lightning struck the erumpent that was rearing up to stomp the awakener with the injured leg. Electricity coursed through the creature’s massive body, paralysing it momentarily while also burning through flesh where the current concentrated. The beast’s momentum faltered, and it crashed sideways instead of completing its killing blow. The injured awakener scrambled backwards desperately with a grateful expression. "Thank you! You saved me!" Moon didn’t respond. He was already repositioning, his staff glowing as he switched elements. Fire gathered at the tip before branching to form multiple, compressed fireballs that he launched in rapid succession towards the erumpent. The paralysed erumpent, still recovering from the electrical shock and unable to properly defend itself, took the full barrage head-on without any defence. The first fireball struck its head. The second and third hit its torso. Each explosion tore through the weakened hide that the lightning had already damaged. Within three fireballs total, the erumpent collapsed, smoke rising from its charred body. [You have slain a level 18 Erumpent.] [You have gained 95 Lives.] Moon immediately turned to the other erumpent that the tank and two warriors were still desperately engaging. The creature was healthier, more aggressive, and showed no signs of backing down despite its companion’s death. In fact, it became more enticed to kill the humans before it. The erumpent let out a loud trumpet that made the surrounding trees shake and the awakeners to lightly tremble, except for Moon. "Move out of the way," Moon commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. The tank and two warriors immediately obeyed; they had been waiting to disengage, and Moon was their life-saving straw. They disengaged and retreated, creating space for Moon to do his work. Moon channelled earth and fire simultaneously. Stone erupted from the ground, binding the erumpent’s legs and restricting its movement. Before it could break free through sheer strength, fire engulfed its trapped body. The combination was devastating. Unable to dodge or defend properly, the erumpent died screaming as flames consumed it. [You have slain a level 18 Erumpent.] [You have gained 100 Lives.] With both erumpents dead, the injured awakeners finally had time to breathe. The tank removed his helmet, revealing a young man probably in his early twenties, drenched in sweat and bleeding from multiple cuts. "Ahh, thank you so much. You saved us," he said, his voice filled with gratitude despite his exhaustion. Moon shook his head. "It’s a transaction. There’s no need for polite exchanges. You gave me your horses, and I saved you." The leader shook his head insistently. "You still saved our lives." As the group caught their breath and began treating wounds, the story came out. They’d arrived at Ironpeak Base a week ago from another smaller settlement. They were all level fifteen to sixteen, and they’d overestimated their capabilities. They’d ventured into a hunting zone beyond their experience level and gotten unlucky, encountering the erumpents when they were already tired from earlier fights. It was a classic mistake. They had ambition without proper assessment. Luck was also not on their side since they encountered two rather than one erumpent making it almost impossible for them to survive. Moon walked over to the tied horses, examining them briefly. There were a total of six, all level five to seven. They were decent mounts for travel, nothing exceptional. He selected one that appeared to be the best. The horse’s coat shone snow-white under the open sky. Its mane drifted like a soft wave along its neck, and its eyes looked at Moon as he approached curiously. It had seen everything that Moon had done and it was impressed. Up close, Moon could hear its breath rising in quiet puffs. Moon had picked this horse because of its calm temperament and unyielding eyes. "I will take this one," Moon said as he stroked the horse’s neck gently before leading his chosen mount away from the group. "You can take the rest of the horses. I don’t need them." The leader called after him as Moon prepared to leave. "Wait! Can we follow you? You could lead our group. With someone your level, we could—" Moon continued walking without glancing back. "Can’t do that. Go back to the base and treat your injuries properly. Otherwise, you’ll die before you learn from this mistake." His tone wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t gentle either. Moon had advised them, whether they followed it or not, that wasn’t his problem from now on. The group watched him disappear into the forest, leading his newly acquired horse, leaving them with their lives, five remaining mounts, and a lesson about overestimating their capabilities. The leader turned towards the others with a wry smile on his face. "That was a close call. We barely had any lives left. If we died...we would’ve been dead for real. He’s right, let’s head back and take care of our injuries. We can’t afford to take risks; we need to gain more lives." The group nodded in agreement and headed back. Moon mounted the horse once he was far enough away, testing its responsiveness. It obeyed commands well enough. With the new horse, Moon could now cover more ground efficiently and conserve his energy for actual hunting. Moon continued toward his intended hunting zone, this time on horseback, ready to begin the real work of levelling up. The encounter with the group of awakeners had been profitable. As they continued moving, Moon began to grow fond of the horse. The environment was certainly not easy to navigate. A forest with dense bushes, protruding tree roots, fallen branches, and various obstacles littered the path. Yet the horse overcame them with remarkable simplicity and grace, even if its speed slowed during these manoeuvres. It adjusted its gait instinctively, stepping carefully over hazards that would have tripped lesser mounts.