Chapter 7: Eagle Vision

SQUELCH!

The muffled sound of the sharp blade sinking into the Demon's filthy flesh rang with exceptional clarity. Raine exerted all his strength. The tip of his blade even protruded slightly from the Green Skin's chest, forcibly lifting the Demon half an inch off the ground.

The Goblin's body abruptly stiffened. Its fully drawn Bowstring snapped slack with a TWANG, and its bloodshot, dull yellow eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The ferocious killing intent that had just contorted its green face was instantly replaced by shock and terror. It squeezed out strange, guttural screeches from its throat as both its Short Bow and Arrow clattered to the ground.

Even so, it continued to twist its neck frantically. Its claws swiped wildly through the air in a desperate attempt to tear Raine to shreds, but Raine gritted his teeth and violently twisted the blade inside it first. Its struggles came to an abrupt halt. The small green body twitched before collapsing forward. Raine smoothly pulled out his Short Sword, panting heavily and uncontrollably.

He had maintained Stealth Step throughout the entire tracking process, and that final strike had drained every ounce of his remaining strength. He was on the verge of collapsing. The moment the Demon's foul-smelling blood splashed onto him, several lines of text materialized in his mind:

[You have killed a Demon: Goblin Predator.]

[Goblin Predator recorded.]

[Your body has been enhanced: Power +1.]

[You have learned the Skill: Eagle Vision.]

[Current Demons recorded: 1]

[Next stage reward for Hunting Chapter: 5 Demons recorded.]

A warm current of Energy instantly rippled through Raine's body. Wherever it flowed, his overtaxed, trembling tendons and nerves slowly relaxed, as if he were soaking in a hot spring. His rapid breathing gradually steadied. He looked down at his arms. To his naked eye, his formerly soft and scrawny limbs were now bulging with defined muscle lines. This was the Effect of the Power Attribute enhancement!

Feeling the changes within his body, Raine's eyes lit up.

Combat Technique: Eagle Vision!

Once activated, his dynamic vision, reaction speed, and muscle contraction speed would all be enhanced, ultimately achieving the Effect of vastly improving his archery accuracy!

This was a Skill that strengthened ranged attack capabilities, and he just so happened to have a foundation in archery. Once he fully mastered it, he might soon be able to land every single shot! Even if he didn't currently possess a bow and arrows.

As this thought crossed his mind, his gaze quickly fell upon the crude Short Bow dropped by the Goblin. Wasn't there one right here for the taking? Although its wooden frame was smeared with dark green stains and its Bowstring resembled a slack hemp rope, it was still a bow!

He crouched down. Just as his fingers brushed against the weapon, he caught a glimpse of the Green Skin's corpse from the corner of his eye. The fading adrenaline made his stomach churn, but his quickly retightening nerves swiftly suppressed the nausea. He was still in a dangerous forest; he didn't have the luxury of time to slowly acclimate.

Raine quickly snatched up the Short Bow and Arrow, immediately shifting his focus to the Human Race Swordsman nearby. What entered his sight was a slender figure with red hair tied up in a ponytail. However, her usually neat hairstyle was disheveled, matted with dirt and stray grass clippings. It was the very same Female Swordsman he had briefly crossed paths with at the Return Inn.

Yet, in stark contrast to her previously sharp-tongued and heroic demeanor, she now looked incredibly battered. Her Old Leather Armor bore several fresh, distinct slash marks. The deepest cut was on her right arm, where blood was clearly seeping through. Her ragged breathing, heaving chest, and the fine beads of sweat clinging to her forehead all indicated that she had just survived a grueling battle and hadn't won easily.

Right now, her sharp, piercing eyes were locked dead onto the Short Bow in Raine's hands, brimming with intense vigilance. It was obvious that although her Longsword wasn't fully raised, she held it at an angle ready to strike at a moment's notice, faintly pointing it in his direction.

Raine didn't let his guard down in the slightest. He instantly lowered his stance and stepped half a pace back with his left foot, coiling like a spring ready to snap. According to his memories, not all Adventurers were friendly. Especially in a lawless, ownerless land like the Demon Shadow Forest. In fact, they were highly likely to be enemies.

Incidents involving the theft of loot, equipment, and personal wealth were all too common. And of course, no survivors would ever be left behind. Especially when the victim had just endured a fierce battle. In a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, many Adventurers didn't perish at the claws of Demons, but instead met their end at the blades of treacherous "companions."

Although such behavior was utterly despised by the vast majority of Adventurers—and strictly classified as a felony by the Adventurer's Guild that carried a permanent bounty and the total revocation of their Adventurer status if discovered—there were always those with twisted minds who, driven by sheer greed, chose to take the risk.

Raine naturally wasn't that kind of person, but he also refused to let anyone take advantage of him. Even if the other party was a young Female Adventurer. The fact that she had managed to slay two Goblins proved she was more than capable of holding a Longsword to his throat. If she made any sudden movements, he would not hesitate to nock an Arrow, draw the bow, and unleash his newly learned Eagle Vision on her.

The two remained locked in a tense standoff. Even when the forest wind swept fallen leaves across their faces, neither dared to blink. Seeing that Raine had made no move to raise his bow, the Red-haired Female Swordsman slowly lowered her blade a fraction more. With a hint of imperceptible hesitation in her voice, she said, "Just now... thank you."

Raine was momentarily taken aback. Only then did he realize that by killing the Goblin, he had inadvertently bailed her out of a tough spot.

"It was purely coincidental," Raine replied bluntly and concisely. "It was my target to begin with. You just happened to attract its attention."

He deliberately maintained his distance, his tone utterly flat. He still wasn't sure if he was the farmer from the fable, and whether she was the snake. Perhaps some veteran Adventurers would play the hero and lend a hand, but they did so with the backing of their own formidable strength. He clearly wasn't at that level yet. There were no fairy tales in this dog-eat-dog Otherworld—only omnipresent dangers and ruthless scheming.

"Let's just go our separate ways and leave each other alone," he stated.

After confirming that it was physically impossible for her to close the gap between them in a single dash, Raine slowly crouched back down. Using his Short Sword, he began to slice off the Goblin's right ear.

According to his memories, the bounty for a single Goblin was a full two Silver Lions—equivalent to a dockhand's wages for two whole days. To someone as penniless as him, this was highly precious loot. Although the gruesome process of severing the ear made him slightly nauseous, this was his rightful reward, and he certainly wasn't going to leave it behind. Aside from that, the Goblin only wore a loincloth woven from grass and leaves, and Raine had no use for its bone rod. There was simply nothing else worth scavenging.

Seeing this, the Female Swordsman visibly let out a sigh of relief. She quickly half-crouched where she stood and began to perform the exact same butchering process. Throughout it all, her gaze repeatedly flicked back in Raine's direction, warily keeping tabs on his movements. To her, Raine holding a bow and Arrow posed a massive threat, especially considering her injured arm.

It wasn't until Raine had tucked away his loot and begun to back away to leave that the Red-haired Female Swordsman's probing voice trailed after him.

"Wait a minute. Do you know the way out of this forest?"