'What now?' Khan wondered. He couldn't help but hesitate before that insane acceleration, but his thoughts soon wandered toward different topics.
Time slowed down in Khan's eyes. His gaze remained on the woods, but his senses conveyed the entirety of the symphony to his brain. He could feel the cameras buzzing in the sky and the attention his lack of movements had attracted. The [Hunt] had begun, but he was still at the hill's base.
'How much should I reveal?' Khan thought, even if the answer was already clear in his mind.
The Thilku had spread rumors about Khan. Holding back might endanger that meeting and ruin possible future relationships. Besides, the still-burning grass told him he had to try his hardest for that game to be close.
'Help my legs,' Khan thought, heaving a sigh accompanied by a trace of his mana. The symphony listened to his request and sent energy toward his legs, allowing him to generate an inhumane sprint.
Differently from the Thilku, Khan's sprint didn't cause any disturbance in the environment. The grass barely moved, and the ground didn't experience the sprint. Yet, his figure almost teleported halfway through the plain, advancing and rising into the sky.
Out of habit, Khan drew his knife and held it firmly in his left hand. Meanwhile, his eyes and senses scoured the area below. He could feel cameras following after him to record the [Hunt], but they couldn't affect his decisions anymore.
A few vehicles had yet to enter the woods, but that didn't affect Khan's inspection. The many trees had relatively shallow green crowns that failed to hide the ground below. Khan could see past the many holes in that array of small leaves, and the symphony provided an even more accurate scenery.
The bikes, jeep, and the Thilku's explosive acceleration had left a deep mark in the symphony. Missing their traces was impossible for Khan. He could close his eyes and seal his ears, but his advance wouldn't falter.
Khan remained in the sky, kicking the air under him to fly above the woods. He wasn't as fast as the sprinting Thilku, but his speed was by no means negligible. Moreover, his ability to fly was an advantage he couldn't dismiss, especially since his senses removed any drawback.
Acarro's peaceful environment worked in Khan's favor. Each disturbance was a bright light that Khan could easily sense and follow, and that wasn't limited to the teams. The Ilqiex was also leaving tracks of its violent advance, and Khan headed directly in its direction.
The [Hunt] prevented using guns and similar weapons, but that was the end of the strict rules. Spells and martial arts were allowed, just like the fights between teams.
As for the win conditions, there were only two. A team had to drive the Ilqiex back to the cage or capture it with their bare hands and return it. The Thilku gave more value to the second approach, but that was far from mandatory, especially since it involved several issues.
'If we capture the Ilqiex first,' Khan thought, 'The Thilku might steal it back. Yet, that's probably for the best.'
Being the first to capture the monster before losing it would prove strength without leading to victory. That was the best compromise Khan could find with his knowledge and inspection, but another appealing option existed.
The Harbor had arranged a capable team, but the Thilku had the advantage due to their stronger bodies. Khan was the only one who could make a difference, which was bound to improve his position if he succeeded.
'I'll just see how things develop and adapt,' Khan put an end to that internal monologue. 'I'm not confident in getting to the Ilqiex first anyway.'
Khan released more mana in the environment to ask for the symphony's help, and that energy complied. He performed multiple full-speed accelerations while flying above the woods. That went on for entire minutes until a change eventually happened.
The Thilku in charge and Khan had put some distance from the vehicles. They weren't only faster. The woods also didn't hinder them. Khan wasn't even on the ground, so he never needed to dodge trunks or adapt to the terrain.
Still, the Thilku eventually slowed down, and Khan noticed that. The explosive acceleration from before waned, and the symphony added information Khan processed a full speed.
'Does that technique have a time limit?' Khan wondered, trying to understand the Thilku's state from above the woods. 'He doesn't feel tired. Maybe there are other limitations.'
The lack of a clear answer didn't discourage Khan. The Ilqiex was still distant, and the Thilku's deceleration created a window Khan didn't hesitate to exploit.
Khan kept accelerating with Maban's technique, doing his best to put as much distance from the Thilku as possible. He wanted to get to the Ilqiex first to decide what to do, and his legs never stopped kicking the air to accomplish that plan.
The Ilqiex didn't continue running in a straight line for too long. It eventually changed direction, making Khan's job easier. He quickly closed the distance with that monster, and that process accelerated when the latter completely stopped.
Khan dived toward the woods in a location distant enough to avoid getting noticed by the Ilqiex before advancing on the ground. The terrain under the crowns was quite even, but the symphony told him his time was limited. The Thilku and the vehicles were getting closer.
'Killing it is against the rules,' Khan recalled, 'But something that strong should survive without a few legs.'
Incapacitating the prey, calling the allied team, and distracting the opponents while returning to the plain. That was one of the agreed tactics that Khan planned to implement, and problems already stood in his way. The Thilku was closer than both teams, but he would worry about him later.
Shades of green and brown filled Khan's vision as he made his way through the woods. His steps didn't make any sound, but his presence was impossible to hide. He asked the natural mana around him to compensate for his intensity, but something told him that the request wouldn't last long.
Yellow shades eventually fused with the woods' scenery. Khan landed on a branch and half-crouched before peeking forward. The Ilqiex had calmed down and sat in a relatively empty area, and Khan could see it in all its magnificence.
'The rear legs are exposed,' Khan went through what he had studied about the Ilqiex, 'But the front ones handle the balance.'
The two targets would lead to opposite outcomes. Damaging the rear legs would only slow the monster down while attacking the front ones would incapacitate it. Ideally, Khan would aim for the latter, but preventing the Ilqiex's movements wasn't ideal when he had more enemies to handle.
'Rear it is,' Khan stated in his mind, and his mana reacted to his decision, disturbing the cover provided by the symphony.
The Ilqiex had crouched on the ground, but its head suddenly snapped upward. The monster also stretched its front legs while its protruded flat nose trembled. It had noticed something and a hoarse squeal left its mouth to announce the event.
Nevertheless, Khan was faster. His leap brought him behind the monster, and the following step sent him toward its butt. The Ilqiex couldn't react at all. The pain arrived before it could even notice what had happened.
Khan's glowing knife pierced the Ilqiex's right rear leg, digging a hole in its knee. He could have opted for a slash to maximize damage, but his lackluster knowledge of that creature's anatomy made him hold back. Such a strong Tainted animal wouldn't die so easily, but it was better to be safe.
The Ilqiex cried in pain and tried to stand up, but Khan was faster once again. The monster's flesh posed no resistance to the glowing knife. He could swiftly withdraw his weapon, jump toward the other rear leg, and stab its knee.
The monster instinctively stood on its front legs and kicked behind in a desperate attempt to catch Khan, but he was too fast. He had already withdrawn his knife and retreated when the Ilqiex attacked, but his job wasn't over.
Dark blood tainted the Ilqiex's fur as it straightened its remaining legs and sprinted ahead. The monster's priority was to escape that invisible threat, and Khan was okay with that. He only needed it to go where he wanted to.
The Ilqiex's top speed was scary, but its acceleration was manageable. Khan sprinted forward, relying on Maban's technique to catch up with the monster and fly above him. His body even began to spin mid-air before descending to deliver a heavy kick.
Khan had studied multiple reports in the past week, but the reality was always different. As soon as his heel landed on the Ilqiex's nape, he gained a complete understanding of its strength. The creature's muscle density and overall structure were so monstrous that simple kicks wouldn't do much.
As if to confirm Khan's understanding, the Ilqiex completely disregarded the kick and continued accelerating. That violent movement sent Khan flying backward, but he only needed to tap on the air to find his balance.
'They aren't close yet,' Khan thought as he continued to tap on the air with his eyes closed. His body naturally crossed the crowns to return in the clear sky, and he straightened his position to chase after the Ilqiex.
Buzzing noises reached Khan's ears again. He was being watched, but that didn't matter. His kicks couldn't make the Ilqiex change direction, so he would use something stronger.
The Ilqiex charged madly ahead. Its injured knees made it slower than usual, but that didn't stop it from taking down the trees on its path. The monster only wanted to escape and be free, but a shining spear suddenly fell a few meters in front of it.
The monster didn't give the event much thought, but the blinding pillar that followed made it squeal in fear and stomp its legs. Its feet dug through the ground as its huge body struggled to stop.
The abrupt stop still didn't bring the Ilqiex to safety. It had simply run too fast to avoid the flaring pillar altogether. The monster had to give up on sliding to jump to its right, diving through part of the purple-red mana to continue its escape.
The meeting with the chaos element burned part of the Ilqiex's fur. Its left side turned black, but that damage wasn't enough to interrupt its sprint. Yet, another bright spear fell, and the Ilqiex didn't underestimate it at that time.
Khan followed the Ilqiex from above the crowns and adjusted his aim depending on its reactions. His first attack had been too close, but his following ones matched his desires. He didn't want to hurt the Ilqiex any further. He only had to make it change direction.
The Ilqiex was focusing on escaping, so merely seeing pillars or spears was enough to make it turn. It didn't always go where Khan wanted, but he achieved his goal with his eighth spell.
Acarro's beautiful scenery had turned into a fuming and burning spectacle. A pillar was still stretching toward the sky too, but Khan barely paid attention to it. His focus was on the Ilqiex and the powerful aura roaring in its direction.
'So, he can use it again,' Khan understood as he let his body fall past the crowns. His loud assault was bound to attract attention, and the Thilku in charge didn't shy away from his responsibilities.
Khan could get to the Ilqiex before the Thilku but decided to wait and see the clash. That was an excellent opportunity to gauge his opponent's strength, and checking how the Thilku usually handled the [Hunts] wasn't a bad idea in the first place.
The Ilqiex continued to advance, unaware of the imminent threat, but the thundering noise eventually grew too loud. The monster tried to change direction again, but a big figure stormed out of the trees before it and aimed for a frontal clash.
Khan's mouth risked opening in surprise again when he inspected the clash from a secluded branch nearby. The Thilku rushed toward the Ilqiex, spreading his muscular arms and slamming his chest directly into the creature's head.
Surprisingly enough, the Thilku didn't fly away. The momentum accumulated by his insane sprint made the Ilqiex stop on the spot and the ground under them crack. Grass flew in every direction, but the Thilku didn't budge.
The Thilku didn't seem immune to the clash, but a hoarse battle cry left his mouth, and his mana moved toward his arms as he lifted them above his head. He quickly hammered them down, hitting the Ilqiex's head and triggering a reaction in the rest of its body.
'He made it faint,' Khan immediately understood from the mana's behavior.
The Thilku stepped back, allowing the fainted Ilqiex to fall to the ground. The monster's dark blood had accumulated on his chest, and he spat some of his own before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He had taken a good hit, but his body could endure it.
'Is he stronger than the one I fought?' Khan wondered.
Khan partially lost himself in his thoughts as he waited for the Thilku to do something. He wanted to see how he would react now that the prey was ready for the taking, but more surprises arrived.
"[Blue hair]!" The Thilku suddenly shouted, lifting his chin to spread his hoarse voice through the woods. "Blue hair! [Come out]!"
Khan had understood the Thilku the first time, but that didn't affect his surprise. That was a direct challenge for reasons Khan couldn't be sure of, and the buzzing noise that reached his ears only made it harder for him to think straight.
'Fuck it,' Khan cursed, jumping down the branch without bothering to hide his movements.
The rustling of leaves attracted the Thilku's gaze, and his mouth broadened into a smirk when Khan walked out of a tree. The alien appeared unable to contain himself but still did to let Khan approach him.
Khan walked slowly, taking careful steps forward. The Thilku didn't move even after Khan entered the relatively empty spot he had occupied. He even let him get close to the fainted Ilqiex before finally saying something.
"Me challenge you!" The Thilku shouted, crossing his arms before his chest and straightening his back to look bigger.
"[I understand your language]," Khan said in an accent he could only describe as awful.
"[You defeated Cnabr]!" The Thilku shouted again, adding a scoff at the end of his statement. "[Amox isn't as weak]!"
'Is he Amox?' Khan wondered, and the Thilku's smirk seemed to confirm that guess.
