DING!
~----~
[You have encountered a Lvl. 15 Juvenile Cockatriss!]
…
[You have received a new System Mission: Hunt the Juvenile Cockatriss!]
[Mission Reward: 1,200,000 EXP!]
~----~
Julian blinked. 'A Cockatriss?'
Finally, he understood why all the Gnaw Monkeys suddenly became docile. 'They know this guy and they're scared of him?'
Julian understood why.
Unlike the mission to hunt an entire Goblin Nest that gave a reward of just 45,000 EXP, the mission to hunt this single Cockatriss by the system rewarded a whopping 1,200,000 EXP.
This showed how dangerous this single Qi Beast was.
This also made Julian understand that the difference lied in their bloodline. Compared to those Goblins, despite being clearly lower in level, this Qi Beast was on a whole other level of strength.
This didn't fully explain the disparity in EXP rewards though, which made Julian speculate that the debauchery system was pushing him towards hunting targets with powerful bloodlines.
His eyes narrowed. 'Is this a better expression of debauchery?'
And then, his eyes lighted up as he realized why. 'Zaratul is a prideful man. Hunting weak targets to him is lame, the true expression of debauchery for a prideful man like him is hunting an equally strong and prideful opponent, breaking his enemy's pride and turning him into prey'.
'This is the ultimate expression of debauchery outside sex'.
Julian's eyes gleamed and instantly he entered combat mode.
Adrenaline surged through him and his blood boiled even as his right hand instinctively tightened around the Goblin Cleaver.
His eyes narrowed into slits, focused on the massive Cockatriss soaring through the sky in pursuit of the Wild Boars who were running in panic.
From the flight trajectory and the body language of the beast, Julian realized that this Qi Beast merely wanted to prey on one of the Wild Boars as its meal.
His eyes glowed. 'The moment just before it catches its prey is when it's going to be at its most vulnerable'.
Julian didn't have time on his side.
He had to finalize his plan within seconds before the massive Juvenile Cockatriss could hunt one of the Wild Boars.
Julian used the System Snooping Tool.
Though the current level of the snooping tool couldn't show him the Qi Beast's abilities, at the very least he could see its bloodline traits and abilities.
Julian instantly noted its 3 traits- Hybrid Physiology, Petrifying Touch, and Cockcrow.
Hybrid Physiology explained that the Cockatriss has chimeric bloodline with the head and crown of a rooster and the scaly tail of a serpent, but its claws were sharp and can cut through metal, including the tail.
Petrifying Touch enabled the Cockatriss to turn living flesh into stone upon contact with its beak or talons if the Qi Beast willed it.
Seeing this trait made Julian's eyes narrow.
And finally, Cockcrow was the bloodline ability of this Avian predator to deal a devastating sonic attack with its cockcrow.
Julian's brain whirred and he realized that not only could this Qi Beast's claws and tail likely breach his Dragon Scale defense, he also realized that he was vulnerable against both its other 2 bloodline traits.
And still, he didn't know if the Juvenile Cockatriss had other abilities outside its bloodline abilities.
All these told Julian that this was a formidable enemy that was clearly stronger than the current him, igniting a primal instinct in him to hide and run for his life but his dual bloodline fiercely resisted this primal instinct.
Dragons don't run!
Julian's bloodline pride erupted like a tsunami but this time it couldn't overwhelm his sensibilities completely.
This was improvement compared to before.
The influence of his bloodline meant Julian had no intention of running, but at the same time his control over the impulse meant he didn't charge out recklessly to attack the Juvenile Cockatriss.
He stayed still, crouched in the green grass of the valley, analyzing, planning and concocting a plan to eliminate the beast.
All this was happening within just a few seconds.
And then Julian concluded. 'I have to kill it with such a fast attack combo that it can't retaliate. If it retaliates, I'm dead'.
These thoughts flowed through his head calmly.
Under the influence of his bloodline, Julian didn't feel like a human analyzing his own death at all, instead he felt like a machine analyzing 0s and 1s in machine language. He analyzed with detached coldness.
The plan solidified in his head in an instant.
And then, the Cockatriss finally folded its wings and dove from the sky, going after one of the Wild Boars as the Qi Beasts on land entered a state of hysteria.
Amid the commotion, Julian's eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed and then he entered a state of flow.
Everything slowed down in his perception.
'1… 2… 3…' he counted as the Cockatriss descended, right until it reached an altitude where it could no longer change its trajectory easily, then he moved.
Quick Step!
Julian charged out of his hiding spot in the valley with rapid speed, disappearing into the distance as a red blur as dust and dried leaves were stirred up in his wake.
He ran in between the panicking Wild Boars, homing on the Avian predator.
The moment the Demon moved, the Juvenile Cockatriss noticed as its eyes narrowed even as it instinctively bared its beak open threateningly.
The Demon didn't stop though, so the Cockatriss attacked!
It opened its beak wide and then…
Cockcrow!
But no sound came out.
Just before it could attack, the sound was nullified.
Silencing Strike!
On Julian's left hand was a transparent orb swirling with dark energy that he already retrieved from his System inventory.
An Artifact of the Assassin Class.
The moment the Cockatriss attacked and no sound came out, its eyes widened in shock but its legs instinctively changed targets from the Wild Boar to the advancing Demon, its claws opening to shred apart.
This was a mighty predator with innate ancient hunting skills and technique.
Julian paid no attention to the Qi Beast's legs as he aimed at its head, then he inclined his body and threw his weapon at it.
BOOM!
The short blade broke the sound barrier, accelerating towards the Cockatriss's head with speed and before the Qi Beast could react, the blade plunged into its right eye, blinding one of its eyes!
The Cockatriss flared its wings and screeched in agony as it lost control of its flight, collapsing to the ground with a giant thud.
It was disoriented and before it knew it the Demon was already upon it.
Aether Bolt! ×50!
Julian didn't manage his qi at all, he went all out!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Amid a hail of violent concussive blasts of qi energy, tearing into the Cockatriss's body as blood flowed, Julian closed the distance and violently pulled the shortblade out of the Cockatriss's right eye, revealing a bloody hole.
He aimed at the other eye and ruthlessly stabbed at it.
BAM!
The Cockatriss thrashed in agony, wailing loudly even as the Aether Bolts kept on descending on it, shredding its thick fur and skin apart.
The Cockatriss was now blind on both eyes!
It was also now heavily injured.
In its death throes, it violently moved its body, trying to touch the Demon by all means with either its claws or its beak but knowing exactly what ability it was trying to use, Julian coldly evaded.
The Cockatriss attacked blindly again and again to no avail, and within a few seconds its agility and strength started waning.
It cried repeatedly in agony even as Julian conjured more Aether Bolts to bombard it and after about 30 seconds, the mighty Qi Beast finally went limp.
DING!
~----~
[You have killed a Lvl. 15 Juvenile Cockatriss!]
[You have gained +334,700 EXP!]
…
[You have completed System Mission: Hunt the Juvenile Cockatriss!]
[You have been rewarded with +1,200,000 EXP!]
~----~