With my objective (once again) reinforced, I turned and jumped towards the roof of the wholesale store. Perhaps because of the almost 10-meter difference between the top of the water tower and the roof, my landing wasn't as "smooth" as the first time (from the second floor of my house to the neighbor's yard).
[-2 HP]
'Serious fall damage? Now?'
Well, it's still better now than during a fight, and this way I know I have to be careful so no vulture catches me and throws me to the ground.
Running to the nearest building, I jumped to the roof of the nearest house, then to the next, and the next, until I reached the limit I could reach on this side of the avenue. The problem now is getting through it without falling to the ground.
Was there any great danger on the ground, like another nest of slimes or goblins? No, it wasn't anything like that... at least I hoped not.
But jumping across the rooftops in this situation was the best option. Eventually, I would get close to a horde of undead monsters, with vultures and all. And as soon as I got close, they would notice me and come straight at me.
Even if I theoretically (very theoretically, I might add) could hold off a group of the horde, which I honestly doubt, I don't want to have to waste the still uncertain stamina of my spear, my few arrows, or my limited mana, not to mention the unnecessary fatigue.
'Now let's see, the best way would be... Urrghhhh, seriously, there wouldn't be another way?'
I thought, looking at the only route I couldprobably manage, one that wouldn't require me to climb a house on the other side.
I would have to jump to the top of a lamppost, from the lamppost to the thickest branch of the tallest tree in the middle of a linear park between an uphill and a downhill avenue, and from the thickest point on the other side, jump 5 meters to the top of a pharmacy.
If someone in their right mind were watching this, I'm sure they would ask: what's the problem with just climbing another lamppost on the other side, or a house, instead of going through all this trouble?
My answer would be that there are things people are good at and things they aren't good at, and one of the things I'm particularly not very good (terrible) at is climbing.
With my current physique? Yeah, I could probably do it, but I don't feel like testing that right now.
Besides, by taking this route I still have a panoramic view of anything that might appear in front of me, even with the shadow cloak activated I still prefer being able to see the danger ahead than being "totally" blind..... It's kind of a crappy coping mechanism, but it works for me.
[MP: 147/160]
'Okay, I can still hold out with the cloak for much longer, let's go.'
With the literal shadow cloak enveloping me like a blanket, which strangely made me harder to spot, I went to the end of the roof of the small building (only 3.5 meters from the ground to the roof) where I was and ran to the nearest lamppost about 3 meters ahead and 4 meters higher than the roof.
Making the jump to the top wasn't difficult, but landing wasn't so easy, in fact my foot slipped as soon as it touched it. Perhaps it was the half-dried trail of slime that had passed through here, or the accumulated moisture, but as soon as the tip of my foot touched the edge of the post, it slipped and I almost fell 7 meters to the ground.
I only didn't fall because I used my [obsidian claws] to hold on, and it hurt like hell to do that, seriously those claws aren't good for anything other than cutting opponents.
'Sometimes not even for that, right Drake?'
I thought about the miserable giant lizard that made me break my nails, probably along with my fingers, the last time I tried to pierce the creature's skin. Yes, I know it was more my fault than anything else; who tries to cut the hide of a subspecies of dragon with something that has obsidian in its name? Still, I stand by my complaint.
Anyway, with one hand on the top of the post, I had to crawl upwards almost as if climbing a rope, and from there I needed patience and care to be able to stand up again (and even then I almost slipped twice more). Luckily, the branch I needed wasn't far, only 1 meter ahead, and with a moderate push I managed to reach it.
'At times like these, I'm grateful that my sister made the plants grow so much.'
I thought, patting the branch where I was. Getting to the other side was easy, or so I'd like to say, but I ended up having an unexpected encounter along the way.
As soon as I reached the throne and was about to cross to the other side, I felt something on my foot that forced me to duck. The next instant I felt something pass over me and only then did I hear a hiss. At that moment I threw myself to another branch, a little lower than where I was, as fast as I could.
In the spot where I had been moments before, a sharp claw appeared, and a new "shock" sent me throwing my body back before my ears could register the 'Whoosh' that passed close to my face. Because I threw my body back so quickly, of course I ended up falling, but by sheer luck I managed to get my legs caught on the branch, which ended up causing me to involuntarily hold a handstand.
I twisted my body slightly and used the [obsidian claws] again, digging them into the branch where I was, and aligning my entire body under the branch. Upside down, pressed against the branch and with the shadow vegetation still active, I could see what had attacked me.
It was a white hawk with black wings and a slightly reddish beak, a Caracara, perched on a branch almost parallel to mine. But it wasn't "small" like the ones I was used to; it was large, almost the size of a harpy eagle.
I was only able to distinguish it because I knew that harpy eagles had thicker, "fluffier" plumage around their bodies, especially around their necks, while hawks, like eagles, had shorter, smoother feathers. A harpy eagle would also be a type of hawk, but the size difference was so significant that they are considered eagles by science, despite one of their most common names being royal hawk.
I knew this sort of thing thanks to a school project on birds of prey like hawks, eagles, and harpy eagles.
And the reason I knew it wasn't a giant eagle was simply that there aren't any eagles here in Curitiba, while hawks exist in good numbers, second only to vultures, pigeons, lapwings, great kiskadees, and rufous horneros.
Luckily, it was just one, but the fact that it saw me even with [shadow cloak] activated, in the middle of the wooded branches of a tree just over 9 meters tall, doesn't seem like a good sign.
'Stay and fight, or just keep moving forward with heightened vigilance for new attacks?'
Hawks are solitary animals, at most forming pairs, but that's generally the case. Caracaras, on the other hand, sometimes travel in small groups, so the chances of them calling for reinforcements are extremely small, but not zero.
And, again, that's if he doesn't have a female mate, or if she doesn't have a male mate (it's been years since I did that school assignment, and let's face it, telling the sex of birds with the naked eye isn't the easiest thing in the world).
'On the positive side, they are territorial animals, if he can afford to come here with a walking food source not too far away, then the fight for territory here is over and he won. On the negative side, this also means that he must not be weak.'
The only reason I managed to dodge at first was probably that Mari sent a subtle warning through the roots with Pomo's help, because if I had relied on my hearing, his claws would certainly have torn me apart without me even noticing.
'He can move at incredible speed and has the maneuverability typical of a bird of prey, and I imagine he must have some other trick up his sleeve, or rather, under his feathers.'
'...I only managed to dodge thanks to the two of them; if it were up to me, I would be dead. As soon as I get out of here, even if I stay on the ground, they couldn't warn me about another attack…'
Well, it seems I have no choice here again.
But at least this will be an opportunity to see how my spear performs in a fight and how I'll have to deal with enemies from now on.
'I just hope Mari and Pomo can keep sending the signals to dodge, I really don't have confidence in winning using only my senses.'