CHAPTER 9: The Mammoth
Edard let out a heavy sigh and swallowed hard. One could say he was feeling the gnawing ache of hunger, the parched sting of thirst, and certainly a deep, creeping anxiety. Yet, none of these physical burdens truly occupied his mind at this moment. What consumed him was the terrifying puzzle of how to avoid stumbling into his own grave. He drew a long, shaky breath. He was certain that when he had first caught sight of that water, he was standing atop a mountain. That mountain possessed a staggering height, and since then, he had descended to the lowlands. He was no longer on high ground, so it was hardly a mystery why the water had vanished from his sight. Still, there was a nagging possibility that the water had been nothing more than a mirage.
Ultimately, Edard decided there was nothing to do but keep moving. He hoped that by keeping his Spiritual Sense and Interracial Communication active, he might catch a glimpse of someone within this vast, untamed wilderness. He knew better than anyone, however, that unless he encountered the type of men known as Hamites or the monks—those who shave their heads and retreat to the wilds—finding a person of significance in this forest would be a miracle. Then again, the customs of this world might be entirely different from his own, which was a very real possibility.
As he trekked on, his clock continued its merciless descent, showing approximately eleven minutes and forty-seven seconds of life remaining. He reached a point where several small caves were nestled at the base of a modest hill. This hill did not even possess half the height of the mountain he had just left. It was only now that Edard truly appreciated his foresight in marking the previous cave where he intended to sleep. Without that mark, it would have been nearly impossible to find his way back, as this entire region was a chaotic sea of mountains. One could say the peaks were in a race with one another for the sky. Without his marker, he would never have recognized one from the other.
At this specific spot, Edard paused. Because his Spiritual Sense and Interracial Communication were constantly open, he sensed a vibration—a movement coming from within one of the caves. The cave was small, and ordinarily, if there were something inside such a modest opening, Edard wouldn't have bothered with it. But surprisingly, he felt a distinct presence. One could say that if it weren't for the sharpness of his Interracial Communication, which allowed him to perceive even the slightest sound, he would have missed it entirely. At first, he thought the sound was someone snoring, but he soon realized it sounded more like the muffled cry of an animal.
Edard felt as though this might be his final opportunity. He drew the small dagger he had fashioned from Dragon Essence, gripped it firmly, and approached the mouth of the cave. He would not make the mistake of entering blindly again. First, he utilized his Spiritual Sense to peer into the darkness. The interior was pitch black, as no light could penetrate the deep recess. To make matters worse, a thick curtain of vines, grass, and trees choked the entrance, ensuring the shadows remained absolute.
His sensing ability revealed a massive elephant—a mammoth—inside. But even more shocking was what lay beyond the beast: a human-like figure. The figure was lying in a pool of blood, perhaps the remains of the mammoth's meal. Edard's abilities had not lied to him; though he initially heard what he thought was snoring, his Spiritual Sense had captured a "snapshot" of a human shape. This was the reason he had stopped, for in his desperate rush, almost nothing else would have made him pause.
Edard's heart hammered against his ribs. He felt a desperate hope that the human figure was still alive despite the blood. He hadn't given up hope, especially since he had heard that snore-like sound earlier. This was his last chance. After a moment of calculation, he decided it would be better to lure the mammoth out into the open to fight. If they clashed inside, the beast would surely trample the person, finishing them off if they weren't already dead.
Edard crouched, gathered some stones, and began throwing them into the cave. He took great care to ensure the stones wouldn't hit the prone human, instead aiming directly for the mammoth's head. He missed the forehead but struck the creature squarely on its trunk. The experts he had worked with at the Kano Zoo had once told him that an elephant hates nothing more than being struck on the trunk. He didn't know if this creature shared that trait, but the difference was clear: this was no ordinary zoo animal. It was at least eight or nine times larger than any elephant he had ever fed. It was a mammoth, a species thought to be extinct on Earth, but clearly very much alive in the World of Masar.
His plan worked. The stone struck its mark, and the mammoth turned in a blind fury. As their eyes met, the beast paused for a heartbeat, as if surprised to see him, before a look of predatory joy filled its eyes. It had found a great catch; a meal had delivered itself. Edard didn't lose his nerve. He leaped back, putting distance between himself and the cave entrance.
The mammoth, which outweighed him at least fifty times over, did not hesitate. It charged. Edard activated his Status Key to gauge his opponent. A small box appeared near the mammoth's trunk:
Edard breathed a sigh of relief. Since the mammoth's level wasn't significantly higher than his own (as he was Level 1), he believed he could handle it. They were on a similar playing field. Furthermore, he possessed multiple Major Classifications, while this beast had none. Aside from its massive physical bulk, he felt it had nothing that could truly surpass him.
He watched his list of minor and major skills flash before his eyes as he chose his path for this struggle. He balled his fist, activating the tattoo of the three-winged dragon. Above his hand, the glowing, molten stone appeared. Edard used this material to strike at the air.
He summoned his Willpower to stabilize the globe of molten rock and hurled it at the mammoth. The stone swelled and began to spit fire, appearing as though an inferno were erupting from within it. The molten mass flew straight toward the charging beast. However, Edard quickly realized a flaw in his attack: much of the molten material was splashing and spreading out, falling uselessly to the ground or flying in directions he hadn't intended. Before the strike could even reach the mammoth, he realized that for every "unit" he pulled from the Dragon Dimension at the cost of thirty Life Energy points, more than 70% was being wasted.
At that moment, he remembered the instructions given by the immortal dais regarding Willpower. To use this material effectively, he needed to use his mental strength to gather the molten stone into a cohesive shape and set its trajectory. Both the shaping of the element and the accuracy of the throw required his mental focus. Edard immediately concentrated, pulling his mental energy together to stop the molten rock from splashing onto the ground. He tried to reclaim what he could, though much had already spilled and was beyond recovery.
To an outsider, it would look as though the molten stone was emerging directly from his hand, but in reality, his hand was merely a gateway—a portal the Dragon Dimension used to enter this world. Perhaps the Dragon Dimension was a world Edard could not enter, and it could not enter his world, so his hand served as the bridge between the two.
The massive mammoth showed no fear. It reared up on its hind legs, intending to crush Edard with its front feet. Simultaneously, it swung its massive trunk to swat away the molten stone Edard had sent its way. But then, something unexpected happened.
The mammoth had put all its strength into that trunk swing to deflect the fire. As the collision neared, sweat began to pour down Edard's face. The molten ball seemed to slow down, and for a moment, Edard feared the mammoth would simply dodge it. He didn't know if the slowing was due to his low Willpower or something else entirely. But luck was on his side; he noticed the mammoth made no effort to move out of the way. Perhaps the beast was so confident in its size that it viewed the molten ball as a minor nuisance. It likely felt that if it couldn't simply swat the fire aside, only then would it have bothered to dodge.