The Stalker's heavy footfalls chased Lyra through the twisted grove of eucalyptus trees while her lungs burned from the sprint. Despite its size, the creature breathed through rhythmic huffs that sounded surprisingly quiet due to its evolutionary adaptations, increasing its predatory effectiveness.

  Gotta reach the fruits. Gotta keep it away from Kain.

  She wasn't a fighter by nature. Her biggest physical challenge prior to the Integration was finishing a 5K charity run organized by her gym. The Blade Dao awakening changed Lyra substantially—providing new abilities and altering her mind and body in ways she could only have imagined.

  Lyra knew that confronting the beast straight on would lead in one direction only—death. Her optimal strategy involved avoiding direct confrontation and securing the target before withdrawing.

  Over twenty meters ahead, a low-hanging cluster of Riftfruit emitted a golden glow.

  That cluster will have to do.

  The Stalker closed the ground at a remarkable speed, its powerful limbs breaking ground much faster than her limited bipedal steps could take her.

  Can't outrun it. Need to outsmart it. Use that brain of yours, Lyra.

  Lyra drew upon a deep, primal connection that emerged when her tusk-blade harmonized with her Dao. Her power emerged differently from Kain's spectacular electrical displays by subtly strengthening her bond with nature and the essential behaviors of predator and prey.

  Using her [Silent Step] skill, Lyra achieved complete silence in her movement, allowing the noise of twigs cracking and leaves rustling to fade away as she kept driving herself forward. The Stalker tilted its head in confusion as its primary tracking ability became impaired.

  Lyra took cover behind a massive trunk and exploited the momentary confusion to make a wide turnaround. The Stalker stopped to analyze the air using its superior smell capabilities but failed to detect her human scent because the grove's intense scent profile concealed it.

  This might actually work.

  She moved stealthily toward the cluster of fruit while carefully placing each footstep to keeping [Silent Step] active. The Stalker demonstrated predatory intelligence by moving in expanding circles following a systematic search pattern.

  Twenty meters became fifteen, then ten. As she drew nearer to the Riftfruit, their golden radiance intensified, and their pulsing energy created ripples in the ambient field that appeared to resonate with her Primal affinity.

  Five meters. The Stalker had retreated to a greater distance while investigating a false path with its back turned away.

  I gotta move!

  Lyra sprinted ahead at full speed, still remaining in control, to reach the fruit-bearing branch. Her palms enveloped two golden orbs, and they, surprisingly to Lyra, released without resistance as their warm surfaces vibrated against her skin.

  No time to examine her prizes. The Stalker abandoned its previous search pattern and charged towards her with a terrifying speed after it spotted her presence.

  Shit shit shit!

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Lyra plunged into a dense thicket of sharp crystalline ferns that sliced shallow cuts on her arms while she dug further into the thick undergrowth. The Riftfruits in her grip warmed against her chest as if they sensed the rapid beating of her heart.

  The Stalker came to a stop right outside her hiding place while its large body obstructed the minimal light passing through the overhead foliage. The Stalker exhaled slowly through controlled breaths which showed the predatory certainty of a hunter that had trapped its quarry.

  Despite Lyra's muscles crying out from the tension, she held them hostage to stay still; this was no easy task. While the ferns hid her from view they could not protect her physically from a charge by the Stalker.

  Don't move. Don't even breathe.

  At the edge of the thicket, the creature walked carefully, using its clawed hands to check how thick the vegetation was. The Stalker reached closer to her hiding spot as its poisonous claws cut through the crystal-like ferns just inches away from her face.

  It knows I'm in here. It's just trying to flush me out.

  Panic threatened to overwhelm her rational mind. Lyra lacked tactical training, unlike Kain, who had decades of hunter experience. She, on the other hand, possessed natural survival instincts, and with her recently discovered Dao powers, she could do this.

  Think. What would Kain do?

  Her eyes shut as she concentrated on the inner warmth of her primal power with its golden essence. Her power functioned through subtle principles of connection and intuition rather than Kain's Lightning Dao which demonstrated explosive external manifestations.

  Lyra activated [Predator's Gaze] instantly and sensed her awareness grow to envelop her surroundings with intense perception. She precisely located the Stalker through its heat signature and breathing pattern while sensing its faint electromagnetic pulse despite the ferns blocking her view.

  The creature stood less than three feet from her while its large body positioned itself to break through her cover.

  Oh god, it's going to find me.

  Her rational mind fought against rising panic. The pounding in her chest was so intense she believed the beast could hear its rhythm. While her lungs demanded more air she forced herself to breathe shallowly and quietly using willpower alone.

  I'm going to die in a bush killed by a mutant koala. What the actual fuck happened to my life?

  The Stalker turned its head in her direction when its heightened senses picked up a tiny signal that revealed her whereabouts. The beast produced a low rumbling growl that emitted harmonic frequencies specifically designed to incapacitate prey through fear.

  Lyra resisted her natural reaction by concentrating on how the Riftfruits warmed her chest area. The pulsing energy from her surroundings worked against the Stalker's fear-inducing harmonics which enabled her to keep her composure in the face of danger.

  The creature's sharp talons ripped through the ferns above her while venomous liquid seeped from their tips onto the crystalline plant life beneath. An acidic fluid drop fell only inches from her face and released a faint vapor that caused her eyes to sting.

  Don't move. Don't move. Don't you fucking move.

  Just as discovery seemed inevitable, something changed. The Stalker instantly redirected its focus as its head turned toward the sound from afar. The animal issued a sharp grunt which clearly indicated it was reallocating its focus.

  The claws withdrew from the ferns. The creature abandoned its search and moved toward another source of noise as heavy footfalls faded away from her hiding place.

  Lyra stood motionless for sixty seconds while her [Predator's Gaze] assured her that the Stalker had moved past immediate striking range. She released a trembling breath only after her muscles began to shake from the tension that had been released.

  Holy shit. Holy actual shit.

  The Riftfruits burned warm within her grasp, unexpectedly comforting her hand. Their value justified the danger since their potential power source visibly accelerated development even before consumption.

  After parting the ferns with care Lyra used her eyes to verify what her [Predator's Gaze] had already revealed—the Stalker had moved thirty feet away towards the grove's edge to examine something.

  Now or never.

  She dashed out of the bushes with an urgent sprint as adrenaline surged through her muscles and her ancestral primal connection gave her extra strength. The Stalker detected her motion right away and spun into action with the speed of a predator to continue the pursuit.

  Lyra maintained her lead through direction and momentum while sprinting toward the location where she left Kain battling other Stalkers. The creature pursued her relentlessly as its powerful limbs quickly diminished the distance between them despite her initial advantage.

  Just a little further. Please be alive, Kain...

  As she ran at full speed through the forest, which turned into a blur around her, she held the Riftfruits against her chest—branches slapped her face, creating painful welts on her cheeks and forehead.

  She ran through a last barrier of contorted trees to discover a structured turmoil. Kain was fighting two Stalkers simultaneously while his lightning-enhanced movements allowed him to stay just out of reach from their joint attacks. At a distance smoke billowed from the charred remains of a third Stalker which lay motionless on the ground.

  The Stalker gave a fierce roar upon entering the clearing which alerted its pack to the woman and the valuable resources she possessed.

  Lyra identified an opportunity during that brief moment of distraction. The downed Stalker exerted effort to stand up while its movements remained slow with persistent determination.

  She changed direction slightly while maintaining her pace and unsheathed her tusk-blade as she drew near.

  Golden energy illuminated her blade's edge when she initiated [Precise Cut] to strike the exposed throat of the weakened Stalker with flawless execution of her signature move. The wound was exceptionally precise as it cut through muscle tissue, arteries and cartilage with the accuracy of a surgeon.

  The Stalker fell to the ground as dark blood pulsed from its fatal injury while its glowing markings gradually faded.

  [Level up! You have reached Level 5!]

  "Kain!" Lyra yelled and maintained her forward motion toward the forest's edge. "Go, go, go! I've got the fruit—we need to get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

  MY PATREON