NOVEL WEB Chapter 241: Safe?
Hal gulped, his heart pounding wildly.
'D-Damn it, should I leave or…'
He turned and scanned his eyes around.
There should be plenty of Windswept Beryls here, probably enough for multiple attempts…
'Let's not jump the gun, Hal…' he reminded himself, taking a deep breath.
There was no need to panic immediately.
Hal then summoned the [Spirit Sparrow] and made it fly outside the cave, surveying the surroundings.
It didn't seem like the Galewing Roc was anywhere nearby…
And so, he quickly got to work, controlling the summon to phase inside one of the Skyroot Pines outside the cave and setting it up as a sentry.
It was a bit uncomfortable having two different sights, but Hal didn't dare seal off the sparrow's sights.
Even though there was a fairly decent chance of him escaping the beast should they encounter it, he wasn't too sure about Loki, and he naturally didn't want his beloved companion to perish.
After setting up his summon's position, Hal moved.
He quickly began searching for Windswept Beryls, wandering inside the cave as he scanned every gemstone embedded on the dry and rocky walls.
It didn't take him long to locate a greenish gemstone with faintly pulsing, windswept marks.
'Windswept Beryl!'
Hal harvested it by pushing the walls forward a little using [Earthen Pillar], then slicing it off with a [Wind Cutter].
He could mine and clean it all he wanted later.
For now, he just had to get the gemstones and store them inside the system's inventory.
Hal used this method for ten whole minutes, acquiring a total of eleven Windswept Beryls before proceeding to carefully harvest a bit of the [Rare]-tier Stormdrop Ferns and the featured Cloudsage, not thinking too much about it.
'These should be enough…' he thought inwardly as he closed the window of the system's inventory.
The other gemstones and flora inside the cave weren't worth risking one's life for.
So, Hal decided to leave while the owner of the cave was still out hunting.
He didn't dare test the eyes of an avian-type beast.
"Let's go, Loki."
"Woof!"
The huge pup was in evident agreement, clearly not at ease inside the cave, perhaps due to scents undetectable by mere human noses.
The duo was walking towards the exit when, suddenly, a loud screech that resembled the howls of wind echoed outside, making Hal freeze momentarily.
His heart then began pounding faster.
'F*ck me and my luck!' he cursed inwardly, turning to Loki.
"Come, follow me." Hal hushed.
He then sprinted off to one of the huge boulders in the middle of the cave and hid behind it, his companion unhesitatingly following suit.
Hal closed his eyes and focused his vision on the [Spirit Sparrow].
Soon, a colossal, emerald bird with a long, feather antenna that extended all the way to the back of its huge head came into view.
It had horrifying talons that could seemingly crush even steel, and the green, metallic lining of its massive wings, which spanned twelve meters, pulsed and called upon storms with each mighty flap.
Slowly, it descended towards the entrance of the cave.
To Hal's horror, it was larger than the entrance, having to crouch and bend its avian frame a bit before it could enter.
The inside was surprisingly spacious enough for it to continue flying at a low altitude and proceed towards its nest.
Hal breathed a sigh of relief as the colossal bird passed the boulder, quickly willing his summon to enter the cave, phase through the rocky walls, and watch the pathway to the nest, ensuring a safe retreat for the duo.
"Come, Loki," he whispered, courageously leaving the covers of the boulder and swiftly and silently heading towards the exit.
His spine chilled with every subsequent second he stayed in the beast's lair, and he couldn't wait to get out.
But then, just as he neared the entrance, an enraged screech echoed deeper inside, making all hairs on Hal's body stand on end.
It was a strange feeling, but he felt like he knew exactly why the Galewing Roc was infuriated.
'Sh*t! Wasn't it only a stupid flower?!' he complained inwardly.
The massive bird was overreacting a bit, no?
There was no time for the duo to dally, as aggressively flapping wings sounded deep in the cave, getting closer and closer to them.
Hal exited quickly, summoning another poor, disposable [Spirit Wolf].
He then conjured an ironwood puppet that rode the summon, bringing with them a charge of [Voice Orb] as they sped off towards the mountain peak while their caster hid beneath a Skyroot Pine.
"Loki, follow me, quick!" the orb echoed from afar, instantly capturing the attention of the Galewing Roc scurrying out the entrance.
With a mighty screech, it proudly unfurled its wings and began its pursuit.
This was Hal and Loki's cue to leave their hiding place and descend the mountain.
And so they did, huffing and puffing as they rushed down faster than an underwear thief in the night.
One wrong move and they could slip to a nasty fall.
However, being noticed by the Galewing Roc was far more dangerous, plus Hal could fly, so there was no need for him to be too careful.
Loki was also quite filthy with his footwork, nimbly dodging rocks as if he had lived in this mountain his whole life.
Soon, Hal sensed the destruction of his disposable summons and conjures, but two charges were well worth it, given the distance they've gained.
Hal began slowing down, taking a deep breath as he glanced at Loki, who didn't seem to be struggling with his breath despite usually lazing around all day.
They should be safe from the Galewing Roc now…
That they are, but while on the swift descent, the two failed to notice that an unassuming crag they passed on the way down suddenly shifted.
Had they had the chance to observe their surroundings while they were rushing down the mountain, they would have noticed that one of the crags they passed was still behind them, remaining a certain distance away, as though they were stuck in a looping illusion.
That no matter how fast or slow they moved, it remained at around the same distance.