MTLNOVEL Chapter 63: Badger
Rather than risk another cold glare, I found Narg and told him I'd be heading out for a bit, just in case. Then I activated [Warp].
In an instant, the world shifted, and I reappeared deep within the forest. Right where I had my goblins fight with the Gnarlbeast Deer.
The night air greeted me with a crisp chill, brushing against my skin like cool silk. The trees stood still, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze.
I took a breath...
Let's do this.
And blinked above the canopy, reappearing mid-air.
My foot landed on nothing, but I kept using [Warp] triggered again before gravity could claim me, and that kept me airborne. This was my version of airwalking.
Up here, above the treetops, I had the perfect view of the entire forest. So I scanned, eyes sweeping over moonlit foliage.
A minute, I caught nothing and thought to move lower.
But then I heard it.
A sharp cry of a beast in the distance.
I hovered briefly, pausing just long enough to mark the direction.
Then I dove, warping toward the source of the sound.
In a blink, I reappeared near the upper canopy, materializing atop a thick, moss-covered branch. The wood flexed beneath my weight, but I kept low, eyes scanning.
Below me, a skirmish was already underway.
Two creatures were locked in a fierce battle. One of them—slender, swift—moved like liquid fire through the underbrush. It looked like a fox, but not one born of nature.
Its fur shimmered in hues of flame-orange, darker tufts accenting its paws, muzzle, and the ends of three long, flicking tails. Each tail shimmered with a residual heat that distorted the air behind it. Its movements were too clean, too deliberate—more like a blade than a beast.
Its eyes glowed with a soft, unnatural gold.
[Name: Emberfang, the Three-Tailed Fox | Level: 15]
[Skill: Blazing Mirage]
Then there was its opponent.
Battered and injured.
It resembled one of Earth's most notorious wild creatures—the daredevil of the animal kingdom:
A honey badger.
Its body was covered in dense, gray-bristled fur, with thick claws that glinted like obsidian under the dappled forest light. Scars lined its flanks, evidence of a prolonged and brutal struggle. Yet it kept moving, growling low and constant, the sound like gravel grinding beneath heavy boots.
Name: Stonehide Badger | Level: 20
Skill: Iron Persistence
I noticed two similar badgers lying lifeless nearby, their thick hides scorched and torn by sharp claws. Their assailant clearly the Ember Fox.
The badger still standing—still fighting—was the last of them. And judging by its size difference and distinct features, it was the strongest of the three.
I grinned, rubbing both palms together. This was fantastic.
The two beasts looked like elite monsters.
And if there was one thing I knew about elite monsters, it was that they granted me a skill after they fell.
The troll, the mooncat, and the direwolf alpha had all been elites—and after I killed them, each one rewarded me with a skill.
If I played this right, I could walk away with two new ones.
I grinned, watching the two beasts face off.
A honey badger versus a three-tailed fox, huh?
Now that looked like an interesting battle.
The Emberfang Fox stood opposite the Stonehide Badger, panting lightly, its tails swishing with residual heat. One of its front legs was injured—bleeding and trembling with each step—and the limp in its gait was severe.
It didn't look like it was trying to win. It was searching for a way out, eyes darting, posture tense.
But the badger wasn't having it.
It stalked forward, unrelenting. Its eyes burned with fury, bloodshot and crazed. Foam crusted at the corners of its mouth, and its breathing came out in harsh, uneven huffs.
It looked rabid.
And honestly? That tracked. The injuries it had sustained were brutal—deep claw marks, singed fur, even a scorched flank—but it was still moving. Still hunting.
That was a honey badger for you. Vicious little monsters with the nerve to charge a lion and live to brag about it.
I shook my head. The fox had provoked a rather troublesome foe.
The Emberfang Fox darted toward the badger, its movements deceptively sharp despite its injured leg. At first, it looked like it was launching a head-on attack, but just as they were about to clash, something strange happened.
The honey badger appeared to split into two—one version veering left while the other shot right. For a second, it looked like there were two of them.
The badger snarled and slashed at the one on the right with full force, but its claws met nothing but air. The image burst apart in a flicker of orange flames—an illusion.
The real Emberfang Fox had already bolted in the opposite direction.
But the honey badger didn't stop to question what happened. It skidded to a halt, spun around with startling speed, and locked onto the fleeing fox again.
With a vicious growl, it launched into a chase.
Scary.
I muttered under my breath as I followed the two beasts closely. My plan was to let them wear each other down, and then swoop in. Getting an easy kill.
Because of the fox's injured leg, it couldn't keep up the same pace it would normally manage.
So the badger closed the gap in seconds, foam still clinging to its mouth, its steps heavy but relentless.
Realizing it wouldn't outrun its pursuer on flat ground, the Emberfang Fox changed tactics. It veered sharply and leapt onto a nearby tree, using a low-hanging branch to pull itself up just out of reach.
But the badger wasn't to be underestimated. It slashed at the base of the tree with a savage growl, and the force of the strike splintered the trunk.
CRACK!
The tree groaned and toppled before the fox could reach the upper branches.
And the fox kicked off its trunk and vaulted to another nearby tree with impressive agility just before the tree hit the ground.
Mid-leap, it twisted its body and fired a burst of blue flame toward the badger.
But the badger didn't flinch.
It took the hit full-on, fur catching the ember's glow, and kept charging, as if the attack only stoked its fury. Snarling louder. Eyes wild with rage and madness.
Scary.
From what I could see, the...