Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 36: A little help!

Kael quickly closed the system interface with a swift motion of his hand, letting the notifications disappear. He took a deep breath, recovering from the impact of the changes in his body. When he looked around, he realized that the landscape had drastically changed.

The forest around him now seemed much denser and more oppressive than the upper part. Gigantic trees, with canopies so wide they almost blocked out all sunlight, created a dark, humid environment. The roots rose from the ground like natural barriers, some forming low tunnels, while the sound of insects and creatures echoed in all directions.

"So... this is where I ended up," Kael sighed, crossing his arms. "Looks like I went straight into a valley, or maybe some untouched forest... Great. This just makes it harder to get out of here without help."

He took a few steps, his eyes analyzing the terrain with the precision of his newly unlocked Predatory Eyes. Tiny details stood out to him: fresh footprints in the dirt, claw marks on tree trunks, and even the subtle movement of leaves indicating creatures lurking in the darkness.

"I’m definitely not alone here," he murmured, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword as he carefully moved between the trees.

The air here was heavier, carrying a faint scent of moisture mixed with the aroma of unfamiliar plants. He could feel a latent presence all around, as if the entire valley was inhabited by something much larger than him.

As he continued to explore, Kael passed a weathered rock formation. Moss covered the stones, and a faint stream of water trickled from a crack. He paused, crouching down to touch the water, cool and refreshing to the touch.

"If only there was a way to climb back... but with this terrain, it seems impossible without a large group or equipment."

Kael stood up again, observing his surroundings more carefully. It wasn’t just the density of the forest that worried him; there was a strange, almost magical aura permeating the air. He could feel the pulse of mana around him, something ancient and powerful.

"Whatever lives down here, it’s strong," he thought, adjusting his posture as he continued moving forward. His body was still a bit sore from the impact and the integration with the soul fragment, but he knew standing still wasn’t an option.

Suddenly, Kael felt a sharp pain in his left arm, interrupting his focus. He looked down and saw blood staining the sleeve of his shirt. With an irritated sigh, he leaned against a nearby tree, taking a deep breath before starting to examine the wound.

"Great... as if being lost wasn’t enough, now this."

He gripped the sleeve with his opposite hand and ripped it with a firm pull, exposing his dirty and wounded skin. That’s when he saw the cause of the pain: a thin but sturdy branch had pierced his flesh near the bicep.

"Ah, of course. Because falling off a cliff wouldn’t be exciting enough without this," he muttered, trying to relieve the tension with humor, but the pain was too real for him to ignore for long.

Kael grasped the branch carefully, examining the angle and size. It didn’t appear to have hit any nerves or bones, but blood was steadily dripping, staining the ground. He gritted his teeth, mentally preparing for what he had to do.

"Okay, Kael. No drama. Just pull this out and fix the problem... Easy, right?"

He pressed his fingers against the tip of the branch and, with a quick and decisive motion, pulled it out of his flesh. A wave of sharp pain shot through his arm, and he gasped, falling to his knees.

The bloodstained branch fell from his hand, and he pressed his fingers against the wound to try to stop the bleeding. His breathing was heavy, but he knew he had to act fast.

"I need to stop the bleeding... or I’ll end up passing out before I can get out of here," he murmured, tearing the rest of the sleeve into strips. Carefully, he wrapped the strips around his arm, creating a makeshift bandage.

As he pressed the cloth against the wound, his system lit up with an unexpected notification:

[Warning: Severe injury detected. "Basic Regeneration" skill activated.]

He felt a slight wave of warmth emanate from his arm. The pain dulled slightly, and the bleeding began to slow. Kael raised an eyebrow, watching the wound close slowly.

"Well, that’s convenient," he said with a tired smile. "At least the system doesn’t leave me completely helpless."

Still, he knew he couldn’t rely solely on regeneration. The forest around him wasn’t just dangerous; it was hostile. Kael carefully stood up, adjusting his posture while testing his arm.

The pain was still there, but manageable. He looked at the branch he had torn out, furrowing his brow as he noticed that the tip was strangely smooth, as if it had been cut by something sharp.

"This isn’t normal..." he murmured, scanning the surroundings again. The forest seemed quieter than before, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Great. As if I wasn’t having a wonderful enough day already... I need to find a stream at least... If this gets infected, I’m pretty sure I’ll die, and no regeneration is going to help me here," Kael spoke aloud to keep his focus.

Kael walked cautiously, his boots crunching dry leaves and broken branches as he advanced through the dense forest. The silence around him was almost oppressive, broken only by the sound of his own heavy breathing. His arm throbbed with each step, and he could feel the improvised bandage starting to dampen again.

"I need water... and fast," he murmured, looking around for any sign of a stream or water source. He raised his hand, attempting to focus his mana to manipulate the wind and feel the direction of the airflow.

A light breeze passed by him, carrying the scent of wet earth. "At least something is working," Kael murmured. He began to follow the direction indicated, but the effort to manipulate the wind was evident.

[Warning: Low Mana. Use skills in moderation.]

Kael stopped, gritting his teeth as he looked at the floating notification. "As if I needed the system to remind me of that..." He massaged his temples, feeling the exhaustion beginning to take over.

Focusing again, he took a few more steps until he finally heard the comforting sound of running water. His heart leapt, and he quickened his pace, ignoring the pain in his arm and the overall fatigue.

Upon reaching the stream, Kael knelt by the edge, tossing his sword aside and plunging his hands into the cold water. He brought a handful to his face, washing himself and then drinking deeply. The cold, refreshing liquid seemed to reignite some of his energy.

Carefully, he removed the makeshift bandage from his arm, exposing the wound, which was now partially closed. Dried blood mixed with dirt, and Kael knew he needed to clean the area before things got worse.

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He wetted the torn cloth and began to clean around the cut, gritting his teeth as the pain intensified with the contact. "This isn’t going to be easy... but it’s better than letting it fester."

While he worked, a movement in the water caught his attention. He raised his eyes, his hand instinctively going to his sword beside him. Something was swimming against the current, small and too fast to be a regular fish.

Kael narrowed his eyes, trying to discern what it was. Then, a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the surface, locking onto him. A small creature, covered in dark, wet fur, leaped onto the shore. It looked like a mix between a squirrel and a cat, with pointed ears and a long, flowing tail.

"Another problem?" Kael asked, pointing his sword at the creature.

She tilted her head, curious, but didn’t move to attack him. On the contrary, it emitted a low, melodic sound, almost like a chant.

Kael relaxed a little, but kept his sword raised. "What do you want? Because if you’re going to eat me, I warn you I’m not an easy snack."

The creature jumped backwards, as if offended, and pointed its tail towards Kael’s wounded arm.

"Do you understand that I’m hurt? Great, now even magical animals are judging me," he muttered.

The creature then ran to a nearby tree and returned with something in its mouth: a small leaf of vibrant, almost fluorescent color. It dropped it at Kael’s feet, looking at him as if hoping he would understand.

Kael arched an eyebrow. "You want me to use this?"

The creature just tilted its head again, emitting the same melodic sound.

"Okay, let’s try. But if it turns out to be poisonous, I swear I’ll hunt you down in the afterlife," he said, picking up the leaf and sniffing it carefully. A fresh, sweet scent emanated from it, which somehow seemed comforting.

He pressed the leaf against the wound, feeling a slight tingle. To his surprise, the pain subsided almost instantly, and the bleeding stopped completely.

"What is this... natural magic?" Kael muttered, watching as the wound began to close faster.

The creature emitted a sound of satisfaction and then disappeared into the forest before Kael could say anything else.

"Okay, that was... weird." He stood up, and checked his arm. "But I accept. Now, how the hell do I get out of this valley?"

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