[Last Emperor] Chapter 5 - Ultima, Alpha, Dead (Patreon)

His assumption had been correct. Tao Zi found absolutely nothing of note from the disgusting soiled clothing he had in his inventory. Eventually throwing them back into the spacial ring until he had an opportunity to burn them or dispose of them without attracting monsters that could casually kill him without trying.

It most likely meant that those nasty things would remain in his ring for some time.

Much to his displeasure.

Tao Zi stepped out of the cave. Slamming the boulder shut behind him with an urgency only a cat owner would have. Tiger had bolted from his impromptu meal in an attempt to escape the cave and out into the wild. Slamming into the boulder instead.

He could hear the rascal cry out as thought the world had just ended. Tao Zi ignored him. Instead making his way out towards where he last saw the chimps.

There was a plan he needed to accomplish. Hunt one or two in order to figure out what he would be provided with and how it would help him before returning and practicing on other things. Improve himself so he could hunt bigger stronger monsters here. Tao Zi had the suspicion that this entire system he had been given revolved around hunting and killing things. The extra rewards made for practicing was only the cherry on top.

Couldn't call your system the Last Emperor in a cultivation world without expecting a significant amount of fighting, killing, and even murder. It was all quite natural in this field of expertise. More so for the strong or those attempting to be strong.

He shook his head.

Tao Zi had his sword, an advantage of his Qi, and sturdy, long rope. Maybe he could use some of the meat to attract one of the chimps but the prospect of attracting something else was far too dangerous. There were no large boulders to hide him and everything he stepped on or touched would out him for anything with enough skill to hear even the minute stuff.

So he walked silently watching and searching for any goblinoids. It took him more time than he expected to find his first group, a dozen fighting a buck that seemed to nearly explode with muscle. As though it had been inflated like a balloon. Not that it stopped it from being agile and athletic.

The thing hopped back and forth without issue dodging and slamming into a chimp or two in the process.

He expected it to run away until it literally bit the head off of one chimp clean off. Spitting it out and roaring out to the heavens in triumph. The group of chimps backed away carefully, though it was clear they were not planning on leaving any time soon.

System Analysis -

Alpha Buck (Cervus Ultima)

Qi Gathering -

Initiate Stage 3

Body Tempering Initiate 5

Warning -

Not all Mortal Stage creatures are the same. Mortal dragons cannot be compared to mortal mice.

The buck roared again. The chimps surrounded it as a group, poking and prodding as the beast fought back. Slowly bleeding their foe out. The damage was building up on the buck, its movements growing slower and slower with every sequence of passes during the battle.

It was on the losing end, even if it had taken out seven of the twelve that had surrounded it. Energy flagging and covered in red blood.

Tao Zi was worried that its blood would attract something bigger and stronger soon enough, but he couldn't let this opportunity escape him. There were a few injuries among the remaining seven. Clearly going through sheer adrenaline and fear rather than ability to stand and fight. One had a missing arm at the shoulder socket.

Such a situation was perfect for him. Tao Zi left the area quickly, heading towards the cleared out path he had noticed the chimps had come from. It was only stepped on recently by the twelve as they cornered the buck.

He tied the rope at knee level on one side of the path, and then on the other side of the path as well. Hoping to trip them up or at least get in a few seconds longer during his ambush. They should be busy carrying the meat back to wherever they had come from. Or running away from something chasing them.

Tao Zi would not be hunting them if a HellHound was on their tails.

So he waited. Silently in the cover of the bushes and dead ferns. Listening to the fight that was still occurring in the clearing. The chimps were not taking any chances. It showed a certain level of intelligence to kite something stronger, working together in unison to bleed it out rather than charge head long at it. Something that did not sit well with him.

He would need to be extra careful with the chimps. Make sure they never figured out that he existed or he feared they would find his hideout and smoke him out. At least with a big monster, it would attempt to bash its head in through the boulders front door.

Not intelligent creatures though. They would be creative in their attempt to get him out and hunt him down.

The fighting eventually died down. There were no more roars and battlecries from the clearing. All Tao Zi could hear was the distinct language of rhythmic hooting, hollering, yelping, and a dozen other sounds. They were talking to each other. One then clearly laughed.

It took some time for them to step out and jog towards his direction, their steps silent compared to the cacophony that was Tao Zi. He would need to learn how to do that. There was no way a primitive beast would be capable of that and him, a supposed cultivator with Qi and grace, couldn't do the same. It would be a ridiculous proposition.

Or maybe it didn't matter that much. It seemed like too much work when it wasn't necessary. He'd figure out whether he wanted to do that or not soon enough. For now, he was focused on the running figure of only three chimps.

Each one pulled a sled. Items he had not seen in the clearing when the fight was happening.

Did they make that on the fly? To carry back all the meat and bodies?

He stared at the sleds full of cut up buck meat and the bodies of the deceased. One of the chimps was currently eating another goblins leg. Munching happily as the ropes around its shoulders kept the sled stable as it ran.

Cannibals too? There goes any form of worry I had about them being normal people equivalents. They'd eat me in a heartbeat.

Tao Zi frowned, but he had no time for any of this. He would deal with what he saw some time later. Now, he prepared himself. Sword unsheathed, Qi ready to explode with violence. He was not about to trust his lethargic Qi to be ready to go from his Core to where he needed it quickly. Yes, it might make him easier to discover, but he doubted any of the chimps could sense Qi at all anyway. They were all Mortal Stage beasts.

The chimps broke out of the bushes. The first stepped directly on the rope, tripping. The other two followed suit, unable to get their feet over the wire as burdened as they were with the heavy weight of the sleds.

He bolted from his position. Lunging with a Qi empowered strike, sword burning with azure flames. Decapitating the first chimp. Cutting the second in half. The third had enough time to jump to its feet, but otherwise could not accomplish anything else. The makeshift ropes they had used to secure the sleds hindered it enough to prevent any retaliation.

Tao Zi stabbed it through the chest, making sure to slice as hard as he could when he pulled it out. He jumped back. Surveying his work with satisfaction.

Something shifted. Tao Zi snapped his head to the first chimps sled. A chimp was still alive on it, tied up tightly and missing a certain leg. One he probably knew where it had gone. It fought against the restraints. The entire fight must have woken it up somehow.

He rushed to stab it through the face. Its eyes dimmed instantly. Dead.

Tao Zi made sure to check on all of the bodies on the sleds. Stabbing each one to make sure none of them were secretly alive. He couldn't have the news get back to their tribe or clan or whatever they called themselves. A hunting party would not be a simple thing to fight back against. Nor did he want to do that.

It seemed like a real bother. One that he could avoid during his maximizing of his system without wasting any energy he didn't need.