Moon followed the elk for close to ten minutes. The creature’s movements grew increasingly weaker, its condition deteriorating as blood loss and exhaustion compounded. Its breathing came in ragged gasps, visible even from twenty meters back.
Then it finally succumbed to its injuries and fell, tripping over a root it would normally have avoided with ease. Its legs buckled, and the massive body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Moon’s face brightened. He immediately sent another wave of lightning toward it, paralysing the creature before it could attempt to rise. He summoned his staff and created earth constructs around its legs, forming stone cuffs that locked its limbs in place. The elk couldn’t escape now, even if the paralysis wore off.
Standing directly above it, Moon watched as the elk whimpered in pain and fear. Its chest heaved with each laboured breath, and its large, dark, and intelligent eye looked up at him in a pleading manner.
"Finally got you," Moon said with a slight smirk, though his expression softened as he caught his breath. His legs still felt off from the electrical stimulation, muscles protesting the abuse they’d endured.
"Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you... as long as you’re obedient," he added, his tone less threatening now that the chase was over.
In close range, he could check its status properly.
[Elk]
[Level: 21]
[Details: A majestic beast renowned for its incredible speed and endurance, capable of outrunning most predators in the First Sanctuary. Its powerful legs can cover vast distances without tiring, and its acute senses make ambushing it nearly impossible. Despite its impressive physical capabilities, the elk rarely engages in combat, preferring flight over fight. Its antlers, while formidable in appearance, serve primarily for display and territorial disputes rather than predation defence. Highly intelligent and territorial, elk often return to specific locations they consider safe, making them predictable to experienced hunters who understand their patterns.]
Level twenty-one. Higher than Moon himself, though specialisation mattered more than raw level. The elk’s abilities were built entirely around evasion and endurance, not combat. In a direct confrontation, it stood no chance against a mage with Moon’s versatility.
Moon knelt beside the creature, examining the damage that he had inflicted on it with his lightning element and the arrows.
"You really didn’t want to leave this area, did you?" Moon murmured, studying the elk’s eyes. "What’s keeping you here?"
The elk’s gaze flickered toward a specific direction, deeper into the forest, toward a cluster of rock formations Moon had noticed the Elk running toward.
There, Moon thought. Whatever it was protecting is there.
Before he could investigate further, he heard crashing through the undergrowth. Nathaniel and the veterans were finally catching up, their breathing heavy as they emerged into the clearing.
Marcus bent over, hands on his knees, gasping. "You... ran for...so long... at that speed...You are insane."
Nathaniel approached more composed, though even he was breathing harder than usual. His eyes took in the scene—the paralysed elk, the earth constructs binding its legs, Moon standing calmly beside his prize.
"Fabulous work," Nathaniel said, genuine respect in his voice. "You’ve really caught what we couldn’t, well done, Moon,"
Moon nodded his head. "I created some temporary bindings around its ankles, so it won’t be able to escape. You have shackles for transportation, right?"
Nathaniel nodded, then pulled out a specialised collar from his storage ring—an enchanted binding designed specifically for transporting live beasts. "This will suppress its abilities and make it docile. Once we get it back to base, the Association will handle the rest."
As Nathaniel moved to secure the collar, Moon’s eyes drifted back toward the rock formations the elk had glanced at.
His curiosity burned.
What had the creature been running toward? Moon was almost certain that the elk hadn’t been running around aimlessly trying to escape. Its movements had purpose, a specific trajectory even in its panic. It had been heading somewhere.
Looking at the elk as it stared longingly at the rock formations up ahead, while Nathaniel and the others started securing it with the enchanted collar, Moon decided to investigate.
"Hey, you guys can head back to the camp. I want to check something out. If I don’t come back in an hour, you can head back to the base without me."
"Wait, bu-" Marcus opened his mouth, about to say something stupid, but Nathaniel slapped him on the back of the head before he could finish.
Marcus looked at the lieutenant with a pained expression, which made some of the other veterans chuckle.
"Be careful. We’ll see you soon, don’t forget to come back, your reward is still with me." Nathaniel said with a soft smile on his face.
Moon smiled. "I won’t."
He took off toward the rock formations ahead, his staff in hand, a specific goal in mind. Finding whatever treasure the elk had possibly been protecting. Of course, there was a chance that he could be wrong, but it was worth checking.
The terrain grew rockier as he approached, the forest thinning into scattered trees and exposed stone. Natural caves and crevices dotted the area, creating dozens of potential hiding spots.
Moon slowed his approach, scanning carefully. If the elk had been protecting something, it would be well hidden. Predators and other awakeners passed through these areas regularly. Whatever was here needed to be concealed.
He followed his instincts, letting his gaze drift to where the elk’s eyes had been focused most intently during their brief interaction. A particular cluster of rocks near the base of the largest formation.
As he drew closer, Moon noticed something unusual but promising. The vegetation around one specific cave entrance was disturbed differently from the rest. Unlike the others, where there was some random trampling, this one was worn down in a pattern, which meant movement was regular around here. The elk had been coming here frequently.
Moon approached the cave entrance cautiously, channelling a small flame in his palm for light. Although the sun was still up, the cave barely filtered any light beyond the entrance. The opening was narrow, barely wide enough for the elk to squeeze through, which explained why it hadn’t been discovered before. Most awakeners wouldn’t bother investigating such a tight space.
Moon slipped inside.