So here we are again, a new release from yours truly after more than a month of silence, and of all things it a parted release... Yeah I'm the devil~ To be honest I had planned to post the full chapter when I was done but as more and more time passed and I grew further and further from my imagined ending of the chapter I decided to toss out the carrot because being ashed with the stick of no updates is a cruel thing.

As you know, you can always check out my website @ youkoadvent.wordpress.com for more updates and faster releases. And remember that I love comments and cry myself to sleep when I don't get any, so even if all you have to say is negative, please type it out. Thanks!

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My chest tightens, fear grabbing hold of my heart as I pull the string back, the tension of the moment has lead me to focus all of my attention on my target. I can hear the demon beast’s ravenous snarls as it tears through the carcass of a freshly killed wolf, charitably splattering juicy vermillion servings of carnage. My mission is to kill the creature, a hideous monster covered in fur matted down with gallons of blood. If its features weren’t disguised by bloody wounds and old scars it would resemble the black bear that it was created from.

“Hurry up and do it.” Tera barks his orders calmly and naturally, as if he doesn’t believe giving me a bow with no arrows or a quiver is out of the ordinary at all.

“Do what exactly, I think I’m missing part of th-”

“I haven’t forgotten to give you anything, that bow is all you need, have you not been training to control elemental essence? Even an idiot would understand what intentions I have for you. Do I have to spell it out for you? Kill the Demon Beast with an arrow made of elemental essence. ‘Arrow’ is singular: you only get one shot, and if you fail to kill it in one shot, I’ll make you fight it with your bare hands.”

I know he’s serious, but it doesn’t help that I’ve never done something like this before, I look to him for advice but he begins before I ask.

“Hold the bow steady and keep the string taut, allow your feet to grip the earth.” He says with absolute disgust, yet years of training with Tera have conditioned my body to instinctively follow his directives.

“Close your eyes and feel the elemental essence surrounding you. Everything you need is there, let your ‘Intent’ give shape to the energy.” His words are a strange mixture of complete and total sense and proverbial nonsense that mix into a sour understanding.

With my eyes closed the elemental essence in the area is clear to see, the essence clings to the ground like mist in clusters so dense they are almost palpable. By viewing elemental essence in its natural state I see just how right Vera was. In nature the differing types of elemental essence have the tendency to form large, simple groupings amongst themselves. Elements that would suppress each other would naturally repel and those that are compatible would harmlessly pass through each other. Yet, on no occasion would natural elemental essence combine, not compatible elements and definitely not incompatible elements.

“Imagine the arrow in its rightful place, let there be no misperceptions in your image.” Following his advice I gather elemental essence and try to picture an arrow. The energy obliges, between the string a lump of greenish brown congeals, quickly spiralling into existence. I immediately release the bowstring towards the bear-like monster, hoping that my aim is true.

The demon beast in question is at most only thirty meters away from me and Tera. During the period of time that I had been preparing my arrow, the monster had already begun to voraciously tear into another poor victim; this time a true bear, felling it with a single mighty stroke of its paw. The sight of its savage maw gluttonously tearing into the meaty flesh of its third wolf made my stomach turn, slackening my concentration.

Green streams of light begin to fluctuate around the arrow, pulsing brightly, alerting the beast to its arrival. Yet, it didn't have enough time to maneuver away, for in the span of time it takes a bolt of lightning to strike the ground, the creature’s head was met by the arrow.

“Confirm the corpse.” Tera immediately orders, leaving no room for arguing. The distance between us and the bear is short, but because of our high vantage point on a steep cliff it takes nearly ten minutes before I reach the body.

The creature’s body is a grotesque splatter of muscles bulging erratically in hellish spasms all across its enormous four meter tall body. I take a quick glance at its eyes, scarlet red pupils radiating murderous intent in my direction. For a moment I was frozen in place by its gaze, pure unabated killing intent spilled from the bear’s eyes like lava following an eruption.

With the speed and grace of a dying gazelle, I fall flat on my ass, the strength in my legs having vanished into thin air. The beast wastes no time in getting its revenge, wildly swinging its massive paw in my direction, splotches of blood still coating its claws, the scent of metal prominent all over its body.

“MOVE YOU IDIOT!"