Chapter 5: The First Hunt!
Arlic was waiting patiently, while looking down from midway up a tall dark grey tree. He was waiting for his prey to take the 'bait' he had prepared for them. His senses on high alert for any movement, he noticed two large feline silhouettes emerge from behind a distant tree. They stood in the distance, looking around while sniffing the air, not seeming to notice anything wrong. Minutes later, they strode toward the tree currently occupied by both Arlic and a howling two-tailed monkey. As they reached the tree, Arlic flew away from the branch he was standing on, grabbing the end of his makeshift spear before he did so.
One of the animals began to climb, cautiously arriving near the bait he had strung up using a makeshift rope. Arlic began to spin midair, with each spin he took aim at the hybrid that remained on the ground. With a mighty heave, he released the large spear. Spiraling through the air the spear fulfilled its purpose, penetrating the hybrids skull.
The hybrid died soon after, its companion that had climbed the tree, now had its jaws around the monkey's throat. Noticing its companions' plight, it jumped down from the tree as it scanned the area with its eyes. It seemed not to notice him, seeing this Arlic took the remaining rope from the tree and flew down, while it was nudging its dead companion with its nose. He dropped down atop the beast's shoulders, swinging one end of the rope around its neck to form a noose, he began pulling it tight. When the hybrid creature realized that its airway was cut off, it started thrashing around wildly.
The beast was incredibly strong, Arlic almost lost his grip, but he wasn't about to let go. "I should have made more spears!" Too late for such thoughts, he pulled the rope tighter, pushing with his feet, while pulling up with his hands. As the struggle neared its end, the rope made from wound moss frayed, then snapped, freeing the beast. Once free, the creature threw Arlic to the ground. Gritting his teeth in frustration he tried to get up, but before he could, a huge canid-like paw caught him in the shoulder.
Sent flying by the tremendous blow he slammed into the tree behind him. The blow knocked the air from his lungs, as he felt blood trickle down the back of his head. Seeing the hybrid regain its strength, Arlic focused his blurred vision, as the hybrid charged him, he clenched his fists in rage. As the large feline arrived in front of him it raised its paw for another swipe.
When he saw the massive paw coming his way, Arlic shot forward while quickly somersaulting atop the beast's shoulders. He brought his small fists down upon its skull, repeatedly. Howls and pitiful roars echoed in the darkness, alongside the cries, blood stained the rocky moss-covered ground. Still standing atop its shoulders Arlic panted heavily, dazed as he looked at the hybrid beneath him. A bloody mess was all that remained of the once intimidating creature's skull.
Calming himself, Arlic looked around. He knew he had made more of a racket than he intended. He needed to leave as he was in rough shape, not in any shape for another fight at least. Noticing the dead monkey he had used as bait, he nodded his head out of respect. He then gathered his kills and took to the skies. Heading north back towards the valley, he placed the carcasses close to the fissure he had discovered earlier.
Pulling out his [Space Pod]s controller, he summoned his spacecraft from orbit. Slowly landing where he instructed it to, he climbed inside as the door closed behind him, soon after he passed out from both injury and fatigue. Coming to hours later, Arlic sat up in his seat, rubbing the back of his head, he lost himself in thought. "That was a really stupid move on my part. I should have been better prepared. At any rate, I should start my training. That is the main reason I came here, after all." He opened his [Space Pod]s door and jumped out.
Landing on the ground he noticed his body seemed lighter. Remembering that Saiyan's had unique advantages that other races didn't, he wondered if nearly dying had made him stronger. Deciding to test his hypothesis he activated his [Scouter]. Seeing his power level register >193 he was ecstatic. Walking back to the ship, he opened its secondary storage compartment. If he were going to train, he would have to eat properly.
The compartment contained one midsized [Survival Kit], in which could be found a variety of things, including [Nutrient Caplets]. These could allow for survival without the need for food or water, but he already decided to save them in case of an emergency.
Arlic was more and more enamored with this reality's differences, from small to large. Even the planet he was on was unknown to him. In fact, this reality possessed quite a bit that was not present in the manga or anime from his original world. The [Scouters] self-scan function, as well as the [Incubation Pods] education system were both prime examples. He looked forward to even more new discoveries, wondering what the future might hold.
Bringing the [Survival kit] with him, he opened it next to his kills. First, he took out a small spray bottle, it contained a potent disinfectant. Taking aim at the small gash at the back of his head which was already healing, he sprayed a small amount on the wound to avoid complications. Being this far from medical attention tended to make you cautious, all things considered.
Secondly, he removed one of two knives, this one made to skin and gut wildlife. While he had no experience with such things, the pod had taught him advanced survival knowledge. That included skinning and gutting his kills. Getting to work, he lay down a sealable tarp to lay the meat on, he began cutting, quickly getting the hang of it, he had both animals prepared before dawn.
Taking a small roller of micro-rope from the kit, he took both it and the two beasts hides to a small crop of trees nearby. Positioning the rope between two opposing branches, Arlic hung the hides up to dry. Walking back to camp he retrieved a retractable grilling rack from the kit, along with a so-called [Eternal Torch]. It wasn't everlasting or anything, the name was just a gimmick, that said it would last him at least ten years or so. In a little under thirty minutes, he was eating grilled beast meat. Finishing his meal, he couldn't help but comment. "Not bad. A bit stringy, though. Well, with breakfast out of the way, it's time to train." Arlic smiled, as he began to stretch.