Free Web NovelChapter 14: Chapter 14: The Ancestral Prize
The heavy silence hanging over the central clearing didn’t last long As Kellar’s booming words settled into the minds of the tribesmen, a low, turbulent murmur began to ripple through the crowd Hardened hunters exchanged tense, troubled glances, and several older warriors stepped forward, their thick brows furrowed.
"The boy speaks the truth" a scarred, veteran hunter grunted from the front row "The fire chose him first To deny the champion is to spit on the embers of our fathers".
"The law of the Fire Bear is absolute!" another voice shouted, and soon, a chorus of deep, demanding grunts echoed across the square, building into a wall of unyielding tribal pressure.
The Chieftain’s massive chest heaved with silent, suppressed rage He glared down at Kellar, realizing the scrawny youth had outmaneuvered him using the tribe’s own rigid traditions Beside him, the Shaman was sweating profusely, his wrinkled hands trembling as he realized that pushing any further could trigger a full-blown mutiny against his spiritual authority.
With a stiff, venomous jerk, the Shaman marched forward and thrust the carved bone weapon toward Kellar’s chest.
"Take it, then!" hissed the Shaman, his voice a furious, quiet snarl "Let the ancestors see how long a bird can hold a wolf’s fang!".
Kellar snatched the weapon from the old man’s grip without a single shred of hesitation The moment his fingers wrapped around the smooth, heavy hilt, a sharp, metallic chime rang inside his skull.
Ding!
[Item Obtained: Ceremonial Dagger of the Fire Bear Tribe] [Quality: Rare / Ancestral Artifact].
Kellar stepped back ignoring the murderous stares of the two elders as he brought the dagger up to inspect it Intrigued by its unique energetic hum, he focused his thoughts, activating the system’s scanning interface to dissect its data sheet.
A translucent blue window snapped open directly over the bone blade, revealing a set of hidden mechanics that made Kellar’s inner engineer smile with cold satisfaction:
[Item Properties: Essence Thief] [Passive Effect 1 (Beast Reaping): Guarantees the extraction of high-purity vital essence upon delivering a lethal blow to any magical beast.] [Passive Effect 2 (Innate Mimicry): Grants a 5% baseline probability to permanently siphon and inherit a random innate ability or physical trait from the prey upon successful harvest.].
Holy shit, Kellar thought, his eyes narrowing as he read the technical specs This isn’t just a fancy toothpick for a decorative status symbol This is a highly efficient siphon If I use this correctly on the right apex predators, I can bypass the physical limitations of this weak human body.
He slid the beautifully carved sheath onto his leather belt, patting the bone hilt with a dominant, knowing smirk The old fools thought they were giving a dangerous weapon to a useless boy, entirely unaware that they had just handed him the perfect tool to tear down their entire hierarchy.
The Chieftain and the Shaman turned around without another word, their heavy leather cloaks snapping as they marched back toward the large council hut, their faces dark with humiliation.
Kellar casually turned on his heel to leave the clearing, with Maya hurried at his side She was looking around nervously, her hands tightly gripping her deerskin dress.
"You should have just handed it over, Kellar" whispered Maya, her voice trembling with anxiety "You have enraged those two, and they are vicious, small-minded men. They will find a way to make you pay for this".
"Let them try" said Kellar, entirely unbothered. "An engine doesn’t stop running just because a couple of loose bolts are rattling".
Before Maya could reply, a towering, heavily scarred warrior stepped directly into their path His skin was darkened by years of sun and dirt, and his arms were as thick as tree trunks, covered in deep, jagged claw marks Despite his intimidating size, a rough, genuine grin split his bearded face.
"Greetings, young boy I am Krag, though the men call me Iron Rock" said the veteran hunter, slamming a heavy hand down on Kellar’s shoulder. "Ignore those two old fools Ever since the Chieftain stopped being able to hunt due to his failing hip... he has had a miserable, sour temper But do not worry The ancestors do not make mistakes Follow me, boy It is time I show you a real place".
Maya took a step back, looking at Krag with respect before turning her gaze to Kellar The submissive, needy look from earlier flashed in her eyes for just a split second before she masked it.
"It is time for you to fulfill your duties with the hunters, Kellar" said Maya. "Be careful out there... I will be waiting for you tonight".
She stepped in closer, brushing her hip against his as she leaned up to his ear, her voice dropping into a breathless, filthy whisper.
"I’ll be soaking wet, waiting for you to take me" whispered Maya.
Kellar’s lips curled into a wicked, dominant smirk, his eyes locking onto her thick, swaying hips.
"Wait for me tonight" whispered Kellar. "I am going to eat that massive ass of yours".
Maya flushed a deep crimson, letting out a soft, helpless whimper as she turned around and walked back toward their hut, her round cheeks jiggling enticingly with every single step Kellar watched her go for a brief second before turning back to face Krag, ready to see what the veteran hunter had in store for him.
