The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 88

Chapter 88: Cockatrice Hunt

The next day, we quickly headed to the area where the Cockatrices were most likely hiding.

Carol, with her sharp senses, led the way, and we followed quietly, trying to make as little noise as possible.

At this moment, Carol was focused, her ears twitching as she concentrated, not missing even the slightest sound.

As we got closer to our destination, the tension grew.

After a while, Carol stopped and raised her hand to signal us.

“…They’re here.”

She motioned for us to stay still.

Peeking from behind a rock, we saw Cockatrices moving around near a distant cliff.

“How many are there?” I asked, trying to count the Cockatrices.

“Ten in total.”

That was more than half of the remaining Cockatrices that Paris had told us about. It seemed we had stumbled upon a large group.

“Four of us might be a bit tough. Should we call for backup?” Hanna suggested.

Carol shook her head.

“If we separate here, they’ll notice us. If they escape, it’ll be useless.”

Once a Cockatrice is discovered, it becomes more cautious and harder to find.

“I’ll draw four of them away…” Carol began.

“Then I can take on four too.”

“That leaves one each for the rest of us. Sounds reasonable.”

“If they run into the forest, it will be troublesome. Don’t let them escape that way.”

Taking Carol’s advice, we spread out into position.

Hanna and Ritz moved to the sides and hid behind rocks, while Carol and I moved forward together, facing the Cockatrices.

“Ka-kreee!”

The Cockatrices, noticing us, charged towards Carol and me.

“Carol!” I shouted.

“Yeah, we’re the decoys, so we’ll draw them in!” she replied.

We started backing up, keeping a distance. As Carol and I separated, we each drew four Cockatrices towards us, breaking up the group.

“Come on, over here!” I shouted.

“Don’t get distracted!” Carol added.

Ritz and Hanna took advantage of the two Cockatrices that were following behind us and attacked them.

Both Ritz and Hanna had passed the national adventurer exams. Even against B-rank monsters, they would hold their own in one-on-one fights.

“Klaus, don’t push yourself. Keep your distance until Ritz and Hanna take care of them,” Carol called out.

“Got it. You too,” I replied.

The Cockatrices were slow. Carol was naturally fast, and I was confident in my agility as well. It wasn’t a problem to stall without attacking.

While doing this, one Cockatrice lunged at me, and I narrowly avoided its beak attack.

“Your movements are sloppy!”

I quickly regained my footing, but the dizziness from the Cockatrice’s gaze almost caused me to falter.

“Hang on,” I muttered, trying to steady myself.

Rock, who was with us, was feeling dizzy but had to hold on. His bag, which had the petrification cure potion, was on his shoulder. If anyone got petrified, we could rely on it.

“Ka-kree!” the Cockatrice screeched.

For a while, Carol and I kept dodging the Cockatrice attacks, but running away wasn’t enough.

If we got too far apart, the Cockatrices would head toward Ritz and Hanna. We needed to stay close enough to prevent that.

(I can tell Carol’s handling it well, but I’m barely hanging on.)

The Cockatrices’ beaks and the snakes’ fangs attacking from blind spots were troublesome, but as long as I didn’t try to fight back, I could manage.

“Now!” I shouted.

Once there was enough distance between us and the others, I launched an attack.

“Ka… kree!”

The Cockatrice couldn’t predict my sudden strike and took the hit. I pierced its vital spot, and it fell dead in an instant.

“Carol!” I called out.

“I’m good here!” she replied.

Carol, even though surrounded by four Cockatrices, was dodging all their attacks and counterattacking.

“I can’t even imagine doing that,” I muttered.

Though I could handle taking a few hits and managing, only Carol could avoid all of them and strike back so effectively.

“We’re done over here!” Carol shouted.

“Coming to help!” Ritz and Hanna called out as they arrived.

Together, we finished off the remaining Cockatrices.