Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Seth cautiously navigated through the desert, staying in the shadow of the giant rocks whenever possible. For now, he’d decided to keep Shadow Step as his available spell, but depending on how challenging it was to conceal himself, he would link back Share to Illusionary Emptiness instead. He still had Professor Reat's pocket watch, but the twenty-minute duration was far from ideal.

'There are two ahead,' Nightmare said, already invisible.

Squinting against the blinding sunlight, Seth knelt down and slowly discerned two figures emerging from the heat haze, their forms becoming more precise with every step they took. The creatures' heads bore a striking resemblance to hyenas', with broad snouts and powerful jaws filled with sharp, yellowed teeth that seemed capable of tearing through armor and flesh with ease. Their ears twitched, seemingly trying to pick up every sound in the vast silence of the desert, while their deep amber eyes scanned the horizon.

They both looked shorter than Seth, standing about five and half feet tall with thin, muscular frames. Their coarse fur, mottled with shades of brown and gray, rippled in the desert breeze, contrasting with the dry red land. The Gnolls’ makeshift armor, crafted from leather and scavenged metal, gave them a semblance of humanity, protecting their groin and torso. One wielded a curved, jagged blade; the other held a heavy club studded with bone spikes.

Assessing them, Seth briefly connected his awareness to Nightmare, checking for any surge from Danger Sense.

Nothing. All good.

As the direwolf took position on the other side of them, Seth burst into a sprint and cast Intermediate Identify.