Ascension of the Primalist [A Tamer Class, LitRPG]

Seth sprinted through the dense woods, the thud of his boots muffled by the thick layer of pine needles. Behind him, the forest floor shook under the weight of two dozen soldiers and three contracted predators—a massive tiger and two sleek, obsidian-furred panthers—all tearing through the underbrush on his tail.

He increased his speed, maintaining a lead that teased his pursuers; he couldn't afford to lose them completely or they would inevitably run back toward Henry and the others.

Seth's left shoulder throbbed with a dull heat, and he flexed his fingers on that hand. The joint felt stable enough to draw a bowstring in a desperate situation, but he'd hold off unless it was absolutely necessary. Making the injury worse would be catastrophic, so it would be best to keep his arm tucked tight until the following day at the very least.

Veering sharply behind a colossal cedar, Seth vanished into the tree's shadow and the undergrowth. The group of twenty-five imperial soldiers skidded to a halt when they entered the small clearing, weapons drawn and eyes darting about.

"Where did he go?" one soldier hissed.

"Should we fan out and find him?" another said. "Or should we head back to the others?"

"No, Sergeant Wealter will be—"

Before the man could finish, Seth erupted from a thick cluster of bushes with the explosive speed of his newly enhanced Huntbound Rush. He moved like a blurred streak of grey and silver and funneled aether out of his Well. One of Dusk Scythes' blades hissed out of his uninjured arm.

The glowing weapon carved through the neck of the only soldier wearing a Priest's robe, decapitating the man before he could even register there was a threat.

The healer slumped into the moss, blood spurting out across the clearing. Seth didn't linger. He dove back into the foliage, his body disappearing into the gloom once more.

"Kill him! Tear that forest apart!" someone roared behind.

Seth ran, a grim smirk playing on his lips as he realized just how much faster he was than the infantry. While sprinting, he glanced down and cast Intermediate Identify on his hand.