ShadowBound: The Need For Power

Chapter 176 - 176: Day Three: Hunting

The forest was quiet as Liam and Edith made their way east, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of moss and fallen leaves. The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled light onto the forest floor. The air was cool, and a faint breeze rustled the leaves above, the only sound accompanying their journey.

Edith walked slightly ahead, her bow slung over her shoulder, with the quiver of arrows at her waist and an arrow in hand. She glanced back at Liam, who followed in silence.

"Hey, Liam. Mind grabbing some vines?" she asked in a low tone, gesturing toward a tree covered in thick, trailing vines.

Liam simply nodded, stepping closer to the tree. With a swift flick of his dagger, he cut a few strands, rolling them into a coil before securing them at his side. Without a word, he resumed following Edith as they wandered deeper into the forest.

"You know nothing about hunting, yet you volunteered for this," Edith remarked after a while, breaking the stillness. "Were you just trying to avoid watch duty?"

Liam remained unfazed. "That's part of it. But more importantly, this balances both groups."

Edith smirked. "Interesting. Nice way of admitting I'm right. But let's be honest, you always put duty first, don't you? Even if what you said is true, you still made the decision based on responsibility rather than preference. Who knows? Maybe Robin would've chosen to hunt since he actually has experience. But you? You're better at fishing."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watching for a reaction. "Not that I'm judging. Everyone's free to choose what they want."

Liam didn't respond, his expression unreadable as he walked behind her.

Taking the hint, Edith let the conversation drop and shifted her focus back to the task at hand. Her sharp gaze scanned the ground and trees,

"W–What?" She stammered.

"I said, do you trust me?" Liam repeated, taking small steps toward her.

"Y–Yes, I do?" Edith replied, suddenly aware of her own heartbeat for some reason as she noticed Liam's approach.

"Alright, can you close your eyes for me? I need to do something," Liam said calmly, now even closer.

"O–okay, s–sure." Edith's stance faltered as she followed his words. Her thoughts began running wild.

Don't tell me he's about to do what I think he's about to do? No way. Why would he do that? Moreover, why am I just listening to him like this? Her cheeks began to turn red as she felt Liam's presence near her.

In stark contrast to Edith's imagination, Liam's stoic expression remained unchanged. His sharp eyes had locked onto a sleek black snake, coiled almost imperceptibly around a tree vine just inches away from Edith's head.

The snake's beady gaze was fixed on her neck, its tongue flicking in and out.

Then, in a blink of an eye, it struck.

Before its fangs could sink into Edith's skin, Liam's hand shot out, gripping the snake's head with unerring precision.

A sharp hiss sounded right beside Edith's ear, snapping her back to reality. Her eyes flew open—only to freeze as she saw the writhing serpent, its body coiling tightly around Liam's forearm.

"Hate snakes?" Liam asked, meeting her wide-eyed gaze.

Edith responded with a frantic series of nods, too stunned to speak.

Liam said nothing. He turned slightly away, the snake still twisting violently in his grasp. A moment later, a burst of heat flared in his palm.

With a controlled use of his fire magic, he burned the snake alive. Its body twisted and convulsed as it was reduced to nothing but ash.

Without another word, Liam turned to the tied-up deer and pulled it up with a single heave.

Edith remained frozen in place, her breath still unsteady. She glanced at the pile of ashes where the snake had once been, then back at Liam, who was already securing the deer over his shoulder like nothing had happened.

"You…" She exhaled sharply, her voice somewhere between relief and disbelief. "You could've warned me, you know!"

Liam adjusted his grip on the vines and started walking. "And, you would've panicked."

"Of course, I would've panicked! You told me to close my eyes! I thought—" She clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks heating up again.

Liam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his expression unreadable. "Thought what?"

"Nothing! Just—nothing!" Edith huffed, marching ahead of him. "Let's just get back before another snake shows up."