We mostly went along via the mountain path, though sometimes the path was too narrow or the road had become overgrown. In total, there were three different paths that others had developed over the years. The one I decided to take us down ended up being the one along the riverside. It seemed to be the most heavily traveled and thus the safest in terms of transportation. The strongest monster in this region is the Hind Bear. Supposedly, there is also a boss-class Hind Bear similar to the Lord of the Forest that I had defeated earlier.
Also, the strength of this boss monster that inhabits the cliffs is apparently far beyond that of the Lord of the Forest. Along with the Hind Bears, there is also a species of bird that lives on the mountain. It seems that it's a large eagle with brown feathers and four wings called a "Falaise Eagle". The average size of a Falaise Eagle is about two meters, and the span of its wings is roughly double that. The size is certainly enough to intimidate lesser opponents. It seems that it can also secrete a paralyzing poison from its claws.
Say what you will, but it certainly is a nasty monster to have to fight when you are making the trek on a path overlooking a cliff. I was informed that there weren't too many of them in the mountains, so at the very least, that is a benefit. Oh, and there is also a boss-class subspecies of the Falaise Eagle that leads them called the [Erase Eagle]. It can generate a small tornado from its mouth, which can force weaker prey off of the cliffs to their demise. The tornado is also said to change form into a torrent of blades that chops up enemies. Luckily, one of the humans I brought with me has extensive knowledge of this area.
He informed me that he used to live nearby and had heard stories about each of the mountain's creatures. The Red Bear here was powerful, but it moved alone. Since we're in a group, even if we encounter it, the bear shouldn't prove to be an issue. Though for now, it's best if we move as a group.
With our group moving in tight proximity to one another, we were quite secure whenever a Falaise Eagle appeared. They flew very fast and were hard to hit with most attacks. They would always strike at your blind spot to initiate the engagement. Being on a cliff, they were generally hard to deal with. However, thanks to my weapons and abilities, I had sufficient range capabilities to deal with them. Coupled with my ability [Sign Perceive], attacking my blind spot proved a sure death sentence for the birds, and thus, I walked in front alone to draw the majority of them to me.
It was really surprising how easy it was to take them out once I got the hang of how their hunting instincts functioned. We set out to strip the materials off of the eagles as I caught them. In total, we caught eighteen of them. Once we got in to a clearing, we fried and ate them. They were quite large, so the meal was satisfying.
The taste of the meat was quite delicious. I wanted to eat more, but there weren't that many in the mountains to begin with. I should probably avoid killing too many or risk killing the population in the mountains.
Ability unlocked [Panic Voice]
Ability unlocked [Wing Growth]
Ability unlocked [High-Speed Flight]
Ability unlocked [Wind Reading]
Ability unlocked [Paralysis Nails]
Ability unlocked [Paralysis Resistance]
Around two in the afternoon, we reached a point on the road where the path widened greatly. This served to make myself feel far more secure now that the risk of being knocked off the cliff or the ridge collapsing is gone. The only concern is that this area has scattered piles of bones from various animals. There is probably a nest of a strong monster nearby. Eventually, we came across the signs of a fight: the scatterings of human bones and armor and weaponry lie all about. These must be remnants of some humans that had come to subdue the beast that lingers on this path.
Just as I think this, I hear the hum and beating of wings and my Foresight warns me of the danger. In that very instant, my skin is beaten with a burst of wind that hit so hard, it felt like hundreds of razors hitting my flesh all at once. In the sky, I saw five Falaise Eagles. In addition, a substantially larger jade-green Falaise Eagle subspecies was among them. All together, this group had an intense presence.
This feeling was far greater than the feeling I had when confronting the Lord of the Forest. When our eyes met, an uncomfortable feeling spiked around the nape of my neck. Their intention was certain: They came here for the kill.