Starbound: A Space Odyssey 74 Entering The Ceremonial Hunting Caverns 1

"Really?" Akna tried to remember the look of the prize. "Indeed... Now that you mentioned, it really matches his description." Realization dawned upon Akna, but not long after that, her face became somewhat ugly. "I can't help you see the spear. It's going to be the prize of the winner of the Great Hunter, and thus belong to him."

"Can't I just see it, just to make sure it's what I'm looking for?" John saw the light of hope and then tried to convince Akna to allow him to a.n.a.lyze the so-called prize.

"No..." Akna helplessly shook her. "If you had arrived just one day earlier I could have allowed you to see the prize up close, but now..." She sighed. "The prize is already placed inside the Ceremonial Hunting Cavern, the place where the Great Hunt is taking place. I can't allow anyone to interrupt such an important event."

"Really...?" John lowered his head and sighed. Then he suddenly thought of an idea. He rose his head and asked Akna, "You said the spear is going to be the prize of the winner of the Great Hunt, right?"

"Yes." Akna was confused about John's exciting behavior.

"That means... Can I take part in the event and compete for the prize?"

"Huh?" Akna's eyebrows jumped when she heard John's question.

She frowned and entered in deep thought.

"Grandmother, I don't think there's a rule that forbids that other races could take part in the Grand Hunt." Peri glanced at her grandmother in deep thought and softly said.

"Yes, you are right. There's indeed no rule that forbid John from joining the Hunt." Akna nodded in acknowledgment. "But he doesn't have an invitation." Akna shook her head. "I can't help you get one-"

"He can use mine." Peri suddenly said, interrupting Akna.

"Yours?" Akna glanced Peri, surprised to know that her granddaughter still remembered that she was invited to join the Great Hunt.

Peri was one of the young geniuses in the art of hunting and battle, so much so that she was even compared to the youngest winner of the Great Hunt, Nuru.

Almost every Floran looked forward to the day both Nuru and Peri would clash to determine who is the strongest, but Peri backed out from the Great Hunt when she was invited.

She decided to leave her home planet and tribe to search for her own destiny in the endless s.p.a.ce.

"Yes, if I'm not wrong I'm allowed to do this, right?" Peri asked her grandmother.

"Well... There's no rule that forbids such action because no one did it before... But do you still have the invitation, I mean after all these years?"

"Yes, I have it stored in my PIPS. Then... problem solved?"

"Hum... The only problem is whatever he will be able to win the Great Hunt or not." Akna stopped looking at Peri and glanced at John. "The Hunt had already started one day ago. And worst of that is the fact that this time the number of strong compet.i.tors is way higher than previous years."

This Great Hunt was something that a lot of Florans were excited to see, even after Peri announced her leaving. The number of young geniuses in this generation surprised the Greenfinger's Council and the population in general.

They were expecting that this might be the most compet.i.tive Great Hunt in years.

"I don't know if I can win or lose without trying." John said determinable.

"I don't see any problem in you at least trying, but... Are you sure going to enter in the Great Hunt?" Akna looked at John with some concern.

"Why?" He asked.confused why would Akna be concerned and somewhat worried. "Isn't this event just to hunt down some kind of beast?"

"So you don't know the rules, right?" Akna immediately figured out after hearing John's question. "Yes, you're right. The event indeed is just to hunt down a beast that's inside the Ceremonial Hunting Caverns, but there is more than that in this event. The Great Hunt is a lot more than just a hunting game..."

Akna leaned on the sofa and said seriously. "This event is a test of strength, wisdom, and survival instincts. That means..." Akna eyed John with stern eyes. "...you will be facing against the best of the best young Floran hunters. In the Ceremonial Hunting Caverns is kill or be killed. John, are ready for this?"

John frowned an entered in deep thought.

He hesitated to whatever he should or not enter in such b.l.o.o.d.y compet.i.tion. He must make his choice fast, the clock was ticking and the compet.i.tion had already started.

His eyes shone with a light of determination before he spoke, "I'll join the compet.i.tion." He was determined to win the compet.i.tion while avoiding unnecessary killing. [Who said I need to kill the Florans to win? From what she said I just need to find, and kill the prey to ultimately win. I can do this... I think.] John tried to think positively.

"Are you sure about this?" Akna stared at John and tried to confirm his intentions. "From what I heard from my granddaughter you really seem capable, but not enough to survive in such a place. The Caverns are crawling with all types of monsters, and also all type of experienced young Floran hunters. You are not the type of person who would go around killing someone just to survive or accomplish your goal. I can feel it. You are selfless and even have the spirit of self-sacrifice, if the situation forces you to do so. I must say, you are the kind of person that really embodies the spirit of what the Terrene Protectorate should have been, protecting the weak and innocent even if it means to sacrifice oneself."

John lowered his head and kept silent as he heard what Akna had to say about him.

"If I'm not wrong you are planning to win the Hunt without killing, am I right?" Akna glanced at John. His silence meant a lot more than of he had just denied or said anything at all. "Like I thought... Even though I admire your conviction and will, I must say that this selflessness of yours will be what will ultimately be your doom in the future. If you are going to enter in the Ceremonial Hunting Cavern to join the Great Hunt with this mentality of yours, I'm afraid that you are going to perish right there." Akna leaned on the back of the sofa and calmly watched John. "With that being said, I ask again. Are you going to partic.i.p.ate in the Great Hunt?"