章 237: Chapter 234

Behind me the majority of the pack spread out while Joral, Took and Silf took the front alongside me. My supporting pack ready to follow my command, I continued to search around us, looking to see if there were any more of the Nanuks around. Foire and Silf both shook their heads, and it registered as intensely hot to my thermal vision, so with no sign of supporters for the beast, I turned my focus back to the creature in front of us.

The Nanuk threw itself back and once again stood on its hind legs, four arms spread threateningly as it roared a challenge at us. I felt my khatif pride swell, but not in looking down on the Nanuk, but instead evaluating it as a challenge, a worthy opponent, and an equal. Something to conquer. That being said, I was still going to leverage our numbers against it, and, pushing my magic to my throat, I screamed my challenge at the beast.

The shrieking warcry washed almost visibly over the Nanuk, and it appeared to be stunned for a moment, so I began to lead the charge. I was wrong.

With a swelling of its chest, the Nanuk breathed in, then let loose what could only be called an explosion of sound. I could feel my joints vibrate under the continuous pressure of the roar, and my eardrums threatened to pop as my stomach clenched and heaved to empty itself under the sheer force of the sound that was physically pressing and rattling the entirety of my body. With a scream of effort I began to force my magic from my sonilphon to my throat, but when it reached my throat, the vibrations from the Nanuk prevented my throat from making sound. For the first time, I understood what it was like to feel [Crippling Cry].

Before I could gather myself and begin the fight in earnest, I felt something burst in my ears and I staggered, my sense of balance failing me. Nausea swelled, and I vomited, the blood of the slaughtered goats gushing up my throat and between my teeth, slowly plopping onto the ground below me. I looked up, just fast enough to see the Nanuk come barreling towards our staggered front line.

I was barely able to rise up and throw myself into Took at my side, pushing us both out of the way of the Nanuk's two left paws smashing down on our position. I lashed out with one hand, slicing my fingers into its grounded forearm, to little effect. Only a single inch dug in, far from the entirety of my claw finding purchase, and the negligible wound only served to infuriate the beast. I continued scrambling forward, attempting to drag my other hand and claws into its flanks or side, but had to roll away to avoid its second arm's next crushing blow.

Panicking, I continued rolling, hoping to escape the next attack, but I saw the Nanuk prepare all four arms to smash down in my area, and with a sinking certainty, I realized I couldn't escape. I forced my magic into my throat to try to fend off its attack, but before I or it could complete our preparations, a tiny spear of flame lanced into its face and, accompanied by a much larger stone arrow, knocked it onto its back foot. The little female whose name I didn't know stepped forward, continuing to attempt to press flames that she'd conjured into the beast. Her magic quickly ran dry, but she sagged proudly to the ground at the success. I felt blood flowing freely from my ears as I stood up, trying to balance myself and only barely succeeding as I fought to take in our bearings.

Looking at the pack, only us four in the front had blood trickling down the sides of our heads, and the rest stood much more steadily than us. Foire was using his arms as a second pair of legs, and was already preparing to launch himself at the much larger beast in front of him. Ytte wasn't much different, the frills around her head flared and her mouth opened threateningly, a wordless hiss continuing as she channeled her magic to draw another stone spear from the ground underfoot. Took was already in the face of the beast, dodging back and forth, and the hatchling Alpha was darting quickly around the Nanuk, lashing out with claw and fang whenever it was distracted by Took, Foire (who'd rushed in), the female's feeble flames, and the surrounding pack.

Finally, I was able to gather my magic to my throat and, drawing on [Innervating Address] and [Conqueror's Rebuke], called out the simple command: "KILL IT!"

Around me the pack began chanting, "VICTORY by FANG and BLOOD!" and I rushed back into the fight myself.

Every step was a struggle with my sense of balance completely impaired, but even so, I didn't let it stop me. I whistled for all three frontliners to attack one side, and they did, trusting me implicitly. Took was first and took a glancing blow from the monster's second set of arms but still threw herself into the beast's side, latching on with fang and claw to its upper shoulder. She ripped and tore as hard as she could while the smaller, nimbler Silf and Joral ripped into the flesh just below the Nanuk's ribs. It screamed in rage and pain while batting at the pests hurting it… and gave me the opening I needed.

The female sent another, final gout of flame to the Nanuk's face, blinding it and burning it, but not severely enough to stop it from lashing out at my companions. I rushed under its claws and to its exposed belly. It had been a while since I'd fought something large enough to enact this strategy, and a grim smile crossed my face as I began to tunnel into the soft belly of the beast.

I lashed out with both hands, claws extended and at full force as I attempted to disembowel the Nanuk. My claws sunk in deep enough to slice through muscle, but not quite to the viscera, so I pushed my head forward, jaws snapping as the beast reared back in pure agony. I didn't let it escape, and with [Quaking Claw] activated and being pushed to its limit, my face sunk into the soft flesh as I gnawed my way into the guts. Each mouthful I got I ripped back and out into the exposed air before reaching for more, looking to cripple the massive enemy before it could do anything more. My hands didn't stop knifing forward with reckless abandon as I opened a dozen thick wounds in quick succession.

Now, the beast screamed, not in challenge but in agony. It batted me aside, my mouth still buried in its innards, and I ripped what seemed to be a portion of its intestines out as I flew away. The Nanuk began to run away, surprisingly quick, but I wouldn't let it. Finally, my mind settled enough for me to activate my [Combatant's Bloodlust], and I calmed just enough to realize that the beast couldn't easily reach its back.

I rushed after it and with a powerful leap, sailed onto its back. A series of red spots appeared all along its spine, but I focused on the largest, most crimson vulnerability. My claws and fangs bared, I began to rip and tear at the base of the Nanuk's skull and, while it screamed in pain and tried to swipe at me with its paws I was able to expose the spine, and with one final, powerful bite, I crunched through the bone and the bear's body went limp below me.

With a scream of triumph, I looked to the skies… and realized that none of my pack was around me.

"Alpha! Come here!" One of the weaker keelish's voices shook uncontrollably as he called after me and I turned to look back.

Took laid on the ground, a huge gash on her side I hadn't seen bleeding profusely. Her blood was making the earth around her a crimson slurry, and I looked into my subordinates' eyes as they looked to me, eyes filling with hope, while my own filled with despair.