Chương 79: Chapter 244 - I’ll Never Die
As beast-kin mature, they develop extraordinary dynamic vision and elastic muscles, enabling them to perform movements that far surpass human limits.
Just like now.
The moment the horse-beasts' charge collided with Dunbakel's own, she pressed her left big toe into the ground to pivot her body. A narrow gap between the two beasts appeared, and her golden eyes locked onto it.
Seizing the opportunity with boldness, she moved into the gap—a clear demonstration of the audacity she had learned from Rem's teachings.
She boldly slipped between the two horse-beasts, her body twisting with incredible agility. One wrong move, and her head would have been torn off, but she had confidence, and her skill ensured that she was in control.
Twisting sideways, Dunbakel used her superior physical abilities to dive between the gaps, her scimitar gripped firmly in hand. She thrust the blade into the oncoming horse-beast's body with all her strength.
The blade struck with a deafening CRACK, slicing through the beast's body horizontally.
Despite the force, the scimitar held. It wasn't a magical weapon, but its solid construction and Dunbakel's precision allowed her to endure the impact.
Her weapon was built for durability, not sharpness, and at this speed, the lack of sharpness was inconsequential. The blade cleaved through the beast's body and pulled away.
With astounding speed, the fallen beast's blood and entrails trailed along the ground, a gruesome yet impressive sight.
Dunbakel exhaled sharply, then immediately spun her body, pivoting on her right foot to change direction and charge forward again.
The horse-beast had lost its target and veered off, realizing too late that Dunbakel was already making her next move.
As the beast attempted to turn back, Dunbakel sliced through the air with a powerful strike, her scimitar cutting downward, powered by her entire body's momentum.
The strike connected perfectly with the beast's neck, severing it cleanly.
The beast's head flew off, its body rolling to the ground as blood sprayed into the air, staining Dunbakel's white hair with dark streaks.
She wiped the blood from her scimitar, then rushed forward, ready for the next wave of attackers.
This time, a pack of man-faced wolves charged at her. Without missing a beat, Dunbakel's scimitar danced through the air, cutting through the wolves' necks, limbs, and heads with devastating precision.
Rem's voice echoed in her mind: "What kind of weapon are you wielding?"
Dunbakel had found the answer for herself. It was a weapon that, at one time, had nearly led her to death for the mere act of using it.
"Do you even think about the efficiency of your weapon? The only thing you care about is cutting the head?" Rem had once mocked her. "And just so you know, if you come at me naked, I'll split you in half with an axe."
But for Dunbakel, that "head" was something more than just a target.
Shouting the words, "I'll never die!" she swung the scimitar with such force that even the soldiers watching could barely follow its movement. The weapon sliced through the air, leaving behind only severed limbs and bodies in its wake.
The soldiers, stunned by her lethal precision, were left speechless as Dunbakel continued her rampage.
With the beasts defeated, the soldiers formed ranks quickly, positioning their spears in response to the incoming charge of the horse-beasts. They knew they could handle a few.
But they weren't prepared for the speed and ferocity of Dunbakel, who was more than just a warrior—she was an unstoppable force.
A heavy impact shot through the spear, and the soldier felt his arm muscles twist under the force. The group of soldiers pushed their spears left and right, trying to maintain control. With a snap, the spear embedded in the beast's body broke, leaving the soldier with only half the shaft as he collapsed forward, barely staying on his feet.
Meeting the charge head-on was a fool's move, as their instructor, Ragna, had always said.
He didn't teach them much, but his words were sharp like blades. Despite his lazy demeanor, his words cut through the air, and the soldiers knew that failing to heed them would mean certain death.
When they faced Teresa, the hybrid giant, they had no choice but to give everything they had.
Had this been just a normal drill, they would have been overwhelmed in seconds. But thanks to their training under Audin, they managed to deflect the charge of the two horse-beasts.
Instead of trying to block the force directly, they redirected it to the side. It was a move only possible because of their immense strength.
The physical conditioning they'd endured under Audin made it possible for them to stand firm.
"Damn it. This actually works," one of the soldiers spat, watching the broken spear shaft lodge in the side of a beast's head.
The beast, crazed with rage, still revealed its fangs, even as the spear stuck deep into its chest. Its eyes bled black tears.
Seeing this, the soldier felt his knees weaken. Despite facing beasts before, there was something different about this one. It wasn't acting normally—something was off, but there was no time to think about it.
"Dammit! No time to stare!" shouted another soldier, thrusting his spear into the creature's skull.
The spear hit with a solid thunk, and the beast fell.
Now, the soldiers faced the man-faced wolves, a terrifying new threat. There were too many for Dunbakel to handle alone.
The soldiers, however, didn't falter. They were trained to endure. Thanks to Enkrid's grueling training, they had gone from elite soldiers to powerful warriors.
One soldier, having lost his spear, pulled out a shortsword. Another drew an arming sword, while the third clutched the half-broken spear. A few soldiers even used their bows as clubs.
"Damn it!" they cursed, but fought fiercely.
They struck and stabbed, cutting down the man-faced wolves with skill. They formed protective circles, shielding each other, while slowly retreating.
If they could hold on a little longer, reinforcements would come, and they believed the battle was almost won.
Dunbakel fought even more ferociously.
Her scimitar became like a crescent blade, cutting through the wolves with terrifying precision. She swung and punched with such force that it was as if she had lost all control.
She handled the horse-beasts, and now only the wolves remained.
She hacked and punched, kicking those that got too close. Every movement was fast and powerful, her muscles working with a fluid, bouncy rhythm. But despite her brutal attacks, she didn't seem to tire. She was a whirlwind of raw power.
Her strength seemed nearly unstoppable.
The soldiers could only watch in awe. She was like a one-woman army, a maddened force of nature.
After killing half of the wolves, the others began to retreat in fear. But they were still under the curse of rage, and they kept charging at her without thought.
"Kahhh!"
"Karrghhh!"
The chilling cries of the man-faced wolves rang through the air.
Dunbakel was too focused on the battle to notice something strange coming from the forest. The thud of heavy steps grew louder.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
It was the sound of hooves, but something was wrong. A large, dark figure emerged from the trees.
It was faster than the horse-beasts—much faster.
But it wasn't a horse.
It looked like a horse but was something far worse.
The creature had a horse's lower body, but its upper body was human. It was a centaur, a monstrous hybrid.
Its muscular chest glistened, and seeing the rippling muscles made Dunbakel's stomach turn.
"What the hell."
Dunbakel muttered under her breath as the centaur charged again, swinging a thick wooden club.
The man-faced wolf pack was scattered, crushed underfoot as the centaur barreled through, ignoring the destruction it left in its wake.
With a loud whoosh, the club swung through the air again.
Dunbakel threw herself back to dodge. It was close but manageable. It was a small relief that the centaur had already cleared the wolves, giving her a brief chance to catch her breath.
But that respite was short-lived. There was no time to relax. The centaur wasn't alone.
More centaurs were emerging from the forest.
"Kiiiii-yohhh!" The centaurs shouted as their blood-red eyes locked on to Dunbakel.
Some of them turned their attention to the soldiers.
I want to live, Dunbakel thought.
The desire to survive overwhelmed her. She hadn't realized when this yearning had begun, but ever since meeting Enkrid, it had surged uncontrollably, like a burst dam.
The desire for life, like this, was an unexpected burden.
Enkrid. Her mind echoed his name. She needed to see him again. Could she escape now? Would he think poorly of her for leaving the others to die?
There was no clear right answer. Only the choice to make.
Is it better to survive alone?
Dunbakel wanted to be with Enkrid, to join him and the others. Was that the way forward?
She reflected on how Enkrid always sought to find the best path and acted decisively. Could she do the same?
There was no time to hesitate. She made her decision.
"Did I thank him for saving me?" Dunbakel wondered. No, she hadn't. But she would live, and she would live in the way he would want her to—surviving, not just for herself but for what he taught her.
Though the thought process felt long, it was short in actual time. In moments of crisis, the mind becomes clear. She had made her decision and now it was time to act.
"Look at me!" Dunbakel roared, triggering her transformation.
Her golden eyes shone with intensity, and her body shifted, growing fur as she took on the form of a lion. With a deep, low growl, she launched herself at the closest centaur.
"Grrrrrrr!" The sound was enough to unsettle anyone in earshot.
Dunbakel slashed with her scimitar, but the centaur, a skilled fighter, twisted its body, avoiding the blade. It was a move that no cavalryman could replicate.
Dunbakel swung her right hand, but as the centaur dodged, she quickly struck with her left, her claws slicing across its eyes.
"Kggghh!" the centaur screamed.
"Follow me, you bastards!" Dunbakel shouted, either at the centaurs or the wolves, leading them deeper into the forest.
The soldiers were left behind, alive for the moment.
Centaurs were known for being dangerous, even among mid-level beasts, and especially when they formed a colony. Their threat was said to surpass that of flying monsters.
"...This is bad," one of the surviving soldiers muttered.
***
"So, Dunbakel has been missing for four days?"
Four days had passed since Dunbakel disappeared into the forest. Reinforcements were dispatched from the Border Guard, with the vanguard arriving swiftly—a small unit of a single company.
The captain of that unit asked the question, and a soldier nodded.
"Yes."
"And the centaur group has now formed a colony and taken control of the plains near the forest?"
Everyone turned to Enkrid, noting his expression. It was as neutral as ever, but there was something about it that made it look as though he was angry, though no one could figure out why.
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