Chương 53: Death Arrives
Just as Borne was a few steps away from his fallen companion, a sharp, unbearable pain surged through his body again.
The Frostfire Hyena leader growled cruelly, its mouth once more gathering icy energy.
A second ice spike shot through the air, piercing Borne's right thigh with lightning speed.
"Ahhh!"
Borne screamed in agony, his body convulsing violently from the intense pain, leaving him nearly collapsed on the ground.
His right thigh was skewered by the ice spike, and blood gushed down the frozen shard.
The biting cold, mixed with the excruciating pain, spread from the wound through his entire body, freezing him from the inside out, as if his very veins were turning to ice.
The ice spike remained lodged in his leg, leaving Borne utterly crippled.
The searing pain in both legs left him immobile, unable to crawl forward even an inch.
Yet, despite the blurry vision that now clouded his eyes, he kept them fixed on his fallen warhorse.
"Ra... Radish..."
His voice, now barely more than a whisper, was filled with helplessness and sorrow.
The Frostfire Hyena leader watched Borne's pitiful struggle with cold indifference, its eyes filled with the cruel pleasure of a predator toying with its prey.
It had no intention of ending this hunt quickly—it relished watching Borne writhe in agony.
The creature delighted in seeing its prey fight hopelessly, draining every ounce of strength before inevitably succumbing in the final, devastating moment.
Borne's breathing grew labored, each gasp rattling from deep within his chest like a struggle for life.
Every breath came with searing pain, as though his ribcage would soon shatter.
Despite this, his unwavering gaze remained locked on his fallen warhorse, Radish.
In his heart, all his remaining strength was devoted to this one final, unyielding goal.
He fought to lift his hands, his fingers scraping the rough ground beneath him.
With sheer will, he attempted to drag his battered body forward, inch by inch, towards his loyal companion, no matter how impossible the task seemed.
Borne's hands gripped the dirt and gravel with all the strength he could muster, each movement tearing his fingers further on the rough ground, like sharp blades slicing through flesh.
Blood oozed from the cracks in his skin, and soon his nails were ripped away, exposing pale, raw bone.
His hands had become a grotesque, bloodied mess.
Each attempt to drag himself forward brought searing, excruciating pain.
The skin on his fingers had long since torn apart, and blood continued to drip steadily, staining every inch of ground he crawled across.
Dirt mixed with blood as his hands left streaks of red behind.
The wounds on his fingers deepened, as if each finger was slowly being shattered, and even bits of bone began to show.
Yet, despite this agony, Borne gritted his teeth and forced himself onward, crawling inch by inch.
Every time his fingers dug into the earth, they ripped open new gashes, leaving him trembling in pain.
The numbness and coldness from his legs spread further, clouding his senses.
But he couldn't stop.
"Ra... Radish..."
Borne's voice was barely a whisper now, hoarse and broken.
His body was spent, his strength exhausted, and the dragging of his bloodied hands became sluggish.
Each attempt to pull himself forward grew harder as more blood spilled from his hands.
Even though his body was on the verge of collapse, he continued.
He ground his teeth, forcing his mangled hands to scrape against the earth, dragging himself closer to the only thing that mattered.
The Frostfire Hyena leader watched Borne's desperate struggle with a twisted, sadistic grin, its sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.
Its raspy laughter filled the air, mocking Borne's helplessness and pain, the sound piercing his mind with its cruelty.
The leader showed no mercy.
It opened its massive jaws, ice magic swirling within, quickly forming a deadly ice spike.
The frost sparkled as the cold energy spread through the air, freezing everything in its path.
The glint of the ice spike was blinding, its icy breath chilling the very air, as if freezing the entire world around them.
The next moment, the ice spike shot out like lightning, piercing directly through Borne's left shoulder blade, impaling his shoulder in an instant.
"Ah..."
The sound of the ice spike shattering his scapula still echoed in his ears, and the sensation of his bones breaking nearly made him lose consciousness.
Borne lay sprawled on the ground, his body covered in blood and dirt.
His breathing grew labored, and with each breath, sharp pain, like a blade, tore at his insides.
When the ice spike pierced his shoulder blade, the excruciating pain spread through his entire body instantly.
It was as if thousands of needles stabbed deep into his bones, hitting every nerve.
His body convulsed violently, and the pain in his left shoulder made it nearly impossible for him to continue moving forward.
It felt as though his entire left arm no longer belonged to him, the limb going numb as the ice spike lodged itself inside, gradually losing all sensation.
The icy cold of the spike spread through his shoulder like an unrelenting chill, surging through his bloodstream, so intense it even made breathing painful.
Borne's military uniform was already in tatters, the fabric soaked through with blood and sweat.
Where the ice spike had penetrated, the cloth was torn open, streaked with blood.
The fabric clung tightly to the wound, mixed with mud and blood, like a thick paste that rubbed against his torn skin, intensifying the agony.
His hands still clutched the ground with desperate strength, but his fingers were completely numb now.
Dirt and gravel were embedded in his skin, and his fingers, shredded to the bone, were a gruesome sight.
Every time he dragged his palms forward, it felt like tearing himself apart.
His skin could no longer bear it, but he refused to give up.
Borne's face was as pale as paper, his forehead and cheeks covered in cold sweat.
The sweat dripped down his face, mixing with blood and dirt.
His hair, matted with sweat and dirt, clung to his forehead, and his eyes were glazed over.
He murmured softly, his voice barely audible.
His eyes held no hesitation, even though his body was nearing its breaking point.
His consciousness was gradually fading amid the pain and exhaustion, yet he still struggled to crawl forward.
The mocking laughter of the Frostfire Hyenas echoed in his ears, like the final elegy for prey.
Each laugh felt like a cruel taunt at his helplessness.
But Borne could no longer sense the world around him; his entire existence was now focused solely on Radish's lifeless body.
The pain in his left shoulder grew more intense, as though countless ice spikes were twisting and grinding within his bones, but Borne didn't care.
The only thought driving him was to reach Radish, even if it was only a few final steps, even if it cost him his life, he had to be with it.
Blood dripped steadily from his wounds with every slight movement.
A long trail of blood smeared the ground behind him, yet Borne's eyes remained fixed ahead on the fallen figure.
His consciousness was fading, waves of pain crashing over him, leaving him barely able to breathe.
His lips trembled faintly.
Borne's body was on the verge of collapse, blood pouring from his shoulder and thigh wounds, pooling into small puddles.
With his last functioning right hand, he gripped the ground tightly, each crawl forward exhausting every ounce of his strength.
The muscles in his arm burned with unbearable pain, his fingernails long since torn off, embedded in the dirt.
Each touch of his fingertips to the ground brought not hope, but deeper despair.
In front of him was only Radish's charred body, the once mighty warhorse that had charged into battle with him, now silently waiting for him to reach it.
Its body, burnt beyond recognition, the mane turned to ash, once powerful limbs now stiff and lifeless, its eyes devoid of life.
He was just a fingertip away. It seemed as though if he stretched his fingers just a little more, he could touch that once warm body.
But just as he was about to reach Radish, a bone-chilling cold struck him once more.
The malicious laughter of the Frostfire Hyena leader echoed in his ears.
Then, a wave of intense pain radiated from his right shoulder.
The ice spike pierced straight through his scapula, burrowing deep into his muscles and bones, freezing both his arm and his spirit with a chilling agony.
"Ah—!"
Borne let out a heart-wrenching scream, filled with despair.
He could feel his right arm slipping away, as if it no longer belonged to him, the ice spike draining every last bit of his strength like a blade carving into his core.
Though the distance to Radish was just a short reach, it now seemed impossibly far, as if stretched across miles.
His hand hovered helplessly in the air, mere inches from Radish, but he could no longer move.
Tears welled up in his eyes, unbidden, mingling with the sweat and blood on his face, sliding down his cheeks.
He bit down hard, trying to keep himself from breaking, but the tears kept falling, unchecked.
That feeling of helplessness, of something so near yet forever out of reach, crushed the last remnants of his inner strength.
"Radish…"
Borne's hand fell limply to the ground, tears blurring his vision.
Pain and despair crashed over him like a tidal wave, suffocating him.
He began to weep uncontrollably, overcome with a deep sense of regret and sorrow.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before, one buried deep within his heart that had finally erupted.
"Why... why..."
Tears streamed down his face like a flood breaking through a dam, unstoppable.
His eyes remained fixed on his faithful warhorse, his grief pouring out, soaking his face with the weight of his sorrow.
Desperately, he reached out one last time, trying to get closer, just a little closer.
But his body had given out, completely overwhelmed.
He could no longer move, not even an inch.
He felt despair slowly consuming him, piece by piece.
He no longer had the strength to crawl.
All he could do now was weep in the endless agony.
The mocking laughter of the Frostfire Hyenas echoed around him, surrounding him from every side.
The sound of their claws pressing into the ground—sharp, deliberate—grew closer, punctuating the air with soft, menacing crunches.
Their eyes glowed with cruel intent as they circled Borne, their laughter growing louder, feeding off his despair.
The Frostfire Hyena leader approached slowly, baring its sharp fangs in a wicked grin.
Its laughter was particularly grating, full of malice and cruelty.
Each step toward Borne felt like a mocking blow, taunting him in his helpless state.
It lowered its head, leaning in close to his face, its icy breath chilling him to the core.
'It's over, isn't it?'
Borne could only lie there, tears streaming down his face, powerless to resist or struggle.
The laughter around him felt like Death's whisper, dragging his spirit deeper and deeper into the abyss.
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