Chapter 57: Prey Interlude
With its tongue relishing the blood splattered upon its wretched jaws, the beast looked at the man in front of him with a glint of amusement in its eyes.
‘Interesting,’ it thought.
There were no humans it had ever faced like this one. Battered and bloodied, beaten and tortured, the beast had unleashed the cruelest forms of violence it could muster upon him. And yet, even with all of that, not once had the man before it broken.
Cough!
Even though the man was struggling to breathe, with blood choking his throat and mental and physical pain coursing through his body, for some reason, he never gave up.
Not one ounce of fear was etched across his eyes, nor was there any sign of surrender. Instead, there was only fire, a light of hope and defiance that he could actually win.
That was what made it even more amusing to the beast.
It watched as the man’s chest heaved with effort, each ragged breath a testament to his indomitable spirit.
The beast had encountered many humans in its time, but none had shown such resilience, such unyielding resolve.
It was used to seeing fear, despair, and submission in the eyes of its prey, but this man was different. He was a spark of defiance in a world that often succumbed to the darkness.
The beast’s amusement grew, a twisted sense of respect mingling with its bloodlust. This human, despite his frailty, held a strength that transcended mere physicality.
It was a strength of will, a determination that burned brighter than the golden lightning that coursed through the beast’s veins.
Thump!
The beast felt something it had never felt before. As a monster accustomed to the presence of humans, it had learned many things about its prey.
Yet, the sensation it experienced now was unlike anything it had encountered. Whatever it was, the beast knew it would remember this feeling until the day it died.
Sitting down in front of the man, the wolf with its glowing red eyes mused upon the pathetic display the human presented.
Despite the man’s battered and broken state, there was something undeniably compelling about his struggle.
The beast watched as the man fought to stand, leaning heavily on his sword.
Every movement was a testament to his sheer willpower, a defiance that refused to be extinguished.
The beast felt a pang of anticipation. This was not the reaction it expected from prey.
Standing there like a limp piece of flesh, the man continued to face the wolf with those defiant eyes. It was as if he was silently declaring, “Until death claims me, you are my prey.”
It was a notion the beast couldn’t comprehend. Never had it imagined that a mere human would think of it in such terms.
The wolf was the predator, the one who decided the fate of those it hunted.
Yet, here was this human, refusing to bow down, refusing to accept his place as a victim.
The beast’s glowing red eyes bore into the man’s, trying to understand the source of this unyielding spirit.
The man’s defiance was not born of ignorance or folly; it was a conscious choice, a testament to a strength that went beyond physical prowess. It was a strength of character, a resilience that the beast found both puzzling and intriguing.
Soon, the man pointed his sword towards the beast, an unmistakable invitation for their final clash.
The beast knew this would mark the end of their fight, the end of their violence, and the end of their shared amusement.
A strange hesitation gripped the beast, but the thought of spilling the guts of such a mighty prey was more appealing than the notion of sparing it.
As a form of respect, the beast let out thunderous roars that echoed through the air. Lightning descended from the skies, coating its fur with golden sparks of luminosity.
This was the best gift it could offer to such a great prey, the best tribute to such a fierce fight.
Even though this wasn’t a typical hunt, the beast was determined to ensure that this human realized who the true predator was.
BOOM!
Lightning flashed across its body as it surged forward with the speed of a tempest.
This was the ultimate attack it could deliver to the dying man, its jaws wide open and lightning dancing around its form.
It wouldn’t even take a second for its mouth to reach the man, but then… it stopped.
GRRRR!!!!!
An instinctual warning reverberated deep within the beast, compelling it to halt inches from the man’s face.
Confusion and frustration roiled within it as it tried to understand why it had stopped.
Because of its momentum, the lightning coursing across the beast’s body flashed forward, illuminating the rocky terrain behind the man and destroying everything in its path.
With the winds it gathered, it blew away the blood trickling across the man’s face, revealing his dim blue eyes that stared at the beast with no emotions.
Gone was the fire of defiance etched across them, gone were the hopes of fighting, replaced by a look of resignation.
The pressure in the air was palpable, a heavy weight that seemed to suffocate the beast. What was going on? It couldn’t understand.
Its jaws were wide open in front of the man, ready to strike, yet something held it back.
Some intangible force prevented it from delivering the final blow. The once powerful body, pulsating with energy, now felt drained and confused.
“For a mere mutt, you’re quite strong….”
The man spoke, his voice carrying a tone of superiority as he looked down upon the beast. It was a voice devoid of fear or hesitation, a voice that spoke with authority. Despite its size and strength, the beast couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease at the man’s words.
“Your death would’ve been more useful if I wasn’t in this bloodied state”
The man’s hands then moved, and with a touch, he reached out and rested them upon the wolf’s forehead.
Questions surged across the beast’s mind as it realized it had kneeled down in front of the man of its own accord.
“The blood wyrm can be tamed later on…. for now, you will suffice,” the man spoke, his voice carrying an air of authority.
Crackle!
Lightning sparks crackled across the man’s arms as magic circles danced across the wolf’s face. The beast felt something entering inside, an instinctual realization that it was something dangerous.
Growl!
It snarled in defiance, brandishing its large fangs once more, only to be met with the man’s unwavering gaze.
“Silence, Mutt…,” the man commanded, his voice cutting through the air with authority.
Voom!
The lightning and magic circles expanded forcefully, engulfing the beast in a whirlwind of energy. It let out wailing cries of pain as it felt something seeping inside, a foreign energy it didn’t want.
Despite its struggles, the beast found itself powerless against the man’s magic.
The energy coursed through its veins, twisting and contorting its form in ways it couldn’t comprehend. It was a sensation of invasion, of being violated by forces beyond its control.
The beast’s instincts screamed at it to resist, to fight back against the intrusion. But as the man’s power enveloped it, overwhelming its senses, it knew there was no escape. It was at the mercy of the man’s will, a mere pawn in a game it didn’t understand.
As the magic subsided, the wolf’s heart began to thump in synchrony with the man in front of him.
The red eyes it once had were now replaced by the cold tinge of blue, mirroring the man’s own gaze.
Their eyes reflected one another, and in that moment, a bond formed between them, without either of them even realizing it.
“Let’s go…,” the man said, his voice carrying a sense of purpose.
The wolf immediately understood what he meant.
…
“I told you it’s useless, Your Highness,” sneered General Auvin.
“Shut up!”
Swiftly dodging the hailing storm of magical ice shards directed towards him, General Auvin walked forward with relative ease, closing the distance between himself and the princess.
Ice and frost had already encased the whole field around them, but none of it deterred General Auvin.
Surely, the princess should’ve known by now that nothing would work, and her death was imminent. There was no need for her to be so defiant about all of this.
“Please, just give up, Your Highness, and allow me to deliver upon you a quick death…” General Auvin’s voice carried a chilling tone as he surveyed their surroundings.
Encircling their entire area, about a hundred meters away, stood all of his men, his subordinates, the hundreds who had remained loyal after their failure back at the terrorist attack.
They were the ones who had joined the rebellion for their cause, for their rights.
“Look around you, my dear child… These are all the people who want to rip you to shreds right now. They embody the will of the cause, and they have every right to kill you in the most horrific way imaginable. The only reason they haven’t done so is because of my love for you, Your Highness. So please, surrender and allow me to lessen your pain.”
Snow stood with haggard breaths, struggling to maintain her composure as she leaned on her staff for support. It had only been a few minutes since she was ambushed, yet she already felt dangerously weak. The growing annoyance swirling inside her intensified as she stared defiantly at the man before her.
She ignored his words, scoffing at his claims of saving and loving her. How could she believe in such empty promises from a man consumed by his own selfish ideals? There was nothing in his demeanor that hinted at empathy or compassion.
Snow wasn’t a fool. She knew there was a reason why this battle had dragged on for so long.
Crippled by an anti-magic field surrounding her body, she was rendered powerless, stripped of her ability to access her spells or mana.
A mage without magic was like a swordsman without a sword, a writer without a pen, a doctor without his knowledge.
‘I should be nothing more than just a mere cripple in front of him.’
This battle should have ended ages ago if the old man had truly wanted to kill her.
After all, he was a seasoned sword master, and dispatching a frail mage like her would have been as effortless as swatting away a child.
Yet, he kept prolonging the fight, relishing in the joy and ecstasy of seeing her suffer.
Auvin wasn’t even using his sword, as if wary of her magic. Instead, he relied upon the volley of arrows his subordinates fired, occasionally throwing mana bombs at her.
‘Did he notice my act perhaps?’ Snow wondered.
As Snow surveyed the battlefield, she realized there was truly no escape.
With Auvin in front of her and his subordinates surrounding them, every avenue of retreat was cut off.
Despite the damage she had sustained, her mana continued to surge uncontrollably within her, forcing her to cast spells beyond her intended limits in a desperate attempt to fight back.
The professors would be of no help in this situation.
Even if they noticed the surveillance familiar monitoring her, by the time they decided to respond, Auvin would have already ended her life. It was a grim realization that left Snow feeling helpless and frustrated.
Tsk… she couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly.
She should have known this man would resort to such tactics ever since he escaped from her senior.
Despite his outwardly calm and gentle demeanor, Auvin harbored deep-seated grudges, and he knew exactly how to exploit them.
Although It was a mistake out of her control it was also a mistake that could’ve been avoided if she was more cautious…. She shouldn’t have been too lenient or reliant upon the academy’s forces to handle things like this especially with a rat as cunning as him.
“Your Highness, are you ready to give up now?” General Auvin asked with a smile, maintaining a distance of 20 meters between them.
Snow chuckled slightly at his question. “Why don’t you come over here and make me give up then, General?” she taunted, snarling defiantly at his face. There was no way she would let this man dictate her fate.
“Hmm… if I was sure you couldn’t use your spells in this anti-magic field, I would’ve made my move already, Your Highness,” Auvin replied, his tone calculating. “But seeing that you can use your magic, I can’t be too lenient now, can I? Especially with that domain of yours….”
As he spoke, Auvin scanned Snow, assessing the situation.
Though he was confident that the anti-magic field affected her, it seemed it wasn’t potent enough to completely inhibit her spellcasting abilities, as long as she poured enough mana into it.
This meant that spells like [Frost Domain] and [Frost Fire] were still at her disposal.
There were too many risks involved when it came to dealing with Princess Snow up close.
As frail as she might appear, to a seasoned warrior like General Auvin, she was anything but a mere mage.
Having known her since she was a child, he understood just how dangerously potent Snow could be in close quarters as well as at range.
She wasn’t the typical mage who relied solely on hurling spells from a distance; Snow was a tactician who took advantage of her situation and manipulated others to her benefit.
Even now, Auvin could tell that her staggering was a façade. The blood on her lips was intentional, a ruse to bait him closer.
She acted as if she had no mana left, but Auvin knew better. She was priming him, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The battle was one of attrition and endurance, and unfortunately, time was not on Auvin’s side.
Once the professors and academy staff became involved, it would be the end of their cause.
They would surely be wiped out today, with no room for escape once the top personnel of the academy moved.
Not to mention, the high-ranking students could easily take them out on their own.
That was why Auvin and his subordinates had meticulously prepared for this moment, considering every action, every notion, and every possibility to ensure the assassination of Princess Snow was executed perfectly, with the most moral justification their cause could allow.
“Very well, Your Highness,” Auvin said, his voice cold and resolute. “If you insist on making this difficult, I will oblige. But know this: your defiance will be your undoing.”
Snap!
With a sharp snap of his fingers, Auvin’s appearance began to transform. His skin turned a sickly gray, covered in rough scales, and his eyes took on a reptilian gleam. The air around him swirled with a toxic mist, thick and suffocating.
HISSS~!!!
A loud hissing noise filled the air, and Snow’s body trembled involuntarily. Fear gripped her like a vice, making her hair stand on end.
It felt as though something was slithering just behind her, whispering in the wind with a malevolent intent.
She felt a cold, wet sensation near her ear, like a tongue licking the blood away.
Slowly, she turned around, her movements stiff with terror. Her eyes widened in horror as she found herself face to face with a gigantic silvery snake.
Its eyes glowed with a predatory intensity, and the tips of its fangs dripped with a lethal, acidic venom that sizzled as it hit the ground, melting the earth beneath it.
‘Since when did it get behind me?’ Snow wondered, her mind racing.
Despite using her mana sense to its fullest extent, she hadn’t detected such a massive creature looming right beside her.
How could she have missed it?
Her body felt frozen in place, paralyzed by the overwhelming fear.
She could sense the malevolent energy radiating from the serpent, a creature born of dark magic and cruelty.
Every instinct screamed at her to flee, but she knew there was nowhere to run.
The snake’s forked tongue flicked out again, tasting the air, its eyes never leaving hers.
The realization hit her like a blow: Auvin had summoned this monstrosity, to force her to use her domain….
“Let’s end this charade shall we your highness?”
