As the earth shook, Malgrave stepped backward, causing two of his remaining underlings to lose their grip on the ground and forcing them to step back. Malgrave then stepped forward, his boots sinking slightly into the soft earth. He looked at his surroundings and found nothing different from the outside. He called for Howler and instructed him to look around.
Shadowgaze Howler sniffed the ground, detecting a new scent, and followed it to a cave entrance. Malgrave stood outside the cave when a young bear arrived, unaware of the lurking danger.
Thaka who just arrived thought 'Well, Mother said not to go out so, I will only look around for anything to play ' But suddenly Thaka felt dangerous and he looked around and was surprised to find a strong beast lurking around he had a second thought ' I should take it away from the cave and save others.'
Shadowgaze Howler, standing beside Malgrave, looked at him with eyes full of hunger. Malgrave, observing the beast's behavior, sent Howler toward the young bear, Thaka. As Howler prepared to attack, Thaka swiftly evaded, eyeing his attacker—a howler ready to strike again like a charging bull. Instead of using magic, Howler wanted to witness the helplessness of its prey.
Seeing Thaka continuously evade attacks, Shadowgaze Howler decided to finish the fight. From the shadow of the howler, several spikes flew toward Thaka, leaving no room to counterattack. The spikes pierced Thaka's skin, making him bleed.
Thaka's body fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. The shadow spike attack was not a simple one—it hit hard. Malgrave's underlings watched, and a young man asked, looking at the man in black, "What were those spikes?"
The man in black replied with a stoic face, "Those aren't simple spikes. They're lethal—they make one bleed out until they die from blood loss."
Shadowgaze Howler approached the injured Thaka but suddenly sensed danger and jumped back, evading a rock flying at inhuman speed. The rock missed and hit a tree, creating cracks in its trunk.
Malgrave saw a child appear from the cave and questioned, "A child here?"
Arin stepped forward from the shadows, his eyes staring at the fallen body of Thaka, who was bleeding heavily. Without looking around, Arin ran straight toward Thaka and sat near him, trying to wake him up. Malgrave, seeing the human child, was about to step forward when something approaching at an alarming rate caught his attention. A smile formed on Malgrave's face.
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Malgrave sensed the aura of the lord beast. Gracillia arrived near the cave and found the barrier placed earlier was gone. Moving forward, she stopped abruptly, seeing something no mother would want to see—the bloody, near-death body of Thaka.
"Finally, my hunt will end today. By tomorrow, I will be back in the kingdom. Hahaha!" Malgrave's voice echoed around, igniting rage in Gracillia. Her eyes turned red, and she went berserk, attacking Malgrave.
The temperature inside the forest dropped, and wind gathered around Gracillia, forming sharp needles directed at Malgrave. He didn't move, as Howler emerged from his shadow, forming a black shield to block the attack. Howler's mockery provoked Gracillia further, intensifying her wind attacks.
Several black howlers appeared from Howler's shadow, blocking Gracillia's attacks. As dust obscured the view, Howler subdued all attacks. Before Gracillia could make another move, Howler emerged from the shadows of broken trees and attacked her back with his paw, sending her flying back a few meters.
Gracillia's mind became clearer as her berserk state ended, but she was bleeding and unable to stand. The berserk rage took a toll on her body. She lay powerless, without the strength to stand.
The forest was silent, with only the sound of breathing and heartbeats breaking the stillness. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through the trees, signaling an approaching storm. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, accompanied by distant thunder. Rain started to fall, first softly and then in a heavy downpour.
Arin, a small boy with courage beyond his years, sat vigil by Thaka's body. His eyes, wide with determination and fear, followed Gracillia's fierce battle. He yearned to aid her, but a wind barrier, conjured by the mother bear's protective instinct, caged him in an invisible prison. Powerless and frustrated, he watched as Gracillia, the embodiment of strength, now lay defeated, her energy spent.
Arin's heart pounded in his chest. His thoughts raced—I have to help her. I can't let her die. As the barrier weakened and vanished, Arin's resolve solidified. He dashed toward Malgrave, the villain whose presence was a blight upon the land. Silent as a shadow, Arin closed the distance. With a leap fueled by vengeance and hope, he formed a fist and launched himself at the foe. His punch landed squarely on Malgrave's face, a strike unanticipated, for the villain had not sensed the boy's approach.
The impact echoed through the forest, declaring a small boy's indomitable spirit. The power of Arin's punch was like a feather against a mountain; Malgrave, the embodiment of darkness, barely registered the blow. He corrected his stance with a swift and sinister grace, his smile wide and mocking, a grotesque mirror of joy at the boy's futile efforts. Laughter spilled from his lips, a sound more terrifying than the storm's fury, as he watched Arin's struggle.
Arin felt a wave of fear and helplessness crash over him.' Is this it? ' Am I too weak?' With a sudden burst of anger, Malgrave's hand shot out and grabbed Arin from the air as if he were nothing more than a ragdoll. He hurled the boy toward a tree in one fluid, contemptuous motion. The crash of Arin's small body against the rough bark coincided with a clap of thunder, a symphony of violence that nature itself seemed to recoil from.
Arin's pale skin was marked by a stark red trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, standing out like a warning from the sky. Suddenly, thunder roared once more, a devastating sound that shook the very heart of the forest.
....