As soon as Triston attacked him, Stone started his dance as he fought with him. He couldn't take Triston's blows head-on and so he could only evade or parry those attacks.
Fortunately, while that jagged blade of his was extremely dangerous it was a short blade with small reach. It was a one-edged blade that could be called from one perspective a long knife or short sword. Thanks to that Stone had more space to breathe as he was using his axes with slightly longer range to fight him.
He was trying to bait him closer to the edge with extreme caution. But while Triston was a person of blind faith he wasn't completely stupid and was also cautious despite his aggressive attacks.
Triston guessed Stone's plan and sneered at it. It was obvious. But he didn't care and pressed on him. Stone, who was for the first time, fighting a battle where he couldn't allow even slight injury had to adapt to every savage attack the aborigine did.
But in the end, everything was futile. And he knew it. The enemy was too strong and experienced for his young self. His plan won't work.
And so with a determined gaze, he changed it at the last minute.
They exchanged several blows until one of the Triston's swings, which could easily amputate Stone's limbs, were intercepted by his axes crossed before him. Before Triston could do anything he moved them aside and lunged at the blade in front of him effectively impaling himself.
Triston opened his eyes wide and instinctively tried to pull out his blade. But he couldn't. Stone tensed his muscles around the wound so the blade went harder out. Of course, he would get it out with his full force completely ravaging the wound but Stone didn't give him the chance.
At an extremely short distance his axes were useless so he let go of them and with one hand pulled out his dagger which he aimed at Triston.
The second he took hold of the hand Triston wielded his jagged blade.
"Bastard!" Triston was furious. With his free hand, he managed to catch Stone's hand before piercing him before he tried to pull out his weapon. Battle of attrition was to his advantage and so he believed he would win this fight.
But Stone did the inevitable. They were already at the edge so it wasn't a surprise when Stone finally pushed his body over the edge together with Triston as he said with a savage expression:
"Fuck you and your demented Lord!"
After saying that he head-butted the Triston who started to fall together with him. The blood from the broken nose was everywhere as two men fell off the cliff with cries full of hatred, rage, and grievances.
Those were lamentations of Triston. He was full of hatred for this little monster that made so many difficulties in fulfilling the will of his Lor-
His thoughts could not be finished as Stone didn't forget to bash his enemy during the fall making him even more angry and despairing not even registering that Stone insulted his Lord.
'Why? Why? Why? WHY?'
He didn't think they could survive this fall. He knew this was the cliff of the Frozen Death which was as high as a kilometer. That was an unimaginable height. He knew that no matter what he won't be able to bring back the devil's or even his own body to the Lord it belongs to.
His heart hurt because of that and his mind was full of hatred.
"You little shit. Because of you... Because of you!!!" And so he started to attack Stone too. Stretching, tearing. He even bites him until he bites off Stone's flesh.
Stone's eyes were cold and his mouth was silent. But he didn't let this be and fought Triston with all his might. But he didn't let go. He still held onto Triston. He had to. Stone didn't have the confidence to survive the fall as he was. But if he has a 'shield' to mitigate the fall...
That's why he didn't let go. He knew it was stupid since it would mitigate the fall only a little but with his regeneration that was all that mattered. And so he persevered.
He waited despite his flesh trying to regenerate with the blade still embedded inside of him. That will be extremely difficult to pull out later.
Fortunately, the time had come soon since the fall took just a minute before he was already close to the ground. And so with full force, he tilted his entire body together with the furious Triston so he was at the top.
"What are you doing?!" Triston also already understood the situation and wanted to do the same but his mind full of turmoil made it impossible.
"Making you useful for once. Goodbye." And with this, they crashed into the gigantic tree at the bottom of the cliff breaking through its crown and immediately after through its branches migitating the fall. Or at least for Stone who used Triston as a shield.
Triston himself was already unconscious with his limbs turning into wrong angles.
Soon they hit the ground with a thud. Stone who rolled over Triston's mutilated body lay on the ground and breathed heavily. He felt his consciousness also leaving him but he knew that was too dangerous and that he needed to hide himself at least.
"Ugh.."
He groaned as he felt many of his bones breaking and his head was in shock after the impact. Nausea came as soon as his breath slowed down. There were also several wounds that he gained after flying through all those branches.
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If this was the state of Stone then it was obvious in what state would be Triston. Stone cast his eyes at the man and saw that he was breathless.
The man was dead and became the first person Stone got revenge on in his life.
Stone's emotions were complicated when he saw this. It was so sudden and so anticlimactic that he didn't know what to think. The man that was so strong died just like that.
Stone mustered the rest of his strength to push himself into a sitting position but failed. He could only look around with his eyes. But when he did look around his eyes shone with worry as he tried again in a hurry. This place was a forest similar to the other forests in this land.
Only that it was under the cliff. That wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't seen the hints and tracks that some animal was living in this place and it was a predator.
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Roar*
Unfortunately, he was too late. Or more like the beast was too quick. Stone felt the ground under him tremble as he heard the trees creaking when something was coming closer.
But Stone couldn't move. His body was spent after these three days despite all the replenishing he did. His arms and legs almost didn't respond to him. So he mustered the rest of his strength and pushed the body of Triston over himself and waited with bated breath.
It was just a bear.
Bear over seven meters tall with thick pieces of ice forming a natural armor over its body. Stone who saw this while playing Death almost gasped at the moment. The thing was definitively the biggest creature he had ever seen.
Each step it took formed the ground and broke the stones as everything trembled. It was sniffing at the air looking for the easy prey.
When it noticed Triston's body it visibly drooled and got near to it. Stone had to utilize his knowledge of meditation to slow down the beat of his hurtful heart. He couldn't move. Not only because he was tired but also to not arouse the bear's instincts.
Bears are cunning and opportunistic omnivores so they will eat everything available they find. So it will definitively go to eat the body above him. If he moves the bear will come for him immediately. And that would be his doom.
But he can't do anything. If he wants to survive he must do something. He can't run, he didn't have the energy for that. He needed to be quick in whatever he wanted to do.
And so he waited for the opportunity. He watched the bear close on him and Triston's body with an open mouth as its drool fell on the ground. Its head was right above him sniffing the corpse.
Stone was disgusted by the smell of the mouth and the nausea he finally lost returned with full force. But he didn't show anything on the surface.
*Grr*
Suddenly the bear grunted as it opened its mouth to the limits and bit off Triston's torso. Blood sprayed everywhere as the organs spilled out on Stone's body.
He was still immobile looking at the bear above him. It seemed to enjoy the taste despite it being so skinny. The reason for that was the richness of Triston's blood. But once it swallowed the last lit it seemed unsatisfied. While it tasted better than normal meat it wasn't what attracted it here. The smell of blood that was so full of vitality that the bear never felt...
It wanted it. To taste it. It smelled the droplets of that blood sprayed in this area. So it started to search for it. Before that, it will eat the rest of the appetizer though.
But once it did it realized that there was a second body. But it was too late.
Stone who tensed so much that his muscles damaged themselves sprang up with as much of power as he could and aimed his dagger at the bear's eye.
"Argh!" Beast's wail resounded as he embedded it as deep as he could. He wanted to turn its brain into mush so the beast would die. But the dagger was too short and the bear's head too big. When he realized that it wouldn't reach so deep he wanted to take it out but the bear turned his head and bit on Stone's head. Its second eye flashed with fury.
Stone let go of the dagger and wanted to evade. But he managed to do so only partly as the bear's fangs buried into his right shoulder. Before he could do anything the bear jerked its head taking with it his entire arm to its shoulder and threw him to the side.
"Aaaagh" The pain overwhelmed Stone for a second. The snow around him turned into the color of his blood as he lay on the ground holding his bleeding stump.
'What to do... What should I do against this.' Stone felt panic. He thought he didn't fear death anymore but when the bear turned its head towards him instead of enjoying his arm he felt dread after a long time.
When he finally found the purpose he wanted to pursue, the future he wanted to go towards... And by the worst death he could think of.
Being eaten by a beast. The trauma he had manifested into this immeasurable horror.
The bear realized that he was the reason why it was attracted here. His blood was the best thing it ever had. But it didn't go to eat the arm it conquered. Killing the prey was the most important. And so it slowly neared Stone who lay there in the snow helpless.
'Damn it. Why always such monsters... What can humans do against such a monster? Huh ?' As his thoughts were in turmoil he remembered some words he heard a few days prior.
'It is not a sin to be a monster.'
Zephyr.
Zephyr. What did it mean? Why did she say it? Sin? Monster? Why should I be a monster? To fight another one?
So many questions passed in Stone's head. As he thought about his enigmatic acquaintance his breath calmed a little but his thoughts accelerated. The bear was just a few seconds away from him but he ignored it.
"Being a monster... You need to become a monster to beat one ?" Stone muttered seriously to himself.
The bear was finally before him and attacked with full force.
But Stone closed his eyes. He seemed to give up on his life and let nature take its course...
Something clicked in his brain. He felt as if some limiter disappeared...
Just as the bear's claw closed on him he opened his crimson eyes wide open and evaded with as minimal movement as he could and punched the snout of the bear with full force breaking it. The force behind it prompted the bear to distance itself a little. The pain in its snout was not light. Stone's arm also seemed to be damaged but he didn't care at the moment. It will heal as long as he wins.
Bear wanted to attack again but at that moment Stone lunged at the bear. His eyes were full of malice as he used his only arm and legs to climb at the bear.
Bear was furious at this prey climbing him as a monkey and trying to get him off but unsuccessfully.
Stone who climbed to the peak got closer to the head of the bear and started to bash it with his hand while holding firmly with his legs. He didn't care that the ice on its head was protecting it or that each attack he did not only strained but completely ruptured the muscles in his body.
It wasn't for naught. While there were no visible injuries the impacts alone affected the brain of the beast. And so he bashed it until it became disoriented.
And that was the moment his eyes glinted. He opened his hand and let his nails grow as much as possible. At that moment they didn't look as long nails but as claws of the beast. Once they were long enough Stone bulged his muscles and with full force pushed his hand as a spear into the second eye of the beast.
"Argh!" Bear once again roared in pain as it struggled but Stone held himself firmly and pushed his arm deeper. That caused an even bigger struggle for the bear but at one point it weakened. Soon when Stone' arm was completely buried in the skull the bear stopped moving too as its body violently fell on the ground causing it to tremble.
When Stone realized he won, all of the adrenaline in his body finally dissipated and with a slight smile, he lost his consciousness not caring about hiding or other predators anymore...