“You… Stupid brat! You still have your mother’s milk on your chin and you want to play hero here?!”

The argument was still going on as several of the warriors tried to shun Zers from fighting. It wasn’t because they thought he was going to be useless. On the contrary, they believed that as the next leader of the tribe he could, with high possibility, even surpass the current leader Degres.

Many had big expectations of him. But that was exactly the reason why they didn’t want him to waste his life here.

Unfortunately, he didn’t agree with them and was being stubborn.

“Hah! Members of our tribe become full-fledged adults and warriors the moment they undergo the baptism! By the tribe’s standards, I have been an adult for years already!”

In this way, they quarreled with each other, and only a few of the present noticed Illyan’s arrival.

Degres, who saw him immediately, went to him.

“So?”

“It is horrible… There are thousands of them. I saw White Seekers, Ice Polar Bears, Sabretooth Snowstorm Tigers, and other unknown species. I didn’t see any leader but there must have been one strong enough to lead them all.”

Others who heard their conversation got quiet as they listened with serious expressions.

“I see, do you think that we can delay them?” Degres asked a question that everyone wanted to know. They didn’t care if they died but if they could fight those beasts long enough for their families to run.

However, Illyan shook his head in helplessness.

“It should be possible to stop them or at least distract them for a limited time if we won’t fight head-on with them. But that is only if we will put our life on the line and do our everything to stop them. Otherwise, we will collapse soon.”

When he said this, it made others confused. They didn’t understand why Illyan looked so despondent if he concluded that they could win this fight against time.

Yeah, the fight to the death was scary to most humans but not them. War was like daily bread for them. It was normal to die to let the younger generations live on. They were shields who defended the tribe. Nobody here expected to return to the tribe after this fight. They were prepared to die.

And they didn’t think Illyan was any different. Degres already told them he would participate with them. Albeit there were some who were thinking he was so ‘brave’ only because he couldn't die because of his regeneration those veterans saw Illyan’s true self.

His spirit of a warrior. Of a survivor.

Yet, he was willing to risk it all for the tribe he didn’t share blood with.

That would move even the most stubborn old men.

“What is the problem?”

Degres, on the other hand, immediately knew that there had to be a different problem if Illyan looked like this and asked with urgency.

“The ice… It didn’t crack under our weight. The amount of the monsters being able to get so far is evidence. What really caused the ice to crack was the creature underneath the ice. I saw its shadow. It is as big as a mountain. It probably got roused after the vibrations we made spread throughout the ice.”

When Illyan concluded everything he saw when he was scouting everyone got silent.

They were aware that once they clashed with those beasts a gigantic disturbance was undoubtedly going to happen.

“Can’t we just run then? The beasts will bring their own doom.” One of the warriors suggested not out of cowardice but out of practicality. Nobody wanted to die in vain, after all.

But Illyan immediately shot down this suggestion.

“No, while there is a big chance of collapse soon, the beasts are also very close. If they catch up to the core of the tribe then they will take down everyone. We can’t rely on our luck.”

Others started to suggest new ideas but Illyan gestured to Degres. They couldn’t just stay here and do nothing.

Degres, who saw this nodded and announced loudly.

“We are wasting our precious time here. They can be here any second. Let’s begin our preparation. Everyone takes a bow and arrows and then let them hide and ambush them in the unevenness of the ice that cracked.”

After he said this he gave those who didn’t own their own a bow with 30 arrows.

Zers, who also prepared his spear, got closer to Illyan and started to discuss with him how to do this.

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“Are you sure? You will be a father soon, you know?” But even Illyan couldn’t help but ask him about his determination.

But that made Zers only roll his eyes.

“Even you will be like this? Come on, it is not like we need to die. We just need to do what we are good at. Kill them all!”

With a bloodthirsty expression, he bared his teeth and smiled ferociously.

“Sometimes things are not as simple and things can’t be decided by men…” But Illyan just shook his head. He knew that many things can’t be affected by a person's effort no matter what. Be it by inner qualities or luck in life.

“This is why you became so boring, Stone! Fuck the heavens! Let us ‘mere’ mortals decide what is right and what is wrong. Why else do we wield weapons? For ideals of some divine entity who would use us like puppets? Just like the Blood Crow Alliance is? I would rather die then!”

But Zers had a different view of it. While he understood what Illyan was saying he still wanted to fight. His blood was still young and vigorous. He wouldn’t stop struggling at this time just because he knew how hopeless something was.

“Hah… I guess you have a point. What’s the point of living if people don’t struggle? Having bad luck doesn’t mean you have to have a bad life.”

Illyan sighed and agreed with his best friend. He realized that after going through some experiences he started to view the world differently. He felt like everything was predestined and that fate couldn’t be broken so easily. Not with the power of mortals at least. Learning the divination under Kaoran also didn’t help him with his opinion.

But that was why he felt Zers was so important to him. He was the one who kept him on the ground. The one who let him know that he was still human.

“I knew you would understand, Stone! Hahahah!”

Zers started to laugh loudly as he repeatedly smacked Illyan on the back.

“Stop it, you idiot.”

“Hahahah!”

They bickered as they always did while going in the direction of the tide facing death itself with smiles on their faces…

……..

It didn’t take long for everyone to spread out thin and hide with bows in their hands. If they had more time and the place of battle was forest they could build very effective traps to impede and even kill those beasts.

Unfortunately, they were on even plain of ice. Even if there was a place to hide it was because of the icequake that happened.

Behind one of such hump of ice were Illyan and Zers hiding prepared to shower anything that was moving.

The ground under their feet was vibrating as the sounds of wild animals were getting closer.

While Zers was still joking around, Illyan noticed his nervousness. He was also silent as he wasn’t exactly in a good mood.

“Illyan, do you fear death?” At that moment, Zers asked a sudden question that stumped him.

“Why do you ask?”

“I just wonder what kind of a view a person who can regenerate like you have on this topic. You were always jumping in the danger as if it didn’t bother you, after all. On the other hand, I personally don’t really want to die. I fear death. Yet, here I am prepared to fight to the death.” Zers explained his emotions at this moment as he glanced from time to time from the hump they were hiding behind.

Illyan wanted to answer but when he opened his mouth no words came out.

What kind of view did he have? Until a few years ago he always thought he was indifferent to death. He maybe even thought he craved it. The eternal rest where he didn’t need to relive his memories of suffering.

But was that really true?

Whether he really desired such an anticlimactic end… No.

He came to the conclusion that he wanted to live. That he wanted to survive. Any time his life was in actual danger his instincts told him how to survive. Always without a doubt.

That made him realize that he was no different from a normal human. His opinions were just a little skewed because of his gift.

He didn’t want to just live. He wanted to have a worthy life that wasn’t just full of suffering.

The longer he lived the more he felt that living a long time didn’t need to be a curse as Kaoran said. It could be a gift. It was only on him to live up to it.

“I don’t know if I fear death. However, I know that I desire to live. It was a little different in the past. But… My younger self was just drowned in memories that no child should have. Now I am different.”

Illyan said this with confidence. He felt the difference in him as he gradually grew up.

Zers, on the other hand, looked at Illyan with a pondering gaze.

Sigh

“You’ve changed, Stone. Not in a bad way though.”

Both went into silence as they waited.

Lying in the cold watching for creatures that could come any second.

Swish

Before long Illyan released an arrow that disappeared in the fog. The only indicator that the target was hit was the sudden wail before the deafening silence fell upon them again.

Both of them were aware that this must have been one of the White Seekers who became scouts of this tide so there was no need to say anything.

However, Zers wasn’t silent for too long before he spoke once again.

“Hey, Illyan?”

“Hm?”

Illyan turned to look at Zers who seemed to be more and more serious as time passed.

“Did you know that in our tribe there is one tradition? When one is willing to fight to the death alongside their longtime friends… They become more than just comrades… They become brothers.”

When he said this Illyan got silent as his eyes widened.

‘Brother…’

How long has it been since he heard this word?

For five years? Or was it even longer?

Maybe it was ever since his brothers were eaten?

His eyes quivered as he looked at Zers who waited for his answer.

This so-called tradition didn’t mean anything if one of them wasn’t willing to acknowledge it. That was why he said this and then fell into silence.

There were so many thoughts that passed through Illyan's mind right now. This conversation stabbed into his sore spot but he couldn’t blame Zers. He didn’t know anything. And even if he did so what? That was so many years ago. Was the word ‘brother’ forever a taboo word for him? There was no way that would be true. He must move on.

He closed his eyes for a moment remembering his family. How his parents took care of him, how his brothers worked hard to let their younger brother have better food to eat…

It was so long that he didn’t even remember their faces anymore…

They were long gone.

When he opened his eyes they brimmed with new light.

“It is quite lame to be your brother but I guess I can’t choose right now.” With a light smirk, he said this to Zers who looked quite happy until he realized the meaning.

“Hey! What do you mean by that? It is perfectly fine to be the brother of a great guy like me!”

……..

They bickered in this way for some time while still being aware of their surroundings. However, it didn’t take too long before the vibrations got stronger and they got quiet.

Illyan had already prepared the next arrow as he listened to the movements of the beasts.

“Prepare yourself. We will empty our quiver as quickly as possible before we jump at them from the side together with others flanking them.” Illyan explained the plan one more time and with a deep breath started to release one arrow after another inside of the fog.