Lucas sprinted through the dark trees, his chest tight with fear as the pug-faced swordsman pursued him relentlessly. "Come here, boy!" the man jeered, his voice dripping with lust and amusement. "Let me give you a taste of my real meat!"

Disgust and terror surged through Lucas. His small hands trembled as he gripped his sword tightly, desperately parrying the blows. Each clash reverberated through his arms, the weight of the blade feeling heavier with every strike. His heart raced in his chest, his breaths ragged as he ducked under the swordsman's next swing.

Dark forest with twisted trees and deep shadows suggesting the possibility of supernatural creatures lurking in the darkness Generative AI | Premium AI-generated image [https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/dark-forest-with-twisted-trees-deep-shadows-suggesting-possibility-supernatural-creatures-lurking-darkness-generative-ai_372999-15831.jpg]

"I'd rather die you fuckin paedophile!" Lucas yelled, his voice cracking with anger and fear.

The pug-faced swordsman stopped for a moment, brow furrowing in mock confusion. "Pae... paedophile? What are you babbling about, boy?" Then his expression shifted, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Or is this some kind of secret love language, hmm?"

Lucas's stomach churned with revulsion as the man's laughter echoed through the clearing. Desperately, he reached out to his AI. "Track his movements. Plan an escape strategy!"

The AI responded with a calm, mechanical voice.

"Analyzing opponent's aura flow and muscle movement to predict attacks."

But Lucas had little time to think. The pug-faced swordsman swung his blade in a wide, lazy arc—more of a taunt than an actual attack. Lucas's instincts kicked in as his faint aura flared to life, guiding his body as he deftly dodged the blow. The movement was almost graceful, a sharp contrast to the terror gripping his heart.

The swordsman's eyes widened in surprise, followed quickly by a gleam of sinister excitement. "Oh, so you know how to use aura at your age?" His grin widened, filled with cruel delight. "Now this is going to be fun."

Suddenly, a crackling burst of blue light erupted from behind them. The sky lit up, and the ground trembled as thunder rumbled in the distance. Lucas risked a glance over his shoulder and saw the pug-faced man's Aura Swordsmen—three of them—lying charred on the ground, smoke rising from their bodies.

Why don't more Wizards take advantage of lightning magic? It's quite powerful and cool as fuck : r/wizardposting [https://i.redd.it/voenerd0amwb1.jpg]

The pug-faced man's expression twisted in anger. "Looks like the old man's causing more trouble than we bargained for." His red aura flared around him, thick and oppressive. "Guess I'll finish you off quickly."

Lucas's AI beeped in warning.

"Imminent danger detected. Parrying and evading will fail. Blocking recommended."

Lucas braced himself, summoning every bit of aura he could muster into his dull iron sword. As the swordsman charged, their blades met with a deafening clang, sparks flying from the impact. The force was immense, sending a jarring shockwave up Lucas's arms. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold on—but the strength of the blow was too much.

With a sickening crack, Lucas's sword shattered in his hands, and the impact sent him flying backward. He hit the ground hard, pain exploding in his ribs as he struggled to breathe. Blood filled his mouth, and his vision blurred. A deep sense of helplessness welled up inside him, a fear more profound than death itself. He wasn't afraid to die, but the thought of what this man would do to him before that terrified him to his core.

The pug-faced man approached, his footsteps slow and deliberate, each one filled with malice. "Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to hit you that hard. But I've got business to take care of." He grinned wickedly, his eyes gleaming with twisted arousal. Don't worry kid "I'll fix you up real nice... then I will break you bit by bit."

Lucas's world spun, his vision darkening. He lay still, feigning unconsciousness as the man loomed over him. As the swordsman bent down to grab him, Lucas's instincts flared to life. His eyes snapped open, and with a flash of desperate energy, he swung his knife upward.

The AI guided his movements with pinpoint precision. The blade cut deep into the man's cock, slicing through the leather of his armor and totally cutting off the cock. Blood sprayed from the cock, and the pug-faced man howled in agony, stumbling back with a look of disbelief and rage.

"You little shit... You have taken most precious thing in the world!" He clutched at the place where previously his cock was, his face twisted in pain. His aura flickered and wavered, the cocky bravado gone, replaced by seething fury.

Lucas, still gasping for breath, felt a momentary surge of triumph. He was ready to die, he just avoided fate worse then death. His body ached, every muscle screaming in protest. His vision blurred, but through the haze, he heard the sound of hooves—loud and steady, approaching fast.

From the direction of Silas's last stand, a group of black-robed men rode in on powerful horses, their presence commanding. They charged into the battle with ruthless precision, cutting down the remaining exhausted Aura Swordsmen and mercenaries in swift, decisive movements.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Forest Battle - video tutorial by Peter-Ortiz on DeviantArt [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/3fd6b813-41f4-43b8-9f7e-dd0ab611f887/d29ogym-2aea53d8-78b1-47c5-965a-a1c810bf544e.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_585,q_75,strp/forest_battle___video_tutorial_by_peter_ortiz_d29ogym-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NTg1IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvM2ZkNmI4MTMtNDFmNC00M2I4LTlmN2UtZGQwYWI2MTFmODg3XC9kMjlvZ3ltLTJhZWE1M2Q4LTc4YjEtNDdjNS05NjVhLWExYzgxMGJmNTQ0ZS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.rry7j7rdLxoE5NWI0cK0Ei_7ra9D6IwztZkJY2Gse1s]

Lucas forced himself to stand, drawing on the last remnants of his aura. He turned and staggered toward Silas, his legs trembling beneath him. Behind him, the pug-faced man's roar echoed through the clearing.

"Not so fast!" 'You did a grave mistake boy, don't think you are getting easy death' The man's aura surged to life again, blood dripping from his wound. He had made the grave mistake of underestimating Lucas, and now, with a mixture of fury and desperation, he ignited his full power.

But just as he was about to close in, a dark, muscular horse galloped into view—Cookie, Lucas's mare. The horse seemed to sense his desperation, its sleek form darting toward him with grace and speed. Lucas grabbed the reins as Cookie neared, pulling himself onto her back with the last of his strength.

"Run," he whispered hoarsely, his grip weak but determined.

Cookie bolted, her hooves pounding against the earth as they sped away. The pug-faced man, faltering and clutching his wounded leg, cursed as he watched them escape. He had lost, his pride shattered. With a final growl of frustration, he turned back toward the battlefield, determined to regroup with his boss and flee the scene.

Lucas, barely conscious, clung to Cookie as they reached Silas. Relief washed over Lucas, even as the pain coursed through his own body.

Silas, weak but alert, forced himself up and hurried to Lucas. "You're hurt," he rasped, his voice filled with concern. "Don't worry you will be fine. You did well."

Lucas nodded faintly, his mind swirling with exhaustion. He had survived the encounter, but the weight of the battle lingered heavily on his shoulders.

On the far side of the battlefield, Melius and Nutface's fight had reached its final stage. Nutface, though bleeding from multiple gashes, still swung his sword with brutal force, each blow shaking the ground. He gripped his greatsword with both hands, his voice raw from yelling.

"Say my real name, you shit-spewing fool!" he roared, his bloodshot eyes locked on Melius. He swung his blade with vicious intent, but Melius parried the strike with his own sword, gripping it tightly with just one remaining hand. Sweat dripped down Melius's face, the exhaustion in his body painfully evident.

Nutface bared his teeth, his aura flaring as he swung again. "Say it, you bastard!"

Melius, visibly frustrated, rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't remember it!"

With a wicked grin, he added, "Could you remind me again... Nutface?"

Nutface's roar echoed through the trees. "Don't call me that! It's Thorsycal, you asshole!"

Feigning confusion, Melius tilted his head. "What? Did you say... Testicle?"

The tension that had weighed so heavily on Melius suddenly lifted. His face cracked into a wide grin, then he began laughing, his body trembling from the effort. "What a shit name! No wonder I didn't remember it. Nutface suits you far better!"

Thorsycal's rage boiled over, red aura erupting around him as he screamed in fury. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" With a final burst of strength, he channelled his remaining aura into one last, savage strike, his sword cutting through the air with blistering speed.

AI Art: Bald warrior by @Alejandro Fabian Moras | PixAI [https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/thumb/08005f49-c29f-4103-aaba-262142cfab33]

Melius had been waiting for this moment. His eyes narrowed as the blade approached. With a swift, calculated movement, he threw his greatsword into the air and dodged just as Nutface's strike whistled past him, missing by mere inches. In one fluid motion, Melius leapt into the air, catching his sword as it descended. As he brought the blade down, Nutface managed to raise his right arm to defend—but he was a fraction too slow. Melius's sword sliced cleanly through Nutface's wrist, severing his hand.

The scream that followed was bloodcurdling. Nutface stumbled back, clutching the bleeding stump where his hand had been moments ago. Blood sprayed from the wound, and he fell to his knees. With the last of his strength, he used his aura to stop the blood loss, gasping for breath.

Melius, unsteady on his feet, landed less gracefully than he had hoped, using his greatsword for support. He swept the finger on his Honyblood sword where Nutface blood was. Then he licked and said "Still taste loke honey" Then with his exhaustion, he gave Nutface a tired grin. "Well, Nutface, looks like we're half-brothers now. Missing a hand and all."

Nutface's face twisted in pain and fury, his whole body trembling. His aura flickered weakly around him, barely holding on. Neither of them was in fighting shape. Nutface's gaze shifted past him, and a slow smile crept onto his face.

Melius followed his line of sight and saw Pug Face—Nutface's right-hand man—stumbling awkwardly toward them, his body battered and his movements sluggish. Blood seeped through his clothes from his own injuries.

Pug Face's voice was filled with panic as he shouted, "Boss! We've been attacked! Unknown fighters wiped out our whole unit—we lost all the men! We need to go, now!"

Nutface blinked, disbelief washing over him. "What...?" His voice was weak, confused. "How could we lose... the best mercenaries from Almera?"

Pug Face finally reached them, breathless and in pain. "We were ambushed. They're coming. We need to leave." His voice cracked with the weight of urgency and fear.

Nutface, eyes blazing, looked down at his severed hand, blood still oozing despite his best efforts to stem it. "I can't leave!" he bellowed. "I lost my sword hand! I need to kill this man!"

Pug Face, clutching his own cock wound, spat out, "We all lost something today. You've lost your hand, I've lost my precious... but we'll get our revenge later, boss. We need to go. Now."

Horses' hooves thundered in the distance. The sound was growing louder.

For the first time, Nutface faltered. His exhaustion was catching up to him. Despite his fury, the fire in his eyes dimmed as the realization set in—he wasn't going to win this today. He cursed under his breath, his anger still simmering.

Pug Face grabbed Nutface by the arm, dragging him toward the horses. "Let's go before it's too late!"

Reluctantly, Nutface allowed himself to be pulled away, cursing Melius every step of the way. He swore vengeance, his voice echoing in the fading light. "I'll kill you for this, Melius! I'll tear you apart, you bastard!"

Melius, watching the two retreat into the shadows of the forest, let out a deep sigh. His body was screaming for rest, and his head was spinning from the battle. But he had survived. Barely.

Melius leaned heavily on his sword, blood trickling from his wounds. He stared up at the darkening sky and muttered to himself, "Another day survived." He let out a bitter chuckle, wincing at the pain in his ribs.

Forcing himself to stand, he turned his attention toward where Silas and Lucas had been fighting. His heart clenched with worry, hoping that they were still alive and well. With slow, dragging steps, Melius began to make his way toward them, his body screaming in protest with every step.