TLWD 48

Chapter : 48 – The Legion Commander of the Beasts (2)

A deep darkness fell upon the snowy mountain night.

In the pitch blackness, where even the moonlight had hidden behind clouds, Kai and the lycanthrope clashed.

Clang—!

Sparks flew as metal collided with metal.

Kai’s sword, enveloped in aura.

But it couldn’t slice through the lycanthrope’s claws.

In the brief moment when the sparks illuminated the dark, the lycanthrope’s eyes flashed red.

They were filled with the ferocity of a beast and the pure murderous instinct of a monster.

“Danger!”

Kai instinctively stepped back at the warning screaming through his senses.

Slash—!

At the same time, the lycanthrope’s fierce claws tore through the space where Kai had just stood.

Kai swallowed hard without realizing it.

Had he not dodged in time, both his sword and his body would have been shredded.

So fast, it was astonishing. So powerful, it was terrifying.

Was Adrian really fighting this savage beast alone?

Kai took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword.

In that instant, the lycanthrope’s claws scraped the ground, closing the distance instantly.

A giant over six meters tall.

Muscles bulging as razor-sharp claws swung silently.

But by then, Kai’s sword was already in motion.

He slashed at the lycanthrope’s right arm. Not a fatal blow.

But it wasn’t without effect.

The creature’s arm muscles twitched. Its swinging trajectory shifted slightly. Kai seized that brief opening.

Boom!

An explosion erupted between the clashing sword and claws.

No more clashing sounds.

Each strike from Kai’s aura-infused sword and the lycanthrope’s claws was a deadly blow.

Every wound they inflicted weighed differently.

Kai’s blade danced wildly. Dance of Fangs.

Crash! Smash!

Sword and claw collided again and again. Neither side retreated. The lycanthrope stepped forward.

Kai stepped back.

The lycanthrope’s claws aimed for Kai’s side.

As Kai twisted his body to dodge, he hesitated.

Serapia, strapped to his back.

If he dodged now, Serapia would be in danger.

He had to protect her.

Even at the cost of his life.

He didn’t expect anyone to understand.

Since when did following one’s heart require understanding?

Slash—!

Kai’s side was ripped open.

Blood gushed out uncontrollably.

Had he worn armor, it might have absorbed some of the damage. But he had discarded it to dress as a woman.

In other words, a critical wound.

So severe, the battle should have been impossible to continue.

Yet Kai did not fall.

He had attained the ability of Immortality after reaching the level of a Master.

But immortality didn’t mean regeneration.

It only meant injuries weren’t fatal.

It allowed him to continue living indefinitely—so long as his aura wasn’t depleted.

And it didn’t mean he couldn’t feel pain. The excruciating agony gnawed at his mind.

But the soft heartbeat of Serapia on his back.

Her calm, sleeping breaths.

That gave Kai profound peace.

With an expressionless face, he readjusted his sword.

Swish—!

The blade swung. But lacked sharpness.

The basics of swordsmanship are slashing and thrusting.

The continent’s sword styles were built around perfecting these two basics with maximum efficiency.

Some wielded lightning-fast swords. Some, unbreakable like stone. Others, hot as the sun. And some, fluid as water.

Kai had taken inspiration from the hunting methods of wolves.

His first strike disrupted the lycanthrope’s defense. The following side attack created an opening.

Then came the third.

Wolf Sword Style, Second Form: Claw of the Moonlight.

A flurry of rapid slashes, like a wolf.

The lycanthrope staggered back, bleeding, and growled warily.

But even as it did, its wounds were already healing.

Lycanthropes possessed formidable regeneration. Mere injuries weren’t enough.

In other words, wounds weren’t enough.

Kai swallowed a breath and charged forward.

He mimicked the instant a wolf pounced on its prey.

A swift, powerful thrust designed to pierce defense and deal a fatal blow.

Wolf Sword Style, Third Form: Crimson Moon Strike.

Kai became a blood-red wolf and sank his blade into the lycanthrope.

Meanwhile—

Hunting… or rather replenishing the legion was not difficult.

Unlike the lycanthrope, the legion’s monsters couldn’t pierce my Reinforced Skin [B].

And unlike the lycanthrope, their hides were shredded like paper by my Dragon Claws [A].

Lastly, the title “Master of the Snowy Mountains”.

All legion monsters fighting me had a -15% stat debuff.

I stuffed torn flesh into my mouth and quenched my thirst with their blood.

◆ Available Calories: 100,000 Kcal

I quickly filled my maximum calorie storage of 100,000 Kcal.

◆ You leveled up!

Gained one extra level as a bonus.

And—

I could see Kai relentlessly pressing the lycanthrope.

Despite his ripped side, Kai fought fiercely.

The lycanthrope couldn’t easily overpower him.

On the contrary, it was gradually being pushed back.

Truthfully, I had brought Kai for just one purpose.

To serve as a hunting dog in this operation.

But being a hunting dog wasn’t just about being good at hunting.

The role was to chase and wear down the prey until the hunter arrived.

Hence, two virtues are vital for a hunting dog:

Stamina and patience.

They mustn’t kill the prey too early.

If they recklessly attack and get killed, they’re unfit.

In that sense—

Kai was a complete failure as a hunting dog.

Because he wasn’t just restraining the lycanthrope—he was dominating it.

Kai was never a hunting dog.

He was a military dog.

Unlike hunting dogs, military dogs aid in operations and eliminate enemies.

Kai’s sharp blade severed the lycanthrope’s left arm.

Kraaaagh—!!!

The lycanthrope screamed in agony and staggered back. But then, Kai suddenly froze.

The lycanthrope’s eyes were filled with madness and fury.

Berserk mode.

Its physical abilities doubled. But it came at the cost of total exhaustion.

A desperate all-in.

Kai’s blue eyes tensed.

His Immortality was similar to my Regeneration [B+].

But not the same.

His immortality vanished when his aura ran dry. And aura couldn’t be instantly replenished.

But for me—

What I needed for Regeneration [B+] was nutrition.

And I had fully stocked 100,000 Kcal.

“Fall back!!”

As I shouted, Kai immediately retreated. But this time, the lycanthrope didn’t just let him go.

It charged at Kai with explosive speed.

And it ordered the legion to restrain me.

We couldn’t switch places like before.

Kai seemed to think the same and moved differently.

Thanks to the Gelu Drake incident—

We could now understand each other’s intent just by looking.

We moved like partners who had fought together for decades.

Ignoring every incoming attack, we ran toward each other.

As we passed—

My Dragon Claws [A] slashed the lycanthrope attacking Kai.

Kai’s Blue Fangs tore into the legion blocking me.

The lycanthrope’s flailing claws were shredded and flung back.

The legion’s charge collapsed, revealing the battlefield.

I now faced the lycanthrope again.

Kai now faced the legion.

In the blink of an eye, everything had reversed again.

“Kr-Kruk?!”

Even in berserk mode, the lycanthrope flinched, visibly panicked.

It wasn’t ignorant.

It now knew it had to choose.

Should it pull the legion back and fight both Kai and me?

Or face me alone—someone with limitless Regeneration [B+] using the legion as fuel?

“Make your choice wisely.”

In war, one mistake, one wrong judgment, could decide life or death.

◆ Using Combination Skill: Metabolic Overdrive [U]
◆ Consumed Calories: 50,000 Kcal
◆ For 500 seconds, all stats increase by [+50%]

Fueled by nutrition, my nervous system surged into overdrive.

My Dragon Claws [A] instantly slashed the lycanthrope’s chest.

The claws tore through its chest like paper.

Crimson blood splattered across the snowy mountain.

The lycanthrope’s berserk state deepened.

Its doubled speed was now monstrous. Its strength, hideous.

But it wouldn’t last forever.

I used my boosted agility to stall time.

I allowed attacks I could endure with Regeneration [B+], and landed hits in return.

The longer the fight lasted, the slower it moved.

And my attacks left deeper wounds.

A wounded beast usually grows fiercer.

But not this one.

Whimper—!

The lycanthrope tumbled down the mountain.

Buried in snow and shadow, it couldn’t rise easily.

It growled like a scared crocodile.

Its maddened eyes were now clouded with fear.

It looked no different than a prey facing its predator.

The lycanthrope’s eyes trembled—hesitating.

Should it pull back the legion and fight both of us?

Or fight me alone and risk endless regeneration?

It clenched its teeth in resolve—

Then suddenly turned its back?

Before I could react—

It hurled its massive body down the slope, fleeing desperately.

“…What?”

I stood dumbfounded.

The lycanthrope—ran away?

I never imagined such a thing.

A beast driven by lust—retreat?

More believable was a sparrow skipping past a rice mill.

Or a cat ignoring a fish market.

In my past life, the lycanthrope never fled.

That’s how it died.

It was obsessed with the Saintess, and even when escape was possible, it never ran.

Its lust always outweighed its will to survive.

That’s why I called it a “beast born of desire.”

That’s why I used Serapia as bait.

I thought it would pursue her no matter what—even at the cost of its life.

But now…?

Either way, I couldn’t let it escape.

If I lost it now, I’d never catch it again.

I had to consume it with Predation [S+].

But it was too fast.

Its berserk-enhanced stats were now pushing double the speed.

I had no choice.

“Even if I can’t regenerate—”

I had to burn the rest of my calories and use Metabolic Overdrive [U] again.

Only then could I catch it.

Fighting the lycanthrope without Regeneration [B+] would be tough—

But it had already made its all-in move.

So I had to respond in kind.

Just as I was about to burn all my remaining calories—

Time itself seemed to stop.

Everything on the snowy mountain fell into silence.

The night sky darkened with deep blue clouds, and a frigid wind howled from afar.

My gaze turned toward the source of the wind.

Then—click.

My entire body froze.

I couldn’t move.

My thoughts scrambled.

Instinct screamed danger, but the thought of running never came.

Fear. Terror. Despair.

Even those emotions were meaningless.

Serapia, still unconscious on Kai’s back.

Her mind crushed by the lycanthrope’s lust.

No matter how much one struggles, survival against this presence is impossible.

Even the instinct to survive becomes meaningless.

Beyond my frozen gaze—

The Monarch of the Frozen Night raised her snowy eyes—

And looked at me.