VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 15

VOLUME 11: CHAPTER 15

After observing the demons near the foot of the mountain, Arlo and Fior went back to their haven located deep in the tunnels.

“You’re back.”

A jaguar beastman, whose upper body was covered in bandages, greeted the two rabbits the moment they entered the haven. A metallic collar, which identified him as a slave, was worn around his neck.

The jaguar beastman’s name was Kukri.

Out of the thousands of slaves in the Iron Mountains, he was the only survivor Fior and Arlo had encountered so far.

“How was it outside?” said Kukri.

Fior pulled the lever near the entrance, and a rumbling sound was heard as the stone door rolled leftward, blocking the pathway leading outside.

“The monsters are still there,” said Fior. “It’s practically impossible to get to Talverton Stronghold without getting spotted.”

Kukri sighed. “As expected. So, this place will be our graves, huh?”

Despite being named after a weapon, Kukri was no warrior. Before becoming a slave, the jaguar beastman worked as a mere farmhand. The only reason he’d managed to survive until now was due to sheer luck. While escaping deep into the tunnels, he was fortunate enough to run into the two rabbits.

“It’s too early to give up,” said Fior.

The strategist rabbit pushed open the door leading to his stone house. He rummaged through the jars and quickly counted the number of rations they currently had.

“Five days,” said Fior. “We still have enough food to last us five days.”

Kukri was crestfallen upon hearing those words. “Doesn’t that mean we only have less than a week before our food runs out?”

Looking at it at another perspective, the three of them were already fortunate to have food stored in this haven. But knowing that the route outside was still swarming with monsters, Kukri couldn’t help but look at their situation pessimistically.

Kukri coughed. HHe felt the wounds on his chest opening up. He groaned, “I’m sorry. Because of me….”

Arlo activated the kalrane lantern they’d recharged through the small opening outside. After illuminating their immediate surroundings, he ran to the jaguar beastman.

“Are you alright?” said Arlo worriedly.

Now that everyone else was dead, only the three of them remained in the Iron Mountains. And this single fact gave the three of them a sense of camaraderie. Although they’d met only just recently, the three of them felt genuine concern for each other.

“I’m fine,” huffed Kukri. “More importantly… the remaining rations. Just give me the bare minimum, and split the rest between the two of you.”

Arlo and Fior understood what Kukri was trying to do.

Unlike rabbits, jaguar beastmen were voracious eaters, and they needed large amounts of food to satiate their hunger. Kukri didn’t wish to be the cause of their rations running out so soon.

“I would have already been dead by now if you hadn’t saved me anyway,” said Kukri. “Since we’re just delaying the inevitable, it’ll be better if the two of you survive, even if for a few days more.”

“W-What are you talking about!” said Arlo. “We’re sharing the food evenly between us!”

Fior silently listened to the two’s exchange.

Rationally speaking, it wouldn’t be fair to give a large portion of their remaining provisions to Kukri. All of those food was procured by Fior alone, and it took him several months to do so. Had Fior been by himself, the food would have lasted him half a month at the very least.

“Haha.” Kukri weakly laughed. “Don’t be naïve, Arlo. Didn’t Fior tell us before? There’s a long, winding tunnel from the Iron Mountains that lead all the way to the Wasteland. As long as you have enough food with you, you can take that route to escape.”

According to Fior, the pathway was incredibly long and ran deep underground. By foot, it would take them several days, maybe even more than a week, to reach the outside.

“The two of you, that’s enough. If we had this conversation several hours ago,” said Fior. “I would have agreed with you, Kukri.”

Fior closed the jars containing the rations.

“What do you mean?” said Kukri.

“I’ve seen it,” said Fior. “A way to prevent the further influx of monsters from the Iron Mountains.”

The shadows of the three beastmen slaves danced as the hand of Arlo holding the kalrane lantern trembled.

“A-A way to prevent the further influx of monsters?” said Arlo.

“You’ve seen it, didn’t you, Arlo?” said Fior. “The strange gate the monsters used to enter and exit the Iron Mountains nearly collapsed. And to fix it, they frantically fed it with those crystals.”

Arlo opened and closed his mouth. For several seconds, he found it hard to voice his thoughts out loud.

“Then… we’re going to close that massive gate?” said Arlo in disbelief. It felt preposterous, and even just the idea itself sounded dangerous. “Just the three of us?”

The Rabbit Tribe was considered the weakest in the entire Alliance. And although they had Kukri with them, the jaguar beastman was heavily injured and couldn’t even properly move.

“We’re going to die anyway,” said Fior. “If we’re eventually going to end up as monster food, we might as well close that gate before we croak. It’ll be a thankless job, and no one will know we’re the ones behind it, but hopefully, it’ll help the United Grakas Alliance survive.”

Although the future looked bleak, Fior mustered all of his courage to have even a chance of surviving their predicament.

Fior turned to Kukri. “And we need your help to pull this off, Kukri. Eat. Eat well and recover fast. It’ll be impossible to pull the plan off with just us rabbits, otherwise.”

Arlo and Kukri found it amazing that such brave words came from such a small rabbit.

And it was surreal that despite the treatment he’d received from the Elders of their nation, despite being reduced to a mere slave after the Third Legion’s defeat, Fior remained loyal to the United Grakas Alliance.

“Sir Fior. Don’t tell me… do you plan on dying?” said Arlo.

“There are people more important to me than my life,” said Fior. “My brother, my tribe. And I will not die here, in this damn mountain, without putting up a fight. If I have to squirm, I will squirm. If I have to crawl with my teeth, I will crawl. At the very least, I’ll make sure to close that gate, no matter what.”

Fior’s determination was overwhelming. For several seconds, silence fell.

Kukri wryly smiled. “My son should be five by now. You’re right. We can’t let those monsters spread deeper into the Alliance.”

The jaguar beastman fixed his sitting posture. In a determined voice, he said, “Alright. So, what’s the plan?”

Using a stick, Fior drew on the dirt-covered ground.

“This is the entrance of Zone F, and this is where we are,” said Fior.

Although Arlo was still flustered by Fior’s declaration, he still nodded his head regardless. Kukri also attentively listened.

“This is Zone A.” Fior skillfully drew a map of the Iron Mountains. “This is the Furnace Area, this is the Foremen’s Quarters, and this is the Storage Room and the Kitchen.”

Fior drew a massive circle near the foot of the mountain. “This here is the gate.”

“And this is the place where the Big Head usually stayed at,” Arlo pointed out.

As they still didn’t know the identity of the Pathfinder, Arlo and Fior simply called it Big Head. A name befitting the demon with a disproportionately large head. After observing the Pathfinder, the two rabbits arrived at the conclusion that he was the one leading the monsters.

“That’s correct.” Fior nodded in agreement. “For some strange reason, it always stays near the gate. You’ve seen the numerous eyes on its head, didn’t you?”

Arlo grimaced. “Yeah, it’s disgusting.”

“We can presume the Big Head has some ability to track and monitor its immediate surroundings. But since it hadn’t spotted us until now, even after closely observing it, it should be safe to assume that it’s impossible for the Big Head to see everything. Despite having numerous eyes, the Big Head clearly has its limit.”

Fior tapped the stick at a certain location on the map he drew.

“Most of the tunnels in the Iron Mountains weren’t created by beastmen,” said Fior. “If I’m not mistaken, Zones B to K weren’t beastmen-made. But the rest of the tunnels were dug by the slaves using black powder.”

Black powder was the primary weapon used by the Dukedom of Mauko, a hostile human territory located East of the United Grakas Alliance.

It was a powerful weapon that enabled the Dukedom to fight against the Alliance, despite their relatively smaller size.

After managing to procure several tons of Black Powder from black market merchants, the United Grakas Alliance used them as explosives to further develop the mines.

“Black powder…” mumbled Arlo. Although he wasn’t as intelligent as Fior, he realized what the strategist rabbit was trying to convey right now.

The Storage Area.

There should be several barrels of black powder stored in that place.

“We’ll steal the blackpowder from the storage and use it to destroy the crystals the monsters use to fix their gate,” said Fior. “Fortunately, the storage area and place where the monsters store the crystals are near each other.”

“Will this really work?” said Kukri.

The plan sounded so simple, and the location of the gate, the crystals, and the black powder looked so ideal when looking at the map. It felt as though everything had been arranged to their favor by the Three Gods.

“It has to,” said Fior. “As a former strategist, I shouldn’t be saying this but—”

Fior looked at the two other slaves, “—If we fail, there are no contingency plans. It’s over.”

Arlo nervously gulped. Kukri clenched his fists.

Failure meant immediate death. No, they would be fortunate if they were granted death so easily. Chances are, the monsters would slowly kill or torture them. Just the mere thought sent Arlo and Kukri shivers.

“As I’ve said before, for this plan to succeed, we need you, Kukri,” said Fior. “So, rest, eat well, recuperate. Once you’ve been healed enough, we shall immediately commence this plan.”

Fior paused. In a voice filled with resolve, he added, “For the sake of our loved ones in the Alliance.”

***

While the surviving slaves in the Iron Mountains were formulating a plan to destroy the mana crystals and close the gate, the Beast King and Lark relentlessly fought against the demon horde.

“How long—”

The Beast King struck the face of the Skinwalker with his fist.

“—Are you planning on using the body of Thaorrok!”

Without stopping, the Beast King’s fists rained down on the Skinwalker. Each of his strikes was filled with vehement furry, and each of them carried enough strength to destroy castle walls.

The sound of fist hitting flesh resounded on the battlefield, as the Skinwalker proved to be a sturdy sandbag.

The Skinwalker made a loud trumpeting sound. It grabbed the fists of the Beast King, and skewered him in the chest using its three pairs of tusks. Through this split-second opportunity, the elephant beastman also bit the Beast King’s left shoulder.

The Beast King didn’t flinch despite the pain. The injuries inflicted on him by the Skinwalker simply further fueled his anger.

“You damn thief,” growled the Beast King.

The Beast King grabbed the tusks of the Skinwalker, and using it, he lifted the elephant beastman’s body into the air. With earth-shattering force, the Beast King slammed the Skinwalker onto the ground, sending rocks and dirty flying about. A massive crater was created upon impact.

“I said!”

The Beast King lifted the Skinwalker into the air, and slammed it onto the ground again.

“Give it back!”

And again.

“That face!”

And again.

“Take off that damn face!”

A groan leaked out of the Skinwalker’s mouth after being slammed onto the ground several times. After slugging it out with the Beast King for almost an hour, the Skinwalker finally realized that it was impossible for it to win against the White Lion using just the strength of an elephant beastman.

Had it copied the physique of a beastman weaker than General Thaorrok, the Skinwalker would have been long dead by now.

The Skinwalker gingerly stood up. Its body rippled like water, and it took several steps back.

Slowly, the body of the Skinwalker reverted to its original, nimbler form. A humanoid with silver skin that resembled a naked, faceless human.

Seeing this, the Beast King fearlessly grinned. “Finally taking my friend’s face off, huh? You should have done that sooner, you damn bastard.”

The Skinwalker quickly observed the battlefield, and it realized that currently, the demons were on the losing side despite their advantage in number.

Even now, the ethereal butterflies continued roaming the battlefield, killing demons left and right with just a single touch. Numerous explosions, accompanied by shockwaves, continuously rang out.

The Skinwalker even saw several corpses of Fire Giants nearby. Judging by their missing torsos, it seemed that hundreds, if not thousands, of ethereal butterflies had landed on their bodies and destroyed them with multiple explosions.

There were still several thousand demons remaining, but the majority of them were wraiths and tormentors. For some reason, the human who accompanied the Beast King prioritized killing the flesh eaters, parasitic demons, and phantasms first.

‘Father, I need to retreat.’

The Skinwalker sent a mental transmission to the Pathfinder, who’d been watching the battle from the Iron Mountains.

‘I’ve secured the flesh of the White Lion. After recovering from my wounds, I will transform into him and take my revenge.’

The White Lion was significantly stronger than the elephant General who led the warriors of Rocky Fort. The Skinwalker was confident of winning the battle the moment it mimicked the physique of the lion beastman.

‘Hmmm… Very well. I will create a pathway of retreat for you, my child.’ The voice of the Pathfinder resounded within the mind of the Skinwalker. ‘Come to me. And share the flesh of the White Lion with your siblings.’

The Pathfinder had three tails, and each of them was capable of turning into a Skinwalker. If the Skinwalker managed to return to the Pathfinder alive, it should be feasible for them to create three copies of the Beast King.

A whistling sound was heard. Hearing this, the demons screeched. They fearlessly charged toward Lark and the Beast King.

‘Thank you, father.’

Using this opening, the Skinwalker moved to the rear of the demon horde and ran back toward the Iron Mountains.

“Where are you going!” roared the Beast King.

The Beast King tried chasing after the Skinwalker, but he soon found himself surrounded by innumerable demons.

“Get out of my way!”

The Beast King released several claws of mana at the demons blocking his path, but to his dismay, more demons simply took the place of their dead comrades. Like a living shield, the demon horde moved in unison to block any and all attacks from reaching the Skinwalker.

Lark also willed the ethereal butterflies to move and chase after the Skinwalker, but the Pathfinder ordered the surviving sky demons to intercept the attack. And whenever an ethereal butterfly managed to fly past the sky demons, a wraith would move and use its body to block the attack.

Under the command of the Pathfinder, the demons moved as one, with the single goal of making sure the Skinwalker made it out of this battle alive.

“Maybe this is for the better?” muttered Lark.

An idea dawned on Lark as he watched the demons desperately protecting the retreating Skinwalker.

Lark flew and landed next to the Beast King. Immediately upon landing, he willed the head-size golden orbs surrounding him to slaughter the demons within their vicinity. Like hot knife cutting through tallow, the orbs pierced through the bodies of the demons easily.

“Your Majesty,” said Lark.

The Beast King huffed. His gaze was still fixated in the direction where the Skinwalker escaped to.

“Can you leave this one to me?” said Lark.

Lark had been leaving the Skinwalker to him since the fight started. Knowing this, the Beast King wondered why the human king was suddenly interested in killing the Skinwalker.

“You have a plan?” said the Beast King.

Even now, the demon horde continued to fearlessly charge and attack the two. The Beast King was nearly exhausted, and the claws of mana he was releasing were starting to visibly dwindle in strength.

Lark replied, “The Skinwalker will return to the Pathfinder.”

The Eyes of Retribution continued to spin around Lark, taking care of the demons near him as he conversed with the Beast King.

“We can use it to find the exact location of the Pathfinder.”

Lark noticed the small chunk of flesh that had been bitten off the Beast King’s shoulder.

“Although by the time it went back to the Pathfinder, it would have already gained the ability to shift into you.”

The Beast King bared his fangs. He grabbed the head of the parasitic demon that suddenly shot out from underground, and smashed it against the chest of a tormentor. A loud thud sound was heard as the head of the parasitic demon burst, and the chest of the tormentor caved in from impact.

“It’s a lot better than seeing that damn demon wear the face of my friend,” said the Beast King.

The Beast King roared. He kicked a flesh eater, sending it flying into the sky dozens of meters.

“Very well,” said the Beast King. “I already had my fill of revenge. Do it your way, human king.”

Although he wanted to be the one to kill the Skinwalker, the Beast King decided to put his emotions aside for now, after hearing the plan of King Lark.

If they could locate the Pathfinder with this, it would definitely be worth letting that damn bastard go.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said Lark.

Lark flew up. The staff in his hand quickly turned into a majestic-looking long bow.

Mana gushed out of Lark’s fingertips and formed an arrow.

Lark nocked the arrow into the bow, pulled the string back to its utmost limit, and targeted the Skinwalker retreating below.

“You’re not getting away.”

With a single-minded focus, Lark released the arrow he created by condensing mana. And with the help of the Bow of Morpheus, the arrow whizzed at speed several times the speed of sound toward the Skinwalker running away on the ground below.

The arrow struck the Skinwalker right at the back of its body. The attack was so sudden that it made the Skinwalker stumble and eventually skid head-first on the ground.

Several middle-ranking nests immediately shot out from the earth and used their tentacles to protect the Skinwalker from harm.

Knowing that it was no longer safe, the Skinwalker quickly transformed into a parasitic demon. It screeched and used its tentacles to burrow into the dirt and escape underneath the ground.

It was a pathetic escape. And Lark simply watched as the mana signature of the Skinwalker slowly faded away.

Lark’s bow morphed into a bracer. He flew down and landed on the ground, right next to the Beast King.

“How was it?” said the Beast King.

“I’ve successfully imprinted a mark on it,” said Lark.

Lark missed the head on purpose.

Although it wouldn’t kill the Skinwalker, Lark was worried that destroying its head would cripple it to the point of making it unable to return to the Pathfinder. Thus, he decided to imprint its body by shooting it at the back instead.

“Now, let’s wait for it to return to the Pathfinder.”