Those few seconds he was engulfed in darkness, Luke realized something. This wasn’t smoke or any other physical substance. His opponent wasn’t covering his vision. He was making Luke see the darkness. It was an illusion, or something close to it.
However, if Luke had dispelled the darkness by raising his Intelligence stat, as he eventually did, the enemy would never have revealed himself.
That was why Luke deliberately staged the entire act of being struck by the poisoned needle. If the poison had actually been dangerous, he would have immediately raised his Endurance stat. Fortunately, it wasn’t potent enough. On top of that, the healing potions he had consumed earlier still left enough detoxifying agents in his body to suppress the toxin.
GRR
Moments later, a beast emerged from behind the shrouded man.
It was a grey-furred wolf at least four meters long. Its massive body was covered in thick, matted fur. Powerful legs coiled beneath it, ready to pounce at any moment, while its snarling maw looked capable of biting a man’s head clean off.
Despite the intimidating display, Luke remained completely unfazed, his attention fixed on the woman before him.
He uncorked another potion and carefully fed it to her. Her injuries were simply too severe for a single vial.
He wasn’t particularly worried about the poison. He already knew that the true cause of her condition was mental.
That mage possessed the ability to manipulate the minds of his targets.
It explained how a warrior as powerful as Zuri had been reduced to this state.
"What is so funny about this situation?" the man asked with a mocking snicker. "You have someone to protect, and the two of us are trying to kill you."
Luke hummed as he gently laid Zuri on the ground, making sure her head rested securely before turning to face the pair, the shrouded man and the enormous wolf.
"I am happy because you brought such a magnificent prey right to me. Otherwise, if I had returned with nothing but a skinny, sickly man, imagine how disappointed my mate would have been."
The shrouded figure let out a low chuckle. "Your confidence is laughable. I assure you, by the time this ends, you’ll be on your knees."
Luke drew his dagger and flashed him a grin.
"Of course I will be. Skinning a beast that size would require me to kneel."
The man fell silent.
Trading words with this foul-mouthed human was clearly a losing battle.
"Taro..." he called calmly. "Crush that human."
The wolf needed no further command.
With a deafening growl, it exploded forward, its powerful strides shaking the ground as it charged straight at Luke.
Luke swiftly reassigned his stats. He knew the shrouded man wouldn’t interfere just yet.
The next instant, he launched himself at the beast as well.
They charged at each other without hesitation.
The wolf let out a savage growl, lowering its stance as it built up speed.
Luke sprinted forward as well, his dagger gripped tightly in his right hand.
Both of them leaped at the same instant.
Luke raised both hands, bringing the dagger high above his head.
The wolf didn’t flinch.
It was certain its jaws would reach the human’s throat before that attack could ever land.
However...
"Huh?"
Something completely unexpected happened.
In the middle of his swing, the dagger suddenly transformed into an oversized war hammer.
The weapon’s increased reach allowed it to connect far sooner than the wolf had anticipated.
THUNK!
Steel crashed into fur and bone with crushing force, sending the massive wolf plummeting into the ground like a falling boulder.
The wolf violently shook its head, its legs trembling as it struggled to regain its balance and find its target.
However...
"TARO!"
The shrouded man’s desperate shout came a moment too late.
The warning barely made the wolf look up before a descending dagger drove straight into the center of its skull.
"AWOOOOOOO!"
A tortured howl erupted from the beast as searing pain tore through its mind.
Luke showed no mercy.
He twisted the dagger deeper, ignoring the agonized cries.
He had long since learned the most basic rule of hunting.
A hunt only ends when the prey’s heart stops beating.
The wolf tried to rise one last time.
Its legs buckled beneath its own weight.
It collapsed.
The hunt had lasted barely ten seconds.
And the shrouded man’s prized beast lay dead.
Luke slowly rose to his feet and looked at the shrouded man.
"There goes your protection," he said calmly. "Anything else you want to say before I take your head?"
The man didn’t answer.
No outburst.
No reckless charge.
He simply stood there, his full attention fixed on Luke.
Luke’s expression hardened as well.
He could feel the change.
The man had stopped playing around.
The killing intent radiating from him was suffocating.
’System... elevate my Intellig...’
His thoughts abruptly came to a halt.
The world around him changed.
A village consumed by flames.
It was his village.
The place he had called home.
Luke found himself standing in the middle of the blazing streets.
And before him...
A lone figure lay motionless.
Dead.
"M...Monica..."
His vision quivered, and his throat turned painfully dry.
He knew it was an illusion.
He knew it.
Yet the sight of the woman he loved lying there shook him to his very core.
His heart plummeted as his mind refused to think rationally.
Monica lay in a pool of her own blood.
A single tear clung to the corner of her eye, while a faint smile remained on her lips.
A smile meant only for him.
Her final smile.
She was dead.
Gone forever.
SQUELCH
Luke’s breath caught in his throat as something sharp pierced Monica’s back.
Then a hushed whisper reached his ears.
"I’ve seen your greatest fear. Soon, I’ll make it reality."
Silence settled over the space between them.
Luke slowly closed his eyes.
He didn’t struggle.
He simply... stopped looking.
The man frowned.
"What? Too scared to watch your mate die? Or have you finally accepted your defeat?"
Luke spoke without opening his eyes.
"There are lines that should never be crossed. Once someone crosses them... I forget every restraint I’ve placed upon myself."
The man let out a mocking snicker.
"Still talking shi... ghak!"
An elbow slammed into his throat before he could finish.
The impact sent him stumbling backward, gasping for air as blood burst from his nose.
His vision swam.
Through the blur, he watched Luke turning toward him.
Their eyes met.
Luke reached into his storage and pulled out a small potion vial.
The man frowned.
A potion?
"I won’t let you die just yet," Luke said.
Before the man could react, Luke forced the entire vial into his mouth and crushed it with his hand.
"Ghuak! Fuck!"
The man desperately tried to spit out the shattered glass, but jagged fragments had already sliced open the inside of his mouth.
At the same time, the potion began repairing the damage to his throat, steadily stabilizing his condition.
He staggered back, glaring at Luke.
"You...! You made a mistake healing me."
Luke remained unnervingly calm.
The tears that had threatened to fall moments ago had vanished without a trace.
A dagger materialized in his left hand.
An enormous war hammer appeared in his right.
Looking the man straight in the eye, Luke spoke in an even voice.
"I’ll make sure you understand why some people consider death a mercy."
••••••
A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter and hopefully the action scene was easy to follow.