Warning: The description ahead might disturb some readers so skip it till scene break if you are uncomfortable. Happy reading.
.....
The stench of burnt flesh lingered in the air.
Blood dripped from the shrouded man’s fingertips, each crimson drop splashing onto the muddy floor beneath him.
His body hung helplessly against a thick tree trunk.
Two daggers had been driven clean through his palms, pinning him high enough that the tips of his feet barely brushed the ground.
Every slight movement forced the blades to tear deeper into flesh already shredded beyond recognition.
Well, at this point the man has forget about resisting let alone running away. He knew what that would lead to. And not like he anymore had the spirit to think of escaping.
His once pristine robe had become little more than charred rags clinging to scorched skin. Even the subtle shift caused by air reminding him how his body has went through the torture.
Dark bruises covered nearly every inch of his body.
Several fingers bent at unnatural angles.
One knee had been crushed so thoroughly that bone protruded through torn flesh.
His jaw hung crooked, broken so many times that it no longer seemed capable of healing correctly before being shattered again.
Fresh wounds layered over old ones.
Some cuts had already begun to close, only to be ripped open again moments later.
Others had been deliberately cauterized, leaving blackened scars that still glowed with faint heat.
He had long forgotten how many times he had blacked out.
Every single time darkness claimed him, the human had calmly poured another healing potion down his throat.
Just enough to keep him alive.
Just enough to make sure he could continue screaming.
Every shattered bone had been reset only to be crushed once more.
Every desperate plea had been answered with another strike.
Every attempt to lose consciousness had been met with another healing potion.
The man had once believed death was something to be feared.
Now...
Death had become salvation.
His swollen eyes slowly lifted.
A lone figure sat a few meters away, calmly wiping fresh blood from an oversized war hammer before returning it to his storage.
The dagger in his other hand vanished as well.
Only then did Luke raise his head and got back on his feet.
Their eyes met.
"I... guaa..." His voice was no longer capable of forming words.
Luke folded his arms behind his back and gazed at the mangled shell of a man he had created.
For the first time, he realized just how cruel he could be.
Yet he felt no guilt.
He didn’t need to justify how many people this man had killed before, or what he was about to do to him.
The moment he forced Luke to witness that illusion, he had earned the most gruesome death Luke could imagine.
Now, it was enough.
Somehow, his anger had settled. Perhaps that last agonizing scream had finally quenched it.
Luke took a step forward.
The man flinched at the movement, fearing Luke was about to force another potion down his throat.
This time, however, Luke held only a small knife.
It was meant to bring an end.
Stopping before the broken man, Luke spoke quietly.
"It’s not your fault that you didn’t know what my mate meant to me. But I’ve lost so much in my life that even the thought of losing her..."
He drew a slow breath, forcing down the anger threatening to rise again.
He couldn’t drag this out any longer.
Without another word, Luke drove the blade into the man’s chest and pierced his heart.
A few moments later, the man’s breathing ceased.
Luke remained where he stood.
Blood stained his clothes, and his eyes were empty.
It was time to go back home.
...
"Gahaha! Look at this bad boy!" a man roared as he dropped the massive boar he had caught onto the platform. The beast was nearly a meter long, its body covered in dark, coarse fur.
The moment it landed, the opposite side of the balance rose just enough to lift off the ground.
Gary let out a satisfied grunt before giving a signal.
A nearby man stepped forward and began removing the bricks one by one.
When only ten bricks remained, the two sides finally balanced.
"Eheh~ Just ten? My antler needed twelve!" another hunter mocked from the side.
"Tch. That damn snake looked so much bigger. Turns out it only weighed eight bricks..." someone else complained.
By now, many of the hunters had already returned with their prey to be measured.
The contest was simple.
Whoever brought back the heaviest catch, determined by the number of bricks needed to balance the scale, would be declared the winner.
For now, the hunter who had brought the antler remained in first place.
But not for long.
"Here I am!"
Dart’s booming voice echoed through the clearing, drawing every eye toward him.
Panting heavily and drenched in sweat, he wore a wild grin as he dragged a dead elephant behind him.
Faces turned pale.
Shoulders slumped.
Spirits shattered.
Gary smirked, while Baldon, who had been silently observing the entire event, gave a subtle nod of approval.
That was one incredible hunt.
With all the noise the hunters had been making, the elephants should have fled the area long ago.
Yet somehow, Dart had managed to bring one down. And looking at the state of the beast it didn’t appear he struggled against it for long. He had the requirement of the contest in mind
"Ah! Help him!" Gary shouted as he hurriedly stacked all forty bricks onto the opposite platform.
A few reluctant warriors stepped forward and helped Dart heave the enormous beast onto the scale, where it barely fit.
The instant its full weight settled, the opposite side slowly lifted off the ground.
That alone proved how heavy it was.
Gary slowly removed a brick.
Then another.
When he took away the third, the two platforms finally balanced.
Thirty-seven bricks.
More than three times the weight of the antlers.
It was simply insane.
Dart received several congratulatory pats on the back from the warriors he had worked with.
A wide grin spread across his face as he folded his arms, convinced that not even Luke could surpass his catch.
It wasn’t that he doubted Luke’s skills.
Dart knew Luke was a seasoned warrior.
But he also knew there was barely anything left worth hunting in the forest. After the magical beast’s attack, the hunters had thoroughly patrolled the area, driving away or killing most of the large creatures.
There was no way Luke could find anything bigger than an elephant.
Just then, a shout rang out.
"Look! What in the hell is that?!"
Everyone turned.
There he was.
A burly man strained with every step, thick ropes wrapped around the carcass he was dragging behind him.
The beast was slightly smaller than an elephant, yet somehow looked even heavier. Every muscle in the man’s body bulged as he poured all his strength into pulling it forward.
It was a Titan Rhino.
Dart’s grin disappeared.
His shoulders slumped.
The competition was over.
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A/N:- I hope you liked the Chapter. Leave a comment