Chapter 132: The Beast of the East
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132: The Beast of the East
Of course, this wasn't the plan from the start. A tug-of-war with a giant beast? Any human who prided themselves on raiding would have found the idea utterly absurd. But just as there are methods only humans can use, there are methods only Green Skins can.
It was the best way to utilize the Ogres and Half-Ogres—not smart, not agile, but overflowing with strength.
“Kreeeeeeeeeh!”
“Kwooooooooar!”
The Beast of the East continued to shriek, but it wasn't enough. The Ogres had found their footing, and they would not yield.
“Pull!”
“Pull!”
The shamans of the Black Spear Clan were continuously infusing the ropes with magic to keep them from snapping. The taut lines held the beast fast.
The ground beneath the feet of the countless Ogres and Half-Ogres began to sink and tear. They were being dragged forward. In truth, even maintaining this stalemate was a huge advantage, as our ranged attackers, including Mev and Black Spear, were relentlessly hammering its feet with damage. But this operation wasn't launched for such a meager gain.
“Thump!”
“Thump!”
The sound of a war drum echoed. An Orc from the Goff Clan began to roar, as if cheering on this absurd athletic meet.
“The Goff Clan does not lose!”
“Strength!”
“Strength!”
The Ogres' muscles swelled as if they would burst. Bolstered by the buffs, they began to roar, one after another.
“Uwoooooooooooar!”
“Uwoooooooooooar!”
Bloodshot eyes. Muscles on the verge of tearing. Bloody fluid dripped incessantly from the palms gripping the ropes.
“Strength!”
The war cry that had started with the drumming Orc was soon being bellowed by every Ogre.
“Strength!”
“Strength!”
The Beast of the East shrieked and tried to pull back, but it was the one losing ground. We had already worn down its stamina, and the constant barrage of attacks was steadily chipping away at its health.
But its resistance was fierce, as if it couldn't bear to lose.
This was a battle of pride. They had no intention of ever backing down. Just then, Goff himself stepped to the front of the line and began to pull.
“The Chieftain is with us!”
“The Chieftain is with us!”
For them, this was probably the most thrilling moment possible.
And then, the beast that had seemed immovable began to slide, slowly but surely, toward our main force. Seeing my chance, I roared to the swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan.
“It’s going down! Prepare for battle!”
“It’s going down! Prepare for battle! Victory! For victory alone! For Blood Dagger!”
As their war cries peaked, the beast’s body began to tilt. The colossal creature was finally crashing to the ground. To see this monster, so massive you had to crane your neck to see its top, lose its balance and fall was a truly magnificent spectacle. In all my ten-plus years on the continent, it was the most extraordinary sight I had ever witnessed.
“Kreeeeeeeeeh!”
“CRASH!”
“Uwoooooooooooar!”
The ground shook with the impact and the triumphant roars of the Goff Clan, and a cloud of dust enveloped the area. But there was no time to waste. We had to press our advantage before it could regain its footing.
“Victory! For victory alone! For Blood Dagger!”
“..................!”
The Ogres infused the ropes with magic, anchoring them to the ground to continue restricting the beast’s movements. Jung Hayeon did the same; roots erupted from the earth, unable to completely immobilize the Beast of the East, but binding it securely.
This was the signal for the swordsmen and assassins of the Blood Dagger Clan to swarm onto its body. Led by Gark and Hark, they charged forward, their blades flashing wildly as they advanced across its hide.
“Uwoooooooar!”
Gark, in particular, plunged a longsword into the beast’s flesh and just kept running, carving a deep gash. Hark did the same, driving his twin swords into its body as he advanced. I was no different. Every inch of its exposed hide was a target. I switched weapons continuously, slashing and hacking, and blood began to pour from the Beast of the East. The Black Spear Clan relentlessly hurled spears and spells at its neck. Black Spear, too, knew this was our chance.
‘Good.’
Our training was paying off. The louder the beast’s screams grew, the more ferocious our attacks became. Small wounds widened into gaping chasms, and soon, its entire body was slick with blood.
That was when it happened.
Slowly, the beast began to rise. To be precise, it wasn't so much rising as it was thrashing. Its violent struggles were snapping Jung Hayeon’s roots one by one.
“It’s… It’s the limit.”
Jung Hayeon cried out. I watched as the beast slowly began to push itself up. The tug-of-war had completely reset its aggro, which meant we needed to capitalize on this moment even more. Goff might be able to draw its attention, but Gara and Orbo had limited means of holding its aggro.
“Don’t give in!”
“Hold the Beast of the East down!”
The Ogres roared again, but in its pain-fueled frenzy, the beast was shaking them loose, one by one. At this rate, it would be back on its feet in an instant. For this whole venture to be worth it, we had to take at least one of its heads.
The rightmost neck, the one the Black Spear Clan had been focusing on, came into view. It was already mangled. Without a word, I ran toward Goff. As if reading my mind, he raised his shield, creating a platform for me. The moment my foot touched its surface...
“Uwoaaaaaaah!”
With a sharp kiai, Goff launched me into the air. He had thrown me skyward. I shot upwards with incredible speed, a testament to his immense strength. My eyes were locked on one thing: the beast’s neck.
I switched the Greatsword Too Large to be a Sword for Ancient Flame. If I could land a critical hit, I could deal a fatal blow. I was worried I wouldn't be able to put enough force into the swing without a foothold, but I pulled both arms back as far as they would go. Power surged through them as I focused every last bit of my magic into my arms and shoulders.
The neck grew closer, and I swung.
The blade drew a diagonal arc of scorching flame.
The timing was perfect. I felt the blade bite into its flesh. The hide, which I expected to be incredibly tough, parted like tofu. But as it hit sinew, muscle, and bone, Ancient Flame began to lose its momentum.
But I cut through.
I switched Ancient Flame back to the greatsword.
Another critical hit triggered, and this time, it sliced through the bone.
The neck was too thick to sever in a single pass.
But I kept swinging.
Blood sprayed into my eyes, but I ignored it.
I slash.
I sever.
I lost count of how many times I activated my Unique Ability in that short span. My body continued its forward momentum.
Finally, as I flew past it, one of the beast’s necks fell away completely.
“Uwoooooooooooar!”
“Bl-Blood Dagger just took off the Beast of the East’s head!”
“It’s… It’s Blood Dagger!”
Cheers erupted from below. It was a dumbfounding feat, even to me. It must have been the same for them. As I fell, I looked down to see the swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan roaring in triumph. If I had to do it again, I was certain I would fail.
It was only possible because of the damage accumulated by the Black Spear Clan and the momentum from Goff’s throw. The severed neck wasn't even bleeding, as if the wound had been completely cauterized by Ancient Flame.
“Kreeeeeeeeeh!”
As if its other heads shared the pain, the Beast of the East wailed and thrashed on the ground. All the while, spells and arrows continued to rain down upon it. As I plummeted toward the earth, Mev caught me.
“Eeeek!”
She strained, holding me with both hands, but my descent was clearly slowing. Flapping her wings furiously, Mev looked down at me with eyes full of amazement and opened her mouth.
“Th-That was amazing! Chieftain, are you okay!?”
“More or less.”
In truth, I’d used up a great deal of my magic, but there was no need to mention it. Once we landed, Mev stared at me with sparkling eyes. Some of Baek Ahyeon’s followers were even offering prayers. I could understand their reaction after witnessing such a spectacle, but this was no time to relax.
“Kreeeeeeeeeh!”
“Mev, pull the main force back immediately. The swordsmen, too—have them fall back for now. From this point on, everyone follows Hakajin’s orders. That goes for Orbo and Gara as well. The Ogres will stand by, ready to throw the ropes again. The Black Spear Clan will also be on standby.”
“Ah… Right!”
Hearing the urgency in my voice, Mev seemed to grasp the situation, nodding before disappearing into the ranks of the main force. I had its aggro now. It was time to regroup.
The only problem was that I now held all of its threat. A smirk touched my lips. The eyes of the Beast of the East—the Hydra—were fixed solely on me.
It looked like it still had strength to spare, but it had to be struggling. What drove the Beast of the East now was nothing but pure rage. I could feel the animosity it directed at me, the one who had severed its neck.
I wasn't sure I could pull it off, but I had to. The brief standoff ended as the beast charged straight for me. I glanced back at the main force; they had understood my orders and were moving out of its range. A quick mental calculation told me Hakajin was controlling their retreat perfectly.
It rushed toward me, raising one of its forelegs to crush me.
‘I can dodge this.’
The attack covered a wide area, but with my agility, I was confident I could evade it. The real threat, however, was the central head. A shadow fell over me in an instant. I was just about to pull back and dodge—
“KRAANG!”
—when a massive back filled my vision. A figure, shield slung across his back, had grabbed the beast’s jaws with both hands, his muscles swelling as if they would burst. With trembling arms, he was holding back the snapping maw with all his might. I could feel the intense heat radiating from the beast’s body just behind him.
There was only one being among the three allied tribes capable of such a feat.
Goff.
“Uwoooooooooooar!”
Shoving the beast’s head back, Goff drew his shield. Seeing my opening, I used his back as a springboard, leaping up to carve another long gash into the beast’s neck. Goff let out a monstrous roar and drew his axe. The massive weapon, one I likely couldn't even lift, swung with a dull thud, and fresh blood sprayed from the wound.
Not a bad combination.
“Good.”
The hunt for the great beast was nearing its end.