Chapter 58
Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Law of the Jungle (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Death.
The eternal end that any living being yearns to avoid. That's why, as long as one is alive, everyone reacts sensitively to death.
Stories of people facing death and unleashing superhuman strength exist everywhere, transcending East and West, ancient and modern.
Not only the body but even the five senses pour every effort into escaping death.
Nevertheless...... there exists an absolute death that can never be escaped.
"Let's start a fight with no regrets!"
An explosion tore through his eardrums. Sticky fluid trickled from his ears. The dark crimson liquid was unmistakably fresh blood.
One strike. He'd merely blocked a single strike from his opponent, yet blood burst from every orifice.
Not only was fighting impossible, but even maintaining his breath was a struggle. But he had no luxury to worry about breathing.
"This can't be the end already, can it?!"
"Fuck."
The Beast King, flames cloaking his arms and legs, closed the distance in an instant and swung that monstrous fist from hell.
Of course, Cain—bleeding profusely from every orifice—had no chance of blocking the master's punch.
Kwachik! The flame-wreathed fist of the Beast King utterly obliterated Cain's upper body.
At least the pain hadn't lasted long; that was some small comfort for Cain.
"Let's start a fight with no regrets!"
"Ah, fuck."
But when he opened his eyes again, he was still in hell. The king roared like thunder and closed in.
This time too, Cain mustered every ounce of strength to somehow block the king's strike.
This was still thanks to his power growing from repeated deaths; at first, he'd been literally torn limb from limb.
'This is way tougher than I imagined. It's not even comparable to sparring with Master Grandel!'
The advantage of Defeat Regression lay in experiencing and growing accustomed to the enemy's attacks. Even invisible strikes would eventually become familiar through repetition,
and start to become visible bit by bit. But against his current opponent, that advantage faded.
No matter how much he experienced it, he couldn't grow accustomed to that speed and destructive power.
Thanks to repeating death and building his power, he could cope a little better, but only just that.
"This can't be the end already, can it?!"
"Kuh!!"
It had already taken over thirty deaths just to block two exchanges. His accumulated power was immense as a result.
But even with that boosted power, he couldn't mount a proper fight. What was the problem?
It was impossible to bridge the gap simply by repeating death.
The flame-wreathed fist was destructive enough, but the flames themselves were the real issue.
Hwaruruk!!
Flames leaped onto his greatsword cloaked in death force. Death force held an advantage over mana in terms of affinity.
No life could ultimately overcome death. Yet the Beast King's flames burned even his death force.
'And this bastard...... he's fighting like he has no tomorrow, throwing his life away.'
Offense and defense were essential, not optional. Forsaking defense meant dying pathetically to a single counterattack.
Among all the formidable foes Cain had faced so far, none had abandoned defense.
But the current Beast King was different. He didn't care about his own life; he just sought to kill his enemy.
Brawls without regard for the aftermath were Cain's specialty, yet even that was being overwhelmed.
"Have you already reached your limit?"
"Hoo, hoo."
"What a dull fight. Still, I'll show my respect."
The Beast King openly expressed his disappointment to Cain, who could barely defend, let alone counter, as he slowly raised his fist.
Cain hurriedly lifted his greatsword in response. Or rather, he had tried to block.
But in that brief moment, the Beast King right before his eyes vanished in a flash. Before he could even raise his sword.
"......Huh?"
"To think you'd dare face me head-on with such meager skill...... It was beyond your station, but your courage was admirable."
With a mix of contempt and praise, the Beast King ignored Cain and walked forward.
Cain could only watch him go. For some reason, his body wouldn't obey him.
But the reason soon became clear. Blood poured from the hole in his chest like a wave.
The Beast King had ripped out his heart in an instant, at a speed too overwhelming to follow with the eyes.
'No way...... the power he showed upfront was just a probe?!'
Dying wasn't the issue. It was a bit odd to say, but against a master, it was unavoidable.
The real problem was that the Beast King hadn't even fought at full strength until now.
To think he'd barely blocked attacks that were mere probes, dying dozens of times in the process.
'How the hell am I supposed to surpass that mountain...... no, that sky.'
The walls he'd faced so far had offered at least a sliver of hope, however faint. Even Grandel had shown a path.
But this time, not even a direction was visible. It was pure despair, like being cast alone into pitch-black darkness.
No matter that his opponent was a master, to think he couldn't even draw out full power against a dying foe.
'......So what the hell am I supposed to do.'
He gritted his teeth and shook off the despair seeping into his heart. Did he think his opponents up to now were manageable, fighting while dying?
From the start until now, not once had he faced a winnable foe. He'd merely thrashed about to survive.
That fundamental truth hadn't changed. This time too, he'd chosen to survive, to save everyone.
"Let's start a fight with no regrets!"
He opened his eyes again. The Beast King charged with a torrent-like roar, and Cain replied calmly.
"Yeah. Let's have a fight with no regrets."
He drew forth everything—not just death force, but even Death Eyes, which consumed it voraciously.
Yet he still shattered.
This wasn't a level that could be overcome by drawing full power or steeling his resolve. Even so, he kept fighting.
Even as his mind shattered and those fragments were ground to dust, the reason he could rise again.
"I don't want anyone else to suffer the pain I've endured."
It could be called arrogance.
It could be called foolishness.
Those weren't words for a fool who couldn't even protect his own body. Even so...... he'd chosen that path.
That small wish had brought Cain to this place.
And so, he confronted it.
Enlightenment. Its fragments......
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The senses of a beast far surpassed those of a human. For the Beast King, who had reached mastery, they were transcendent.
To him, Cain didn't seem all that strong. But he had no intention of judging by senses alone.
After all...... a true powerhouse's strength couldn't be known until blades clashed.
"Let's start a fight with no regrets!"
Khan roared and charged with all his might. But despite his reckless charge, he held back his full power.
If he used it and the opponent died, he'd be unrecoverably disappointed.
But soon, Khan realized that worry was utterly groundless.
In a split second, killing intent poured from the man—whose presence was less than dust—enough to make him break into cold sweat.
Khan, charging full tilt, instinctively twisted his body to the right.
And that instinct saved his life. Something razor-sharp grazed his shoulder like a flash of light.
"......When was the last time I faced a blade that pierced my flames and cut my hide?"
The flames cloaking his body were both his sword and shield. Yet that shield had been breached.
A deep gash marred the Beast King's shoulder—something only the Flame King or Empress could achieve—blood flowing steadily.
And the sinister black aura that made it possible stood before him now.
"It seems that power isn't mana."
"No reason to tell you."
"I can tell just by experiencing it. It's still on my body, devouring my mana."
Khan had tried to erase the black flames on his shoulder with mana. But instead, they consumed it.
Lucky it was just his shoulder. A vital spot like the heart would make even channeling mana difficult.
But what terrified him most was the cutting power. A sharp sword strike that pierced even a beastman's innate body and mana.
"Indeed...... Now I somewhat understand why the Flame King fell."
"How about fighting at full strength now?"
"You've already seen through that much."
Khan laughed heartily and assumed his stance. Not mere brute force, but the pinnacle of martial arts he'd built over time.
"You're no unworthy foe for my full power."
No more probing.
Until one lost their life...... they would clash with everything they had.