V2 Chapter 191

After beheading another Grakilis, Cian suddenly turned his back to it.

Basically, he spun 180 degrees. He then planted his feet and squared his shoulders in the face of one of the charging monster. Then—something. A scraping?

To his left ahead of him, a handful of pebbles skittered down a bare incline.

Cian tensed, as a sense of danger assault him. However, he was still surrounded. Then, before he could react, an arrow whacked into his right shoulder, aiming at his blind spot, through the hardened leather clothes he was wearing.

His eyes narrowed as pain assaulted his mind. He staggered a little, grimacing in pain as his hand went to the arrow, raising his head, looking hard at the skein of a rise in the rocks—a Grakilis with a burly physique and feral expression.

The monster was wearing a striking dull red tunic with grey outer garments and armor, much better than the other Grakilis. It was obviously a cut above the normal monsters.

A scar seared his face, across from right down to left. It then opened its mouth in an expression that was part snarl, a part smile of triumph, showing sharp, shark jaw-like teeth. Although the Grakilis are weak, numbers are still an advantage. And among them, there are also several elites, including the leader.

Cian sneered in contempt at the Grakilis Leader’s smug expression that he knows would never last. He pulled at the arrow’s shaft. Though the barbed head, which was obviously coated with poison, snagged on the hard leather clothes he was wearing.

It had only penetrated the leather, and the point had scarcely penetrated his flesh. Although it looked simple, Cian’s clothing was harder than even steel and much better than normal metal armor. It was made from the highest class of materials, after all. It’s nothing a simple enchanted arrow could pierce.

Furthermore, Cian never feared poison. No matter how deadly it was. He pulled the arrow off. As he did so, he saw another group of Grakilis, armed like the others, halberds, spears, and swords, fanning out to surround him, keeping the length of their weapons between themselves and him.

Still, Cian could sense their fear.

And that fear gave him power... or at least, that's what he felt. The fear of his enemies, the worries, the doubts, the anxiety, all of it, it made him jubilant. His blood boils in excitement.

How comical, and common for weak lifeforms. He sneered. Despite their numbers, they feared him.

The power he had, and the danger he could give had been felt by each of them, and so, they were right to be wary. But that is something that would never be of use. The moment they showed itself and bared their fangs at him, it was at that moment that their life was already forfeited.

“I don’t know if you can understand me, but..." he grinned, and look at the quivering grakilis in front of him. "... I’m still going to ask you all a question. It’s not what you think it is. Do you like to dance?”

“Grrrrr!!”

“You, unknown man! You’ll die tonight!!” the burly Grakilis that seemed to be the leader roared.

"...a good answer," Cian smiles; “But, well, either way, the music’s started, so let’s see what kind of rhythm you all have…let’s do the Macabre dance,”

He flexed his arms and from his wrists, two lean greys, deadly bone spikes that looked like bone stakes sprang from within him his flesh. “Try to keep up,” Bracing himself, he deflected the first blow. But then they started digging at him from all sides with their weapons, trying to kill him.

"Hmph!" Cian snorted, and then he whirled in the air, and with two clean movements, sliced through the hafts of the nearest halberds and spears, seizing the head of one as it flew through the air before it could fall to the earth; and taking the stump of its haft in his fist, he buried the axeblade in the chest of its former owner. The Monster cried out in pain as it fell down, twitching and then stopped—Dead.

But no one cares—not one could give time to see the outcome of their companions, as it’s the first one out of many death!

The Grakilis closed on him then, and he was just in time to stoop low as a rush of air signaled the passage of a swung spear as it sickled over him, missing his bent back by an inch. He swung round savagely and with his left-hand, bone stake—stingers shot out, piercing through the legs of the attackers who’d stood behind him. All of them cried out in pain and agony, but Cian was merciless.

With a swung of his arm, all the men kneeling behind him, had their throats slit, gushing out blood like a fountain.

“Too slow a beat,” Cian smiled, with a gaze as red as blood.

“Your rhythms are all wrong,” he said as he crouched down, seizing the fallen halberd, which a moment earlier had almost stab through him, and swiveled it round in the air, slicing the hands of another of his assailants.

“The arms opened too wide, useless,” the hands arced through the air, the fingers curled as if beseeching mercy, a plume of blood like a red rainbow trailing behind them.

Cian grabbed one, as he laughed with a manic grin, pleased to his the monster’s eyes widen in shock then throw him back into another group of rushing Grakilis. The poor creature skewered by his companions who were charging behind him, their weapons poised and aimed.

“Then, a side-step here,”

Cian took a side step, dodging a volley of arrows, “…and back step.” He said, with yes, another backstep, the arrows showered at him stabbing the ground.

The monsters reassembled, glancing at one another as they once again, tried to slowly circle him.

Cian stared at them, smiling, almost enjoying himself now. A horde of them, killers and plunderers, against a one long Foxman. They had thought him as easy prey. He could see it in their faces before. One skirmish later and they weren’t quite certain.

Suddenly, Cian found the Archers once again nocking their bows. And he felt annoyed.

“Annoying tempo should just be eliminated,” he opened his palm, and flames started to gather in his hand.

"Infernal Symphony!!"

With an outstretched hand, he shot fireballs, after fireballs at the place where the Grakilis Archers are hiding.

Even the Grakilis Leader immediately dive down, to dodge while the others were burned to a crisp, after being hit by his flames.

Never did the Grakilis Leader expected, Cian to be a Mage.

This doesn’t make sense! His physical prowess is extremely powerful, he cannot be a mage! The Grakilis Leader felt terrified, and couldn’t believe what he was happening. It’s as if he was fighting against a true Monster that came straight out from their nightmares.

He felt dumb, still rolling in the dirt, evading the fireballs shot towards them desperately. Then, he somersaulted in the air, and turned around, wanting to escape and report back.

But could he succeed running away from death itself?

Cian saw him.

His eyes never left him.

You’re mine.

Like a snake, Cian struck, coming at the gathered group, poor Grakilis too slow to react, stared down at his enemy's bone stake as it thrust into his chest, then groaned as he sank to his knees.

With tearing meat, Cian withdrew his long bone stinger, then turned his attention to the next man. On his right hand, a black object with an L form, that any modern man could identify in an instant, and Baang!! a magic bullet struck, and the forehead of the nearby Grakilis holding an axe blossomed with a red flower, before slumping into the ground.

Cian flashed passed through the group of Grakilis, running towards the Grakilis Leader.

He was already gaining. He was quick and, unlike the monster, he wasn't constantly looking over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. Which meant he wasn’t barreling into obstacles as the monster was; though there were still some Grakilis that tried to block the death god they found themselves pit against with, but could never even stop him for a moment.

One came forward messily, hoping to bring the battle to the enemy, who in response, easily sidestepped; slashing at the poor creature's stomach with his bone stake, while feeling gratified to see glistening insides spill from the wound.

Cian had felt that he was becoming soft after knowing Cornelia and the others, but to think that his blood still boils for murder.

That's right! Murder! The thirst for blood, deep down within him is something that could never be satiated!

He had never felt this way before.

He had never find enjoyment in murder. But for some reason, ever since he had come into this world, blood and murder seemed to excite him now. What's the change? He didn't know. But perhaps, it's because of the true demon blood flowing through his body that reacted to such violence. Or perhaps, he just found his true calling. Nevertheless, Cian truly enjoyed killing more than before.

“Hahahahaha!!”

Cian took another one down, blood fountaining from a slashed neck. The last turned and ran, rushing towards the direction where the Leader was escaping. But Cian raised his right hand, the black gun poised and aimed—

Baaang!! Bang! Bang!

- one, two, three—

Three bullets into the escaping monster’s back, and into the Grakilis Leader who should have been quite in a distance already, but his leg pierced through by a bullet, and he stumbled.

“I said, a dance needed a partner,”

Cian tilted his head with an innocent smile, blood staining his face; “Where are you going?”

“Monster!!!”

The Grakilis Leader stared at him, horrified. Then, with panic and fearful expression, his voice rang out, cajoling his men to attack again. Still, they didn’t look so intimidating now, monster face or not. They looked like they were simple, ordinary; frightened men about to die.

"Oh really? Am I the monster now?"

Cian grinned like a savage predator, and he pounced once again at the group of Grakilis, which was already trembling in fear but still trying to be brave and attack him. But no matter how many they were, the tables had already turned. The prey had become the predator, and the predator had become the target.

"You don't know what a real Monster is...!"

Cian was now like a hungry wolf, amidst the flock of sheep.

Blood and insides made arched in the air, painting the green surroundings anew.

… …

With {Hardened}, {Physical Damage Reduction}, {Barbarian’s Fury}, {Feral Regeneration}, {Barbarian’s Strength}, {Barbarian’s Hyper Instinct}, {Jungle Empowerment}, and lastly, {Awareness}, Cian’s battle capability skyrocketed even without his {Vector Body}.

He didn’t even need to use his [Blood Release], and he was already like a terminator.

Increasing his defense with a {Hardened} skill which makes his skin as hard as a rock, and {Physical Damage Reduction} that reduce any physical attacks that struck him, Cian completely turned into a killing machine, despite even without being able to use his cheat abilities. Even without them, he was still able to fight like he had before.

With {Barbarian’s Fury} and {Feral Regeneration} that makes him like a berserker, and {Barbarian’s Strength}, {Barbarian’s Hyper Instinct} and {Jungle Empowerment] as well as {Awareness} that raises his strength, speed, reflexes, and perception, Cian was able to kill more than a dozen Grakilis in an instant.

His gun and stingers that flew in the surrounding like grim reapers, Cian danced in the battlefield, creating terror.

He shot his stingers that look like sharpened bone stakes, killing three to four Grakilis, and then seize a Grakilis wielding a broadsword, whom he threw bodily into a knot of its companions, seizing his sword from him. he hefted its weight, feeling his biceps tense as he took a double grip and raised just in time to cleave the helmet of another monster wielding a spear, this time coming from his rear left quarter hoping to blindside him.

But does he even have a blindside?

Ha! With Night’s Eye on him, he never had a Blindspot!

The sword was unexpectedly good, he mused. Well better than his Bone Stingers anyway. More monsters were streaming down from the forest. How many would it take to overpower this lone foxman?

No one knows. But still, they tried.

They crowded him, trying to intimidate him with numbers, trying to drown him with a group. But Cian just whirled and jumped to confuse them, seeking freedom from their press by hurling himself over the back of one burly monster, deflecting a sword’s blow with his stolen sword, and driving it into that attacker’s side, taking its life for eternity.

His gun rose and aimed, and along with the sound of a muffled explosion, sparks continued to appear in front of the black muzzle of death. And in an instant, those who tried to rushed at him, all of them had holes on their bodies, as they fell on the ground, confused and bewildered, not knowing what had just suddenly occurred.

Suddenly, a Grakilis, still alive thrust his spear in desperation, however, Cian seemed to have multiplied and when he struck him, the Grakilis found in horror that it turned into smoke—

What?!

How is this possible?!

The Grakilis was horrified, however, before he could jump back; “…idiot, since the moment you locked eyes with me, you’re already dead…”

An icy cold voice rang out from behind him.

Before the Grakilis can turn around, Cian had already severed his neck with a hand chop coated with magic.

As if cutting the air, he swung his arm, and bone stake flew out from his palm hitting a monster that turned around and run in fear. The bone stake pierced its chest, blood spurted like a fountain but it was still alive.

“You’ve done well enough, I praise you all. A good dance and you’ve all given me a good exercise after my meal,”

Baaang!!

A magic bullet pierced through the Grakilis who was struggling while whimpering, crawling in the mud with a horrified expression and even tears in its eyes. Despair and regret colored its expression. They should have never dared fight against this monster. But sadly, there's no medicine for regret.

The monster tried to beg, but Cian hardly cared for its life, and killed it with a swift thrust of his bone stingers on the monster's forehead. He turned towards the rest who were shaking, the surrounding filled with corpses and rivers of blood.

“Hiii!!!”

“Gaaaaakkkk Mo, monster!!”

“Saaave meee!”

How rude…

Cian frowned as he watches the remaining Grakilis scattered away, feeling somewhat displeased being called a monster, when they are in fact, more monstrous than him. Well, at least in appearance.

Normally, Cian would never leave one alive. But this time, when finally his blood and emotions satiated, he let them go.

He didn’t want to chase a retreating enemy, not because he sympathizes with them, he would never have that heart towards his enemies. Rather, he felt that Grakilis are good slave candidates, and it would be a shame to reduce their number so carelessly.

Their knowledge of machinery and gadgets was an indispensable talent to revive the village. Hence, Cian wanted them quite badly. In any case, he had already marked several of them with dark magic, hence he can find them wherever they hide, and they would surely lead him to their village!

One fell swoop.

But since these guys irritated him somehow for rudely calling him a Monster…

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cian fired shots in annoyance and three Grakilis were killed on the spot, with their heads exploding like a smashed melon.

While the others, Cian let them go.

Still…he finally realized his current body was completely different than when he had the [Vector Body]. He looks at the several small wounds, burned and cut on his chest, and frowned. Although he had several useful skills, as well as his Magic Eye, there were still times when he was hurt, especially towards that leader-like Grakilis.

Cian walked towards a Grakilis with purple scales and was over two meters in height, his head severed.

This monster was what gave him more trouble during the battle.

Speed, Agility, Fighting strength, toughness… this guy’s troublesome than what he had expected. Though, only slightly, still to be able to give him some wounds, even with the fact that he was surrounded by dozens of Grakilis at the same time, was still an impressive achievement.

“It finally ended…”

Cian turned towards the sky, which was now almost dyed orange.

The sun was rising up, ushering a new day.

It seems like he had played for too long…

[[Archery] skill has been successfully plundered!]

[[Machine Intuition] skill has been successfully plundered!]

Eating the Grakilis Leader’s heart and head and slurping its brain matters, Cian slowly felt his body recovering at incredible speed and even he managed to obtain two seemingly useful skills.

Since he was not really that good in Archery since he focused on swords, daggers, and poles, not to mention guns, this kind of skill was completely welcome. After all, in the modern world, he would not need a bow and arrow like HawkEye or Robinhood with guns lying around.