A low, guttural roar rolled through the air. "Kha'zul... na'reth jorakai!"
It came from a massive monkey, like a creature trudging toward him, slow and steady. It carried twin axes, huge, jagged, and glowing a deep, cursed crimson. The beast was enormous, easily over eight feet tall, and built like a gorilla, but even bulkier. It looked like a twisted evolution of a monkey, something forged in a darker place. Same basic features, but layered in muscle and menace.
Jinhwan stood his ground, chest heaving, body drenched in blood. His left arm still bled, numb and heavy. When he heard that strange voice, he turned his head slowly, eyes narrowing.
"What the hell.." he whispered.
"It's talking.... but what language is that?"
The words felt wrong, like they weren't meant to be heard by human ears. They scraped against his skull, echoing somewhere deep inside. A forbidden tongue.
Jinhwan's grip tightened around his axes, jaw clenched.
The monkey stopped a few meters away from Jinhwan.
Then it spoke again.
"Zar'kuul....thren'akai!"
As the words echoed, the beast raised its massive arms, crossing the twin crimson axes over its chest, then swung them down in a violent arc.
A blazing X-shaped slash of flame tore through the air, roaring straight toward Jinhwan.
His eyes widened at the sudden attack, but instead of bracing himself, he ran forward.
The flames surged at him.
But just inches before impact.. they curved away, like hitting an invisible wall. A ripple of light shimmered for a split second around his body as he charged through the fire unscathed.
In one fluid motion, Jinhwan reached the beast, yanking both axes behind him to his right side. He clenched the grips tight, muscles burning, and spun with everything he had aiming for the creature's neck.
Before his blades even got close, the monkey moved. It swung its left arm, backhanding Jinhwan in the gut with the flat of its axe.
The force was monstrous. Jinhwan's body flew like a rag doll, crashing into a thick tree trunk.
CRACK.
He collapsed to the ground, gasping. Pain flooded every nerve in his body.
"Fuck..." he hissed, voice barely a whisper. His whole body was aching. His ribs felt like they
What the hell is this thing made of?
This isn't like the other monkeys I've killed.. this one's different. Smarter. Stronger.
It can use mana. It cast a spell.
If I didn't have Flarefrost, I would've been burned alive right now.
But even that it was unstable. I hadn't mastered it yet. If he hits me with flames again..
I'm done for.
Jinhwan coughed, a sharp pain stabbing through his ribs with each breath. His vision blurred for a second as he forced himself onto one knee.
The monkey stood tall, unmoving. Watching. As if he were mocking Jinhwan.
The bastard didn't even take a step forward. He knew he had the upper hand.
Jinhwan gritted his teeth, spitting out blood.
He wiped his mouth and stood, shaky but steady. He flicked his wrists. His axes answered, humming with barely-contained mana.
He dashed forward, not as fast as before, but enough.
The monkey raised its axe again to counter, but this time, Jinhwan slid under it, dragging one axe across the beast's left thigh.
Slash!
A spray of dark blood burst out.
The monkey let out a low grunt, not a scream. It barely flinched.
Jinhwan didn't stop. He pivoted around the beast, swinging his second axe up.
Blocked. The monkey had turned in time, catching the blow with one of its own axes. Their weapons locked for a moment, steel grinding against steel, sparks flying.
Jinhwan bared his teeth and shoved forward, pushing the monkey back half a step.
He broke the lock and went in again, this time aiming for the ribs. His axe connected with a solid thunk, cutting into the beast's side. Blood poured again.
Then without warning, the monkey roared and slammed its forehead straight into Jinhwan's face.
Crack!
Jinhwan stumbled back, nose bleeding.
Before he could recover, a massive kick sent him skidding across the dirt.
He rolled, grunting, pain flaring in his side again.
The monkey didn't charge. It walked. Calm. Axe dragging in the dirt. He raised one arm slowly. Another chant
"Vok'nul...keth'arai."
Fire bloomed again. But this time, not in a straight attack. It formed a ring around the clearing, trapping them both inside.
Jinhwan wiped his nose and narrowed his eyes.
"You're not letting me out, huh?"
He stood once more and ran again.
This time, he didn't go straight. He zig-zagged, left, then right, feinting an overhead swing before ducking low and slashing the beast's shin.
The monkey roared again, and Jinhwan followed up, both axes spinning in his hands. He leapt, kicking off a rock behind him, and drove his weapon straight into the monkey's shoulder.
The axe is a bit deep.
The monkey howled, enraged now, and grabbed Jinhwan midair with one hand, slamming him hard into the ground.
Jinhwan screamed as his back hit the earth, dust flying.
The monkey raised its axe with its free hand.
Jinhwan's fingers twitched. With one last surge of mana, he let go of one axe and jammed the other directly into the monkey's wrist.
The beast roared in agony and dropped the axe.
Jinhwan twisted, rolled out from under it, grabbed his fallen weapon, and without wasting a second he leapt up again.
One clean slice across the right arm.
The monkey staggered, blood pouring, just as Jinhwan spun and cut the left arm clean off.
The beast howled, his blood spraying across the flames around them.
It dropped to its knees, both arms gone.
Jinhwan stood over it, body shaking, face cut and bruised, but eyes burning blue.
With a final spin, he raised both axes, and brought them down in an X-shaped slash, straight across the beast's neck.
The head dropped to the ground, and the monkey's body slumped to the ground.
Silence only the crackling of the fire around them remained.
Click.
[Level Up!]
[Level: 19]
[Mana: 62]
[Episode 28 End]