Chapter Four: Pursuit (Four)

The outcome is ultimately my own victory. I successfully lured the fleeing prey over, and now I can walk over and easily twist its head off

The entire world has been replaced by this pain. Vision first turned a deep crimson before fading into complete darkness; the nose was no longer present, and there was nothing but pain, with only the sound of one's own screams echoing in the ears. Then, the remaining body immediately sensed a cold object being forced into the abdomen, reaching up to the chest. It did not require much effort, yet it decisively pushed its way through the neatly arranged internal organs. Then, the remaining body immediately sensed a cold object being forced into the abdomen, reaching up to the chest. It did not require much effort, yet it decisively pushed its way through the neatly arranged internal organs.

Everything has come to an end

The pursuer suddenly stopped calling out, pressing hard against his chest, so forcefully that the sharp claws pierced through the leather armor and into his own fur, as if trying to push the shattered thing inside back to its original form. However, after staggering a few steps, he collapsed with a thud

Come on, come on, jump in and you will be safe. Although it may bring sadness and guilt, at least you will be alive. After a few years, perhaps you will become indifferent to this matter, and you might even use it as a topic of casual conversation with friends at the dinner table. If you can't forget it in a few years, then surely you will be able to forget it in several decades.

The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed, and Asa could not discern whether it came from the woman's neck or from within himself. His legs, exhausted from running, had lost the strength to evade as he charged forward. Asa could only watch helplessly as the pursuer accurately planted a foot against his chest, sending him flying like a scarecrow, crashing heavily into a tree. The knife in his hand also embedded itself into the tree.

Following the giant claw covered in fur, Asa saw the orc that had been hunting him for three days for the first time in broad daylight, at such a close distance and facing directly at him.

If he turns around and runs to save someone, he will fall right into this foolish trap, and the result will be that the heads of both of them become decorations for some orc tribe

Asalio felt at ease; apart from this hand, it was temporarily impossible to discern where she had sustained any fatal injuries. She was merely held aloft by the pursuer like a chicken awaiting slaughter, with faint moans escaping her lips, the sounds intermittent, as if they could be cut off at any moment by the claws gripping her neck

Asa knelt on the ground, clutching his left hand, wailing and gasping for a while before he could muster the strength to stand up

The third scream came, already so faint that it seemed merely a hallucination born of concern

The pursuer gazes at the oncoming prey with a pitiable mindset. Is this the final struggle, characterized by movements as slow as a turtle and clearly defined in trajectory? One can even perceive the pulsation of every muscle and the distortion of movements caused by pain, clearly indicating when and with what force the knife descends upon which part.

Moreover, the combat capability of this other human was unexpectedly formidable; I nearly had my face blown off by a fireball. Fortunately, this human was also quite fragile, as he immediately lost his fighting ability after I broke his arm due to the excruciating pain

Stop! Asaf let out a hoarse shout and charged towards the pursuers

The hunter raised the handle of the meteor hammer in his hand, blocking the knife with no deviation, resulting in a tremendous clash of metal. As anticipated, both the knife and the hand were rebounded, causing the body to stagger backward, leaving a gaping opening in the chest and abdomen. If he were to thrust his claws in from below, he could easily rip out that warm heart.

Her neck-length black hair cascaded from the cloak, disheveled and obscuring her anguished expression in a blur. Her right hand was a mangled mess, twisted like a withered vine, with not a single bone intact. This was not the result of a single injury; it was a series of breaks, one after another, until there was no longer any place left to inflict harm.

No, not yet. We cannot linger here for too long; once the scent of the hunter's corpse is released, it will attract a swarm of lizards. I have already weakened to the point where I could easily become prey for those grotesque scavengers. I hope the woman's pack contains some useful healing remedies, or perhaps something as valuable as that purification talisman.

He recognized this tree, and its slender, straight roots once reminded him of a phrase that was almost shameless. Now he recalled it again, glancing at the woman lying on the ground, who had ceased to moan. A force of indignation and grief supported him as he stood up, pulling the knife from the trunk. With all the strength in his body, he raised the knife and charged forward

Finally resort to one last trick? Or struggle a bit? Or curl up into a ball, weeping and wailing in a nonsensical manner? It would be best to avoid this; I have grown weary of it.

Standing a full foot taller than him, with a massive frame that is half as wide, covered in brown fur, featuring towering ears, yellow pupils, a long narrow mouth, and a head resembling that of a dog, this is a werewolf. The proportions of its body are roughly similar to those of a human, yet the perfect curves of its muscles and bones reveal a strength and agility that are beyond human reach.

No, there is no need to be so quick. Carefully savor every detail of the process and observe what this human does when they realize their life is nearing its end; it can also serve as an interesting conclusion to the aftermath.

Another call echoed. Asa knew that the pursuers were tormenting the woman. This was a method specifically employed by that race when hunting humans

However, this werewolf does not appear to be as imposing and dangerous; one might even say it looks somewhat disheveled. The fur on its left arm has matted together with blood, and the wound is still bleeding slowly. The Anka dagger does not lose its lethality simply because it cannot be used for slashing; its unique blade, once it penetrates the flesh and rotates, will tear apart the surrounding blood vessels and tissues. The slender blade is forged from high-quality dwarven alloy, capable of even piercing bone. The Anka dagger does not lose its lethality simply because it cannot be used for slashing; its unique blade, once it penetrates the flesh and rotates, will tear apart the surrounding blood vessels and tissues. The slender blade is forged from high-quality dwarven alloy, capable of even piercing bone

This morning, upon discovering distinct footprints and scents near the campfire, he was certain that it was a trap. How could this cunning prey possibly make its movements seem deliberately visible to him? It must be some kind of trick. Thus, he pursued another set of footprints that appeared to be less similar. When he realized that his judgment had once again been mistaken and that he had fallen for this prey's ruse, astonishment and embarrassment completely threw him off balance

I am sorry, it is all my fault. Asa knelt in pain before her. Suddenly, he thought he saw her lips move, believing it to be an illusion, but he soon heard a moan, stronger than his own.

That is not tree sap; it is a small knife, covered in countless deadly thorns and burned to a bright red. The hunter let out a piercing scream, one so heartrending that even he had never heard anything like it before

On the back of the left claw, there is a charred mass, revealing the ruptured muscle beneath, while the surrounding fur has been burned away. This is a mark left by a fireball technique. The slight charring on the fur atop his head indicates that this was originally a fireball aimed at his face, which he managed to block with his hand in a moment when he could not evade it. The timing of this fireball must have been exceptionally well-calibrated

Asa curled up like a shrimp, blood mixed with saliva oozing from his mouth and nose. Several of his ribs were broken, but fortunately, they had not pierced his internal organs. It felt as if countless wild bulls were charging back and forth in his chest, squeezing out all sensations except for pain, making it impossible even to take a breath.

This is truly an unsatisfactory conclusion. Watching this prey, which had consumed so much of his thoughts over the past three days, fall so easily, the hunter thought with disappointment. He had originally hoped to conclude with a spectacular kill.

Asa shouted the most vicious curse he knew, turned, and ran wildly back the way he had come, simultaneously letting out a roar with all his might to inform his pursuers that his foolish trap had worked as effectively as he had hoped.

The waters of the Donau River flow swiftly and gently eastward for a thousand miles, with the gently rising waves seeming to beckon to him

Perhaps you can also use this sorrow as motivation, and in a few years become a general, leading an army to sweep away all the orcs on the continent, avenging this woman

Only the hunter did not anticipate a seemingly insignificant detail. The tree sap adhering to the knife transformed into countless tiny droplets under the intense vibrations, splattering into the hunter's eyes and onto his moist nose

Then, in less than ten minutes, Asa, after running wildly, saw the pursuer and the woman he had captured in his hand

The pursuer let out a growl, opened its mouth to reveal sharp teeth, and shifted its shoulders. Asa did not understand the meaning of this expression, but he clearly saw the muscles on the claw that was gripping the woman bulging.

The prey has arrived, the objective has been achieved, and naturally, the bait is no longer needed

Asa could not hear the sound of his wrist bones shattering into countless pieces; he could only feel the numerous bone fragments recklessly traversing between his muscles and blood vessels, even protruding through his skin. He was not exerting strength; he had long since lost all his energy. Instead, he was using the immense pain to bend his knees and violently thrust towards the hilt of the knife. A sense of elastic rupture from the heart muscle transmitted from the hilt.

A fear that could even mask pain surged forth, and the pursuer instinctively grasped something below his abdomen, exerting all his strength and fear. Then he heard another scream that was no less tragic than his own.

Asa staggered over. Looking at the woman's pale face, which had once been so beautifully highlighted by her smile, he realized that in just half a day, it would soon become food for those ugly beasts, just like the corpse of the werewolf over there

If one were to confront the pursuers alongside a woman, the chances of success would indeed be quite significant ... Asa felt an overwhelming sense of regret ... Now, all that could be done was to make a final effort, as there should still be hope, after all, the pursuer's left arm had already ...

Asa finally managed to take a breath, feeling as if knives were embedded between his ribs, moving up and down with each breath. He struggled to lift his head and glanced at the knife embedded in the tree trunk, which was now covered in the white sap oozing from the tree.

The werewolf was clad in a specially crafted leather armor, and the meteor hammer on the ground, which had evidently shattered the skulls of over a dozen of Asa's colleagues, was also custom-made. Such a massive weapon could not be wielded by humans or dwarves. This terrifying armament complemented his physique, making him capable of single-handedly confronting an entire squad of soldiers