Chương 378: Coversation of the hopeless

The three bronze-furred beasts growled in unison, their deep snarls reverberating through the narrow ravine. At first glance, they resembled oversized wolves, yet there was something disturbingly unnatural about them. Their eyes were clouded by endless hunger, saliva dripped constantly from their jaws, and every muscle beneath their coarse fur seemed unnaturally compact, as though their bodies had been forged solely for violence. Nym studied them in silence.

'Category Three...' she judged. Not because of their size- there were far larger creatures roaming the Tower- but because of the density of their musculature. Their limbs were deceptively lean, yet every movement hinted at explosive strength and speed. They lacked the overwhelming presence of a Category Four beast, and there was no chance creatures of that level would travel together in a pack like common predators. At least... That was her assumption. There was always the possibility she was wrong.

Nym slowly lowered herself into a precise sword stance, the tips of her twin black blades settling toward the ground as she exhaled. Her emerald eyes never left the predators before her.

"It doesn't matter," she said quietly.

"Whether I've judged you correctly or not... I'll cut you down regardless." Without another word, she shifted sideways until she stood directly between the beasts and Vale's unconscious body. The movement was possessive.

"You will not come any closer." The three predators answered with low, guttural growls that echoed through the ravine, their bodies lowering as powerful muscles coiled beneath bronze fur.

"He is under my protection now." Her grip tightened.

"And I don't take kindly to anyone trying to hurt him... including myself." Silence settled over the ravine, broken only by the beasts' breathing. Then she felt it. Not with her eyes. With her power. The middle beast's murderous intent suddenly sharpened, every instinct within its body converging into a single inevitable decision.

'Now.' A faint smile curved across Nym's lips. Rather than waiting for the attack, she exploded forward first. The predator lunged at the same moment. They met halfway. Nym pivoted with effortless precision, allowing the beast's own momentum to carry it past her while her blade carved deep across its exposed flank. Its speed became its undoing, dragging its body across the razor-sharp edge until flesh, muscle, and bone split apart beneath the cut. A violent spray of crimson erupted into the air. The beast screamed.

The second predator descended from above exactly as she'd predicted. She tore her blade free and sprang backwards an instant before it crashed into the ground, missing her completely and instead landing atop its wounded companion. Both creatures snarled furiously at one another before separating in confusion, giving the third all the opening it needed. It burst toward her with astonishing speed.

Nym merely turned her shoulders, allowing the creature to rush past close enough for the wind of its charge to brush against her cheek. Only after it had passed did she glance over her shoulder toward Vale. He still slept peacefully against the stone wall. A small breath escaped her.'' Good.'' Her attention returned to the beasts.

'They're tougher than I expected.' The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The first predator had already climbed back to its feet despite the deep wound running along its ribs. It wasn't fatal, not yet. Clicking her tongue, Nym bent down and picked up one of Vale's discarded onyx blades. The familiar weight settled naturally into her off hand. Now holding a sword in each hand, she slowly crossed the black blades before her.

Steel rang sharply through the ravine. The sound lingered. A small smile appeared.

"So..." Her stance lowered another fraction.

"Which one of you wishes to die first?" The answer came immediately. All three beasts charged together.

"So determined..." she murmured, almost sympathetically, "... that you've mistaken hunger for courage." The first predator leapt. She slipped beneath it. Its body sailed overhead while her borrowed blade thrust upward in one smooth motion, piercing clean through its abdomen before ripping free along its spine. Blood and entrails burst into the air as the creature landed several meters behind her, writhing only briefly before falling silent forever. The second arrived before the first had even stopped twitching.

A massive paw slammed into the stone where she'd been standing only a heartbeat earlier, splintering rock beneath the impact, while snapping jaws followed immediately after, aiming straight for her throat. Nym smiled.

"Don't be greedy." She planted her palm against the beast's snout and effortlessly vaulted over its head, using its own momentum to carry herself high into the air. The third predator chose that exact instant to attack. Or rather... It tried. She had already seen it. Her body twisted gracefully midair, allowing the beast to rush harmlessly beneath her before she landed lightly behind it. A quiet laugh escaped her lips.

"I'd forgotten..." She rose slowly, relaxing her shoulders.

"... how satisfying it feels to fight something that doesn't completely overwhelm me." One blade pointed toward the remaining beasts.

"For once, I'm the one controlling the battle." They attacked again. One rushed headlong. Nym slid beneath its body in a single fluid movement, her blade slicing cleanly through the tendons of both hind legs before she emerged behind it. The beast stumbled violently, collapsed, and failed to rise again. Category Three beasts were terrifying by ordinary standards. But compared to the creature lying dead only meters away... They felt almost simple. Her gaze drifted toward the enormous corpse of the Category Five.

Even now, she struggled to comprehend what had happened. It hadn't possessed overwhelming speed. Nor unmatched strength. Nor impenetrable defences. Its true horror had been adaptation. Every injury had made it stronger. Every attack had taught it how to survive the next one. It had continuously reshaped itself until every weakness disappeared, evolving into something that rivalled the greatest Category Four beasts in every physical attribute while retaining all of its previous strengths. And somehow...

Vale had killed it. For her. Warmth spread quietly through her chest. Before she realised it, she was smiling. Another beast lunged.

"This time... it's my turn to protect you. For the same reason, you protected me." Her blade pierced effortlessly through the predator's skull. Its body collapsed before it even understood it had been struck. Only one remained. The ravine grew quiet again. The final beast circled cautiously, every instinct screaming that something had gone terribly wrong. Nym mirrored its movements with perfect patience, reading every twitch of muscle, every shift in weight, every flicker of murderous intent.

By the time it finally committed to an attack... She already knew exactly how it would happen. A confident smile spread across her lips.

"I know what you're going to do." The beast exploded forward. Nym did the same. At the final instant she stepped onto its snout, using its charge as a springboard. Her body spun elegantly through the air while one black blade described a perfect arc. A single clean slash. The beast continued running several more meters, carried only by momentum, before its body finally collapsed lifelessly onto the stone. Silence returned. Nym remained still, listening carefully. Nothing. Only the slow rhythm of her own breathing.

Her gaze swept across the battlefield. Three dead Category Three predators. One slain Category Five. An absurd mountain of corpses.

"Looks like I've got some cleaning up to do." With another tired sigh, she set to work. Dragging the beasts across the ravine proved far more exhausting than killing them. Their bodies were so heavy that she had to stop repeatedly to catch her breath before hauling them another few meters. Eventually she stacked them atop the enormous corpse of the Category Five, building the highest pile she could manage in hopes of reaching the vines hanging along the ravine walls.

When she finally stepped back, sweat clung to her brow. The mound reached perhaps ten meters into the air. She looked upward. The nearest intact vine still dangled another five meters beyond her reach. Most of the lower ones had been destroyed during their battle with the adaptive monster. Nym stared at them for a long moment before letting out another defeated sigh.

"Figures." Abandoning the idea for now, she returned to Vale. Carefully, she lowered herself beside him once more and gently lifted his head back onto her lap. The exhaustion gradually left her shoulders as she absentmindedly brushed a few loose strands of black hair away from his face. For several peaceful minutes, she simply watched him sleep. A small smile found its way onto her lips.

"Thanks." The quiet voice caught her completely off guard. Nym blinked. Vale. His eyes were still closed. She looked down at him before an amused smile slowly spread across her own face.

"Were you awake that entire time?" A tiny nod.

"I was." She couldn't help laughing.

"Seriously?"

"Mhm." She shook her head in disbelief.

"So..." Leaning over him slightly, she tilted her head with playful curiosity.

"Is there anything you'd like to say after making me worry like that?" Vale remained silent just long enough to make her wonder if he'd fallen asleep again. Then his pale eyes slowly opened. Despite the dried blood covering half his face and the obvious pain he was trying to hide, the familiar teasing smile returned.

"There is." Nym leaned a little closer.

"Oh?"

"And what's that?" Vale held her gaze for another heartbeat, his smile widening just enough to become unmistakably mischievous.

"I'm just... disappointed you didn't kiss me."