Bolemo grimly stared at Harong "I'll fight you to death!" He bellowed. Without thinking through, he ran straight to the young man with the beast fan. He did not care about his two lackeys. All he had in mind is to kill this vile human and take back what he owns.
"Arghhh!" Without knowing why, he sprinted and launch a full force punch onto the young mans face, who for some reason closed his eyes and welcomed his attack.
Veins bulging in his arms, Bolemo squezzed all the force he can muster and deliver it to Harongs face.
"Sssshhh!" Bolemo bit his lip to restrain the escaping sound from his mouth, making it bleed.
No one can imagine the pain he is in right now. The veins in his right arm ruptured with some mangled flesh bursting from the cracks on his skin after his attack. Blood is dripping from his broken arm.
"Ahh.. you.. you! " Bolemo can hear Harong wailing, he is much in a worse state than him but Bolemo grinned at the two henceman at the back of the young man.
"F**king retard!" Scooping the cloth bag that Harong dropped, Bolemo fasten it to his waist.
He knew he was under estimated, however isn't it what he wanted? Bolemo wanted them to think he is a push over, a trash so he can cultivate properly. Not to be disturbed since they knew him as insignificant as ant.
His body is injured. His arm is not in a good shape nor he is ready for another bout. Bolemo is not even a 1-Leaf Warrior yet. Overreaching for some power he is not supposed to possess damage even his meridians. No matter how solid his foundation, he is still a mere mortal. Ramming into Harong is like an egg ramming into a stone. It was suicide. If anything, he is thankful that Harong stood there, like a practice dummy to be hit.
"Imbeciles, what are you spacing there for? Kill him!" Harong screamed. His face contorted, a murderous devil seemed to have awaken and is ready for slaughter.
He cannot believe that he, Harong an early 2-Leaf Warrior would suffer such a loss under the hands of a bony trash like existence.
"F**k him for me! I want him dead and fed to beasts underground!" Bellowing once more, he gave Bolemo a death stare and sneered. He was hurt, but it did nothing but lose some face in front of his followers. And he hated losing face the most.
"Just be a beast in your next life, then hide so young master does not find you again! " One the followers sneered and attack him with a hoe. "Better yet, be a mount for young master Harong, then he will spare you from suffering"
Bolemo did his best and dodge the attack of the two. His arm may be damage but he can still move his legs. They are just 1-Leaf Warrior who doesn't know any movement technique, hence he can still strike and evade at the same time.
However he cannot continue like this. He is losing too much blood and its making him dizzy. Perhaps lasting for a few minutes is possible but not if he let his wound remain the way they are.
"Die, trash"
Doing a side step, Bolemo narrowingly avoided the sword from chopping his shoulder. He kicked the man at the back and stumbled to get away from the other pursuer by leveraging the force from his kick.
Bolemo clumsily picked up a stone the size of his head that weighs 30 kilograms from where he landed, hurling it directly to the man he just kicked. A bursting sound echoed in the cave followed by a dying scream. The commotion successfully stop the other follower from attacking him, the other party having his mouth wide open watching his friend gasping for his last breath and dying.
Killing someone for the first time, Bolemo almost vomited the hard bread he ate earlier. It was never easy to reap a life like it was not easy believing you have won the lottery without plaving a bet.
Steeling his heart, he knew it was either him or them that lives today. Living in this world where strong preys on the weak, he will have to kill someone sooner than later. Swallowing the things he wanted to let out in his throat, Bolemo darted to the dead body of the man and picked up his sword. Waving it in the air, he pointed it to the other person and sneered.
"You're next!" he exclaimed. Burning with fighting spirit, he wanted to wnd this as soon as possible.
"Pain" Bolemo unsubconsciously hurled out an agonizing scream and fell to ground. Clutching his abdomen, he spew a mouthful of blood that dyed the dark tunnel darker.
With the help of the low grade illuminating crystal at the wall, he traced his body and found the tip of a sword penetrating his abdomen from the back.
"Ha.. ha-harong? "
"Ahhhhhhhhhh"
"Arghhhhh!"
Only the sound of a leg hitting a body sounded in the cave wheb Bolemo asked. Scream after scream drown the entire tunnel with loud laughs in between, he was kicked in all parts of his body.
"Are you a pig or a trash? Taking off your eyes on me was never good, see where it lead you.. trashy pig!" Harong exclaimed and another beating came. Blood flowed like a river. The scene was dark and gory.
The place reeks of pungent smell of blood, broken pieces of skin and meat scattered in the area, brain matter at the side and a wailing like scream that seems to come from the underworld filled the dark tunnel.
Bolemo scream whenever Harong would slowly pull the sword away and forcefully putting it back (yaoi? 😱), the pain when his guts gets cut is definitely way over what he can tolerate.
"S-st.. " He wanted him to stop, but his pleas reach a deaf ear.
He was not a fighter. He did not experience being in a fight before. Bolemo was always the goody two shoes when he was studying. Good grades, great friends, and a nice family background made him had a smooth sailing life. If there was a fight he was in before, it was mostly posturing to other people when there is conflict, scaring them with his tattoo and then everything is settled. Bolemo did not notice Harong sneaking up on him. Being lower in power and stage than his followers, he needed to give his all or he dies. But it seems nothing changes huh?
"I'll f**king smash your head like you did Yernujo!" one of the followers step onto his head and slowly put force in squeezing his head.
Bolemo smiled. Lasting this long in this unfamiliar world was itself an achievement others will be proud of. Who can say they can last in a strange place where people flies and animals eat humans? Aside from those fictitious novels, he is definitley the first.
"What are you smiling for?" Harong crouching down on his body asked, he remove the cloth bag on his waist and wave it with a satisfied smile.
Bolemo struggle to open his eyes and look at Harong. Cursing him in his mind for several times made his anger and indignation subside a little. If there is one thing he regrets, that was not killing him after punching his retarted face!
"What?!" Harong asked.
Bolemo was about to retort Harong, but gulping down the saliva and blood in his mouth, he instead gave him a middle finger with his trembling hands. Of course not that Harong will ever know what that means.
Closing his eyes, he let go of all his frustration and laid on the ground. Being in the deepest mining area of the cave, he knew that being discovered is synonymous to impossible.
"Arghhhhh"
A crunching sound was suddenly heard and the screams of Harong and his follower came after. Bolemo open his heavy eyes, greeting him was a cold black carapace of a beast with hundreds of legs, munching on what seems to be the head of Harong, it waltz in the underground tunnel and went to the direction of one of the followers he fought.
With glinting black scales and golden striped back, the beast gave of a fearsome aura especially with its jaw snapping in and out, gnawing some human flesh, tearing them limb per limb.
With its mouth dripping with red liquid, their gazes met. His almost lifeless body spasm in fear. This has been the nearest experience he had with death. Other might say he almost died during the beast wave, but that was after all him not knowing what happened at all.
"Putong. putong. putong.. " He can hear his heart beating louder than the last. His trembling body caused his wounds to bleed more.
Gulping another mouthful of saliva, he continue exchanging gazes with the beast.
Golden striped centipede. A vicious beast that is on the border of attaining intelligence, making it a savage magical beast of the lowest level.
Magical beasts are divided in nine levels with four mini stages in every level. Grade 1 and 2 are what is considered as normal and vicious beasts respectively. Any beast that shows potential in evolution are considered magical beast of the lowest rung. Only when a beast gains initial intelligence to cultivate, will they be promoted to Grade 3 savage beast. Grade 3 beast are equivalent to Wood Carver stage of human cultivation, while Grade 9 is equivalent to Nirvana Rebirth Stage. Grade 10 is the fabled realm called Beast Ancestor where beasts can transform their body to be like a human and ascend the higher plane/realm.
The beast in front is clearly a peak Grade 2 vicious beast. It is his first time meeting a magical beast, however Bolemo can see the shrewdness in its eyes. It purposely ate the other bodies while sending him glances that will surely accelerate anyone's fear.
'There shouldn't be any beast in this area. Did it crawl up from below? ' He thought and sighed.
Watching the beast, Bolemo can only retire himself to fate. His body is so thorn that he can barely move. Even twitching his eyelid is already taking all his efforts. His sight is starting to blurry and he can feel his feet getting cold.
'This is it huh? My life only amounts as a beast food, unable to even choose which beast eats me. It would have been better if a Grade 10 magical beast enjoys my body' Bolemo can only smile wryly. Letting go of his frustrations and accepting his fate made his soul lighter. Not knowing when, he realize that he had been too careful for the past two years since he woke up in this world.
Being thrown out of the General Carsh Mansion after knowing he cannot cultivate, he had been living like a cornered rat, he did not offend anyone or appear in front of someone for the fear of catching their ire. Bolemo worked like everyone did, ate what everyone eats and be inconspicuous as he can, but he was still picked on.
Trouble abounded whatever he do. He wasn't smart but he is not stupid, he just didn't understand hiw to cope with things the way they were. Bolemo is not a wide reader but he did read a few novels too, he always find it incomprehensible that MC's will always learn to be arrogant and be someone great just after reincarnation or time travel. Mostly causing the MC to be embroidered in issues they cannot free themselves.That is why he wanted to be cautious, he took things one step at a time.
However he still end up dying. Bolemo could not help but pity himself. He had just resolve himself to cultivate and become powerful but he had to meet Harong and die a gruesome death under this beast.
With his hands clutching the cloth bag Harong dropped, Bolemo gave the centipede another look, closing his eyes, he waited to be devoured until he lost conciousness.
The golden striped centipede ate it's meal while throwing wary glances at the human lying on the side of the floor. It was its lucky day today stumbling into four delicious food after leaving its home after only few minutes of hunting.
Centipedes are a kind of animal that likes to lurk in dark and moist places. The beast had been living in this mining cave for a few years, however due to some powerful human smoking them out, its brethren had been killed and only a few of them are still alive. It never understood why they were being hunted and killed, it only knew that human is their enemy and their food.
Centipedes aren't just the magical beast living in this tunnel. Fire Ant Soldiers and some Purple pointed spiders can be found here too. There are many more dark little creatures in the cave that are hidden in sight.
Centipedes can grow more stronger and reach until Grade 5, however this area is not with resources they can exploit, therefore they lost the fight with the humans over their territory. Hence, they had to tunnel deeper into the earth for more minerals and also to hide from human practitioners.
This beast was enticed by the smell of blood and made its way upwards. Finding that one of the delicious meal was laughing with his back on it, the golden striped centipede chomp its head and enjoyed the treat. Perhaps if Harong knew that the beast treated him like a retard giving himself away, he would surely fight the centipede to death, not that he is not one now.
"Squeak! squeak!"
Finding that others are staring at his food, the Golden Striped Centipede spit out a liquid over the squeaking rat monster. The monster awkwardly dodge the saliva, only a small part of its skin was smeared however it was enough to corrode the body.
With its eyes turning red, the rat monster attack the centipede. Clawing the carapace of the centipede left a miniscule line on its body but did not affect any of its motor skills.
"Guwarrrrr"
Swinging its almost two meters body, the centipede slam the monster rat at the wall, using its hundred legs, it also stomp hard at the Fire Ants that was trying to steal from it.
Fire Ants are just less than a meter in size, but their bodies are like small metal fire balls in tenacity and durability. Releasing heat no lower than 50 degrees may not harm big magical beasts that has thick armor and carapace, but quantity is definitely enough to overwhelm quality.
Hundreds of fire ant swarm the golden stripe centipede. Hot air started to brew from the heat the ants spew, making the environment dark and stuffy. The centipedes black coated carapace started turning black red, a sign that its body heat is starting to roast his insides slowly.
"Guwarrrrr!"
"Grrrrr!"
A monster rat picking one of its legs, fire ants swarming to the side attacking its back, the centipede who wanted to retaliate started picking the left over human flesh on the ground instead. Stuffing some flesh in its mouth, the beast looked back to the lifeless body of the human at the floor. There was only three bodies they can eat, thus it only took few seconds for the whole meat to be devoured and shared with all the beasts inside, hence they cannot help but stared daggers to the lifeless human body on the floor.
The golden striped centipede is not the only one that is wary of this seemingly dead human. Even some of the stronger beasts that is still in the dark are clearly hesitating.
"Aaaekk... aekkk!" Signaling another beast that is near the human, the centipede threw a piece of what seems to be an arm a bettle like beast, instructing it to check the human body.
Receiver a pie that literally fell from the heaven, the black bettle nodded. Taking a bite at the mangled arm, it went its way to the human with gusto. Flapping its silk like wings, it nudge the broken arm of Bolemo which started to become purple due to severe loss of blood.
Nothing happened in its first attempt, making the bettle jump in euphoria. It went straight to the blood vessel that broke and drink what remaining blood the human have, wanting to get sone benefits for being the cannon fodder.
However, before it manage to drink a drop of blood, a menacing growl of a tiger with black lightning manifested at the back of the dead human.
"Roaaaarrrr! "
A majestic roar reverbrated inside the tunnel, freezing the bettle, the golden striped centipede and the vicious beast in the cave! If anyone of the beast could have broken from their stupor and check Bolemo once more, they could have notice that the tattoo of a lighting tiger in his back seem to have vanished in thin air.