Chereads / Tamer of Death / Chapter 4 - The Beast's Taming

Chapter 4 - The Beast's Taming

After the battle with the beasts in the forest, Dae-hyon was exhausted, but there was something inside him that wouldn't fade — a power he didn't fully understand. He was convinced that his fate wasn't random, that he wasn't just a fighter, but part of something much larger. His thoughts kept returning to the words of the Keeper of Beasts, the mysterious woman who had left him before he could ask his questions. Her words echoed in his mind, but they offered no answers — only pushed him forward, urged him to seek more.

As he walked deeper into the dense forest, aware of every step, the rustling of the branches, and the eerie sounds in the distance, he knew he couldn't stay where he was. To find the answers to everything that was happening in his life, he had to search further.

Just as he thought he had ventured deep into unfamiliar territory, a figure emerged from the shadows ahead. It was a tall, cloaked woman, her silhouette unclear, with only her eyes glowing from the darkness, fierce and cold — almost like two flames piercing through him.

"I've been waiting for you, Dae-hyon," she said, her voice calm but firm. The sound of her words echoed through the forest, as if she had known this land long before he ever stepped into it.

Dae-hyon stopped, startled. "Who are you?" he asked, feeling unprepared to face yet another enigma.

"I am the Keeper of Beasts," the woman replied. "And I know who you are. I know what you have become. I know what you will become."

Her words were cold and precise, and Dae-hyon felt a rising tension in his chest. From her behavior, it seemed as though all of this was already written, as if everything was part of someone else's design. He had to follow her, understand, because everything he had done so far seemed to be part of a larger plan.

"Do I know my fate?" he wondered, but could find no answer.

"Your task is much greater than you think. It is no coincidence that you were chosen. Perhaps you are not ready for what you must do, but you will have no choice. You will be the key to all that is coming," she continued, her gaze sweeping over the trees. "The beasts are your allies, but they are also your curse. For they are only a part of this game."

Dae-hyon wanted more answers, but she didn't appear to be someone who would provide them all. Her words left him with more questions than before, and every step he took seemed like a misstep. Still, he knew he had to follow her.

"What is my task?" he asked at last.

The Keeper of Beasts only nodded and moved deeper into the forest. Dae-hyon followed, feeling a growing sense of danger surrounding him, as if the very forest itself had become part of his confrontation. As they moved forward, sudden holes opened up in the ground, deep and dark, and from them emerged shadowy, skeletal hands. Other forms began to appear, vague and terrifying.

The beast was massive — four meters tall, covered in armor resembling dragon scales, with black eyes that glowed red. Its hand was enormous, sharp claws as if made to destroy. Dae-hyon stood still, staring at the creature. Nothing he had seen before compared to this.

"The beast..." he murmured, almost broken.

"Your powers are not enough to defeat it," the Keeper of Beasts said, suddenly appearing beside him. "But you can tame it. You can control it."

Dae-hyon felt his heart race. The fight was inevitable. Without time to think, waves of energy shot from his hands, but it only angered the beast. In an instant, it attacked, its massive fist coming down to crush him. The strikes came fast and brutal, but Dae-hyon was in danger.

The beast continued its onslaught, but Dae-hyon knew something: he had to tame it, make it bow to his will. Waves of light surged from his hands, now appearing like a flood of power. The beast thought it could shatter him, but Dae-hyon didn't falter.

"Listen..." he said, with all the determination he could muster. "I am the Tamer. And I will tame you!"

At that moment, energy exploded from him like fire, surrounding the beast, which stood still, confused, unaware of what was happening. Its scales began to melt under the force of the light, and its red eyes began to fade, growing paler.

The beast finally stopped, passive, completely under his control. Dae-hyon stood, exhausted, but victorious. Keeper of Beasts stood silently, watching him with respect.

"Now you are ready. But this battle is only the beginning. You will not be able to escape your fate. The real fight is yet to come."

Dae-hyon was exhausted, but despite his weariness, he knew that there would be many more battles ahead — battles that were beyond his control. Fate had led him down this path, but where this journey would take him was still uncertain.