Sham slowly pushed himself up again, steadying his footing before moving forward once more. His movements were calm and controlled, his eyes fixed entirely on the beast. Despite being thrown back repeatedly, his expression remained composed, showing no sign of hesitation. He held his sword firmly, advancing step by step while carefully observing the beast's movements.
The beast sensed his approach. Its massive head shifted slightly, and a low growl escaped from its throat before it suddenly roared again.
The air in front of it compressed and surged outward violently. The burst of pressure rushed directly toward Sham, pushing aside dry leaves and shaking nearby branches as it advanced.
The force struck Sham directly. He was thrown backward once more, his feet losing grip on the uneven forest floor. He slid several meters, scattering leaves and loose dirt as he moved. Sham quickly lowered his stance, dragging his foot against the ground to slow his momentum before finally stabilizing himself.
Without hesitation, he pushed himself up again and began advancing once more, maintaining his focus on the beast as if the repeated blows had not shaken his resolve.
Again, the beast roared.
The compressed air burst forward with heavy force, striking Sham directly. He was thrown backward once more, sliding across the forest floor before regaining his footing.
Sham stood up again.
He moved forward.
The beast roared again.
Once more, Sham was pushed back.
This pattern repeated several times. Each time Sham advanced, the beast responded with another roar, forcing him backward. Yet Sham continued moving forward without hesitation, maintaining steady focus on the beast.
Gradually, the beast's attention shifted entirely toward Sham. Its head tilted slightly in his direction, and its remaining senses followed his movements. Even in its weakened state, it reacted instinctively to the nearest threat, ignoring the rest of its surroundings.
Using this opportunity, I began moving quietly from its blind side.
With one eye already destroyed, its field of vision had become limited. I carefully stepped forward, keeping my movements slow and controlled. I made sure to avoid dry leaves and loose branches, minimizing any sound that might alert the beast to my presence.
As I moved closer to its face, I slowed and paused for a brief moment, carefully observing the beast's movements. Its head continued shifting weakly toward Sham, completely unaware of my approach from the blind side. This was my chance.
This time, instead of thinking of a sword, I thought of a spear.
I had seen spears countless times in the village. Hunters often carried them during hunts, and the shape was deeply familiar to me. The long shaft, the balanced weight, and the sharp pointed tip all formed clearly in my mind. I also remembered the double edged spearheads used by some hunters, designed to pierce deeper and cause more damage.
I focused on that image.
Refined energy flowed from my forehead toward the book inside my shirt. As soon as the connection formed, nature energy from the surroundings responded once again. I could feel the subtle flow of energy gathering under my control, condensing slowly as I shaped it according to the image in my mind.
The energy began to take form.
First, the long shaft appeared, faint and translucent. Then the spearhead formed at the tip, followed by the second sharp edge beneath it.
The translucent weapon stabilized gradually in my grip. The long shaft felt firm, and the spearhead at the front sharpened as the gathered nature energy condensed further. I noticed that the spear had two sharp edges near its tip, both aligned perfectly for piercing. The structure felt solid, almost identical to a real weapon, yet faintly shimmering with condensed energy.
A spear formed in my hand.
A faint smile appeared on my face. I did it.
Holding the spear firmly, I pushed myself forward and jumped toward the beast's remaining eye. My movements were quick and focused, aiming to finish the attack before the beast could react.
Midway through my jump, the beast noticed my movement.
Its remaining eye shifted toward me, the dull pupil widening slightly as it sensed the approaching threat. However, due to its weakened state and loss of one eye, its reaction was slow. Its massive head attempted to move, but the motion lacked strength and speed.
It could not react in time.
I thrust the spear forward with all my strength, aiming directly at the center of its remaining eye.
The energy spear pierced deeply into the eye pupil, sinking even deeper than the previous strike. The resistance lasted only for a brief moment before the sharp edges forced their way through. The condensed nature energy held its shape as the spear drove further inside.
The beast roared loudly in pain. The sound was heavier and more violent than before, echoing across the forest. Its massive body trembled violently, and its head jerked uncontrollably as blood began flowing from both eyes. The already weakened creature struggled, its movements becoming erratic as it lost its vision completely.
The strain on my concentration increased as the beast thrashed.
My focus faltered.
The energy spear dissolved instantly, dispersing into faint fragments of nature energy as I lost control. Without the support of the spear, I lost my balance and fell back toward the ground.
I landed roughly on the forest floor, the impact sending a dull shock through my body. Dry leaves scattered beneath me as I quickly rolled backward, creating distance from the beast before it could react further.
Sham quickly moved toward me, and together we retreated to a safer distance. We kept our eyes fixed on the beast as we stepped back, careful not to let our guard down. Even in its weakened state, a high level beast was still dangerous.
From a short distance away, we watched the creature struggle.
Now completely blind, the beast moved weakly, its massive head shifting without direction. Its tail began striking randomly toward the sides and behind its body. Each swing carried heavy force, smashing into nearby trees and the ground. Branches cracked and leaves scattered as the tail struck repeatedly, the attacks no longer guided by sight.
However, the tail could not reach the front where we stood.
Seeing this, I felt slightly relieved. More importantly, its movements did not extend toward the direction where Charlie was resting behind the tree. The thought eased some of the tension in my chest.
After some time, the beast's movements gradually slowed.
The random tail strikes became less frequent. Its groans weakened, and the trembling of its massive body reduced noticeably. The creature struggled to maintain even small movements, its strength clearly fading.
Eventually, the beast became mostly still.
Only the faint rise and fall of its body indicated that it was still alive. Its breathing continued slowly and unevenly, each breath sounding weaker than the last.
"Skra-not die yet," Sham said quietly, his eyes still fixed on the beast's massive body.
I observed the faint movement of its breathing and nodded slowly. "Let us leave it alone. It looks like it would die at any moment now," I replied in a calm voice.
Sham gave a small nod in agreement.
Neither of us moved. We remained where we stood, maintaining a safe distance while continuing to watch the beast carefully. Even though it appeared close to death, we did not lower our guard. The forest around us had grown quiet again, broken only by the faint, strained breathing of the massive creature.
After a few moments of silence, a practical concern came to mind.
"Sham, once it dies… how do we take it back to the village?" I asked quietly, my eyes still fixed on the beast.
Sham remained silent for a moment, thinking carefully. His eyes moved briefly across the massive body, as if measuring its size and weight.
After a short pause, he replied, "Skra-not possible. We go village and inform."
I nodded in understanding. The beast was far too large for us to move. Even if Charlie had not been injured, it would still be impossible for the three of us to move the creature even an inch. Its massive size and weight made dragging or lifting it completely unrealistic. Informing the village and letting them take care of it made far more sense.
We remained there quietly, watching the beast as we waited for it to die. Neither of us moved unnecessarily, keeping our presence calm and controlled. The forest around us felt unusually still, with only the faint, strained breathing of the beast breaking the silence.
We did not leave immediately. Even in its weakened state, the creature was still a high level beast. Its senses, though impaired, could still detect the movement of nature energy around us. If it reacted suddenly, its tail could still strike unpredictably, and at this distance, even a random attack could be dangerous.
So we stayed where we were, maintaining a safe distance while continuing to observe the beast carefully, waiting for its final breath.