CHAPTER 38: WE SURVIVED... FOR NOW

All that said and done, I couldn’t get angry at this moment. With Ironhold out of the way, the Blizzard Mauler was in the clear for both of us.

I also had to be mindful of my spirit essence—and at the same time, my hold on my attribute, which was currently bolstering the team’s overall strength. The mental juggling act was getting old fast. I held my dagger low and moved immediately, throwing myself out of the beast’s path. It had lunged forward, naturally, and was now bearing down on Kael, who’d been too slow to react.

The poor guy yelled in horror, his voice cracking.

I lunged from behind, burying both daggers into one of its massive legs with everything I had. The blades sank in, and I dragged them down to increase the laceration, tearing through white fur and pale flesh. Despite the fact that my spirit gear had done its job—the daggers were sharp, well-made—the wound was still frustratingly shallow.

’Either I’m pathetically weak, or this thing’s hide is reinforced steel.’

Probably both.

I’d made a terrible mistake, though. It wasn’t until a second later that my eyes widened and I realized I’d failed to account for the tail. The thick white appendage coiled and whipped toward me like a reinforced cable, slamming into my side with bone-rattling force. The impact threw me clear, and I rolled across the snow, cold powder filling my mouth and stinging my eyes.

When I looked up, the Blizzard Mauler had turned away from Kael—who was scrambling away on all fours like his life depended on it.

Because it did.

Lucky bastard.

The damned ape fixed its gaze on me instead, cold fury burning in those pale eyes. Frosty breaths huffed from its mouth with each exhale, crystallizing in the air between us. I managed to stand, legs shaking slightly, and met its stare.

No weapons in my hands.

’This is fine. Everything is fine.’

The spirit beast held for a moment, muscles coiling beneath its white fur. Then it lunged.

I threw myself to the side immediately, running with all my might and weaving between the trees. My boots crunched through snow, breath burning in my lungs. I wasn’t going to die here. Not like this. Not to some oversized gorilla with ice powers.

[You have killed a Tier 4 Spirit Beast: Blizzard Mauler]

The beast didn’t chase for long, though.

A massive red and black greatsword rolled through the air with a heavy whoosh, spinning end over end before smashing into the crystals jutting from the creature’s shoulders. The impact was thunderous. The Blizzard Mauler’s movements slowed instantly, its body stiffening as ice spread from the point of contact.

Kassie scaled across the battlefield in a sharp red and black blur, her form almost too fast to track. She connected a devastating blow directly into the creature’s chest. A shockwave rolled outward from the impact, rippling through the snow and shaking the nearby trees.

The Blizzard Mauler simply collapsed to the ground, massive body crashing down like a felled tree.

[You have killed a Tier 4 Spirit Beast: Blizzard Mauler]

I exhaled powerfully, resting on one knee and trying to catch my breath. My lungs burned, my side ached where the tail had connected, and my hands were trembling from the adrenaline crash.

’Wait—’

I stood up quickly, head snapping around to scan the area. Only when I saw the corpses of the ape-like creatures defying the snow-covered ground did I let myself relax.

We’d made it. Somehow.

Everyone was breathing hard, physically exhausted from the exchange. Their summons, of course, just stood there like nothing had happened—perfectly composed, perfectly still. Must be nice.

Kassie retrieved her greatsword from the Blizzard Mauler’s corpse with a wet, grinding sound, then walked toward me. Her featureless helmet tilted down to regard me, and I didn’t need to see her face to recognize the contempt radiating from her posture.

’I also hate myself right now, dammit.’

Being weak was frustrating as hell, especially when I knew I had the door to strength at my fingertips. But I hadn’t been able to devise the perfect plan to fuck Kassie yet. It was incredibly difficult to make her want anything from me, let alone sex. I could rely on Summoner’s Touch and intoxicate her until she couldn’t say no... but how was that different from drugging someone?

It wasn’t. And I wasn’t going there.

I wanted to make her want me on her own terms. I didn’t see any way forward with that approach, so I had to rely on Lira for now. Sex with Lira was good—great, even—but the essence increase was disappointingly low and only got lower the more we had sex.

Still. Better than nothing.

I was close now, though. Closer than ever to unlocking my second villainess and gaining access to more attributes.

’Hopefully I get something combat-related this time. Please, for the love of—’

"Cade! Are you okay?!" Elena came running toward me, and despite her exhausted face and labored breathing, she seemed genuinely concerned. Her eyes scanned me for injuries, checking my sides and arms.

I straightened, exhaling and wiping cold sweat from my face with the back of my hand. The moisture had already started to freeze.

"Yeah, I’m alright. What about the others?"

I glanced beyond her as I asked, doing a quick headcount.

Charlotte and Celine seemed unscathed—physically, at least. They looked spent, though. The spirit essence cost was visible on their faces, in the way they stood hunched over and breathing heavily.

I looked back at Elena, my tone shifting to something more serious.

"We need to find a closed space. Somewhere more narrow." I gestured at the open clearing around us. "The Blizzard Maulers... being exposed like this gives them every advantage. Size, free movement, reach. We have to take that away from them."

I looked at her with a small frown.

"Why are you smiling?"

She shrugged, a faint grin still playing at her lips. "I just thought you’d be more shaken... yet you’re already thinking ahead."

My eyes narrowed on her.

’Is this supposed to be a joke?’

We were in a fantasy world. I’d had the last few weeks to be more than shaken enough—I’d been dropped into this insanity, arrested right off the bat if that didn’t force me to adapt and accept this reality. What would? At this point, being "shaken" would be disgraceful. Survival meant thinking ahead, not falling apart.

I glanced past Elena toward Kael.

He’d stood up and was coming at me, his face twisted into a contortion of rage. Snow clung to his clothes, and his fists were clenched tight at his sides.

Elena had her back to him, oblivious. She casually turned to address everyone, waving one hand.

"Let’s all—"

"You bastard!!"

Kael shoved her aside—hard enough that she stumbled—and lunged at me with a wild haymaker aimed at my face.

***

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