CHAPTER 1022: CHAPTER 156 - CENTAURS’ ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT (1)

Another arrow screamed past me, slicing through the frigid air before burying itself into the snow just inches from my foot. The sound it made was sharp. It was like a whisper that turned into a threat.

Whoever was shooting at me... damn, they kind of sucked.

Or at least, that’s what I thought at first.

But no. No, they didn’t suck at all. That wasn’t it. They were toying with me.

That realization hit me hard, almost like the air itself got colder. They weren’t missing because they couldn’t aim—they were missing on purpose. Every shot was precise and intentional. Each arrow that barely grazed me was meant to keep me on edge, to make me feel like prey.

Like a predator watching from the shadows, enjoying the sight of its victim dancing between panic and survival.

If they’d wanted me dead, I’d already have an arrow sticking out of my skull. The first shot could’ve ended it before I even blinked. But no—they wanted me to squirm.

They should’ve aimed to kill. But even if they did, it wouldn’t have mattered. I had Guardian with me. I’d sensed the arrow coming from the moment it left the bow, but I hadn’t bothered to react. Why? Because it wasn’t aimed to kill. There was no bloodlust behind it. There was no intent to end me.

But that changed.

Now, I could feel it. The air itself seemed to thrum with killing intent, the pressure closing in from all sides like invisible hands gripping my throat.

They were done playing around.

I let out a low breath, steam curling from my lips, and called for my cursed blade. "Ayuru," I muttered, and in the next second, the black steel materialized in my hand. The blade shimmered faintly, hungry, and alive.

"I know it’s cold," I said, my voice steady but with a faint grin tugging at my lips, "but forgive me for calling you out."

Her response came immediately—she started sucking my mana, greedily, like it was second nature to her. The faint pulse of energy between us sent a familiar chill crawling up my arm. Yeah, she was definitely in the mood.

It was perfect timing, honestly. I was planning to visit the Centaur King next anyway, to talk about uniting all the kingdoms in the Great Forest. The fact that they came here first? Well, I couldn’t have asked for a better setup.

Now, I had a reason to pay them a little visit.

This had to be an assassination attempt.

Thinking about it, it made sense. The Centaurs must’ve seen me as a thorn in their side—someone who was shaking up their comfortable world. My plan to unite the kingdoms probably made them want to puke. The thought of joining hands with the Beast Kingdom alone must’ve been unbearable to them.

The Centaurs and the Beasts hated each other. Always had. The kind of hatred that didn’t die with time—it just grew deeper and uglier.

So yeah, they wanted me gone. I was a nuisance, a pest trying to stitch peace where blood had always flowed.

And maybe, just maybe... they couldn’t stand that I

, an outsider—not even born in the Great Forest—had managed to win over the people here. That probably stung their pride more than anything else.

Well, tough luck.

For now, I just needed to make sure none of their arrows hit me. Sure, I could’ve used Guardian from the start, but where’s the fun in that? I didn’t want to rely on it too much—it made me feel like I’d forgotten how to fight. Like I was going soft.

So instead, I waited. I let them think they had me cornered.

Then came another wave.

The sound of bowstrings snapping echoed through the trees. They were fast, sharp, relentless. Arrows flew in a deadly rain from every direction.

But I was faster.

Ayuru moved in my hands like a shadow with teeth, cutting through every arrow that dared to approach me. The snow around me churned and burst from the force of my movements, glittering in the faint light.

Not even a drop of sweat.

Ayuru drank my mana eagerly, humming as if enjoying every moment of it.

"Come on," I taunted, smirking, "if you’re gonna assassinate someone, at least try to hit me. Otherwise, you’re just doing a shitty job."

That seemed to piss them off. A sharp whistle cut through the air—and then another barrage came, even faster. A storm of arrows, a rain of death.

But again, I cut them all down, each one shattering midair before it could touch me.

They must’ve been losing their minds watching it. To them, this had to look impossible. I was standing there, barely moving, cutting through an entire hail of arrows like it was nothing.

But it wasn’t impossible. Not for me.

They just couldn’t accept it. Denial was easier than reality. But the truth? The truth has a way of breaking through—just like my blade through their arrows.

Judging by the number of shots, I guessed there were at least fifty of them hidden in the trees. Maybe more. I even noticed one shooter—east side—who could release three arrows in under a second. Impressive, I’ll give him or her that.

Then it happened again. That sound.

The draw of bowstrings.

This time, it was synchronized—coordinated. A wave of pressure filled the air, heavy enough that even the trees seemed to go silent.

Sixty arrows came flying all at once.

I sighed, feeling the shift of mana beneath my skin. "Alright," I muttered, "enough playing."

In an instant, I unleashed Guardian. A faint light flared around me, forming a translucent barrier. The arrows struck it and rebounded violently, scattering like rain against glass. The shockwave blew the snow outward, leaving a circular mark where I stood untouched.

That must’ve made their eyes widen. They hadn’t expected me to deflect everything with just a single barrier.

For a few seconds, the forest went dead silent. Only the sound of the wind remained.

Then—thud.

The heavy sound of hooves hit the frozen ground, one after another. The assassins finally stepped out from the shadows.

Half-human, half-horse—Centaur warriors. Seeing them up close, I had to admit, they were majestic. Their bodies gleamed under the pale light, strong and proud. Even I couldn’t deny that they looked almost regal.

"Elf fucker..." one of them spat, glaring at me with venom in his eyes.

That nickname again. Guess word spread faster than I thought. Great—now I was famous there too.

I sighed, letting my blade rest on my shoulder, and smirked. "So, I’m guessing this is the part where you all rush me at once?"