"Holy Mother of Sweet Monkey Milk!" Ryuk called out in shock as he looked above him, and then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The ground where he stood caved in completely as he shot away from where he had been standing. But just a second later—
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
It exploded into a deep chasm as a total of four creatures slammed onto the ground, shaking the entire terrain with their might.
Ryuk’s narrowed eyes flashed among them before a smirk appeared on his face.
"Finally found out, huh? I thought you all were dumb enough to watch me take you out one by one..." Ryuk called out, waving around him and clearing away the dust.
Before him stood a total of four creatures, each oozing with a vast amount of power that wouldn’t pale in comparison to the Rattleconda he had just killed.
The first and largest beast was a boar-like creature the size of a small fortress, bizarrely covered in molten rock-like plating that resembled that of a crocodile.
Every single step it took caused lava to seep from the ground, and its tough skin seemed so powerful that Ryuk doubted anything could get through it at all.
Its billowing steam escaped its large nostrils with every breath as its full crimson eyes stared at Ryuk with an ominous gleam.
[Host Has Come Across an Infernal Tusk Beast!]
The second creature was a large wolf, about twelve meters in height, with electrified dark fur and legs reinforced by crystallized energy conduits.
Beneath its feet, massive electromagnetic pulses spread out, devastating the ground and sending destructive arcs of lightning through the fissures it created.
[Host Has Come Across a Thunderhowl Colossus!]
The third creature was a hulking, fifteen-meter-tall ape-like beast with an obsidian-like exoskeleton plating that gleamed like polished volcanic glass.
Its massive shoulders and muscular frame gave it a hulking, tank-like presence, and each step it took left the ground trembling from sheer weight. Its disproportionately long arms ended in massive spiked fists.
Its face was a blend of primal rage and sinister intelligence, burning green eyes glowing from within its eyes.
’Now, this one might be the real deal...’ Ryuk mused to himself as the notification flashed.
[Host Has Come Across an Obsidian Juggernaut!]
The last beast, however, was quite the peculiar one. It was none other than a small crow, barely a meter in height, seemingly a Grade B creature.
But it was sitting on the shoulders of the ape-like creature, making Ryuk wonder why it was among these beasts in the first place.
It seemed that the creatures had sensed the deaths of two of their own, and the sheer scale of battle had rippled to them, alerting them of his presence.
And now, they had banded together, choosing to deal with him all at once.
’For decades now, there has been peace in our world, and the hierarchy has been stabilized.’
A clear voice rang out as Ryuk returned his gaze to the small bird, which was the one speaking.
’But now, due to your appearance, you have ruined the hierarchy. You killed two of our own who upheld the peace in this system, and the Councils have determined you to be a threat that must be stopped!’
The crow called out to Ryuk, who furrowed his brows for a while, as if in deep thought. The four beasts watched as a melancholic expression appeared on his face.
’I destroyed the peace of the forest, didn’t I? That seems very true. If I had never come, you all would have remained in your slumber, and the peace would have remained. But my greed and selfishness have led me to destroy two of your own...’ Ryuk spoke, causing the crow to raise a brow.
It did not expect one so young and powerful like Ryuk to give in so quickly. Where was his youthful pride and arrogance?
’I am very sorry for my actions, for disrupting the peace in this forest. And as a way to repay, I will leave this place and never step foot in it again. Nor will I bring an end to any more beasts!’
Ryuk swore, causing absolute silence to reign in the area.
"This I promise you with all of my heart. Now, I will peacefully leave your forest alone. Goodbye."
With that, Ryuk turned his back and slowly walked away, both arms in his pockets.
’His guard has been let down. This is the perfect time to one-shot him to death!’
The crow thought as its eyes signalled towards the Thunderhowl Colossus.
CRACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKLLLEEE!
The air behind Ryuk shook violently as something flashed toward him with speed, causing all of his hairs to rise on their ends. He had only managed to turn his head back when—
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!
The air was instantly ripped apart as a gigantic pillar of lightning smashed into Ryuk, who instinctively hardened space between if and him.
But it proved to be futile, as the space before him cracked into pieces.
His will was instantly torn through, and the beam of light crashed against Ryuk, who could only grit his teeth together as he was lifted off his feet and sent flying straight into three trees.
Smoke rose into the air and slowly, it cleared away, allowing the beasts to see the vision before them. And there stood none other than the battered figure of Ryuk, lightning crackling over his body along with raw ashes, and an angered expression on his face.
"What... are... you doing...?" he asked, as the crow cackled at his pathetic-looking state.
"I am afraid you will have to return the artifacts you took from the beasts’ abodes. The Flame Gem within the Lava Crocodile’s home and the cave of the Rattleconda. These things belong to us, and therefore, we will be taking them back."
The crow said as Ryuk slowly rose to his feet, wobbling around before coming to a stop.
"And why couldn’t you have simply asked? Was the attack necessary?"
He asked, gritting his teeth, his gaze boring into the crow.
"Well, I just thought that while we’re at it, we might as well take revenge for our fallen comrades, shouldn’t we?"
"And what other way to make sure you truly never come back nor harm any beast, than to retrieve your life too, hmmm?"
"TCH!"
"You really thought we would have left you leave here alive even if you returned all you stole and swear never to come back!? You’re truly very naive. Hehehehe"
The crow declared as the beasts cackled evilly, but then—
"HEHEHEHEHE!"
"NICEEE, NICEEE!"
"JUST WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR!"
----
A/N:
If you’re enjoying the novel, consider voting the novel with Golden Tickets and Power stones. It helps I, the author, with visibility on the NovelFire app.
In and Out_SnowySmoos