Chapter 83:The Monster of Spitzenberg (10)

The longsword made of meteoric iron was truly exceptional.

The force felt when swinging it was on a whole different level.

Perhaps it was simply because it was heavier, but for Keldric, a heavy weapon suited him well.

“Grrrr…”

“You vicious beast.”

“Woof!

Woof woof!”

The monster, clutching its dangling wrist, barked menacingly.

Its elongated snout, like that of a canine, opened wide, revealing its sharp, threatening teeth.

Keldric paid no mind.

Gripping the pitch-black longsword that seemed to absorb all surrounding light, he silently advanced toward the monster.

Each step Keldric took forward, the monster took a step and a half backward.

The moment Keldric adjusted his stance to swing his sword, the monster instinctively prepared to block.

However, just as there is no shield that is truly unbreakable, no matter how much the monster tried to block, there were attacks it simply could not fully deflect.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the air.

The surrounding soldiers tightened their grips on their spears.

The monster’s combat instincts were like those of a wild beast its reflexes and physical abilities far surpassed those of a human.

Even so, it struggled to completely parry Keldric’s meteoric longsword.

The moment his lightning-fast thrust failed, Keldric immediately retracted his blade, seamlessly transitioning into his next move.

The retracted, ink-black blade did not flicker even under the bright torchlight.

Just as the monster blended into the darkness with its black fur, Keldric’s longsword hid within the shroud of night, waiting to strike at an opening.

‘The balance is perfect.’

The meteoric longsword was truly an exceptional weapon.

Its weight, by Keldric’s standards, was satisfyingly heavy, allowing his strikes to carry immense force.

He had long since forgotten about the longsword he had received from his noble family.

The meteoric longsword relentlessly pressed against the monster.

The creature’s eyes widened in alarm, and soon, that alarm turned into raw fear.

Its fear-filled eyes darted around wildly as the ink-black blade struck at every exposed weakness without hesitation.

Keldric’s longsword feinted toward the left side of the monster’s head, only to abruptly change course and slash toward the right.

Clang!

The monster caught the blade between its claws.

But Keldric immediately twisted the sword.

The monster’s forcibly pried-open fingers lost their grip on Keldric’s meteoric longsword.

And once it lost control of the battle’s momentum, it paid the price with its own hot, crimson blood.

Slash!

Warm blood splattered across the ground.

Wrinkles formed on the monster’s snout, and its eyes burned with hostility as it glared at Keldric.

For the monster, dying like this was not an option.

No wild beast, even when confronted by its natural predator, would simply give up and allow itself to be devoured.

Even the weakest prey would bite with all its strength before succumbing.

And this monster was more than that.

It had the strength not just to bite but to tear its enemy apart.

“Raaagh!”

With a short yet intense roar, the monster lunged at Keldric.

Keldric had initially intended to maintain distance and fight on his own terms, but he remained unfazed.

Without hesitation, he shifted his grip to shorten his hold on the longsword.

The monster’s fur was undeniably thick.

However, it was nowhere near strong enough to withstand the meteoric longsword.

Especially not when the blade was wielded like a spear.

Just like now.

Crunch!

The razor-sharp tip of the meteoric longsword pierced straight into the monster’s abdomen.

Its fur and hide were instantly breached, and dark blood gushed from the wound.

“Ragh!

Woof!

Kraaah!”

But the monster thrashed violently.

Even with a sword buried in its body, it continued to swing its claws mercilessly at Keldric.

One of its flailing claws scraped across Keldric’s chest plate with a sharp screech! 

Sparks flew, and a shallow scratch was left on the armor.

Seeing this, Keldric frowned beneath his helmet.

There was nothing more annoying than seeing damage on something he had just purchased a few days ago.

“Hmph!”

Keldric channeled that irritation into his fists.

His heightened focus and explosive power were honed for one purpose killing.

Bam!

Bam!

Boom!

His fists slammed into the monster’s abdomen in rapid succession.

The monster’s eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out.

“Grkk…

Kehek!”

Stumbling backward, the monster vomited up a thick, yellowish liquid onto the dirt-covered ground of the church’s backyard.

It was likely stomach acid.

Seeing this, Keldric recalled the gruesome corpses he had found near the inner fortress not long ago.

Blood-soaked bodies that had been ripped apart, doused in the same yellowish bile, as if someone had poured it over them from a bucket.

That bile had come from this creature.

Whether it was regurgitating undigested fluids or doing it for another reason, Keldric didn’t know.

Nor did he care.

The only thing that mattered was cutting off the monster’s head.

The rough yet efficient longsword technique passed down by Count Bolfin guided Keldric into battle.

The ink-black blade of the meteoric longsword slashed mercilessly through the darkness, its edge always finding its mark.

The monster narrowly dodged Keldric’s attack.

And if it managed to evade an attack once, then the next move was its turn to strike.

Its claws raked through the empty air.

Keldric stepped back two paces.

The monster advanced two paces forward only for Keldric to lunge forward with three.

The monster, in turn, had to retreat three paces.

This dance repeated itself over and over.

Although the monster had already taken several wounds, making it far from unscathed, it still refused to leave Keldric with any fatal openings.

Even so, the damage was steadily accumulating.

Keldric took a slow, measured breath, glancing at his meteoric longsword, now drenched in blood.

“Grrrr…”

The wounds that had first appeared on the monster were now beginning to heal.

Black smoke rose from its body, sealing its wounds and stopping the bleeding.

Its regenerative abilities were on par with that of a troll.

At this rate, the fight would never end.

‘A tough opponent.’

Keldric acknowledged it.

The creature was proving far trickier than expected.

Calling it “strong” wasn’t quite right, Keldric had the upper hand in both strength and skill.

The issue was landing a decisive blow.

The monster refused to go on the offensive.

It was as if it was waiting for Keldric to exhaust himself.

Now, its eyes held no trace of fear.

All that remained was an unrelenting bloodlust an unwavering intent to kill.

It was a natural-born hunter.

This was no ordinary foe.

‘In that case…’

Keldric let his sword hand drop ever so slightly.

Maintaining a proper stance would make counterattacking easier, but he made it seem as if he was giving up on that entirely.

It was a suspicious move.

But the monster had already lost its reasoning.

Consumed by its predatory instincts, it lunged at Keldric.

Its jaws gaped open, revealing its jagged, vicious teeth.

“Alyssa!”

Keldric shouted loudly, his voice echoing inside his helmet.

The monster flinched for a moment, but its gaping maw continued its charge toward him.

That meant it had failed to notice the ignition point that had already ignited on its body.

Whoosh—!

A furious blaze erupted.

A pillar of fire shot up from where the monster stood, soaring three or four times Keldric’s height before quickly dying down.

“Yelp!

Yipe!

Yiiiip!”

The monster, now engulfed in flames, let out agonized cries as it thrashed and rolled on the ground.

Its fur burned, and the melting fat beneath its hide released a nauseating stench.

“Pierce it with your spears!”

The surrounding soldiers rushed in.

The encirclement tightened rapidly, and sharp spear tips jabbed at the beast from all directions.

The monster’s hide was tough, but after its stiff fur had burned away, the skin beneath was left defenseless.

Some spears glanced off the less charred portions, but half a dozen struck true, piercing through its flesh.

Dark red blood gushed out, sizzling as it met the flames, dripping thickly onto the ground.

“Kraaaa!

Woof!

Kaaargh!”

Even as it burned, the monster let out a furious howl and thrashed wildly.

Several of the embedded spears snapped under the sheer force of its struggles.

At this point, the monster no longer had the luxury of paying attention to Keldric.

Its immediate priority was extinguishing the flames consuming its body.

This was the moment Keldric had been waiting for.

“Hup!”

Crunch!

The meteoric longsword drove halfway into the burning monster’s neck.

A dull sound echoed as the blade struck thick bone.

The charred fur crumbled away, and the already-weakened hide gave way easily to the sword’s edge.

But given the weapon’s size and the monster’s still-tough skin, the cut was not clean it was like more torn than severed.

Keldric pressed down with his sword, trying to cleave through the bone, but the monster’s thick vertebrae proved more resilient than expected.

By now, Keldric was growing irritated.

This was the wretched creature that had made him waste time in Spitzenberg.

The savage beast that had hunted innocent villagers.

His anger turned into raw strength, surging beyond his ability to restrain it.

Keldric let go of his longsword.

Instead, he reached out with both hands, grabbing either side of the monster’s half-severed neck.

“Kehek!

Kek!

Keuuk!”

“Keueng…!”

The veins on his arms and neck bulged beneath his armor.

His gauntleted hands dug into the creature’s torn flesh.

“Hah…!”

“W-What?!”

The soldiers and mercenaries gasped in disbelief at the sight.

Even Alyssa, still panting from exerting her magic, widened her eyes as if unable to process what she was seeing.

It was a shocking sight.

To attempt to tear apart the thick neck of such a beast with nothing but bare hands?

With Keldric wrenching the monster’s neck from behind, its skin began to rip apart bit by bit.

Alyssa’s flames still flickered fiercely.

Keldric paid them no mind.

At that moment, his only thought was to tear this wretched creature apart.

Rip—!

And with that, the battle was decided.

“Kehe—!”

Splat!

Scalding blood gushed like a fountain.

As the monster’s seemingly endless vitality faded, Alyssa’s flames vanished in an instant.

Its decapitated, blackened corpse collapsed at Keldric’s feet with a thud.

The severed head rolled onto the dirt.

As blood pooled from the detached neck, Keldric caught his breath and picked up the monster’s head.

Finally, he could get a good look at its face.

Its long snout hung open, tongue lolling out, while its beastly eyes once filled with shock and terror were now lifeless.

A truly ferocious creature.

This was the very beast that had terrorized Spietzenberg.

It resembled a werewolf no wonder the Baron of Spietzenberg had insisted on it.

But now, that creature had been hunted by Keldric.

“Hah…”

“Huff…”

As he steadied his breathing, Keldric finally looked around.

The soldiers collecting broken spear shafts, the mercenaries who had suffered from the monster’s claws all were staring at him, utterly dumbfounded.

Helga was trembling in Alyssa’s arms, clinging to her tightly.

Arno’s eyes sparkled with excitement, like a boy who had just witnessed something incredible.

“…Ha, haha.”

She simply let out a dry, incredulous laugh, as if she no longer had the energy to be surprised.

With the situation settled, Priest  Garibaldo and Brother Marcus hurriedly approached Keldric.

Feeling slightly awkward, he held up the monster’s head for them to see.

Priest  Garibaldo gasped and immediately crossed himself, falling into prayer.

Brother Marcus blinked rapidly, as if struggling to believe his own eyes.

Then, in a hushed voice, he muttered:

“N-No…It was imbued with demonic power…How could he tear it apart with his bare hands…?”

“Hm.”

“Well…”

“The monster’s flesh was supposed to be hardened by infernal strength, resistant to steel and iron alike…”

Keldric was at a loss for words.

What was he supposed to say?

‘I just grabbed it and pulled it, and it worked’?

That wouldn’t sit well with all this talk about demonic power.

“…Actually.”

“Yes?”

“This morning, the Holy Spirit sent by the Lord descended upon me.”

“O-Oh…!”

Keldric spoke as smoothly as he could.

Even he wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying, but he figured Brother Marcus would play along.

“Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, I found the courage to strike, and thus, I was able to vanquish the monster.”

“This…!

Truly!

Oh, Lord above!”

Brother Marcus, tears streaming down his face, fell to his knees.

Soon, the soldiers and mercenaries followed suit, kneeling in reverence.

“This is a miracle!

The Lord has worked a miracle upon this land!”

“Ahh!

The Holy Spirit has descended upon us!

How blessed we are!”

As Priest  Garibaldo and Brother Marcus sobbed in religious ecstasy, Keldric was the only one left standing, awkwardly watching the scene unfold.

‘As long as they buy it, that’s all that matters.’

The beast that had plunged Spietzenberg into terror was finally slain by his hands.

That was enough.

That was all that mattered.