"If you kill the warmaster, the others tend to scatter," the old eunuch had said about the Rakshasas.
The ambush had worked. Hundreds of Rakshasas lay dead across the blood-soaked valley floor, their black blood seeping into the dirt. His forces had held strong with minimal casualties. But this was no time for relief. The war was not over. Not until the warmaster fell. As long as the beast lived, the clan would survive. It would regroup, raid again, burn more villages, and kill more innocents.
The only way to eliminate their threat for good was to kill the warmaster.
Li Wei had never intended to fight on the front lines.
His lowest stat was Endurance, with Strength only slightly higher. He had planned to use his Intelligence and Charisma stats to bring light to this broken world instead. Not a warrior, but a strategist.
But there are moments when even a strategist must draw his sword.
The warmaster stood at the center of the battlefield like a nightmare dragged from the depths of hell.
Nine feet tall. Covered in matted fur and blood. Shoulders as broad as siege doors. A club like a battering ram gripped in its thick hand. Its cloak was not leather. It was skin. Human skin, sewn together in patches, still stained with dried blood.
Its massive size made it an easy target.
"Loose!" shouted the captain of the archers. A wave of arrows rained down on the beast, but they merely bounced off its hide or sank shallowly into flesh too thick to feel pain.
The warmaster raised its head and let out a thunderous roar.
"Hidimba!"
The name echoed through the valley.
The warmaster swung its club in a wide arc. One soldier and his horse were turned into a smear of crushed bone and organs. A second blow sent another screaming man flying, his body breaking midair with a sickening crunch.
"Hidimba! Hidimba! Hidimba!" The other Rakshasas cried, their voices rising in unison, chanting the name of their warmaster. Their fear faded. Their frenzy returned. The ground shook beneath their stomping feet. The momentum of the battle shifted.
Drakon stepped forward and hurled his short spear at the Rakshasa warmaster. The Virexian mercenary's powerful throw managed to do what the archers had failed to do with their arrows. The weapon flew true, driving deep into the warmaster’s thigh. The monster bellowed in rage, staggering and bleeding from the wound. It slowed for the first time.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Li Wei inhaled.
Now.
He gripped his sword and sprinted toward the beast.
Perks Activated: Beginner Swordsmanship | Minor Fire Affinity
His mind cleared. His heart pounded. His feet seemed to float across the blood-soaked battlefield.
Form: Tearing the Mountain Veil
A sweep. A spin. A forward thrust. His sword became an extension of his soul.
He reached inside, grasping the ember of elemental fire that pulsed within him. The tip of his blade glowed red, then orange, then white-hot.
Flames licked along the edge of the steel.
The warmaster roared, but too late.
Li Wei plunged the flaming sword deep into its side. The blade sizzled as it pierced through the hide, igniting muscle and flesh. The Rakshasa howled, staggering backward. Its fur caught fire, spreading fast.
It swung its club, but Li Wei was already gone, dancing to the side, light on his feet. Where the warmaster was power, Li Wei was speed.
And precision.
He moved in again.
Slash.
The flaming sword cut into the beast’s thigh, deeper this time.
Slash.
Another arc opened its chest, spilling cursed black blood.
Slash.
A third strike across the shoulder, scorching bone beneath the skin.
The Rakshasa dropped its club with a growl of frustration and lunged with clawed hands instead. One swipe caught Li Wei across the ribs. Pain lanced through him. Blood poured from the wound.
He hit the ground, rolled, and pushed himself up. The pain was fire, but he welcomed it. Pain meant he was still alive.
He dropped into a defensive stance.
Form Shift: Falling Leaf Returns to Root
He exhaled slowly. The world narrowed. He moved.
The sword burned brighter, now almost humming with heat and purpose.
He struck again.
And again.
And again.
Each blow chipped away at the monster's strength. Each slash was fueled by his Minor Fire Affinity, burning wounds that could not heal.
The warmaster staggered, its breathing labored. It dropped to one knee. Flames licked at its fur and flesh, smoke curling from its chest.
Li Wei did not hesitate.
He moved like lightning, blade rising high.
And with one final strike, he severed the warmaster’s head from its massive shoulders.
It fell.
Silence followed.
For a breath.
Then the battlefield erupted.
The Rakshasas screamed and turned, fear overtaking their frenzy. Without their warmaster, they had no courage, no unity. They scattered in all directions, fleeing the valley like rats from a sinking ship.
The soldiers gave chase, arrows flying and war cries rising.
"Li Wei! Li Wei! Li Wei!"
Thalassa appeared at his side, helping him to his feet with a laugh and a clap on the back. "They will write songs about this day," she said, her grin wide. "Li Baotian’s son, slayer of the beast."
Drakon approached, silent. He gave a single nod. Not a word. But in his eyes, there was respect. The kind of respect Virexians only had for the strong.
Quest Complete: Hunt the Rakshasa Horde
Objective: Investigate the Yanshan region. Eliminate the Rakshasa threat. [Success]
Rewards:
-
6 Stat Points
-
Skill Unlocked: Flame Arc (Rank 1): Channel Minor Fire Affinity to unleash a horizontal flaming slash. Deals fire damage in a wide arc.
-
Reputation Increased: [+50]
-
Title Gained: Beastslayer
Li Wei looked down at his hands. His sword still burned faintly before the flames died.
All around him, the valley steamed and smoked. Rakshasa corpses sprawled like broken, misshapen dolls. Arrows jutted from spines. Heads lay apart from bodies. Guts tangled around rocks like ropes. The ground was painted in black blood.
And yet, he smiled.
He had taken another step forward. A step toward hope. A step toward the light he meant to bring into this dark, broken world.