Love Letter From The Future

Chapter 358: Bread and Dagger (56)

Sword and hatchet danced.

Silver flashes tore through the air with biting sharpness. Each spray of blood accompanied by chunks of flesh and bone splattering against the ground with a sickening squelch.

Cloaked in filth, I strode forward until a white shadow surged before my eyes..

My grip on the sword instinctively tightened.

With a sharp woosh, I slashed downward in a vertical stroke.

One of the snow leopards lunging at me was cleanly split in half. Though it led with its claws, it was far too weak to withstand my aura.

Meanwhile, my hatchet drifted through the air like a swallow.

It returned before long, its smooth handle landing in my grasp with a solid thud..

The surroundings were littered with corpses by then.

It wasn’t some boastful or arrogant judgment. That was the objective gap between me and the snow leopards.

No matter how many of them came swarming in, this battle’s outcome would not change.

Perhaps things would be different if they were higher-tier demonic beasts, but these snow leopards looked merely mid-tier.

During the hunting festival, I had dealt with over ten mid-tier wolf demonic beasts. Now, I was confident I could take on twenty of them.

I have achieved remarkable growth over the past few months.

Luck also played its part and I had even crossed the boundary of life and death more than once. Because of this, I had become stronger—immeasurably so when compared to my former self.

And wasn’t the evidence right in front of me?

The snow leopards growled, baring their teeth. While they seemed eager to make their hostility clear, their bodies flinched and shrank backwards all the same.

If they chose to flee, that would suit me just fine.

After all, I already had enough game to haul back to the village.

There was no need for further unnecessary bloodshed. Moreover, they served an important role of keeping the humans who intruded into the area in check.

However, they wouldn’t be called demonic beasts if they acted based on reason.

They were creatures driven purely by hatred and violence. They  seemed to have no intention of neither fleeing nor letting me and the elves leave unharmed.

Instead, they dispersed, reorganizing their formation.

I could plainly see what they were plotting.

They planned to use a few strong individuals to hold me off, while the rest tore my companions to pieces. And it was an effective strategy in its own way.

After all, the only among them capable of handling a snow leopard alone was Elder Poff.

Even then, he avoided direct confrontation with demonic beasts whenever possible, so there was no way Isha or Aviang could face them.

Especially Aviang, whose face had gone pale as she slumped on the ground. Judging by her trembling legs, it seemed unlikely she could move anytime soon.

I sighed and straightened my stance once more.

The heat of battle warming my body dissipated into white mist of my breath. It was then that a faint command slipped from my lips.

“…Isha.”

“Y-Yes?!”

Startled by my low call, Isha answered in a flustered voice.

The way she jumped in surprise showed she had been absent minded for quite a while. I could sense an indescribable mix of emotions in her eyes as she looked at me.

Shock, awe and fear.

It meant she still couldn’t bring herself to fully trust me.

I hadn’t expected anything anyway, so there was no disappointment on my part. I simply decided to tell her what needed to be said.

“Fall back and shoot your arrows. Focus on the ones heading for Aviang.”

“Wh-What about you and Elder Poff…?”

“Elder Poff can look after himself…”

As I finished speaking, I secured the hatchet I’d been holding back at my waist.

“And I’ll do what I need to do.”

Awoooo, a snow leopard let out a wolf-like howl.

Taking that as a signal, the predators of the snow fields kicked off the ground and sprang forward. Their elastic muscles gave them a terrifying burst of speed.

Three of them were charging at me.

I braced my legs against the ground, scattering snow in all directions. Gritting my teeth, I felt the air around me compress—and in the next moment, I was already right in front of one of them.

This particular snow leopard was noticeably larger than the others.

It seemed more like a high-tier demonic beast rather than a mid-tier one. Which meant that a single decisive blow wouldn’t be enough to finish it.

Sparks flew as blade and claw collided with a harsh clang. The snow leopard yanked my sword closer, as though trying to grip the blade, then lunged at me with its fangs bared.

Its gleaming white canines were on full display. Before those jaws could fully open, I rammed my forehead into the black bridge of its nose.

A dull crack sounded, and the demonic beast’s jaw muscles momentarily froze.

Seizing that brief opportunity, I bent backward and flung its body over me. Immediately after, as if wringing my muscles out, I twisted them and slammed the demonic beast  into the ground with all my strength.

It was an application of the secret technique of the Holy Nations called “Moon Reversal.”

Thud! Earth and moss flew up. At the same moment, the two snow leopards that had been rushing from either side launched themselves at me.

My sword was still wedged in the claws of the snow leopard pinned to the ground.

I decided to abandon it altogether. After all, I still had a secondary weapon at my disposal.

Once more, my hatchet whirled through the air. I hoped that blow would end things, but these snow leopards were capable of adapting too.

Clang! Clang! The snow leopard deflected the incoming hatchet strikes in quick succession.

Regrettably, the hatchet seemed unlikely to serve any role beyond keeping it at bay. So, I ducked low and dove into the chest of the demonic beast that wasn’t being restrained by the hatchet.

However, that snow leopard wasn’t an easy opponent.

Using its flexible muscles, the snow leopard swiftly crouched to counter me and the abrupt motion caused us to tumble together on the snow-covered plain.

Though we rolled back and forth, grappling for dominance, my strength ultimately proved victorious.

Pinning its front paws under my knees, I slammed my fist into the snow leopard’s nose.

A sickening crunch echoed as its cartilage shattered.

Amidst its desperate thrashing, the snow leopard managed to rake its hind claws across my back. However, those claws barely grazed me, lacking any real strength.

Protected by mana, my body was left with nothing more than shallow scratches.

At that moment, another snow leopard that had escaped the hatchet’s distraction let out a ferocious growl.

GRRRRRR!

Judging from the fact it didn’t charge blindly, it must have realized the tide of battle had turned against it.

Huuu, exhaling deeply, I steadied myself and got to my feet.

For a fleeting moment, my eyes met the snow leopard’s.

Cunning as it was, the demonic beast abruptly turned its body and changed its target.

It was now heading toward Aviang.

“Isha!”

“There’s another one!”

But Isha was already in the process of nocking an arrow on her bowstring.

Sure enough, just as she said, there was another beast rushing towards Aviang. While Isha struggled to keep the first one at bay, the snow leopard that had initially been targeting me seemed to have set its sights on Aviang.

It was a troubling situation. I had no weapon in my hands at the moment.

It was then that I noticed something strange.

In the path of the charging snow leopard, something small was sprouting its way out of the ground. The moment I saw it, I sprinted toward the hatchet lying on the ground.

And at the very instant I grabbed the hatchet, as if on cue, tree roots shot up—

They coiled tightly around the snow leopard, binding it.

It was Elder Poff’s assistance. Though the snow leopard quickly began tearing at the roots, the brief moment of delay was all I needed.

“Well done, Elder Poff!”

“I wasn’t helping you, I was saving the elf!”

As expected, Elder Poff refused to openly acknowledge my praise.

Hearing his shouts as he fought, wielding roots and his staff, I surged forward.

My hurled body slammed into the snow leopard just as it broke free from the roots. Before it  could even react, my hatchet struck down in rapid succession.

Crunch, thwack, crack!

Three strikes were all it took. As if jolted by electricity, the beast’s four legs quivered, signaling its final moments.

So, the only one left now is the one charging at Elder Poff?

Just as I let my guard down with that thought in mind, a noise brushed past my ears.

Thunk—it was a dull noise of something bouncing off a hide.

My dazed eyes turned toward the source. From the opposite side, there was yet another snow leopard charging towards Aviang.

Isha’s arrow failed to pierce the demonic beast’s hide.

Instinctively, I threw my hatchet. The snow leopard, as if expecting it, curled its body and let the blade embed itself in its back.

Blood spattered, but that was all.

Rolling once on the ground, it sprang upright and, in a single bound, pounced at Aviang.

Its eyes burned with ferocity, radiating a murderous intent that seemed unrelenting. Its determination to kill at least one target was palpable.

“K-KYAAAAAHHH!”

The origin of the demonic beast’s hostility was truly inexplicable.

What could possibly drive it to throw away its own life just to harm another?

Then again, I was hardly in a position to judge.

Crunch! the sound of its powerful jaws crushing a bone spread through the air.

Aviang’s body trembled violently. Peeking between her hunched shoulders were eyes filled with terror.

Drip, drip.

The snow-covered field turned crimson.

Its jaws had sunk into an arm.

Not Aviang’s, but Mine.

Realizing what had happened, Isha screamed in horror.

“HU-HUMAN!”

The pain was enough to make my jaw quiver. Feeling the beast’s fangs trying to crush my bones in real time was anything but pleasant.

But I was no stranger to pain.

Gritting my teeth, I forced strength into my arm. My muscles contracted, clamping down on the snow leopard’s jaws. Thrashing and flailing, it raked my arm with its front claws—

Until my free fist slammed into its forehead.

Bam. My punch crashed in, and the snow leopard let out a pitiful wail. With its teeth locked onto my arm, it couldn’t make any louder sound.

All it could do was take punch after punch, waiting for me to throw its body to the ground.

Only then did Aviang, trembling, lift her head.

Her eyes carried a look of incomprehension.

In response, I offered her a wry smile.

“I told you I’d protect you.”

Because a great knight never lies.

At all times and in all places, a noble must fulfill their duties. Just as I had now.

The last one was dealt with using the hatchet embedded in the previous snow leopard’s body.

The remaining  snow leopard, which had been grappling fiercely with Elder Poff, failed to avoid my strike. And with that, the battle was over, leaving just one lingering issue.

“…How are we supposed to haul all of them back to the village?”

The only concern now was figuring out how to transport today’s hunting bounty.

Still, this much should be enough to keep the elven village supplied with food for a while.

Yet, one thought continued to nag at me—the strange presence I sensed just before the snow leopards attacked.

I thought I’d seen a faint gleam for an instant.

I tilted my head thoughtfully, but eventually pushed the thought aside, hoping it was just my imagination.

Yet it still left me feeling a bit uneasy.

**

“According to one of our scouts, there’s a human in the elves’ custody.”

Late at night, in a makeshift tent deep in the coniferous forest.

A girl with gray hair was silently listening to the report. Her sunken eyes, heavy with exhaustion, reflected the toll of her mental strain.

Yet she refused to sleep.

She decided not to until her goal was achieved.

She spoke in a weary voice.

“A human? All the way out here in this deep coniferous forest?”

“Yes, that’s correct. They couldn’t confirm his exact identity. He was under attack by snow leopards at the time, and from a distance, all they could tell was that he’s a young man…”

The girl’s breath caught in her throat, abruptly.

Then she inhaled deeply.

After a few seconds of taking such slow, deliberate breaths, she fixed her aquamarine-like eyes on the soldier.

“How do you know he’s being held captive?”

“He seemed to have both hands bound by something, and his movements were visibly restricted.”

The girl fell silent—for quite a while.

By the time her lovely lips parted again, a chilling aura had settled over the tent.

Like a layer of frost.

“…We’ll move out immediately.”

Fate was closing /genesisforsaken