BXBX NOVEL Chapter 70 Journey (3)
Passing through a Teleportation Gate feels like entering a cold bath in a cold morning for the first time: it is painfully annoying for the first few seconds, but then you just get used to it.
That's how I feel everytime I pass through a Teleportation Gate, and I am already too familiar to be bothered by it. Still, the unexpected feeling I get whenever I enter a new environment can never stop baffling me from time to time.
"Watch out for the Taurones!"
... Sometimes not in a good way.
A field so vast, it seems endless—decorated with green, lush grasses and trees, the place we have stepped our foot on is heavenly. A glance is what you need to decide the place is a good place to spend your retirement days at.
Unfortunately however, it is nothing but a delusional thought—spending your retirement day there. The place sure looks peaceful, but that is only the case, if you ignore the existence of the 12 feet tall bull-like Beasts.
"Is there anyone waving around a cloth? I am sure these fucking bulls mistaken us for matadors," I joke at the amusingly annoying situation.
"Ahaha. What are you talking about, Layland?" Vibiane remarks from my side. "What is even a matador? Is that a delicious food?"
"No... I mean, why are you running?"
"Eh? I am not going to fight those Taurones—they seem trouble."
"Well, thanks for stating the obvious."
As Vibiane gives me a puzzled look, I look at the other warriors in our troop. Regardless of their race, all of them are running away from the Taurone—even the 22 feet tall Minotausr duo in our troop that are almost twice as big as the Taurones.
I don't know whether this is just an inside joke that is meant to trick the newbie, which in this case is me, or the Taurones are really that dangerous of a Beast. In any case, I find the situation amusing as much as it is ironic.
p
In my mind, the Demon King's Army is a group of military that will make anyone tremble upon hearing it being mentioned—a fearless and fearsome group of Demons and Monsters!
I certainly never expected this to happen.
I mean, even our General, who has bragged so much about the glorious path he is paving, the 10 feet tall Garou is running away from the Taurones—a group of fucking oversized bulls!
This is the point where I question if the warriors in our troop have really killed more than 15,000 humans in the war. If they do, then I want to know just how pathetic the humans of this world are.
"Oh, there is a possibility that those Taurones are stronger than they look." I have just realized something, but it's actually just me convincing myself. "There is no way that we are this pathetic, isn't there?"
"Hahaha. I don't know what you are talking about, but it sounds offensively true."
"... Don't laugh, Vibiane."
"Oh, okay. Why did you sound so judgemental though?"
I sigh as I ponder about about the actual reason why we are running away from the Taurones. Jokes aside, I know that all of these warriors are capable judging from how calm they are—even Vibiane looks like she is just strolling in a park.
None of them has shouted at each other—none of them show any sign of panicking, and this is what makes me question our choice to run away from the Taurones.
Just like them, who think nothing of the Taurones, I, too, feel that Taurones are not something worth to be scared for.
"Do we have any reason for running away from the Taurones?"
"Now that you talk about it, I don't really know about it. We have always done it ever since I entered the army for the first time, and I have never questioned about it."
"I see..."
I nod lightly, then look at Velucan's back that is a few feet away from me. Deciding to get out of the rank for a moment, I channel Mana into my feet and dash to Velucan's side.
Vibiane is slightly flustered when I do that, apparent from the slight panic I can feel in her tone. The other warriors also turn their head at me, but none of them scolds me or tells me to get back in the rank.
By the time I arrive beside Velucan, I immediately say, "Are Taurones one of the exotic Beasts that Lord Ilschevar forbids us to kill?"
"Layland?" Velucan slightly quirks his eyebrow at my appearance. "How are you—well doesn't matter." He shakes his head faintly. "About the Taurones, there is nothing special about them. We simply just don't see any benefit from dealing with them."
"... Are they edible?"
"Oh, they have one of the best meats in the world!"
"Can I kill them?"
Velucan, who has been focusing on his way, suddenly turns his head to me and blinks his eyes in, what I say is, surprise. He cracks up not long after, but still gives me the okay nod.
"Take as much as you can, but I suggest you to not overfill your Storage."
"I will take my leave, General."
"Kukuku. Don't be too formal." Velucan waves his hand nonchalantly. "Just call me by my name."
"Very well, Velucan."
".... On second thought, I think it's better for you, as my subordinate, to—hey, listen to what I am saying first!"
At the thought of finally supplying myself, I immediately dash toward the horde of the rushing Taurones. I can't care less toward what Velucan is trying to say to me; I am too excited at the opportunity to supply myself that has come sooner than I expected.
Some of the warriors turn their head at me when I rush past them, probably wondering what I am going to do, but once again, none of them stops me.
Vibiane immediately stops in her track when I pass her, then immediately chases after me while warning me not to do what I am about to do. I, of course, don't listen to her warning at all.
Mind you though, I am not stupidly charging at the Taurones. While on my way to slay one of them, I am assessing their potential prowess from the faint Mana pressure they are exuding.
None of them is strong enough to pose a threat to me, but I still have to be careful about their number. No matter how weak they are, unity is strength—I can't allow myself to end up being ganged upon by them.
"Layland, don't get yourself in trouble! Leave them be—it is not worth the trouble."
"I still need food supply."
"I can share you mine!"
"I don't want to be poisoned."
"Do I look like someone who will do that?!"
"Yeah."
"Immediate answer!"
While Vibiane is freaking out about how low she is in my opinion, the frontmost Taurone is finally just a few feet away from me. This Taurone is slightly bigger than the others, and it is not hard to deduce that it is the leader of the horde.
Coating my arms with Wind Magic, I kick the ground to jump at the Taurone in front of me. The Beast greets me with its two long horns, but since I have expected such a thing to occur, my hands easily grab the horns.
Boom!
When I stop the Taurone's advance by holding its horns with my bare hands, it immediately wails loudly. I am slightly surprised by the Beast's strength, but I am too excited about my strength to care about nit.
Although it is not my first time of using my monstrous strength, it still manages to baffle me from time to time how my well trained but normal muscles allow me to possess such a monstrous strength.
"Alright, it is time to cross the river of next life, buddy."
Using the Wind Magic that I have coated my arms with, I cut the Beast's horns, and immediately jump on top of it. It can rush madly once again as I am no longer holding it in its place, but I still got a hold of it since I am now on its back.
By the way it wails, it doesn't seem to be amused by what has happened to it. I don't speak Tauronese, but I can tell the Taurone is complaining about the majestic horns it has just lost.
"Well... Sucks being a prey, doesn't it?"
As I hold the two horns I have cut in vice grip, I lean slightly forward, then stab the neck of the Taurone with them. The horns pierce the neck easily, and the Taurone loses its balance fairly quickly.
When it is about to fall over, I immediately jump down from it to avoid falling with it. Letting it roll on the ground, breaking its neck, I face the rest of the horde that now seem pretty mad about what has happened to their pack leader.
Extending my hand forward, I channel my Mana to it, turn it into a fire, then throw it at the horde of Taurones. My fire burns a good part of the lush green grasses—that's unfortunate, but it managed to stop the advance of the Taurones for a while.
Turning around only to be greeted by Vibiane's dumbfounded gaze, I turn to the Taurone I have killed, and store it inside my Spatial Storage.
That is how I managed to secure a two weeks worth of food supply.