Free Web NovelChapter 21: Chapter 21:The End of a Misfortune
-GRHKKKKKKSSSHHH!!!
A guttural cry tore through the air as Roman plunged his spear deep into Vardantooth’s eye. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Until now, Roman had done nothing but evade its relentless assaults, using his Flamebreath whenever an opportunity presented itself to confuse the predator’s senses. The moment a torrent of flames engulfed its face, he seized the opening without the slightest hesitation, leaping onto Vardantooth’s colossal body in a single bound.
The searing pain overwhelmed the beast.
Vardantooth thrashed its head violently, its enormous body shaking with enough force to throw Roman from its back before he came crashing onto the ground below.
The colossal predator reacted almost instantly.
Raising one of its massive feet high into the air, it stomped down toward the spot where Roman had landed.
BOOOM!!
Roman rolled away at the very last moment, narrowly escaping being crushed into a pulp. Instead of retreating beyond its reach, however, he darted beneath the beast’s enormous body, his sharp eyes calmly examining its underside in search of another weakness besides its eyes.
’There it is...’
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
’And would you look at that... you turned out to be a female. Quite the fierce one, aren’t you?’
Without giving it even a heartbeat to react, Roman unleashed his Flamebreath directly upon its exposed weakness before thrusting his spear upward with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The sharpened stone tip pierced straight through its genitals.
The only vulnerable place on Vardantooth’s body besides its eyes.
-GRRRAAAAHHHH!!!
Blood erupted like a crimson fountain, splattering across Roman’s face as the colossal predator released a scream so agonizing that the very settlement seemed to tremble beneath it.
Unable to endure such unbearable pain, Vardantooth’s legs gave way.
Its mountainous body began collapsing toward the earth.
At the final possible moment, Roman forced the spear even deeper before throwing himself backward, barely escaping as the colossal predator crashed into the ground with a deafening impact.
BOOOOOM!!
Dust billowed into the air.
Vardantooth’s cries gradually weakened, each one fainter than the last, until they became nothing more than painful groans echoing across the settlement.
Roman slowly turned away from the dying predator and walked toward the Magnaris.
Beneath Gre Ka Chu’s astonished, awe-struck gaze, he reached down, picked up the spear she had dropped, then calmly returned to the fallen beast.
Gripping the weapon tightly with both hands, Roman drove it toward Vardantooth’s neck with all his strength.
-CLANNKKK!!
The spear shattered instantly.
Not even the slightest scratch appeared upon its hide.
Vardantooth released a low, exhausted growl before turning its remaining eye toward Roman.
The savagery that had once filled that eye was gone.
There was no fury.
No bloodlust.
Only a silent plea.
Roman met its gaze without the slightest trace of sympathy.
Having no means of killing it in a single strike, the predator was now destined to die a slow and agonizing death as blood continuously poured from its ruined wounds.
"Don’t look at me like that."
Roman’s voice was calm.
"You’re nothing more than a creation meant to serve my purpose."
With that, he grasped the broken shaft of the shattered spear and slowly drove its jagged end into the beast’s remaining eye.
-GRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
The final cry of Vardantooth echoed throughout the world of Volcan before silence finally reclaimed the settlement.
[Ding!]
[You have fended off an adversary far beyond your capability, greatly influencing the Magnari Tribe.]
[Reward: 100 Karma Points.]
Roman’s gaze slowly swept across the gathered Magnaris.
Every one of them wore a different expression.
Some remained frozen in shock, still unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. Others stared at him with wide, awe-struck eyes, while a few looked on with quiet intrigue, trying to make sense of the impossible battle that had unfolded before them.
His father, in particular, stood rooted to the spot, staring breathlessly at Roman’s blood-stained body.
Gre Ka Chu had unconsciously clenched both hands into tight fists, her eyes never once leaving him.
Meanwhile, little Gree Ma Go was hopping excitedly on his tiny feet, repeatedly cheering Roman on despite the battle already having ended.
A satisfied sigh escaped Roman’s lips.
He walked over, gently lifted Gree Ma Go onto his shoulder, then turned toward the rest of the Magnaris with a faint smile spreading across his face.
"Ariantou neork Ekotomi era ilumi metero."
(Thank you... for staying behind with me.)
***
’This place should do.’
Volcano gently flapped his greater wings as he descended toward the land below.
The place was surrounded by towering basalt formations whose jagged peaks concealed a vast open plain. Rivers of lava flowed quietly along the outer edges of the valley, painting the dark terrain with a crimson glow, while beyond those rocky walls stretched a dense forest teeming with life.
It was spacious.
Sheltered.
And more importantly, perfect for hunting.
As the Magnaris’ feet finally touched the ground, loud cheers immediately erupted throughout the newly found settlement. One after another they raised their voices, praising the celestial beast that had rescued them from the terrifying predator.
On top of that, this new home was far larger and far more beautiful than the settlement they had left behind.
No matter how they thought about it...
Their decision couldn’t have been more right.
Volcano quietly watched the celebration with softened eyes, the guilt that had weighed heavily upon his heart easing ever so slightly.
’...At least I managed to save them.’
Slowly, the edges of his enormous body began to glow.
Then they started fading away.
[Your Descent Limit has expired.]
[Preparing Ascension for the God: Volcano.]
[3.]
[2.]
[1.]
The fading accelerated.
Volcano slowly closed his eyes while the Magnaris watched in complete fascination. None of them truly understood what was happening, yet not a single pair of eyes could look away.
It was simply too beautiful.
The celestial radiance surrounding the Unicorn resembled a divine miracle descending upon the world before gently returning to the heavens.
[0.]
Volcano opened his eyes once more.
The familiar Void greeted him.
His senses felt strangely numb after spending so much time possessing a physical form, forcing him to stand still for several moments before finally readjusting to the endless darkness surrounding him.
"Holy... fuck."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"That... was incredible."
"I really felt like someone magnificent..."
"...someone truly divine."
Excitement surged through him before the memory of the settlement resurfaced, immediately dampening his mood.
Still...
It wasn’t entirely a meaningless experience.
The incident had taught him something invaluable.
Never act on impulse.
Always think several steps ahead before making a decision that could determine the fate of an entire species.
Taking a slow breath, Volcano immediately merged his divine consciousness with the world once more.
Now that the Magnaris were safe—or at least the overwhelming majority of them were—he refused to repeat the same mistake again.
His perception spread rapidly across Volcan.
The first place he searched was naturally the territory belonging to the predator species.
Finding the Silicari settlement exactly as he had left it allowed him to release a quiet sigh of relief.
However, another concern quickly surfaced.
If the predators continued hunting at their current rate, they would eventually exhaust every source of food surrounding them.
That would only create another disaster.
Expanding his perception farther and farther across the world, Volcano eventually discovered numerous groups of medium-sized creatures roaming the distant wilderness. Some were predators, others herbivores, but none possessed intelligence.
"They should be enough to keep the Silicari fed..."
He quietly measured the distance between the two regions.
Roughly two hundred and sixty-nine kilometers.
Far enough that the animals would never naturally migrate there.
"So... I need to make them move."
Volcano fell into deep thought.
This time he refused to rush.
He carefully considered one possibility after another, eliminating each flaw until a single solution remained.
Violent...
Yet effective. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
His gaze slowly drifted toward one particular Divine Talent that had always made him sigh whenever he looked at it.
"...Meteor Smash."
The moment those words escaped his lips, Volcano synchronized his intent with the World’s Dao.
High above the atmosphere of Volcan, space itself distorted.
A colossal meteor gradually materialized before beginning its descent toward the planet.
"Whoa...!"
Volcano immediately frowned.
"So this is what controlling a Divine Talent feels like..."
"It isn’t easy at all."
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead as he carefully adjusted the meteor’s trajectory.
Too close, and the animals would perish.
Too far, and they would scatter in every direction.
Its angle...
Its speed...
Its point of impact...
Every tiny adjustment demanded an astonishing amount of concentration.
"Just a little more..."
"...there!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The meteor smashed into the earth with overwhelming force.
A deafening shockwave erupted across the landscape, flattening trees and sending countless clouds of dust soaring into the heavens.
Every beast within the surrounding region froze.
Then chaos erupted.
The terrified cries of one herd startled another.
Predators abandoned their hunts.
Herbivores trampled everything in their desperate escape.
Within moments, an enormous stampede swept across the wilderness as every creature fled from the falling star, unknowingly rushing toward the territory of the Silicari.
Volcano quietly watched the migration unfold before making several more precise meteor strikes far behind the fleeing animals.
Each impact subtly corrected their direction, gently herding them without ever forcing them outright until the enormous migration gradually entered the forests surrounding the Silicari settlement.
"...This should be enough."
Volcano released a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
For someone of his current level...
This was the best solution he could think of.
Moments later, another familiar notification quietly appeared before him.
[Congratulations, Lesser God.]
[You have successfully avoided your first Misfortune.]
