Chapter 18: Fighting a cat

After a few days of walking during which Rohan had hardly rested, he finally came across a small village surrounded by fields.

At first glance he noticed the difference with his duchy: the abundance of resources that we could see. Even a person like him who knew nothing about farming other than a few lines he had read here and there could immediately see the difference. That said a lot about the state of the lands in the Duchy of Barnes.

After continuing for a few minutes, he entered this village. It was more of a meager hamlet with ten or so huts rather than a village, but there was still an inn in the center of it, which was worth mentioning.

But, before entering there to eat and to have information on the place where he was and where to continue, he remembered a crucial fact.

He had no money!

The only things of value he had on him were a dozen potions. The problem was that each of these potions could be used to buy the whole village, so he was left with nothing to be able to buy anything.

He then decided to do the only thing he could do at the moment: beg.

What about the honor of a nobleman? What an honor? Rohan didn't care. And eating bread that had been soaked in water for a few days was starting to make him irritable. If it weren't for his warrior physique and the mana that strengthened him, he would probably right now be crawling on the ground, starving.

He tried his luck, and entered the building.

The darkness inside contrasted with the glare of the sun outside, and narrowing his eyes to get his eyes used to for a few seconds, Rohan noticed that a handful of people were already inside.

Without worrying about those people who had all turned to stare at him, he walked to the bar where a man was waiting.

The innkeeper stared at him with his eyebrow raised. After all, although Rohan had been dried from all water since he took the road, his armor was still scuffed and warped in many places.

However, despite a rather strange appearance, he considered this person seriously. This young man in front of him was not just anyone, he saw it in the way he moved. In the way, he ignored the people around him, and the dangerous sparkle in the young man's eyes. What did he live through to have these eyes ?

So he decided to talk politely.

"What can I do for you young traveler?"

"I don't have a single piece of copper with me."

With these words, the image the innkeeper had made of the man who just entered cracked before shattering completely.

"I just want some information on where I am and in which direction the kingdom of Daksina is, and if you were ever good enough to give me food, I will be eternally grateful to you."

Immediately after hearing this, all the people around explode in a peal of thunderous laughter.

The laughter of the villagers who were seated at their tables echoed around Rohan. But he didn't care, without showing the slightest expression, he continued to look the man in front of him in the eye, waiting for his answer.

Normally, this one would have kicked such a beggar out of his establishment with a kick in the ass.

But for some reason he didn't explain, the man in front of him intrigued him. He looked young, maybe 16 or 17. Damaged leather armor, scuffed all over the place, who knows what he had been through?

And those eyes. They seemed to be profoundly calm, but on looking more closely, a strange glow could be detected. A mixture of sadness, rage and something else, something more dangerous.

The innkeeper couldn't put words to his thought, and Rohan didn't notice it himself yet, but that something was a thirst for power. An irresistible thirst for power.

So the man made a choice he would never have made in normal times, and without saying a word, went into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, he returned with a bag in his hand. Inside was dried meat, water, bread and cheese.

He handed it to Rohan who thanked him with a smile on his face. As Rohan tied the canvas bag behind his back, the innkeeper told him where he was.

Luckily he had been heading in the right direction so far, and the Kingdom of Daksina was only a few weeks' walk toward the east at most.

After thanking the man, he left the village and resumed the road without stopping.

Sometimes he followed small roads, sometimes a dirt road, other times he created his own in the tall grass, or else followed small paths. But he never set foot on a main or large road, because he couldn't find one in the first place, and then because it was better to remain discreet.

He was in a forest, heading straight east as the rays of the sun pierced the treetops to reflect his back. The night will fall soon.

At that moment, as he wondered if it was time to take a break, roars echoed in the distance.

He stopped, and listened.

He knew that they couldn't be magic beasts, and that they were only animals. The Barren Lands were just south of this realm, and the amount of mana in the air was said to be one of the lowest on the continent. So there was hardly any chance that an animal could evolve into a magical beast.

Suddenly, as he scanned his surroundings, the bushes to his right shook, and a large four legged black beast came out with a light jump.

The beast had a muscular body with powerful forelimbs, and his yellows eyes were watching Rohan intently with its pink tongue licking its lips.

Its black pelage was contrasted by its bold white stripes forming a unique pattern.

A tail about half the length of his body was floating behind as the beast moved slowly one step after another.

A black tiger.

"Fuck."

Rohan's eyes were widening at the sight of this creature which was practically his size. Without hesitation, he turned and fled as far as he could at full speed.

But the beast was not going to let him run away like that, and follow after him at an impressive speed.

"Shit, go away stupid cat !"

Rohan ran as fast as he could, zigzagging between trees and through bushes, but nothing helped, the tiger was reaching him quickly.

He didn't have a weapon, and even if he did, the fight would be tough. So he did with the means he had, and untied his scabbard from his belt. It was the only thing he had on him that could be of any use.

With the beast only a few paces behind him, he passed a tree to his left, and rather than staying on the defensive, he changed dirrection and bypassed this large tronc to attack the beast from its flank.

He used Strengthened Blow and struck with all his might.

The creature, surprised for a moment, twisted in the air and threw its paw on the scabbard. A terrible screech was heard as the claws cracked the wood of the scabbard.

But Rohan's blow didn't stop there, and his improvised weapon, now possessing a sharp edge, grazed the ribs of the beast, which hissed in pain.

After landing on the ground, Rohan jumped back and pulled a potion out of his bag. He opened the vial with his teeth and without waiting more, swallowed the contents in one gulp.

One skill was using 10 mana and he only have 26 so he could only use a skill twice, so the weak mana potion will become his lifesaver here.

As his lost mana was regenerating from the weak mana potion, the black tiger pounced on him, the gash he had received being only shallow.

Rohan threw himself to the ground to dodge the claws that grazed at his armor. He rolled, then getting to his feet, used the Charge skill to rush towards the animal's back.

This one turned around at an incredible speed with a roar of fury. How dare this weak human resist him?

Rohan struck with Strengthened Blow the moment the tiger had turned, and aimed at the mouth of the animal.

The tiger hadn't expected such speed from its prey, it leaped aside with a reflex but it was not enough to dodge the blow.

With a yelp of pain, a gash appeared on the beast's head, and punctured one of its eyes. Blood and slimy liquid spilled over the ground and Rohan, as the tiger growled in rage and pain.

Rohan exhaled and immediately took three potions from his bag one after the other to drink two at once, while he blocked the third with his teeth, preventing himself from drinking the liquid.

He picked up dirt with his left hand, and, without further ado, threw himself back into the assault as he changed the direction in which he held his shattered scabbard to hold it upside down.

He used Charge to throw himself to the animal's left. The beast had expected it and jumped towards the place where Rohan was going to arrive but this one threw the earth in the eyes of the animal, threw its head back to drink the potion and used a second time Charge when his right foot touched the ground.

He immediately changed direction and appeared directly in front of the tiger, allowing him to easily dodge the hit the black tiger had thrown at him.

And as he came straight in front of the animal's mouth at full speed, he tightened his grip around the stake that his scabbard had become and planted it with all his might into the tiger's head using Strengthened Blow.

The stake entered his eye and sank inside several centimeters with a horrible howl of pain. The force of the impact sent the beast to the ground as Rohan followed with it, never loosening his grip on his weapon.

The tiger continued to struggle for a few more seconds with Rohan restrening it with his legs before ceasing to move, breathless and inert.

He was finally dead.