Chapter 347

Vorbuk leapt from the shadows beneath the undead horse. A large wolf leaping from the shadows of the steed with his jaws wide open. Growling deeply at the headless horseman's steed. The wolf growled deeply as his fangs sank deeply into the throat of the undead horse.

The horse whinnied and stood up on its hind legs. Creed pulled back on the reigns of the horse as he was taken off guard by the sudden attack from below. His balance was almost lost from his steed as it was startled by the attack. It struggled and kicked itself up on its hind legs repeatedly while trying to stomp the beast with its front hooves.

"How dare you-!!!" Creed was angered at the beast for attacking his undead steed directly.

Shhkk!

The headless horseman swung his sword at the wolf with anger. Extra force behind his swing making it more difficult for Vorbuk to dodge. Even as the beast tried to dodge his sword the blade swiped across Vorbuk's chest. The wound splashed blood across the ground and undead horse as the wolf stumbled.

Thud!

Vorbuk could hear the sound of the headless horseman jumping down from his undead horse. He did not look but listened. A growl echoing from his throat as he tried to shake off the pain. There was no time to consider how much his wound hurt. It would not kill him and he would not allow it to hinder his capability to fight back against Creed.

"Do you think forcing me down from my steed will do you any good?" Creed asked the beast even though he could not hear a response from him in his wolf form. It felt like a petty trick to force him down in such a savage method.

Did I expect too much from him? Creed thought to himself while wielding his sword in hand towards the beast. His ideas are not flawed but he is weak and unafraid to choose such a savage method to see through things to the end against me.

I am not certain if I should consider him an honorable man who keeps his word or a savage beast willing to take risks. The headless horseman was unsure of what he thought about Vorbuk.

Snarling at Creed, Vorbuk slowly stepped towards him. The wolf seemed to be cautious in his movements. Finally Creed had climbed down from his undead horse and stood on his own two feet again. This time Vorbuk felt things could be easier without the horse getting in the way of his movements.

The beast's eyes flashed a red glow as they both sped up their movements and rushed at each other. Shadows from the ground spiked out within the heavy black fog around them. Creed's sword clashing downward at the beast.

CLANG!

The sword clashed with the wolf's sharp fangs. His front paws positioned so that his sharp claws helped hold the weapon off.

"Master-!!!" Ashley was beginning to worry for Vorbuk's safety from a distance. Standing back to watch the duel between the two of them was making him very anxious. His loyalty to his master was causing his body to tremble with anticipation for the outcome. He wanted his master to win but he was afraid that something could go wrong.

Average beasts would not be able to fend off the sword with their own claws. Vorbuk's body was built differently due to his level and mana type. Both his fangs and nails were not only sharp as steel. They were on par with blades.

CRUNCH!

Vorbuk snapped his jaws down hard on the headless horseman's sword. The blade shattered in his mouth like shards of broken glass. His gums were not as durable as his fangs. Some of the sword shards sliced his gums and filled his mouth with his own blood.

Quickly opening his mouth the sword's pieces scattered on the ground. A heavy growl echoing from his trembling body as he thought about jumping at Creed once more while he was without a weapon. The headless horseman was stiff in shock from the beast reacting in such a way to fend him off.

Preparing to attack again the beast readied himself once more. He could feel his body starting to become exhausted. This fight was beyond what he had trained with the others at the palace and along his journey. The headless horseman was someone he was uncertain of how to defeat.

How do I make him give up on this duel? I am reaching my limit.. If I keep pushing myself I may just pass out. Vorbuk struggled with his thoughts.

"..." The headless horseman seemed to contemplate something as he lifted his broken sword up as if he was observing it.

Vorbuk growled as he lowered his body to prepare to leap at the headless horseman. His body trembling in exhaustion. A heavy silence between the two of them.

As the beast was about to jump at the headless horseman, Creed brought his hand up in the air to motion the beast to calm himself and remain still, "I admit my defeat in this duel."

Huh? Why is he surrendering? Vorbuk could not understand what Creed was thinking.

Creed could see the confused expression on the wolf's face and said to the beast, "You have destroyed my weapon. I have no reason to continue. This was only a duel between the two of us. If we continue things this way it could become a worse situation. I do not wish to accidentally kill you. Therefore, I must forfeit things now since I can not safely continue without putting your life at risk by my own hands."

The wolf did not lower its guard to him, Creed added on, "It would be dishonorable of me if I broke my own word not to kill you. The duel ends here."

Vorbuk could feel his body starting to relax as the headless horseman declared his loss in the duel. It was never a fight to death. He'd known that from the beginning. His own adrenaline had got caught up in the duel so deeply that he had almost forgotten that fact himself.

As the tension left his body the beast's eyes started to become heavy. The more his mind quickly started to relax it brought upon him a sense of peace. It was over and he could finally allow his body to relax. It was only after he started to relax that he realized how worn out he truly was. The adrenaline during the duel had kept him on edge. Unable to realize until now how exhausted he really was.

By the time Vorbuk realized his exhaustion had caught up with him it was too late. His body was falling to the ground with a heavy thud. His consciousness fading out like a light. The last thing he remembered before passing out in the grass was hearing the sound of a startled vampire, Ashley, calling out to him as he rushed towards him from a distance.

The last image that stuck in his mind being the dark towering figure of the headless horseman as the black fog around them, caused by Vorbuk's shadow mana, fading away around them.