Chapter 27

There was blood smeared across the forest ground, against the trees, and the smell of blood permeated the air. For Lennix, this scent was mouthwatering, but he shook himself out of it and focused on the scene before him. The forest floor was littered with the bodies of three people, their forms gruesomely mangled. Yet, amidst the carnage, one man remained alive, his expression filled with terror as he cowered on the ground.

Before the man stood a monstrous creature, resembling a bear in shape and size, but far more menacing in appearance. The beast's hide was not the familiar fur of a bear; instead, it was covered in thick, armor-like plates that gleamed in the sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. Bloodstains adorned its sharp, metallic claws, evidence of the violence it had inflicted. Its teeth, also made of metal, were strong and pointed, suited for tearing flesh and rending prey. The creature's intense, predatory eyes fixed on its prey with a focused gaze.

*That's probably a forgebear,* Lennix thought, considering the option of running away after seeing the beast. The man on the ground cried out, "Help! Someone, please!" as the forgebear growled menacingly, its claws poised to rend him apart. Trembling in terror, the man closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable. However, the symphony of clashing metal and the beast's pained grunts shattered his acceptance.

The man opened his eyes to a surprising sight – Lennix, standing defiantly in place of the beast, his fist outstretched in a heroic pose. However, the illusion of a savior was promptly shattered as Lennix exclaimed, "Ugh, that hurt like a prick!" while nursing his knuckles.

Lennix then turned to look down at the man, who looked surprised. "Hey, man, could you go over there and wait? Someone way more suited, heh, for this will be here soon, and he will be coming from there, so that's where you will be the safest," Lennix said, pointing at the area where he was originally standing.

"Wh-who ar-" the man got cut off mid-sentence. "Just go over there already!" Lennix exclaimed, flashing his fangs, which made the man immediately run to where Lennix pointed. Then, Lennix turned to face the forgebear again, which shook its head, spinning from the force of Lennix's punch.

*Good goddess, that barely did anything,* Lennix thought, observing the fist-sized dent he had left on the creature's head. Despite the damage, it seemed relatively unscathed. Lennix sighed to himself, thinking, *I should have just let this guy get eaten.*

As the beast turned toward Lennix, its eyes filled with anger, it let out a roar while Lennix got into his fighting stance.

The forgebear charged at Lennix with thunderous steps, causing the ground to tremble beneath its weight. As it swung its massive paw downward, aiming to disembowel Lennix, he effortlessly sidestepped the attack, surprising even himself. "You're really slow," Lennix taunted, fully aware that the beast couldn't comprehend his words. Seizing the opportunity, Lennix retaliated with a swift kick to the creature's flank, aiming for a vulnerable spot between its armored plates. His boot connected with a satisfying thud, but the forgebear's thick hide absorbed most of the impact, leaving only a faint dent.

Undeterred, the Forgebear lunged forward, jaws wide open in an attempt to clamp down on Lennix's shoulder. Lennix reacted swiftly, ducking and rolling to the side as the beast's razor-sharp teeth snapped shut. As he regained his footing, Lennix spun around and delivered another powerful punch to the creature's face. The impact reverberated through his hand as he made contact, causing the Forgebear to stagger back.

"Ow! That still hurts!" Lennix exclaimed, now nursing his left hand. Glancing at the forgebear, he pondered, *It can't hit me, but I can't really damage it without breaking my knuckles.* The beast emitted a low growl, eyeing Lennix with hostility.

Deciding on a different approach, Lennix transformed his fingers into black claws. "These should do it," he muttered, flexing his claws before lunging at the forgebear. With a swift motion, he aimed to thrust his claws into the creature's armor. However, the forgebear, anticipating the attack, shifted its position, causing Lennix's claws to pierce its shoulder instead of its head. Lennix felt the resistance as his claws made contact with flesh, though not as deeply as he'd hoped.

Reacting swiftly, the Forgebear swung its claws at Lennix, who adeptly dodged backward. "Ugh, my claws are too damn short!" Lennix exclaimed, frustrated by the limitation. Locked in a tense stare with the beast, he couldn't help but think, *If Eirisse were here, she would've defeated this thing in a single hit.*

Glancing behind him, Lennix saw the man standing where he had instructed him to be. "You've already got a bunch of food, don't you?" Lennix gestured towards the corpses scattered around them. "You can leave me and that guy alone, right?" he asked the forgebear, hoping to reason with the creature. However, the beast only responded with a menacing growl.

"I should have expected that. Also, rude. I may not understand you, but that felt like an insult," Lennix muttered, feeling a bit insulted by the beast's dismissive attitude. Nevertheless, he remained unfazed, confident in his ability to dodge its attacks.

As the forgebear charged at him once again, Lennix met its charge head-on. Dodging under the beast's swinging claws, Lennix slid beneath it before swiftly rising to his feet and slashing across the entire side of the creature. Sparks flew as his claws scraped against its metallic hide, dealing no real damage but eliciting a sense of exhilaration from Lennix.

"Damn, that felt cool!" Lennix exclaimed, admiring his left claws before refocusing his attention on the forgebear. Unfazed by Lennix's taunts, the beast huffed in annoyance before standing up on its hind legs, towering over him menacingly.

"That's scary," Lennix muttered, momentarily taken aback by the beast's imposing stature. Suddenly, the forgebear slammed its two front limbs onto the ground with incredible force, causing a small earthquake that shook the area. Caught off guard, Lennix stumbled backward, losing his balance as the beast lunged at him with its full weight.

The impact sent Lennix flying through the air, crashing into a nearby tree with bone-shattering force. The tree splintered on impact, and Lennix was flung into another tree, barely managing to brace himself before crashing into it. Gasping for breath, Lennix coughed up blood, struggling to regain his bearings. "Th-that was impressive," he croaked weakly, his body aching from the brutal assault.

The beast wasted no time, charging at Lennix relentlessly, denying him a moment's respite. "Oh, come on!" Lennix grumbled, pushing himself back onto his feet just as the creature lunged at him. In a swift move, Lennix uppercutted the beast with his right hand, channeling all his strength into the blow, only to feel the bones in his hand shatter upon impact. The Forgebear crashed onto its back, momentarily stunned.

Seizing the opportunity, Lennix noticed the unarmored underside of the creature and lunged forward, driving his left claws deep into its exposed stomach. The beast howled in agony as Lennix tore through its flesh, his vision obscured by a spray of blood. Gripping something within the creature's innards, he yanked it out with a savage grunt, revealing a gory intestine in his blood-soaked hand. "I... win," Lennix declared triumphantly, his voice strained with exertion.

However, the beast's defiance knew no bounds. Despite its grievous wounds, it rose to its feet once more, its bloodied form trembling with rage. Locking eyes with Lennix, it raised its right paw, ready to deliver a lethal blow. Lennix braced for the impending attack, ready to dodge, but before the paw descended, the sound of rustle metal filled the air.

The black knight, having sprinted up from behind, leaped into the air and drove his shadow sword into the creature's skull. The Forgebear crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, its lifeless body shaking the very ground upon impact. "Phew, that was close," the black knight remarked, turning towards Lennix with concern. "You okay?"

Lennix looked at the black knight, then down at the fallen Forgebear, and back at the black knight again. "You goddess-damned kill stealer!"