The Dead Don't Talk

Luther's cloak hits the ground with a muffled thud.

The creature's eyes sparkled as it glanced at Luther's arms, which were full of scars that became an ornament to his looks. The lips started to curl into a smile, and the eyes slowly showed animosity. Trembling, the creature begins to tremble from excitement again.

The creature's murderous desire was stirred by Luther's vigorous appearance. What a bastard.

"Ah! You do excite me. I hope you make me satisfied tonight," the creature said.

"Prick!" Luther muttered. "An abhorrent creature like you should not exist. I will rip that smirk on your face." Luther grips the handle tightly.

"Let's dance! "

With a shout of delight, the creature launched itself at Luther. His launch caused the stone floors to break. Compared to fighting Payne just a moment earlier, the movement's celerity was noticeably better now. The beast pulled his right arm away, ready to swipe his claws quickly at Luther.

Woosh! 

The spine-chilling swing missed its target, passing over Luther's head. Luther stoops swiftly and makes a counter, driving the dagger at the creature's side from a crouch position. But the dagger halted midway from making a hole in his side and exposing some entrails. The beast stopped the hand where the dagger was by striking his palm against Luther's wrist.

The beast was reading Luther's movement and attack pattern. But it was not just the beast; Luther was also doing the same thing.

Reading and predicting the opponent was not that easy. It needed a lot of experience, not just skills. The creature might have an innate combat sense from the start, but Luther acquired these from years of experience hunting magic beasts.

They both paused for a moment. And then they keep one distance from each other. At the very least, the strike's initial trade could be sufficient to gauge their strength. Their body soon gets blurry.

Ca-clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of clashes resonated throughout the temple. 

The creature and Luther trade blows with each other. With every clash of the dagger and the creature's claws, sparks flew all over the place. Their movements were extraordinary, and every attack was fast, precise, and deadly. Every strike will be an instant death when it connects.

Luther tried to hit all the critical points. Based on the human-like look of this creature, he aimed his blade where he thought mortality was high. And it was without a doubt. The beast was fending off Luther's blows.

But in doing that, he also needed to be worried about the creature's peculiar attack pattern and what abilities it was hiding. Luther can discern that it was still hiding something. Other than its real identity, the creature was still taking it easy. Maybe it sees Luther as not a threat. Perhaps he wants to toy with his prey before he devours it.

Luther made a quick stab at the creature's chest. He thrust off the dagger with swiftness, but the opponent managed to stop the attack by grabbing the dagger's blade with his bare hands. It was an incredible display of prompt reaction and strength by the creature to halt the dagger from penetrating him. The attack would leave a clean hole in his chest.

But thanks to his unique physique, such a feat was possible to pull off. The palmar skin of this creature was quite thick. And when added with magic to strengthen it more. A metal-like palmar skin is an easy task for him. If not? His fingers would chop off, falling to the ground like a sausage thrown in at the sizzling pan.

But what is this creature anyway? A magic beast or a demon?

The dagger did not budge even a little from the creature's grasp. Is this all you got? The creature's eyes conveyed these words. His expression was evident. Feel dismayed at the moment? Of course not. He was expecting, and he knows that his opponent had more surprises than what Payne had displayed.

Luther looks into the creature's disdainful eyes. He recalls the scene of how his member died at the hands of this creature. The air that surrounded Luther became abruptly heavy as he glared at his opponent. The creature sensed a horrific aura, a bloodlust, as Luther's intent to kill enveloped the place.

His left arm, which holds the dagger, bulges up. Muscles start to tighten, and veins begin to appear in his arms. The creature was a bit surprised by the strength of his opponent. Luther draws the dagger from the creature's grasp and takes a step back, but amid his action, Luther stops. It was a feint to make his opponent think that he was going to distance himself.

Then Luther makes a quick spin of the dagger and grips it in reverse. With the distance he took on from stepping back, it was enough to deliver a blow. Luther briskly aims at the creature's neck. The blade travels twice as fast as before.

The creature tilts its head to the side to dodge Luther's dagger. The creature's eyes follow the blade as it passes over his neck with a smirk.

Swish!

The blade hit nothing, just the empty space.

But, did it really hit nothing?

Partly. The creature feels a stinging line of pain in his neck. That attack was not a total miss; it managed to cut the side of his neck. A shallow wound. But enough to send a message that Luther was not an easy opponent. The creature's eyes widened at that moment. He was confident that he evaded that attack just now, but still, he had a red line on his neck. The creature was assuredly dumbfounded, though it was expecting that Luther could entertain him more, but not to the point that he would be grazed.

Of course, the opponent was not a normal hunter. Luther's forte is close-quarter combat, which is suitable for the creature's fighting style.

The jeering smirk fades as fast as it appears on his face. The creature intended to retaliate, however. Luther did not give him that chance. Luther makes a quick spin from his last attack and lands his boot at the creature's chest. A heavy kick that throws the creatures against the wall.

***

Huff! Huff! Huff!

'Where the hell did that cry come from? Should I go back?'

Einar was running through the forest, trying to find the source of that beast's cry. As he ran, his eyes were examining the ruins, looking for clues, but there was nothing, only ruined structures, giant trees, and other forest plants. Then, out of nowhere.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A thundering explosion echoed in the forest. These were caused by Walter's magic arrows. Hearing this, Einar stopped for a moment. He gazed in the direction where the sound of the explosion came from and rushed to it.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Einar was so absorbed in finding this magic beast that he did not even notice that someone was following him from the moment he left their camp.

***

After being piled up against the wall, the creature pushes itself out. He stepped away from the wall where he had landed and dusted himself off. A cut on his neck was the only damage from the impact. The creature rubs the stinging wound caused by a dagger on his neck with his middle and index fingers.

It looks at the blood-stained spots on his fingertips. And that ominous grin reappears again. Does he enjoy the sensation of being cut, or does he just want to toy with his prey before he devours it completely? Whatever it is, it would crumble anyone who had less fortitude.

"You have some speed and power, but that is not good enough. Entertain me more," the creature said.

It was evident. That Luther's attack was insufficient to sate this hideous creature's bloodlust. Does it want more bruises, stab wounds, and cuts? No matter what it is, pain is a drug that gives this creature great pleasure; it doesn't matter whether it comes from him or his victim.

Luther opened his lips and spoke.

"For you to be able to speak and take a human form, you're no average magic beast. At least, you must be a Sapphire or Platinum level?"

What are these magic beast levels anyway?

Levels for magic beasts are determined by how rare and dangerous they are. Furthermore, only the Sapphire and Platinum tiers can transform into a human-like form. It was not widely known, but Luther was already acquainted with these from years of tracking down magic beasts, so he was not shocked by the creature's human-like appearance.

"Why bother asking some questions? You are going to die anyway." The creature coldly conveys his words.

Abruptly, the creature begins to spout some blood. Did the impact hit that hard to make a bleed from the inside? No, it was not. It was the dagger that made him bleed. Poison! The dagger had a poison so potent that even a high-ranking magic beast could not stand it. That is Luther's way of hunting magic beasts during his lone time as a hunter.

He uses poison to subdue his target. There were two types of poison at his disposal; the first was a paralyzing type, and the other was a mix of deadly poison from a venomous plant and a magic beast. When he aimed to kill his opponent, it was the latter that he used.

"Fuck!" The creature scowled at Luther while clenching his teeth hard from the excruciating pain caused by the poison. The jeering smile fades, and soon, he feels a sense of rage towards Luther. An unexpected turn of events just happened.

Luther stares at the creature with his eyes full of murderous intent. He is going to pull out everything he has to subjugate the creature. He seems suited to be an assassin rather than a hunter, with his choice of weapon, speed, and combat style.

The creature was down on his knees. Grasping for breath. Blood flowed out from his ears, eyes, and mouth profusely. Rage was perceptible in the creature's eyes. It wants to rip Luther to shreds. That is what he gets from toying with his prey instead of killing it at once.

But would this be the end of the creature's wickedness?

Luther pulls out another dagger. With both of his hands crossed and the daggers held in a reverse edge-out position. Luther firmly planted his foot on the floor. With incredible speed, he threw himself toward the beast, causing the ground to shatter and dust waves to scatter. It was much quicker than it had been.

Luther uses his magic skills, adding some strengthening magic [BLOOD LUST] and speed magic skill [LIGHTNING STEP] on himself. His skin turned red, and lightning was flashing all over his body.

The creature briskly brings himself to his feet, enduring the pain. The creature extended his hand and tried to grab Luther's head, who was rushing towards him. Once he grabs Luther's head, he will smash it to the ground, crushing his skull. That was what the creature had been thinking. He was confident that he was superior when it came to speed and strength.

Just a little more, and he can grab Luther's face. The beast smirked for a moment. He could feel Luther's facial skin in his palm. But then!

"Argh!" The creature burst into a sudden cry. His arm was severed before he could grab his opponent. The chop-off arm hit the ground. Its reaction speed and senses were sluggish. The poison that was spreading into his body was the key perpetrator of these.

Slice! Stab! Stab! Slice!

The creature was rained down with stabs and cuts all over his body. Tendons and muscles were severed, and blood splashed all over where the creature was standing. Create a stain on the floor with his blood. But despite all that, it was still holding its ground, not showing any sign of defeat.

Luther raced toward the beast, knowing its current condition, intending to deliver a last blow that would leave a hole in its body. But when their eyes lock, Luther feels an unexpected surge of fear. It was grinning once more. However, Luther did not pause to execute his blow. He already had the advantage in this skirmish, so there would be no point in pausing.

Clank! A shattering sound echoed in the place.

His eyes grew wide in disbelief. It could not penetrate the heart. The dagger breaks into pieces. Some kind of crystal object suddenly appeared on the creature's chest, making his dagger shatter the moment it collided.

"An eye for an eye," the creature muttered. Luther's hand hit the ground. It was clean-cut; Luther cried out inwardly from the pain and drove another dagger aimed at the creature's throat, but of course, the other hand ended with the same fate. His severed arms were bleeding profusely.

Luther glared at the incoming blow from the creature. It was a strike to his heart. The cracking sound of his chest bones and the sound of tearing flesh were explicit to his ears. His plan was to leave a hole in the creature, but instead, he was the one to receive it.

"Ugh!"

Luther kneels, staring at the creature. He looks like a handless mannequin with a hole in his chest. Even on the doorstep of his death, he was still trying to buy time for those three to escape. Slowly open his lips, despite the excruciating pain he has right now, to ask a question.

"You are a…" Luther did not finish his question. The creature places his finger on his lips, giving a signal to Luther to stop talking.

"The dead do not talk," the creature said before striking Luther's head with the back of his hand. 

Thwack! Blood splashes over and brain matter sticks to the ground. This creature seems to be fond of decapitation.

"Hahahaha!" A sinister laugh echoed all out the temple.