The Black Beast

Night had fallen, and the sky was shrouded in darkness.

Originally, I had planned to set up camp for the night, but seeing a sign that indicated only five kilometers remained, I decided to push forward instead.

So this is what they mean by a thousand-league horse.

I had estimated that it would take at least a day to reach our destination, accounting for Jinju's pace, but the white mare shattered my expectations. She wasn't just fast—she was a beast of pure acceleration, like a supercar with its pedal floored. And I had a feeling I hadn't even seen her top speed yet.

—Hiiiiiiiigh!

"Huh?!"

Jinju suddenly reared up, forcing me to clutch onto her for dear life. I nearly got thrown off, barely managing to steady myself.

"What's wrong?! Why'd you stop?!"

She stood frozen in place, completely still.

Had she broken down like a malfunctioning car? Or was she protesting the long journey?

Sliding off her back, I inspected her carefully, only to realize her gaze was fixed downward.

"What the...?"

A taut rope was stretched across the narrow forest path, nearly invisible in the dim light. It was positioned precisely at Jinju's ankle height—had we kept running, we would've been in serious trouble.

How did she even spot this in the dark at such high speeds? It was a mystery.

"Who the hell set this up?"

This was no accident. It was clearly a trap, likely set up recently by hunters or bandits. If that were the case, then...

—Rustle!

A faint noise from the underbrush caught my attention.

I focused my mana into my palm, conjuring a small orb of crackling lightning to illuminate the surroundings.

Nothing visible—but with my heightened senses, I knew better. Someone was there.

Jinju seemed to sense it too. She took a cautious step back, as if giving me space to act.

"I know you're there. Show yourselves."

—Rustle!

"?!"

"Uwoooh! Uwoooh!"

Figures burst out from both sides of the road, surrounding us in an instant. They chanted in a strange, guttural language that I couldn't comprehend.

Barbarians?!

Dressed in thick white bear pelts, they wielded crude weapons. Bone necklaces dangled from their necks, presumably taken from beasts they had slain. Their faces were smeared with blood-red markings, resembling something straight out of a game.

"The Toma Tribe... That makes sense. We've already crossed into the outskirts of Katula."

"Uwooh! Uwoooh!"

Whatever they were saying, it sounded like gibberish to me.

Are they demanding a toll?

Recalling Maldini's advice, I reached into the satchel strapped to Jinju's saddle.

"This is food. If I give you this, will you let us pass?"

"Uwoooh!"

"…You want the white horse instead?"

They ignored the bundle of provisions and instead jabbed their weapons toward Jinju.

Did they even realize what kind of creature they were trying to claim?

I tossed the satchel onto the ground in front of them.

"The horse is off-limits. This is the toll. Now move."

"Uwooh! Uwoooh!"

"Tch… You bastards aren't listening, are you?"

Their eyes gleamed with greed as they continued pointing at Jinju, completely ignoring the food.

I sighed and let a pulse of electric mana surge through the air, hoping to scare them off.

—Crackle! Crackle!

"Uwoooh! Uwoooh!"

Sparks crackled in the darkness, but instead of retreating in fear, the barbarians became even more agitated, perceiving my display as a challenge.

Avoiding unnecessary conflict would have been ideal, but they had their eyes set on Jinju. There was no way around it.

I clicked my tongue and focused my energy.

—Hiiiiing!

[Magic: Lightning Strike]

—Boom!

One of the Toma warriors, who had begun creeping toward Jinju, was struck by a low-intensity bolt. It wasn't strong enough to kill—just enough to knock him unconscious.

Yet instead of backing off, the remaining warriors grew even more frenzied, their bloodlust thick in the air.

"Uwoooh! Uwoooh!"

"Tch…!"

Their stances shifted. They had exchanged signals.

They were about to attack.

But they weren't my real concern.

—Rumble…

A deep, guttural growl echoed through the trees, resonating in my chest like a tremor.

Though it was a low sound, it carried the force of a deafening roar, shaking the entire forest.

Jinju's blue eyes wavered in unease. The barbarians, on the other hand, wasted no time before bolting into the shadows.

"Uwooooh!"

They disappeared in an instant.

Now, only Jinju and I remained in the eerily silent forest, with the distant growls growing closer.

Summoning my mana, I activated the detection technique my master had taught me.

—Crackle!

By deliberately dispersing my mana, I could sense disturbances in the surrounding flow. It wasn't exactly magic—more of a refined skill.

I closed my eyes, sharpening my focus, extending my senses outward.

It's close!

A massive presence lurked within a hundred meters, and worse—it was moving toward me.

Without hesitation, I scrambled onto Jinju's back.

I can't handle this thing. We need to run—now!

Fighting an unknown beast in the dead of night, in such tight terrain, was suicide.

Jinju understood instinctively. The moment I mounted, she launched forward at full speed.

A white streak tore through the darkness, yet I could still feel the presence behind us.

—Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

"?!"

It was following us.

And it was fast.

"Shit! What the hell is that speed?!"

Through the darkness, a massive black silhouette came into view, its eerie green eyes glowing like will-o'-the-wisps.

My gut twisted.

No… It can't be…

The name clawed at the back of my mind, my worst suspicion confirmed.

"Black Cougar. It's him."